This is your brain.
This is your brain on Facebook.
It's an advertisement you might see someday, if testimony given to the British House of Lords this month is to be believed. In remarks that have stirred up a tempest in the British media and on the Internet, Baroness Susan Greenfield, a neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, warned that the instant feedback and impersonal communication offered by social networking sites could drive human brains and behavior in negative directions.
"As a consequence, the mid-21st Century mind might almost be infantilized, characterized by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathize and a shaky sense of identity," Greenfield said Feb. 12.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
New Layout
Well, I changed up the layout. Not sure that I like it, but I'm going to marinate in it for a bit. Fall is my favorite season and I love fall colors, so I wanted to try it. The picture in the title is one of my favorites I've taken, so I wanted to showcase that, too. If you hate it, let me know and I'll try to change it up, but I wanted to try something new.
NaNoWriMo
November is National Novel Writer's Month. I have attempted to participate in this for several years with little to no success. I really want to be successful this year, but I have to get out of this funk first. The gist of NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in the month of November (hopefully in the form of a novel). Writing is such a dream of mine and I so would love to do this as a way to really catapult myself into being a true writer, but I think I constantly hold myself back because this is one dream that I'm truly afraid of finding out I may never be successful at. I guess if I make myself unsuccessful by never trying, at least I don't have to put myself out there, naked and raw, unexposed for criticism. Do I really want to live that way, though? Do I honestly want to live life never even reaching for my dreams? I don't think I do. I want to live without regret. I want to live freely and proudly and know that in my life I TRIED. So I am going to work hard to try to realize this dream and use my time wisely, get organized and JUST DO IT. JFDI as my brothers say. I know I am more than I currently present myself as and I want to show that to the world. I encourage everyone to check out the NaNoWriMo site if you are interested in writing, but even more I want to encourage everyone to suck it up and pursue your deepest dreams. Don't wait until New Year's, don't wait until you win the lottery, DO IT NOW. And now I'm off to take my own advice. :)
Alarm
Sleep thief,
Waving your arms in violent protest of rest,
Miserable Metronome murdering minutes,
Screaming your loathing of tardiness,
You slay my slumber in its prime.
Waving your arms in violent protest of rest,
Miserable Metronome murdering minutes,
Screaming your loathing of tardiness,
You slay my slumber in its prime.
Vanishing Act
Sorry I have disappeared for so long. I need to get back on track. When I get down, I often quit writing, which is bad because it is such a positive outlet for me. So, here I go, trying to start up again, although I doubt that anyone is even following me at this point. If you are still checking me out, thanks for believing in me!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Old School
I just wanted to share one of my favorite poems I've written. Now, mind you, I wrote this in high school, but I still feel it's rather profound and especially relevant as I'm wrapping up a year of working with several people who are completely incompetent. :)
swimming through the shallow side of dumbness
i choke on a thought
emerging from my imagination
no one could understand my superior intelligence
so i drowned
swimming through the shallow side of dumbness
i choke on a thought
emerging from my imagination
no one could understand my superior intelligence
so i drowned
Printer's Row Book Fair
In case anyone is going to be in town and is interested, the Printer's Row Book Fair is this weekend downtown. We have gone in the past and have really enjoyed it. Here's a link with all the info:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/printersrow/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/printersrow/
A deeper shade of gray
I would like to apologize for my absence from blogging. I have been rather depressed the past few months and I am hoping that now I have quit my summer job I will have more time to become inspired, relax, spend time with family (quality time) and, of course, get back to my love, writing.
Depression kills my creativity and makes me numb. Nothing is exciting or inspiring, everything is just a dull gray. I am choosing right now to actively seek motivation, drive, determination and inspiration. I hope that you will follow me on my journey. Comments, suggestions and advice are all welcome and appreciated as usual. I look forward to getting back to myself. Thanks for your patience, understanding and for coming along for the ride.
Depression kills my creativity and makes me numb. Nothing is exciting or inspiring, everything is just a dull gray. I am choosing right now to actively seek motivation, drive, determination and inspiration. I hope that you will follow me on my journey. Comments, suggestions and advice are all welcome and appreciated as usual. I look forward to getting back to myself. Thanks for your patience, understanding and for coming along for the ride.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
McHealthier?
I found these two articles tonight and thought they were interesting. They give summaries and letter grades of the healthiest and unhealthiest "fast food" places. I think McDonald's surprised me the most, although it doesn't mean I'm going to run out and eat it every day. Check them out and let me know what you think.
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/25787/americas-healthiest-restaurants/
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/26542/americas-unhealthiest-restaurants
Eat This, Not That
by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition
Eat This, Not That
by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition
To separate the commendable from the deplorable, we calculated the total number of calories per entrée. This gave us a snapshot of how each restaurant compared in average serving size—a key indicator of unhealthy portion distortion. Then we rewarded establishments with fruit and vegetable side-dish choices, as well as offering whole-wheat bread. Finally, we penalized places for excessive amounts of trans fats and menus that tempt you with fat-laden desserts. Hey, if the neighborhood is crowded with shady characters, sooner or later, one of them will jump you.
Here’s our restaurant report card for some of the unhealthiest restaurants in America. It’ll help you stay on the safer side of town.
D+
Baskin-Robbins
We thought we'd see some improvements after we identified Baskin's Heath Shake as the Worst Drink on the Planet. All they did was lower it from 2,300 to 1,900 calories, leaving an almost equally egregious drinkable disaster to set back unsuspecting sippers. It’s typical of the menu there; B-R’s soft serve is among the most caloric in the country, the smoothies contain more sugar than fruit, and most of what Baskin sticks into a cup winds up with more fat than what'll end up on your plate at a steakhouse buffet. Check out our complete list of the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America to see the other liquid offenders. If you learn how to make smart choices when you sip, you can lose a few pounds a month—without giving up your favorite foods, or ever dieting again.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: With frozen yogurt, sherbet, and no-sugar-added ice cream, Baskin's lighter menu is the one bright spot. Just be sure to ask for your ice cream in a sugar or cake cone—the waffle cone will swaddle your treat in an extra 160 calories.
D+
Carl’s Jr.
Most fast-food restaurants today are making at least some attempt to offset their bulging burgers and deep-fried sides with healthier options such as lean sandwiches or yogurt parfaits. But Carl's Jr. is swimming against the nutritional tide, trying to attract those with hearty appetites and less concern about fat, salt and calories. The lightest item on the breakfast menu, for instance, is the Hash Brown Nuggets—but even they have 21 grams of fat, and 5.5 of them are trans fats. (As a rule, you should try to get 2 grams or fewer of the stuff in an entire day!) The burgers are worse, and there's not a side on the menu that hasn't been given a long, bubbling bath in their trans-fatty frying oil.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Find another place to grab lunch. Failing that, you should settle on either the Charbroiled Chicken Salad with Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing or the Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich—the only sandwich on the menu with fewer than 400 calories.
D+
Denny’s
Too bad the adult menu at Denny's doesn't adhere to the same standard as the kids' menu. The famous Slam breakfasts all top 800 calories, and the burgers are even worse. The Double Cheeseburger is one of the worst in the country, with 116 grams of fat, 7 of which are trans fats! (This explains why it made our list of the worst burgers in America (and what you should eat instead). Make sure you try to avoid it (and all others on the list) whenever possible.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Fit Fare menu gathers together all the best options on the menu. Outside of that, stick to the sirloin, grilled chicken, or soups. For breakfast, order a Veggie Cheese Omelet or create your own meal from a la carte options such as fruit, oatmeal, toast, and eggs.
D+
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen’s taste for excess rivals that of other fast-food failures such as Carl's Jr. and Hardees. But unlike Carl's, DQ offers an avalanche of ice cream creations to follow up its sodium-spiked, trans-fatty foods. Here's a look at one hypothetical meal: a Bacon Cheddar GrillBurger with Onion Rings and a Small Snickers Blizzard is a staggering 1,740-calorie meal with 2,640 mg sodium and 83 grams of fat—2 grams of which are trans fats.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Play solid defense. Skip elaborate burgers, fried sides, and specialty ice cream concoctions entirely. Order a Grilled Chicken Sandwich or an Original Burger, and if you must have a treat, stick to a small soft-serve or a small sundae.
D+
Ruby Tuesday
The chain earned its fame from a hearty selection of hamburgers. The problem: They average 75 grams of fat a piece—more than enough to exceed the USDA's recommended limit for the day. Even the veggie and turkey burgers have more than 850 calories! The chain rounds out its menu with a selection of appetizers that hover around 1,000 calories (supposedly to be split 4-ways), a smattering of high-impact entrées like potpie and ribs, and a sloppy selection of salads that is just as bad.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Solace lies in the three Ss: steak, seafood, and sides. Sirloins, salmon, and shrimp all make for relatively innocuous eating, especially when paired with one of Ruby Tuesday's half dozen healthy sides such as mashed cauliflower and baby green beans. Other than that, impersonate Mick Jagger and think about occasionally saying goodbye to Ruby Tuesday!
D
Chili’s
From burgers to baby back ribs, Chili's serves up some of the saltiest and fattiest fare on fast-food row. In fact, with 3,810 mg of sodium and 122 grams of fat, Chili's Smokehouse Bacon Triple Cheese Big Mouth Burger earns the distinction as being one of the worst burgers in America. The Guiltless Grill menu is Chili's attempt to offer healthier options, but with only eight items and an average sodium count of 1,320 mg, there’s meager hope for nutritional salvation.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: There's not too much to choose from after you omit the ribs, burgers, fajitas, chicken, and salads. You're better off with a Classic Sirloin and steamed vegetables or broccoli. Another decent option is the Chicken Fajita Pita with Black Beans and Pico de Gallo. A lot of the appetizers, while delicious, are worrisome too—one from Chili’s made it on our list of Worst Appetizers in America.
D
Uno Chicago Grill
Uno has some serious strikes against it: The chain invented the deep-dish pizza, they encouraged gluttony with their Bigger and Better menu, and in 1997 they faced false-advertising charges for erroneously claiming that some of their pizzas were low in fat. They've cleaned up some of the more conspicuous health hazards and have increased nutritional transparency at all of their stores, but from appetizers to desserts, this menu is still riddled with belt-busting fat.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: First off, cast aside the bloated breadstick that Uno tries to sneak onto most plates. Next, choose flatbread over deep-dish pizzas—it could save you more than 1,000 calories. Beyond that, stick to soups or entree items served with Mango Salsa.
D
Chevy’s
Don't let the made-fresh-daily shtick distract you; Chevy's massive portions push many of the meals beyond the 1,000-calorie threshold. The taco trader’s menu has three strikes against it: 1.) the consistently high amount of fat in its entrees (the average salad has 67 grams); 2.) the outrageous salt levels that make it difficult to find a meal with fewer than 2,000 mg of sodium (you should get around that amount in an entire day of eating); and 3.) the chain earns its poor score by failing to offer complete nutritional disclosure. It provides no information for its appetizers or quesadillas, for instance, and although it maintains it uses trans-fat free oils, there's no trans-fat data for the full entrees.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The best items on the menu are the Homemade Tortilla Soup, with just 393 calories and a full 26 grams of protein, and the Santa Fe Chopped Salad, which has only 470 calories when you order it without cheese. If you can't resist an entrée, order it without all the fixin's—tamalito, rice, sour cream, and cheese. That should knock more than 300 calories off your meal.
D-
On the Border
On the Border is a subsidiary of Brinker International, the same parent company that owns Chili's and Romano's Macaroni Grill. It should come as no surprise then that this chain is just as threatening to your health as its corporate cohorts. The overloaded menu offers appetizers with 120 grams of fat, salads with a full day's worth of sodium, and taco entrées with an horrific 960 calories—and that’s the calculation without rice and beans. Border crossing is a decidedly dangerous enterprise.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Border Smart Menu highlights four items with fewer than 600 calories and 25 grams of fat. Those aren't great numbers considering they average 1,800 mg of sodium apiece, but that's all you've got to work with.
D-
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
For years now we've been on Romano's case to clean up the menu at the beloved Macaroni Grill. So far we've had no luck. This Italian grease spot serves some of the worst appetizers in the country, offers not one dinner entrée with fewer than 800 calories, and hosts no fewer than 60 menu items with more than 2,000 mg of sodium—almost an entire day’s worth of the salt! A select few menu items earn the restaurant's Sensible Fare logo—a fork with a halo over it—but unfortunately these items can still carry up to 640 calories and 25 grams of fat.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Macaroni Grill will let you build your own dish. Ask for the marinara over a bed of the restaurant's whole-wheat penne, and then top it with grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. Just beware their salads—one of them made our list of America’s Worst Salads!
D-
Baja Fresh
It's a surprise Baja Fresh's menu has yet to collapse under the weight of its own fatty fare. About a third of the items on the menu have more than 1,000 calories, and most of them are spiked with enough sodium to melt a polar icecap. Order the Shrimp Burrito Dos Manos Enchilado-Style, for instance, and you're looking at 5,130 mg sodium—that's more than 2 days' worth in one sitting!
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Unless you're comfortable stuffing 110 grams of fat into your arteries, avoid the nachos at all costs. In fact, avoid almost everything on this menu. The only safe options are the tacos, or a salad topped with salsa verde and served without the belly-busting tortilla bowl.
F
Applebee’s, IHOP, Outback, T.G.I. Friday’s
These titans of the restaurant industry are among the last national chains that don’t offer nutritional information on their dishes. Even after years of badgering their representatives, we still hear the same old excuses: it’s too pricey, it’s too time-consuming, it’s impossible to do accurately because their food is so fresh, or we have too much variety. Our response is simple: If nearly every other chain restaurant in the country can do it, then why can’t they?
Your Survival Strategy: Write letters, make phone calls, beg, scream, and plead for these restaurants to provide nutritional information on all of their products. Here’s the contact information for each of the restaurants that refuse to fess up!
Applebees: 888-59APPLE, or send an e-mail
IHOP: 818-240-6055 (press 1 for Guest Visit issues)
Outback: Send an e-mail
T.G.I. Friday's: 800-FRIDAYS
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/25787/americas-healthiest-restaurants/
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/26542/americas-unhealthiest-restaurants
America's Healthiest Restaurants
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding - Posted on Mon, Mar 02, 2009, 12:37 pm PST
Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition
Visit Nutrition Home »
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Eating out invariably raises a number of tricky questions: sit-down or drive-thru? Burgers or pizza? Thin or stuffed crust? Choosing one over the other could mean saving hundreds of calories in a single meal, and up to 50 pounds of flab in the course of a year and countless health woes over the course of a lifetime. That’s why Eat This, Not That! launched an investigation and put 66 major chain restaurants under the nutritional microscope—so that you and your family can continue to eat out, but do so knowing the types of insider tips and savvy strategies that can help melt fat all year long. And the good news is that many fan favorites scored top marks!
To separate the commendable from the deplorable, we calculated the total number of calories per entrée. This gave us a snapshot of how each restaurant compared in average serving size—a key indicator of unhealthy portion distortion. Then we rewarded establishments with fruit and vegetable side-dish choices, as well as for providing whole-grain options. Finally, we penalized places for excessive amounts of trans fats and menus laden with gut-busting desserts. What we ended up with is the Eat This, Not That! Restaurant Report Card, which will show you how all of the nation’s largest eating establishments stack up nutritionally.
Check out those restaurants that scored a B+ or higher:
A-
Chick-fil-A
Between the breakfast and lunch menus, there are only two entrées at Chick-Fil-A that break 500 calories, a rare feat in the fast-food world. What this means is that you can't possibly do too much harm—especially if you stick to the chicken. And unlike the typical fast-food chain, Chick-Fil-A offers a list of sides that goes beyond breaded and fried potatoes and onions. (Just beware the large cole slaw, which adds an extra 600 calories to your daily intake!) That's why we dub the Atlanta-based chicken shack one of our all-time favorite fast-food restaurants.
Also, be sure to check out our exclusive list of the best and worst restaurants for kids to find out why Chick-fil-A receives an even higher grade when it comes to kids’ meals.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The worst thing you can do is supplement your meal with a milkshake—not a single cup has fewer than 600 calories. And instead of nuggets or strips, look to the Chargrilled Chicken Sandwiches, which average only 320 calories apiece.
A-
Subway
A menu based on lean protein and vegetables is always going to score well in our book. With more than half a dozen sandwiches under 300 calories, plus a slew of soups and healthy sides to boot, Subway can satisfy even the pickiest eater without breaking the caloric bank. But, despite what Jared may want you to believe, Subway is not nutritionally infallible: Those rosy calorie counts posted on the menu boards include neither cheese nor mayo (add 160 calories per 6-inch sub), and some of the toasted subs, like the Meatball Marinara, contain hefty doses of calories, saturated fat, and sodium.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Cornell researchers have discovered a “health halo” at Subway, which refers to the tendency to reward yourself or your kid with chips, cookies, and large soft drinks because the entrée is healthy. Avoid the halo, and all will be well.
Along those same lines, try to avoid anything from this indispensable list of the 14 worst “healthy” foods in America, too. They'll trip you up--and easily expand your waistline.
A-
Jamba Juice
Jamba offers a viable and tasty solution to the dearth of fresh fruits and vegetables in the American diet: Stick it all in a blender and let us slurp it up. But make this your rule: If it includes syrup or added sugar, it ceases to be a smoothie. Jamba Juice makes plenty of real-deal smoothies, but their menu is sullied with more than a few faux-fruit blends. Just make sure you choose the right one.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: For a perfectly guilt-free treat, opt for a Jamba Light or All Fruit Smoothie in a 16-ounce cup.
And unless you're looking to put on weight for your new acting career, don't touch the Peanut Butter Moo'd. On this shocking list of the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America, it sits worryingly close to the top. (You’ll be amazed by what’s number one!)
A-
Au Bon Pain
Sure the menu has its pitfalls, but what menu doesn't? The bottom line is that Au Bon Pain combines an extensive inventory of healthy items with an unrivaled standard of nutritional transparency. Each store has an on-site nutritional kiosk to help customers find a meal to meet their expectations, and the variety of ordering options provides dozens of paths to a sensible meal.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Most of the café sandwiches are in the 650-calorie range, so make a lean meal instead by combining a hot soup with one of the many low-calorie options on the Portions menu. And if you must indulge, eschew the baked goods in favor of a cup of fruit and yogurt, or serving of chocolate-covered almonds.
B+
Boston Market
With more than a dozen healthy vegetable sides and lean meats like turkey and roast sirloin on the menu, the low-cal, high-nutrient possibilities at Boston Market are endless. But with nearly a dozen calorie-packed sides and fatty meats like dark meat chicken and meat loaf, it’s almost as easy to construct a lousy meal.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: There are three simple steps to nutritional salvation: 1) Start with turkey, sirloin, or rotisserie chicken. 2) Add two noncreamy, nonstarchy vegetable sides. 3) Ignore all special items, such as pot pie and nearly all of the sandwiches.
B+
Cici’s Pizza Buffet
Cici's began in Texas in 1985 and now boasts more than 600 locations, proving definitively that Americans love a good buffet. The good news for our waistlines is that the crust is moderately sized, and the pizza comes in varieties beyond simple sausage and pepperoni. But if you check your willpower at the door, you're probably better off skipping the pizza buffet entirely.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: It takes 20 minutes for your brain to tell your body it's full, so start with a salad and then proceed slowly to the pizza. Limit yourself to the healthier slices like the Zesty Vegetable, Alfredo, and the Olé, which is a Mexican-inspired pie with only 108 calories per slice.
B+
McDonald’s
The world-famous burger baron has come a long way since the days of Fast Food Nation—at least nutritionally speaking. The trans fats are mostly gone, the number of gut-wrecking calorie bombs are now fewer than ever, and the menu holds plenty of healthy options such as salads and yogurt parfaits. Don't cut loose at the counter just yet, though. Too many of the breakfast and lunch sandwiches still top the 500-calorie mark, and the dessert menu is fodder for some major belly-building.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Egg McMuffin remains one of the best ways to start your day in the fast-food world—feel free to use it as a replacement option for any of these eight worst fast food breakfasts in America!
As for the later hours, you can splurge on a Big Mac or a Quarter Pounder, but only if you skip the fries and soda, which add an average of 590 calories onto any meal.
B+
Taco Bell
Taco Bell combines two things with bad nutritional reputations: Mexican food and fast food. The result should be horrendous, yet somehow it works out so that a little prudence at the ordering window can bag you a meal with fewer than 500 calories. The potential for belly-building is still there, but the calorie bombs are generally easy to spot. And to limit the chances of a mistake, Taco Bell reengineered some of its classic items and listed them under the Fresco Menu for a savings of up to 10 grams of fat per item.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Grilled Stuft Burritos, anything served in a bowl, and anything prepared with multiple "layers" are your worst options. Instead, order any combination of two of the following: crunchy tacos, bean burritos, or anything on the Fresco menu.
B+
Wendy’s
Scoring a decent meal at Wendy's is just about as easy as scoring a bad one, and that's a big compliment for a burger joint. Options such as chili and baked potatoes offer the side-order variety that's missing from less-evolved fast-food chains like Dairy Queen and Carl's Jr. Plus they offer a handful of Jr. Burgers that don't stray far over 300 calories. And for our money, the ¼-lb single is one of the best substantial burgers in the industry. Where they err is in their recently expanded line of desserts and a lackluster selection of beverages. But you're happy just drinking water, right?
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps don't have more than 320 calories, which is less than even a small order of French fries. Choose the chicken or a small burger and pair it with a healthy side, and then hit the door before you receive the 500-calorie penalty for giving in to your Frosty hankering.
America’s Unhealthiest Restaurants
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding - Posted on Mon, Mar 16, 2009, 2:49 pm PDT
Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition
Visit Nutrition Home »
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Your favorite fast food restaurant is often like your favorite city: Visit some neighborhoods and you live the high life. Visit others and you’re just plain asking for trouble. And that’s where Eat This, Not That! comes in: We’ve analyzed and graded 66 different chain restaurants—fast food and sit-down—to determine which ones have healthy options, and which could turn out to be diet disasters.
What we found will surprise you. Specifically, some of the fast food joints you’ve come to think of as terrible for you actually ranked alright—McDonald’s scored a B+, for example, so the Micky D’s drive-thru just might be your fast-lane to weight loss. Something even more shocking, though: more than half of the sit-down restaurants we graded ended up with our lowest scores!To separate the commendable from the deplorable, we calculated the total number of calories per entrée. This gave us a snapshot of how each restaurant compared in average serving size—a key indicator of unhealthy portion distortion. Then we rewarded establishments with fruit and vegetable side-dish choices, as well as offering whole-wheat bread. Finally, we penalized places for excessive amounts of trans fats and menus that tempt you with fat-laden desserts. Hey, if the neighborhood is crowded with shady characters, sooner or later, one of them will jump you.
Here’s our restaurant report card for some of the unhealthiest restaurants in America. It’ll help you stay on the safer side of town.
D+
Baskin-Robbins
We thought we'd see some improvements after we identified Baskin's Heath Shake as the Worst Drink on the Planet. All they did was lower it from 2,300 to 1,900 calories, leaving an almost equally egregious drinkable disaster to set back unsuspecting sippers. It’s typical of the menu there; B-R’s soft serve is among the most caloric in the country, the smoothies contain more sugar than fruit, and most of what Baskin sticks into a cup winds up with more fat than what'll end up on your plate at a steakhouse buffet. Check out our complete list of the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America to see the other liquid offenders. If you learn how to make smart choices when you sip, you can lose a few pounds a month—without giving up your favorite foods, or ever dieting again.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: With frozen yogurt, sherbet, and no-sugar-added ice cream, Baskin's lighter menu is the one bright spot. Just be sure to ask for your ice cream in a sugar or cake cone—the waffle cone will swaddle your treat in an extra 160 calories.
D+
Carl’s Jr.
Most fast-food restaurants today are making at least some attempt to offset their bulging burgers and deep-fried sides with healthier options such as lean sandwiches or yogurt parfaits. But Carl's Jr. is swimming against the nutritional tide, trying to attract those with hearty appetites and less concern about fat, salt and calories. The lightest item on the breakfast menu, for instance, is the Hash Brown Nuggets—but even they have 21 grams of fat, and 5.5 of them are trans fats. (As a rule, you should try to get 2 grams or fewer of the stuff in an entire day!) The burgers are worse, and there's not a side on the menu that hasn't been given a long, bubbling bath in their trans-fatty frying oil.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Find another place to grab lunch. Failing that, you should settle on either the Charbroiled Chicken Salad with Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing or the Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich—the only sandwich on the menu with fewer than 400 calories.
D+
Denny’s
Too bad the adult menu at Denny's doesn't adhere to the same standard as the kids' menu. The famous Slam breakfasts all top 800 calories, and the burgers are even worse. The Double Cheeseburger is one of the worst in the country, with 116 grams of fat, 7 of which are trans fats! (This explains why it made our list of the worst burgers in America (and what you should eat instead). Make sure you try to avoid it (and all others on the list) whenever possible.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Fit Fare menu gathers together all the best options on the menu. Outside of that, stick to the sirloin, grilled chicken, or soups. For breakfast, order a Veggie Cheese Omelet or create your own meal from a la carte options such as fruit, oatmeal, toast, and eggs.
D+
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen’s taste for excess rivals that of other fast-food failures such as Carl's Jr. and Hardees. But unlike Carl's, DQ offers an avalanche of ice cream creations to follow up its sodium-spiked, trans-fatty foods. Here's a look at one hypothetical meal: a Bacon Cheddar GrillBurger with Onion Rings and a Small Snickers Blizzard is a staggering 1,740-calorie meal with 2,640 mg sodium and 83 grams of fat—2 grams of which are trans fats.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Play solid defense. Skip elaborate burgers, fried sides, and specialty ice cream concoctions entirely. Order a Grilled Chicken Sandwich or an Original Burger, and if you must have a treat, stick to a small soft-serve or a small sundae.
D+
Ruby Tuesday
The chain earned its fame from a hearty selection of hamburgers. The problem: They average 75 grams of fat a piece—more than enough to exceed the USDA's recommended limit for the day. Even the veggie and turkey burgers have more than 850 calories! The chain rounds out its menu with a selection of appetizers that hover around 1,000 calories (supposedly to be split 4-ways), a smattering of high-impact entrées like potpie and ribs, and a sloppy selection of salads that is just as bad.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Solace lies in the three Ss: steak, seafood, and sides. Sirloins, salmon, and shrimp all make for relatively innocuous eating, especially when paired with one of Ruby Tuesday's half dozen healthy sides such as mashed cauliflower and baby green beans. Other than that, impersonate Mick Jagger and think about occasionally saying goodbye to Ruby Tuesday!
D
Chili’s
From burgers to baby back ribs, Chili's serves up some of the saltiest and fattiest fare on fast-food row. In fact, with 3,810 mg of sodium and 122 grams of fat, Chili's Smokehouse Bacon Triple Cheese Big Mouth Burger earns the distinction as being one of the worst burgers in America. The Guiltless Grill menu is Chili's attempt to offer healthier options, but with only eight items and an average sodium count of 1,320 mg, there’s meager hope for nutritional salvation.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: There's not too much to choose from after you omit the ribs, burgers, fajitas, chicken, and salads. You're better off with a Classic Sirloin and steamed vegetables or broccoli. Another decent option is the Chicken Fajita Pita with Black Beans and Pico de Gallo. A lot of the appetizers, while delicious, are worrisome too—one from Chili’s made it on our list of Worst Appetizers in America.
D
Uno Chicago Grill
Uno has some serious strikes against it: The chain invented the deep-dish pizza, they encouraged gluttony with their Bigger and Better menu, and in 1997 they faced false-advertising charges for erroneously claiming that some of their pizzas were low in fat. They've cleaned up some of the more conspicuous health hazards and have increased nutritional transparency at all of their stores, but from appetizers to desserts, this menu is still riddled with belt-busting fat.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: First off, cast aside the bloated breadstick that Uno tries to sneak onto most plates. Next, choose flatbread over deep-dish pizzas—it could save you more than 1,000 calories. Beyond that, stick to soups or entree items served with Mango Salsa.
D
Chevy’s
Don't let the made-fresh-daily shtick distract you; Chevy's massive portions push many of the meals beyond the 1,000-calorie threshold. The taco trader’s menu has three strikes against it: 1.) the consistently high amount of fat in its entrees (the average salad has 67 grams); 2.) the outrageous salt levels that make it difficult to find a meal with fewer than 2,000 mg of sodium (you should get around that amount in an entire day of eating); and 3.) the chain earns its poor score by failing to offer complete nutritional disclosure. It provides no information for its appetizers or quesadillas, for instance, and although it maintains it uses trans-fat free oils, there's no trans-fat data for the full entrees.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The best items on the menu are the Homemade Tortilla Soup, with just 393 calories and a full 26 grams of protein, and the Santa Fe Chopped Salad, which has only 470 calories when you order it without cheese. If you can't resist an entrée, order it without all the fixin's—tamalito, rice, sour cream, and cheese. That should knock more than 300 calories off your meal.
D-
On the Border
On the Border is a subsidiary of Brinker International, the same parent company that owns Chili's and Romano's Macaroni Grill. It should come as no surprise then that this chain is just as threatening to your health as its corporate cohorts. The overloaded menu offers appetizers with 120 grams of fat, salads with a full day's worth of sodium, and taco entrées with an horrific 960 calories—and that’s the calculation without rice and beans. Border crossing is a decidedly dangerous enterprise.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Border Smart Menu highlights four items with fewer than 600 calories and 25 grams of fat. Those aren't great numbers considering they average 1,800 mg of sodium apiece, but that's all you've got to work with.
D-
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
For years now we've been on Romano's case to clean up the menu at the beloved Macaroni Grill. So far we've had no luck. This Italian grease spot serves some of the worst appetizers in the country, offers not one dinner entrée with fewer than 800 calories, and hosts no fewer than 60 menu items with more than 2,000 mg of sodium—almost an entire day’s worth of the salt! A select few menu items earn the restaurant's Sensible Fare logo—a fork with a halo over it—but unfortunately these items can still carry up to 640 calories and 25 grams of fat.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Macaroni Grill will let you build your own dish. Ask for the marinara over a bed of the restaurant's whole-wheat penne, and then top it with grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. Just beware their salads—one of them made our list of America’s Worst Salads!
D-
Baja Fresh
It's a surprise Baja Fresh's menu has yet to collapse under the weight of its own fatty fare. About a third of the items on the menu have more than 1,000 calories, and most of them are spiked with enough sodium to melt a polar icecap. Order the Shrimp Burrito Dos Manos Enchilado-Style, for instance, and you're looking at 5,130 mg sodium—that's more than 2 days' worth in one sitting!
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Unless you're comfortable stuffing 110 grams of fat into your arteries, avoid the nachos at all costs. In fact, avoid almost everything on this menu. The only safe options are the tacos, or a salad topped with salsa verde and served without the belly-busting tortilla bowl.
F
Applebee’s, IHOP, Outback, T.G.I. Friday’s
These titans of the restaurant industry are among the last national chains that don’t offer nutritional information on their dishes. Even after years of badgering their representatives, we still hear the same old excuses: it’s too pricey, it’s too time-consuming, it’s impossible to do accurately because their food is so fresh, or we have too much variety. Our response is simple: If nearly every other chain restaurant in the country can do it, then why can’t they?
Your Survival Strategy: Write letters, make phone calls, beg, scream, and plead for these restaurants to provide nutritional information on all of their products. Here’s the contact information for each of the restaurants that refuse to fess up!
Applebees: 888-59APPLE, or send an e-mail
IHOP: 818-240-6055 (press 1 for Guest Visit issues)
Outback: Send an e-mail
T.G.I. Friday's: 800-FRIDAYS
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
This was an interesting film about a young boy whose family moves to a home right next to a concentration camp during WWII. The young boy's father is a Nazi officer who works at the camp. The boy, through exploring when no one is looking, discovers a young Jewish boy at the edge of the camp near the fence. The two become friends and this movie is about their friendship and the young boy trying to understand why he is told to believe that Jews are evil. This movie is very moving, although I was very disturbed by the fact that these Germans had British accents of sorts, but otherwise it was good storytelling. I did not see the ending coming the way it did and was in shock for a bit after watching it. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is another good rental, but I highly recommend doing something light-hearted or uplifting after watching it is rather depressing.
Milk
This movie was phenomenal. I completely understand why Sean Penn won for best actor. Well deserved. This is the story of Harvey Milk who was the first openly gay person to hold public office. I was so moved by his story and inspired by one line in the movie "I'm 40 and haven't done anything I'm proud of." This just made me think about what I'm doing and where I'm going. I'm only 30 and I have two very important things that I'm proud of, my children, but it inspired me to look at my life and see what I've done or will do for others that will change lives. I feel like I have all of these great ideas and never bring them to fruition because I tell myself it will never happen or I don't have the resources. Harvey Milk was a man who believed in his cause and despite great obstacles and people telling him it would never be done, DID IT. What an amazing message. The real life footage in this movie was so moving and the footage of the candlelight vigil at the end brought me to tears. I highly recommend not only watching this, but during/after watching this really taking a look at your life and thinking about how you're going to change the world, how you will leave your mark. Find something to be passionate about and LIVE it. Don't just DREAM it. Make it real and true.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Words to live by
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
— Chris McCandless
— Chris McCandless
Into the Wild
"Into the Wild" is the story of Christopher McCandless who is an upper-middle class young man who gives away his savings $24,000+ to charity and then abandons his life for the open road as he makes his way to Alaska. He feels he needs to leave the constraints of society and the violence as he experience in his childhood. This movie was excellent (directed by Sean Penn) and really got me thinking about what I prioritize in my life now and how I would love to get to a place where I don't feel like I need all of the material things that I think I need now. One quote I loved from the movie is "Happiness only real when shared". This man had so many amazing experiences and met so many interesting people. I have the book and wanted to read it before I saw the movie, but I'm glad now that I saw the movie first. I highly recommend watching this one.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Peace in the chaos
I have had a strong faith in God for as long as I can remember. I remember being a little girl and lying in bed at night praying that God would watch over people and asking God to give me strength to get through certain things. I also remember always having a "Why me, God, why?" attitude for as long as I can remember. After about two decades worth of events and situations that have built-up my "Why me?" mantra, I realized it had created a seemingly insurmountable wall between myself and God. I still had a relationship of sorts with Him, but I was so bitter and angry that it was eating me up and I had become someone I didn't like very much.
Then my brother started talking to me about Buddhism. He had a lot of interesting things to say and being the inquisitive person that I am, I felt the need to investigate. What I found was an amazing philosophy that made me completely re-think my faith and my outlook upon my relationship with God. I first checked out http://www.buddhaweb.org/index.html and by reading the core concepts of Buddhism as stated on this site, my whole perspective on my relationship with God transformed. Here are the Noble Truths that they state:
1. Suffering exists
2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires
3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path
There are also things that keep us from experiencing true freedom:
Things that slow us down and restrict our freedom
From this I realized (although I don't know why I didn't think of it this way before) that everyone suffers. No one is immune, not even those who I think lead perfect lives. I realized that my suffering (Why me?) stemmed from my attachment to desires (my desire to have children, my desire to have the job I think I need to have, my desire to make the amount of money I think I need, etc.) and that those things are what constructed the wall that stood between myself and God. So I started meditating/praying every time one of these desires came into my mind. At first it was really difficult and I was in a constant state of praying/meditating. But then it eventually became easier and I was able to detach myself from those desires. Now, they still do enter my mind, but when they do, I go back to my prayer/meditation until it subsides.
Then there is the Noble Eightfold Path which teaches how to free yourself from the suffering caused by your desires. The Noble Eightfold Path states:
This path is so in line with how we are biblically called to live that for some reason, seeing it laid out like this is just clicked with me. I mean, focus on having the right view and right thoughts, live with speech and actions that will support the mindset that you want, live a healthy mental, spiritual, and physical life, be mindful and thoughtful in your daily life and put forth effort to be whole and true.
There is so much more to it and I don't want to just continue to copy the web site. I highly recommend everyone check it out. Basically, though, it just really made me realize how I had made myself a prisoner of my own suffering and that God had given me free will for a reason and as a result, I had the will to choose if I wanted my desires, my sadness, my disappointments to control me or if I was going to take control over them. It made me realize that God was not the source of my suffering, but rather my own selfish desires were. So my attitude went from "Why me, God?" to "Why not me?" and I turned inward to find that faith that I had had as a child that believed fully in God's great power and go back to that. I know that God is bigger than me and anything that can ever happen to me and I know that no matter what, God will always take care of me. I may lose my home, suffer losses of loved ones, have health issues, be unemployed, and many other things, but no matter how severe the situation, I CHOOSE what to do with that situation. God is there with me, but I CHOOSE how to react to the situation and how I let it shape who I am. Once I started making healthier spiritual choices, and started fully having faith in the power and strength and love of God, my suffering began to disappear. Now, I won't pretend that I never get down anymore and that life is all roses now, but I am so much happier, healthier and positive now. My blood pressure has even gone down significantly and since I started this whole way of thinking, I was able to become pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby girl which I was told may never happen because of my fertility issues! I live my life now, knowing that I'm doing all that I can, I'm trying to make the right choices and that has to be good enough. I cannot do any more than I currently am if I am giving it my best. I let that be enough to give me peace and trust God with what I cannot do. The love and peace and calm that I feel now is indescribable and has lead to me having more patience with my daughters and having more grace when it comes to dealing with other people. Life is not perfect, but it is peaceful and my faith is strong and that's all I need.
Then my brother started talking to me about Buddhism. He had a lot of interesting things to say and being the inquisitive person that I am, I felt the need to investigate. What I found was an amazing philosophy that made me completely re-think my faith and my outlook upon my relationship with God. I first checked out http://www.buddhaweb.org/index.html and by reading the core concepts of Buddhism as stated on this site, my whole perspective on my relationship with God transformed. Here are the Noble Truths that they state:
1. Suffering exists
2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires
3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path
There are also things that keep us from experiencing true freedom:
Things that slow us down and restrict our freedom
- Self-delusion
- Doubt
- Clinging to Ritual
- Sensuous Lust
- Ill Will
- Greed for Fine Material Existence
- Greed for Immaterial Existence
- Conceit
- Restlessness
- Ignorance
From this I realized (although I don't know why I didn't think of it this way before) that everyone suffers. No one is immune, not even those who I think lead perfect lives. I realized that my suffering (Why me?) stemmed from my attachment to desires (my desire to have children, my desire to have the job I think I need to have, my desire to make the amount of money I think I need, etc.) and that those things are what constructed the wall that stood between myself and God. So I started meditating/praying every time one of these desires came into my mind. At first it was really difficult and I was in a constant state of praying/meditating. But then it eventually became easier and I was able to detach myself from those desires. Now, they still do enter my mind, but when they do, I go back to my prayer/meditation until it subsides.
Then there is the Noble Eightfold Path which teaches how to free yourself from the suffering caused by your desires. The Noble Eightfold Path states:
| Three Qualities | Eightfold Path |
| Wisdom (panna) | Right View |
| Right Thought | |
| Morality (sila) | Right Speech |
| Right Action | |
| Right Livelihood | |
| Meditation (samadhi) | Right Effort |
| Right Mindfulness | |
| Right Contemplation |
This path is so in line with how we are biblically called to live that for some reason, seeing it laid out like this is just clicked with me. I mean, focus on having the right view and right thoughts, live with speech and actions that will support the mindset that you want, live a healthy mental, spiritual, and physical life, be mindful and thoughtful in your daily life and put forth effort to be whole and true.
There is so much more to it and I don't want to just continue to copy the web site. I highly recommend everyone check it out. Basically, though, it just really made me realize how I had made myself a prisoner of my own suffering and that God had given me free will for a reason and as a result, I had the will to choose if I wanted my desires, my sadness, my disappointments to control me or if I was going to take control over them. It made me realize that God was not the source of my suffering, but rather my own selfish desires were. So my attitude went from "Why me, God?" to "Why not me?" and I turned inward to find that faith that I had had as a child that believed fully in God's great power and go back to that. I know that God is bigger than me and anything that can ever happen to me and I know that no matter what, God will always take care of me. I may lose my home, suffer losses of loved ones, have health issues, be unemployed, and many other things, but no matter how severe the situation, I CHOOSE what to do with that situation. God is there with me, but I CHOOSE how to react to the situation and how I let it shape who I am. Once I started making healthier spiritual choices, and started fully having faith in the power and strength and love of God, my suffering began to disappear. Now, I won't pretend that I never get down anymore and that life is all roses now, but I am so much happier, healthier and positive now. My blood pressure has even gone down significantly and since I started this whole way of thinking, I was able to become pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby girl which I was told may never happen because of my fertility issues! I live my life now, knowing that I'm doing all that I can, I'm trying to make the right choices and that has to be good enough. I cannot do any more than I currently am if I am giving it my best. I let that be enough to give me peace and trust God with what I cannot do. The love and peace and calm that I feel now is indescribable and has lead to me having more patience with my daughters and having more grace when it comes to dealing with other people. Life is not perfect, but it is peaceful and my faith is strong and that's all I need.
Rachel Getting Married
This movie is not so much a movie as it is a kind of case study look at how abandonment and addiction can ravage a family. I don't know if I would say I was necessarily entertained by it, but I was most definitely fascinated by it and Anne Hathaway was phenomenal. This movie is very heavy, so I don't recommend watching it unless you are ready to be thrown into the depths of a totally screwed up family, but I do recommend checking it out, if only to see Anne Hathaway blow away her Princess Diaries persona and throw herself full force into the dark character of Kym.
Wanted
Have you ever said, "Gee, I wish there was a movie that was a mash-up of Office Space, the Matrix, and Kill Bill?" No? Are you sure? Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? Yeah, I didn't think so either. Unfortunately, whoever made the movie "Wanted" thought it was a good idea. So, that being said, I do not recommend checking out this movie unless A) you are obsessed with Angelina Jolie (I'm talking to you Octo-mom!) B) you have a really sick sense of humor or 3) you have two hours to waste watching really bad storytelling. I will admit it was a little worth it just for the hilarity of watching Morgan Freeman say, "Shoot this mother f***er!", but that's all I have to say that is positive about it.
Friday, March 13, 2009
The social retardation of our Facebook nation
Is Facebook giving us baby brains? British scientist says yes
Minds might be 'infantilized,' baroness testifies in House of Lords
10 Tips for Giving Up Facebook During Lent
But American scientists, while agreeing that Facebook use could influence behavior and brain function, said research into those effects is only beginning.
"Social networking sites are very powerful," said Dr. Gary Small, a neuroscientist at UCLA and author of the book "iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind." "They can really help people in many ways, but they also do have risks."
Small said the idea of Web sites affecting brain function is not far-fetched: A study he performed found increased brain activity after a computer-naive person was taught to use Google.
BJ Fogg of Stanford University, who has taught classes on "the psychology of Facebook," wasn't surprised to hear alarm spread in certain circles about the site, but he doubted it would have much of an impact.
"Even if there were evidence Facebook was somehow changing the brain in a bad way," Fogg said, "I don't think people would stop using social networking."
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Anne Frank Remembered
I also watched the documentary "Anne Frank Remembered" this weekend. It was truly phenomenal. The eighth graders I work with right now are studying Anne Frank and it was so awesome to get to hear straight from the mouths of those who were there and knew Anne and experienced some of what she experienced. It is such an incredible way to learn the story of Anne, the Holocaust, and The Secret Annex. It even inspired me to go out and buy "The Diary of Anne Frank" which I have never read before and start reading it. I'll comment on that once I'm done reading it. Check out "Anne Frank Remembered", though. The time spent watching it is definitely well spent.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
We saw "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" over the weekend and it was a fun little movie. Nothing overly profound about it, but it was good for some laughs and I love Michael Cera. It's also a kind of a testament to just getting over yourself and going after what you really want in life. We give it two thumbs up. Totally worth Netflixing.
The Individualization of Religion
I stumbled upon this article a few days ago. I found it very interesting and shared it with a friend and with my husband at the time and it is part of what finally sparked me to start this blog, commenting on issues that I find relevant (or entertaining).
From www.cnn.com:
taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/09/us.religion.less.christian/index.html
(CNN) -- America is a less Christian nation than it was 20 years ago, and Christianity is not losing out to other religions, but primarily to a rejection of religion altogether, a survey published Monday found.
Survey finds percentage of of Americans identifying themselves as Christian has fallen over two decades.
Survey finds percentage of of Americans identifying themselves as Christian has fallen over two decades.
Seventy-five percent of Americans call themselves Christian, according to the American Religious Identification Survey from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1990, the figure was 86 percent.
William Donohue, president of the Catholic League said he thinks a radical shift towards individualism over the last quarter-century has a lot to do it.
"The three most dreaded words are thou shalt not," he told Lou Dobbs. "Notice they are not atheists -- they are saying I don't want to be told what to do with my life."
At the same time there has been an increase in the number of people expressing no religious affiliation.
The survey also found that "born-again" or "evangelical" Christianity is on the rise, while the percentage who belong to "mainline" congregations such as the Episcopal or Lutheran churches has fallen.
One in three Americans consider themselves evangelical, and the number of people associated with mega-churches has skyrocketed from less than 200,000 in 1990 to more than 8 million in the latest survey. Video Watch CNN report on new study »
The rise in evangelical Christianity is contributing to the rejection of religion altogether by some Americans, said Mark Silk of Trinity College.
"In the 1990s, it really sunk in on the American public generally that there was a long-lasting 'religious right' connected to a political party, and that turned a lot of people the other way," he said of the link between the Republican Party and groups such as the Moral Majority and Focus on the Family. Video Watch author on mixing religion and politics »
"In an earlier time, people who would have been content to say, 'Well, I'm some kind of a Protestant,' now say 'Hell no, I won't go,'" he told CNN.
Silk also said the revelation that some Catholic priests had sexually abused children -- and senior figures in the church hierarchy had helped to hide it -- drove some Catholics away from religion.
And, he said, it is now more socially acceptable than it once was to admit having no religion.
"You're not declaring yourself a total pariah. The culture has changed in a way that makes it easier to say, 'No, I don't have a religion. Even in the past year, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama feel obliged to talk about 'those of no faith,' " he pointed out. Obama mentioned people without faith in his inaugural address in January, making him the first president to do so.
In the survey, one in five Americans said they have no religious identity or did not answer the question, and more than one in four said they do not expect to have a religious funeral.
The rise in what the survey authors call "nones" is the only trend reflected in every single state in the study, Silk said.
"We don't see anything else in the survey that is nationwide," he told CNN.
Still, Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, remained hopeful that people will return to their faith, noting there was a less dramatic decline in those affiliating themselves with a religion this decade than in the 1990s.
Perkins told Lou Dobbs he sees that decline easing, and he thinks soon religion will be an even greater part of people's lives.
"If this poll is taken next year will the outcome be different?" he asked. "As the economy goes downward, I think people are going to be driven to religion."
Other findings include:
• The percentage of Catholics in the United States has remained steady at about one in four since 1990, while the percentage of other Christians has plummeted from 60 percent to 50 percent.
• The percentage of Muslims has doubled since 1990, but remains statistically very small, only 0.3 percent in the original survey and 0.6 percent today.
• Mormons have remained steady as a percentage of the population, even as the number of people in the United States has grown. They make up 1.4 percent of the population.
• The number of Jews in the United States is falling if the category includes only those who define themselves as Jews religiously, but has remained the same if the category includes people who consider themselves ethnically Jewish.
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The survey polled 54,461 Americans between February and November of last year. Pollsters conducted the research in both English and Spanish.
The survey is the third in a series, following polls in 1990 and 2001.
I feel that this survey is totally spot-on. I know that I hesitate to tell people that I'm a "Christian" now, although I do not hesitate to tell them that Jesus is my savior and I feel that the way to God is through accepting that Jesus died for my sins. I feel that the far right has projected an image of judgement, hate, and fear and I KNOW that that is not what God intended. Someone I know recently wrote, "...Our God is a Jealous and God who is only holding back His wrath for the time being, to preach that He is only a loving and accepting God would truly be a lie. But But with true repentantance, you see the loving and forgiving God we all know Him to be." I was appalled when I read this. I know that Proverbs 31:30 states, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." but I don't think it means that the woman stands in fear of God. It means that the woman is wise enough to know and understand that God is more powerful than we will ever be able to comprehend and that a power that great should be heeded. I know that the second coming is going to be awesome and filled with all kinds of hell for some people. I know that not all of my loved ones will be joining me in heaven one day. I know that God can strike me dead at any moment. I know that I am a sinner and am not perfect. But here's the thing. If you are a REAL Christ follower (See my hesitation in using the term "Christian"?), then you WILL NOT be afraid because you know that you are forgiven and that no matter what falls upon you, God will be with you and carry you through. I see absolutely no point to all the hell and damnation that is preached because as a person who know she is saved by the blood of Jesus, I KNOW that I am taken care of, and as someone who knows many people who are not saved, I know that focusing on the hell they will endure if they don't come to know Jesus will not bring them any closer to Him. Does God really want followers who follow him out of fear anyway? I mean, seriously? Didn't He give us free will so that we would lovingly choose to follow Him? It's kind of like saying that Rihanna should love Chris Brown because if she doesn't then he's going to beat the crap out of her or kill her. Do you think that's how any being would want to really receive love? Having someone love you because they are so scare of what will happen if they don't? And if you are following in fear, are you really doing a good job of living a life that is a testimony to the love and grace and hope that is God? Do I fear God? I fear the kind of power that he has. Does fear drive my love and passion for God? No. Not at all. I love God because he first loved me and every day I wake up and see and feel and breathe His blessings. I want to be a part of a lifestyle that promotes the message of what Jesus was really here for. This message rings true to me:
Matthew 21:31-33 (New International Version)
31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
I believe that those who stand and judge will one day be in for a big surprise. In the effort to "live a life like Jesus", it was not intended for us to, "play judge as if we were God". I will leave you with this passage which I feel embodies how we are all called to live our lives. I want you to notice that it says nowhere that we are to judge or to fear, but it says to encourage, be patient and be kind. So it is with a great peace in my heart, knowing that my God loves me as He loves all of you (whether you accept that love or not), that I close my first true post here on the block.
1 Thessalonians 5
1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
25Brothers, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
From www.cnn.com:
taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/09/us.religion.less.christian/index.html
America becoming less Christian, survey finds
(CNN) -- America is a less Christian nation than it was 20 years ago, and Christianity is not losing out to other religions, but primarily to a rejection of religion altogether, a survey published Monday found.
Survey finds percentage of of Americans identifying themselves as Christian has fallen over two decades.
Survey finds percentage of of Americans identifying themselves as Christian has fallen over two decades.
Seventy-five percent of Americans call themselves Christian, according to the American Religious Identification Survey from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1990, the figure was 86 percent.
William Donohue, president of the Catholic League said he thinks a radical shift towards individualism over the last quarter-century has a lot to do it.
"The three most dreaded words are thou shalt not," he told Lou Dobbs. "Notice they are not atheists -- they are saying I don't want to be told what to do with my life."
At the same time there has been an increase in the number of people expressing no religious affiliation.
The survey also found that "born-again" or "evangelical" Christianity is on the rise, while the percentage who belong to "mainline" congregations such as the Episcopal or Lutheran churches has fallen.
One in three Americans consider themselves evangelical, and the number of people associated with mega-churches has skyrocketed from less than 200,000 in 1990 to more than 8 million in the latest survey. Video Watch CNN report on new study »
The rise in evangelical Christianity is contributing to the rejection of religion altogether by some Americans, said Mark Silk of Trinity College.
"In the 1990s, it really sunk in on the American public generally that there was a long-lasting 'religious right' connected to a political party, and that turned a lot of people the other way," he said of the link between the Republican Party and groups such as the Moral Majority and Focus on the Family. Video Watch author on mixing religion and politics »
"In an earlier time, people who would have been content to say, 'Well, I'm some kind of a Protestant,' now say 'Hell no, I won't go,'" he told CNN.
Silk also said the revelation that some Catholic priests had sexually abused children -- and senior figures in the church hierarchy had helped to hide it -- drove some Catholics away from religion.
And, he said, it is now more socially acceptable than it once was to admit having no religion.
"You're not declaring yourself a total pariah. The culture has changed in a way that makes it easier to say, 'No, I don't have a religion. Even in the past year, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama feel obliged to talk about 'those of no faith,' " he pointed out. Obama mentioned people without faith in his inaugural address in January, making him the first president to do so.
In the survey, one in five Americans said they have no religious identity or did not answer the question, and more than one in four said they do not expect to have a religious funeral.
The rise in what the survey authors call "nones" is the only trend reflected in every single state in the study, Silk said.
"We don't see anything else in the survey that is nationwide," he told CNN.
Still, Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, remained hopeful that people will return to their faith, noting there was a less dramatic decline in those affiliating themselves with a religion this decade than in the 1990s.
Perkins told Lou Dobbs he sees that decline easing, and he thinks soon religion will be an even greater part of people's lives.
"If this poll is taken next year will the outcome be different?" he asked. "As the economy goes downward, I think people are going to be driven to religion."
Other findings include:
• The percentage of Catholics in the United States has remained steady at about one in four since 1990, while the percentage of other Christians has plummeted from 60 percent to 50 percent.
• The percentage of Muslims has doubled since 1990, but remains statistically very small, only 0.3 percent in the original survey and 0.6 percent today.
• Mormons have remained steady as a percentage of the population, even as the number of people in the United States has grown. They make up 1.4 percent of the population.
• The number of Jews in the United States is falling if the category includes only those who define themselves as Jews religiously, but has remained the same if the category includes people who consider themselves ethnically Jewish.
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The survey polled 54,461 Americans between February and November of last year. Pollsters conducted the research in both English and Spanish.
The survey is the third in a series, following polls in 1990 and 2001.
I feel that this survey is totally spot-on. I know that I hesitate to tell people that I'm a "Christian" now, although I do not hesitate to tell them that Jesus is my savior and I feel that the way to God is through accepting that Jesus died for my sins. I feel that the far right has projected an image of judgement, hate, and fear and I KNOW that that is not what God intended. Someone I know recently wrote, "...Our God is a Jealous and God who is only holding back His wrath for the time being, to preach that He is only a loving and accepting God would truly be a lie. But But with true repentantance, you see the loving and forgiving God we all know Him to be." I was appalled when I read this. I know that Proverbs 31:30 states, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." but I don't think it means that the woman stands in fear of God. It means that the woman is wise enough to know and understand that God is more powerful than we will ever be able to comprehend and that a power that great should be heeded. I know that the second coming is going to be awesome and filled with all kinds of hell for some people. I know that not all of my loved ones will be joining me in heaven one day. I know that God can strike me dead at any moment. I know that I am a sinner and am not perfect. But here's the thing. If you are a REAL Christ follower (See my hesitation in using the term "Christian"?), then you WILL NOT be afraid because you know that you are forgiven and that no matter what falls upon you, God will be with you and carry you through. I see absolutely no point to all the hell and damnation that is preached because as a person who know she is saved by the blood of Jesus, I KNOW that I am taken care of, and as someone who knows many people who are not saved, I know that focusing on the hell they will endure if they don't come to know Jesus will not bring them any closer to Him. Does God really want followers who follow him out of fear anyway? I mean, seriously? Didn't He give us free will so that we would lovingly choose to follow Him? It's kind of like saying that Rihanna should love Chris Brown because if she doesn't then he's going to beat the crap out of her or kill her. Do you think that's how any being would want to really receive love? Having someone love you because they are so scare of what will happen if they don't? And if you are following in fear, are you really doing a good job of living a life that is a testimony to the love and grace and hope that is God? Do I fear God? I fear the kind of power that he has. Does fear drive my love and passion for God? No. Not at all. I love God because he first loved me and every day I wake up and see and feel and breathe His blessings. I want to be a part of a lifestyle that promotes the message of what Jesus was really here for. This message rings true to me:
Matthew 21:31-33 (New International Version)
31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
I believe that those who stand and judge will one day be in for a big surprise. In the effort to "live a life like Jesus", it was not intended for us to, "play judge as if we were God". I will leave you with this passage which I feel embodies how we are all called to live our lives. I want you to notice that it says nowhere that we are to judge or to fear, but it says to encourage, be patient and be kind. So it is with a great peace in my heart, knowing that my God loves me as He loves all of you (whether you accept that love or not), that I close my first true post here on the block.
1 Thessalonians 5
1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
25Brothers, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Welcome to "the block"!
So I have been really sucking at doing any kind of writing lately other than my homework, so I thought I would start a blog (I know, I don't tend to have a good reputation with these things) to get me into the habit of doing a little bit of writing here and there. This is just a blog for me to kind of do my own little commentary on life things that are about nothing in particular. If you are following, I hope you enjoy and feel challenged to think differently about something or to engage in a discussion with me. So, take off your coat and stay awhile and welcome to "the block"!
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