Oh, Brave New World!

It's not as bad as I had imagined.

I am single for the first time in about 6 years. Over the last two weeks, I have been experiencing my world in what could be easily described as a new light, however, nothing with me is easy, so I am going to try exploring.

Coupled with my new lack of a journey partner, I have the clarity that only comes from smoking and drinking less, shocking but true. I have been given to moments of ponderous quietude and impulsive calls to action, definitely refreshing.I have rediscovered my friends; of yet I have to find one that has completely shunned me for my lack of participation, thank you all.

I am reminded of Plato and his exploration of essences: That which persists through change. I have had the ability to note specific details of my life in SF that have remained unchanged, though at times have rested dormant. These times of reflection are welcome, especially since they have been lacking for at least the last 14 months or so.

So here I am, embarking upon my first journey into the Little-Big City completely solo, and I am without fear. I have made it with less; and if this fortification trend continues, I will be a formidable opponent to the forces of entropy and decay. The few of you that I know are reading this, I thank you. Without you it would be much a much lonlier, greyscale existance. Heres to the up-and-up.

King Corn and the State of a Nation (Abstract)

Examining the American food chain from soil to stomach revealed that federally subsidized corn plays a major role in the lives of nearly all Americans; and for the poorest of us, it literally means life and death. The Federal government spent $3.3 billion to subsidize corn growers in 2008. This subsidy virtually guarantees a nearly-endless supply of cheap, industrial-grade corn for corn processors that turn corn into High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Americans that consume HFCS in quantity (there is an inverse relationship between income and intake) are developing Type II diabetes at a rate of 1 in 3 for Americans born after 2000 (1 in 2 for low-income and minority populations). I was able to model this and show the cycle in action, with the government taxing final healthcare costs of diabetics at the corporate rate of 34%, tallying a return on investment of nearly 2000% for FY2008. Type II Diabetics spent $217B in 2008 on healthcare.

In short, the federal government is profiting by taxing the expenses of Type II Diabetics that originate as a result of overconsumption of corn as a cheap food staple that is subsidized by the government. The bottom line is that we are not supposed to eat the steady stream of ultra-processed sugars and starches that are present in industrialized foods, and the consequence is Type II Diabetes.