Soybean production is destroying the rainforest

Ok. This is the ultimate in irony. All those vegetarians who talk about how feeding the world soy and tofu will help reduce the impact we have on the environment are going to be upset. I suggest that they start supporting free range chickens. They can live anywhere and have a lighter impact on the environment.

In this month's National Geographic article, I discover that Brazil is slowly overtaking the US as the world's largest soybean producer. They are destroying rainforests to create fields for SOYBEANS!!!

Not a worthy cause to loose the world's largest repository of genetic diversity, potentially future cures for cancer, regulator of the earth's temperature....

Brominated Vegetable Oil aka Soybean Oil :-(

Many of you many not know that I have a soy allergy/sensitivity. I think it's one of the worst things to be allergic to...it's in everything, and often not labeled.

For instance, tonight after coming home from the gym I pick up a red PowerAid. After 2 gulps, I start to feel weird and worried I read the label. It has the dreaded "vegetable oil" which usually means soybean oil.

Thank God for the Internet. Turns out brominated vegetable oil is not only soybean oil in disguise, but it's been outlawed in 100 counties, and is on the FDA's toxic additives list. Companies are also not required to label it on their products. Yeah!

It's in most or all citrus flavored drinks, so those are now off my list of foods I can eat.

To make it, you add Bromine to soybean oil. Here's the best part:

"Bromine is extracted from sea water. You don't want to know how. In its liquid or vaporous form, it's lethal. But once you've got the stuff, you're set to make light-sensitive surfaces for photographic paper, lead-eating additives for gasoline, fire-extinguishing material, agricultural fumigants, and lots of other handy stuff. Until 1975, you could make sedatives too."

And it's oil soluble, can built up in fat cells like PCBs and can cause reproductive issues.

For crying out loud! I don't want to ingest that junk!

Ok. I'm done venting. I'll go back to my benadryl induced haze....

I'm now wicked smart about SEM

Just came back from the Search Engine Strategies Conference in Chicago. Even though I never again want to visit Chicago in December, the conference was great. I'm not sure if I've ever been through such a crash course on a subject before.

So now on top of optimizing sites for work, I'll be working on optimizing my father's site as well about story telling: thegoldenraven.org.

Little does he know I'll be introducing him to storytellers around the world. He's going to love it.

Happy Feet!!!

Ok. I absolutely loved this movie. I had no idea that it was all about a dancer that doesn't fit in, can't sing, but loves dancing.


I was dying throughout the movie to know who the choreographer was. What can be more fun than a movie with fully choreographed penguin dance sequences!!

What is ridiculous is the conservative right's backlash against the movie. They have been claiming that the, "daring to be different" message is cartoon code for "gay agenda." Oh Please!

It's a sad day when even your email spam reminds you that winter is setting in and you must become more committed to going to the gym.

I've noticed a change in my email spam recently. It still encourages me to try out Viagra or read something that's critical or date a 25 year old Russian woman, but now I get bombared by the following subject lines:

• Not comfortable with your we`ight?
• Losting weight has never been so easy
• Organic way to eat less and feel better
• Science gives you a way to feel thinner
• Less lbs. more fun in life

And I seem to get these multiple times a day. Every time I read a new one, I want to scream, "I know! I ate to much when I was in Maine last week...I'll work out more this week!"

PopTech Day 2

There's a theme emerging from this year's PopTech, and it seems to be focused on the simple things in life: sharing, being honest (transparent), talking to people who are acting in ways that make community life difficult (in particular addressing religions that cause conflict), and creating an enhancing a sense of community.

Speakers so far have talked about how sharing can help our environmental challenges, how it can enhance our education, how it can strengthen our peace making efforts....

It's also interesting that the idea of transparency was discussed during Thomas Barnett's talk about our global defense future both during times of war and peace and on the other side it was talked about during the panel that discussed the future of education, and Erin McKlean's focus on lexicography.

So remember folks - no matter how complex the conversation becomes, it's important to focus on communicating, being honest and sharing with each other to enhance the global economy.

First Day at PopTech

The first day of PopTech was intense. My highlights included an amazing performance of a duo that plays a combination of thrash metal and flamenco. It was a performance that was so intense it literally brought moisture to my eyes. Watching Gabrielle play guitar – her full body was moving with her guitar playing, and watching her hands create percussion sounds on the guitar – close your eyes and you would swear it was bongos – was amazing.

The other session that intrigued me was Hasan's talk about being tracked down by the FBI because they were concerned that he might be a terrorist. So after checking in with his FBI agent weekly with his travel arrangements, he decided to put his entire daily activities online. He decided to wear an ankle bracelet and have it track via GPS online – so you know where he is at all times. He has his bank records online, pictures of every airport and airline meal, pictures of every toilet he has ever pissed in. His comfort with opening up his entire life to scrutiny by everyone on the planet is fascinating. He says he has friends that tell him that he can’t visit him at their house because they don’t want to be part of his public record.

We got a sneak peak at recycled and environmentally friendly building materials. The solar panels that bend and open based on sensing CO2 and the floor panels that act like etch a sketch were really cool. As was the lamp made from recycled plastic straws.

Andrew also announced from stage that PopTech will be donating funds to create solar panels for developing communities to offset double the CO2 emissions created by PopTech attendees and by their travel to the conference. They also asked attendees to calculate their own CO2 emissions, and have been escorting speakers using Lexus hybrid cars so that they can make sure to donate enough funding so that the conference is actually a negative emission event.

It's a great step forward for PopTech's environmental committment and hopefully other conferences will make similar choices.

Miracle Cures - Delusion or Quantum Mechanics?

I'm watching this show "Miracles Cures" on the National Geographic channel, and at first glance I can't help but wonder if these people are getting deluded and scammed. But on the other hand, the basics of quantum mechanics is that all of reality is composed of energy and intention. Perhaps in these areas of healing around the world, the intention is so focused that those participating are truly choosing a different reality.

Quantum mechanics is generally regarded as the physical theory that is our best candidate for a fundamental and universal description of the physical world. The conceptual framework employed by this theory differs drastically from that of classical physics. Indeed, the transition from classical to quantum physics marks a genuine revolution in our understanding of the physical world. 1

From Wikipedia:
Broadly speaking, quantum mechanics incorporates four classes of phenomena that classical physics cannot account for: (i) the quantization (discretization) of certain physical quantities, (ii) wave-particle duality, (iii) the uncertainty principle, and (iv) quantum entanglement. Each of these phenomena will be described in greater detail in subsequent sections.

So if particles can be simulatenously in more than one physical space, and if they are entangled with each other, and if thought/perception influences their physical space (similiar to what has been documented in the Water studies) than perhaps miracles cures are not so far fetched? Or is it all a placibo affect?

I am fascinated with people who completely suspend their critical thinking capacities so that they can be 100% engaged with faith healing. The power of persuasion which is embodied by faith healers is awe inspiring.

I'm finally joining the blogging world!

Yes, intellectually I'm an innovator, but in reality I'm a late adopter of technology. I knew about blogs when they were first announced, and yet it's taken me ages to start one of my own. I just couldn't handle the peer pressure anymore. :-)

I plan on using this space to ramble about subjects that fascinate me: quantum mechanics, exciting dance performances, genetic engineering, social reactions/lack of social reactions to new technology. I hope folks enjoy!