UrbanGrounds

Breast Cancer Awareness Month–Just Say NO To The Susan G. Komen Foundation

Posted by no2liberals at 10:53 pm 14 Responses »

Oct 232011

For a number of years I have refused to contribute to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Often at the check out of the local supermarket, the cashier will ask if I would like to donate a dollar for “The Cure” and I emphatically and proudly announce “I certainly will not.”

Why, you may ask? For one simple reason, this foundation that has raised an untold amount of money since it was founded in 1982 donates millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood, through some of its affiliates.

This excellent article, The Dark Side Of ‘Thinking Pink’ goes into depth on the subject of risk factors associated with breast cancer, including the questionable source that the SGK Foundation claims supports their position.

Here are some key points raised in this article:

Women today are delaying childbirth as never before, and having fewer children. Younger women are using OC(oral contraceptives) for longer periods of time. And well over a fifth of all pregnancies in America end in abortion — hardly the rarity its “safe, legal and rare” advocates say it should be. If you suspect that these reproductive risk factors might have something to do with the 40 percent increase in the incidence of breast cancer over the last 30 years, you have spotted the elephant in the room.
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Induced abortion is also a major risk factor. A recent (2007) multi-country study found that having had an abortion was the greatest predictor of subsequent breast cancer. Going back decades, study after study (with only a few exceptions) has demonstrated the connection; a methodologically sound review of the available evidence determined that it raises the risk of breast cancer by approximately 30 percent. (See this exhaustive summary.) Electing to have an abortion before one’s first full-term pregnancy is even riskier.
——————-
Most pink campaigns avoid any hint of these factors like the plague; the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a prominent advocacy and fundraising group, vehemently and unequivocally denies the link between abortion and breast cancer, citing Beral’s shady “study”. Komen is evidently content to ignore mounting epidemiological evidence along with current knowledge of breast physiology which makes such a link all the more creditable.

Curiously, Komen also funnels millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood — already a recipient of considerable governmental largesse. By doling out tons of contraceptives and providing for more abortion than any other outfit in the country, Planned Parenthood virtually ensures that the breast cancer epidemic will persist, not shrink.

You don’t have to be a cynic to find this cozy relationship a bit fishy.

To summarize, the SGK Foundation provides millions of dollars through donations (by an American public that honestly believes they are actually doing what little they can to help fight breast cancer), to an unethical organization that provides services to young women that are in the high risk category for the very disease the public wants to eliminate.

It appears the SGK Foundation is insuring their existence by funding an agency that will provide them with an endless stream of cancer victims, requiring even more donations from an uninformed, but well intentioned public.

There is no doubt what a deadly and devastating disease breast cancer is to women and their families. As a father to young women and grand father of young girls, no one would like to see this horrible disease eliminated or ameliorated more than I, but there is no way on Earth I will ever give a single penny to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, unless or until they sever any and all connections with Planned Parenthood. The American Cancer Society is an excellent choice for any who wish to donate to a reputable organization involved in this fight.

*Cross posted* At Nuke’s.

The Princess Has No Knickers

Posted by no2liberals at 8:38 am 12 Responses »

Jul 102011

Never had any interest in the comings and goings of the Royal family, much less the Royal wedding, but I must say this image has been an inspiration.

Like a candle in the wind

Getting Your Next Meal the Hard Way (or is this the easy way?)

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 3:15 am 5 Responses »

Mar 012011

Stones. Hugh stones. That’s what these guys have:

Vegans always like to contend that humans are not “natural meat eaters” based especially on our physiology; that we are just not built to obtain meat. Our teeth are wrong, we have no claws, improper digestive tract and so on…which of course is nothing but pure crapola.

Try selling that vegan-crap to these guys…

Anyway…I’ve been pursing a new way of living over the last year…a much more primal way of eating, moving, exercising, thinking…and thought this video was amazing. Though I’m not quite that ready to go and find my own grass-fed meat by taking it away from a pride of lions…

Produce prices skyrocket with freeze in Mexico, Southwest

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 10:18 am 4 Responses »

Feb 142011

Just one more reason you should grow most of your own veggies at home.

Via KWG.com:

Get ready to pay double or even triple the price for fresh produce in the coming weeks after the worst freeze in 60 years damaged and wiped out entire crops in northern Mexico and the southwestern U.S.

The problem started less than a week ago, when our nation was focusing on the Superbowl and sheets of ice falling from Texas Stadium.

Farmers throughout northern Mexico and the Southwest experienced unprecedented crop losses. Now devastation that seemed so far away, is hitting us in the pocketbooks.

“We’ve had to double and triple some prices and consumers come in and it’s quite a shock to them,” said Rusty Peake, GM of Food4Less in Southeast Portland.

“Increase, increase, increase,” said produce manager Troy Winterhalter as he watched urgent messages coming across his laptop computer. “Peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, asparagus, the entire asparagus crop was wiped out,” said Winterhalter.

We had a fantastic garden at our last house that provided more fresh veges than my lovely wife and I could consume on our own. We have yet to plant a garden in our new home, but that is on my to-do list this spring. Leafy greens (kale, spinach, and lettuce, and cabbage), tomatoes, squashes, peppers, okra, and herbs will be the primary crops for us.

Primal Eating: Double-Pork Stuffed Chicken Breast

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 7:50 pm 3 Responses »

Feb 092011

Primal eating never tasted so good. Tried this recipe tonight from Mark’s Daily Apple (author of The Primal Blue Print):

Double-pork stuffed chicken breast, right out of the oven

And sliced:

Double-pork stuffed chicken breast, sliced

The ingredients are:

4 chicken breasts
3/4 pound ground pork
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 package of bacon

I added a bit of diced Granny Smith apple to the pork mixture before baking, too.

Served with some steamed brussel sprouts for a Grok-approved dinner.

Growing Older and Getting from Point A to Point B

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 1:26 pm No Responses »

Dec 262010

I'd give just about anything at this point in my life for two completely healthy knees

The blogger known as Dustybury has one of the most interesting and well written blogs around, where he occasionally writes some brilliant posts that he simply calls “vents.”

The one he posted yesterday on Christmas really hits home — an ode to growing older, if you will. Well worth the read whether you are a young’n who doesn’t think he’ll ever get old and broke down, or if you’re already well on your way:

The path of least resistance, a path I’ve been known to favor over the years, would suggest that I accept, even embrace my limitations. Somehow this option doesn’t actually appeal to me: while I can practice the fine art of laziness with the best of them, I have this morbid fear that at some point I’ll be at Point A, Point B will beckon, and I won’t be able to get there. So I keep moving, lest I become too sedentary for my own good. And if I seem to be lurching across the floor, don’t prejudge: it might just be one of those Knights.

Go read the entire vent.

I share that same fear, my friend. But it wasn’t until a recent set back with my own bum knee a couple of months ago that that fear started manifesting itself in reality.

So here’s to growing older — I just wish it didn’t hurt so much.

CrossFit Games 2010

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 8:41 am 1 Response »

Jul 162010

The 2010 CrossFit Games start this morning in Carson, CA with the Affiliate Teams competitions. Last year, my gym’s team took 2nd place in the Affiliate Cup.

For the first time, our gym (CrossFit Central) did not have any men qualify for the individual competition (our gym owner, Jeremy Theil was the 3rd place finisher in the 2008 games). However, we have four amazing athletes (and good friends) who qualified for the Women’s Individual competition.

Representing the Double Cs: Carey Kepler, Lindsey Smith, Jessica Sharratt, and Jen Cardella (L to R)

Good luck to Jen Cardella, Jessica Sharratt, Lindsey Smith, and Carey Kepler (3rd overall in 2009 Games). You can see a video interview with our four female athletes here.

Predictions: Men’s winner will be either last year’s champion, Mikko Salo from Finland or Rob Orlando from Connecticut.

You can watch the games live from this streaming link (starting at 10:00 a.m. PCT today).

_________

I’ve been CrossFitting at CrossFit Central for 2 years now, and firmly believe that there is no better exercise methodology for improving and maximizing real-world functional fitness. Which is why it’s becoming the default programming for elite US military forces and law enforcement agencies (and fire fighters, too).

At nearly 42 years old, I’ve never been stronger in my life.

A New Prescription for Health

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 6:26 am No Responses »

Feb 132010

My CrossFit Central coach sent us this old (July 2002) article from from the NY Times (about 11 pages, so read it in “print” format to avoid having to load 10 more fresh pages)…essentially the article asks, “What if nutritionists and scientists have been wrong all along,” about what constitutes a good, healthy diet.

For the last thirty years, we’ve been told that fat is bad, and whole wheats and grains are good. But the time-tested theory of the Atkins Diet, The Zone, and to an extent Paelo are proving that it’s not the fat that’s killing us…it’s the carbohydrates:

The alternative hypothesis also comes with an implication that is worth considering for a moment, because it’s a whopper, and it may indeed be an obstacle to its acceptance. If the alternative hypothesis is right — still a big ”if” — then it strongly suggests that the ongoing epidemic of obesity in America and elsewhere is not, as we are constantly told, due simply to a collective lack of will power and a failure to exercise. Rather it occurred, as Atkins has been saying (along with Barry Sears, author of ”The Zone”), because the public health authorities told us unwittingly, but with the best of intentions, to eat precisely those foods that would make us fat, and we did.

8 years after that article was written, I think any doubts have been erased.

The CrossFit Prescription

I’ve been “heavy” most of my life…I’ve never been a small person. Even at the height of my physical fitness, as a 23-year old Private in the US Army — when I was running 6 minutes miles and scoring 300s on my PT tests — I was a “heavy” 200 lbs (though my BMI was in single digits).

As a more sedentary adult, I’ve added some lbs that I’d rather not carry around. The most success I’ve had in losing weight has been the one time I tried Atkins (about 7 years ago), and more recently eating Paleo. More importantly than just the weight loss, however, has been the “How do I feel” test. Eating clean, natural foods void of “bad” carbohydrates (except for the carbs I get from eating vegetables and some fruits) makes me feel better, sleep better, and perform better.

I still have a ways to go to get to my ideal body weight and BMI, but I also know that exercise alone isn’t going to get me there. It’s going to take this simple prescription — also known as CrossFit in 100 Words:

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

CrossFit has become popular with Soldiers in order to help keep them "combat fit"

Which is why I’ve abandoned the globo-gym and traditional exercise diet routines for CrossFit; CrossFit believes that health and wellness is a total lifestyle…nutrition and exercise. And the nutritional advice that our coaches preach (and practice) is The Zone, Paleo, or a combination of both (eating Zone portions of Paleo foods).

CrossFit Central 5:30 a.m. Tue-Thurs class

Some of the Longhorn Ladies in my 5:30 a.m. CrossFit Central class (and our Texas Tech coach)

The Incompetents Trying to Implement Universal Health Care Reform

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 5:26 pm No Responses »

Dec 082009

Obamacare will kill your memaw and pawpaw

This email has been making the rounds and thought it was dead-on target:

Let me get this straight.

We’re going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose head says he doesn’t understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn’t read it but exempts themselves from it, signed by a president that also hasn’t read it, and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that’s nearly broke.

What possibly could go wrong?

Exactly. Why on earth anybody thinks that Congress and Obama are equipped to tackle healthcare reform when they can’t even manage to run the Senate cafeterias is beyond me.

The Democrats 1990-page Monstrosity of a Health Care Bill

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 6:32 pm 5 Responses »

Oct 292009

Just in time for your Halloween weekend reading, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Democrats just shat out their 1,990-page health care/budget busting “reform” bill.

What. A. Fucking. Joke.

Just like the entirety of Congress, I have zero plant to read a word of this massive pile of shit over the weekend. Thankfully, the fine folks over at Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) have gone through it (so you don’t have to) and have pointed out the 13 new taxes that will be foisted upon American tax payers (well, the 42% of us who do pay taxes) if passed.

Which will once again make Obama’s “no new taxes on 95% of Americans” another campaign lie.

New Taxes

The 13 new taxes Nancy Pelosi wants to steal from our pay checks:

Employer Mandate Excise Tax (Page 275): If an employer does not pay 72.5 percent of a single employee’s health premium (65 percent of a family employee), the employer must pay an excise tax equal to 8 percent of average wages. Small employers (measured by payroll size) have smaller payroll tax rates of 0 percent (<$500,000), 2 percent ($500,000-$585,000), 4 percent ($585,000-$670,000), and 6 percent ($670,000-$750,000).

Why Americans Are Fat (and what you can do about it)

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 8:16 pm 2 Responses »

Aug 242009

Very interesting graphic from the NY Times on how different segments of society spend their time (go to visit the interactive graphic to see the variances between different age, racial, gender, and employment status groups).

Why are Americans so fat? Find the "exercise" line and compare it to the "watching television" line

A discussion over this graph has broken out at the CrossFit message board under the thread title Why Americans are fat.

Note the enormous red blob that is TV time. See if you can find the thin gray line that is sports.

I think this is partly it…but the truth is much more than the fact that people aren’t exercising enough, and are instead sitting on their asses watching “So You Think You Can Dance” instead.

A much bigger factor than the amount of (or lack of) exercise is the crap food that most people habitually shove down their pie holes. My CrossFit trainer frequently states that fitness and body wellness is 80% diet and 20% exercise. I’m a true believer in this philosophy. Continue reading »

A Picture Worth a Trillion Words (or more)

Posted by Robbie Cooper at 4:03 pm 2 Responses »

Aug 192009

A picture is indeed worth a thousand words (via Charlie Foxtrot):

What more needs to be said?

Sadly, there are those who actually think our government is capable of running our entire health care system — despite their remarkable track record of running almost everything they get their grubby mitts on straight into the dirt.

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