Gaining Weight is a Problem?

Is it just me are we all surrounded by the diet hysteria? A quick search on Google shows

that “6.8 million Canadian adults ages 20 to 64 were overweight, and an additional 4.5 million were obese” which happens to be more

than a third of Canada’s population. So maybe it’s not me after all, it’s an epidemic and you don’t have to look far to see it. Of course marketing gurus are all over this and they’re trying to milk it for what it’s worth. For instance as I was walking through the supermarket today I saw for the first time the “100 calorie Doritos” bags, which basically consist of 2 chips. In another aisle I saw airplane style Coke cans also claiming 100 calories. Go into any other aisle and your senses are assaulted by “fat free” this and “baked, not fried” that. At the core of all of this is the same crap quality food that caused obesity in the first place, but in smaller portions. Have people no will power to stop eating chips from the big bags? Or to stop drinking soft drinks altogether? Do we need to miniaturize everything we buy to miniaturize ourselves?

Thinking about the measures the effort that people have to go through to slim up I’m surprised at myself for that realizing the irony behind the phrase “gaining weight”. To me gaining is associated with something positive. People don’t gain problems, stress or bad health, so why do they gain weight? Maybe I’m just stuck with the North American mentality. Food is abundant here and accessible to all. For the majority of the world gaining weight is a good thing, something desired, something out of the norm. Obesity is an “epidemic” only in North America. Nowhere else in the world are you going to hear people complain about having too much food... The more I think about this dichotomy the more I feel like we’re living in an Orwellian world.

In Memory of Frank McCourt

I came across his book while searching for a work on poverty for my grade 12 class. At the time I didn't know that I was to embark on reading a book that would have such an impact on me for years to come. Angela's Ashes is the autobiography of Frank McCourt, an Irish boy, born in America to a Protestant father and a Catholic mother. McCourt's book wasn't simply a description of his poor childhood, but rather a brilliant critique of culture and religion and the contradictions they bring about in society. His honesty brought him much criticism and made him an outcast in his own city. McCourt continued his great tale with 'Tis and finally by Teacher Man. I can't say much about his books because whatever I say I won't do them justice. I have re-read his books several times, and enjoyed reading them every single time. Maybe it's his sense of humour mixed in with the tragic moments of his life, or maybe it's his shear honesty. Whatever it was Frank McCourt will be remembered by many, and his story will live on, reminding us of how harsh poverty is and how good we have it.

Rest in peace Frank.

Increasing Israeli Arrogance

Her arrogance is growing day by day, perhaps it's in reaction to the slow but noticeable change of opinion towards her, or maybe it's just stemming from growing levels of ignorance. One doesn't have to dig deep to see the signs. In one instance we have Israeli President, Peres, warning that Syria should not expect the Golan heights to be given back to her on a silver platter. In another she's upping the ante against Iran to make sure that she's the only one in the region with nuclear weapons. We hear her Prime Minister using a new language for legitimizing settlements, "natural growth" he calls it, completely ignoring that the natural growth of these illegal settlements is counterbalanced with an unnatural confiscation of Palestinian farm lands. Her politicians were furious when President Obama applied but the tiniest pressure to freeze the "natural growth". Taking 78% percent of original Palestine wasn't enough, she's after he 22% using force, illegal occupation, and an ever changing set of laws designed to rob Palestinians of their homes and farms. Her media uses the laughable expression "security fence" to describe the electronically monitored, soldier manned, automatic rifle protected, nine meter high concrete wall, cutting deep into Palestinian territory robbing even more land, and imposing a status quo. I'm talking about the same "fence" that the International Court of Justice had deemed illegal, and called for the dismantelement of yet again just a few days ago. They are trying to make gains even in their travel posters posted all over London. In the poster a map is shown including the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and the Golan Heights under the banner of Experience Israel. The tourism ministry defended the poster saying that they intended to show areas in and around Israel, not to convey a political message. How nice of them to promote vacationing in occupied Palestinian and Syrian land.

Things on the inside are also getting worse for 1948 Palestinians living inside Israel. Last week the Israeli Transport Ministry decided to get rid of Arabic and English names for cities and villages on street signs keeping only Hebrew names, in a clear attempt at erasing any memory of the existence of Palestinians before the "creation" of Israel. And to artificially turn Israel into a pure Jewish state, arid of any Arab roots. Jerusalem will now be referred to as Yerushalaim in all languages, completely disregarding Jerusalem and Al-Quds. To finish off the job Jewish extremists in Jerusalem are going around the city defacing the Arabic writing on street signs.

Maybe it's an illusion but it seems like things are getting worse at a much quicker pace than before. I interpret it as desperate attempt for Israel at making as much gains as possible before pressure mounts (if it ever will) from the international community. It has been mounting on a grassroots level. I have certainly witnessed stronger, better organized activist campaigns that have been and continue to be very successful at showing what's really happening. It took the world 300 hundred years to recognize the horrors in South Africa. I have a feeling it will take a lot less time to realize the horrors perpetrated by Israel. Especially when we have the likes of President Carter, Archbishop Tutu, and John Dugard agreeing that what's happening in Palestine is worse than Apartheid in South Africa. But who knows I could be just an optimist.