I don't understand politics...

The political process in the United States is unfortunate. Once a certain personality or a certain simplistic perspective takes hold it is quite difficult to change course, to reconsider, to create productive and sophisticated synthesis. Our democracy succeeds in avoiding the excesses of monarchy and manages to facilitate progress to some extent, from time to time. But our system has clearly not succeeded in producing a healthy, adaptable and sustainable society. Unless more mature leadership emerges, leadership that is capable of deliberation and synthesis, we will continue to decline. I am talking about all leadership, not only the presidency, all those voted into public office need to have more integrity, passion and ingenuity. Most of all, at this stage, we need leadership that is strong enough to help the nation move past the manipulative slogans and narrow perceptions that result in the election of individuals who are incapable of true and thoughtful collaboration. Few of our elected officials possess the character traits that are required of those who would participate in a creative and productive political process. Our best hope at this point in our history may be the emergence of a new political organization that identify candidates based on a combination of intelligence and personal characteristics. To accomplish this it will be necessary to train our citizens to value learning and appreciate the political process. We must realize that in order for our nation to succeed we have to think as a group in some ways, rather than the individual (a distinctly unamerican way to think). In the absence of an innovative process such as this or something else that is able to change the nature of politics I think it is quite likely that our nation will never recover from the current and growing difficulties that are before us. We cannot move forward because we are simply engaged in a bi-partisan struggle on every issue. It is sickening and is causing the decline of our great nation.

Eat Food, Not too Much, Mostly Plants

Some people may know what reference that title of this post is referring to. I've loved that saying ever since I first heard it, and in fact keep a post-it of it on my refrigerator door. It is supposed to be "my diet." It is supposed to be the diet I live my life around. It sounds so simple but over the past week, I have been actually trying to live that diet and it is hard.
This year for my new year's resolution, instead of trying to lose 10 lbs (boring), I decided I really wanted to live and eat the diet that I believe in. I wanted to try to eat only "Whole Foods." This doesn't mean I shop only at "Whole Paycheck" it means that I will try to eat only food in their natural state. Basically, NO PROCESSED FOOD. This is very very hard if you think about it. It isn't hard because the food isn't good. In fact, I LOVE to eat this way. It is hard because of the shopping, preparation, and thinking ahead that is involved.
For example, I used to think I ate pretty healthy. Actually not. For breakfast I would normally eat a Yoplait yogurt, or cereal, or morningstar fake sausage with "whole grain" frozen waffle. Now I can eat none of that. It is all processed. This morning instead I scrambled 2 (free-range) eggs with sundried tomatoes, and blueberries on the side. I would have liked a slice of toast with that but that is off the diet. I would have liked cheese with my eggs, but also off limit. The lack of cheese is the hardest thing. I was going to keep eating it, but Gary said: "if you're going to do this, you may as well do it all the way." So I am.
Dinner last night was awesome. Brown rice, peanut sauce thai stirfry. It was really fantastic. Work is hard. I have to bring nuts, apples, and prepared food. However, I feel satisfied. I feel like this is how I am meant to eat without all the nonsense that goes on with "nutrition" and supplements and "fortified" food.
After this month I can't say I will never eat processed food again, but I am hoping to use this month as a kick-start to regaining love of cooking and eating real food. I want to appreciate the taste of food in it's natural state.
It is a sad state of affairs that a Lean Cuisine frozen dinner is considered healthy.
The problem: what do do about alcohol? Is wine "processed?"