Pearly whites and corrosive elements

As a man who loves a good floss and teeth brushing, and also one that enjoys the occasional can of soda, I was taken aback when a coworker looked at me condescendingly at lunch the other day while I was sipping on a free can of pepsi and asked me, "Don't you know how bad that is for your teeth?"

She continued, "Haven't you heard that if you leave a tooth in a cup of soda overnight it will dissolve by the next morning?"

I had never heard of this ridiculous claim and steadfastly refused to accept it as reality, however a few other people had also heard it and believed it to be the honest-to-god truth. One co-worker claimed that leaving a dirty penny in pepsi/coke overnight could completely clean and shine a previously dirty penny. I know how much sugar soda, candy and other shit contains and realize that it isn't the best thing for your dental and physical health, but didn't think they had the ability to destroy body parts as if they were sulfuric acid.

So I went to the interweb and tried to get to the bottom of this. I present you with the results of a thorough scientific study on this topic that gets to the heart of the matter.

Amerocentrism and CHINA in big block letters

One thing that caught my eye while watching the ass-whomping that Team USA just laid on China in men's basketball was the writing on the uniforms. Why is it that the name of the country and player were written in English? Since the games are being held in Beijing, why isn't everything written in Mandarin? Is this done just because NBC has the rights to broadcast the games and somehow has a say in how things should look there?

Viewing NBC's coverage of the Olympic games and not noticing the slanted coverage toward American athletes and American dominated events is like reading Jolly Miserable's blog and finding something interesting, it just can't happen.

Lost in Iraq

I, not unlike many Americans, am not very knowledgeable about what is going on in Iraq. I try to follow the news coming out of there as much as I can but still don't understand a lot of the facts and opinions that surround this situation. From what I can tell, as unpopular as "the surge" was, it was successful in curbing violence in an extremely hostile and turbulent region of the world.

I know next to nothing about military strategy, dealing with an insurgency or rebuilding a country (and an economy) after a war. Obama has been for establishing a timetable for withdrawal of troops but has amended his position somewhat in light of the current state of affairs. Our invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq has been an extremely controversial and heated issue for a bevy of reasons (the cost of American lives, financial burden of the war on the U.S., disruption of Iraqi sovereignty, rising oil prices, being lied to about the reason for invading, etc...)

Tonight I came across this article that further confused me about Iraq and our country's role there. Apparently, Iraq is swimming in money from rising oil profits and racking up a huge surplus while the U.S. government has been adding to is already sizable deficit. While we are pouring money into the reconstruction of Iraq, they are gathering interest on their growing lump of cash. I would like to assume that our government is proceeding in the most rational and responsible manner possible given the circumstances, but when I read articles like this one I start to have my doubts. Really, who is in charge here? It just doesn't seem like a tight ship is being run over there. I realize that the situation on the ground isn't as simplified and generalized as the American public would like to see it, but I am underwhelmed by the sense that things are being handled in the best manner possible over yonder.

When are we going to decide if we really want to be propping up and holding Iraq's hand for the next 50 years? My main problem with coming to terms with Iraq is that I don't see a coherent plan in place that dictates our actions going forward. I am aware of the instability and tensions that exist there, but how are we ever going to move forward (and out!) if we don't have a clear (and shared) vision for the Iraq of the future and our relationship with them. Are we going to continue on this dangerous imperialistic foreign policy path or are we going to settle in to the role of a responsible world superpower?

Tour de Westfield

After I got home from work I was debating what to do, lift weights? Try to play basketball on my still healing ankle? Go for a bike ride? Sit on my ass and watch tv?

Since it was around 7:30 and I was too lazy to lift and too uninspired to shoot some hoops, I hopped on my bike and went for a spin. I usually don't push myself too hard on my solitary rides. I'll bike around 10 miles or so at an easy pace. The goal is usually to bike for 5-7 miles or so in what ever direction the wind takes me and then somehow try to figure out how to get back to Cranford. I've become fairly familiar with the area and its been getting harder and harder to disorient and get myself legitimately lost.

Tonight, however, I had been casually riding around the seemingly endless grid between Cranford and Westfield when I come up to an intersection in time to see 6 dudes fly by in full road bike gear and on some nice rigs. I barely ever get the chance to ride with anyone so before I even really had a chance to make a decision, I pulled a sharp right and started trailing the pack as they started weaving in and out of traffic. These dudes were pretty serious riders and it was definitely going to take some concentration and will power to keep up with them in my amateur shape.

We eventually made our way to a less congested road where I was able to shout out to ask them if it was cool if I tagged along.

"Where are you guys headed?" I inquired.

"Up around the Watchung loop and back, only about 16 miles" (The Watchung Reservation is 5 minutes from where I grew up and consists of a bunch of winding roads snaking over hills and through the woods) Carlos replied.

Somehow I was able to keep up with these guys for most flat parts and the climbs, partly because I was about 10 years younger than about half of them. However, they toasted me on the descents. Like I said, the roads wind wickedly around the hills and you never know whats going to be around the next bend unless you are really familiar with the turf. So we would get to the top of a climb and then less than a minute later all the other guys would be completely out of sight. I was cruising along at a respectable 30-35mph and was being left in the dust. The fact that it was pushing 8-8:30 and was quickly getting darker didn't help matters as I sped down each descent while trying to keep up with these road warriors.

I'm sure I looked like a clown wearing sneakers, basketball shorts and jersey while all the other guys were decked out in the legit cycling apparel and accessories, but it was a great time nonetheless. I definitely got a new appreciation for what kind of athletes must be riding in the Tour de France and other professional races. I've been trying to follow and learn more about it, its really a fascinating spectacle with its unparalleled history and prestige. France never really struck my fancy as a travel destination until I started reading more about the Tour, but now it will most definitely be a must on my next (and first) European tour.

Leonhardt on market forces in the health care industry

David Leonhardt writes about how Congress is helping the continuing high costs of the health care industry. He argues that by not allowing the health care equipment prices to be set by market forces, the government is supporting artificially inflated prices. The effect of this subsidy is a bloated producer surplus which obviously ends up hurting the little people.

On the power of lobbying and money in Washington politics impacts this issue:
This little fight deserves more attention than it's been getting for two reasons. One, it's a great example of how a small group of constituents can potentially beat back a policy that's clearly in the public interest but has no similarly committed group of supporters. And, two, it shows just how difficult health care reform is going to be.

In the abstract, fixing the health care system sounds perfectly unobjectionable: it's about reducing costs (and then being able to cover the uninsured) by getting rid of inefficiency and waste. In reality, though, almost every bit of waste benefits someone.

Overall, I found this to be an intelligent article which looks to shed some light on how our elected officials are not always looking out for our best interests. Our entire health care system is undeniably flawed and in no way could be described as working to ensure the health and well-being of all American citizens. As he points out, there are more (and more powerful) people whose jobs are focused on maintaining the status quo in this industry than their are people who are working to fix this debacle. After watching a movie like SICKO (I know, I know its Michael Moore, but still) and thinking about all the failures in the system, it is so frustrating to think about how something that could do so much good is letting so many people down everyday.

An American Pastime

I just saw an ad for a gas company, followed by another commercial for a different gas company. The first one was for Mobil and the next one was for Valero. (Note: This commercial obviously was aired without the anti-Valero message scrolling across the screen)

Are commercials like these really going to change the driving habits of average Americans who have faced substantial increases in the price of gas over the past year? Even if driving is an American 'love affair' or Pastime (aren't evicting Native Americans from their homes and starting unpopular wars American Pastimes as well?), do these companies really think that by airing some corny ads during baseball games American consumers will go out and A) Drive more in general or B) Buy their gasoline over their competitors brands? I don't get it.

Spanning the masses

"Let me be as clear as I can be," he said. "I intend to end this war. My first day in office I will bring the Joint Chiefs of Staff in, and I will give them a new mission, and that is to end this war — responsibly, deliberately, but decisively.

-Barack Obama

There has been a lot of talk recently about Obama's stance on the war in Iraq. From the beginning he has been opposed to it and wants to bring out troops home. However, he is not an irrational peacenik who views bringing every last soldier back home to start planting flowers and holding hands as the number one priority. As much as I am against the war in Iraq, and without being an expert on the issue, I do believe that strictly calling for a withdrawal of troops without taking into consideration the current state of affairs there and consequences of our actions on the region would be a mistake.

People can criticize Obama from both sides, either calling him a flip-flopper or another run-of-the-mill politician who is only trying to win votes by working his way into the middle of the political spectrum. But, the fact of the matter is that one can find both value and fault in either
A) staying the course, being stubborn, and not willing to change your position on an issue simply because you are afraid people will say that you are a hypocrite or say that you are flip-flopping or
B) Being adaptable and open minded to changing your mind, taking into consideration new information and risk THEM saying that you aren't strong or tough minded.

Its a tough row to hoe. As with many things, I feel the truth and best option lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, no matter how the liberal/conservative media might want to portray it. I want a leader who is willing to do what is right despite how he/she might be painted by critics afterwards.