The most important component of physical health is eating right. We all know the American diet is terrible, but breaking free from bad eating habits is not that difficult and the rewards are immense:
A low-carbohydrate diet decreases insulin levels (since the primary energy source shifts from glucose to fat), lowers triglyceride levels, raises HDL levels, and reduces inflammation. Other benefits include weight loss, improved complexion, a decrease in appetite, and a lower risk of tooth decay.
I believe the keto diet is the best choice. Here’s what it looks like:
Avoid carbs – anything with sugar, cereal grains/flours (wheat, oats, rice, etc.): breakfast cereals, bread, chips, pasta, crackers, tortillas, etc.
Avoid sweet foods and drinks (including fruit juices!) regardless of the sweetener that is used (sweeteners trigger hunger)
Avoid vegetable/seed oil (e.g. canola, soybean, sunflower, etc.)- stick with butter, extra-virgin olive oil, and coconut oil
Avoid milk
Avoid alcohol
If the core of one’s diet is ruminant meats and eggs, supplements–like multivitamins, calcium, vitamin C, probiotics, MCT oil, fish oil, etc.–are unnecessary for most people.1 (Taking potassium and magnesium is a good idea and possibly D3.)2 If you live in northern regions or are unable to get outside (see Tip 1 below), you should take a daily vitamin D3 supplement. Furthermore, when carbs are eliminated, or dramatically reduced, supplemental fiber is no longer needed.
If you’re trying keto to lose weight, eat 2-3 meals per day and don’t snack in between. (Some people have body fat they can’t get rid of because there are certain foods or drinks that are high in carbs they are unwilling to give up. Of course the best option would be to stop consuming these carbs, but the next best option would be to practice intermittent fasting: Eat breakfast and then wait 12-16 hours before eating again.)
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Notes:
1If you take medications, your doctor may recommend some supplementation.
2If you live in northern regions or are unable to get outside (see Tip 1 below), you should take a daily vitamin D3 supplement.
Other Tips:
1. In addition to eating and drinking the right things, try to get out under the sun every day for 10-15 min. without sunscreen (not so long that your skin turns pink), ensure you have an exercise routine, and get eight hours of sleep every night.
2. Avoid unhealthy additives (e.g. barbeque sauce to meat, sugar to yogurt, ketchup to eggs, French dressing to salad, honey to tea, etc.)
3. There are several salad dressing choices that are keto-friendly.
4. You may experience a loss of energy for a few days when first starting this diet, but after the body adjusts, energy will be more constant since you won’t have the cycles of highs and lows that happen when your body burns carbs/glucose.
5. As well as avoiding vegetables that grow underground like carrots, onions, and potatoes, you should also avoid starchy vegetables that grow above ground like corn and legumes (e.g. peas, beans and lentils).
6. While it’s true that refined carbs are the worst, there are no “good” carbs.
The Republican party lost its way when it decided to emphasize the naïve Libertarian view that laissez-faire capitalism would produce the best economy and the best society and deemphasize social conservatism. The party hoped it would gain voters by promoting unfettered consumerism and walking away from cultural wars that must necessarily be fought to conserve our moral Judeo-Christian heritage.
Not only did the libertarian view of free trade devastate manufacturing in the US, but it made us dependent on foreign supply chains, which came back to haunt us during the COVID pandemic.
Furthermore, the Republican party’s large religious base now unenthusiastically votes Republican simply because it’s better than the alternative. They recognize the GOP’s talk of social conservatism (that ramps up before each new election) is largely nothing more than lip service designed to ensure their vote.
Is there a place for deregulation and individual liberty within the Republican party’s platform? Of course, but the goal must be creating a strong sovereign nation that honors federalism and is more accountable to the American people (i.e. eliminating the bureaucratic state). Likewise, social and economic policies must be designed to serve the general welfare of the nation; those that do not, must be rejected and repealed.
Furthermore, the state must ensure order is sustained so freedom can flourish, not the absolute freedom sought by Libertarians, but in the words of Russell Kirk, the kind of freedom that “protects minorities against majorities and majorities against minorities, and gives meaning to the concept of human dignity.”
The Republican party needs to recognize its growing impotence and irrelevance and reform itself. It needs to place its focus back on social and fiscal conservatism.
| Deficit Spending: | |
| Trump | Biden |
| 2018 – .8 Trillion | 2021 – 2.8 Trillion |
| 2019 – 1 Trillion | 2022 – 1.4 Trillion |
| 2020 – 3.1 Trillion | 2023 – 1.7 Trillion |
| 4.9 Trillion | 5.9 Trillion |
| Annual Inflation Rate: | |
| Trump | Biden |
| 2018 – 1.4% | 2021 – 3.9% |
| 2019 – 1.9% | 2022 – 9.9% |
| 2020 – 3.4% | 2023 – 6.1% |
| Consumer Price Index (CPI): | |
| Trump, December 2020: | Biden, November 2023: |
| All items: 1.4% | All items: 3.1% |
| Core items: 1.6% | Core items: 4% |
| Inflation – Food: | |
| Trump, December 2020: | Biden, November 2023: |
| Milk $3.54 | Milk $4.00 |
| Bread $1.54 | Bread $1.98 |
| Ground Chuck $4.20 | Ground Chuck $5.20 |
| Eggs $1.48 | Eggs $2.14 |
| Chicken $1.62 | Chicken $1.98 |
| Bananas $0.57 | Bananas $0.63 |
| Tomatoes $1.89 | Tomatoes $1.94 |
| Oranges $1.33 | Oranges $1.66 |
| Total: $16.17 | Total: $19.53 |
| Inflation – Energy: | |
| Trump, December 2020: | Biden, November 2023: |
| Electricity $0.14 KWH | Electricity $0.17 KWH |
| Gasoline $2.17 Gallon | Gasoline $3.50 Gallon |
| Pipe Gas $1.11 Thermal Unit | Pipe Gas $1.44 Thermal Unit |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
US Inflation Calculator
USASpending.gov
First Amendment Guarantees
The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.” While it states “Congress,” the protections are also against state government and local public officials from making any law that abridges a person’s freedom of speech. However, simply because the government cannot make a law of this nature does not mean that individuals are free to say anything that they want to. For example, employers may prohibit certain types of speech that would not violate a person’s First Amendment rights if the employer was not a public employer.
Purpose of the First Amendment
The First Amendment was established to help promote the free exchange of ideas and to provide a form of redress to citizens against their government. Additionally, the First Amendment seeks to protect unpopular forms of speech. However, certain forms of speech are not protected by the First Amendment.
Content Regulations
Some laws may prevent the expression of certain ideas and messages. While presumptively impermissible, there are limited exceptions to when the government can prohibit certain forms of speech. Some examples are described below.
Fighting Words
Government may prohibit the use of “fighting words,” which is speech that is used to inflame another and that will likely incite physical retaliation. Likewise, language that is meant to incite the masses toward lawless action is not protected. This can include speech that is intended to incite violence or to encourage the audience to commit illegal acts. The test for fighting words is whether an average citizen would view the language as being inherently likely to provoke a violent response.
Obscenity
Most forms of obscenity are protected by the First Amendment. However, there is a high threshold that must be met in order for obscenity not to be protected, which includes showing that the language appeals to the prurient interest in sex, that it depicts something that is considered patently offensive based on contemporary community standards and that it lacks serious literary, scientific or artistic value.
Child Pornography
Child pornography is an exception to the First Amendment’s right to free speech and to having to meet the high threshold test for other obscene works. Speech is not protected if it depicts a minor performing sexual acts or showing their private parts.
Libel and Slander
The First Amendment does not protect individuals from facing civil penalties if they defame another person through written or verbal communication.
Crimes Involving Speech
The First Amendment also does not provide protection for forms of speech that are used to commit a crime, such as perjury, extortion or harassment.
Threats
Speech is not usually protected when it constitutes a threat toward another that places the target of such speech of bodily harm or death. There are certain exceptions, such as when a reasonable person would understand the language not to be a credible threat. Additionally, threats of mere social ostracism or boycotts are protected by the constitution.
Violation of Copyright Rules
Intellectual property is protected, including copyrights and trademarks. The Supreme Court has held that copyright laws can withstand a First Amendment challenge based on the freedom of speech.
Conduct Regulations
The government is permitted to make laws regarding the conduct related to speech, such as by stating when speech may be provided, where it may be provided and how it can be communicated. Courts generally uphold these types of regulations as long as they are considered content-neutral and not directed only at prohibiting the expression of certain ideas. For example, the government may prohibit demonstrations at certain locations, may limit the size of a poster used for speech and may limit the amount of sound that can be heard at specific times.
Commercial Speech
While commercial speech is protected, it is generally viewed as having “diminished protection.” Commercial speech may be faced with many more regulations than speech from a private citizen if a substantial government interest is advanced and the government’s restriction is no more extensive than necessary. This type of protection serves the interest of protecting the public from false information while still recognizing the need for free communication between businesses and potential customers.
Provided by HG.org (https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/what-type-of-speech-is-not-protected-by-the-first-amendment-34258)
Social media platforms have become powerful centers for expression and communication, but does the First Amendment protect access to these platforms? Renowned constitutional law professor and former head of the American Civil Liberties Union, Nadine Strossen, explains the status of free speech on social media platforms and shines light on the prevalent misunderstanding regarding constitutional rights in relation to private entities.
Professor Strossen underscores that the protections granted by the First Amendment apply solely to government infringements on free speech and do not extend to privately-owned entities such as Facebook and Twitter. She clarifies that these platforms, akin to traditional media outlets like the New York Times or CNN, possess their own First Amendment rights, thereby having no obligation to accommodate content or viewpoints they deem objectionable.
However, the significant role these platforms have as a “modern public square”—acknowledged in the unanimous 2017 U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Packingham v. North Carolina—raises profound concerns about equal and fair access. Strossen posits that due to the significance of these platforms, government officials, human rights agencies, and activists will likely continue to push for equitable access to social media through new regulations, rather than relying solely on First Amendment protections.
Conservatives believe they have a duty to conserve the inherited wisdom of the ages and pass it on the the next generation. To promote stability, continuity, and social cohesion, they believe change should be incremental and new ideas should only be accepted after they have been tested and proven beneficial to society.
Western civilization was built upon Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian political, philosophical, and moral foundations1, and Conservatives believe American culture should exemplify the best elements of this heritage.
Conservatives hold to the views expressed by our Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. They believe in equality and natural inalienable rights, such as life, liberty2, and the pursuit of happiness. They also believe in a limited3, republican form of government established to protect both inalienable rights and legal rights encoded in the Constitution and legal code. (Legal rights include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to marry, the right to vote, etc.)
Conservatives support individualism but not at the expense of family and community. Furthermore, they believe individuals should be judged by the content of their character, not by immutable physical characteristics such as skin color.
Conservatives support a powerful military to deter threats, but Conservatives differ on the question of how much the military should get involved in foreign conflicts.4
Most Conservatives also believe our government must not cede any measure of sovereignty, must secure our borders, must adhere to rule of law, and should encourage and support free enterprise.
Lastly, Conservatives generally support federalism (i.e. states’ rights). They believe state governments should largely be able to legislate and operate according to the various wills of the states’ constituents, free from federal interference.
________________________________ Notes: 1Moral principals such as “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “Do unto others as you would have done unto you” promote social cohesion and well-being. 2Unlike Libertarians who believe liberty entails the right to do anything that doesn’t hurt others, most Conservatives believe true liberty is the freedom to act within an ethical and responsible framework. 3Limited government means the government may not apply powers that are not enumerated or implicitly granted to it by the Constitution. (Conservatives also believe a limited government should be small and fiscally responsible.) 4Conservatives who believe the US should militarily intervene around the globe when doing so benefits the US are often called Neoconservatives (Neocons).
Why are so many librarians and public-school staff members pushing for drag queen story hours? And why are most Democrats either supporting this or refusing to condemn it?
Neo-Marxist Leftists see this as one prong in their fight to dismantle societal mores, like nuclear family and patriarchy. Liberals, on the other hand, argue this is a matter of social justice. It’s about removing societal stigmas that cause those whose sexual desires fall outside of societal norms to be discriminated against. And both groups know the most effective way to change society is by programming young impressionable children.
Unfortunately, most haven’t considered the fact that you can’t push to normalize transsexuals, transvestites, fetishists, sadomasochists, and sex workers in the name of sexual freedom while excluding pedophilia. And most haven’t realized the sexualization of young children makes them far more vulnerable to groomers.
Historically, the threat of authoritarianism came from the far right. Those on the far right would argue that freedoms must be checked to prevent liberals from destroying our culture by pushing for too much change.
And while far right authoritarianism is still a threat, there appears to be a stronger threat of authoritarianism on the far left. Socialists, who are increasingly shaping the Democrat party, believe equality can be achieved through forced equity. They argue that individuals who use their freedoms to oppose this agenda, which they see as a “common good,” should be silenced so as not to impede progress.
In spite of their numerous differences, both conservatives and liberals must heed the libertarian warning and call out those within their parties who believe furthering their agenda justifies the trampling of individual rights.
WiggleFlump 