CLARIFICATION of: A Knuckleball is a Curveball that Doesn't Give A Damn - Bob Ueker

CAUTION(!):  Unhinged RANT!!
This is more a "just venting" thing and will be poorly written and choppy in thought..at best.
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I have had a sibling who has battled two forms of cancer for the past four years. One has required surgery, multiple radiation therapy, and two "full powered" chemotherapy treatments...only to see it coming back. The other is slow moving, weakens the bone mass to "peanut brittle", and is...incurable. Yet this bone cancer has brought all of the above treatments with it as well (Separate treatments for each form of cancer).

While the afflicted endure multiple types of treatments and high levels of pain, not to mention suffering.... Cancer also exerts high levels of stress, mental anguish, and, in some instances, pain to those "near and dear" to the patient. In addition, cancer treatments rack up financial bills that rival congressional spending...These bills are even higher if the patient does not have insurance.

So, you ask, what am I ranting about(?) Well...three separate myths that have persisted in our cultural thought throughout the past several decades.

MYTH 1: "Shucks, what a shame. He/she has cancer...unavoidable, I suppose."

WRONG! For at least the last 15 years, we have been inundated with science that tells us the many various ways/things we can do to lessen the risk or even avoid getting cancer. Yet, we collectively gorge on sodas, fast food, and highly processed foodstuffs all while addicted to tobacco products. It is all about choices. The choice between fresh produce, fruit, meats, etc, versus pre-packed, micro wave ready processed dinners. The choice between getting up and moving around and not just sitting in a recliner watching TV. The choice to choose a quality older age...to not be a burden to others OR YOURSELF.

Yes, I feel empathy and heartbreak for my sibling and the others that I see, but, 9 out of 10 could have either lessened the impact or avoided this illness altogether with some simple choices. ("There, I said it!")

MYTH 2: "Aren't we something? Thanks to the strides in modern technology and nutrition, we are living a lot longer than even a single generation ago!"

NO, not really. If it wasn't for the daily breakthroughs in modern medicine to COUNTERACT modern nutrition we would be dying sooner than our great grandfathers/mothers. (Just my opinion, no factual basis for this one)

MYTH 3: "We need Health Insurance for Everyone."

 Oh give me a freaking break(!). I have witnessed, first hand, what it means to not have health insurance. The dirty little secret "they" forgot about when Lawmakers passed "Obama Care" was a little publicized rule (Law?) that ALL hospitals follow in this country: A patient cannot be turned away from medical care because of inability to pay.  Let me repeat that...A patient cannot be turned away from medical care because of inability to pay....My aforementioned sibling, despite having been a medical professional for more than 25 years, had no health insurance (that is a sore subject for another rant). Despite the lack of insurance, they received quality care from competent doctors, got the latest drugs and therapy, and in a timely manner. All they had to do was sign a document that they would make a a small monthly payment to the hospital (the hospital eventually sells the debt to a collection service, who will make obnoxious attempts to collect, eventually collecting a profit by attaching to the patients estate upon their death)....Oh, and after racking up a SEVEN FIGURE bill, Medicaid swooped in and provided some relief on future treatment costs...because the "sib" qualified for disability...(heavy sigh)

Huh? Tell me again why I pay exorbitant premiums, as a self employed individual, to the health insurers (with exclusions, I might add)?? AND explain to me why "we" mortgaged the future on "Health Reform"??

Finally, I'll end with a true absurdity that any of you can witness at almost any super market, on almost any day....The grossly over weight man/woman, in the electric shopping cart, cruising the aisles while breathing pure oxygen through a nose tube (oxy tank between their feet), ......and, wait for it.......smoking a cigarette! (And if you look close enough, they probaly have a permanent medical port in their arm)...Ever wonder how a person can be breathing pure oxygen, while smoking a lit cigarette...without blowing up?

BUYING LOCAL IS THE "DIFFERENCE"

Back in July of 2009, a major study comparing the nutritional value of organic food to conventional food was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study conclusion was that organic food, was “no healthier” than ordinary food. They also decided there were "no significant differences in nutrient content,” and "there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organic over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority."


Surprised? Don’t be. The real differences and reasons for eating organic are not wholly based on nutrition. You should actually consider the "who, what and where from" when selecting your food.

Sure, we instinctively know that organically grown food is better than conventionally grown, if only because it is free of potentially harmful chemical residue. But, for the sake of argument, lets accept the study findings at face value. The fact that produce or meat is organic doesn’t change the basic make-up of a food item. A rib eye steak, organic or not, is still beef and broccoli, despite the use of artificial pesticides or fertilizers, is still broccoli. The nutritional value of the food item is still inherent regardless of how it is grown.

The real issue is large scale or corporate farming.


The “Big Boys” have figured out that they can command a premium price for the organic label and now, most of the major corporate producers have either created or acquired an organic division. Up until the last fifteen or so years, organic produce and beef was a small niche market deemed worthy only to "health nuts" and "hippies". Anyone who wanted organic had to buy at specialty health food stores or visit a farmers market that featured locally grown organic crops and commodities. Now, because of growing public awareness that conventionally produced food may have certain health risks, everyone from Walmart to the large regional grocery chains carry organic food. Furthermore, these large retailers don’t get their organics from small, local farmers who take great pride in providing healthy and delicious tasting food. Instead, they buy from large industrial organic farms, many of which are owned by the same "name brands" that deliver the conventionally produced foods . These large scale organic farms aren’t concerned with growing the richest, best tasting products. What they want are products that meet organic certification, can be grown on a large scale, and survive mechanical harvesting. Because of the lead time required for shipping, organically produced foods (just as conventionally produced items) must be harvested before it is truly ripe, which causes it to decline in nutritional value.

Finally, and most importantly, is what society and civilization are losing because of the advent of large corporate farms…..the family farm. It’s a rich part of the American heritage and it is being pushed to the brink of extinction by corporate farm entities and big box food retailers. Local farms are operated by people dedicated to providing high quality foods. They are stewards of the land, that squeeze out a significant part of their income from local markets or direct sales. They pick the crop when it is ripe, ready to eat, and at its nutritional peak).

When you buy local, you are helping to keep a part of history alive while also rewarding a true craftsman for his or her work.