This is a terrific article from the Times which reveals some very unsettling truths about how little we know about how we digest food and the tremendous leaps the government is willing to make without any real evidence when it comes to telling us what we should consume.

After reading, the main point I got is that carbs are worse than fat. Both should probably be consumed in moderation, but fats are actually useful while carbs really are not. Considering the environment of evolutionary adaptation which our bodies are based on, that makes perfect sense. Then again, I won’t be going paleo diet any time soon.

This article, from the New yorker, begins with a look into the life of Osama ben Sadik and his sons. Originally from Libya, Osama moved to Henry County, Virginia years ago and obtained US citizenship, but as the revolution began, with his sons in Benghazi with the rebels, he knew he needed to return.

“Since then, Osama had undergone a transformation. “Before I left Libya, there was nothing left for me here,” he said. “Now, when I see the sea, I smell a different air. I can see the sky, blue; I have never seen it so beautiful.” He said that his friends in Martinsville had appealed to him not to go to Libya. “I reminded them that Henry County was named after Patrick Henry—and remember what he said, ‘Give me liberty or give me death’? Well, that’s what we’re facing here. I’d like to see my country have some of the freedom that America has.” Osama’s eyes shone. “You know, my son Muhannad has showed me what it is to be a man. He woke me up.” On February 25th, a ship had evacuated American citizens to Malta. “I told him to go and join his mother in the States, but he said, ‘No, Dad, I must stay.’ He’s a great guy, a basketball player, you know. And a Boy Scout.” “

Read on to learn more about the history of revolution in Libya, its dearth of national heroes and what the ideology of the revolution is today.

Click the link for more. What do you think?

America often proclaims itself to be a force for democracy in the world, but often has little data with which to back that claim up. This article in the NY times examines some of the American influence, education, training and finances behind several leaders of the various Arab uprisings over the past several months and finds that America is still very much relevant to the spread of democracy.

Notably, these American organizations are mostly nonprofits, operating outside the realm of government influence and outside the view of most Americans. Still, one of the central factors behind these movements is the national endowment for Democracy, which receives $100 million a year from Congress for this very purpose. I believe this is something we should, as citizens, take pride in and make an effort to be more involved with (assuming we believe in democracy).

Listen up, readers, I have an assignment for you. 15 pages of reading on what should be the most influential report to come out of the government in the past 10 years but probably won’t be.

This is the National Strategic Narrative, published by two senior members of the Joint Cheifs of Staff under the pseudonym “Mr. Y”. This narrative discusses what we as a country are doing wrong in the broadest sense - spending too much time, money and energy on Muslim extremism and military spending and not enough on Science, Education and a Sustainable future.

Sounds like new-age, leftist propaganda, right? But it isn’t. This is common-sense stuff, people, written by military experts. This isn’t about putting forth an agenda, this is making sure our country has a leg to stand on in 40 years. This is about making sound investments in our future - the kind of competitive forward thinking that made our country the great power it is today.

So whatever your political leanings may be, your stance on government spending, your priorities, I encourage you to read this. If you agree, and heck even if you disagree, go talk to your representative. Let them know that they need to be thinking about the future, now. Let them know that their job depends on it. This isn’t just a matter of preference - our survival as a country, as a people, and as a community depends on our ability to solve great problems with greater cooperation and sound thinking. The authors of this narrative, who have every incentive to keep the status quo and it’s bias toward the military, understand that things need to change. I hope you do too.