Social Drinking Alcoholic Beverages: Risks Outweigh Benefits

Social drinking of alcoholic beverages is common in the United States (and in many other countries). But is it wise? I think not. Please read on.

Some Reasons Not to Drink Alcoholic Beverages
One reason not to drink beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages socially is that even one drink has health risks. Please click on the link to a Centers for Disease Control Fact Sheet that cites some risks of moderate drinking, including some from consuming one drink or less.

Does a blood alcohol content (BAC) of only 0.01 percent seem very small? "Some skills are impaired at 0.01 percent" blood alcohol content according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Alert No. 52 April 2001. Consuming less than one typical alcoholic beverage would lead to a larger BAC than that.

Also, almost everyone I talk to who claims to only drink socially has been legally drunk at least once. That means their BAC was 0.08 percent or more. Many drinkers become binge drinkers and/or alcoholics.

Alcohol consumption is a significant factor in many automobile  accidents, diseases, and other negative health effects. It is a factor in a large number of deaths. A study published in 2009 in the British medical journal The Lancet indicated that approximately "one in 25 deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol," as quoted from a webpage of The Lancet.

Is Consuming Alcoholic Beverages in Moderation Beneficial?
Some claim that drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation has benefits that outweigh the risks. But an American Heart Association webpage "cautions persons NOT to start drinking . . . if they do not already drink alcohol." The same webpage states "Pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol in any form."

And many, including some scientists, question whether alcohol really is beneficial in moderation. One of the sources that discuss this in more detail is a June 16, 2009 New York Times piece on the NYT website, titled "Alcohol's Good for You? Some Scientists Doubt It."

This photo is of a poster I made that mentions some of alcohol's harmful effects.

Concluding Thoughts
Consuming alcoholic beverages has caused a lot of problems for a huge number of people. Given this, do you still want to consume them just for socializing? I hope you will agree with me that the risks of social drinking outweigh the benefits.

Note: This blog entry was last revised on May 29, 2019. It  is adapted from other articles I have written on the subject and from a chapter in my book True Christianity: It May Not Be What You Think (2014, second edition 2015, third edition 2017).

Overturning Roe vs. Wade Isn't Enough to End Abortion

Overturning Roe vs. Wade (and returning the issue to the states) is not the same as making abortion illegal nationwide. The way the Supreme Court decides a case (or cases) that come before it will be key.

Abortion was legal in some states before the 1973 United States Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade. This was probably a contributing factor in the Supreme Court decision in the case.

The number of abortions each year in the U.S. escalated back in the early 1970s after abortion was legalized in New York and some other states, according to data on JohnsonArchives.net. This was before Roe vs. Wade.

Ways to Make Abortion Illegal in the United States 
Three ways abortion could be made illegal in the United States are:

1. The Supreme Court could make a pro-life decision, rather than either returning the issue to the states or being pro-choice.
2. Congress could pass a law outlawing abortion and then the President sign it into law (or Congress could override a Presidential veto). However, this law would probably be challenged in court, and the Supreme Court would ultimately make the final decision.
3. Pass an amendment to the United States Constitution. But few amendments have succeeded in getting the votes to become law.

Abortion Rate Has Been Declining in the U.S. 
Even without reversing Roe vs. Wade, the number of abortions per child-bearing woman per year in the United States has declined for decades according to a recent study linked to in a January 17, 2017 Guttmacher Institute news release and discussed in numerous news reports. The Guttmacher piece states that the abortion rate in 2014 (the most recent year studied) was the lowest since Roe vs. Wade passed in 1973.

Making Abortion Illegal in the United States Won't End It
Even if abortion becomes illegal in the United States:

• some persons will likely go to other countries where it is legal;
• others may have illegal abortions done somewhere by someone;
• many people may seek to perform their own abortions.

Emphasizing Sexual Abstinence Before Marriage and Contraceptive Use for Couples Desiring No Children
We can virtually eliminate abortion if parents, teachers, community leaders, and religious leaders properly educate children about the importance of sexual abstinence before marriage, the risks of premarital sex, and the proper way to use contraceptives. Also, to the extent reasonably possible, limit the time boys and girls spend alone together in the formative years (ages 10-18) when their bodies are physically ready, but their child rearing ability, judgment, job skills, etc., may be years away from being at a level that qualifies them to be parents or to comprehend the numerous risks from premarital sex and sexual promiscuity.

This is a photo of a poster I made that summarizes my views about premarital sex.

Furthermore, married couples who desire no children might do well to use contraceptives consistently and properly. For example, using two birth control methods simultaneously, birth control pills and condoms, can virtually eliminate unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately, many who desire no children, but lack the discipline to practice abstinence, also fail to always use contraceptives--and use them correctly. Practicing abstinence or using very effective contraceptives can virtually eliminate unwanted pregnancies and thus the demand for abortions.

Final Thoughts
I will conclude by stating that virtually eliminating abortion is a worthy goal  to strive for. However, attaining it will require much more than overturning Roe vs. Wade.

NOTE: This article was last revised on January 20, 2017.

Why We Have an Electoral College to Select the President

When we individual voters vote for candidates for President of the United States, we are actually voting for electors who meet later to cast the official votes electing the President. These electors are expected to (not required to) vote for the candidates they represent.

Some Reasons for the Electoral College System
There are multiple reasons that our Founding Fathers decided to do things this way.

One reason is that it gives a bit more weight to the less populous states than the popular vote, making it less likely that a few populous states would control the election.

Another reason is that the Founding Fathers distrusted the general public and wanted to give a select group of chosen people the authority to make the final decision.

An additional reason is that in case of the need for multiple ballots to decide an election at a party primary convention (which sometimes happens in primary party conventions where no candidate gets the majority of the votes on the first ballot), it is easier for the "electors" (actually delegates in the primary election) to do the multiple votes than to have multiple elections.

In the general election in November, if no candidate receives the majority of the electoral votes, the United States House of Representatives selects the President from among the three candidates receiving the most votes. The United States Senate would select the Vice President.

The Process of Becoming President

The process of becoming President was illustrated in a U.S. government poster revised in November 2014 that is pictured below in a photograph I took of it on March 15, 2023. A few things have changed since the 2014 poster, but the electoral college system remains in place.

Sources for More Information and Closing Thoughts
Numerous websites discuss the electoral college in more detail if you would like to learn more about it. Below I link to three of them:

http://www.historycentral.com/elections/Electoralcollgewhy.html

http://www.history.com/topics/electoral-college

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html

The electoral college system isn't perfect. But it seems to have served reasonably well thus far.

NOTE: This post for Blogger, which was last revised on March 15, 2023, is to a large extent reprinted from a post I made on December 9, 2016, on Facebook.

The Benefits of Coal Mining

In recent years, the coal mining industry has come under attack from a variety of persons for various reasons. Many of the complaints of environmentalists and others are valid. But I would like to point out several of the benefits of coal mining.

Useful Products and Byproducts of Coal
Thousands of products are made out of coal and coal byproducts. For example, coal is used to produce many useful chemicals. Coal is not just used to generate heat and electricity, although the biggest use of coal is for those purposes. A webpage on The World Coal Association website is one source that lists a few of the thousands of uses of coal. A webpage on Reference.com is another.

Electricity and Heating Benefits of Coal Mining
Much electricity is still generated by coal, and historically coal has been the #1 energy source for producing electricity in the United States. Cheaper natural gas and oil prices have reduced coal's share in the energy market, but according to a United States Energy Administration webpage, in 2015 coal and natural gas each accounted for 33% of the energy share in electricity generation in the United States. Coal is expected to drop to #2 behind natural gas when 2016 data becomes available, but coal remains a major energy source for electricity generation in the United States.

Also, over the centuries that coal has been mined, the coal produced has generated heat to keep many homes and businesses warm. This has been done through fireplaces, coal stoves, coal furnaces, and radiators with steam heated by coal.

In addition, coal converted into coke has played a major role in the steel industry. Much coal was also used in the past for train locomotives, as well as steamboats.

Jobs and Company Towns
Coal mining generated a huge number of jobs directly, and many more indirectly through other companies and individuals that provided goods and services to miners and their families. In the rural Appalachian coal fields that were sparsely settled before coal mining companies brought people in, the coal companies actually built towns.

They built houses for miners, schools, company stores, churches, recreation centers, hospitals, and other businesses that provided goods and services to the miners and their families. In many cases the facilities provided to the miners were comparable to or better than those that the typical person in rural areas of the United States had at the time.

Coal has provided hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States over the years, as well as hundreds of thousands more in support industries related to coal. In southeastern Kentucky, where I am from, coal mining has been the biggest employer for a century. Coal mining companies brought huge numbers of immigrants to the area to mine the coal, and provided all the basic necessities for them (food, shelter, clothing, etc.) via the company towns they built.

The above photo is of a poster I received as a gift many years ago titled "Kentucky Coal Products Tree." I'm sorry that most of the print on the poster is not legible on the photo. I think these posters were given out to illustrate the many uses of Kentucky coal and coal's importance. This particular poster is taped on the side of my refrigerator, and it has some tears in it, as you can see in the photo. If someone knows who made the posters, please let me know, so I can properly credit them.

Closing Thoughts
As I close, I do want to make it clear that though the benefits of coal mining may have far exceeded its drawbacks during the centuries of mining, there have been problems. Coal mining has historically been a dangerous job. Pollution is generated in its production, transportation, and consumption.

Coal mining  companies often used unethical methods to acquire land and/or mineral rights on land. And there have been other problems over the years, such as labor disputes that sometimes became violent.

But, despite the problems, I think it is important to remember the very important role that coal mining has played historically in this country (and the world). Coal mining and the coal produced by it provided the fuel that enabled the Industrial Revolution to take place. Without coal mining, several things that we perhaps basically take for granted might not have happened as quickly or as well as they did: steel production, locomotives and railroads, electricity generation, and a huge number of products that we perhaps take for granted.

It may be time for coal mining to decline, and in another generation it may virtually cease if renewable fuels work out well. But let's not forget the positive role that coal played in our past and to a large degree still plays in our present.

And who knows? Maybe in another generation we'll find currently unforeseen environmental problems with renewable fuels like solar power. Much coal remains in the ground in various places, and improvements in methods of mining, transportation, and usage can potentially make it a much cleaner fuel in the future than it has been in the past.

Disclosure: Although I am not a practicing mining engineer, I do hold a mining engineering degree from the University of Kentucky, worked two summers in the mining industry during college, and some of my relatives worked in the mining industry, including both my father and paternal grandfather who worked as mining engineers.

Note: This article was last modified on January 23, 2017 when I added the picture of the "Kentucky Coal Products Tree."

Fracking Seems to Be Causing Numerous Earthquakes Via Wastewater Disposal

Energy companies that produce oil and natural gas by fracking, and dispose of huge quantities of wastewater containing chemicals as part of the process, seem to be causing a very large increase in the number of earthquakes in areas where fracking occurs.

A June 10, 2015 United States Geological Survey article titled "6 Facts about Human-caused Earthquakes" states "injecting fluid underground can cause earthquakes, a fact that was established decades ago by USGS scientists."

According to a November 18, 2016 Associated Press article that is available on numerous websites, including a webpage on the Tulsa World website, residents of Pawnee, Oklahoma have filed a class-action lawsuit against 27 companies due to damages from earthquakes believed to be caused by wastewater disposal from fracking.

I am surprised that there have not been more lawsuits and more outrage over this practice. While widespread availability of relatively cheap oil and natural gas has many benefits, the risks and damages that occur from producing it also need to be considered.

If it is demonstrated that these oil and natural gas producers are directly responsible (as seems likely) for the large increase in earthquakes and the damages the earthquakes cause, then these companies are presumably liable for reimbursing those impacted by the damages.

I am not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. But it seems to me that if it has been known for decades that injecting fluids into the ground can lead to earthquakes, and it is known that there has been a huge increase in the number of earthquakes in areas where fluids have been injected into the ground in recent years, that it is logical that this fluid injection is the likely cause of these earthquakes.

I am not stating that fracking must stop or even that the disposal of wastewater by injecting it into the ground must cease. But, I strongly support holding these energy companies liable for the damages they are causing. Even if persons feel that the benefits of the oil and gas production via this method justify allowing it to continue, the persons who suffer damages from the earthquakes deserve compensation for their damages as I see it.

If the cost of providing this compensation to victims of earthquakes leads to the oil and gas companies (1) finding more environmentally friendly ways of producing the oil or gas and/or (2) raising oil and gas prices to pay for the cost of paying for the damages and for the lawsuits, (3) and/or turning to alternative energy sources or others doing so, then that seems to be what needs to occur.

Oil and natural gas have provided many benefits over the years as energy sources. But these benefits need to be weighed against the negative impacts of the production, transportation, and consumption of this natural gas and oil.

NOTE: This article was last revised on November 19, 2016.

Neckties: Buying and Wearing Them Is Usually Unnecessary, a Waste of Money, and Potentially Dangerous

It remains common for many persons to wear neckties to church (and to business functions, etc.). Why does a man (or anyone) wear a necktie? Do neckties serve any useful purpose?

A colorful tie can be attractive, maybe even look elegant. However, wearing clothing just for appearance seems a waste, especially in an age when conservation and being environmentally friendly are emphasized. Wearing ties seems pretentious and worldly—not what God or Christ or commonsense would advocate.

Perhaps wearing neckties originated from scarves worn in winter around the face to help protect people from cold and/or windy weather. Nicely tied, stylish scarves worn when weather conditions warranted them may have been the precursor of the necktie.

But the ties commonly worn now, tied the way they are tied, serve no useful purpose that I comprehend. Although I have neither worn nor bought a tie in a few decades, I still own some. The picture below shows most of the ties I still own.  

Although I personally have not worn a tie in decades, the wearing of neckties in public still remains a common practice in the United States and many other countries among persons in leadership positions in business, government, and religion. Certain formal parties and some restaurants also require a tie. In fact, so-called “black tie affairs” may require a black tie or more specifically a black bow tie, a tuxedo, and/or other formal apparel. Indeed, ties are traditional in some circles.

I think it is time to end the tradition of wearing ties.

Neckties cost money to purchase, take time to tie, may feel uncomfortable around one’s neck, and are a potential safety hazard if they flap around loosely and get caught in machinery.

In contrast to ties, much of the clothing we wear serves a useful purpose. Shoes protect our feet. Undergarments, socks, pants, shirts, hats, and gloves provide us warmth, protect us from sunburn, and help guard our skin from injuries that might otherwise result as we contact various objects. But I submit that ties need to be either recycled into something more useful or discarded.

Personally, I may never wear a tie again unless I am in a situation where someone else requests it, such as for a job where wearing one is mandatory. Do you agree with me that wearing a tie is unnecessary, potentially unsafe, and a waste of time and money?

If we love and care for everyone regardless of circumstances, neither we nor they need to display a necktie as a status symbol or for any other reason that I can think of.

In fact, try to avoid focusing on ties others wear. Instead, focus your eyes on their faces, smile at them, and establish eye contact. Our actions, words, and our other apparel can suitably convey information about us to one another.

If you are required to wear a tie at work, please try to get the decision maker(s) for your workplace to read this two page chapter and to change the policy requiring employees to wear ties. I think it would be great for everyone to avoid spending money buying ties and time tying them. Dedicate that money and time toward more productive and more enjoyable living. Will you do it?

NOTE: This piece is adapted/reprinted from a chapter in my book True Christianity: It May Not Be What You Think (second edition, copyright 2015). That chapter was adapted/reprinted from articles I published earlier online.  

Eat a Vegan Diet for Under $5 a Day

Persons can eat a healthy vegan diet for less than $5 a day in most places here in the United States. Often foods that are good for us are cheaper than junk food.

Although eating a vegan diet can be cheaper than eating a diet that contains meat and dairy products, much of the information in this article applies even to persons who eat a diet that contains meat and dairy products.

Most of us can significantly reduce the amount of money we spend on food. Below I list some steps toward cutting food costs.

1. The first step (You may have guessed this one.) is to substantially reduce (or eliminate) eating at restaurants. Eating at restaurants is typically much more expensive than preparing and eating food at home--unless someone else is paying the restaurant bill. In addition, restaurant food often contains additives you don't want, such as extra salt.
   
2.  A second step is to buy dry beans instead of meats and poultry. A wide variety of beans are available in supermarkets, including pinto beans, great northern beans, black beans, kidney beans, cranberry beans, navy beans, and lima beans. Beans lack the fat that is in meats, and beans are typically cheaper than meats. Furthermore, beans are nutritious. For example, pinto beans and whole grain cornbread provide an excellent source of protein and amino acids. You can cook a big batch and freeze or refrigerate leftovers.
3. Third, eat a variety of whole grains instead of refined white flour products. Whole grain cornmeal, whole grain wheat flour, whole grain brown rice, and numerous other grains are available at reasonably cheap prices. My personal favorites are whole grain yellow cornmeal and white whole wheat flour.
4. Fourth, nuts and seeds (as well as legumes) provide nutrition and cholesterol free fat that is "good fat" compared to the saturated fat (with cholesterol) in meats. A serving or two of almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, etc., can be a tasty part of a well-balanced diet. You can eat most nuts either raw or roasted. Try them both ways to add variety to your diet.
5. Fifth, even fresh fruits and vegetables are not very expensive on a per serving basis, especially if you buy them on sale. Fresh fruits can average less than 40 cents per serving, and vegetables can average less than 20 cents per serving. At these prices, eating three servings of fruit daily and five servings of vegetables daily would cost less than $2.20. The key is to buy things on sale. Supermarkets typically have a few fruits and vegetables on sale each week. You can also buy dried or canned fruit on sale, as well as canned or frozen vegetables on sale, but buy fresh products when reasonably feasible. And if you buy some vegetables at a cheap price (carrots for example), you can afford to pay more for others (asparagus for example).

The photograph below shows some of the foods I currently have in my apartment: a pineapple, green and red grapes, a cantaloupe, a tomato, carrots, potatoes, cinnamon-raisin bagels, white whole wheat flour, everything bagels, yellow whole grain cornmeal, and pinto beans. 
 

I bought the pineapple and cantaloupe on sale at a local supermarket for 50 cents each (even better than the sale price of about $1 each I usually try to buy them for), bought a pound of carrots on sale for $1, a five pound bag of potatoes for $1 on sale, tomatoes for less than $1 a pound on sale, and the other items at their regular prices. The bagels are a processed food made with regular white enriched flour, but still as a snack they are healthier than candy, most cookies, cake, pie, etc.

Below I provide some suggestions about what to prepare for various meals.

Breakfast
Oatmeal, wheat farina, homemade biscuits and gravy, pancakes, cereal (bought on sale) and nondairy milk, etc., are all relatively cheap breakfast foods. Add a piece of fresh fruit or juice. To get a vegan source of Omega-3 fatty acids, you can sprinkle some ground flaxseeds on your breakfast cereal, biscuits, or pancakes after cooking (cooking damages the Omega-3s). Walnuts are another good vegan source of Omega-3s. By the way, microalgae is another vegan source of Omega-3 fatty acids, and microalgae contains DHA and EPA Omega-3 fatty acids, making its fatty acids more similar to those in fish than the ALA in ground flaxseeds. It is probably best for vegans to add microalgae to the diet, too.

Personally, I drink a glass of orange juice enriched with calcium most mornings. I buy 12 ounce cans of frozen concentrate in store brands for about $1.50-$1.75 each, which provides six servings of eight ounces each per can for a cost of less than 25 cents per serving. I often add a banana or some other type of fruit to my breakfast, too.

Lunch at Work and Other Meals Away from Home
If you must eat a meal away from home, such as lunch at work, to save money consider packing your own lunch. For example, you might pack a sandwich or two, a piece of fruit, and a salad. 

Taking to work your own peanut butter and jelly sandwich(es), banana(s), and a fresh salad will almost certainly be cheaper than eating at a restaurant and likely more nutritious, too. You can pack the salad in an airtight plastic container with some ice cubes to keep it cold. If you are concerned someone may tamper with your lunch before you get to eat it, perhaps you can put it in a locker, in a drawer at your desk, in your locked car, or some other place that is safe.

Dinner, Supper, and Other Home-Cooked Meals
Preparing some type of beans and some type of whole grain bread (cornbread, biscuits, garlic bread, etc.) provides a tasty, nutritious main part of the meal. A variety of spices and seasonings can add flavor. Numerous recipes are available online in addition to the basic ones on the bags of beans and grains.

For side dishes, choose from whatever vegetables you bought on sale (asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, corn, green beans, lettuce in a variety of types, mustard greens, onions, potatoes, radishes, spinach, turnip greens and turnips, etc.).

Fresh fruit can be dessert. In addition to apples and bananas which are usually reasonably priced, each week some types of fruit are usually on sale (such as apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, strawberries, watermelons, etc.).

For dessert, instead of fresh fruit, you can prepare some type of homemade treat. Homemade cakes, candies, cookies, pies, etc., are usually fairly cheap per serving, and if you prepare them with relatively small amounts of fat, salt, and sugar, they can be relatively healthy compared to most store-bought desserts. Numerous vegan dessert recipes are available online that have limited fat, salt, and sugar content, thus making "junk food" a bit healthier eating. For example, some recipes substitute applesauce or another sweetener for sugar, reduce the amount of cooking oil or margarine compared to a typical recipe, omit salt by substituting other seasonings, etc.

To give one specific example, when time permits, I enjoy making homemade cinnamon-oatmeal-raisin cookies, using molasses or applesauce to sweeten them. They are tasty, somewhat nutritious, and relatively low in fat--I use little vegetable oil in them.

Snacks
One of my favorite snacks is bagels. I buy cinnamon-raisin, blueberry, and everything bagels, and eat one or two of those instead of potato chips, candy, or other less healthy foods.

Popcorn that is air popped without adding significant amounts of salt, margarine, cooking oil, etc. is a relatively healthy snack that adds fiber and relatively few calories to one's diet, and it is cheap, too.

Fresh fruits and vegetables can also be tasty and nutritious snacks, with or without a nutritious dip.

Homemade treats like banana nut bread, oatmeal cookies, and peanut butter cookies are tasty, too.

Closing Thoughts
Since no one eats perfectly, adding a daily multivitamin to one's diet is a good way to add nutrients. I confess that the one I take is probably not a vegan multivitamin, but I hope to find a vegan multivitamin that I like. If a bottle of multivitamins costs $15 per 100 vitamins, that is only 15 cents a day added to the cost of one's daily diet. Vitamin B12 is one of the nutrients that vegans often have difficulty getting into their diet. In addition to taking a daily multivitamin that contains vitamin B12, I use soymilk enriched with B12, as well as sometimes eating cereal enriched with B12.

I am neither a dietician nor a medical professional, so I cannot give dietary or medical advice, but I am confident that persons who follow the guidelines I provided in this article will eat a more healthy diet than most persons and more cheaply than most persons eat here in the United States.

Do adapt my suggestions for your own specific calorie and nutrition needs. And please seek out other sources for more information about eating a healthy diet at a relatively low cost.

Who knows? You may find that you enjoy eating a cheaper and healthier diet more than you enjoy your current diet--and you may feel better as a result, too.

NOTE: The material in this article is adapted and/or reprinted from material I wrote in Chapter 31 of my book True Christianity: It May Not Be What You Think, second edition, copyright 2015, as well as from material in an article I posted on Newsvine on April 20, 2012.