Sometimes Democrats just don’t get it. It is as if they have forgotten that politics is the art of persuasion and a politician’s message must first and foremost resonate with the electorate. Democrats are fighting a losing battle by denigrating Donald Trump’s Carrier deal. Carrier has agreed to retain 1,000 jobs in Indiana which they previously announced were moving to Mexico. Bernie Sanders and other Democrats have been decrying Donald Trump’s accomplishment of this deal as both bad policy and bad precedent.
Democrats need to let Donald Trump have his win, as opposition to it is just plain bad politics. The Trump voters clamoring for change are not going to be receptive to Democratic criticism. Democrats do not need to convince other Democrats of the short sightedness of Trump’s approach. Democrats need to appeal to non-Democrats, and in that context, arguing against this deal is politically stupid. To all but the Democratic true believers, it sounds like Democrats are opposing Carrier’s retention of American jobs just to score political points against Donald Trump.
Democratic are concerned Trump’s Carrier deal will set a terrible precedent. They say it will encourage other businesses to threaten taking jobs overseas in order to obtain tax credits or other governmental incentives. Most Americans, and most especially Trump voters, ask how this is different from the status quo. The working class is tired of feeling like pawns. It doesn’t matter if this deal possibly sets a bad precedent because, to most Americans, it seems like a break is finally going in their favor.
Democrats have likened Trump’s deal-making style to Vladimir Putin’s strong arming of Russian oligarchs. They suggest that Trump may have threatened United Technologies Corporation, Carrier’s parent company and a major defense contractor, with unspecified future retaliation. These critics don’t get this is precisely what many want from their government. These voters want the government to leverage its power to help them keep their jobs. This is the exact change that the Trump supporters were asking for. Furthermore, most Americans do not see any menace in Trump’s behavior. To most, this is the same as negotiations routinely undertaken by mayors and governors when trying to retain businesses in their jurisdictions.
From a political perspective, Democrats would be better off conceding Donald Trump his small victory. This fight does not have any real long term implications. It is unlikely that President Trump will be able to stem job losses with one-on-one negotiations throughout the course of his administration. While the exodus of American manufacturing jobs cannot be resolved through a series of piecemeal interventions by the President, Democrats will gain nothing by appearing to stand in the way of such efforts.
Instead of criticism, Democrats need to propose policies that will expand the number of decent jobs for working class people. American manufacturing jobs have largely been lost to automation and other increases in productivity. The simple fact is, manufacturing jobs don’t exist in the same numbers as they once did; not because of outsourcing, but because of productivity gains. Despite the fact that American manufacturing output is greater than it has ever been, it simply takes fewer workers to operate these plants than it did in the past. Moreover, while the program of tariffs proposed by the incoming Trump administration might slow the erosion of a few American jobs to foreign locations, they will also result in higher prices, lower profits, less corporate investment, and an overall net job loss in the American economy.
Despite the fact that protectionist and interventionist trade measures are ultimately bad policy, a significant number of Democrats have advocated support for some version of them. This is the real issue that must be addressed. Democrats should stop railing against Trump’s symbolic gestures and stop advocating support for economic policies destined to fail. Instead, Democrats should be crafting policy proposals which encourage the growth of small businesses as the key to sustainable job growth. Democrats need to craft job training programs to address the nationwide shortfall in skilled trade workers.
Democrats must continue to advance the concept of free public college as another step towards improving the lot of the poor and working class. Keeping college graduates from being saddled with debt will result in greater economic activity and overall business growth, which will lead to even more jobs. Democrats need to present solutions that realistically address the core challenges to our economy while appealing to poor and middle class voters, especially those who become disillusioned with the Trumpian approach. Democrats must focus their energy on laying the foundation for winning the House in 2018, not engaging in battles they cannot win.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Let's Not Eat Sour Grapes This Thanksgiving
Are you a liberal dreading the idea of spending Thanksgiving with a family divided about the recent election? Are you worried about how you are going to deal with the conversation when the focus on food, family, and football is abandoned for a rehash of the election? My suggestion is to resist your urge to refight the quarrels of the past year. Those arguments are done, and there nothing that can be said to alter the votes that have been cast. Instead, steel yourself against your emotional reactions and refrain from lashing back. Rather, use these encounters as an opportunity to gather information; information that will be essential in altering the outcome of elections yet to come.
It is crucial that you restrain your impulse to defend the righteousness of your position. Instead of engaging in a pointless rehashing of facts upon which you will never agree, deflect the conversation. Now is the time to gather knowledge and insights that will help us be more effective in contests to come, now is not the time to change minds. Don't get drug into relitigating the election; try to move past discussions of all that has transpired. Instead, get the Trump supporter to focus on their vision for the future. Get the Trump voter to outline their hopeful vision of what a Trump administration will do over the next four years. Have them describe, in as much detail as possible, their positive vision for the good that a Trump Presidency and a Republican Congress will bring this nation. Resist your natural inclination to refute the likelihood that their Utopian vision will be fulfilled. Instead, probe deeper and gather as much detail as you can. Look for those elements in their vision which are compatible with your own view of a progressive future.
I suspect that you will find some common ground even as you profoundly disagree on the methods for achieving it. For some, that common ground may include a vision of a vibrant economy in which workers make a decent wage; an economy in which each generation’s prospects are better than the last. With others, that common ground may take other forms. The key is getting to the root of it. I believe that some element of common ground can be found once you get down to specific, practical outcomes. And, of course, there will be many elements of their vision that you do not share. That is ok too as it is not realistic to believe we can come to terms on every issue. You must be strong and not engage in battles that cannot be won. Use this as an opportunity to develop skills and to gain knowledge that will aid us in being more persuasive later on.
Be prepared to hear bigoted and potentially ugly opinions. I do not believe that all Trump voters supported his bigotry; many supported Trump in spite of those views. But it is likely that a portion of Trump supporters did shared his bigoted views of the world. While this past election cycle has eroded social inhibitions governing the expression of bigoted ideas in public, it has been my experience that those inhibitions seldom extend to internal family interactions anyhow. I know I have endured the bloviating ‘Archie Bunker’ protégées at family gatherings at one time or another. This Thanksgiving, don’t try and change their minds. Instead, try to glean an understanding from whence their concerns lie. Is their bigotry derived from closely held animus? Or does it derive from fear of external threats, the absence of any real experience with these ‘others’ and a perception that some groups are being singled out for special treatment and privileges which they find inherently unfair?
In the coming elections, progressives will need the votes of many who supported Trump if we are to flip the House and Senate, and to eventually take back the White House. We must win over some of these voters if we want to retake State Houses and governorships. We may never win over the true believers, but we must find ways of appealing to those that can be persuaded. Progressives must understand the visions and desires of the Trump voter and those with Republican leanings. Where possible, we must addresses the concerns of those who currently oppose us while still remaining true to our progressive values. Our goal should be the construction of a platform those individuals we currently are not reaching can support despite their differences with us on the particulars of some issues.
Our arguments going forward must acknowledge the negative perceptions held by the other side. Progressives must counter the other side’s perceptions, not with name calling and condescending arguments, but by telling a more compelling story that won’t get blocked by an automatic defensive reaction. We must emphasize how the positions we advocate will achieve outcomes that we and they both desire. But this can only be achieved if we understand exactly what they perceive our differences to be and where we have the potential for common ground. We must find a way to stop exclusively ‘preaching to the choir’ and instead actively address arguments that speak directly to the core concerns and visions of the Trump voter on which we can agree.
I firmly believe that Republican and Trumpian policy outcomes will come to be viewed unfavorably by those who voted for them. The most likely results of their proposed policies include attacks on entitlement programs, assaults on worker’s rights, and moves that erode individual constitutional protections. None of those outcomes are going to be popular. This country’s foreign and trade policies over the next four years are likely to result in widespread instability abroad and economic upheavals at home. We must remain engaged and try to mitigate those negative outcomes, but there is only so much that can be achieved from the minority seats at the table. As a result, these unfortunate outcomes will present an opportunity to shift to a new, more effective direction.
Progressives need to be prepared to deliver a better alternative that will resonate with the future disillusioned Trump voter. We must offer solutions that speak to the concerns of his supporters. We need to begin working now on an agenda that speaks to the core concerns that we all share. We need to package that agenda so that it clearly resonates with the persuadable Trump voter. The information you gather at these Thanksgiving encounters, and throughout the coming months, will be the essential building blocks required to craft a program that speaks to disaffected Trump supporter’s core concerns while still remaining true to the progressive vision for America.
Progressives need to be prepared to deliver a better alternative that will resonate with the future disillusioned Trump voter. We must offer solutions that speak to the concerns of his supporters. We need to begin working now on an agenda that speaks to the core concerns that we all share. We need to package that agenda so that it clearly resonates with the persuadable Trump voter. The information you gather at these Thanksgiving encounters, and throughout the coming months, will be the essential building blocks required to craft a program that speaks to disaffected Trump supporter’s core concerns while still remaining true to the progressive vision for America.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Sometimes I don’t know what to feel…
Sometimes I don't know what to feel
Everything I thought that I knew starts to look so unreal
There's a ringing in my head that keeps me awake at night
Sometimes I don't know what is right
…
Sometimes I don't know what to do
Someone said the world's going to end and I think its true
I thought there was some love in the world
But I guess I'm wrong
Everything I thought that I knew starts to look so unreal
There's a ringing in my head that keeps me awake at night
Sometimes I don't know what is right
…
Sometimes I don't know what to do
Someone said the world's going to end and I think its true
I thought there was some love in the world
But I guess I'm wrong
Todd Rundgren,
1973
It has been more than a week
since Donald Trump won the election. I still can’t shake the feelings of anxiety and
dread that Trump’s election has spawned in me. I am racked by alternative feelings of dismay and the desire to do
something, anything to prevent this national electoral temper tantrum from
wrecking permanent damage to our country. I am still obsessed with the news, but
it has yet to give me comfort. I have begun blogging, posting incessantly on
Facebook and Twitter, to the point that I am alienating my less political
friends. Last Wednesday I went to a political rally just to regain the sense of
community with those who share my concerns. At least at the rally I felt like I
was participating in something that can impact elections down the road.
I am not generally a reactionary
or alarmist by nature, but the folly of the 8th of November’s
decision seems so blindly obvious, that I can’t wrap my head around the idea
that anyone is satisfied with the result. To me, Trump is so obviously unfit,
yet he is going to be the President of “these United States”. Everything I have read suggests that more
than 60% of people who voted for Donald Trump agreed that he was unqualified
but they voted for him just the same. I
cannot seem to square those facts in my head.
What is at the core of my unease?
I fear Trump’s impulsive and ill-considered foreign policy rhetoric will
continue while in office with destabilizing effect. His belligerent tone
towards our Allies, his rhetoric destabilizing NATO unity, his unilateral
rapprochement with Russia, and his insistence of economic protectionism above
all else might all be the source of disaster due to predictable, but unintended
consequences. His language has the potential to embolden our enemies to action
which might lead to military crisis. It is just such destabilizing forces that
resulted in the last two World Wars.
Donald Trump’s pathological focus
on Muslims as a de facto terrorist threat lacks any nuance and is out of
proportion to the facts. It is true that we are in direct conflict with a small
number of radical Islamic terrorists. But, Trump’s lumping of all Muslims in
that camp erodes America’s ability to harness essential cooperation from our
Muslim allies. Moreover, this belligerent, un-nuanced stance actually aids the
terrorists build support by enabling them to paint America as a threat to
mainstream Muslims. And Trump’s rhetorical hostility has not been limited to
foreign Muslims. His insistence, without evidence and in the face of clear
evidence to the contrary, that Muslim Americans are harboring and cheering
terrorists is dangerous. I worry this might be an omen of a coming unAmerican
and unConstitutional pogrom.
The history of other nations
suggests that fear mongering is a force that can be harnessed, either
intentionally or unintentionally, to cause a nation to abandon their
constitutional system’s protections of individual liberty. The constant fear
mongering and hate expressed in the campaign, which appears to be supported by
significant numbers of my fellow citizens, moves us incrementally towards
conditions that erode our freedoms. Unreasoned reactionary rhetoric could lead us
towards policies that suppress religious freedom, free speech, freedom to
assembly and the abandonment of due process. These rights are the bedrock on
which democracy is built, and once diminished; there is no clear path to bring
them back.
Many of my fellow citizens
believe my concerns are a baseless over reaction. Maybe I am wrong, but I just
cannot see how these apprehensions can be dismissed. I know that there could be
a difference between the rhetoric of the campaign and Mr. Trump’s conduct in
office. I recognize that the Trump administration is likely to draw upon
experts which could act as a moderating influence on the actual behavior of a
Trump presidency. However, during the campaign, Trump did not appear to be
constrained by either expert advice or even facts, which does not bode well for
the new Administration’s moderation. Part of me recognizes that my feelings of
impending doom are, at least in part, irrational. The bigotry, misogyny, and
all round vulgarity of the election could all have been theater. The normal
bureaucratic organizational inertia and Constitutional checks and balances
still exist so the most radical proposals floated during the election are unlikely
to occur. Of course, everyone said a Trump presidency would be unlikely, yet here
we are.
In Columbia, Maryland, I have
heard American Muslim parents tell me their school children have expressed fear
they and their parents will be forced to leave this country or worse. These young
first- and second-graders heard the campaign rhetoric that was spewed and it has
affected them. The immediacy of these parents concern and fear moved me. I
heard others tell of random acts of hate and bile directed at people of color
by folks who appeared to be emboldened by Mr. Trump’s victory. This is not the
America I love. I know we are so much
better than that as a nation, and I can’t understand why so many of my fellow
Americans were able to callously disregard the bigoted undertones of the Trump
campaign to select him as our President.
In this past election, I was not an
over-enthusiastic Hillary supporter. I did think she was well-qualified and would
have made a good President. Despite her obvious flaws, and in the face of the
likely specter of more investigations and gridlock, I felt Hillary was a vastly
superior choice to Donald Trump. I tried to give Donald Trump a fair hearing
once it became clear that he was a real force in the Republican field. I
listened to his speeches and interviews and I tried to understand what it was
that made him so wildly popular with so many. To my ear, Trump was a
hyperbolic, bigoted and incoherent demigod, unmoored by facts, with no real
plans, and who appeared to be largely unprepared to lead this nation. And I was
shocked as he continued to win over greater and greater numbers of voters. To
me, his populism made no sense. Now Sanders populist appeal I understood. At
least Sanders was talking about issues that I thought mattered to most Americans:
jobs, the growing wealth divide, the lack of affordable and livable housing for
the poor and lower middle class, a higher minimum wage, affordable higher
education, and a single payer health care system. Trump didn’t seem to me to
have any clear, realistic plans for any of these issues, yet he seemed to
resonate with many Americans just the same.
I am normally extremely
optimistic about America and our collective future. I take pride in the way the
country has risen above past mistakes to create a free society in which
increasing numbers have an equal opportunity to succeed. I strongly believe in
our Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the equality of all peoples before the
law. I pride myself on being open and objective,
and I am actively looking for signs of hope. I truly want Donald Trump to
succeed because his success is America’s success. I want to believe that my
concerns are baseless, but right now, I just feel glum.
Sometimes
I just feel so alone
I don't want to admit to my friends that I feel confused
I wonder what I'd do with myself if the world was gone
Something makes me stay on my feet
Don't you dare admit to defeat
And if I tell myself it's all right
I can comfort myself through the night
And watch another day dawn
And everything will be cool
I don't want to admit to my friends that I feel confused
I wonder what I'd do with myself if the world was gone
Something makes me stay on my feet
Don't you dare admit to defeat
And if I tell myself it's all right
I can comfort myself through the night
And watch another day dawn
And everything will be cool
Todd Rundgren,
1973
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
The Interesting Thing about Twitter – It is a Two-way Communications Medium
On Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump said he intended to keep using Twitter while he was in office. Like many Americans, I am horrified that President Trump will persist tweeting his childish, boorish insults. It portends to be just another embarrassment in the stream of national embarrassments that will come to define the Trump presidency.
The reports from the first days of Trump’s transition planning certainly don’t bode well for the nation. Already we have seen Trump recklessly sucking up to Russia before he has even settled on a national security team. It is no wonder that his top national security advisor, former Congressman Mike Rogers, has already jumped ship. Another dark portend is the appointment of the alt-right movement leader Steve Bannon as Mr. Trump’s chief strategist. Steven Bannon has been widely denounced as a xenophobic, white nationalist and his participation in the new administration is a slap in the face to all who accepted at face value Donald Trump’s lie that he “will be president for all Americans” so we can “come together as one united people.” Fat chance!
If the campaign has taught us anything about Mr. Trump, it is that he is extremely thin skinned. He spent a good bit of his time on Twitter going after anyone who dared criticize the magnificence that is “The Donald”. Just yesterday he called out the New York Times because they dared to quote one of Donald’s foreign policy mutterings about nuclear weapons made during the campaign.
Well, Twitter is a two-way communications medium. I call on everyone to flood @realdonaldtrump with tweets telling him exactly what you think about his leadership so far.
The reports from the first days of Trump’s transition planning certainly don’t bode well for the nation. Already we have seen Trump recklessly sucking up to Russia before he has even settled on a national security team. It is no wonder that his top national security advisor, former Congressman Mike Rogers, has already jumped ship. Another dark portend is the appointment of the alt-right movement leader Steve Bannon as Mr. Trump’s chief strategist. Steven Bannon has been widely denounced as a xenophobic, white nationalist and his participation in the new administration is a slap in the face to all who accepted at face value Donald Trump’s lie that he “will be president for all Americans” so we can “come together as one united people.” Fat chance!
If the campaign has taught us anything about Mr. Trump, it is that he is extremely thin skinned. He spent a good bit of his time on Twitter going after anyone who dared criticize the magnificence that is “The Donald”. Just yesterday he called out the New York Times because they dared to quote one of Donald’s foreign policy mutterings about nuclear weapons made during the campaign.
Well, Twitter is a two-way communications medium. I call on everyone to flood @realdonaldtrump with tweets telling him exactly what you think about his leadership so far.
Show leadership @realdonaldtrump and denounce the hate and violence being perpetrated in your name #wearestillhere
‘President for all’ Ha! @realdonaldtrump Steve Bannon as your strategist proves the lie #wearestillhere
It’s a blind trust, not blindly trusting @realdonaldtrump; drain in the swamp of your glaring conflicts of interest #wearestillhere
Friday, November 11, 2016
Where Do We Go From Here
If you are a Progressive and you don’t like the outcome of this election, then join me and do something about it. We need to overhaul the Democratic Party so that more American’s feel that it is addressing their concerns. We need less divisiveness and less knee-jerk reactionary responses to every thought we don’t like. What we need to do is to be engaged and organize. I don’t mean taking to the streets with anger and destruction. Coming together is great, but it should be done peacefully and with respect for differing views. Anger is ok, but anger should be directed into productive action or it will work against us. It is misdirected anger and frustration that got Trump elected. That and apathy.
This was the most divisive election in my lifetime, yet more than 45% of eligible voters didn’t bother to cast a ballot. In past presidential elections, you could argue that there wasn’t much difference between either of the candidates. While I don’t agree, if you truly believed that was the case, then perhaps you could rationalize not voting. But this election was different.
This election was different. The two Parties provided clearly different choices but were alike in one respect. They both selected polarizing, un-liked and unlikable candidates. The vast majority of American’s didn’t want either candidate. But, a lot of American’s wanted to move in a different direction and the Democrats didn’t persuade them that they had the answers to their concerns. And I know that Clinton won the popular vote. However, I think many of the folks who voted for her were holding their nose in the same way that many Trump voters did.
Whether or not you like the Electoral College, it has been a feature of our system since the beginning. The system was not rigged (as asserted by our President elect), it operated as designed. Both Parties knew what was required to win the election. Whether the Electoral College system is the best we can do is a question for another day. The point is, every vote was counted in accordance with the rules, Democrats just failed to mobilize the votes where they needed them the most. Senator Elizabeth Warren said “There are many millions of people who did not vote for Donald Trump because of the bigotry and hate that fueled his campaign rallies, they voted for him despite the hate. They voted for him out of frustration and anger and also out of hope that he would bring change.”
Our system still works, but the Democratic Party is out of touch and we must address the overall lack of voter participation. We need to engage in dialog (which means both listening and talking) and we need to do a better job of persuasion. We still have free speech, a free press and the right to assembly. Our system of checks and balances still exits. Our representatives still respond to popular pressure, especially if they think you are motivated to vote. The key is organizing and persuading others to join with you. That is seldom possible when you start by name calling and not truly hearing what others are saying. Free speech isn’t pretty and people have some pretty terrible notions (including me I suppose). However, the point of free speech is that it allows differing voices to be heard. Sometimes what you hear will be appalling and you will be shocked and dismayed. Sometimes you might learn something that matters. Sometimes you might even be persuaded to change your mind.
The point is, according to the exit polls, many people who voted for Trump didn’t agree with much of what he was saying and didn’t care that he didn’t have concrete plans. They felt that he heard their frustration and was more likely to do something “different” than the status quo. Now to me, that is a scary thought, and I voted accordingly. However, I wonder how many Trump supporters could have been peeled off if any attempt was made to listen to them? What would have happened if the Democrats had ran a candidate that droves hadn’t despised for decades? Was the hatred of Hillary Clinton rationale? Perhaps not, but it was real, and it got in the way of persuading the non-ideologically fixed voters (you know, the undecided) from considering the Democratic platform.
Remember, there was very little substance in Trumps agenda and he has a history of wildly changing his views on both sides of every issue. The real substance is in Paul Ryan’s plans. And, like it or not, the Speaker’s platform is widely popular with the majority of Americans who turned out to vote. In this election, more votes were cast for Republican Congressman than for Democratic congressmen, and that has been true since 2010. I think that is root of the frustration that brought Trump into office.
For the past six years, the majority of American’s felt like they weren’t being heard. The Democrats didn’t organize and perused those voters that they had an alternative that addressed their concerns. I think much of Ryan’s plan will be terrible for our country, and many of the Republican supporters will soon have buyer’s remorse with both their choice for President and Congress. But that buyer’s remorse will not matter in next Congressional races or in the next Presidential contest if the “loyal opposition” doesn’t listen, learn, organize and persuade.
Mr. Trump said many things during the campaign that concern me, but I believe a lot of that was ill considered ephemeral thoughts that will fall away in the face of the practical obstacles of governing. His authoritarian leanings scare me, but I have faith that our institutions will not bend and break under such pressures. The government is complex and the real challenges our country faces cannot be solved with posturing, gesturing, and braggadocio. I did not vote for Donald Trump, but I am an American, and he is going to be the American President. It was wrong when Republican’s tried to invalidate President Obama’s legitimacy, and it is wrong now. But, every action has a reaction, and radical Republican policies will quickly erode any support the President and the Republicans have due to the very consequences those programs will beget. I hope and trust in the little ‘c’ conservatism of our county. Radical change is hard, the minority has a role in the process of government, and there certainly isn’t a consensus for much on the right. Change will need to make it through those wickets.
Now I truly hope the Mr. Trump and the Republican Congress succeed in Making America Great. I personally thought it was great already, but more greatness can’t be bad. I am a patriot and I believe in the American system and the promise of the American Dream. I will give this new administration a chance to win me over. I will evaluate each policy on its merit and will support those that make sense and I will oppose every action that strikes me as wrong. I plan on staying engaged and energized.
The Democrats have 24 months to find candidates who can resonate with the people to unseat the Republicans in Congress. They have 4 years to get their stuff together to take back the White House. We must band together to chart a more compelling alternative vision.
I believe in a Progressive vision for America. I believe all Americans should be treated equally before law and in all public endeavors no matter their race, ethical origin, sexual orientation, religion or creed. I believe in an America that has freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I believe the Second Amendment provides for the right to bear arms but I also believe it also provides room for sensible gun regulations. I believe in an America that is strong enough to maintain stability in the world but that does not commit our Armed Forces to unending, ill-defined conflicts. I believe that all Americans should be able to work and feel they are progressing to a better future. I believe we must encourage entrepreneurship, encourage small businesses and capital investment. I believe in
capitalism and market driven resource allocation that is constrained by sensible regulation that dampens capitalism excesses. I believe in taxes because we must collectively pay for the common defense and to advance the common good. However, I believe the government must spend our tax dollars wisely. Every program and every department must be under pressure to perform and deliver in the most efficient means possible. And some governmental roles cannot be outsourced. I believe that the profit motive has no place in our criminal justice system. I believe we can do more to make our Justice system fair for all, and I believe we can be more sensible in the application of criminal punishment. I believe in universal access to healthcare whose delivery and availability isn’t governed by a profit motivated health insurance industry. However, I also I believe that, with the exception of the defense of personal rights, incremental progress is better than radical change and that all change must be tempered by the consideration of, and compromise with those with whom we disagree.
Moreover, I believe most Americans share some of my vision, and I believe we can engage in a dialog to bridge the gap where we differ. I believe the Democratic Party, as the Progressive movement standard bearer, can build a movement that manifests this vision and that takes back the levers of power if all like-minded individuals stay engaged and focused on that end.
This was the most divisive election in my lifetime, yet more than 45% of eligible voters didn’t bother to cast a ballot. In past presidential elections, you could argue that there wasn’t much difference between either of the candidates. While I don’t agree, if you truly believed that was the case, then perhaps you could rationalize not voting. But this election was different.
This election was different. The two Parties provided clearly different choices but were alike in one respect. They both selected polarizing, un-liked and unlikable candidates. The vast majority of American’s didn’t want either candidate. But, a lot of American’s wanted to move in a different direction and the Democrats didn’t persuade them that they had the answers to their concerns. And I know that Clinton won the popular vote. However, I think many of the folks who voted for her were holding their nose in the same way that many Trump voters did.
Whether or not you like the Electoral College, it has been a feature of our system since the beginning. The system was not rigged (as asserted by our President elect), it operated as designed. Both Parties knew what was required to win the election. Whether the Electoral College system is the best we can do is a question for another day. The point is, every vote was counted in accordance with the rules, Democrats just failed to mobilize the votes where they needed them the most. Senator Elizabeth Warren said “There are many millions of people who did not vote for Donald Trump because of the bigotry and hate that fueled his campaign rallies, they voted for him despite the hate. They voted for him out of frustration and anger and also out of hope that he would bring change.”
Our system still works, but the Democratic Party is out of touch and we must address the overall lack of voter participation. We need to engage in dialog (which means both listening and talking) and we need to do a better job of persuasion. We still have free speech, a free press and the right to assembly. Our system of checks and balances still exits. Our representatives still respond to popular pressure, especially if they think you are motivated to vote. The key is organizing and persuading others to join with you. That is seldom possible when you start by name calling and not truly hearing what others are saying. Free speech isn’t pretty and people have some pretty terrible notions (including me I suppose). However, the point of free speech is that it allows differing voices to be heard. Sometimes what you hear will be appalling and you will be shocked and dismayed. Sometimes you might learn something that matters. Sometimes you might even be persuaded to change your mind.
The point is, according to the exit polls, many people who voted for Trump didn’t agree with much of what he was saying and didn’t care that he didn’t have concrete plans. They felt that he heard their frustration and was more likely to do something “different” than the status quo. Now to me, that is a scary thought, and I voted accordingly. However, I wonder how many Trump supporters could have been peeled off if any attempt was made to listen to them? What would have happened if the Democrats had ran a candidate that droves hadn’t despised for decades? Was the hatred of Hillary Clinton rationale? Perhaps not, but it was real, and it got in the way of persuading the non-ideologically fixed voters (you know, the undecided) from considering the Democratic platform.
Remember, there was very little substance in Trumps agenda and he has a history of wildly changing his views on both sides of every issue. The real substance is in Paul Ryan’s plans. And, like it or not, the Speaker’s platform is widely popular with the majority of Americans who turned out to vote. In this election, more votes were cast for Republican Congressman than for Democratic congressmen, and that has been true since 2010. I think that is root of the frustration that brought Trump into office.
For the past six years, the majority of American’s felt like they weren’t being heard. The Democrats didn’t organize and perused those voters that they had an alternative that addressed their concerns. I think much of Ryan’s plan will be terrible for our country, and many of the Republican supporters will soon have buyer’s remorse with both their choice for President and Congress. But that buyer’s remorse will not matter in next Congressional races or in the next Presidential contest if the “loyal opposition” doesn’t listen, learn, organize and persuade.
Mr. Trump said many things during the campaign that concern me, but I believe a lot of that was ill considered ephemeral thoughts that will fall away in the face of the practical obstacles of governing. His authoritarian leanings scare me, but I have faith that our institutions will not bend and break under such pressures. The government is complex and the real challenges our country faces cannot be solved with posturing, gesturing, and braggadocio. I did not vote for Donald Trump, but I am an American, and he is going to be the American President. It was wrong when Republican’s tried to invalidate President Obama’s legitimacy, and it is wrong now. But, every action has a reaction, and radical Republican policies will quickly erode any support the President and the Republicans have due to the very consequences those programs will beget. I hope and trust in the little ‘c’ conservatism of our county. Radical change is hard, the minority has a role in the process of government, and there certainly isn’t a consensus for much on the right. Change will need to make it through those wickets.
Now I truly hope the Mr. Trump and the Republican Congress succeed in Making America Great. I personally thought it was great already, but more greatness can’t be bad. I am a patriot and I believe in the American system and the promise of the American Dream. I will give this new administration a chance to win me over. I will evaluate each policy on its merit and will support those that make sense and I will oppose every action that strikes me as wrong. I plan on staying engaged and energized.
The Democrats have 24 months to find candidates who can resonate with the people to unseat the Republicans in Congress. They have 4 years to get their stuff together to take back the White House. We must band together to chart a more compelling alternative vision.
I believe in a Progressive vision for America. I believe all Americans should be treated equally before law and in all public endeavors no matter their race, ethical origin, sexual orientation, religion or creed. I believe in an America that has freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I believe the Second Amendment provides for the right to bear arms but I also believe it also provides room for sensible gun regulations. I believe in an America that is strong enough to maintain stability in the world but that does not commit our Armed Forces to unending, ill-defined conflicts. I believe that all Americans should be able to work and feel they are progressing to a better future. I believe we must encourage entrepreneurship, encourage small businesses and capital investment. I believe in
capitalism and market driven resource allocation that is constrained by sensible regulation that dampens capitalism excesses. I believe in taxes because we must collectively pay for the common defense and to advance the common good. However, I believe the government must spend our tax dollars wisely. Every program and every department must be under pressure to perform and deliver in the most efficient means possible. And some governmental roles cannot be outsourced. I believe that the profit motive has no place in our criminal justice system. I believe we can do more to make our Justice system fair for all, and I believe we can be more sensible in the application of criminal punishment. I believe in universal access to healthcare whose delivery and availability isn’t governed by a profit motivated health insurance industry. However, I also I believe that, with the exception of the defense of personal rights, incremental progress is better than radical change and that all change must be tempered by the consideration of, and compromise with those with whom we disagree.
Moreover, I believe most Americans share some of my vision, and I believe we can engage in a dialog to bridge the gap where we differ. I believe the Democratic Party, as the Progressive movement standard bearer, can build a movement that manifests this vision and that takes back the levers of power if all like-minded individuals stay engaged and focused on that end.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Seven Month Update on my Quest for Better Health
Today is the seven month anniversary of the date I began my quest for better health. This morning, I weighed in at 195.5 pounds. That's a loss of about 77 pounds. My weight has been hovering between 200 and 195 pounds for about two weeks now. Prior to Thanksgiving, I had been experiencing a steady decline of about two 2 pounds per week. However, since then, my weight has fluctuated up and down by as much as 5 pounds in a week. This has been mostly due to the Holiday parties and the Super Bowl party. Fortunately, the overall trend has about a 1.25 pound loss per week since Thanksgiving. My progress is shown in the graph.
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| Mike Summers Weight Loss as of 2/17/2015 |
I have found that, for the most part, I am having very little problem maintaining my low calorie diet. I am still averaging about 1,500 calories per day The one exception, as I have indicated has been the holiday parties. I have found that at parties, the consumption of alcohol tends to lower my self-control, and I find myself eating way more than I had planned. Eating 4,000 is madness. However, I have also found that I can recover from these lapses in a day or two just by reverting back to the healthy diet. This is an area I am going to need to monitor more closely moving forward.
Once surprising result has been that I appear to have lost some muscle mass in addition to the fat loss. This is based on the fact that since I have started going back to the gym on a regular basis, I have noticed that I cannot lift the same amount of weight I could lift in August. Now, this could just be normal muscle atrophy from lack of use as I have only been doing cardio exercises regularly in the past six months. However, most books I have consulted suggest that the body will burn muscle first before it burns fat (over the short term) so losing a small amount of muscle mass is not completely unexpected. No matter what the cause, I have decided to address the issue by adding regular strength training exercises to my weekly fitness regime. Again, as with the weight loss, my strategy is to keep meticulous logs of my workout to determine my progress over time. My experience in most things has been you are mostly likely to see progress on those things you choose to measure and track. I also believe it is much harder to backslide if you know you are being watched, so I will keep you updated on this new goal in this blog going forward.
So, I am seven months in and I need to loss 22.5 more pounds to get to my goal. I expect the weight loss from here on in will be slower than at first, despite my planned increase in exercise activity. This is because with less body mass, I am burning fewer calories per day than I was when I weighed 180 pounds. No matter how slow, progress is progress. I am hopeful that I will continue to make slow progress through next few months.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Halfway to my goal; Making excellent progress but still fearing failure
First I will trumpet the good news. I have lost 52 pounds since I started this quest. My blood sugar readings are excellent, and my daily intake of insulin and my daily dose of cholesterol medication been cut in half. I am now wearing the same size clothes I wore when I retired from the Air Force ten years ago (although to be fair, I was 20 pounds overweight by Air Force standards when I retired). All of this is extremely good news. I am just about halfway to my goal of 173 pounds, and I am seeing the positive health impacts as well as a positive rise in my own self-image.
The key to my success has been religiously recording every calorie I consume and limiting my daily intake to between 1400 and 1700 calories. To keep under that calorie limit, I have radically overhauled my diet. My new diet has no potato chips, no French fries, very few potatoes, and very little white rice. When I do eat high calorie food, I eat small portions. For example, I order the smallest burger at a restaurant, and if it is portion is still too large (based on my calorie goal for the day), I will take a portion home and use it for lunch or dinner the next day. To keep me on track, I have found the space in my calorie budget for the occasional treat like a small scoop of ice cream, a piece of pizza, and a beer or two at the ball park. Additionally, I have learned to recognize that I am not going to go into a diabetic coma if I don’t immediately much on something the first time I feel the slightest hunger pang.(This is a true, but very unrealistic fear I once had). To keep me on the straight and narrow, I also make sure I have plenty of fruit and other healthy snacks such as nuts, raw vegetables, and canned sardines to stave off any linger hunger pangs between meals. (Yes, sardines are a common light lunch for me on this diet). I limit my breakfast to 300 calories or less. My goal with breakfast is too eat enough to take away any immediate hunger pangs, but to force my body to begin the fat burning as early each day as possible. (Of course, that may be unscientific, but it does show how my thinking works).
Overall, I have nothing but positives to report. However, I still fear that I will eventually slip back into my old ways. While I have managed to retool my eating habits over the past 90 days, I have to be realistic and recognize that those 90 days stand counter to the 52 years of contrary habits that went before. In 2007 I weighed 220 pounds for about a week. However, I eventually let the bad habits slip back in, and my weight rebounded to something close to 280 pounds. Therefore, I am keenly aware of the real danger that is could all be an ephemeral accomplishment. I have no way of knowing what the future will bring. However, I am convinced part of my long term success is dependent on me harnessing these fears and using them to reinvigorate my resolve if and when I backslide into old habits.
Wish me luck, I will keep you posted.
The key to my success has been religiously recording every calorie I consume and limiting my daily intake to between 1400 and 1700 calories. To keep under that calorie limit, I have radically overhauled my diet. My new diet has no potato chips, no French fries, very few potatoes, and very little white rice. When I do eat high calorie food, I eat small portions. For example, I order the smallest burger at a restaurant, and if it is portion is still too large (based on my calorie goal for the day), I will take a portion home and use it for lunch or dinner the next day. To keep me on track, I have found the space in my calorie budget for the occasional treat like a small scoop of ice cream, a piece of pizza, and a beer or two at the ball park. Additionally, I have learned to recognize that I am not going to go into a diabetic coma if I don’t immediately much on something the first time I feel the slightest hunger pang.(This is a true, but very unrealistic fear I once had). To keep me on the straight and narrow, I also make sure I have plenty of fruit and other healthy snacks such as nuts, raw vegetables, and canned sardines to stave off any linger hunger pangs between meals. (Yes, sardines are a common light lunch for me on this diet). I limit my breakfast to 300 calories or less. My goal with breakfast is too eat enough to take away any immediate hunger pangs, but to force my body to begin the fat burning as early each day as possible. (Of course, that may be unscientific, but it does show how my thinking works).
Overall, I have nothing but positives to report. However, I still fear that I will eventually slip back into my old ways. While I have managed to retool my eating habits over the past 90 days, I have to be realistic and recognize that those 90 days stand counter to the 52 years of contrary habits that went before. In 2007 I weighed 220 pounds for about a week. However, I eventually let the bad habits slip back in, and my weight rebounded to something close to 280 pounds. Therefore, I am keenly aware of the real danger that is could all be an ephemeral accomplishment. I have no way of knowing what the future will bring. However, I am convinced part of my long term success is dependent on me harnessing these fears and using them to reinvigorate my resolve if and when I backslide into old habits.
Wish me luck, I will keep you posted.
Friday, August 15, 2014
A 30-day Update on My Quest for Better Health
It has been 30 days since I decided to see if I could lose weight through a concerted effort using diet and exercise. So far, the results have been all positive. I have lost a little over 20 pounds in the four weeks, and I have been losing the weight at a constant 5 pounds a week. I would attribute almost all of this to decreased meal portion sizes and a religious devotion to recording everything that passes across my lips.
I am obsessed with measuring everything to get as accurate of an estimate of my calories intake as possible. I weigh all of the food that I prepare, and I take the time to enter the nutrient information from food packaging into my on-line dieting journal.
As I said, smaller portion sizes seem to be the big difference for me. Observing that I can be satisfied with a few ounces of meat with a meal has been a real revelation. Before, I would easily consume four times more meat with a meal. I do not miss the larger portions. I had been worried that, with smaller portion sizes, I would not feel fully satisfied. That has not been the case. However, I do tend to eat large portions of steamed vegetables with most meals, so there has been little opportunity to leave the table with an empty stomach.
I had begun with a goal of eating no more than 2,000 calories a day, but I have found that I can get by on an average of 1,500 calories without feeling ravenously hungry. I have noted that, if I do occasionally feel a mild hunger pang, it will often go away without me quenching it with food. Also, I make sure that, if I do have a snack, it is something with a good nutrient content such as fruit or raw vegetables. In fact, the hardest part of keeping to the diet is making sure I have plenty of healthy food options on hand. I find I need to make a fruit and vegetable run to the grocery store almost every other day.
Another significant change is that I do not eat out as much as I had been. Laura and I often dined out as many as five nights a week, both because we didn't feel like cooking or as a form of entertainment. However, I have found that the fact that I can’t accurately gauge my caloric intake has inhibited me from dining out as frequently. Instead, I have gone back to cooking more often (which I love anyhow) so that I have maximum control of my diet. We have eaten out once or twice since I in the past 30 days, but we have been careful to consider what we are likely to order and the caloric content before we settle on a restaurant. If I am on the road for work, I will grab a hamburger (the smallest size) and an unsweetened ice tea for lunch. I do not order fries, not because of the calories per se, but because I have found that French fries are a source of sugar spikes which isn't good for a diabetic.
Of course, I do not live a life of Spartan deprivation. For the past two Sundays I have attended Orioles games, so I made a point to allow space in my daily calorie budget for a beer and Italian sausage. That way, I don’t feel deprived, while at the same time I do feel satisfaction with my healthy choices and self-control. Mostly, I have had fruit for desert or an evening snack, but last night, I had an ice cream sandwich after dinner. No matter what eat, I make sure I monitor my overall calories, and keep an eye on the mix of nutrients throughout the week.
One surprise is that I really have not been hitting the gym as I had planned. The only change in my exercise regime is that I have tried to find a way to put a little extra walking on my weekly agenda. For example, when I went to the ballpark, I made a point of parking a significant distance from the stadium so I could walk to and from the stadium. Last Sunday, I parked more than 1.5 miles from the stadium on the other side of the inner harbor. I also have made a point to take our dog on longer walks in the evening a few nights a week.
Overall, things are looking good as I am well on my way to my goal of losing 100 pounds. One resource I have found to be quite helpful is the book: Dr Arthur Apolinario’s The Absolute Last Weight Loss, Diet, and Exercise Book You Will Ever Need to Read. So far, the advice presented in that book has been spot on. I also would like to thank all those who have been encouraging me on Facebook and as a result of this blog. That has helped me keep my focus and motivation. Keep watching my blog for future updates.
I am obsessed with measuring everything to get as accurate of an estimate of my calories intake as possible. I weigh all of the food that I prepare, and I take the time to enter the nutrient information from food packaging into my on-line dieting journal.
As I said, smaller portion sizes seem to be the big difference for me. Observing that I can be satisfied with a few ounces of meat with a meal has been a real revelation. Before, I would easily consume four times more meat with a meal. I do not miss the larger portions. I had been worried that, with smaller portion sizes, I would not feel fully satisfied. That has not been the case. However, I do tend to eat large portions of steamed vegetables with most meals, so there has been little opportunity to leave the table with an empty stomach.
I had begun with a goal of eating no more than 2,000 calories a day, but I have found that I can get by on an average of 1,500 calories without feeling ravenously hungry. I have noted that, if I do occasionally feel a mild hunger pang, it will often go away without me quenching it with food. Also, I make sure that, if I do have a snack, it is something with a good nutrient content such as fruit or raw vegetables. In fact, the hardest part of keeping to the diet is making sure I have plenty of healthy food options on hand. I find I need to make a fruit and vegetable run to the grocery store almost every other day.
Another significant change is that I do not eat out as much as I had been. Laura and I often dined out as many as five nights a week, both because we didn't feel like cooking or as a form of entertainment. However, I have found that the fact that I can’t accurately gauge my caloric intake has inhibited me from dining out as frequently. Instead, I have gone back to cooking more often (which I love anyhow) so that I have maximum control of my diet. We have eaten out once or twice since I in the past 30 days, but we have been careful to consider what we are likely to order and the caloric content before we settle on a restaurant. If I am on the road for work, I will grab a hamburger (the smallest size) and an unsweetened ice tea for lunch. I do not order fries, not because of the calories per se, but because I have found that French fries are a source of sugar spikes which isn't good for a diabetic.
Of course, I do not live a life of Spartan deprivation. For the past two Sundays I have attended Orioles games, so I made a point to allow space in my daily calorie budget for a beer and Italian sausage. That way, I don’t feel deprived, while at the same time I do feel satisfaction with my healthy choices and self-control. Mostly, I have had fruit for desert or an evening snack, but last night, I had an ice cream sandwich after dinner. No matter what eat, I make sure I monitor my overall calories, and keep an eye on the mix of nutrients throughout the week.
One surprise is that I really have not been hitting the gym as I had planned. The only change in my exercise regime is that I have tried to find a way to put a little extra walking on my weekly agenda. For example, when I went to the ballpark, I made a point of parking a significant distance from the stadium so I could walk to and from the stadium. Last Sunday, I parked more than 1.5 miles from the stadium on the other side of the inner harbor. I also have made a point to take our dog on longer walks in the evening a few nights a week.
Overall, things are looking good as I am well on my way to my goal of losing 100 pounds. One resource I have found to be quite helpful is the book: Dr Arthur Apolinario’s The Absolute Last Weight Loss, Diet, and Exercise Book You Will Ever Need to Read. So far, the advice presented in that book has been spot on. I also would like to thank all those who have been encouraging me on Facebook and as a result of this blog. That has helped me keep my focus and motivation. Keep watching my blog for future updates.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
A challenge: Losing weight to avoid the surgeon's knife
The question before us is: can a 53 years old, morbidly obese man lose enough weight to positively impact his health and avoid gastric bypass surgery? I intend to use this blog to publicly explore that question. I am a type two diabetic with a family history of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Can I make the changes in my diet and lifestyle that will undo years of bad habits and faulty thinking, or must I resign myself to radical surgery that will artificially limit the amount of food I can ingest?
Perhaps a little background is in order. I am 5 foot 10 inches tall and weighed 273.5 pounds as my last doctor's visit. This is more than 100 pounds over my ideal weight and gives me a Body Mass Index of 40, well beyond what is considered healthy. Since I was diagnosed with diabetes more than four years ago, I have been able to manage my diabetes with a bunch of pills every day, and by injecting slow acting insulin before bed each night. While this regime has kept my diabetes under control, the amount of insulin I need to take each night has been slowly increasing. This is bad sign, as it indicates I am becoming more resistant to insulin. Additionally, it seems to be much harder to lose the weight than it once was. I have tried moderately cutting back my daily calories and getting regular exercise. In the past, this would be enough for me to drop some pounds. Now, my weight doesn't seem to want to drop off. My doctor said this is probably a result of the insulin. How ironic, the medicine that is controlling my illness is slowing my ability to reverse it. Given my apparent increasing insulin resistance, both my family doctor and my endocrinologist have recommended that I consider bariatric surgery, specifically a gastric bypass.
So, with my physician's referral in hand, I sat through the mandatory information session sponsored by my hospital's bariatric surgery center. The presentation was very informative. The surgeon outlined the six month screening process of supervised dieting, exercise, and psychological evaluations that are required before they would consider conducting the surgery. She described the various surgical options such as the lab band or sleeve gastronomy, but strongly recommended that I undergo a complete gastric bypass. The thinking is that the other forms of bariatric surgery are not nearly as efficacious in addressing chronic diabetes. Essentially, they would surgically reroute my digestive system, making a much smaller stomach and by-passing much of my intestines, hence the name.
The orientation seminar asserted surgery has a significant chance of completely reversing my diabetes. Essentially, the surgery limits how much you can eat at one time. According to the seminar, I could expect to lose (and keep off) about 70% of my excess weight after a gastric bypass. However, this surgery is not without its risks and it is a very radical solution to the problem. The orientation did not try to undersell the significant risks from surgery. Instead, they pointed out that the risks from surgery may be warranted by significantly lowering of the risk of death due to complications from chronic diabetes.
At the end of the information session, a former patient talked of her experience with the bariatric procedure. The patient explained how she had been morbidly obese since she was 14. She said she had struggled with type-two diabetes for her entire adult life. When her diabetes began to worsen as she turned 30, she decided to get the gastric bypass her doctor had been recommending. Now, four years after the surgery, she obviously was much thinner and healthier than the woman in the "before" pictures. She said her diabetes was gone and that she was very satisfied with her new post-operative diet. She said her surgically altered stomach makes it very unpleasant for her to eat more than a small portion of anything at any one meal. She also said she becomes physically ill if she eats anything with too high of a sugar content such as cake frosting or ice cream. The surgery has created a negative feedback loop that triggers discomfort, nausea, and cramping if she resorts to unhealthy eating habits. She said the combination of the feeling of satisfaction along with the post-surgery aversion to sweet foods has enabled her to maintain her diet in an effortless fashion. She said that this was unlike all the other diet and exercise programs she tried and failed at.
Following the orientation session, I completed the required forms and submitted the paperwork to the hospital Bariatric Center to enroll myself in the pre-surgery counselling program. Because morbid obesity with chronic diabetes is such a common diagnosis, the bariatric center may take up to a month to fit me into the schedule for the next step, a mandatory supervised diet and exercise program.
However, I have decided not to wait to begin the supervised diet. Instead, I have begun a self-initiated diet in which I will try to limit myself to no more than 1800 calories per day. This is a probably half of my normal calorie intake, and is much less than my "typical weight-loss diet mode" calorie limit of 2500 calories. However, 1800 calories is 300 calories more than the total calories I will be expected to consume after the bariatric surgery. Because the total daily calorie count for the diet is relatively low, I will be logging all the foods I eat using a program that helps me also track my nutrient levels. Anyone who is interested in my diet or progress on my weight loss goal can see it at Mike Summers' Public Diet and Activity Log. In addition, I intend to use this blog to narrate my journey to lose this weight, or if I fail that, with my experience with the surgery.
So, the question at the moment is can I maintain such a radical diet to lose the weight and thus avoid having the surgery? I don't know, but my initial results from the diet have been surprisingly good. I began the 1800 calorie a day diet on 17 July when I weighed 273 pounds. As of yesterday, I had easily remained below the daily calorie limit, and I had lost 12 pounds. So, I am now down to 261 pounds. Another noticeable impact from the diet is that I have seen a significant decrease in the amount of insulin I take each night. This is probably not related to my modest weight loss to date. Instead, it is probably related to the significant drop carbohydrates in my diet as cutting empty carb calories is how I have stayed below my daily calorie limit. Of course, it is easy to keep on the diet for a few weeks. The real test will be if I can sustain a true change in my eating habits over the long haul. Wish me luck, and check back here again from time to time to see my progress.
Perhaps a little background is in order. I am 5 foot 10 inches tall and weighed 273.5 pounds as my last doctor's visit. This is more than 100 pounds over my ideal weight and gives me a Body Mass Index of 40, well beyond what is considered healthy. Since I was diagnosed with diabetes more than four years ago, I have been able to manage my diabetes with a bunch of pills every day, and by injecting slow acting insulin before bed each night. While this regime has kept my diabetes under control, the amount of insulin I need to take each night has been slowly increasing. This is bad sign, as it indicates I am becoming more resistant to insulin. Additionally, it seems to be much harder to lose the weight than it once was. I have tried moderately cutting back my daily calories and getting regular exercise. In the past, this would be enough for me to drop some pounds. Now, my weight doesn't seem to want to drop off. My doctor said this is probably a result of the insulin. How ironic, the medicine that is controlling my illness is slowing my ability to reverse it. Given my apparent increasing insulin resistance, both my family doctor and my endocrinologist have recommended that I consider bariatric surgery, specifically a gastric bypass.
So, with my physician's referral in hand, I sat through the mandatory information session sponsored by my hospital's bariatric surgery center. The presentation was very informative. The surgeon outlined the six month screening process of supervised dieting, exercise, and psychological evaluations that are required before they would consider conducting the surgery. She described the various surgical options such as the lab band or sleeve gastronomy, but strongly recommended that I undergo a complete gastric bypass. The thinking is that the other forms of bariatric surgery are not nearly as efficacious in addressing chronic diabetes. Essentially, they would surgically reroute my digestive system, making a much smaller stomach and by-passing much of my intestines, hence the name.
The orientation seminar asserted surgery has a significant chance of completely reversing my diabetes. Essentially, the surgery limits how much you can eat at one time. According to the seminar, I could expect to lose (and keep off) about 70% of my excess weight after a gastric bypass. However, this surgery is not without its risks and it is a very radical solution to the problem. The orientation did not try to undersell the significant risks from surgery. Instead, they pointed out that the risks from surgery may be warranted by significantly lowering of the risk of death due to complications from chronic diabetes.
At the end of the information session, a former patient talked of her experience with the bariatric procedure. The patient explained how she had been morbidly obese since she was 14. She said she had struggled with type-two diabetes for her entire adult life. When her diabetes began to worsen as she turned 30, she decided to get the gastric bypass her doctor had been recommending. Now, four years after the surgery, she obviously was much thinner and healthier than the woman in the "before" pictures. She said her diabetes was gone and that she was very satisfied with her new post-operative diet. She said her surgically altered stomach makes it very unpleasant for her to eat more than a small portion of anything at any one meal. She also said she becomes physically ill if she eats anything with too high of a sugar content such as cake frosting or ice cream. The surgery has created a negative feedback loop that triggers discomfort, nausea, and cramping if she resorts to unhealthy eating habits. She said the combination of the feeling of satisfaction along with the post-surgery aversion to sweet foods has enabled her to maintain her diet in an effortless fashion. She said that this was unlike all the other diet and exercise programs she tried and failed at.
Following the orientation session, I completed the required forms and submitted the paperwork to the hospital Bariatric Center to enroll myself in the pre-surgery counselling program. Because morbid obesity with chronic diabetes is such a common diagnosis, the bariatric center may take up to a month to fit me into the schedule for the next step, a mandatory supervised diet and exercise program.
However, I have decided not to wait to begin the supervised diet. Instead, I have begun a self-initiated diet in which I will try to limit myself to no more than 1800 calories per day. This is a probably half of my normal calorie intake, and is much less than my "typical weight-loss diet mode" calorie limit of 2500 calories. However, 1800 calories is 300 calories more than the total calories I will be expected to consume after the bariatric surgery. Because the total daily calorie count for the diet is relatively low, I will be logging all the foods I eat using a program that helps me also track my nutrient levels. Anyone who is interested in my diet or progress on my weight loss goal can see it at Mike Summers' Public Diet and Activity Log. In addition, I intend to use this blog to narrate my journey to lose this weight, or if I fail that, with my experience with the surgery.
So, the question at the moment is can I maintain such a radical diet to lose the weight and thus avoid having the surgery? I don't know, but my initial results from the diet have been surprisingly good. I began the 1800 calorie a day diet on 17 July when I weighed 273 pounds. As of yesterday, I had easily remained below the daily calorie limit, and I had lost 12 pounds. So, I am now down to 261 pounds. Another noticeable impact from the diet is that I have seen a significant decrease in the amount of insulin I take each night. This is probably not related to my modest weight loss to date. Instead, it is probably related to the significant drop carbohydrates in my diet as cutting empty carb calories is how I have stayed below my daily calorie limit. Of course, it is easy to keep on the diet for a few weeks. The real test will be if I can sustain a true change in my eating habits over the long haul. Wish me luck, and check back here again from time to time to see my progress.
Monday, January 13, 2014
“High Hopes” for new Springsteen Record Rewarded
Bruce Springsteen’s new album, High Hopes, is a solid collection that again confirms Bruce’s talent. Although this record consists of several older, previously unreleased songs, two rerecorded older songs, and two covers of other people’s songs, it does not sound like a grab bag of outtakes. Instead, it is a coherent record that stands up to comparison with his best works. And, because some of the basic tracks were initially recorded some time ago, we are treated to two songs that include the late Clarence Clemons' saxophone work.
High Hopes strength is its varied arrangements. These arrangements provide just enough ornamentation to keep the songs from sounding stale. Yet, the production also shows restraint. This restraint prevents the songs from being buried under a blanket of production effects. The opening title track ‘High Hopes’ provides a prime example. This track begins with a polyrhythm that is uncharacteristic of a Springsteen composition. This rhythm propels the song and it, along with the track’s horns, keeps this song sounding fresh. Yet, the song retains a traditional Springsteen-esqe core that would be at home on the 1980’s Tunnel of Love.
Throughout his history, Bruce Springsteen has had the services of two outstanding guitarists, Nils Lofgren and Steven Van Zandt, to compliment his own guitar prowess. This record features those East Street Band regulars along with the ex-Rage against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. Tom Morello is featured on all but one of the album’s tracks. Morello’s contributions add an additional texture to the two new versions of previously released tracks, American Skin (41 Shots) and The Ghost of Tom Joad. The latter song is a studio recording of the arrangement previously available only on the live EP, “Magic Tour Highlights”. The transformation of the originally acoustic Tom Joad by Springsteen and Morello is akin to the transformation by Hendrix of Dylan’s All along the Watchtower. This new arrangement powerfully expresses the anger, frustration and longing for justice that lies at the heart of this song. It is the highlight of the record.
If you are Bruce Springsteen fan, you should give High Hopes a listen. You will not be disappointed.
High Hopes strength is its varied arrangements. These arrangements provide just enough ornamentation to keep the songs from sounding stale. Yet, the production also shows restraint. This restraint prevents the songs from being buried under a blanket of production effects. The opening title track ‘High Hopes’ provides a prime example. This track begins with a polyrhythm that is uncharacteristic of a Springsteen composition. This rhythm propels the song and it, along with the track’s horns, keeps this song sounding fresh. Yet, the song retains a traditional Springsteen-esqe core that would be at home on the 1980’s Tunnel of Love.
Throughout his history, Bruce Springsteen has had the services of two outstanding guitarists, Nils Lofgren and Steven Van Zandt, to compliment his own guitar prowess. This record features those East Street Band regulars along with the ex-Rage against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. Tom Morello is featured on all but one of the album’s tracks. Morello’s contributions add an additional texture to the two new versions of previously released tracks, American Skin (41 Shots) and The Ghost of Tom Joad. The latter song is a studio recording of the arrangement previously available only on the live EP, “Magic Tour Highlights”. The transformation of the originally acoustic Tom Joad by Springsteen and Morello is akin to the transformation by Hendrix of Dylan’s All along the Watchtower. This new arrangement powerfully expresses the anger, frustration and longing for justice that lies at the heart of this song. It is the highlight of the record.
If you are Bruce Springsteen fan, you should give High Hopes a listen. You will not be disappointed.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
My 2013 Best and Worst Film List
Laura and I go to the movies a lot. On average, in 2013, we went to the movies five times each month. Fortunately, there were a lot of decent films this year; films that didn't make me regret spending my money on the ticket. Most films I saw this year didn't make either the best or worst list. They were ok, but I could have just as happily waited to see them when they rotate to cable.
The list of recommendations are those films that I thought were the best and that you should seek out if you haven't seen them yet. The list could be incomplete as I haven't seen some films still in wide release such as Anchorman 2, or Inside Llewyn Davis yet.
The films on my worst list are films I regretted spending my money on. Stay away from them.
The films on both lists are in the order of their release, and are not ranked against each other. However, the films on my best list tended to get better towards the end of the year. December was a particularly good month, and American Hustle, released in late December, was my favorite film of the year.
The list of recommendations are those films that I thought were the best and that you should seek out if you haven't seen them yet. The list could be incomplete as I haven't seen some films still in wide release such as Anchorman 2, or Inside Llewyn Davis yet.
The films on my worst list are films I regretted spending my money on. Stay away from them.
The films on both lists are in the order of their release, and are not ranked against each other. However, the films on my best list tended to get better towards the end of the year. December was a particularly good month, and American Hustle, released in late December, was my favorite film of the year.
My 2013 Recommendations
42
- The Jackie Robinson biopic, good acting, good story, it left me with a good feeling
Star Trek into the Darkness
- The latest Star Trek Reboot does not disappoint. If you liked the original series, you will be pleased with the parallels with the original, but you will be surprised by the twists.
This is the End
- Seth Rogen apocalypse comedy that had to have been written when he was stoned. Still it is funny if you like scatological humor.
The Way Way Back
- Steve Carell plays a real ass-hole in this comedy/drama but is easy to see why this film won awards at Sundance.
Fruitvale Station
- Not a feel good picture, but definitely puts you right in the heart and mind of the characters
The Butler
- I expected this to be a black Forest Gump for some reason based on the trailers. However, it turns out to be a good, solid film about how the choices people made in the black community during the struggle to win civil rights impacted one family.
Enough Said
- James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus had real chemistry in this comedy that almost no one saw
Killing Them Softly
- A very faithful (almost word for word) adaption of the novel Cogan’s Trade. Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta and James Gandolfini are excellent in this film that absolutely doesn’t follow the standard underworld hit man cookie cutter plot. Some people were disappointed with the ending, but it is faithful to the novel.
Don Jon
- As film about a Guido addicted to Porn, I was surprised I liked it. But, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Toni Danza really were good in this romantic comedy that does not follow the formulaic rom-com plot.
Gravity
- Sandra Bullock is excellent in this non-stop action drama that is best seen in 3D
Captain Philips
- Tom Hanks won me over again in a film that I did not think I was going to like going into it.
12 Years a Slave
- A true story, it is brutal but honest look at slavery. Definitely not a feel good story, but it was not as depressing as Fruitvale Station. Worth your time though.
Dallas Buyers Club
- Matthew McConaughey and Jered Leto are fantastic in this film. The plot is original, and the unlikable characters are interesting.
American Hustle
- The Best film of the year, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper make you care about the characters in this funny comedy/drama about the Abscam scandle in the 1970s.
The Wolf of Wall Street
- The film is too long, and it is morally ambiguous but the excellent performance by Leonardo DiCaprio and scene stealing performance by Jonah Hill redeems this film. Martin Scorsese captures the essence of the sleaze that was Jordan Belfort.
The Worst Films of 2013 (I want my money back)
Broken City
- Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe let me down with this stinker in which the bad acting is matched by the bad plot
World War Z
- Even Brad Pitt could not save this lousy plot that shares nothing in common with the excellent book except for the title. Even the zombies are wrong.
Stand Up Guys
- I had high hopes for an Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin gangster flick, but the plot completely let me down
A Good Day to Die Hard
- A noisy excuse for explosions and car chases, an asinine plot and bad acting. Nothing about this film was good. Bruce Willis must have needed the money
The Great Gatsby
- This film could have been great, but the soundtrack, editing, and desire to make a “spectacle” instead of telling the story ultimately bog the film down. Tobey Maguire spend most of the movie looking dumbfounded. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a decent Gatsby, but his screen charisma just couldn’t save this one.
White House Down
- Stupid and predictable with bad acting to boot.
Killing Season
- The first in a string of bad Robert De Niro films. John Travolta also stinks in this one. His acting is as bad as his facial hair (Amish Beard).
The Family
- The second Robert De Niro film that sucked. Bad plot and poor performances killed this one for me. Michelle Pfeiffer didn’t fare much better either.
Thor: The Dark World
- It is a comic book film, so I don’t expect much. But this stinker could not even hit my very low bar. Laura is not going to forgive me for dragging her to this bomb.
Last Vegas
- I got free tickets for this comedy so I was predisposed to like it. However, the plot was weak and predictable, the characters were one dimensional and the jokes just weren’t funny. Not a single one.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
A Prescription for Newtown
The Newtown tragedy has prompted numerous individuals in the
news, blogs and in social media to call for greater gun control or less
frequently, more mental health care. While both suggestions would be a step in
the right direction, they alone will not make us safer. The real prescription is much harder.
Any solution must ensure that guns and other tools of mass
homicide do not get into the hands of alienated homicidal mentally ill individuals.
However, passing draconian laws limiting access to firearms to all would rob
too many law abiding citizens of their rights without really being effective.
Any regulation of firearms needs to allow for competent individuals to possess
guns firearms for self-protection, hunting, and sport shooting. Firearms aren’t the only option for mass
murder. Bombs, arson, and even knives have been used in mass killings. The key
is limiting access to the tools of mass murder to mentally ill maniacs.
The challenge here is that we do not know fully know how to
successfully diagnose and treat this type of illness. Unfortunately, there have been enough of
these killings that psychiatric professionals should be able to develop a
likely cohort that will include these potential killers. However, the vast majority of individuals
meeting that profile will not commit mass murder but it is better to
temporarily restrict these individual’s civil liberties with respect to gun
ownership, body armor, bomb making ingredients et cetera than to allow yet
another senseless tragedy to occur.
Our efforts should concentrate on identifying the
individuals who fit the profile and to intervene before the sickest members of
that group are able to act on their impulses. Increasing access to mental
health care would help, and we need a mechanism to allow for individuals to be
compelled to undergo a mental health evaluation when the warning signs are
detected. If an individual is diagnosed
by mental health professionals as meeting the profile of someone who may potentially
be dangerous, then weapons of mass murder need to be temporarily removed from
their household. Not only would this
decrease the potential of these individuals to worsen and go on a murderous
rampage, but it would also decrease the rate of suicide. Individuals meeting
the criteria to have their access to weapons curtailed are also likely to be
suffering from mental illnesses that are highly correlated with suicide. More
than 50 percent of the death by suicide involve the use of a gun.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Half a man is not quite a man yet
If you watch TV news in the past few days, you may have
noticed the brouhaha over the remarks by Angus T. Jones, the young star of the
CBS sitcom Two and a half Men. Apparently, the “half Man” of the series title has
realized that the show’s raunchy humor and plot themes are incompatible with
his recently found faith. In an videotaped religious
testimonial for the Seventh Day Adventist Church, he stated the show was “fifth”
and he encouraged viewers to not watch it. In the video, he implied the show was the work
of the “enemy” and that it had a negative effect on one’s brain. Now, it is unusual for an actor to openly
denounce a show they are a part of, so of course this is news. What’s more, he currently
receives approximately $300,000 per episode to be on the show.
Now I am not a big fan of this show, not because it is vulgar
(I think it is, but so what), but because I don’t think it is funny. However,
I can see how the show could be offensive to individuals who have different
values than I. And, I applaud Angus T.
Jones for taking the time to examine his values and for speaking out about what
he believes. I just think his actions do not match his rhetoric.
Angus T. Jones has been on this show since he was 9 years old (he is now
19). Given his young age when he started, it is understandable that he was not
in a position to critically evaluate the show’ moral underpinnings when he
began. Now he has grown up and literally
done some soul searching. Mr. Jones
has apparently decided that he needs to live by the values espoused by his
church, and he seems to recognize that what he does for a living isn’t
compatible with his faith. Recognizing what you are doing is incompatible with
your values is a start, but is insufficient. In my view, he is still looking at
the world like a child, in which he isn’t truly accountable to himself for his own
actions. An immature individual may recognize their actions run counter to
their values but they will rationalize not addressing the situation.
A man should be
willing to stand up for his principles despite the cost. I believe that if Angus Jones truly feels
that he is involved in an endeavor that doesn’t conform to his morale principles,
then he should be willing take whatever actions are necessary to rectify the
situation. If Mr. Jones is convinced the
show he participates in is harmful as he states in the video, then he should
quit. If that means he must break his contract, so be it. It may cost him money, but money isn’t as
important as being able to live ones values. A man understands that there are costs
to standing up for what you believe and they are willing to pay them. From what I see, Mr. Jones is moving in the right
direction, but he is not quite there yet.
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