Happy New Year Everyone

2007 is at it's end. This is quite literally my last chance to write something this year, as I'm moving into a year that is supposed to quite literally redefine my life. What is the defining moment of the year? That's a very difficult question to answer.

Perhaps it is the violence and nightmares that still run rampant throughout the world. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to plod along, and purges and assassinations run wild. 2007 was a far cry from the peaceful world of tomorrow that our parents' generation had looked forward to.

Maybe it was science. This year, global warming was finally acknowledged as a true threat. Scientists are finally starting to work towards alternative energy sources, even though many companies are only doing "feel good" measures such as producing hybrid cars that don't actually save the environment due to production wastes.

Most likely, the most defining events in 2007 for most of the western world included the television writers' strike and the antics of celebrities. This is something that we should really work to remedy in 2008. If we're lucky, we'll overcome our shortcomings as a species, and maybe get to that world of tomorrow someday after all.

2007 for me was a mixed bag. My career continues to chug along, and I learned how to ride a bike. One could say I've kept myself busy. What does 2008 hold? I'm not entirely sure. It holds my 25th birthday, and I certainly hope it holds much more. I've always held that my 25th year would be different...perhaps a career change or defining personal moment.

In any case, I wish everyone luck and happiness in 2008. Everyone be careful out there tonight, especially if you're going to be on the road.

Health Concerns...do they really know anything?

I was up in the breakroom today heating up a cut of noodles when I saw a sign posted on the fridge, loudly proclaiming (something unwelcome at such an ungodly hour in the morning, namely before noon) that "YOU CAN ENJOY EGGS AGAIN!" Well I'll personally pass on that, but I don't recall my doctor ever telling me to stop enjoying eggs. Was there some egg-transmitted disease that I had be previously unaware of?

So while I waited for the microwave timer to tick down, I read the poster. Apparently science in its infinite wisdom has now decided that eggs do not pose a cholesterol problem in your diet, and you can now eat them until you actually turn yellow and white, without "science" putting the smack down on your heart with a gigantic blob of ugliness. To egg lovers around the world, this is fantastic news...science has redeemed their food.

Science constantsly flip flops on what foods are healthy and not. A long time ago, margerine was healthier than butter, but then it was found that most margarines are high in trans fats (which used to be considered benign), and butter became healthy again. Now it's being said that the saturated fats in butter outweigh any health benefits.

Even at my young age, I've seen eggs, milk, butter, coffee, alchohol, oils, and food additives fall in and out of favour. What is healthy for you today seems to be always poised to kill you tomorrow, and frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it. A long time ago "science" said that it made good sense to give people salt tablets in the heat, to protect against the heat. Probably because people sweat less when they are dehydrated.

My take on this whole thing is the nutritional scientific community is still in its infancy, and STILL cannot be trusted. So instead of "You can enjoy eggs again!", the sign should have read "We fucked up, you could have enjoyed eggs all along!". They didn't discover anything new, they just discovered they were wrong. Again. Big deal.