Fairfield in the newspaper!

Thought you'd all get a kick out of an article from the Wood River Journal that highlights our great little town of Fairfield. Enjoy!!!

Epic runs

No I haven't recently been drinking the water in a third world country if that is what your thinking. What I have been doing is some really long distance trail runs in quite inclement weather. Today after my last final (Wooohooo!) I was orginally going to run half the race course; basically run from Bogus Basin road back to my apartment. Instead I decided to do something a bit shorter, because of the time. Plus it was raining and snowing really hard. If you haven't been to Boise lately, we have been getting tons of rain and the mountains are getting dumped on; Bogus got 11 inches yesterday!

So I went to do a 16 kilometer run on the trails around 8th street around 3 or so. I took off out of the parking lot in the midst of a downpour and started up the mountain. After about 20 minutes I was running up alongside the Hulls Gulch creek when I saw something move in the willows about 100 meters ahead of me. At first I thought it was nothing, but then I got a better glimpse of it, or I should say them. What I think where two wolves ran across the trail and up the hill, away from me. I'm pretty sure they were not coyotes, because coyotes are not as big as these, plus coyotes aren't black and grey. I stood there stunned for a second, looked at Kulgogi and put her leash back on. After debating for a minute or so we continued on up the trail. As we ran I saw a bunch of large tracks and compared them against Kulgogi's paw prints. When I got home I looked up some pictures of wolf prints and am now pretty sure these where wolves. After running for a couple more minutes we came upon two other runners who had pretty much the same story as me.

We continued on for and eventually got to the first steep climb. This climb is probably about a mile long and snakes it's way up to the top of a exposed ridge. In the interest of soil erosion I probably shouldn't have ran up this hill, as it was pretty slick, but well I did it any way, so there... In reality it wasn't too bad because the ground was freezing up, still I did do a little sliding at times. We crested the ridge and where immediately hit with the full force of the storm. Wind and sleet knocked me all over the place and the hood of my rain coat plastered to the side of my face. From here it was 5 miles of gently rolling downhill til the finish. We pounded down the trail, hurdling puddles and the occasionaly tumble weed. Getting close to the trailhead we came upon a guy walking in the rain, no rain coat, no hat, just a sweatshirt. Now I don't believe in werewolves or any business like that, but if there is such a thing, this guy certainly fit the sterotype. Crazy beard, crazy hair; he looked like a wolf in human form. It was kinda crazy considering the events of half an hour earlier; maybe it was just because of my earlier sighting that I made the connection, but whatever. Ten more minutes and Kulgogi and I where back at the trailhead, soaked and a bit tired, but that was one hell of a run.

YellowStone Cedes to snowmobilers

We gave these people the South and now they want Yellowstone too. Yellowstone National Park recently caved into pressure to allow 540 snowmobiles per day to enter the park this winter. According to Mike Synder of the park service this decision is fully supported by science and is the right choice for the park; well that is the biggest load of bs I've heard today! This guy must work for Bush. The whole reason we have national parks and wilderness areas is for conservation reasons; to preserve the natural beauty of America. Not to disturb the wildlife and pollute the hell out of the place! Economic reasons should not get in the way of the original reasons for the creation of these treasured areas.

A new kind of election

So around 4 this morning my cat woke me up and I couldn't fall back asleep. During my futile attempts to return to the land of Nod a great idea drifted into my head. Or at least I think its a good idea, I still haven't completely thought it out yet so bear with me.

So one of the big problems that we have with government right now is the politicians; I won't go into the all specifics of what is wrong with politicans, but many of them are unqualified for the job. With all the controversey surrounding elections and canidates how do we decide who is the best person for the position? Canidates bash each other and the media picks each person apart over the smallest detail. Politicans will say anything to get elected and will generally not hesitate to change their mind once they are elected. How do we stop this? How can we make sure that they person we vote for is the right person?
Well the answer that popped into my head in the wee hours of the morning was a test. Thats right one of the requirements for running for a elected position would be for each canidate to take a test. Everyone running for election, whether it be for the local mayor or the President would take a test that would give us a clearer image of what they are really capable of. The test would not be asking what the capital of Rhode Island is, but more focus on questions of morality, ethics, leadership, economics, finance, international relations, problem solving, the ability to reason, etc. The test would not necessarily be a conventional test on paper, but possibly a collection of events. Emphasis on essay and teamworking exercises. The test it self would help determine if the person has integrity, honesty, strong leadership qualities and knowledge of the world, current events and all the other qualities that are desired in a good leader. Too make people happy each person could take the test twice, because some people need a safety net. After the test the results would be posted for voters to see. Their score on the test would not effect if they would get elected or not, for instance if Hillary scored a 58 and Obama got a 85 they both could still run for office. The test would just giv the people a clearer understanding of what their canidates are really all about.

Any way it came to me this morning and it sounds like a good idea right now, though not a fully developed one. Let me know what you think.

Do as I say, not as I lobby

(this is a picture of all the electric vehicles GM crushed to cover up their electric car)

I read this article this morning in the Wall Street Journal online. It talks about how auto-makers are touting the fact that they are starting to make more fuel efficient cars & trucks and how hydrogen is "just around the corner" (just like it has been for the last 10 years). You know you have seen the ads. Everyone these days wants to sound like they are green and trying to help the environment. The auto-makers would like us to believe they are committed to this, but in truth they are fighting tooth and nail for the exact opposite.

As noted in the Wall Street Journal website, "They're definitely saying one thing to Congress and one thing to consumers," says Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency, an environmental group lobbying for tougher fuel-efficiency rules. Just last week, an alliance of environmental groups took on Toyota Motor Corp., which often is praised for its gas-electric hybrid technology, in a full-page ad in USA Today for opposing the mileage proposal.

The thing that really gets me upset is that Auto-Companies go around claiming that "it is too strict" and "it would be too hard to make our cars this fuel efficient". Yet almost 100 years ago there were far more electric vehicles on the road than there were gas powered cars. In 1990, GM created a totally electric car called the EV-1 that had ZERO emissions. Yes, ZERO emissions cars are in fact easy for the auto-companies to make. If you haven't already seen it, visit the website and rent the documentary that details the exact timeline and culprits of how this happened. You will be surprised who really is to blame.

We as consumers are really the people to blame though. It is us that really have the power to change this paradigm by demanding that governments enforce stronger restrictions on fuel emissions and perhaps even switch to 100% electric engines by a certain date in the future. Say 2050 or something like that...

What do you think? Do you think that a company like GM with annual PROFITS of over 2 billion dollars is really in such a bad position? Do they really lack the intelligence to switch to an electric car economy?

Connection between the runner's high and reefer?

I saw this article the other day on the Trail Runner's Blog, a blog by ultra-trail runner Scott Dunlap. Apparently their is a connection between the euphoric feeling that people get while exercising and the effect of tertahyrdocannibol, the active ingredient in marijuana. Any way here is the article.

Understanding the Runner's High
I’m a big fan of the runner’s high. For me, the euphoric feeling is unmistakable (and usually around mile 8), which is why I’ve always been confused by coaches and medical experts saying that the “runner’s high doesn’t exist”. If that’s true, then why are we all as giddy as school girls after our weekly long run? Is it really all in your head, or is there a chemical interaction that can explain it? I did some research on the subject just to make sure I wasn’t crazy and was surprised to find some recent studies that may have found the chemical link.What Is The Experience of The Runner’s High?For those of you unfamiliar with the runner’s high, I would encourage you to seek it out as part of your training. It’s a mental state of relaxation partnered with a mild pain cessation that occurs after 60-90 minutes of steady exercise. I find it truly euphoric, setting me in a state of eternal optimism that can last hours after a run. It’s not exactly a “drunk” effect, although it does make it a bit more difficult to remember to eat/drink/take the next turn (remember – always carry a map!). I would equate it to two Red Bulls and vodka, three ibuprofen, plus a $50 winning Lotto ticket in your pocket. ;oP Definitely not to be confused with bonking (when your glycogen has been depleted due to not keeping up your calorie intake), which is more like a half bottle of Jack Daniels when you have the flu, complete with blacking out to the mantra of “oh God, please kill me now”. I didn’t experience the runner’s high until about 5-6 long runs (unlike bonking, which I hit on day two), so give it some time.The first time you experience the runner’s high, it can be a bit alarming. At first it feels like that mild head rush I associate with going anaerobic, but instead of fading, it builds over the next 5-10 minutes. I feared this "build" the first couple of times, wondering if I my water intake, electrolytes, or calories were out of balance. After realizing it consistently faded away, I convinced myself it was just a “wall” you had to push through when you depleted your initial glycogen levels, since 1200 calories occured in about 90 minutes for me, and I thought that was an average glycogen level for somebody my age.I noticed that when I hit this state, my tempo runs became very even, even though I was spending more time looking around than looking at my watch. Everything had a natural rhythm to it - my footsteps, the sound of the wind running past my ears...even the trees and hills around me seemed to flow together. It was a wonderful meditative state. Before I knew it, I was longing to run 8-10 miles every day to “break on through to the other side” to find that familiar state. Hello, addiction!Science Casts It’s Vote – It’s Like Smoking Pot!For the majority of the last two decades, scientists have struggled with defining the chemical reaction associated with the runner’s high. It was largely believed that the sensation was caused by endorphins, natural opiates in the body that are produced after trauma such as running for long periods of time. Just one problem – endorphins are too large to pass through the blood-brain barrier, making it impossible for this chemical reaction to be the sole cause. But in early 2004, Dr. Daniele Piomelli (UC Irvine) and Dr. Arne Deitrich (University of Beirut and Georgia Institute of Technology, also a marathoner) found another possibility – anandamide, a natural chemical that stimulates the brain in the same way marijuana does.[warning – I am no PhD, so what follows is my dumbed-down version of a ton of great research done by real docs; it probably doesn't help that I've already gone on my long run this morning]Anandamide (conveniently named after the Sanskrit word for “bliss”) is a neurotransmitter produced in our brain that activates the CB(1) receptor, the same chemical receptor that is triggered by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. Oddly enough, it was the study of the effects of marijuana that led to the discovery of the CB(1) receptor (thank you, stoners!). But one part was confusing - the body doesn’t create receptors that don’t have natural internal triggers (and marijuana being an external trigger), so there had to be a natural internal trigger somewhere. Thus the search began for the natural chemical that stimulated CB(1), which in turn led to the discovery on anandamide in 1992.Piomelli and Deitrich, looking for the runner’s high connection, performed a study in early 2004 with two dozen college students who ran or bicycled for 40 minutes at 76 percent of their max heart rate, and then had blood samples drawn immediately after exercising. The results showed that both the runners and bicyclists had 80% more anandamide in their blood after exercising, with the greatest increase among the runners. They also reported physical feelings similar to marijuana use, such as relaxation, regulated mood, and increased appetite. Here’s the biggest kicker - tempo running produced the most anandamide of all exercise! Although more studying is required to really nail this down, it is clearly a big breakthrough on understanding the runner’s high.On a side note, it also turns out that chocolate has small amounts of anandamide in it (Dr. Emmanuelle di Tomaso, 1996) as well as the ability to increase serotonin levels, both of which help regulate mood (ie, make you feel good). So, run every day and eat lots of chocolate to feel good? Me like!Side Effects of Anandamide Use?There is some supposition about whether the harmful side effects of THC (short term memory loss, low sperm count, reduced learning capabilities in youth, etc.) are also present in the natural stimulation of CB(1) from anandamide. There hasn’t been a lot of research in this area, so it’s hard to conclude anything definite. Most suggest that the heavy side effects of THC come from the fact that it is an “external agent”, causing the body to overcompensate, and that anandamide (as an internal agent) is more self-regulated. One example that is often cited is when marijuana users get a case of the “stupids” the day after smoking, whereas runners do not - with marijuana, the brain "overcompensates" to rebalance the body, and you have a different chemical effect. Running, you don't.It's worth a bit more elaboration on the "overcompensation" effect, because it has a lot to do with why you feel "high" in the first place. The CB(1) receptor can trigger how your short-term memory works, and adjust it as needed. When the CB(1) receptor is triggered, the brain uses less “memory cache” - meaning you process feedback in little chunks and quickly move onto the next. This is a similar effect to what happens when your body goes into "fight or flight" mode - it adapts to get more data from its surroundings. This is why everything seems so new and exciting when you are “high” with marijuana. The “stupids” that marijuana users feel the next day is the body overcompensating and creating a memory cache large enough to have you staring into space for minutes at a time. The ability to trigger this memory is also one of the reasons both anandamide and THC are being investigated for use in treating Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.ConclusionSo it looks like we’re not all crazy, and there is a scientific rationale for the runner’s high. Well, a theory anyway. It doesn't say much about that spiritual connection I feel when running through the forest (or a good piece of chocolate for that matter). But it might help explain why I REALLY feel great about 80-90 minutes into my run, and why I want to do it every day.So go run. Eat more cholocate. And the next time you think about dissing that group of stoners smoking out in the park, remember that you have more in common with them than you think. ;o)Isn’t research fun

Now you understand why I like to run so much?!

All About Idaho Films & Film Festivals!

This month must be the beginning of a good movie season or something because my inbox has been full of stuff about independent movies, film festivals and the like. Just here in Idaho we have some cool stuff going on this month.

Check out the Boise 3rd annual Backcountry Film Festival this Friday, November 16th at 6:30 pm (show starts at 7pm) ath The Egyptian Theatre. You can check out their website for more info on the films being shown. Tickets are $10 at the Egyptian, the Boise Co-op or online at www.winterwildlands .org - Thanks for the info on that one Ben.

If the adrenaline isn't your thing, check out Sun Valley's annual Environmental Film Festival being held in Ketchum on Friday, November 9 at 7 p.m. at the NexStage Theater. Tickets are $15/person or $25/family. Call 726-4333 for more details or check out the article from SunValleyOnline here.

For something a little LESS Idaho (but many parts are about Idaho), check out the offer my friends from 10mph.com are making right now. To help promote their already successful documentary, they are offering the movie for... Well, for.... For anything you want! 10 Dimes, 100 Dimes, or 1000 Dimes. You choose! These guys are really inspiring to me. They decided to ditch their jobs in corporate America and follow their dreams of being independent movie producers. They are so happy they made the choice that they made this handy "Do it yourself guide to making a movie". Watch out Idaho. Now that The Law and I have this guide there just may be a sweet IdahoRocks Documentary in the works..... We'll keep you posted.

Here is a trailer to the 10mph Film.

Marijuana/Hemp Initiatives Pass in Hailey

There are some great things going on in Sun Valley this month. As some of you may already know, the citizens of Hailey just took a bold step in reversing archaic Marijuana & Hemp laws in this country. The citizens voted yes on 3 out of 4 Marijuana/Hemp initiatives on the ballot yesterday. I’ve listed the results below as reported by SunValleyOnline.com so you can see exactly what they voted for and what they didn’t. I think this is an excellent first step and it would only happen in this valley since we literally are an island of Liberal Thinkers among a lake/sea of conservatives here in Idaho.

The debate on whether to legalize Hemp and/or Marijuana is kind of a tricky one with many different facets to the debate. I for one would love to see all of it legalized. However, even more important than legalizing the plant to smoke would be legalizing hemp for industrial purposes. Hemp has so many great benefits for industries such as Bio-Fuels and Healthcare. Hemp has many nutritional benefits that aren't found in many other plants.

So, read the results and then post a comment on the site. What do you think? Should Hemp and/or Marijuana be legalized? Why? Why not?

Here are the results:

Hailey marijuana initiative:
Yes – 573
No - 674
(Should marijuana be legalized, taxed, and regulated like alcohol and tobacco in the City of Hailey?)

Hailey medical marijuana initiative:
Yes – 687
No - 581
(Should doctors be allowed to prescribe medical marijuana to sick and dying patients without fear of arrest or prosecution?)

Hailey hemp initiative:
Yes – 683
No - 565
(Should the City of Hailey support the use and cultivation of industrial hemp by farmers?)

Hailey priority initiative:
Yes – 637
No - 601
(Should use of marijuana by adults in the privacy of their homes be the lowest law enforcement priority of the Hailey Police?)

What an Amazing Day!

Wow! I had a great first day experience at the hospital. Everyone there was so nice and helpful. The surgeon was explaining thing as she was doing them and ways I could be more helpful when the surgeon gets into a difficult area. The surgeon's assistant was very helpful too telling me what they were going to do next and what instruments and suture I would need. My preceptor was a very nice Lady that helped me along but let me do everything that I was able to handle. We did a breast reduction so that is a fairly uncomplicated procedure and a great one to learn on. It was however a long surgery. I went along for the whole thing except about 30-45 mins of it that my preceptor and I went to lunch. I was very nervous at first but after things got on the way I started to calm down and able to see when the surgeon needed something and started to get the hang of the whole procedure. I believe that I did pretty well for my first day. No sterile fields were broken and no one yelled at me. I will however pay attention to lids that have staples on them and check them before I throw them away because there might be a needle in the lid too. All in all it was a great day and I cant wait until next week to do it all over again.

No more Google Groups

Hey Everyone, this is the last post you will receive being a member of the Idaho-Rocks@googlegroups.com email group. If you have signed up to receive the updates via email through our blog, or through and RSS reader don't fear! You will still receive your updates. If you have not done this, this is the last post you will ever read from IDRocks.com. So, if you haven't done it already, make sure to sign up online at: http://www.idrocks.com . Otherwise thanks for reading and maybe we will run in to you down the line!

- The IDRocks Staff

PS - I've noticed that a few of you have signed up to receive email updates but have NOT confirmed your subscription. Once you enter your email in to the subscription box you should have received an email asking you to CONFIRM your subscription. Some of you haven't taken that final step (I'm talking to you Adryan, Kathy, & Steve).

The Science behind Climate Change

Their is such a huge debate out there wheither climate change is real or if it is blown out of proportion. Unfortunately politics, like it always dos has gotten involved into a matter that could mean our lives. The media, both conservative and liberal have not helped matters too much either; this is usually because most reporters are just as confused as the rest of us on the real issues. The science surrounding climate change is quite confusing and that is where many people get lost. Their are many self-proclaimed experts out there who pertain to be knowledgeable about something, but they really are not. I am far from being an expert on this topic myself and do not wish to sound like one, but I feel it necessary to get the word out. www.realclimate.org is a website moderated and produced by real respected accreditated climate scientists, not a couple bloggers who have a vauge conception of what is going on. There is lots of great information on there and you can even pose questions on a open forum and a expert in that field will answer your question. If you ask a glacial question a glacialogist will answer it, vulcanology question a vulcanologist will get to it and so on in that manner. I encourage you to go take a look for yourself, especially if you think this whole climate change deal is a bunch of codswallop.

Its finally here!

Tomorrow is the day of days. The day I have been working so hard for the last 3+ months to get to it. I go to the hospital to actually work. I will get to put all skills I have learned and practiced over and over again to work. I get to see just how many of the instruments I have really memorized. I am so excited and nervous that I don't think I will sleep well tonight. Man the butterflies are going like crazy. So send positive thoughts my way tomorrow and wish me luck. I will let you all know how it went tomorrow night.

Leon's Fat Ass Recover from the Holidays 50K

So some of you may have noticed the blurb on the side of the blog right------------> there. I haven't talked about it yet, mostly because well, I just haven't. Lets just say I've been too busy running. Any way I am running an ultra-marathon called Leon's Fat Ass Recover from the Holidays 50K; for those of you not versed in the metric system 50*.6=30. So 30 miles, farther than I have ever ran before by 4 miles. I ran the full 26.2 mile Haesawong City Marathon a couple years ago and that was pretty nutzoid then, so I'm sure this will be even crazier. Especially since this will be on trails, in February, with lots of snow. It is not so much a race as a gathering of runners without any official finishing times, entry fees, aid stations or wimps. Their are many similar Fat Ass Recover from the Holidays races throughout the nation and it is kind of a post holiday tradition. The race is going to be on Feburary 19th and it starts on Rocky Canyon road and then traverses throughout the Boise Foothills a bit before ending back up at the start. You can check up on my training progress on the right hand side of the blog, as I try to update it with my daily mileage and other little tidbits of how the running is going. Idealy I need to be sustainably running around 20km(13 miles), which means I need to be able to run 20 kilometers everyday with out killing myself and doing a 40km or so run once a week. It does not mean running in organic cotton shorts. Any way check back often to see how I am progressing and get updates on the race. I am told you can even subscribe and get the updates mailed to you.

Dreaming of skiing

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am definately jonesing to go make some turns up in the mountains. Hopefully this year has better conditions than last year, because here in Idaho the skiing conditions where far from optimal. My feeling is that it will be better this year, but not the huge amount of snow from two years ago. Any way until then here is some good ski porn to tide you over.

Positive Press - Could Raspberries help cure Cancer?

So instead of taking the approach of being a "negative Nelly" and just complaining, I thought I would take a different approach. I recently found this article that points to some very convincing evidence that a Berry Gel solution can help cure Oral Cancer. Based on the article on Newstarget.com, "20 patients with pre-cancerous lesions were asked to apply a solution containing freeze-dried raspberries suspended in KY jelly to their lesions four times daily for six weeks. At the end of the trial, a number of patients were found to have reversed their condition, while more than half had made significant improvements." - Did you hear that? Raspberries could cure certain types of cancer? Let's hope that this research is continued. As per my last article on Cancer, it would be doubtful that the FDA and Pharmaceutical companies would promote this since you cannot actually patent Raspberries and therefore can't make a large profit like you can with Pharmaceuticals...

Here is an article that also leads to evidence that Blueberries can slash Colon Cancer Rates by 57%.

Summitpost.org and Mbpost.org

For those of you out there interested in climbing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking and really any outdoor sport www.summitpost.org and www.mbpost.org offer untold amounts of info on your favorite activities. Summitpost is mostly for climbing with some resources for hiking and mbpost is for mountain biking. I have used SummitPost quite a few times and have found it to be a wonderful source of information. Mbpost is a branch off of SP and it is pretty new, so it doesn't have a lot of trails and areas yet; but the best thing about both sites is the content is completely user generated and free to join. With stuff like this who needs a guide book, some of the pages even tell you the best place to get a beer after your climb or ride!

Stay safe this Halloween

Ward off evil zombies this Halloween with the Emergency Zombie Defense Station!

Happy Halloween from IDRocks

Halloween is fun and games for most of us, but we all tend to forget just how scary it can be for "others". Hopefully this video will shed some light on the Halloween crowd that doesn't have it so good... (note, if you can't see the video go to the website and view it there).

On the lighter side....

So I realize my post yesterday was a bit deep for a lot of us. I sincerely hope I did not offend anyone. If you haven't had a chance yet to check out all of the comments from everyone, definitely check it out and give us your opinion. It was one of the most trafficked posts ever on this blog (which isn't saying much)!

On the lighter side, I thought I would share this modern engineering marvel with you. This was sent in by "Boise Bill" yesterday and something I got quite a kick out of. You guys ready to try this out "Polar Bear Club Style"?!!

NOTE: If you can't see the video below, click on the headline above to be taken to the website where you can see the full post.

What the Cancer Industry does to keep you sick

Pink Ribbons, Months dedicated to "Cancer Awareness", Nightly vigils, and National Advertising campaigns are all parts of what the Cancer industry does to spread its message of hope for those of us who are touched by cancer in some way. The industry perpetually asks you for donations to help cancer research, and pumps Millions and millions of dollars into "research" for pharmaceuticals that may one day "cure" cancer. But what if they are going about it all wrong? What if cancer can't be "cured" in the traditional sense?

There are many out there (like me) who believe the cancer industry has no incentive to help those who have cancer. After all, if they "cured" cancer, where would the money come from? How would thousands of doctors, corporations, Pharmaceutical Sales Reps and Cancer Board of directors make money? The answer is they wouldn't. If people are sick, they make money. If people are well, they don't.

There are many things out there that the cancer industry does NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW. Things like:

1. 70% percent of all cancers can be prevented through simple changes in food and lifestyle. That number is probably conservative, though according to Mike Adams. His own opinion is that 90 percent of all cancers can be prevented through simple food and lifestyle changes. Yet no one in the cancer industry seems interested in teaching any of these strategies to people. In the cancer industry, there is no incentive to teach people how to avoid cancer, because to do so would eliminate a future customer! Billions of dollars in revenue are at stake here, and the cancer industry is banking on the continuation of this disease among the population.

2. Vitamin D supplementation produces an astonishing 77 percent reduction in all cancers in women, making it the single most effective medicine for preventing cancer that has ever been discovered by modern medical science. The American Cancer Society, however, seems stuck in the nutritional dogma of the 1950's and continues to claim that only drugs, radiation and surgery can treat cancer, and that nutritional supplements have no role to play whatsoever in cancer prevention. This view is so out of date that it belongs in a museum of medicine, not on the agenda of an advanced nation. (Stating that vitamin D has no useful role in preventing cancer is as hopelessly outdated as claiming the Earth is flat.)

There are so many other examples of how the corrupt cancer industry does nothing to really help people, and everything to help corporate profits. Unfortunately the vast majority of the American public doesn't seem to notice or care.

Hopefully this post will encourage some of you to actually do some research and open your eyes! Cancer doesn't just happen. Cancer is the result of the society in which we live. Daily exposure to pollution, Genetically Modified Foods, Toxic Chemicals in Foods, Lack of Exercise, Pharmaceuticals, Toxins found in drinking water, chemicals in plastics, toxins in our homes, and MANY more things are what causes cancer.

Click here for a series of articles on Cancer that will change the way you think!

Click here for a list of 18 things that CAUSE cancer and 22 things that PREVENT cancer.

Here is to changing minds and taking control of our health!

Reminder

Hey everyone, just a reminder that the idaho-rocks@googlegroups.com email address is about to be put to sleep on this Blog. Starting tomorrow I will be inactivating the email address and you will only receive updates if you have gone to the site and subscribed either via email or RSS. So, if you haven't already signed up, you can do so now by clicking here and signing up online. Once you enter your email address, you will receive a email in your inbox where you will need to confirm your subscription.

Fire Map Mashup

For those of you following the fire in California, I thought you might be interested in seeing this interactive Google Map. This is a really great example of how the new Web 2.0 environment is really changing how we view the world and interact with each other. You can see from the map just how large the fire has actually become. This would be extremely useful if you were a resident in the area and wanting to know which roads to take, where you can go for shelter, etc...


View Larger Map

So I would like to take some of your time to explain and dispel some of the popular notions about climate change, renewable and sustainable energy, and a couple other things. So I suppose I will start out with a couple phrases that I hear uttered quite often that are really just a bunch of “codswallop”; they have been really becoming annoying because I hear them so often. I will then go on to explain in depth why I think so and do my best to supply you with the real picture. The reason for this is because people need to know what the facts and figures of the matter are, instead of what is spewed out by the media and the countless so called “green” internet sites out there
-“There is a ton of wind, solar, tidal, geo-thermal, energy out there.” Really? A ton of it? Where is it? Take into consideration that the amount of energy humanity, especially Americans consume is pretty huge as well. We need numbers not adjectives to solve this problem. When numbers are usually expressed they are used to shock and awe people that really have no understanding for what they mean; an example of this is a statement like “If Americans used just one roll of recycled toilet paper we would save 30,000 trees, 100,000 gallons of water and keep 20,000 tons of carbon from being dispersed into the atmosphere.” I will try to avoid doing this; which brings me to my next point.
-“Every little bit helps.” I will talk more about this later, but for now chew on this “If everyone does a little, then we will achieve a little.”
- I will also throw in my two cents on what is sustainable and what is renewable; I’ll probably talk about some other stuff too.
Now that you have read that you might be brimming with a little animosity and might be thinking that I think that this whole energy, global warming, climate change debate is a bunch of bull, but that is extremely far from the truth. In my opinion these issues are the most pressing in just not American society, but for the future of humanity as well. We need clean, renewable, sustainable energy now, or better yet we needed it yesterday.
Like I said earlier I would talk about the numbers and I will try to make the numbers as easy to follow as possible, but when dealing with energy you deal with some really big numbers and some rather scientific words. I will be using the kWh to describe most of the energy from here on out so if you are interested in what a kilo-watt hour is then look here; because Wikipedia will be better able to explain it than I (I mean I’m no engineer, hello poly-sci!) I suppose I should talk about what energy is too and the simplest way to do that is that energy= force x change in distance; or energy = force through a distance (E=F x). Power is different from energy in that power is the rate at which energy is being used or power= energy divided by time. Energy is also called work so for example driving your car requires a certain amount of energy, which is constant, the only thing that changes is the rate at which your car uses energy. If I haven’t lost you yet and your ears haven’t started to bleed then you are doing pretty good, if that is not the case then I apologize and you might want to get something to soak up that blood. Do not worry though because physics is over. If you are still curious as to what I am talking about pickup any engineering or physics textbook or look here or better yet here; this is a online text by the author David McKay, this is the same text that I am getting a lot of ideas from, so if you think I’m full of it then I encourage you to check out his book, it is www.Withouthotair.com
With that out of the way I’ll get down to talking about how much we really use. By the way I’m getting these numbers from the Energy Information Administration .
So the U.S in 2006 used about 100 quadrillion BTUs(1 BTU or British Thermal Unit is roughly the equivalent to the amount of energy produced by burning one wooden match1) throughout our entire society. Whoa! That sounds like a huge number and it is so why don’t we shrink it down a little.
100x1015 BTU x 1 kWh x 1 year x 1 person =211 kWh per person/day
4312 BTU 365 days 300 million Americans
That is a much simpler number don’t you think? Now you might be thinking no way! There is no way I use that much in one day. Well maybe you don’t, but this is the average for every American and it includes driving, residential use, industrial use, commercial, transportation such as mass transit and commercial trucking. So now we have a basic yardstick for how much energy a person consumes in a day =211 kWh p/p/d. You have direct control over roughly a third of this through your choices when driving or at home. The rest of the energy usage comes from industial, commercial, transportation and electrical generation(thats right you have to use energy to get energy, that is another one of the major problems with coal and petroleum) I suppose I could go and talk about how each sector consumes energy, but that would be going into minutea and I don't have time to do that. So just be happy with the yardstick number or better yet go look it up yourself.

Originally I was going to write about everything in one long blog post, but that would be one very long post and you would get bored with reading about the subject. Plus I've got other things to do right now as well, damn logic class, it is neither logical nor classy! Never fear though I will be back to finish what I've started. I'll get into the good stuff about renewable energy, wind, solar, hydro, etc. It is all such a interesting subject that has such a division between smart people, that is why we need numbers not adjectives to really talk about energy.

Kulgogi Graduation

Kulgogi graduated from puppy school tonight-even though she jumped on the bed- and she did more than just graduate; she was the valevictorian of the class! Needless to say Jennifer and I are very proud of her; oh yeah so is Scout. Now that Kulgogi has an education she can get a good job and not be a cesspool upon society!

Take the News into your own hands

After my last post, I received a bunch of emails from co-workers on the topic. More or less, everyone had their own opinion which is a great thing. Everyone played nice and respected others opinions. That is the point here in America - A national dialog. Not just huge media organizations which cater to either the left or the right. Big Media seems more about spreading disinformation lately as opposed to really helping American's understand the real issues. So, if the media organizations are broken, where is one to go for their news? The answer is Current.com. I'm not sure if this is the only website dedicated to "User Defined News", but it is definitely worth checking out if you want a new way to consume the news that is important to you.

The website in conjunction with the actual Current TV Channel (you can find Current TV through DISH, DirectTV, Comcast, AT&T & Others) is 100% based on feedback from the viewers (us!). The producers of much of the content - including the advertisements - are independent producers from around the country. Check out the site and become a member. Subscribe to the topics of interest to you and submit news yourself! Its fun and liberating to engage on topics you are interested in and not just take in the crap that is fed to us over the airwaves every day.

If you don't shut up, you don't love your country

I received this email from a colleague today. My colleague is a great person, so this by no means is meant to put them down. I guess I'm just blown away by how some people perceive our world. That being said, I too am limited by my perceptions so I'm anxious to hear what all of you have to say about this subject. Maybe we can all come to some sort of weird consensus. Please read the email and then read my response below it. Once you have read everything, go to the Blog and POST A COMMENT!

ORIGINAL EMAIL FROM FRIEND:

This is a very special email. I don't care what party you are, we should all read it and think about how good we have it. No matter how we feel about the war, at least it isn't on our shores; not yet, anyway

Jay Leno on President Bush (Surprising)

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country Is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?''

• Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

• Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

• Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

• Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

• Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

• Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

• I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

• Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

• Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

• You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

• Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

• This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

• How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out?

The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating?

Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11?

The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession?

Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The comm!nder in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show?

Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it.

The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news.

Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner?

the media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another.

Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media.

Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage.

Then start being grateful for all we have as a country.

There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative." "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Jay Leno

Please keep this in circulation. There are so many people that need to read this and grasp the truth of it all.

MY RESPONSE:

Most of the claims in this are either false or simply misleading. The people are upset because America has the ability and potential to do MUCH more than this. We have the potential to eliminate poverty in our country and others throughout the world. We have the potential to stop wars over oil that we DON’T NEED. We have the potential to make everyone safe and Healthy. Sure, you can get an emergency vehicle delivered to your door right away. What was left out of this email is that if you will get charged thousands of dollars for that ride, be taken to an Emergency room where you will be charged another few thousand, and then depending on what happened to you another few thousand to make you better. If you don’t have health insurance (like many Americans), you are screwed and will probably have to file bankruptcy. If you DO have health insurance (no matter how much you pay for it), your insurance company will most likely deny payment for some part or all of your coverage by digging in to your history to find some reason why you don’t deserve the insurance you have been paying for.

Some of the major points I take issue with:

1. Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? - Are you freaking kidding me? Even if the president was concerned about our nation’s people (which I don’t think he is), you can’t make the argument that he “guided our nation in the dark days after 9/11”. If he did that, we would be fighting terrorism and would have caught Osama Bin Laden. Let me remind you that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 yet for some reason everyone has been coerced in to thinking it does.
2. The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? – Again, you have got to be joking…. Sure, he cut taxes. For the rich that don’t need it. I haven’t seen any bigger return on my taxes since Bush has been in power. Have you? Every president in our history has contributed to paying DOWN our debt with the exception of Regan & Bush. Bush has added to our national debt in the TRILLIONS of dollars with no sign of stopping. Gas prices have increased over 100 percent since he took office (Energy Information Administration, Household Vehicle Energy Use: Latest Data and Trends, and Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices). Health care premiums have increased by over 70 percent (Kaiser Family Foundation). College tuition has skyrocketed by as much as 57 percent (College Board Foundation 10/05) and Housing affordability has reached a 14-year low (U.S. Census Bureau; Wall Street Journal, 12/22/05) - EVEN IF the economy is better as this letter claims, it is certainly at the expense of you and I.
3. Don’t even get me started on the Media and the spin. Unfortunately the Media is as disjointed as our politics. Some organizations catering to the “left” and others to the “right”.

I could go on and on with most of these points but I’ll stop there.

So, all you idahorocks readers. What do you think? Go to the website and post a comment. Lets talk about it!

Leave No Trace Children's Book

History of Religion - The Map

I found this map the other day (If you can't see the video, click on the subject link in the email to view it online) after reviewing an article on Current.com. It is very interesting to get a visual of how the "Big 5" Religions have spread throughout history. Of course it would be impossible to create a map with ALL the worlds religions. Especially when you consider that thousands of new religions are created every year. The most interesting thing to me is considering all the war that has ensued as part of each religion's expansion.

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Many of you who read our blog are savvy enough to know about these concepts, but this is new to a lot of you. You are just getting used to the concepts of email, let along blogs, and RSS. Don't fear though. You can read more about RSS by visiting this Wikipedia Entry. Once you have read about RSS, check in to getting yourself a FREE web based RSS Reader from Google or someone else.

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Back to Reality!

Wow, when I look through my posts, I have been really pathetic on keeping this blog up to date. Thanks goes out to The Law who has been carrying this blog for the past few months.

I guess I have had good excuses. As most of you already know, Amie & I were married on September 22nd. It was the happiest day of our lives. Thank you to everyone who came and made it all possible. We couldn't have done it without the support of all of you! Luckily we also had an amazing photographer, my sister Amanda Norton. If you need anyone for your own wedding photography in the future, just let me know and I can put you in touch with her. Here is a link to the pictures she took for us on the big day. Make sure you have a cup of tea ready because there are a lot of them!

We had a great time on our honeymoon as well! The humidity is a bit much for me, but it was nice to have a change for a week. We were fortunate enough to meet up with some of my family while we were down in West Palm Beach. Unfortunately it rained a lot, but we did get a few days of fun in the sun.

Other than that, things are really going great. We are working hard to get the house all sealed up for winter time. As you can see here, the snow is already blanketing our peaks every night almost! When we got back from Florida, the first thing we did was drive to the top of Soldier Mountain! We are definitely not flat landers!

Thank you Boise State Broncos

So I could mostly care less about football; I've never played it and rarely ever watch it, generally I have no strong feelings either way about football. Not to say that I do not like football, but I'm not going to go out of my way to see a game or get some shwag. I do own a BSU Broncos shirt though, but only because the bright orange colors would protect me from myopic hunters when I went hiking last fall, now I call that school spirit! The great thing for me about the BSU games is that Boise basically becomes a ghost town during the home games; every one is either at the stadium or at home watching the game. I love it ! I took the pup running today during the game on the Table Rock trails and where it would usually be crowded with cars filling the parking lot on a warm fall day; today there where only three cars. It made for a great quiet run where I only saw one other person. So I just wanted to say thank you Broncos, finally your good for something other than jacking up tuition.

I wanted to do one last hardcore adventurous thing before school started; I had to get it out of my system you could say. Originally I was going to climb Baron Peak up near Grandjean, but there is a large fire near there and I didn't really feel comfortable hiking around there; so that climb was out of the question. I needed something else to do, preferably somthing close though epic, safe but dangerous enough too have some adventure in it. So I decided to do the Boise Ridge Traverse, which is considered to be the ultimate long distance mountain bike or trail run in the Boise area. It stretches all the way from Lucky Peak to HorseShoe Bend, a total of 39 miles....I did it all in one big long day. Now you might be either saying "yeah right" or that I am "some sort of sick masochistic freak." Well either way you would be right, because I finished my trek at Bogus Basin which is still a rather respectable 21 miles. Regardless it was still a pretty long day and my feet where pretty tired at the end of the day.

Llama Trip

Yeah so I know that this is the Idaho Rocks blog and all of my recent posts have been from places other than Idaho, but that is what happens when you work out of state all summer and have family scattered through out the country. Hey, also Colorado is rainy and cool, while Idaho is hot and everything is on fire.
So the Lawellin family for the past couple years has been trying to have a little get together every year, some times it works out and some times it doesn't. Last year we went to Lake Powell, but Mark and Kelsey couldn't join us; the year before that I was in Iraq and the first year after I got back from Korea and before I came to Idaho; Dad, Sara, Troy and myself went backpacking down by Bluff, Utah. This year we went llama packing in the Gore Range in Colorado, unfortunately not everyone could make it this year either, but it was still a great trip. So on the 13th Jennifer, my Dad, Cathy and myself headed out of the Rock Creek trail head and began the trek to Boulder Lake. We set up camp in the fading light and had a great dinner by of fresh salad and spaghetti by headlamp. The next morning I woke up and enjoyed the wonderful view you can see in the bottom
picture. After having a awesome alpine start of noon we started hiking to our next destination; Slate Lake. We where hiking right along

enjoying the trail, the dogs-well Kulgogi was- were more or less behaving themselves, and the scenery was amazing when we got to Slate Creek which turned out to be pretty sizable creek crossing. Almost as soon as we got there so did the rain; not just any rain either, big fat rain drops that hurt when they hit bare skin, the kind of rain that makes a person start thinking about heading to higher ground, or in my case start cracking jokes about Noah's Ark. After crossing the creek a couple times to shuttle llamas, scared dogs and trekking poles, Jennifer and I took shelter under a large pine to get out of the rain a bit. A half hour later Dad and Cathy crossed the creek which was rapidly becoming a river and we all decided to continue up the trail some more since the rain had slackened off a little. We trudged through the rain and mud for a couple more miles before making camp and falling short of our goal of Slate Lake, since it was getting dark.
We woke up to more rain, but it had slackened off immensely so after discussing our options a bit we decided to head back to Boulder Lake so we could meet Mark and Kelsey and get out on our planned date. The rain gradually began to disappear and by the time we made it back to Boulder Lake the sun was out. We spread out our gear to let it dry and grabbed the fly rods to attempt to land some yummy fish for dinner. Unfortunately the fish where not interested, but they where also very small as the lake was pretty shallow. So after being defeated by the fish we retired to camp and wined a bit before bed. The next day we hiked out back to the truck and met Mark and Kelsey on the trail. All in all it was a pretty great and relaxing trip up in Colorado's wilderness.

The Newest Editon

This is Kulgogi the newest edition to the Jenjamin Lawkers; she is a 6 month old mix of supposedly German Shepard/Husky, but I think we can agree that there is more Lab than Husky in her. We think that she is going to be a great dog for she is very loving and pretty mellow for being a puppy. Yes I did name her Kulgogi which in Korean means barbecued dog meat. There is also a picture of Scout and the mountain goat.
Cheers
Ben and Jen

Climb the Pfeifferhorn

On Thursday I climbed the Pfierfferhorn, an 11237 foot peak in the central Wasatch mountains.  After getting a typical non-Alpine start at 10 o'clock I started up the trail towards Red Alpine Lake about five miles away.  Two hours later I arrived at this beautiful little lake set in a small glacial valley.  Filling up with water I began the slog up to the ridge line that would connect me with the final climb to the summit.  Once I got to the final little bit of ridge before the summit I got a little freaked out because the scrambling that layed before me looked quite exposed and too be honest scared me a little bit; especially because I was all alone.  So I sat down on a rock and took in the view while I thought about what I was going to do.  Shortly a group of Canadian tourists came along and I hooked up with them and we all scrambled through the large boulders on the ridge and up the steep slope to the summit, where we all took in some magnificent views.  I was pretty happy that Andrew, Sara, and Cameron from Toronto showed up because I might have chickened out otherwise.  Later we scrambled down the hill and about an hour and a half later arrived back at the trail head.  It was truely a great day in the mountains, the craziest thing was that this guy Cameron did the entire thing in flip flops!

 

 

*Note I didn't take the pictures, they are from SummitPost.com*

 

Red Alpine Lake looking towards Little Cottonwood Canyon

A look at the summit from the east

West Face, looks kinda like the Matterhorn huh?

Jagged ridge on the way to the summit.

A look at Lone Peak from the summit of Pfierfferhorn

Route up to the summit, notice the nasty boulders on the ridge.

WorldFire Map

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060524093839.htm.  This is a composite satellite image of all the fires or major hotspots that have occurred in the last couple years.

 

Nebo Mountain Hike

So this post is a little time delayed but, I've just now finally gotten around to posting it.

 

    On the 4th I went and hiked Mount Nebo, a 11,928 mountain which is the 21st most prominent summit in the lower 48 states.  It was a really fun 10 mile hike, it was also one of the hardest hikes I have done yet as there was about 3,000 feet of elevation gain every 5 miles, the terrain was also quite challenging as it was Class Three on the Yosemite Decimal System near the top.  That was the most challenging summit I have done to date, but look forward to doing more, though with other more experienced climbers than myself.

---

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Ultra-Light Drinking

So the problem with bringing booze with you when backpacking is the weight, a gallon of adult liquids weighs roughly 8 pounds; a major limitation if you want to have a light pack weight and still stumble through the camp fire. Luckily a group of Dutch students have come the rescue with powdered alcohol, yes a powdered alcohol called Booze2go. Just pour a packet of Booze2go into your Nalgene, add water and BAM you've got 12 year old scotch; well actually it is some fizzy, lime colored, tasting drink with about 3% alcohol. This is probably the best thing to happen to backpacking and mountaineering since sil-nylon.

Skillern HotSprings

As Memorial Day weekend is only hours away, I thought I should send some of the great pictures we took LAST weekend before it was too late. We camped at Big Smoky creek like we did last year and did our annual hike up the river to Skillern Hot Springs. We had a GREAT time and this year Skillern has been fixed up very nice. Complete with a drain pipe and plug to fill the pool up much higher than has been possible in the past. I've included some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Click here for a map from Fairfield to the Big Smoky Camp ground.