ThisMustChange.org - Fifth Weigh-In

Another week has passed. I continue to walk regularly and watch what I eat (boy was that eye opening to note what I would've eaten vs. what I'm eating now). Unfortunately, when I stepped on the scales last night (I know, you're not supposed to weigh at night, but my first weigh-in was at night so I have to do it then to be fair), and I'm steady at 210. I didn't lose a pound. It was disappointing because I immediately thought about the donations that won't occur because I didn't lose a few more pounds. It's also discouraging to notice your clothes fitting better and the regular walks getting easier, but see no weight loss.

If this is your first time reading this series of posts, please click on the image above to go to ThisMustChange.org and learn more about the project. You'll also get a chance to meet Jason Salamun, the guy behind it all. Together, we can bring about change in our world.

In this post I want to focus on something we all take for granted: water.

In our office building there is a drink machine with a two rows of bottled water. While there is a faucet nearby with millions of gallons just waiting to come out to drink, people pay for water in a bottle. I know there are arguments about the taste of tap water, its true cleanliness, etc. What if you didn't even have that?

Look at the picture again. Each 16.9 oz bottle of water is $1.00. There's nothing special in the bottle. Or is there.

Without clean water and sanitation, disease would be rampant much like it is in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The lack of clean water and sanitation contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS.



Blood:Water Mission exists to help in the fight for clean water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa. By partnering with over 600 communities, Blood:Water Mission and those that support them have been able to provide for nearly 500,000 people.

Here's the cool part. Remember that $1 for 16.9 oz of bottled water? That same $1 can provide 1 person in Sub-Saharan Africa with clean water for 1 year.

Blood:Water Mission is the one group I have chosen to focus on personally. You'll notice a button in the right hand column. I would like to keep track of the donations made to BWM. Currently, that number reflects the pounds I've lost. Since the counter is not automatic, please let me know if you want to help and what you're committing to and I'll update the button appropriately.

We can't change everything, but we can change something.

Getting Paid to Loaf

Did you know you were supposed to join a union to loaf?



ThisMustChange.org post coming later.

ThisMustChange.org - Fourth Weigh-In

It's been another week. Before I share the results of the weigh-in, consider the following statistics on human trafficking and sex slavery:

• 27 million people enslaved around the world
• World’s 2nd largest criminal venture (32 BILLION dollars)
• Estimates say 2 children sold every minute into human trafficking and sex slavery.

Love146 strives to end child sex slavery and exploitation around the world. Slavery, especially child slavery, still exists around the world and even here in the United States.

Again, I'm asking you to get involved and bring change to our world. The challenge is simple, visit thismustchange.org and read through the different causes (Love146 is one of them!!) Then, please donate $1 for each pound that I lose to one of those six causes. OR, you can choose a local charity or group in your area and donate $1 per pound I lose to them.

Some local organizations that you could choose to donate to include:

• Homeless shelters
• Food closets
  
• Women's shelters
  
• Children's homes
• Agencies that help people with winter heating bills

Now, for this week's results. As you may remember from last week, our digital camera is trying to die and has finally died. I couldn't get a usable image with my cell phone either. (BTW, my wife has spoken so I have to find a replacement camera...COOL, permission to go buy electronics!)

My weigh-in this week was 210! That means I have now lost 10 pounds. Thanks for all the encouragement.

If you haven't already, please let me know if you're taking the challenge. I would just love to know how many people are on board to bring change to our world.

As Jason said in the original launch sermon, "We cam't change everything, but we can change something...and something is better than nothing."

The Pledge of Allegiance

Have you ever really taken time to understand the Pledge of Allegiance? In today's rhetoric filled climate, I wanted to share this with you. One of my favorite comedians/actors of all time, Red Skelton, provides a poignant retrospective on the Pledge.



Have a great Monday!

ThisMustChange.org - Third Weigh-In

It is now time for me to post my third weigh in, but before I do, I wanted to introduce you to one of the missions you can support as a part of this project.


A few statistics:

• 19 million children worldwide face outright starvation.
• Global hunger affects more than a billion people worldwide.
• As many as five million children die from hunger-related causes every year.

These statistics can be changed if you and I work together. If you've been following the project, the challenge is simple. I need to lose weight. People need a change in their lives. So, I'm asking friends, family and blog readers to help. How? I'm asking you to donate $1 per pound that I lose. You can donate to one of the six causes identified at thismustchange.org or pick a local charity, mission group or relief group in your area.

So, what're the results of this week's weigh in?


I apologize for the quality, but our digital camera is trying hard to die and I had to take the picture in low light with a cell phone.

According to my impartial judge, my wife, the number is 212!

That means I lost the 1 pound I had gained back on Michelle's birthday weekend and lost 2 more. This brings my total lost since I started to 8 pounds!

Remember, we can't change everything but we can change SOMETHING.

O'Reilly Interview with Accuweather's Joe Bastardi on Global Warming

This is really good. First, watch the interview, then read Joe Bastardi's open letter to Accuweather viewers.



As originally posted here:

An open letter to Accuweather.com viewers from Accuweather.com's tropical and long range weather expert Joe Bastardi.

My appearance on Bill O'Reilly brought up some things that seem to be a shock to people, but to many many people that are looking hard at the weather, are not.

Please remember that I am not, nor do I seek, to be a spokesman on the AGW issue. I will however take a stand when called upon, on what I believe to be true.

I have always had an open mind on man's input into the climate system. However because I have to be acquainted with long term patterns of changing weather, which is what climate is for any one site, I need to know where we stand against the course of history. Because of that, I have to be acquainted with the global warming issue in much more than a casual way. It is to my advantage as the chief long range and hurricane forecaster here to develop a working knowledge of where we are and where we are going in the overall global pattern.

To be sure, the cooling now is happening faster than it should because it got so warm in the first place via the super nino of 97-98. The last warm cycle reached its peak in the late 50s when we actually surfaced submarines at the north pole in 1959... IN MARCH! I often wonder what global temps would have been measured at then if we had the ways of measuring we do now. The fact that there was so much "shock" at some of the revelations that showed up on the O'Reilly Factor is because people are refusing to understand that so far, this has been a case of been there, done that.

One can pull out as many cases of bad weather in the 30s, 40s and 50s as they can now. I still believe the 3 greatest examples of how bad a hurricane can get in relation to latitude are the 1938 hurricane with 186 mph wind gusts at Blue Hill Mass,
the 1944 hurricane that destroyed the Atlantic City boardwalk, and Hurricane Donna which gave hurricane force winds to every state from Florida to Maine. The 1944 hurricane had winds 600 miles in diameter and stripped 50% of the screws from a recon plane into it.

Unlike many people, I am well acquainted and respect the co2 warming idea, but in its pure form, which actually allows for the cooling coming now! There in lies the problem. We can't know till after the period that is coming up through 2030 whether co2 is really a player or not. The threat of not only oceanic cycles cooling the earth, but the suns lack of intensity and increased volcanic and seismic activity could mean
that as some papers in the early 90s (and dismissed by many) opined we would be as cold as back in the early 1800s. What you see now may just be the beginning. One thing we do know, that we should be skeptical of any future event, no matter what we believe.

I will leave you with this. Common sense dictates that a trace gas needed for life on the planet would not be the cause for destroying life on the planet. Common sense dictates that what has happened before without man can happen again with man. Common sense would dictate that you not believe me, or any one else, but go look for
YOURSELF. If its important enough for you to be happy with what I said, or to be mad as all get out at what I said, you owe it to yourself to go read all sides of the argument. To be informed, and not to simply throw stones.

In the end, for me its all about getting the weather right. 1 day, 1 week 1 year or whatever. That is the bottom line.

What I opine about global warming is not because this is my goal...to be in this debate, it's a by product of the work I put in to do what I was made to do..forecast the weather. But I will not run, nor bow down to people who simply wish to destroy the chance to get the right answer in this debate, for IT IS ABOUT THE WEATHER! it's that simple.

I do not seek to be a spokesman, but my company believes in freedom of speech. Please remember my opinion is my own, but perhaps the reason for my successes in this field are because of the countless hours I spend that no one but me and the good lord above sees in preparing to answer the call. That call comes every day in my forecasts, but if it comes in this matter, I will not back down from what I have prepared myself for.

Thanks for your time,

Joe Bastardi

I continue to believe that some of the assumptions behind the current thoughts on Global Warming and Climate Change stem from overzealous attempts to fill in data on systems we do not yet understand.

I really appreciate the way Joe encourages all of us to take the time to read, learn and decide for ourselves.

ThisMustChange.org - Second Weigh-in

Sorry for the late post, but we were gone for the long Labor Day weekend celebrating my wife's birthday. We had a really great time and, unfortunately, found a LOT of great food. Michelle got to pick so we had everything from German food to barbecue over the weekend. I watched my quantities and I was on the treadmill at least once per day.

So...what's the verdict?


The angle is a little odd, but Michelle (my impartial wife) judged it as 215. The bad news is that I gained a pound back. I was hoping to lose some more, but that didn't happen. The only person I have to blame is myself for that one. It may have been a holiday weekend, but I still could've made better choices. (For the record, the Elvis sandwich was wonderful.)

This week I need to step it up. I have a good system in place for exercise and I need to get back on the program with better choices.

If you're still considering sponsoring me or joining in the challenge yourself, take a moment to check out one of the groups Jason has selected to bring about change.


Again, I urge you to get more information on the project and join us to make change!