The Bastrop Case: A reasonable Request

We expected the ACLU to respond, and respond they did in a joint statement with Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation:

Our organizations are deeply troubled by Bastrop High School’s long history of presenting prayers as part of the official program at graduation ceremonies. Although the Supreme Court made it abundantly clear almost two decades ago that public schools cannot include prayers as part of school events, School District officials have persisted with this practice.

Ouch.  Still, their request is fairly reasonable.  A formal apology to the student, a statement condemning the action, considering disciplining the student who recited the Lord's Prayer in equal measure with similar infractions of protocol, and use a staff member to lead the moment of silence in the future.  I think the disciplining the student is a tricky one: yes, she should be disciplined, but she's graduated now and I don't know what the school could reasonably do.  Take away her diploma?  The infraction wasn't severe enough to warrant that.  Everything else, though?  I absolutely, 100% agree.

I'm interested to see how the school responds.

Fat Friday: Broke the 320 mark

Unlike last week, I'm not going to talk in quite as much detail for this week.  I've found that, much like I have trouble tracking calories, I have an equally hard amount of time tracking the food I'm eating for more than a week or so at a time.  It's some mental disconnect that tells me (possibly due to my upbringing) that tracking what I eat is the path to madness.  My mother insisted that actually tracking calories was one of the things that really hurt her when she was trying to lose weight, and I'm careful to try and learn from her mistakes.  She also said one should never go on a weird diet since going off is extra-bad, which is why if I decide to stick with this I won't be going "off" the diet, and will be turning it into a general lifestyle, or possibly modifying it a little.

Starting Weight: 323 lbs
Final Weight: 319.5 lbs
Net Change: 3.5 lbs

That makes for a total change of roughly 10 lbs in 2 weeks (since when I started I couldn't measure on the Wii Fit with its barrier of 330 lbs).  The more accurate account from recordable results is 7.5 lbs in 11 days, or 0.6818 lbs per day.

One thing I'm wondering with this diet is if it's not the diet so much as the difficulty in procuring high caloric food. If I want to eat a sandwich, I'm cutting out 200 calories from the bread alone in eating said sandwich.  Protein seems to be more filling than carbs, which means I don't suspect I'm eating as many calories altogether.  That makes it difficult to discern if the calories in-calories out mentality is what's working or if it's legitimately something to do with the lack of carbohydrates in my diet.

Finally, I got my blood report back this week.  Here are the results:

Blood Glucose - Fasting: 79  (Normal 56-99)


Kidney Functions
Urea Nitrogen: 11 (Normal 7-25)
Creatinine: 0.88 (Normal 0.80-1.30)
EGFR: 117 (Normal >59)

All general chemicals within normal ranges

Cholesterol
Cholesterol Total in Serum: 187 (Normal 125-200)
HDL Cholesterol: 39 (Normal >=40)     Abnormal Result
LDL: 212 (Optimal <100, Near Optimal 0-129)
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio: 4.8 (Normal <=5.0)
Triglycerides: 136 (Normal <150)

Liver
Bilirubin Total: 0.4 (Normal 0.2-1.2)
Bilirubin, Direct: 0.1 (Normal 0.0-0.2)
Alkaline Phosphatase: 52 (Normal 40-115)
GGT: 33 (Normal 3-70)
LD, Serum: 212 (Normal 100-220)
AST: 21 (Normal 10-40)
ALT: 33 (Normal 9-60)
Iron: 86 (Normal 45-225)

Blood Count Looks Fine

Thyroid
T-3 Uptake: 32 (Normal 22-35)
T-4 Total: 6.6 (Normal 4.5-12.0)
Free Thyroxine Index: 2.11 (Normal 1.4-3.8)
TSH, 3rd Generation: 4.49 (Normal 0.40-4.50)


So all in all I'm pretty darn healthy, blood wise.  My HDL is a little low for what the doctor would like, but my overall cholesterol is somewhat low (in the normal range though) so the ratio between good and bad isn't all that worrisome.  My kidney function is something else I'm interested in looking at as this diet progresses, as a high protein diet may not be nice on my kidneys.  My kidneys are in good shape, though, so I'm pretty sure they can handle it.

The Thyroid result was interesting, too.  It's normal like everything else (save HDL), but just barely.  The TSH was 0.01 away from being abnormal, with higher results suggesting lower thyroid function (and thus a slower metabolism).  I'm not really all that surprised about that result.  I'm normal, but just barely.

So anyways, the diet still seems to be working, but I'm not really sure how sustainable it will be.  I'm not craving carbs anymore, but I'm missing the raw convenience of them.  I miss being able to grab a burrito and just run with it, and I frankly don't know if I'll be able to sustain a diet where I can't do that once the school semester starts in the fall.  It's certainly showing it to be somewhat effective, and it will be interesting to see where I am with this diet in another two weeks.

One thing I'm starting to consider is, when this is over, switching to a lifestyle plan where carbs are okay for meals, but I avoid them in snacks or when fixing something just for myself.  That means if I go out with friends I'm not limited in choices, but I'm still lowering my overall carb intake and also keeping me from overconsuming in-between meals.  It's not something I'm going to try until after the summer's over, but it's worth considering.

Well, Golly, I guess I'm still here.

My bags were packed and everything.  Legitimately so were those of many others.

"I do not understand," said Robert Fitzpatrick, a 60-year-old MTA worker from Staten Island, said after the Rapture never arrived. "I do not understand why nothing has happened."
"I had some skepticism but I was trying to push the skepticism away because I believe in God," said Keith Bauer, who drove his family across the country from Maryland to California for the supposed Rapture to visit Camping's Oakland headquarters of Family Radio International.
"I was hoping for it because I think heaven would be a lot better than this earth," he said.

This is the danger of belief when not tempered with some logic and rationality.  I'm not against belief, only the blind faith that refuses to look at the evidence, such as Camping's previous erroneous claims.  This is a lot like the wish fulfillment hopes that the Rabbi vs Atheist debate I linked to last week talks about.  (Seriously, if you haven't gone and watched the video, it's well worth it).

These people are awful

I don't really have anything left to add on this one.  All I can say is I'm glad I never moved to the south.  I think I'd lose hope for humanity after a week there.

EDIT: I just wanted to quote the same quote Damon Fowler wrote on his facebook page.  It seems appropriate.

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

Fat Friday: The week in review

After taking BMR tests from 8 different sites, my basal metabolic rate ranged from 2537 to 2878.1 calories per day.  As I mentioned in my original post, I am not aiming to count calories, though I am tracking them to keep record.  Ending weight was measured today, on Friday, which is why I'm not including today as part of my report.


Starting Weight: 327 lbs
Ending Weight: 323 lbs
Net Change: 4 lbs


Day 1: Monday, May 16th
I missed breakfast as I was getting blood drawn around noon, so my total caloric intake was lower than it normally would.  By the time I finished getting blood drawn, I was starving and had to walk home from the bus stop, so I stopped at Qdoba.  I ordered a naked chicken taco salad (naked as in sans the shell).  For lunch I made myself a ham lettuce wrap with cheddar cheese and mayonnaise and cut up some leftover rotisserie chicken to eat on the side along with some citrus fruits.  Dinner was a couple of cheeseburgers sans bun, steamed veggie mix, and a barbecued artichoke which didn't turn out as well as I would have liked.  Snacks involved a few more oranges and a hard boiled egg.  Total calories equalled 2,158.


For exercise, I walked the 1.5 miles to the bus stop and back again.  I remained well hydrated throughout the day (mostly because they had so much trouble drawing blood so they made me consume water virtually nonstop for 15 minutes straight).


Day 2: Tuesday, May 17th
Lots of meat, pecans for snacking, some fruit and delicious veggies.  Total calories for the day: 3481.  Percent from carbs was listed at 13%, mostly from the veggies and fruits, although I suspect I was a little off since I overestimated the vegetables with my dinner, I think.


Very little exercise today as I spent most of my day reading and preparing for a tutoring assignment I had in the evening.  Had to take an ibuprofin in the evening because I had a major headache, presumably from the lack of the carbs I'm so used to.  I've been advised this is normal for the first week.


Day 3: Wednesday, May 18th
I was bad.  Not bad in that I ate a lot of carbs, but bad in that I wasn't very thorough in tracking my food, so I'm not paying attention to the caloric total.  I had some burgers, some tuna spread out onto lettuce, hot dogs, and more nuts for snacking.  Dinner was a hot dog and a huge (200 calorie) serving of broccoli and melted cheese.  Had friends over, and I even bought them a celebratory pie and ice cream, of which I had neither.  I feel very good about that, even though I really wanted some of each.  I did have some alcohol with them, though it was rum and diet coke.  Neither of these have carbs, so that was fine.  Although I know that alcohol will slow weight loss, I feel okay with this consumption since it will help factor out alcohol as a potential variable.  If I can keep my alcohol consumption relatively constant (which is very low...a few drinks every 2-3 weeks) I shouldn't have to worry about that mucking up any results.


Still feel kinda crummy, though I also feel a little bit more energetic.  It's possible that this is because of the psychosomatic component of dieting.


Day 4: Thursday, May 19th
I've decided not to go into great detail on each segment of my meals, since I eat a lot.  Still, no major snacking, I just prepared small meals throughout the day.  Baked some chicken with a marinade involving soy sauce, olive oil, Chinese fivespice, garlic, and a little bit of cayenne pepper.  That turned out pretty well.  Total carbs for the day made up roughly 10% of my meal.


I am feeling a little bit more energetic, though I'm also noticing that when I eat, I feel almost desperate about what I'm consuming.  It's possibly because I have fewer snacks in between my meals, even though it takes more time to prepare each individual meal.


Weekly Summary
Oy, this diet is rough.  If it becomes a habit, though, it very well might be sustainable.  I'm not as dedicated to low carb as some people.  I haven't cheated from the original plan, but as I've come to understand some people kick out all carbohydrates, including the small amount from some sauces or mixes, or even avoiding things like tomatoes.  I can't do that.  Still, I'm not having too much trouble avoiding refined carbohydrates like  breads or sugars that you wouldn't find in fruits, and it seems to be having something of an effect.  4 lbs in 4 days seems pretty reasonable to me.  We'll see if it keeps up like this.

News around Bastrop

The local newspaper continues to cover Damon Fowler's protest.  For the first time since this began, though, they actually covered the issue from a slightly positive angle.

Within hours after the public learned that the prayer had been removed from the program, principals in the story began receiving hundreds of e-mails of support for the student’s decision to, as Christina Niermann stated, “... finally gain the courage to speak out.”

What really chokes me up is a reported letter from Michelle Robinson, a local, self-professed Christian.  Unlike the more vocal majority,  Robinson was in support of Damon.  Even though she reports that she doesn't have a personal problem with the prayer,

“... I shudder to think of what would happen if a MUSLIM or JEWISH prayer was read. Because of that we must be free of all religious influence in our public institutions. My church will always stand strong and so will my faith. Keep your government out of my religion and I will keep my religion out of your government.”

 The wording is a little iffy, but I understand and respect the sentiment.  Robinson is clearly strongly religious, and holds convictions I no doubt disagree with, but this is a person who is at the very least trying to find that middle ground, to respect the secular law while still holding strongly to their own personal convictions.  It's a little judgmental, but being judgmental really only seems to be wrong when it's a stance one disagreed with.  So yeah, thank you, Michelle Robinson, for proving that not every Christian in Bastrop, LA is completely insane.

Of course, the newspaper also includes an opinion piece by a local pastor, and I don't really know what to make of it.  Ok, well, I do know what to make of it.  It's kinda icky.

As followers of Jesus Christ we should not be surprised of the secular world’s resistance to our beliefs.  The movement of Christianity has met resistance at every turn.  Jesus Christ himself was rejected and removed from many portions of society.

He warned his disciples and future Christians of the resistance we would face related to our faith.  In the Bible Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)  The power of evil through Satan is largely at work to hinder the love of Jesus in this world.  Anything God is for, Satan is against. Anything Satan is for, God is against.  Scripture warns us time and time again to expect resistance and to persevere in the Christian faith.

The "Christians are so persecuted" complex that seems to pervade religious thought in america is bullshit.  If you want to talk about persecution, move to Iraq or some other strongly Muslim country where your life is at risk for being Christian.  Being denied public, government sponsored prayer is not persecution.  Get over yourselves.  Being told your beliefs are stupid is not persecution.  It's called being in america, where open discourse involves open criticism.  Yuck.

The graduation is today, and I'm sure there will be a video or two of the actual ceremony.  I'll probably post one more response on that this evening, and that will be it.  I can't help but be passionate about this.  I call myself an atheist but don't feel any strong drive to be vocal about it or challenge religion in general.  What I do feel strongly about is the secular condition of our nation, and any efforts by any aspect of that government to sponsor prayer or deny others from personal prayer is anathema to me.

A friend asked me regarding this, "What if they do as Damon Fowler fears, and have a large group of students loudly start praying during the moment of silence."  Although I find that in poor taste, as long as it's not being led by someone (even another student) in a way that could be construed as being sponsored by the school, I think they legally have the right to do that.  It's crude, mean, and spiteful (all the things that make up a good prayer in Louisiana, I guess?), but I don't think it's illegal.

I shouldn't be surprised.

I really shouldn't, not when it comes to people from Louisiana.  The folks at Bastrop High School that I talked about earlier decided to pray in spite of the principal's decision during Senior night.  Watch the video.



Ugh.  I don't normally get angry, but this just makes me furious.  It's blatantly disrespectful, not to mention illegal.  I don't have a problem with these people wanting to pray, but when the government (in the form of a high school here) actively sponsors or allows a captive audience, they break the establishment clause.

Damon Fowler continues to astound me with his courage:

Back from Class Night... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaD8iQFaw7I&feature=youtube_gdata_playerDealt with people staring at me, calling me names, talking about me behind my back (even teachers). I'll walk across that stage tomorrow, whether they want me to or not.

I can't even begin to imagine living in that environment, to have my teachers berate me like that.  I went to a catholic high school, and the teachers would never have treated an atheist student like that; in fact, one of my best friends was an atheist and he never once was treated with anything but the utmost respect.  Those teachers should be ashamed of themselves.  If there is a christian God, I'm sure Jesus is.