High-tech trash

I have probably gone through about 7 cell phones since 8th grade when I received my first one. Most, if not all of the phones are sitting in random drawers or baskets scattered around my house. In my house we keep almost everything, thinking that we “might need it one day!’. To think of the millions of pounds of used electronics that wind up in the backyards of people in developing countries is strange. Well maybe not strange, strange may not be the right word, unbelievable I simply cannot believe it. How and where the heck does one throw out a computer anyhow!?! I almost must admit that it was the picture that accompanied the article, not so much the article itself that really caught my attention. That pile of “e-trash” that that boy was holding looked completely unsafe. I do not know much about chemistry or metals or anything but I am guessing that spending large quantities of time around fire, lead, plastic and other potentially hazardous substances cannot be good for a person’s health. At the same time no one really wants piles and piles of old electronic junk sitting in their house either. So here are the options. Create stricter laws concerning the disposal of e-trash, or stop upgrading so often that the demand for the newest and latest technology is decreased and the amount of e-trash produced decreases. Or maybe we should just all do like my family and keep our outdated electronics. Who knows that Nintendo 64 might actually come in handy some day.

Yes. you are lazy, and No. diet soda will not make you skinny

I don’t drink diet soda. If I am going to drink a soda than I am going to drink a goddamn soda and bask in the deliciousness of every calorie-laden drop. The sugar substitutes found in diet sodas, baked goods and many alleged “health” drinks are what we Americans have now turned to in order to cheat without getting caught. Image is everything in this country and love handles and thunder thighs simply do make the cut. By consuming foods with calorie free-sugar substitutes many Americans believe that they can they can attain (or maintain) the body that they desire without having to make any real effort and get their asses up on a Stairmaster.
Maybe I am just being a little hard on sugar-substitutes like splenda and its users (who are in my opinion more often than not abusers). The product itself was actually designed for diabetics whose health would benefit from a product that allowed them to occasionally indulge in their favorite treats without experiencing the effects that the missing sugar would produce. However, how many people have gulped down a diet coke, put splenda in their coffee or bought a reduced-calorie/sugar food item thinking that we were making some huge triumph in the battle against the bulge.
What many Americans do not know is that the products often can have an adverse effect on their desire to look lean. Most sugar substitute products can cause bloating making the person who has just consumed a zero-calorie beverage appear to be a little “puffier” than they really are. In addition, many of these products are made with the chemical saccharine which is a scientifically proven carcinogen. Personally I would rather have a few extra pounds (or just skip the soda altogether) than have cancer. Laziness is a problem in this country and the willingness of its citizens to choose an increased possibility of cancer over a little less food and a little more time at the gym is proof of that fact.
The reason why splenda, equal and other sugar substitutes have been so successful is because people will buy it. As I said before American is obsessed with image. Our people consume the most diet pills, have the most eating disorders and are ironically the fattest when compared to any other country in the world. Drinking a diet soda instead of fruit juice or water will NOT make a person any leaner and definitely will not produce any long-term positive health effects. I will repeat myself to make this clear. DIET SODA AND USING SPLENDA IN YOUR COFFEE DOES NOT AND WILL NOT MAKE YOU THIN! Eating a healthful diet and exercising regularly, aka working for your health, is the only path that will lead to desired and lasting results. So get up off your butts America, put down that diet Dr. Pepper and do some squats!