Who KIlled Sam Cooke?

I knew very little about Sam Cooke until I watched an original Netflix documentary about his life.  He was more than just a handsome young singer with a beautiful voice.  He was a businessman, songwriter and activist.  Why was he murdered at age 33, long before he had written or sung his best songs?  The answer is a mystery, but there are several theories.

First, there were a group of young black celebrities that were starting to stir things up in America.  Jim Brown, Mohammed Ali, Malcom X, and Sam Cooke were all involved in the Civil Rights Movement.  They were friends.  Mohammed Ali and Sam Cooke were great friends.  One thought is that the FBI, on whose watch list these four men were, might have had him killed.  He was getting too powerful, some thought.  Another thought that his manager might have had him killed, as they had had a big argument several days prior to his death and Sam was going to leave him.  Another possibility is that the hooker that was in his hotel room and the female manager of the motel were telling the truth.  It's possible that he was just considered another "black man," whose life was not  worth much.

We'll never know the answer, but as Smokey Robinson said in the documentary, "If it had been a white singer, say Frank Sinatra, who had been killed, there would have been a thorough investigation."

Toward the end of his life he started writing and recording more political songs, like "Change is a coming."  He even recorded Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind.  Although he is not thought of as an activist or civil rights leader, he was.  He refused to perform to segregated audiences and he spoke out for the black man, at a time when most were afraid to. When he was scheduled to perform on the Dick Clark show the KKK threatened to blow up the buildingbut  he went on stage He never recovered from the death of his youngest son Vincent, who drowned  in the family pool.  Shortly thereafter he started drinking and womanizing, which in part lead to his murder.  He was at Martoni's in Hollywood, eating and drinking a lot, flashing his large wad of money around, and flirting with women, one of which he picked up and took back to a motel room that fateful night.

Toast Gastrobrunch Is Great

Unfortunately Pisco didn't make it in Carlsbad, but  I'm quite sure the new restaurant, Toast Gastrobrunch will.  I was there on a rainy Saturday morning at 10am, and there was a 30 minute wait.  Not much has changed on inside.  The booths remain, and the high top tables (which is what most of the remaining tables are) are new, and bright.  What's changed is the kitchen.  They've gone from Peruvian food to very fine  breakfast and brunch food.  I  really loved the menu and what I ate was delicious, and what I saw others eating looked delicious.

Everything is made from scratch, from the fresh roasted veggies used in some dishes, to the home made batter for french toast.  Fran and I shared strawberry toast, one of several toast option on the menu.  A thick slice of toasted bread spread with ricotta cheese, then topped with fresh strawberries and some seasoning.  Very delicious, and good to split.  They also have the classic avocado toast, and several other toast selections.  We ordered the spicy chilequilles, which was delicious, but just a bit too spicy for me.  Pancakes and french toast looked amazing, as did the egg dishes.  Toast also offers many alcoholic and non alcoholic specialty drinks, in addition to good, rich, coffee.

I didn't know it before going there, but they are part of Open Table, so you can make a reservation on line.  I highly suggest that, and will do so in the future.  It's great to have a new breakfast/brunch spot in Carlsbad with a fresh, modern menu, takes reservations and has great parking.

Chinese Government Is Collecting DNA Data On Muslims

In a far region of China, the Xinjiang region, DNA samples, fingerprints and other biometric data is being collected from every resident in a region populated by 11 million Uighurs, a Muslim Turkic minority.  Why?  We don't know, but officials say it is to help deal with poverty.  The information they gather can be used for surveillance of persons because of ethnicity, religion, opinion or other protected excersice of rights like free speech, according to Human Rights Watch.

Part of the collection is being done through government-provided medical checkups, and it is unclear if patients are aware the exam is also designed to transmit biometric data to the police.
Although the checks are officially voluntary, one Uighur said local cadres “had demanded that they must participate in the physicals”. A story in a local newspaper encouraged officials to “work hard to convince them to participate”.
Nearly 19 million people have participated in the medical exams, dubbed Physicals for All, in 2017, according to state news agency Xinhua. For people determined to be “focus personnel” – a euphemism for those the government views as dangerous – their data will be collected regardless of age.
“The mandatory databanking of a whole population’s biodata, including DNA, is a gross violation of international human rights norms,” said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. “It’s even more disturbing if it is done surreptitiously, under the guise of a free healthcare program.

The collection of DNA can have many positive uses in the modern world, but can also be used to cause harm.  What do you think?  I find this alarming.  I hope world watch groups bring this to everyone's attention and there is some control on the collection and use of DNA worldwide.

To Tell The Truth

Watch the news today, and you know we're being lied to.  From the president, to the police, to the Catholic Church, we are constantly being lied to.  How do you know who to believe?  In the age of instant fact checking, we CAN check statements that people are being made and make up our own minds about what is the truth.

Lying by world leaders is not new.  It's been going on for centuries, but it does seem to be more prevalent and more often than in days gone by.  So, what do we tell our children?

We raise our children stressing the importance of "telling the truth."  How often did you say to your children, "Don't lie to me."  So what do we tell our children who hear us talk about the lies that the government and religious leaders are telling us?  How are they going to grow up having trust in anyone?

Everyone tells little lies, like "If Martha calls, tell her I'm not home."  This is a harmless lie, and children early on  understand the difference between a big lie and a white lie.  I don't know how parents explain the lying that exists today to their children.  I'm glad I don't have to do it.  It's an interesting issue to think about, and our discussion group at Ocean Hills tackled it this morning.  Our conclusion was that adults must fact check and investigate to see if they are being told the truth.  Thank goodness we have great investigative reporters that are tenacious and won't give up in their search to get to the truth.  How to raise children to tell the truth is a bit harder.  I fear that future generations will grow up without trust.

Why Are We Getting So Fat?

There is no simple answer, but after watching a documentary about Dr. Giles Yeo and his study of genetics in the UK, I realize that genes, environment and diet influence your weight.  Why people eat more is complex, but statistics show that people are so much heavier than ever before.  It's important to know your BMI.  If it's more than 25, you are overweight.  60% of Brits are now overweight, and it's much higher in the U.S.  Fast food is a big contributor.  Fast food restaurants have increased 45% in the last 20 years, and living near fast food outlets doubles your chance of being obese.

Genetics plays a big role in obesity.  Your FTO can be measured, which will tell you whether you have risk variants for obesity.  If you have two FTO's you are more likely to be obese, as you will gravitate to foods high in fat and carbs, and low in fiber.

Gut bacteria, of which we all have somewhere around 100 trillion in our body, can also have an influence on weight.  Donor feces is now being studied (fecal transplant) that will replace the ad bacteria one may have with good bacteria.  Also, using the feces of lean donor as opposed to overweight donors, has been found to influence GLP1, an important hunger hormone.  It's all complicated, and there are no easy answers, but science has determined that the Mediterranean diet is probably best overall.  It consists of a variety of foods, lots of fresh fruits and veggie, yogurt (good for the gut), olive oil, olives, fish and lean animal protein.  Scientists now think that bacteria may be the key to weight control.

One scientist felt sure that in the next ten years there will be a hormone injection available that will be easy, inexpensive, and pretty much end obesity.  In the mean time, millions of people world wide are struggling, many thinking it's their fault that they're fat, when in fact there are many other factors that may be contributing to their problem. 

Oceanside Restaurants, New and Old

Oceanside is becoming quite the place for some very good restaurants, some fancy, some casual.  Here are just a few.  Some of them have been around for a few years, others are quite new.

Ty's Burger House has been around for a while.  It's on Mission, and serves burgers, sandwiches and salads.  Food is good and fresh.  Carmine's is a mostly pizza restaurant on Coast Highway.  I have not eaten there, but have it on good authority that they have great THIN pizza.  That's what I like.  They also serve meatballs and good salads.  A fairly new Indonesian restaurant is Dija Mara.  I have not been there, and I'm not sure I've ever eaten Indonesian food.  The menu lists a number of items I have not heard of, so I would say it is for the adventurous eater.  Finally, a very new restaurant on Coast Highway is Exhale.  It's the brainchild of the chef and owner of LTH (Local Tap House), one of my favorite restaurants in Oceanside.  It's right across the street from LTH, and has beautiful indoor and outdoor space.  It's Mexican/Southwest food, and the menu sounds very creative.  That will be my next dinner choice in Oceanside.

Things are always changing in the food industry.  Restaurants come and go, so I will keep my eyes open for these changes, and let you know.

China's Changing Diet

For decades, China's diet has consisted of rice and vegetables, with a little protein now and then.  Things are changing, and China, with its prominence on the world stage, has gone from a plant based diet to one with more animal protein, milk and dairy.  What the Chinese middle class eat over the course of the next century will be a key factor in climate change, as the increase in animal protein and milk will be a negative factor.

Diet changes in China are felt all around the world environmentally and economically. China now feeds 20% of the world’s population and consumes half of the world’s pork. Raising more hogs, far and away the livestock of choice in China, means producing more feed domestically and importing feed from other countries—both activities have a significant carbon footprint. In addition to pork, intake of eggs, poultry and dairy products continues to grow. Interestingly, the Chinese Dietary Guidelines call for 300 grams of milk and dairy per day, which is more than 10 times what the average Chinese citizen consumed in 2007. If the Chinese come close to meeting the guidelines for dairy intake, their consumption of dairy alone would have a significant negative impact on GHG emissions, water, pollution and the environment as well as the population’s health.

There are many factors that influence climate change, but China's diet is not one I had thought of.  Of course it makes perfect sense.  More animals mean more manure which means more methane and nitrous oxide in the air, which we all know  negatively effects climate. (Greenhouse Gases).  Many Americans have changed to a plant based diet, but we are not the ones that need to do this.  Big countries, like China, India and Indonesia need to do it, and they all seem to be going in the wrong direction.The good news is that scientists are finding ways to raise and feed cattle AND reduce GHG.  We'll probably always be eating animal protein, so hopefully scientists will find ways to raise animals without producing unwanted greenhouse gases.