The National DNA Databank
Good afternoon Madame Speaker. Today I bring before you an issue of Canadian security, justice, and freedom that affects every man woman and child in Canada. On June 30, 2000, the National DNA Databank was created in Ottawa. This Databank contains DNA profiles from adults and youths convicted of serious offenses, as well as a crime scene index of DNA profiles from unsolved crimes. This information is kept highly confidential, but legislation allows the data to be cross-referenced with other law enforcement databanks. While this databank is an important tool in solving crimes, some may see it as a violation of civil liberties.
Today, I am here along with my affirmative partner, to say that the National DNA Databank is a justifiable infringement of civil liberties.
Let me start out by saying this, having a DNA databank does not only greatly increase public safety, but it also PROTECTS individual rights. I believe that perhaps the most notable claim in free societies is that it is better to let a thousand guilty go free rather than imprison one innocent person. Just on this aspect alone, the idea of a National DNA databank can be justified, as DNA has set many innocent free, and contributed to rightful convictions.
Once a DNA databank gets started, and material is added, it becomes a major deterrent for criminals. Of course, one of the main goals in society would be to prevent crime from even occurring. If a criminal knows that even a single hair or drop of sweat found at a crime scene will be stored and come back to be used against him in the future, no matter how far that may be, fewer crimes will be committed. This goes on top of the fact that there will be more sound convictions, and that serious offender like rapists can be put behind bars before they re-offend.
Now, straying away from criminals, potential suspects in crimes will be benefited as well as saved from humiliation and costs which result from an investigation and trial. Dr. Paul Ferrara, Director of the Virginia Division of Forensic Science, states, and I quote “We typically and routinely eliminate approximately 25 percent to 30 percent of the suspects who the police have centered on in their investigation using our DNA analysis”
DNA Data bases are much more reliable than police procedures. They vastly enhance the likelihood that those who are guilty will be convicted, and that those who are innocent will be rapidly cleared.
DNA is now considered so highly reliable, that the evidence is not contested. In the United States, databanks are climbing up to a fairly large scale, and have proven themselves by not only putting closure on cases, but by setting large numbers of wrongfully convicted inmates free.
My question is now, why hasn’t Canada adopted this same system to assure that justice is served. First, unless one merely views the government as some kind of cold-blooded enemy, there is no reasonable grounds to believe that it will use DNA collected to find out about people's family history, illnesses, and for other unintended purposes. Furthermore, by making the government responsible for this data, that is not saying they wont be limited by law and scrutinized.
Another dismissible argument comes up that DNA collection violates the right to reasonable search and seizure. However, it is also stated that if it is in public interest, it is found reasonable. Isn’t that what criminal acts violate, society?
Suspects of a crime have diminished rights compared to innocent people not involved in a criminal investigation. Suspects are allowed to be fingerprinted without their consent, and fingerprinting is a measure taken to incriminate the right suspect, so if this is aloud, than surely DNA tests can be made to be just as minimally intrusive. When it all comes down to seeking justice, there is no obvious reason why a suspect should not be tested and included in the databank. After all, if the suspect were to be innocent, they would have nothing to worry, and it would ONLY benefit them.
Now we all know that there have been wrongful convictions in the past. It is shown that there is an increasing number of inmates requesting DNA tests to prove their innocence. Now, as I stated earlier, we all have a notion to protect the innocent, so this right should be made more available for inmates. All it would take, is adopting a system in which each inmate can receive ONE test, that’s all it takes, and it has potential to save countless people from wrongful sentences.
Now, accepting that there have been wrongful convictions, having databanks and enforcing testing within 14 days after a crime will ensure that the innocent are not incarcerated in the first place. Which would be the ultimate goal.
When it comes to a violation of privacy, I ask you this: if someone were to walk naked down the street, they have little reason to complain if others see their private parts. Criminals who leave behind their DNA at a crime scene have no more reasonable right to privacy than if fingerprints were to be left and collected.
As I have just expressed, having this system will not only help convict criminals, but it will prevent crime, stop wrongful convictions, free the innocent and protect individual right.
So I ask you this, are you on the side of common good and the goals of society, or are you out to fend for criminals and put forth doubt in our government and our country.
Thank you Madame speaker, I now stand for cross examination.
Lines of Questioning
1) Would you agree with what I had stated earlier, in that a free society believes that it is better to let a thousand guilty go free than to incriminate one innocent person?
2) Do you acknowledge the fact that there have been people wrongfully convicted?
3) would you agree that in many cases, the reason for this wrongful conviction, could have been due to a lack of solid and undeniable evidence?
4) Do you acknowledge the fact that DNA evidence is now rarely contested?
5) you would agree that if DNA evidence had been present in many of these cases, it, in all likelihood would have prevented a wrongful conviction?
1) Do you believe that every person has the right to a fair trial?
2) Do you think that you could call it a fair trial if evidence that could lead to the truth wasn’t included?
3) Would you consider an inmate still guilty even if evidence was found down the road that would prove his or her innocence?
4) So, do you believe that inmates in these situations should have a chance to prove their innocence through DNA testing?
5) So would you agree with me that it would be better of to prove their innocence before they step behind bars?
1) Do you believe that Canada is one of the best countries in the world as far as civilian rights and international safety?
2) Do you have a trust in our government for keeping our personal information, e.g. health information, safe and secure and out of wrongful eyes? [ if NO----- (are they out to get us)]
3) Then Would the collection and distribution of DNA material not be trusted in the hand of Canadian government?
1)Would you agree with me when I say that DNA evidence can quickly narrow down suspects?
2) Would you agree with me that eliminating innocent suspects from an investigation saves both time and money?
3) Would you agree that eliminating innocent suspects saves them from the humiliation of a trial they didn’t deserve?
4) So would it be fair to say that a databank could save people from these types of humiliations and violations which would further ensure their security?
IF NO- so you don’t think that DNA evidence could eliminate certain suspects? You just agreed previously that investigations take up time and cause humiliation for innocent suspects.
4) would it now be safe to say that a National DNA databank would provide safety for the innocent, and punishment for the true criminal.
As we can now see, it seems that the only people who could possibly oppose this introduction would be criminals
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Water Systems; The Foundation for Great Ancient Civilizations
Throughout the past, we have seen the formation of many great civilizations. Like all humans, the populations in these great civilizations that grew and prospered relied heavily on the liquid life-source of water. The development of water systems in ancient civilizations proved to be a momentous advantage and benefit to their people’s standard of living. The advantages they brought about became the basis for influential and strong lasting civilizations. For the Roman Empire, the presence of materials for piping and the development of the aqueducts provided them with access to the necessity of water and allowed them to build up their greatest populous city. Egypt built up its striking prosperous empire using the solid base of well designed irrigation and water systems, a blessing that helped them survive for over 3000 years. For the Inca Empire, their great waterworks helped them to expand their empire throughout an immense part of South America and press forward to become one of the most agriculturally advanced civilizations of their time. Water was a source of life to these great civilizations, which without this necessity, would not have been able to leave their influential mark in history.
The Roman Empire was one of the most startling civilizations in history. Their astounding structural designs and engineering enabled them to build some of the most amazing and valuable water systems. During its imperial times, the city of Rome had a population of well over a million (Roman Aqueducts). Such a massive population enabled them to build up a large and powerful empire using their manpower, but what enabled them to have such immense manpower at their disposal was the development of great waterworks. Their amazing water distribution system was able to provide every person in Rome with one cubic meter of water per day (Roman Aqueducts). They were able to do this thanks to their outstanding aqueduct and piping systems. Rome’s first aqueduct was constucted in 312 B.C.E.. Over the next five hundred years, ten additional aqueducts were built to fulfill increasing demands (Ibid). The aqueducts consisted of channels dug through rock from the water intake in the surrounding hills (Newman, 203). The water ran through filtration systems, and once the water got into the city, it flowed into large cisterns, which enabled the water to be piped throughout the region. Most of it was available to the public through fountain systems, which were positioned at junctions throughout the city (Roman Aqueducts). The people of Rome were given the luxury of flowing water, in a place where they before would have to travel miles to get. The water played a role in their culture, enabling them to have public baths, and these were not only made available to the rich. Baths were a big part in the social life of Rome, and they would incorporate religion into these luxurious meeting places (Trueman). Bath admissions also brought in a steady flow of money to the state, as did selling private pipelines to rich citizens, improving the economic structure in Rome (Trueman).
The demand for water and the need for piping to carry it throughout the city made Rome depend on trade to acquire the proper and essential materials. They used massive amounts of lead for piping, which had to come from Spain or Great Britain, which pushed Rome to expand trade for the construction of these mammoth waterworks (Roman Aqueducts). But above all, these systems brought about massive population growth that led to a city that was in fact the largest of its time. The ability to support such a large population allowed Rome to open its doors to a high degree of specialization in the roles of its people. The more citizens the city had to carry out day-to-day tasks, the more economic room they had to develop. Because Rome was able to uphold such a large population due to their enormous supply of clean water, it was able to build up into a strong prosperous city, and develop a powerful military that made them an influential power. Their water systems were the foundation of their accomplishments, and made them one of the greatest civilizations in ancient history.
The blessing of the Nile River proved to make Egypt one of the most startling civilizations in history. Its rich agriculture that allowed them to prosper was not due to rainfall, but to the flooding of the Nile, and their integration of irrigation systems (Newman, 56). The fortunes of Egypt depended on this annual event, which left behind a new fertile layer of soil in the region (Ibid). Egypt’s wealth was measured in their abundance of food supplies. During the time after the flood, the Egyptian farmers needed a way to retain some water, to provide their fields with fertile soil for extended lengths of time. Irrigation canals and dams were created through fields, and seeds would be planted along these regions (Newman, 56). Along the canals, filled with water from the Nile, they build innovative devices for extracting the water, and raising it to higher ground. One such device was called a shaduf, which was a counterweighted mechanism with a bucket on one end hanging from a rope that was dipped into the canal and then swung over the field (Wilkinson, 35). They also utilized waterwheels to extract water and put it down small channels to bring to other areas (Postel). The ancient Egyptian farmers built large level basins for growing crops next to the river’s edge, and simple channels that took water in at the height of the flood (Postel). It was uncomplicated yet highly effective, and it allowed them to arrange for good flow of water throughout a number of basins, which they controlled using gates. They let the water stay in the fields for forty to sixty days, then had to be drained out at the right time in the growing cycle, back into the river. They did this to ensure that salts would never build up in the soil, and the crops always got a fresh supply of water (Ancient Irrigation).
Due to their success, and thanks to their well planned irrigation systems, Egypt was left with a great agricultural surplus. In fact, crops could be saved and stored years after a surplus season of growth (Ancient Irrigation). Barley and wheat as well as many nourishing vegetables such as onions and lentils prospered in their well irrigated fields (Newman 76-77). They were able to use their agricultural surplus to fulfill religious practices such as offerings to the dead, feed livestock that was used as a source of labour and food, and to feed in abundance their growing working population. These aspects are what make a civilization come together, and have prosperity in an overall aspect. Egypt’s amazing feats of construction were able to be carried out so well because of this abundance. It gave them agricultural room to feed populous groups of workers with food to meet their nutritional demands. The only thing that was missing was outside interaction (Newman, 55).
Following an agricultural surplus, vast trading opportunities arose. Egypt took advantage of their abundant food supply and began to trade it for other goods. Acquiring new goods enabled them to develop ideas in building methods and technology boomed with the addition of more large and more capable boats, metals, and wood (Newman, 58-59). Foods such as grains were also used to barter and trade within Egypt, and it was a common source of currency. Trade opened up Egypt’s doors to new opportunity that allowed its people to move on into the golden age of the New Kingdom, and it all was made possible by the gift of the Nile, but more importantly, by the valuable irrigation systems that made Egypt a prosperous nation.
The Inca Empire was an ecologically diverse paradise. The majestic Empire started along the Pacific Ocean in the low coastal valleys, and stretched over the Andes, all the way down into the Amazon Rainforest. This great ecological diversity helped the Inca grow a large variety of crops as well as an abundance of food (The Incas Remembered). It was a nation of millions, built up around their astonishing irrigation and watersystems, some in which are still in used today (The Incas Remembered). The Incas built irrigation canals which were lined with millions of rocks, allong sloped to form retaining walls. These enabled them to carry water from the melting snows of the Andes and nearby rivers for up to five hundred miles (The Incas). Water ran through the cities in canals called runners, which is where the Inca people got water to wash, drink, and cook (The Incas Remembered). Water brought into the cities was so essential to people on the mountains. The location was indeed close to paradise, but difficult to collect and goods and necesities to support a large population, so they greatly relied on these canals. The Incas had a strict policy to use the land and water carefully, and to never be wasteful. Their amazing irrigation systems used water to its full advantage, even up on the slopes of terraced farmland. They had hundred of levels of fields built to last countless centuries. Drainage systems worked allong with the intake canals to help develop a vast and abundant surplus of crops. The irrigational effects were highly sophisticated; for the canals were able to provided water to the roots of plants during a drought, and during heavy rain, they provided drainage so that the crops wouldn’t become drowned (Inca). Furthermore, the canals also provided sediment which were rich in nitrates, and these nitrates were used as fertilizer. The Inca utilised this concept throughout their whole Empire, and their canals worked in partnership with their roads throughout the empire building an extensive variety of crops in various climates that enabled them to feed the entire population (Inca). Not only could they feed their entire population, but they also had a massive surplus, and due to their storage techniques and food preservation, they were able to build up and maintain seven years worth of surplus food. Food was also used as a means for trade, as the Incas had no currency (Inca). The Incas used their skill to create water systems to bring vast amounts of water to them. After contructing such amazing stuctures, they had the time and a greater ability to expand their empire; no longer did the have to search to get enough food and water, for it was brought right to their fingertips. To support a large population, there needs to be allot of food, and that requires steady and sophisticated irrigation systems that bring a constant supply of water. The Incas were truly skilled engineers, who developed water systems so advance that they are still being used today. They are the solid base that gave the Inca the ability to sustain a high standard of living, and emmense expantion.
The liquid treasure of water has always played an important role in developing civilizations. However, it was not always handed to humans in readily available reserves. The development of water systems in ancient civilizations proved to offer significant advantages to those who constructed them. They brought about the basis for influential and strong and long-lasting civilizations by giving them the power of life, the prosperity that can only sprout from water. The Romans built and expanded their empire, as well as its economic and social diversity using vast piping systems and the development of the great aqueducts which allowed them to build up their grand populous city. Egypt built up its remarkable empire using the firm base of well-designed irrigation and water systems, allowing it to prosper and expand with its immense surplus of foods. For the Inca Empire, their great water and irrigation systems were perhaps the most advanced of their time, enabling them to expand their empire throughout a vast part of South America. These civilizations developed outstanding systems to harness the potential of water. It was only through the development of these systems that they could grow to possess their large numbers and powerful Empires. They brought the key to abundance in food, customs and religious practices, communal gatherings, and the overall ability to prosper; for these great feats of engineering brought to them water, the very foundation of life.
Works Cited
Agriculture and Food. 7 April 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca>.
Ancient Irrigation. May 1999. 15 April 2007 <http://www.geology.ucdavis.edu/~cowen/~GEL115/115CH17oldirrigation.html>.
Boak, E.R and William G. Sinnigen. “The Emergence of Agriculture and Raising Livestock.” Ancient Civilizations. Ed. Don Nardo. Vol. 1. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2002. 40-50.
Boak, E.R and William G. Sinnigen. “The Founding of Rome, The Eternal City.” Ancient Civilizations. Ed. Don Nardo. Vol. 1. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2002. 211-218.
Inca. 7 April 2007.
Newman, Garfield, et.al. Echoes from the Past. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 2001.
Postel, Sandra. Egypt’s Nile Valley Basin Irrigation. 15 April 2007 <http://www.waterhistory.org/histories/nile/t1.html>.
Roman Aqueducts. 7 April 2007.
Shaw, Ian. Exploring Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
The Incas Remembered. DVD. Monterey Media Inc, 2005
The Incas. 22 April 2007.
Trueman, Chris. Roman Baths. 15 April 2007 <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_baths.htm>.
Wilkinson, Gardner J. “The Ancient Egyptians; Their Life and Customs.” A Popular Account. Vol. 1. London: Bracken Books, 1988.
The Roman Empire was one of the most startling civilizations in history. Their astounding structural designs and engineering enabled them to build some of the most amazing and valuable water systems. During its imperial times, the city of Rome had a population of well over a million (Roman Aqueducts). Such a massive population enabled them to build up a large and powerful empire using their manpower, but what enabled them to have such immense manpower at their disposal was the development of great waterworks. Their amazing water distribution system was able to provide every person in Rome with one cubic meter of water per day (Roman Aqueducts). They were able to do this thanks to their outstanding aqueduct and piping systems. Rome’s first aqueduct was constucted in 312 B.C.E.. Over the next five hundred years, ten additional aqueducts were built to fulfill increasing demands (Ibid). The aqueducts consisted of channels dug through rock from the water intake in the surrounding hills (Newman, 203). The water ran through filtration systems, and once the water got into the city, it flowed into large cisterns, which enabled the water to be piped throughout the region. Most of it was available to the public through fountain systems, which were positioned at junctions throughout the city (Roman Aqueducts). The people of Rome were given the luxury of flowing water, in a place where they before would have to travel miles to get. The water played a role in their culture, enabling them to have public baths, and these were not only made available to the rich. Baths were a big part in the social life of Rome, and they would incorporate religion into these luxurious meeting places (Trueman). Bath admissions also brought in a steady flow of money to the state, as did selling private pipelines to rich citizens, improving the economic structure in Rome (Trueman).
The demand for water and the need for piping to carry it throughout the city made Rome depend on trade to acquire the proper and essential materials. They used massive amounts of lead for piping, which had to come from Spain or Great Britain, which pushed Rome to expand trade for the construction of these mammoth waterworks (Roman Aqueducts). But above all, these systems brought about massive population growth that led to a city that was in fact the largest of its time. The ability to support such a large population allowed Rome to open its doors to a high degree of specialization in the roles of its people. The more citizens the city had to carry out day-to-day tasks, the more economic room they had to develop. Because Rome was able to uphold such a large population due to their enormous supply of clean water, it was able to build up into a strong prosperous city, and develop a powerful military that made them an influential power. Their water systems were the foundation of their accomplishments, and made them one of the greatest civilizations in ancient history.
The blessing of the Nile River proved to make Egypt one of the most startling civilizations in history. Its rich agriculture that allowed them to prosper was not due to rainfall, but to the flooding of the Nile, and their integration of irrigation systems (Newman, 56). The fortunes of Egypt depended on this annual event, which left behind a new fertile layer of soil in the region (Ibid). Egypt’s wealth was measured in their abundance of food supplies. During the time after the flood, the Egyptian farmers needed a way to retain some water, to provide their fields with fertile soil for extended lengths of time. Irrigation canals and dams were created through fields, and seeds would be planted along these regions (Newman, 56). Along the canals, filled with water from the Nile, they build innovative devices for extracting the water, and raising it to higher ground. One such device was called a shaduf, which was a counterweighted mechanism with a bucket on one end hanging from a rope that was dipped into the canal and then swung over the field (Wilkinson, 35). They also utilized waterwheels to extract water and put it down small channels to bring to other areas (Postel). The ancient Egyptian farmers built large level basins for growing crops next to the river’s edge, and simple channels that took water in at the height of the flood (Postel). It was uncomplicated yet highly effective, and it allowed them to arrange for good flow of water throughout a number of basins, which they controlled using gates. They let the water stay in the fields for forty to sixty days, then had to be drained out at the right time in the growing cycle, back into the river. They did this to ensure that salts would never build up in the soil, and the crops always got a fresh supply of water (Ancient Irrigation).
Due to their success, and thanks to their well planned irrigation systems, Egypt was left with a great agricultural surplus. In fact, crops could be saved and stored years after a surplus season of growth (Ancient Irrigation). Barley and wheat as well as many nourishing vegetables such as onions and lentils prospered in their well irrigated fields (Newman 76-77). They were able to use their agricultural surplus to fulfill religious practices such as offerings to the dead, feed livestock that was used as a source of labour and food, and to feed in abundance their growing working population. These aspects are what make a civilization come together, and have prosperity in an overall aspect. Egypt’s amazing feats of construction were able to be carried out so well because of this abundance. It gave them agricultural room to feed populous groups of workers with food to meet their nutritional demands. The only thing that was missing was outside interaction (Newman, 55).
Following an agricultural surplus, vast trading opportunities arose. Egypt took advantage of their abundant food supply and began to trade it for other goods. Acquiring new goods enabled them to develop ideas in building methods and technology boomed with the addition of more large and more capable boats, metals, and wood (Newman, 58-59). Foods such as grains were also used to barter and trade within Egypt, and it was a common source of currency. Trade opened up Egypt’s doors to new opportunity that allowed its people to move on into the golden age of the New Kingdom, and it all was made possible by the gift of the Nile, but more importantly, by the valuable irrigation systems that made Egypt a prosperous nation.
The Inca Empire was an ecologically diverse paradise. The majestic Empire started along the Pacific Ocean in the low coastal valleys, and stretched over the Andes, all the way down into the Amazon Rainforest. This great ecological diversity helped the Inca grow a large variety of crops as well as an abundance of food (The Incas Remembered). It was a nation of millions, built up around their astonishing irrigation and watersystems, some in which are still in used today (The Incas Remembered). The Incas built irrigation canals which were lined with millions of rocks, allong sloped to form retaining walls. These enabled them to carry water from the melting snows of the Andes and nearby rivers for up to five hundred miles (The Incas). Water ran through the cities in canals called runners, which is where the Inca people got water to wash, drink, and cook (The Incas Remembered). Water brought into the cities was so essential to people on the mountains. The location was indeed close to paradise, but difficult to collect and goods and necesities to support a large population, so they greatly relied on these canals. The Incas had a strict policy to use the land and water carefully, and to never be wasteful. Their amazing irrigation systems used water to its full advantage, even up on the slopes of terraced farmland. They had hundred of levels of fields built to last countless centuries. Drainage systems worked allong with the intake canals to help develop a vast and abundant surplus of crops. The irrigational effects were highly sophisticated; for the canals were able to provided water to the roots of plants during a drought, and during heavy rain, they provided drainage so that the crops wouldn’t become drowned (Inca). Furthermore, the canals also provided sediment which were rich in nitrates, and these nitrates were used as fertilizer. The Inca utilised this concept throughout their whole Empire, and their canals worked in partnership with their roads throughout the empire building an extensive variety of crops in various climates that enabled them to feed the entire population (Inca). Not only could they feed their entire population, but they also had a massive surplus, and due to their storage techniques and food preservation, they were able to build up and maintain seven years worth of surplus food. Food was also used as a means for trade, as the Incas had no currency (Inca). The Incas used their skill to create water systems to bring vast amounts of water to them. After contructing such amazing stuctures, they had the time and a greater ability to expand their empire; no longer did the have to search to get enough food and water, for it was brought right to their fingertips. To support a large population, there needs to be allot of food, and that requires steady and sophisticated irrigation systems that bring a constant supply of water. The Incas were truly skilled engineers, who developed water systems so advance that they are still being used today. They are the solid base that gave the Inca the ability to sustain a high standard of living, and emmense expantion.
The liquid treasure of water has always played an important role in developing civilizations. However, it was not always handed to humans in readily available reserves. The development of water systems in ancient civilizations proved to offer significant advantages to those who constructed them. They brought about the basis for influential and strong and long-lasting civilizations by giving them the power of life, the prosperity that can only sprout from water. The Romans built and expanded their empire, as well as its economic and social diversity using vast piping systems and the development of the great aqueducts which allowed them to build up their grand populous city. Egypt built up its remarkable empire using the firm base of well-designed irrigation and water systems, allowing it to prosper and expand with its immense surplus of foods. For the Inca Empire, their great water and irrigation systems were perhaps the most advanced of their time, enabling them to expand their empire throughout a vast part of South America. These civilizations developed outstanding systems to harness the potential of water. It was only through the development of these systems that they could grow to possess their large numbers and powerful Empires. They brought the key to abundance in food, customs and religious practices, communal gatherings, and the overall ability to prosper; for these great feats of engineering brought to them water, the very foundation of life.
Works Cited
Agriculture and Food. 7 April 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca>.
Ancient Irrigation. May 1999. 15 April 2007 <http://www.geology.ucdavis.edu/~cowen/~GEL115/115CH17oldirrigation.html>.
Boak, E.R and William G. Sinnigen. “The Emergence of Agriculture and Raising Livestock.” Ancient Civilizations. Ed. Don Nardo. Vol. 1. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2002. 40-50.
Boak, E.R and William G. Sinnigen. “The Founding of Rome, The Eternal City.” Ancient Civilizations. Ed. Don Nardo. Vol. 1. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2002. 211-218.
Inca. 7 April 2007
Newman, Garfield, et.al. Echoes from the Past. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 2001.
Postel, Sandra. Egypt’s Nile Valley Basin Irrigation. 15 April 2007 <http://www.waterhistory.org/histories/nile/t1.html>.
Roman Aqueducts. 7 April 2007
Shaw, Ian. Exploring Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
The Incas Remembered. DVD. Monterey Media Inc, 2005
The Incas. 22 April 2007
Trueman, Chris. Roman Baths. 15 April 2007 <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_baths.htm>.
Wilkinson, Gardner J. “The Ancient Egyptians; Their Life and Customs.” A Popular Account. Vol. 1. London: Bracken Books, 1988.
An In-Depth Comparison Between Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Treasure Island
Throughout history, novelists have always written about subjects that stir up the inner most passions and emotions of their readers. Subjects that captivate dreams and imaginations in ways nothing else can. Notable authors of the 1800’s came up with some of the most controversial tales for their time, for it was the Victorian age; a time of new and strong ideas fastened by the views of the church. For some of the most influential authors, this was a time when their text was taken beyond the story and out of context, stirring up some fiery emotions within the crowds. For Thomas Hardy, the author of Tess of the d’Urbervilles, this was definitely the case. His story of an innocent woman, tortured by the ideas of the church and the upper-class man, as well as the discussion of rape, was unthinkable to the Victorian reader. Hardy displayed Tess Durbeyfield as a victim of the times, “…Hardy was able half to suggest that Tess was more a passive victim of male aggression and idealization than an active participant in her own disastrous fate” (Brady 106). Writers of this time also captivated their readers imagination by taking them into tales only found in their wildest dreams. Robert Louis Stevenson captured his reader’s attention and drew their interest, but by using a different method compared to Hardy. In his classic novel Treasure Island, he tells of a tale of piracy, death and trickery, creating a story that would influence writers for years to come. It was his first full-length work of fiction, for which he became best-known; “In the 1800’s, despite his continuing poor health, Stevenson wrote many of his best-known works, Including Treasure Island” (“Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson.”). Although there is a difference in direct content of their stories, Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson display comparable lessons and themes in mistakes impacting the future, the display and loss of innocence due to a tragic or sudden event, and appearance vs. reality.
Throughout the history of man, mistakes have always had an impact on the future. In most cases, the fallout from these mistakes are negative, causing hardships and irreversible happenings. These types of situations can be found in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, where they mostly revolve around Tess, and her misfortune. Shortly after the beginning of the novel, Tess committed her first mistake when she took responsibility for her drunken father, Jack Durbeyfield. She made the mistake of delivering bee hives for him with the horse, even though she was unable to drive. On the trip, Tess falls asleep and collides with an on-coming buggy, killing Prince, the family horse. Due to the accident, Tess feels obligated to go to the d’Urberville mansion, starting her years of future trouble, and her connection to Alec d’Urberville; “Well, I killed the horse, Mother…I suppose I ought to do something” (Hardy 47). Later in the novel, Tess commits her second mistake through falling in love with a man named Angel Clare, an upper-class man apprenticing at Talbothay’s dairy. After having Alec’s child, Tess felt she could never get married, nor love another man; but after Angel’s persistence to pursue their love through marriage, Tess gives in and goes against her beliefs. This was a big mistake in judgment for Tess, as she puts aside her inner unrest. From the very start of their marriage, they were burdened with ill omen, as a cock crowed three times as they exited the marriage hall in the afternoon, bringing in the biblical reference of betrayal. Their quick marriage ultimately lead to a tragic collapse in the very near future, due to hidden secrets of Tess’s past with Alec. Tess’s third mistake, and the one that had the largest impact over her future, or the future she could have had, was the murder of Alec d’Urberville. This is what lead her to her ultimate demise; the very act that she felt was her escape from earthly suffering, and the only way to break the wall between her and Angel. Due to this mistake, Tess was wanted for murder and her life lasted not long after, as justice must be served.
Mistakes can also be seen impacting the future in the novel Treasure Island. In the case of this novel, Jim Hawkins is a young man torn from his peaceful life as an inn-keeper and brought out to sea with treasure hungry mutineers. It was his first mistake that got him into that chaos; taking the map from Captain Billy Bones’ chest. This made him the one with the key to dreamed of riches, and the target for other mutineers, as expressed by Dr. Livesey, “We are not the only men who know of this paper” (Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island, 40). After Jim is sucked into this treasure hunting adventure, he commits his second mistake just before they set sail. Just as Tess failed to reveal her secret before her marriage, Jim fails to express his concern about the sea cook, who he believed portrayed a striking resemblance to the one-legged buccaneer the captain had previously warned about. Thinking he knew better than his instincts, Jim kept silent, letting all of the honest crew set out to sea with a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates. Once on the island, Jim and his honest men sought out a stronghold for defense against the mutineers. This is when he commits his third mistake, leaving his men alone, and seeking Ben Gunn’s boat. Ben Gunn was a man found deserted on the island upon arrival, and Jim felt it necessary to find the boat he had made to cut their ship, the Hispaniola, loose. While Jim was gone, his men were left weak in their defense, and were ambushed by the mutineers. Jim, upon return, could see where his short expedition had got him. He was surrounded by dangers, and ashamed to look his men in the face.
Tragic or sudden events can often change a person’s life quiet drastically. In the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Tess displays innocence in her times before her many entanglements, but as the novel moves on, a tragic or sudden event brings about a loss of this innocence. Her innocence can be looked at from two perspectives, the physical perspective, as in her purity and virginity, but also an emotional and mental aspect, as in her innocence to experience and life’s troublesome manipulative ways. Unfolding from her first mistake, the death of Prince bring about Tess’s first loss of innocence. It becomes Tess’s first major experience with loss of life. She felt a sense of harm that for the first time, she had committed. The sorrow she felt over the matter drowned her in guilt, and stripped her of emotional innocence; once so free of any tragedy by her own doing, she was all of the sudden burdened with the death of the family horse. As Tess was sent to work off the loss of Prince, she encounters her first loss of innocence in a physical sense. When out near midnight returning to Trantridge from a nearby town, Alec offered Tess a ride home. When they take a break in the chase, Alec takes advantage of Tess and rapes her. This is a major turning point for Tess, for she is no longer innocent in terms of virginity. She becomes burdened with a child which forces her to grow up, and the unaccommodating townspeople force her to remain hidden to avoid harassment. Tess realizes how she was used, and questions her mother, Joan Durbeyfield, why she was never warned, “why didn’t you tell me there was danger in men folk? Why didn’t you warn me?” (Hardy 98). After years of anguish laid on Tess, she was driven to commit a crime that would rob her of any innocence she had to crimes of her own intentional doing. Tess decides to murder Alec d’Urberville, as she felt it to be the only release from her sufferings, and a cure for her and Angel. However it is through this action that Tess took the step to sin by her own will, losing the innocence she once had when she was sinned upon before. As a result, she lost her own innocence, as well as the innocence she had with society and the law; for she was now seen as a murderer.
Tragic or sudden events can also be seen leading to the loss of innocence in the novel treasure Island. Before Jim Hawkins even leaves for his hunt at sea, he is struck by the death of his father. It was the first death le had ever known, and due to the fact it was his own beloved father, he lost the innocence one has when they are a ignorant to the concept of death. This sudden tragedy hit Jim hard, and he was unable to think of anything else for some time. He was no longer afraid; “My poor father died quite suddenly, which put all other matters on one side” (Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island, 17). Just as in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, there can be seen a loss of innocence in these two characters, both resulting from their first death known. In both cases the character felt remorse, and something was lost in them that could never be replenished. After the tragic death of his father, Jim is quickly thrown aboard the great Hispaniola, the ship on which they would seek treasure with the Squire John Trelawney’s newly acquired crew. This sudden event forced Jim to lose the innocence he once had as a home-town boy. The great treasure hunt in which he was about to embark on was his first experience away from home, which surely brought on much more fear of the unknown world he had yet to experience. For Jim, this innocence to worldly experience was about to end, and he would have to adapt in order to survive. Their treasure hunting adventure suddenly came to a fork in the road when the mutineers turned on Jim and the rest of the honest crew. When Jim found himself alone aboard with one of these men, he believes his wits will get him out to safety. However, when Jim sees this man take out a knife, he knew there would only be one of them getting off alive. After constant betrayal and blood thirst from these mutineers, Jim was not feeling too sparing, and when the mutineer threw the knife at him, pinning his shoulder, he shot the pirate with his pistol, sending his lifeless body overboard into the blue sea. Just like Tess in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jim takes the life of another, which resulted from a sudden outburst of emotion, and tragic history. For Jim, once a law biding citizen who would never do wrong, this was a major loss of innocence, for like Tess, It was the first time he had committed such a crime out of his own will.
Life can be full of false appearances. One must always keep in the back of their mind the chance of a very different reality emerging; one which was never, or could never have been expected. In the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, appearance is often very different from reality. This can be seen starting from the beginning of the novel, as Tess’s mother, Joan Durbeyfield appears to be a generous caring mother. Tess always observes her working terribly hard for her family, and due to her husband Jack’s addiction to the bottle, she was seen as the major care taker and role model to the children, besides the obvious attention they showed towards Tess. However, Joan’s character, like many people struck with financial hardships, is quickly turned towards jealous and selfish like behavior when confronted with the idea of potential riches. Joan, upon hearing of the news from Trantridge, turns into a selfish, neglecting, and potentially dangerous mother. She carelessly sends Tess of to claim kin, not warning her of the potentially life altering outcome. When Tess returned pregnant, Joan says one of the most unimaginable statements imaginable, “Why didn’t ye think of doing some good for your family instead o’thinking only of yourself” (Hardy 97); truly showing the reality of her character, and her selfish worries. Another appearance seemingly full of potential was the whole idea around the job in Trantridge. The opportunity for Tess to go work for Alec seemed like her chance to help her family move up in life. Alec himself even seemed like a kind and generous man, giving her the job, and offering out any help to her family. Soon after this kind invite, Tess began to see what Alec was truly after; a woman, to simply satisfy his sexual urges. Starting out as a kind man at first appearance, Alec quickly turned into Tess’s worst nightmare, raping her, and burdening her with a child to raise all on her own thus beginning her life of troubles. When Tess finally met Angel, he is seen as a final relief; a way to ease her suffering. He was Tess’s first true love, the one that Tess would risk it all for, trusting herself to him in all aspects. Shortly after their marriage, Angel seemingly loses his senses, and becomes just another man out for the idealistic pure woman. Upon Tess’s revealing of her past, Angel abandons her, and moves to Brazil, leaving her once again to fend for herself. To Tess, this was a life ruining state of affairs which drove her to give up on all of society and herself.
Appearance is also very different from reality in the novel Treasure Island. However, unlike in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, the reality is not always completely destructive or disastrous, but instead starts new adventures. Starting from the beginning of the novel, Captain Billy Bones just seemed like another rum-soaked buccaneer with only the self illusion of valuable knowledge. He looked as if he was a man gone senile with no value to his words. However, upon arrival, he carried into the inn with him a chest which was shrouded in mysterious potential. After the poor captain’s death, his chest was opened disclosing a map which held the key to countless riches. Captain Bill surely knew more than he revealed, or what others thought of him. The valuable reality behind this seemingly unimportant Captain greatly influenced the novel and brought about the realization that had he survived, he would have had much more to offer. Before they all left to sea on the great Hispaniola, John Trelawney, the squire, believed to have set up a good crew, including a cook named John Silver. Jim and Dr. Livesey felt safe and settled in the squires confidence, as he told them he had put together the finest crew in England. For Jim, a trustworthy crew came as a great opportunity, but as Trantridge was for Tess in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, it was only in false appearance, overall too good to be true. Just as Tess learned the reality of Alec when it was too late, Jim learned the true character of the crew out at sea. The reality of his situation was that these men wanted the treasure, and if it took trickery and piracy to get it, then that’s what they would do. When Jim first meets Benn Gunn, he appeared to be a man who could only offer geographical help on the island. He seems to be a man faded to instincts and insanity after being stranded for a long three years. However, Ben turned out to be a bigger help than expected when the mutineers went to dig up the treasure, and it was apparently gone. It was Ben who notifies Jim of its location as he used his time while stranded to relocate the treasure. This put Jim and the honest men at the upper hand, now having control over the treasure; “…Ben Gunn, the half-idiot maroon, was the hero from beginning to end” (Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island, 214). Benn Gunn comes out as a final character in the novel dedicated to justice, first appearing as an unfortunate cast-away, then turning into the key to their chased success.
Thomas Hardy and Robert Louis Stevenson are both astounding writers who cleverly incorporated captivating themes into their novels. Hardy’s daring style in Tess of the d’Urbervilles to challenge society and the church brought through the harsh reality about the treatment of women. The strong lessons and morals displayed throughout the novel have the power to impact the reader, and its story has proven itself a classic, making Hardy of the most notable British authors. Through Treasure Island, Stevenson, although on a less controversial note, has also created a classic. It is seen to be one of the most adventurous novels of the 1800’s, packed with tales of betrayal, piracy, death and riches. In fact, it was unique in the idea that through all of the tale, there is no obvious emphasis on teaching morals. Morals or not, Treasure Island has influenced countless novels, as well as provided the base for many stories and films created thereafter. Though the content and general mood of their stories are different, Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Treasure Island display quite comparable lessons and themes which were essential to the novels. Past mistakes were most definitely seen impacting the future, especially for the two novel’s main characters, Tess and Jim. They remind society that for every action there is a reaction. There can also be seen a display and loss of innocence in these two characters, that was brought about by a sudden or tragic event, ultimately changing who they would be forever. Appearance vs. reality also proved to be a common theme; one in which brought the stories to a higher level of suspense, and gave the reader a deeper look into the true characters. The deep passions seen in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and the adventurous tales of Treasure Island will surely continue to influence both readers and writers to come. Not only do they tell fascinating tales, but they bring the reader back in time to experience life in another’s shoes, far more difficult than the experiences of today.
Works Cited
Brady, Kristin. “Critical Views on Tess of the D’Urbervilles.” Thomas Hardy:
Comprehensive Research and Study Guide; Blooms Major Novelists. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House publishers, 2003. 47-120.
Gordon, Jan B. “Origins, History, and the Reconstitution of Family: Tess’s Journey.” Modern Critical Views: Thomas Hardy. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 115-135.
Hardy, Thomas. Tess of the D’Urbervilles. New York: Penguin Group, 1980.
“Overview of Thomas Hardy.” in Discovering Authors, Gale Group, 1999. Student Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 06 March 2007
“Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson.” Discovering Authors. Online Edition. Gale. 07 March 2007
“Robert Louis Stevenson.” 2007. National Library of Scotland. 07 March 2007
“Robert Louis Stevenson.” Notable British Novelists. Ed. Carl Rollyson. Vol. 3. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2001. 883-890.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. “Treasure Island.” 1883. Novels for Students. Ed. Ira Mark Milne and Timothy Sisler. Vol. 20, Detroit, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005. 230-250.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. New York: Penguin Group, 1994.
“Tess of the D’Urbervilles.” The Literature Network. 07 March 2007
“Thomas Hardy.” Notable British Novelists. Ed. Carl Rollyson. Vol. 2. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2001. 445-460.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
The Great Milk Debate (My Version)
The Great Milk Debate
Milk, our very first food; just the thought seems to bring comfort to our minds. It is a product embedded into North American culture, seemingly promoted by every dietician, nutritionist and health organization around. It has even earned its own spot in the chart of essential food groups. However, despite all of this, milk is not actually as good for us as health authorities have lead us to believe. If you actually think about this idea for a moment, you will begin to see why. Cow’s milk is not even close to being pure, it has been proven to contribute to many illnesses and diseases, and all in all, it just isn’t natural for humans. This leads us to great discussion and debate. Who are we to believe, the ever changing science, or our parents and grandparents who continuously told us to drink our milk so we could grow up to be big and strong. My view is, just as people thought the earth was square, they thought milk was good, but through time, developing science has lead us to uncover many new discoveries which change our opinions.
As time moves on and technology advances, we are seeing an increasing amount of milk coming out of dairy farms. This raises a concern that the milk we drink is not pure, and it has gotten increasingly worse. Unfortunately, the massive increase in quantity is not due to more effective operations, but to drugs, antibiotics, hormones, forced feeding plans, and specialized breeding. These factors are responsible for taking the average milk production of an typical dairy cow from two thousand pounds per year in the fifties, to the massive fifty thousand pounds per year today (Kradjian). This would be great if it didn’t affect the milk, but it does. The milk you drink contains traces of the drugs used to increase production, and due to the fact that these developments have been fairly recent there have been no long term studies on their effects on humans. One in particular, BGH (Bovine Growth Hormone), has even been banned in some countries because the molecules often come out in the cows lactate (Kradjian). Thankfully, Canada is one of the countries that BGH has been banned in, but what about all of the food products that we import from countries that allow it? Furthermore, what about the additives, preservatives, pasteurization and homogenization processes, hormones and steroids that are aloud in Canada? During transportation, cows frequently catch fevers. To treat the fevers in the cows, a hazardous antibiotic called Chloramphenicol is often used. In rare cases, small amounts of this antibiotic can cause blood disease and aplastic anemia (Reichenberg). Although you may never her of such a case, I don’t think the risk brings about good qualities. Perhaps a more familiar drug would help people to relate, steroids. Just like BGH, traces of steroids can also be passed through in the cows milk (Reichenberg). I don’t think I have to explain the general effects of steroids, we hear about them quite regularly. Too commonly, they are used by professional athletes, especially in sports such as bodybuilding and powerlifting, where there seems to be an obvious incentive to grow. Now, acknowledging the affects of steroids, can you relate it to a current concern in today’s adolescents reaching puberty? In many cases, the young milk drinkers of today are reaching puberty far before they were meant to, and bodily growth seems to have lost any sort of consistent pattern. Then there is a little thing I like to call the vampire factor. As if all the drugs and chemicals weren’t enough, cow’s milk contains blood! I’m not just talking about a tiny molecule in a large glass; I’m talking about up to one and a half million white blood cells in only one milliliter of milk! That’s the equivalent to only one-thirtieth of an ounce (Kradjian)! These numbers are even aloud by the USDA! Cows are also constantly getting infections around their udders. These infections are treated with ointments and antibiotics, and the cows are still continuously milked. Pus from the infection then gets into the milk and is mixed in with milk collected from other cows. This brings up another problem. Through pooling the milk, contaminated milk is diluted with more milk, further spreading the contamination. A chilling example of this is the bovine Leukemia virus, a virus that can be found in three out of five dairy cows in the United States. This means that even though sixty percent of the cows milked directly contain the virus, after it is pooled, up to ninety-five percent of the milk is contaminated (Kradjian). Fortunately, pasteurization kills the virus, if all goes as planned that is, but I don’t find it too comforting that the milk I drink was once a cocktail of viruses and drugs. To end this off, when the milk is quality tested by their method only tests for two of the thirty or so drugs that may be found in milk, and again, the procedure is lax, for their needs to be fairly high levels present for the drug to even register in the test (Kradjian).
Yet another downfall to dairy products, and perhaps one of the most shocking, is one that is often never thought of. Excess or even small amounts of dairy products can lead to illness and even disease. I believe it would be safe to say that we all know someone, if it isn’t yourself who is in some way negatively affected by dairy products. It is even said that dairy products are second place on the charts for causing food related illness. As I say, milk is for babies. The reason why so many people have troubles digesting dairy is simply because they lose the ability to metabolize lactose, the main carbohydrate in milk, by the age of five (Kradjian). This is known as lactose intolerance. Many people are deficient in lactase which is the enzyme needed to digest lactose (Reichenberg). To lactose intolerant people, consuming dairy products can lead to gas, bloating, and bad cramps. Then there are dairy allergies, which is different from lactose intolerance. Dairy allergies often are the result of premature introduction to milk products. The digestive system of a newborn human baby is not as well equipped to handle cows milk especially the milk protein (Reichenberg). When dairy products are prematurely introduced, an allergy may develop for the infant, such as in the form of an ear infection, asthma and rashes (Reichenberg). However, this sensitivity to dairy can continue throughout ones entire life! Problems linked to the milk may include migraines, digestive problems, and studies have even shown a link to rheumatoid arthritis (Reichenberg). I know many people with dairy allergies, and although they are not as serious as to cause rheumatoid arthritis, they sure do put a large damper on the person’s ability to eat common foods. Our society has grown around dairy. Food industries love the stuff! What else can provide the same sweet thick and creamy texture for treats like ice cream and chocolate? It seems that its use has become so normal in our society, that the side affects are also seemingly normal, and nobody can find the sense to relate it back to the milk; or maybe they don’t want to, after all, who would give up all those dairy delicacies? But moving on to a more serious note, milk has also been linked to many more common diseases. Some of these diseases are linked to milk it self, but others can be linked to what is now added to the milk. Remember Bovine Growth Hormone? BGH manufactured by a company called Mansanto has been recorded to increase a dairy cow’s milk production by up to twenty-five percent (Cassel)! I would hate to spoil your views on the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) but they approved this genetically engineered hormone! Although this hormone does not cause cancer, it speeds up its growth. In a recent study, women with the highest levels of IGF-1 (also known as BGH) increased their risk of breast cancer by seven times! It also showed that men with the highest levels of IGF-1 had four times the risk of prostate cancer (Cassel). Then there have been studies that linked heart disease, obesity and even osteoporosis to dairy consumption (Reichenberg). Yes, to all those who have been drinking milk to prevent osteoporosis, milk is actually working to your disadvantage. Of course milk is loaded with calcium, but the question that everyone has forgotten to ask is can we as humans use this calcium? The answer is no. Many studies have shown that excessive amounts of dairy interfere with the calcium’s absorption, and the disproportionate amount of protein is in fact a major cause of osteoporosis. It seems that we North Americans have gotten all caught up in the idea that milk is the only source of calcium, but ill give you a point to ponder. If milk were the only good calcium source, than how does every other animal on this planet build healthy strong bones and in many cases, much larger than ours without drinking a drop of milk past infancy? They get it from where we should get it, leafy green vegetation. However, even carnivores have strong bone structures, which lead us to the inconvenient truth; that only we humans chose not to eat natural foods for our species, leading us to our increasing osteoporosis rates (Kradjian).
Milk, our very first food; just the thought seems to bring comfort to our minds. It is a product embedded into North American culture, seemingly promoted by every dietician, nutritionist and health organization around. It has even earned its own spot in the chart of essential food groups. However, despite all of this, milk is not actually as good for us as health authorities have lead us to believe. If you actually think about this idea for a moment, you will begin to see why. Cow’s milk is not even close to being pure, it has been proven to contribute to many illnesses and diseases, and all in all, it just isn’t natural for humans. This leads us to great discussion and debate. Who are we to believe, the ever changing science, or our parents and grandparents who continuously told us to drink our milk so we could grow up to be big and strong. My view is, just as people thought the earth was square, they thought milk was good, but through time, developing science has lead us to uncover many new discoveries which change our opinions.
As time moves on and technology advances, we are seeing an increasing amount of milk coming out of dairy farms. This raises a concern that the milk we drink is not pure, and it has gotten increasingly worse. Unfortunately, the massive increase in quantity is not due to more effective operations, but to drugs, antibiotics, hormones, forced feeding plans, and specialized breeding. These factors are responsible for taking the average milk production of an typical dairy cow from two thousand pounds per year in the fifties, to the massive fifty thousand pounds per year today (Kradjian). This would be great if it didn’t affect the milk, but it does. The milk you drink contains traces of the drugs used to increase production, and due to the fact that these developments have been fairly recent there have been no long term studies on their effects on humans. One in particular, BGH (Bovine Growth Hormone), has even been banned in some countries because the molecules often come out in the cows lactate (Kradjian). Thankfully, Canada is one of the countries that BGH has been banned in, but what about all of the food products that we import from countries that allow it? Furthermore, what about the additives, preservatives, pasteurization and homogenization processes, hormones and steroids that are aloud in Canada? During transportation, cows frequently catch fevers. To treat the fevers in the cows, a hazardous antibiotic called Chloramphenicol is often used. In rare cases, small amounts of this antibiotic can cause blood disease and aplastic anemia (Reichenberg). Although you may never her of such a case, I don’t think the risk brings about good qualities. Perhaps a more familiar drug would help people to relate, steroids. Just like BGH, traces of steroids can also be passed through in the cows milk (Reichenberg). I don’t think I have to explain the general effects of steroids, we hear about them quite regularly. Too commonly, they are used by professional athletes, especially in sports such as bodybuilding and powerlifting, where there seems to be an obvious incentive to grow. Now, acknowledging the affects of steroids, can you relate it to a current concern in today’s adolescents reaching puberty? In many cases, the young milk drinkers of today are reaching puberty far before they were meant to, and bodily growth seems to have lost any sort of consistent pattern. Then there is a little thing I like to call the vampire factor. As if all the drugs and chemicals weren’t enough, cow’s milk contains blood! I’m not just talking about a tiny molecule in a large glass; I’m talking about up to one and a half million white blood cells in only one milliliter of milk! That’s the equivalent to only one-thirtieth of an ounce (Kradjian)! These numbers are even aloud by the USDA! Cows are also constantly getting infections around their udders. These infections are treated with ointments and antibiotics, and the cows are still continuously milked. Pus from the infection then gets into the milk and is mixed in with milk collected from other cows. This brings up another problem. Through pooling the milk, contaminated milk is diluted with more milk, further spreading the contamination. A chilling example of this is the bovine Leukemia virus, a virus that can be found in three out of five dairy cows in the United States. This means that even though sixty percent of the cows milked directly contain the virus, after it is pooled, up to ninety-five percent of the milk is contaminated (Kradjian). Fortunately, pasteurization kills the virus, if all goes as planned that is, but I don’t find it too comforting that the milk I drink was once a cocktail of viruses and drugs. To end this off, when the milk is quality tested by their method only tests for two of the thirty or so drugs that may be found in milk, and again, the procedure is lax, for their needs to be fairly high levels present for the drug to even register in the test (Kradjian).
Yet another downfall to dairy products, and perhaps one of the most shocking, is one that is often never thought of. Excess or even small amounts of dairy products can lead to illness and even disease. I believe it would be safe to say that we all know someone, if it isn’t yourself who is in some way negatively affected by dairy products. It is even said that dairy products are second place on the charts for causing food related illness. As I say, milk is for babies. The reason why so many people have troubles digesting dairy is simply because they lose the ability to metabolize lactose, the main carbohydrate in milk, by the age of five (Kradjian). This is known as lactose intolerance. Many people are deficient in lactase which is the enzyme needed to digest lactose (Reichenberg). To lactose intolerant people, consuming dairy products can lead to gas, bloating, and bad cramps. Then there are dairy allergies, which is different from lactose intolerance. Dairy allergies often are the result of premature introduction to milk products. The digestive system of a newborn human baby is not as well equipped to handle cows milk especially the milk protein (Reichenberg). When dairy products are prematurely introduced, an allergy may develop for the infant, such as in the form of an ear infection, asthma and rashes (Reichenberg). However, this sensitivity to dairy can continue throughout ones entire life! Problems linked to the milk may include migraines, digestive problems, and studies have even shown a link to rheumatoid arthritis (Reichenberg). I know many people with dairy allergies, and although they are not as serious as to cause rheumatoid arthritis, they sure do put a large damper on the person’s ability to eat common foods. Our society has grown around dairy. Food industries love the stuff! What else can provide the same sweet thick and creamy texture for treats like ice cream and chocolate? It seems that its use has become so normal in our society, that the side affects are also seemingly normal, and nobody can find the sense to relate it back to the milk; or maybe they don’t want to, after all, who would give up all those dairy delicacies? But moving on to a more serious note, milk has also been linked to many more common diseases. Some of these diseases are linked to milk it self, but others can be linked to what is now added to the milk. Remember Bovine Growth Hormone? BGH manufactured by a company called Mansanto has been recorded to increase a dairy cow’s milk production by up to twenty-five percent (Cassel)! I would hate to spoil your views on the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) but they approved this genetically engineered hormone! Although this hormone does not cause cancer, it speeds up its growth. In a recent study, women with the highest levels of IGF-1 (also known as BGH) increased their risk of breast cancer by seven times! It also showed that men with the highest levels of IGF-1 had four times the risk of prostate cancer (Cassel). Then there have been studies that linked heart disease, obesity and even osteoporosis to dairy consumption (Reichenberg). Yes, to all those who have been drinking milk to prevent osteoporosis, milk is actually working to your disadvantage. Of course milk is loaded with calcium, but the question that everyone has forgotten to ask is can we as humans use this calcium? The answer is no. Many studies have shown that excessive amounts of dairy interfere with the calcium’s absorption, and the disproportionate amount of protein is in fact a major cause of osteoporosis. It seems that we North Americans have gotten all caught up in the idea that milk is the only source of calcium, but ill give you a point to ponder. If milk were the only good calcium source, than how does every other animal on this planet build healthy strong bones and in many cases, much larger than ours without drinking a drop of milk past infancy? They get it from where we should get it, leafy green vegetation. However, even carnivores have strong bone structures, which lead us to the inconvenient truth; that only we humans chose not to eat natural foods for our species, leading us to our increasing osteoporosis rates (Kradjian).
There is one main point and question that is often overlooked and has come up throughout these arguments. Is drinking bovine milk even natural? Well, as you may believe now the answer is definitely no. if we can come to accept the idea of drinking cows milk, than why can’t we just as easily accept the idea of drinking milk from a dog, cat, or even a rat? The principals are the same; the only difference is the animal’s ability to produce different quantities. The only reason why we as humans have chosen the cow was because of its potential large yield of milk, and its docile nature. Cow’s milk is no better suited for human consumption or growth compared to many other animals lactate. In fact, cow’s milk may even be among the worst. Just compare a human limb to the limb of a cow. It is easy to see that we require much more advanced and specific development and motor skills, incomparable to the bulky limb of a cow. The neurological development of a human is also highly dependant on proper and essential nutrients. We don’t have the primary need to grow as large in bone or muscle mass, or grow as quickly as a calf. This is why human mothers milk has up to ten times as much of the essential fatty acids, and in particular, linoleic acid. We don’t need the five to seven times the mineral content as found in cows milk (Kradjian). Furthermore, and on top of the fact that cow’s milk isn’t suitable for proper human development, why do we even drink milk past infancy? Milk is meant to be a short term source of nutrients for new-borns (Kradjian). Compare this to other mammals, the mother will only provide milk to the young for a very short time period, then will wean the young off to proper foods. Is nature not trying to tell us something? As I will say yet again, milk is for babies, and after weaning, it is time to go on to real proper foods, not back to milk, the liquid nutrient that was provided for us when we were unable to chew.
We live in a changing world. Change in styles, weather, and passions. Why can’t the idea of dairy change with it? Is it the only thing in this world that science has proven changed, yet we remain persistent to keep it the way it was? One thing that milk has in fact done is reveal human attachment. Milk is not pure, it causes illness and disease, and it is far from natural, yet we are relentless to keep it on our menus. It seems that the only solid reason we have for eating dairy products today is that it tastes good. In the everyday hustle bustle of North America, people can’t do without their smooth cream in coffee, the comfort of chocolate, or that refreshing taste of cold ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Embedded into our culture it is, and perhaps ever shall be; milk, our first food.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
A New and Lazy Society
Have you ever really sat back in the past little while, and thought of what has become of our society? Sure, many people would look around and say, “We are technologically advanced, and in an age of prosperity.” However, that is only looking at one part of the account. Having such an advanced technological society in things such as electronic devices, people are becoming lazy and out of shape. This is caused by the need for higher education due to the technology, the increase in past time electronics such as gaming devices, and the rise of hand held devices like cell phones and MP3 players. Overall, these seem like harmless devices, and they are; if only we were smart enough to find a happy medium.
At first, many may think, “A higher education, how could that be bad?” ill tell you how. The rise in technology has been the basis of many new discoveries and innovations. Due to this, we need a higher level of education, and often more, to meet the necessary requirements of society today. More work and studying means one thing; less time to do everything else! Between work and school, how are you supposed to find the time to exercise and eat right? Often times, people are forced to eat out at fast food restaurants, and exercise is out of the question, other than walking from class to class. Is this really what people were meant to do, sit in a chair for eight hours a day, studying? I think not! People spend 90 percent of their time sitting around doing nothing but move a pen, or type on a keyboard. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the leading causes for people gaining 20 percent of their bodyweight after post secondary, and it usually isn’t lean body mass!
One of the more evident causes of laziness in our society is now one of the biggest industries in the world, that’s right, the gaming industry. How many commercials do you see on TV for the newest game console, or game? These industries have this generation right where they want them; at home on the couch playing video games that are often purchased at ridiculous prices. Some people’s lives revolve around these games. It seems that is much easier to hit a home run, or score a goal in a game rather than go outside and do it yourself. It is becoming obvious that as more and more people go inside for gaming, the less people go outside. This is surely one of the major contributors to today’s unfit society, and will likely continue to worsen as the technology advances.
Perhaps the most noticeable of all technological changes in the past few years has been that of the cell phone, and portable audio devices. Almost everyone has one. The question is does this technology enhance or enslave us? I think the answer is that it enslaves us. People can no longer get away from phone calls and instant messaging. And then there are the brainless Mp3 players; which people will spend hours upon hours listening to. What ever happened to interacting with people? Not only does listening to music hour upon hour make you increasingly indolent, but furthermore, when people are hearing lyrics in today’s music like “I’m gonna knife ya sista” , it doesn’t necessarily help to bring up the people of tomorrow. In general, these pieces of technology can be used beneficially, but it all comes down to moderation.
Taken as a whole, technology has the potential to do great things; however, most people just haven’t found out how to incorporate healthy living with it. The need for education, new gaming devices, and the newest cell phones and MP3 players has certainly contributed to the increasingly lazier people of modern society. However, it mostly falls on the individuals self control to be able to moderate their usage. Take it from me; exercise doesn’t have to be boring; if you get out there in your community, the involvement in athletics can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime. For now, I’m happy with the fact that I don’t have a cell phone or Mp3 player, and that my XBOX rarely sees the light of day; I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Mr. 1000
Well, it seems that we at Popeyes got a special treat last month. A Korean man, that to us came to be known as Mr. 1000 , joined our gym for a two month trial. Of course, the first day we saw him was during our squat day.
All of us turned and looked, shaking ourheads at this tall man, with big glasses, and a cane by his side. Two one-hundred pound plates on each side of the bar, in the Power-Rack.
"Is he going to lift that?" We all asked ourselves.
Slowely but surely, the man walked up to the bar, but first before getting under it, he took a few big leaps into the air, yelling "Im a kangaroo,...Im a kangaroo!!"
The man got underneath the mammoth weight, and hoisted it out of the rack, tacking two unsure steps backwards. He prepares to squat, all of us watching in amazement, (but mostly fear). he began to squat, knees starting to go forward. We had to close our eyes, but then, a sound of a bar hitting a pin calmed our nerves. He had placed the safety pins at shoulder height, ...what a relief!
After five reps, he set it back in the rack, looking over for a sign of the Powerlifters approval. "Thats a lot of weight", we tell him.
"No, this is my warm up weights", he says. "Im going to the Beijing games to squat 1000 pounds in 2007.
Now by this point, we know that something is up. We decide it would be better to let him be. however, this is easier said than done for me and my buddy Sam. He seemed to take real interest in who he started to call , " Mr. Olympia and Hercules". He walked over to Sambo and asked if he would jump up onto his shoulders, so he could run up and down the stairs. Sam and I both looked at eachother, trying our hardest not to laugh. Sam turned to him and said, "no, that would make me very uncomfortable". Its seemed to damper his spirits, but in no time, he was back to his good old self.
Now this was not the only day we saw him, ohh nooo. he came for about two weeks; telling us his stories, and informing us on his knowledge. The one day he walked up to me, and randomly stated that Polar Bears can get six feet tall. I assured him the may be able to get a bit taller than that, and he looked a little worried, as if he wanted to fight one. Then, there were his great diet habits. he told us that in order to get the proper protein, and keep our hearts healthy, we needed to eat a triple cheese burger from Harvey's, and some fries with extra gravey. I would go on to tell you his reasoning, but you get the point.
However, there was one thing that stood out the most. After the two weeks , and we had witnessed all that we could of near death situations under 500 lbs, and plates sliding off bars, he left telling everyone that he was heading off to buy RIM Park. Surely, this left us pondering the thought, but nevertheless laughing, figuring we would never see him again.....WRONG!
It just so happens that by coincidence, i had gone to RIM Park to watch my cousins hockey game. As I walked in the door, I glanced over to my left, toward Williams Coffee shop, and there he was, Mr.1000 himself, enjoying a relaxing time on a bench. His cane lay beside him, and he wore a huge racoon hat, and a large winter coat. I couldnt believe it, and before he saw me, I turned and ran bursting into laughter (looking like a goof in the crowds of people).
After controlling myself, a walked over to the bench, and took a seat beside him, thinking for this one day, it may be more entertaining than a hockey game.
I went on to ask him about his planned purchase of RIM. The way he described it was, RIM ripped him off, stealing all his brilliant ideas like Einstein's. He specifically recalls telling RIM to make the building colourfull and stylish, which it appears to be, yet he never saw a PENNY of royalties! He also talked about how they stole his ideas for blackberry, yes thats right, he says he invented some of the audio components for blackberry!
This whole ordeal with RIM greatly angers him he tells me. In fact, he plans on taking them to court and getting back his millions of unpaid royalties. After he reaps his profits, he is planning to buy out this public institution (good luck bud), and name it "St. Billy Millenium Park"
I'm sure I'll meet up with him some day in the future, and now, I'm actually looking forward to it. My luck, he'll get millions of dollars, and read this blog and not give me a penny! lol
All of us turned and looked, shaking ourheads at this tall man, with big glasses, and a cane by his side. Two one-hundred pound plates on each side of the bar, in the Power-Rack.
"Is he going to lift that?" We all asked ourselves.
Slowely but surely, the man walked up to the bar, but first before getting under it, he took a few big leaps into the air, yelling "Im a kangaroo,...Im a kangaroo!!"
The man got underneath the mammoth weight, and hoisted it out of the rack, tacking two unsure steps backwards. He prepares to squat, all of us watching in amazement, (but mostly fear). he began to squat, knees starting to go forward. We had to close our eyes, but then, a sound of a bar hitting a pin calmed our nerves. He had placed the safety pins at shoulder height, ...what a relief!
After five reps, he set it back in the rack, looking over for a sign of the Powerlifters approval. "Thats a lot of weight", we tell him.
"No, this is my warm up weights", he says. "Im going to the Beijing games to squat 1000 pounds in 2007.
Now by this point, we know that something is up. We decide it would be better to let him be. however, this is easier said than done for me and my buddy Sam. He seemed to take real interest in who he started to call , " Mr. Olympia and Hercules". He walked over to Sambo and asked if he would jump up onto his shoulders, so he could run up and down the stairs. Sam and I both looked at eachother, trying our hardest not to laugh. Sam turned to him and said, "no, that would make me very uncomfortable". Its seemed to damper his spirits, but in no time, he was back to his good old self.
Now this was not the only day we saw him, ohh nooo. he came for about two weeks; telling us his stories, and informing us on his knowledge. The one day he walked up to me, and randomly stated that Polar Bears can get six feet tall. I assured him the may be able to get a bit taller than that, and he looked a little worried, as if he wanted to fight one. Then, there were his great diet habits. he told us that in order to get the proper protein, and keep our hearts healthy, we needed to eat a triple cheese burger from Harvey's, and some fries with extra gravey. I would go on to tell you his reasoning, but you get the point.
However, there was one thing that stood out the most. After the two weeks , and we had witnessed all that we could of near death situations under 500 lbs, and plates sliding off bars, he left telling everyone that he was heading off to buy RIM Park. Surely, this left us pondering the thought, but nevertheless laughing, figuring we would never see him again.....WRONG!
It just so happens that by coincidence, i had gone to RIM Park to watch my cousins hockey game. As I walked in the door, I glanced over to my left, toward Williams Coffee shop, and there he was, Mr.1000 himself, enjoying a relaxing time on a bench. His cane lay beside him, and he wore a huge racoon hat, and a large winter coat. I couldnt believe it, and before he saw me, I turned and ran bursting into laughter (looking like a goof in the crowds of people).
After controlling myself, a walked over to the bench, and took a seat beside him, thinking for this one day, it may be more entertaining than a hockey game.
I went on to ask him about his planned purchase of RIM. The way he described it was, RIM ripped him off, stealing all his brilliant ideas like Einstein's. He specifically recalls telling RIM to make the building colourfull and stylish, which it appears to be, yet he never saw a PENNY of royalties! He also talked about how they stole his ideas for blackberry, yes thats right, he says he invented some of the audio components for blackberry!
This whole ordeal with RIM greatly angers him he tells me. In fact, he plans on taking them to court and getting back his millions of unpaid royalties. After he reaps his profits, he is planning to buy out this public institution (good luck bud), and name it "St. Billy Millenium Park"
I'm sure I'll meet up with him some day in the future, and now, I'm actually looking forward to it. My luck, he'll get millions of dollars, and read this blog and not give me a penny! lol
Mr. 1000, WE SALUTE YOU!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
The 5 Most Influential People on Modern Bodybuilding
The 5 Most Influential People on Modern Bodybuilding
At the end of the nineteenth century, muscle was no longer just seen as a way of survival, but also as a new beauty. There came about a return to the Greek ideology; muscular development as a form of art and celebration. Stone lifting turned to weight lifting, changing cultures around the world. Then, this ideology of weight lifting formed the professional strongman, which later branched off into a totally new sport, the sport of bodybuilding. Thanks to a few outstanding individuals, bodybuilding has grown into the great sport that dominates physical culture today.
At the end of the nineteenth century, muscle was no longer just seen as a way of survival, but also as a new beauty. There came about a return to the Greek ideology; muscular development as a form of art and celebration. Stone lifting turned to weight lifting, changing cultures around the world. Then, this ideology of weight lifting formed the professional strongman, which later branched off into a totally new sport, the sport of bodybuilding. Thanks to a few outstanding individuals, bodybuilding has grown into the great sport that dominates physical culture today.
#5)
During the Victorian age, men wore confining and sophisticated clothing, and hidden was the thought of unclothed men as the subjects in art and photographs. But during the turn-of-the-century, a physical culture idol arose by the name of Eugen Sandow. Sandow went on tour as “the world’s strongest man” in the 1890’s, out doing strongman competitors at their own sport. However, a certain quality set Sandow apart from the other competitors. This quality was his symmetrical and muscular male physique, which at this time was generally unseen. Sandow became a superstar, earning a fortune through books and magazines. He eventually started a contest in where men’s body measures were compared, and physique was observed to declare an overall winner. In turn, this started the first competition of its kind, taking the first step towards bodybuilding as we know it today. This influential contribution to the sport of bodybuilding puts Eugen Sandow at number five in the countdown!
#4) 
Skipping ahead into the modern era of bodybuilding, there was a bodybuilder by the name of Lee Haney, who changed the standards for the present day sport. Lee Haney began winning competitions in 1979, when he was crowned “Teen Mr. America”. He continued competitive bodybuilding for 25 years, competing in 24 major and world renowned competitions. But what made Lee Haney stand out was his professional career in the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders), where he competed in the prestigious Mr. Olympia contest. Before Lee Haney, the famous name of Arnold Schwarzenegger dominated the bodybuilding scene for his unmatched seven-time Mr. Olympia titles, 6 of them being consecutive. However, Lee Haney came out to smash this record, with his unprecedented eight consecutive wins at the Olympia. This amazing achievement awed the world of bodybuilding, setting the standard one step higher, through both his achievements, and his physique. Lee Haney went on to be an educated trainer, working alongside some of the worlds top athletes. He has established well renowned fitness centers, and has created and contributed to many non-profit charity facilities, such as a retreat facility for children, and a petting zoo. These, as well as many other great things, put Lee Haney at number four!
#3) 
There are a few people in this world that are true mentors, people who stand out in the crowd, inspire and influence others; people who are born leaders. For the sport of bodybuilding, this person was none other but Reg Park. Reg Park was a true leader and mentor; it was his god-given talent. He became an idol in physical culture, not only because of his character, but also because of his achievements. In the fifties, Park was known as one of the strongest men in Europe, competing in both strongman, and bodybuilding competitions. He achieved a 500 pound bench press, which was the first ever in Europe, equaling the standards set by world class weight lifters. This changed the way bodybuilders looked at heavy weight training. Before, many were satisfied with lifting their own body weight, and using light weigh for higher reps. Reg Park redefined the way people looked at training. His poundages were staggering, and the results he was getting attracted the attention of many, inspiring some of the past’s, and today’s top bodybuilders. Reg Park has been an inspiration to many, and he gave another new outlook to the sport for many to benefit from. All in all, this puts Reg Park at number three in the countdown!
#2) 
There was one man in the history of bodybuilding, who took the sport to an all new high. He redefined the meaning of fame and stardom, and brought the sport into global fame. This man was the one, the only, Arnold Schwarzenegger. For the sport of bodybuilding, there could have been no greater success story than Arnold. He started out as an Austrian farm boy, breaking into gyms at night to train, and putting much of his life behind him for his true passion. But Arnold was a business man, he knew his goals, and bodybuilding was one of the steps he took towards national stardom. Winning title after title in Europe, Arnold moved to the United States, on a chance for fame and fortune. Starting a new life in America, Arnold became affiliated with other bodybuilding greats, such as Franco Columbu, and also got to meet a man named Joe Weider. With the help of Weider, Arnold became a bodybuilding superstar, being the first to win a massive seven Mr. Olympia titles. Arnold also began to get known in the film industry. Unfortunately for Arnold, his thick accent and long name steered many producers away in the beginning. Arnold’s early struggles to enter the world of Hollywood later proved to help, setting his now well known macho action hero persona. All this media attention has definitely helped draw attention to the bodybuilding world. His role in his first big film, the documentary “Pumping Iron”, has made bodybuilding more socially acceptable, and noticed. Today, Arnold has even moved into politics, creating an even bigger draw into the world of bodybuilding, bringing it even further into the public eye. Arnold has also contributed to countless, charities, and has led the way with organizations such as the Special Olympics. His contributions to the sport of bodybuilding and to society are countless. Thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilding has become the well known amazing sport it is today, putting him at number two!
#1)
Looking back at how far bodybuilding has come, and at what bodybuilding is today, there must have been a person who inspired it all; a founder of the sport. That founder was Joe Weider. However, he could not have done it without the help from his brother, Ben Weider. Together, these two great men came to be known as the founding fathers of modern bodybuilding. Joe and Ben were born into a small tough town in Montreal Quebec. Forced to toughen up to defend themselves from the neighborhood bullies, Joe began to train using scraps from the local junkyard. As he noticed changes, he began to realize that there must be others out there with similar ambitions, so Joe Weider, with just seven dollars in his pocket, started to create a small newsletter called Your Physique. It sold for almost nothing, but soon it became widely distributed, and the brothers soon turned it into muscle and fitness magazine, which became a well known publishing in its field. Now Joe Weider has many publications, including books, and a number of magazines such as the famous FLEX magazine. Their publications have attracted attention to the sport that nothing else before has done, not to mention the massive fitness revolution it has brought about. They also went on to create their own line of exercise equipment, and nutritional supplements. Ben Weider also became the founder of the IFBB, (the International Federation of Bodybuilders), which brought competition to a whole new level, and Joe soon followed to add the Mr. Olympia contest in 1965, seen as the “super bowl” of bodybuilding competitions. They also began to reward the winners with money, and provided many athletes with the financial support needed to stay in the competitions, which was never done in the past. Joe Weider also realized that women had a dedication to the sport, and in turn started the Ms. Olympia contest, for female athletes. Overall, these two brothers from a small Montreal neighborhood have shown outstanding dedication to the sport of bodybuilding, and to the entire fitness community. Their efforts can be seen everyday in our society, and the inspiration to the athletes in the sport has been unimaginable. Their legacy has forever changed the sport of bodybuilding, and made it what it is today, making Ben and Joe Weider the most influential people on modern bodybuilding!
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