Higher Education or Educators for Hire

The film below should act as an eye opener. I challenge you to watch it. Sitcoms and sports can wait for a change. This is reality.



I have a 4 year degree in photography and digital imaging.
Was it worth it? NO.
Did I learn stuff? Yes.
Did I learn how to be a photographer? NO. Nothing against my professors. Even they told me it's a "hands on" career.
Did any of the apprentices I tutored during my photography career have the slightest clue what to do, even after graduation? NO.

So why spend all that time and money on a degree? ???

On the other hand, my wife has a Masters Degree in Social Work focusing on children and youth. Was it worth it, to her? NO.
Was it worth it for society? YES!
But, with her fancy shmancy degree and very good (earned) grades, she still made less than me, and still makes less than I did before I left the photography world. And consider this... In a national magazine (like Time, I think) they listed the top 10 jobs with the lowest pay and the most unhappiness. PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER was in that list. This means that I had one of the worst jobs and I still made more money than my wife who is serving society in a meaningful way.

Another thing that is worth consideration.
In high school I learned critical thinking, chemistry, physics, geometry, algebra, (could have learned calculus and pre-trig if I had applied myself), biology, A&P, government, US history, proper use of the English language to formulate words and sentences into paragraphs (when I choose), and how to present subject matter in a compelling way via written word (reports, stories, etc).

What about in college? Here it is easier to summarize what I didn't learn. I did not learn the value of completing projects on time and as required. I didn't learn to prioritize my time. I didn't learn how to learn. I was not taught how to study the subjects presented to me, nor was I taught how to present what I had studied. This is not to blame my college or university of choice. I attended four different institutions in four different states. This isn't to say that you can't or that people don't learn valuable things, but it is to say that the very place lauded as an institution of 'higher learning' was actually a breeding ground for laziness and corrupt 'begging' for a passing grade (lobbying).

So education does benefit society in some ways but as the film pointed out it is not nearly as great as they would have us believe. My high school education is of much more value to me now than my more recent college education ever can prove to be. Nobody cares that I have a degree. No one has ever asked to see it, and probably never will. What people do ask to see is my skills and abilities. Can I do tasks? Am I able to communicate? The majority of the work that made this country a great and powerful wealthy (in the world) nation was done by people with no college education, and likely very little education at all up until the past 30 - 50 years. School does not make you successful. Drive, initiative, work ethics, and plain simple work makes you successful.

I should be a farmer. Rain or shine, I would always have a job.

Would you work for $3.05 per hour?

The following information was gleaned from a huge money diagram from this link: http://xkcd.com/980/
It's interesting that companies continue to have to lay people off, yet the pay of the CEO's continues to rise. In fact, the average pay for the worker has dramatically decreased over time when inflation is taken into account. Even with inflation, the CEO pay has continued to rise. What is the justification for this increased pay? Companies continue to send the work to other countries, take away benefits and sometimes even embezzle the money they 'earned' for their companies. It comes as no surprise that the average CEO pay has skyrocketed, since they are paid millions of dollars a year to do a job that really isn't all that spectacular. What shocked me was how little the average worker's increase has been, and how inflation has actually made it a decrease rather than an increase. Take a look at the diagram (linked above and below) for a lot more information about how money was and is distributed.

Worker / CEO Comparison 1965 vs 2007

Worker:
1965: Avg Hourly Income $19.61
2007: Avg Hourly Income $19.71
Change of:
Not adjusted for inflation: 8.4%
Adjusted for inflation: -84.4%

CEO Typical Pay:
1695: Avg Pay for same period: $490.31
2007: Avg Pay for same period: $5,419.97
Change of:
Not adjusted for inflation: 1,105%
Adjusted for inflation: 171%

Actual comparative buying power:
$19.61 in 1965 had the same buying power as $126.84 in 2007.
$19.71 in 2007 had the same buying power as $3.05 in 1965.
$490.31 in 1965 had the same buying power as $3,171.30 in 2007.
$5,419.97 in 2007 had the same buying power as $837.97 in 1965.

sources:
http://xkcd.com/980/
http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm

Hey Texans! Heads up!

Anyone who is in need of a good place to live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area of Texas, I have a deal for you! Living in the city can be problematic and stressful, and much of the time there is no escape. But now there is hope. Someone I know has a beautiful house for rent in Burleson, TX, which is just minutes from Dallas - Fort Worth. I've been to this house, and I've gotta say that you have no idea you are in or near the big city. The community it is in has set aside plenty of natural forest and lakes to preserve a calm and peacefulness that is very hard to find these days. Not only that, but the country club (golf course), swimming pool, great schools and surrounding hiking trails will be enough to lure you home day after day without a second thought of going anywhere else.

Located in Mountain Valley, this comfy 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house will provide you with comfort as well as convenience. To find out more about this house for rent in Burleson, TX visit BurlesonTxHome.com today!

Have Your Vegan Cake, And Eat it Too! - Easy Vegan Desserts Recipes

Eating dessert seems to be an American tradition. How many times have you been caught off guard when, after a tasty meal, no dessert is offered? Such a departure from the norm can make us feel disoriented and a maybe even a little sad. So when you decide to become vegan, the question of dessert is very important. The problem? Most desserts are not vegan, but are made with lots of butter, cream, milk and eggs. Not to worry, though. A great easy vegan desserts recipe book is here to save the day! Are You Sure That's Vegan? makes great strides in crossing the void of 'animal-free dining' and a 'desert without dessert'.

Sadly, many people think that a vegan diet is boring, bland and tasteless. This simply is not true, and certainly doesn't need to be the case for vegan desserts. I've written a review of Are You Sure That's Vegan?, so I won't rehash that here, but I will share a few key points for you.

Here is just a tiny taste of what this book has to offer:

• 55 Delicious Vegan Dessert Recipes
• Instructions on how to replace eggs, milk, cream, etc
• Specific guidance to get the recipes right with the difference of ingredients
• 'Tools' list - pans, decorating, baking

Have a look at the full review of Are You Sure That's Vegan? at TheReasonsToBeAVegan.com and be sure to leave a comment!

Wealthy Affiliate University Black Friday $1 Deal - What You Stand to Gain

Wealthy Affiliate University Black Friday $1 Deal 
- Putting You in Control

Seeking wealth. It's something that most of us, if not all, are trying to do. Why else would we slave so hard at our jobs? But a typical job usually doesn't produce wealth, or the freedom that we are really seeking through wealth. Instead we are enslaved to keep working or go hungry, with no chance of climbing out of the rut and experiencing the big picture of how to truly be free. Now, today, you can catch a glimpse of what you and so many others have been missing. How? By taking advantage of the best opportunity you will ever have to learn what it takes to earn a living working on the internet. I'm talking about the Wealthy Affiliate University Black Friday $1 Deal.

So what is Wealthy Affiliate? Just in case you don't already know I'll summarize: WA (Wealthy Affiliate as it's know to the community) is an online training and implementation school focused entirely on internet marketing. It can sound a little bit boring but it isn't boring at all. Why? Because at WA you are taught the principles and introduced to the tools of internet marketing, but are not told what to market. That is the beautiful part. So for me, I chose several different paths to go down, one after the other. I started with one of my strongest passions, nutrition, and built a website marketing related information like books, DVDs and cookbooks. I also love technology so I have another website about handheld electronics, specifically the Kindle Touch. You see, it's up to you to implement the knowledge you gain at Wealthy Affiliate. It certainly isn't about selling WA memberships, though that is an opportunity you can take advantage of if you choose.

There are so many good reasons you might want to join WA, but for this upcoming 1 month $1 trial there are some even greater reasons that before. The owners of WA, Kyle and Carson, have worked up a truly exciting schedule of brand new topics to present. These guys stay on top of the ever changing internet and pass the knowledge on to the members. That is why people who join stay for years and years, because what can be learned never ceases. Internet marketing is a bit of a science, and like all scientific disciplines if you don't keep up with the growth of the field you eventually left out in the cold. That is the true value of Wealthy Affiliate, you are always given the most up-to-date information on the important changes taking place, and how to react to them.

Wealthy Affiliate University Black Friday $1 Deal
- Month-long Training Schedule

Some of the training K&C have planned is exciting to me, and I've been a member at WA for months. One of the coolest things WA has to offer is the live video training that happens every week, affectionately called 'WAbinars' by members. You get to watch and learn, and ask questions of the presenter who answers them on the spot in real-time. Here is a list of most of the training topics coming up during the one month trial (two of them they are keeping secret, even from current memebers. These are sure to be awesome!)

• Everything Google +, Business pages, and Authorship - should we care or is it a waste of time?
• A Complete Walk Through of Wealthy Affiliate - You'll learn where to start and where to go to make the most of WA
• The New World of Backlinks - I'm excited about this one!
• Create Your Own Brand - Guidance one making your site your 'own'
• Social Local - How to use internet marketing to benefit, and benefit from, local enterprises
• Getting Graphic With It - Not an artist? No problem. You'll be shown the best ways to make your sites pretty, and get training on how to make good art choices.
• SECRET Topic I
• SECRET Topic II

Now that is a LOT of training. Most websites would probably charge you about $10 each for this training, but with the Wealthy Affiliate University Black Friday $1 Deal (what a mouthful) you'll get all of them for your $1! But that isn't even the half of it. There are also Live Chat Discussions with Kyle & Carson that will be topic specific, set up specifically for new members. These chat sessions are invaluable because it's an open conversation with the presenters as well as the members. Here are those topics:

• Hidden Gems within WA - I don't want to miss this one!
• The Future of Social
• OUR SECRET to 10 Years of online success - an I don't want to miss this one, either
• Content, Content, Content (how to get it ranked)

Whew, that is so much training! It's a good thing it is spread out over the course of a month or even I would feel overwhelmed.

As you can see the Wealthy Affiliate University Black Friday $1 Deal is by no means a sham, scam, dirty deal or a waste of your time. In fact, if you don't learn enough in the one month to have an income stream started, I'll wager you simply didn't try! It's that good. Seriously. But, as we are taught at WA, you must take action - so join now because this deal only lasts four days from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. And I'll see you there! Look for user 'Marvin' and add me as a buddy. Together, we will achieve success.

Wealthy Affiliate Black Friday $1 Deal!

Wealthy Affiliate Black Friday - Why You Must Not Miss This $1 Deal
How long have you been searching for a legitimate way to earn money working online? If you're like me, a very long time. But that is all about to change for you. Why? Because you have just found the absolute best place to learn how to earn money on the internet. And now you can get this great training during the Wealthy Affiliate Black Friday $1 full one month trial!

I won't make outlandish claims here. The internet isn't an open ATM just waiting for you to walk by. It is a gold mine, though. But what does that really mean? Let's just think about an actual real-world gold mine for a minute. You first have to identify a precise location for where to mine. Then you need to have the tools to use and the knowledge of what to do with the tools. Then you do work. LOTS of work. And what do you get in return? You find veins, or lines, of gold to follow. As long as you make subtle changes with how the vein moves through the ground, you continue bringing home the bucks. Simple! Right?

Well, it is simple, but like anything that makes real money, it isn't easy to do. Again, it takes work. This is where Wealthy Affiliate comes in. The amount of training you'll get there cannot possibly be absorbed in one month. I'm not sure you could even learn everything in a year. That isn't because it is hard or complex to learn, but because there is simply a LOT of training materials for many different aspects of internet marketing. But you don't need to learn it all to get started, either. I'll use myself as an example.

I joined Wealthy Affiliate University in August of 2011. At that time, and even now, I have absolutely no extra money to spend on anything beyond the membership to WA. So let me tell you, I have been doing all of my methods for FREE. I just have no choice, but that is OK because there are plenty of ways to succeed without monetary investment. The only extra expense I had to absorb was buying a web domain. These cost between $8 - $12 for one year. Not a big deal. And that is it. Literally. You won't have to spend another dime. There is nothing else to buy, at all. But I digress. Back to my story.

As of today, November 23, 2011 I have several websites up and running and, of those, two are on page one of Google search results. I'm making some money, but not a lot. One of my sites so far has earned me just shy of $90. I know, that is a pittance. But not to worry. The product I'm selling has only been available for about 2 weeks. Not bad. I spent $12 on a domain name, put in a couple of days to learn how to make the site and write the content. Now I've earned 800% of my initial investment! I'd say that is a pretty good ROI, wouldn't you?

I bet by now you want to know a little more about what you can learn as a member of Wealthy Affiliate, so here you go. I won't list all of what you'll get for your $1 simply because it is too  long of a list. Or you can skip my summary and see for yourself on the Wealthy Affiliate Blog.

Just a few of the features offered by the Black Friday $1 Deal:

• 30 Day Success Club - This is priceless structure and guidance to get you up and running in no time
• Web hosting for up to 3 domain names - this saves you at least $10/mo if not more
• Access to the owners, Kyle and Carson, personally. No joke.
• A catalog of over 60 hour of video training
• 4 Live Video Training Sessions! (These are awesome. You get to ask questions, too)
• WA Forum - This is really helpful. Got a question? A helpful answer is only a post away.
• WA Jobs - Earn money to pay for next months membership!
• And so much more...

Really, if you have been on the fence about this, then you need to join now. But don't do it today. Wait until Black Friday thru 'Cyber Monday'. You have four days to take advantage of the Wealthy Affiliate Black Friday $1 Deal. Happy Thanksgiving and I'll see you on the inside! Be sure to look for user "Marvin" and say hi. I'll be glad to walk with you on your journey to internet income success.

My latest venture into photography income

Theres a new website in town! BoiseRealEstatePhotography.com is up and running. Google doesn't see it, yet, so you can't find it via search. Probably by tomorrow...
It's not much and really isn't very fancy. I need to get some work on there that I have a chance to spend some time on, not these rush jobs that pay diddly.
This little site is just a way to show people I exist and have a camera. Hopefully I'll be able to really take some time on the next one and make some portfolio quality images. Let me know what you think!

Finding the news is like mining for gold

Want to know what is happening in the world? Don't look to the major news outlets. Look here to see how we're being tricked by these 'news' companies, and maybe see some lesser reported news in the mean time. Is there any integrity in the media anymore?
http://newsabusers.blogspot.com/

Kindle Touch Lighted Cover Website

Surprise! I've launched a new website today, in the wee hours of the morning. Introducing KindleTouchLightedCover
It's a very simple site, but it has the relevant information. As soon as I can get my grimy mitts on one of these, I'll do a video review. In the mean time, words will have to do. Is anyone itching to get the new Kindle Touch? I know I am! Have a look see, and keep me in mind when you go to make your purchase. It's all through Amazon but if you shop for a Kindle Touch Lighted Cover via my site you'll help me put some bread on the table.

Shh...It's a Secret

I've got another new website coming! This one I think anyone can appreciate. It's called VeganFoodList.org and will feature anything and everything that is vegan food. If I can find it I want to list it. As of right now there is very little to see, but I'm starting to build my vegan food lists and will launch the site in the coming weeks. Until then, I'll be blogging my progress at the site. I have some ideas about the graphics, but I'm not yet decided how intense I'll get with that. I DO want it to look pretty and be fun, so I have some design work ahead of me.
Enjoy the vegan food lists and enjoy eating, right.

Forks Over Knives

I got Forks Over Knives in the UPS today! I watched it almost immediately. I must say that for those of you who are not going to read The China Study, you must watch Forks Over Knives. I already knew almost all of the information presented (because I've read these gentlemen's books, and done a lot of other research into nutrition) and I was still blown away at the excellent presentation and clarity of message. Most of the time documentary films tend to whine, moan and complain about all the ills of some negative point or evil corporation. But the Forks Over Knives documentary film did no such thing. While there are some necessary un-pleasantries that must be discussed, the majority of the film is very positive and upbeat, sharing any and all of the great reasons to learn more about nutrition and it's effects upon our health.

Dr.'s T Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn have teamed up in Forks Over Knives to present a compelling and action calling narrative on America's current state of health, and they back it all up with ancient and modern history and decades of research. I doubt you will find a better way to spend 96 minutes and a few of your hard earned dollars than to watch this riveting, and at times heart-wrenching, film.

Forks Over Knives isn't an emotional roller coaster, in fact it doesn't even play much on emotions other than humans struggling for a healthy life (and who doesn't want that?). None the less I found myself taking in the ramifications of the film as it neared it's conclusion with tears streaming down my cheeks. I had been taking notes and still tried to carry on, but the words ran sideways across the lines of the page and I had to stop. I learned then and there, today, that I have a great passion for this knowledge of health and happiness to be shared with people. So much confusion exists about what is healthy and what is not, mostly caused by political and corporate subterfuge. It breaks my heart to know that people are dying from disease who, given the information in this film, could overcome and live.

Forks Over Knives is not a call to action, from my point of view. It is a polarizing lens which blocks the glare of misinformation and lets the truth be seen.

Evolution: Survival or Selection?

Charles Darwin. The name needs no introduction. But what about the theories and ideas promulgated by his famous book? Are they really understood, or even known in full? Most of the public knowledge of his work is cursory, at best, describing only the gradual change over time of species. This short video explores just a little deeper and in more eye-opening way.

NEWS FLASH:
FDA in bed with Monsanto, again! Still! In front of your children!
I know, it seems like hyperbole to be so loud about this subject. But the truth is, it is worse than that. To put it bluntly, Monsanto will eventually make it impossible to grow your own food legally because they have patented their GMO seed in such as way that if any is found being grown without license to have it (even and especially by mistake, like birds brought it in) then you have to pay them or likely be shut down.

Please read this and sign the petition: http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/fire_michael_taylor/?rc=fb_share1

Carrot! Carrot!

In honor of the pointless tradition I perpetuate, I bid you a vegetarian, nay, VEGAN 1st of the month. And by exclaiming to the internet as a collective "Carrot! Carrot!" (impersonating the 'rabbit') I steal all of your luck, which I don't believe in. And thus I label myself an idiotic hypocrite. I hope this imaginary luck I've erroneously stolen helps me in some make-believe way.

The Search For Vitamin B12

My brain is tired. I've been working on an article all week on this subject. Who knew it went so deep? Vitamin B₁₂ is probably one of the biggest detractors from a vegan diet, but I think I have done a descent job of dispelling some myths about it, as well providing some hope. Enjoy! And if you make it to the end, you get a star.

Kindness - Lessons From A Stranger

I just learned a great lesson on kindness from a total stranger. Sylvia and I have been trying to sell our 'tall' style dining set for several months, all to no avail. Finally we got a good bite and the lady made an appointment to come by and have a look. She arrived one hour ago, liked what she saw, and made an offer of $250. We had the table listed for $300, so this was a disappointing offer. After a brief discussion she offered $270. I decided that it would be up to Sylvia, who was at work, and tried to contact her. But I couldn't get her. So we proceeded with loading the dining set into the vehicle.
Here is where things changed. The lady had a truck, but no padding or blankets to protect the table and chairs. She asked if she could borrow the one we had been using at home to keep the table safe on the drive. I was inwardly hesitant but outwardly agreed. When we loaded the chairs, however, I could easily see that they were going to get some damage from rubbing on the truck and, even though I was selfishly not wanting to let the blankets go, I didn't want her chairs to be ruined. So I outwardly gave her another blanket, while inwardly not wanting to.
We got all finished and they were prepared to leave, when she handed me the money (cash). She said "here's $300. It's a beautiful set!" Now, I can't say that me giving the blanket changed her mind, but it can't have hurt. And now, I don't really miss those old blankets like I was afraid I would.
Here is what I learned about kindness from this excellent experience: when in doubt, do what is best for the other person. You may not always get something out of it, but the other person will.

Bill Clinton Is Vegan?

I've written little piece on this news nugget. Link below.
http://www.streetarticles.com/health-and-fitness/bill-clinton-is-vegan

Writing articles. I could do this for a living.

I have another article live in the world. I think I'll get better over time, as these are kind of a jumble and not extremely engaging, but they'll do for now.
My latest article about the reasons to be a vegan.
Hint*
Being vegan is easier than you think

Artwork! Graphics! Joy!

Ok, it's probably not that exciting for anyone but me. I made some graphics for my website. Have a look see!

I think it looks nice. Check it out at the reasons to be a vegan for a greater experience.
I also made the favicon from this graphic. That is the little picture that you often see near the address bar or on your tab. Ah, technology. Things just get easier and easier.
Oh! I should mention that I made it at Aviary. I recommend everyone with any artistic desire give it a look. Free, browser-based tools from vector to voice.

My First Article

I finished and posted my very first article on being vegan. It was approved and went live this morning!
Check it out: The Vegan Lifestyle And Why You Probably Care
I'll be posting more articles and info daily throughout the coming weeks, so keep a heads up if you are interested in such things.

Working At Home: My Story

I love my commute. No, I don't work in my pajama's. I get up and prepare for the day like anyone else might. Shower, clothes, food, etc. Then I transition from not working to working. Voila! My day has begun.

So how did I get here, you ask? It all started waaaaay back in 2008....(blurry transition to distant past).

I was at home, unemployed and desperately trying to bring home the proverbial [veggie] bacon. There just didn't seem to be anything available. But I knew I had seen people who make a living doing *something* online. But what? I started digging. What I came up with in the end was a training website to get you into internet marketing. And, believe it or not, it worked! I did earn money. About $1,500 worth of money. Not bad, right? Wrong. As is possible with any business, my expenses got out of control and pretty soon the effort was bankrupt. I had to close the imaginary door and get to work outside the home. But the lessons I took from the experience would not soon be forgotten.

Enter spring, 2011. Sylvia, wife extraordinaire, is informed she will be laid off. Job hunt. Job found. Family moves. So now I'm in Idaho, and the photo market is like a bear in January. Constipated. Hibernating. After searching Craigslist, employment agencies, newspapers, Idaho Dept of Labor and others but finding nothing, I started to search for this online miracle job again. I found something promising, but it turns out it was a stay-at-home call center. And you have to pay for training. And your first check will arrive in approximately three months. THREE MONTHS! I move on.

Then in comes the idea again. Online marketing. But I knew I had failed before, and would likely fail again. But what other choice did I have? The website I had previously learned from, though my account was a "forever" account, was outdated and partially broken. No help there. After some more looking around I found some promising opportunities that didn't seem like they were scams, but you can never be too careful.

Here's where things began to change. While searching terms on Google like "[opportunity name] review" or "[opportunity name] scam?" I happened across one of the most useful websites I have ever found on the subject. The guy who runs the site, Steve, actually tries the money-making stuff and reports if it is legitimate or a scam. What I found next was not expected and sounded too good to be true. But it wasn't.

Steve made a recommendation about what he believes is the best option to learn how to and implement techniques for making money online. It was a website called Wealthy Affiliate. I took the bait. But there was no switch.

Immediately I began to see where I had gone wrong before, and how to go right this time. In the first day I had the knowledge to choose a targeted campaign, purchase a web domain name and launch a website. It was very fast, very easy and the site builder (part of the WA membership) makes beautiful sites. Here is my website discussing the reasons to be a vegan. It is a work in progress, so not much content yet, but adding content is as easy as writing this blog.

Now to buckle down and start turning what I'm learning into earning a living.

If you want check it out for yourself, be sure to visit the Wealthy Affiliate website. There is a lot of material you can preview, just to understand it all. Hope to see you there!

One last thought. The community on the Forum inside WA is amazing! Everyone is extremely helpful, and you can ask questions of the site owners any time, and actually receive a personal and helpful response.

Fix the DVD Drive! Finally.

Since I installed Win 7 64 bit on my laptop in January, my DVD drive has worked only intermittently for reading and NEVER for writing. This method of finding the firmware and actually installing an update seems to work. Microsoft provides firmware from 2006. My computer model is from 2009. Makes no sense.

http://superuser.com/questions/161508/dvd-drive-failing-on-windows-7

And the link to get the firmware:

http://support.asus.com/Download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=Optical%20Disk%20Drive%20Firmware&p=3&os=8

My Review of Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite - Regular

Originally submitted at REI

For sleep-anywhere comfort, Z Lite is the lightest, most compact, full-length closed-cell foam pad Therm-a-Rest® makes.

Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite - Regular

Side sleepers, keep looking

By Marvin B from Horseshoe Bend, ID on 7/10/2011

 

4out of 5

Pros: Packs Easily, Lightweight, Non Slip, Warm, Durable

Cons: Uncomfortable

Best Uses: 3 Season Camping, Backpacking

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Comfort Driven

Was this a gift?: No

This pad basically delivered what it promised to. However, in my inexperience in sleeping on the ground (I have explored plenty but backpacked very little) I was unsure of my own needs.
While I was at no point cold on this pad on a 30 degree night in my Radiant Down +20, I was not really ever comfortable. I am a thin 130 and 5'11". I am so thin that the pack hip belt was pinching the skin on top of my hips. (Yes, I disappear when I turn sideways.) I have never had any weight on me to know the difference but I suspect people with more padding can fare better with this "pad". I would really call it a mat.
I am a side sleeper, as is my wife. We both got this pad for a 2 night trip in the Sawtooth Wilderness. It was great for changing clothes, for taking a nap on TOP of the bag and hiding small stones or lumps.
But at 2, 3, 4, 5, dawn, etc having to turn continually to keep from breaking at the hips and shoulders makes for a groggy camper come breakfast.

To sum it up. If you are thin and can afford to spend more money, it will be worth it. As another reviewer said, 'for the cost of one night at Marriott' you can get a much more comfortable pad.

I will be returning mine asap for my trip to the Weminuche Wilderness next week.

I would only recommend this to minimalists or 'padded' persons.

(legalese)

Vegan Recipe Websites

Hi everyone!

I just finished reading "Healing Cancer from Inside Out" by Mike Anderson. What a great read!

This was some of the most eye-opening information I have ever encountered, on any subject. We have been so fooled!

Well, that said I'm here to share some recipe websites listed in the book. And here they are:

FatFree.com

AsiaRecipe.com

RecipeSource.com

VeganChef.com

VegParadise.com

VegWeb.com

Enjoy! And read the book. It's worth your time.

Alternative Cancer Treatment

I'm going to share some things with you all about cancer and it's treatments. It will be links to other websites, YouTube, etc.

Please, if you know someone suffering with cancer or some other 'incurable' disease, pay attention to this material.

http://www.anoasisofhealing.com/

Look at the whole website but in particular go to Resources>videos

http://www.ravediet.com/

Again, the whole website is good but under Resources > Cancer Resources you will find books, DVD's, websites, treatment centers, etc. I have the book and DVD set called "Healing Cancer from Inside Out". I recommend this read to anyone and everyone, not just those dealing with cancer.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5528328984547372206#

This is a video of Harry Hoxsey, a man kicked out of medicine for healing cancer naturally. He went to Mexico to continue. I just minutes ago learned that, in my own family, four people were healed of disease, three of cancer. In the 1950's.

http://www.gerson.org/

This person had a similar experience to Harry Hoxsey. The treatment is different yet similar if compared against conventional methods.

http://www.nwjcal.com/index.htm

This is the best juicer I've ever seen. I have compared it to the Champion and GreenStar juicers and they just can't compete.

http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296097978&sr=8-1

An amazing 25-year study of diet and cancer. You've got to read this.

http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Reverse-Heart-Disease-Nutrition-Based/dp/1583333002/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1296097978&sr=8-2

Not about cancer. It's about heart disease but it is relevant to the discussion.

As I learn more I will post more. Some quotes to finish on:

"Dr. Campbell [China Study] did his studies using dairy protein (casein), but he also investigated whether nutrients other than dairy protein might promote or reverse cancers. With stunning consistency, nutrients from all animal foods grew tumors, while nutrients from all plant foods shrank tumors." - Healing Cancer from Inside Out, Anderson pp. 88

"From your heart's perspective, the difference between "light" meats and red meat is insignificant and much like the difference between regular cigarettes and "light" cigarettes. All meats - from red meat to chicken to turkey to fish to liquid meat (dairy products) - cause degenerative diseases because they all contain high levels of cholesterol, saturated fat and animal protein." - Healing Cancer from Inside Out, Anderson pp. 93