Things I think (and little-known facts about me).

Call it my stream of consciousness party platform.  A party of one.  Most recent additions on top.  Hint: Whatever quick assumption you made about me based on a single tweet is probably mistaken.  Also scroll to the end for some little known facts about me.

1. They say you are not paranoid if people really are out to get you, but I think both can be true.
2.  Nutrition.
   1. Interesting unintentional personal experiment.  Drinking spirits did not seem to spike my blood sugar, but I think does explain a spike in my insulin levels, which correlates to a weight-loss stall and reversal.  Pleased to say now back going the right direction.
   2. You can find science to support whatever you want to believe, because most of it is belief-driven, poorly conducted junk science in the first place.  Specifically, I refer to the epidemiological studies.
   3. What they do all have in common is that sugars and refined or processed foods are not good for you.  The only question is when you cut those out, what should you replace them with.  On that question, there is little sound science to say that there is one answer right for all.
   4. Moreover, so many factors impact health, and diet is only one of them.  And we all have different genes or disorders and need different things.  For example, I believe that a carbohydrate-restricted diet for someone with insulin resistance is logical and that there is much clinical evidence to support it.
   5. Recent studies on the benefits of WHEN we eat, e.g., fasting, are also interesting.
   6. See further thoughts here: http://www.patrickwaites.com/things-i-think-diet-and-nutrition-edition/
3. “Two Steps Behind” by Def Leppard is the worst song to ever be a hit.  The lyrics are creepy and the music is inane.
4. Not a fan of Ocasio-Cortez or her policies but shaking things up is not bad.
5. All politicians are hypocrites.  Except for Jon Paul Bouche.  And he drives his own party nuts.
   1. Dems flipping on immigration
   2. Repubs flipping on individual mandate
   3. Both sides on federalism, etc etc.
   4. Someone please prove me wrong.
6. One side being wrong does not make the other right.
7. Surely there is a way that the majority of people in the middle can come together about what they agree on and marginalize the kooks on both extremes.
8. There is no reason to have insurance companies involved in routine healthcare.
9. Billions of dollars that we in the US spend toward “healthcare” each year are not used to deliver healthcare.  That money exits the healthcare finance system as health insurer profits.  I am almost always pro-market, but that is just bad policy.
10. Our healthcare finance system is broken but MFA is not the answer.
11. We need robust legal immigration and an end to the idea that illegal immigration is just dandy if it supports your party.
12. Both parties conspired to create the current immigration dilemma, Dreamers, etc.   Denying a path to citizenship for people we encouraged to be here by word or deed would be a national hypocrisy.
13. Trump and the media
    1. Trump’s rhetoric regarding the media is not appropriate, but he is often not wrong about it.
    2. The media is right to criticize Trump for attacking it, but too often it gives him a reason to.
    3. Jim Acosta.  Had to include him here because it is always about Jim Acosta.
14. Congressional districts should drawn by a computer program designed to minimize the average of the perimeter of each district
15. Suppressing disagreeable speech…
16. I would be happy to bake your gay wedding cake (if I knew how).  Just don’t tell me I have to.
17. It is very sad that we have raised a generation so capable of getting PTSD from an election.  I mean that sincerely.
18. If you make it about us vs. you then don’t expect us not to band together to defeat you.
19. Healthcare is not a right.  But I firmly believe that as a civilized nation – and one founded on Christian values if that means something to you – we owe it to each other to provide for each other’s basic needs where people cannot do it for themselves, especially access to healthcare.  But that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with a wealthy person being able to afford different care.
20. Remove insurance from basic healthcare.  Instead, we pay a doctor/hospital group directly for basic care.  The poor are subsidized for this.   Out of pocket is capped based on income.

Little-known facts about me.

1. I once fell asleep in the Pentagon.  During this visit, I met the Secretary of Defense and then, after that, went through a metal detector.
2. I always use the Oxford comma.
3. I left justify my documents.