Written By: Arkhipov, Sir Rebrl, and Aelius Maximus

Ratified By: Admin, Arkhipov,

On 11 September 2011 at 12:00:01am

The International Council and its Moderators

Purpose of the International Council

The purpose of this International Council (a.k.a. IC) is to introduce widely observed governing legislation to the nations of Terra for the betterment of Terra as a whole.

Purpose of the World Assembly Moderators

The purpose of the Moderators of the International Council (a.k.a. IC Mods) is to ensure fairness and legality in proposing new legislation to the International Council, including the interpretation of this Charter of the International Council and any other documents concerning the process of the International Council ;NOT to determine the moral or practical need of legislation.

Behavior of the General International Council

General Members of the International Council are defined as any member nations of the International Council who are not also International Council Moderators, Global Moderators, or Admin. General Members are expected to use common sense as well as follow all rules set forth by Admin and all Moderators. All discussions are to be conducted in a civilized manner.

Behavior of the International Council Moderators

International Council Moderators are required to follow all rules set forth and use common sense at all times. As representatives of the World Assembly, they are expected to conduct themselves at a higher standard of behavior than other members of Terra at all times. International Council Moderators are responsible for differentiating in public discussions whether they are speaking as a International Council Moderator or Member of the International Council; especially concerning discussions or debates about the moral or practical need of legislation submitted to the World Assembly.

Submitting a Proposal

International Council Forum

The International Council Forum is the area of the Project Terra game forums where proposals are posted, discussed, debated, and reviewed. Proposals must be posted in the “Resolution Proposals” area in the correct format and following all rules.

Tag and Title

Proposals must be started at new topics in the “Resolution Proposals” area in the correct format and following all rules. The title of the topic must be the title of the proposal preceded by a “tag.” The tag will be edited by a moderator as the proposal proceeds through the correct stages. The tags are as follows:

- “[Draft]” A “Draft” tag designates a copy of a proposal that the author wishes to publish for debate and discussion by all Members of the International Council. All Members of the International Council are allowed to discuss and debate there reasoning for or against the proposal in a civil manner, as long as they are in accordance with all rules. This proposal will not be considered by a World Assembly Moderator until a “submit” tag has been affixed by the author. An author may choose to skip this stage.

- “[Submit]” A “Submit” tag designates a copy of a proposal that the author wishes to submit to the International Council Moderators for consideration. No discussion or debate will take place in this thread from the time the “Submit” tag is affixed until a Moderator has issued a ruling on the legality of the proposal.

- “[Discussion]” A “Discussion” tag designates a proposal is now available for discussion. All Members of the International Council are allowed to discuss and debate there reasoning for or against the proposal in a civil manner, as long as they are in accordance with the rules, for seventy-two hours from the time a World Assembly Moderator approves the legality of the proposal. After seventy-two hours, a International Council Moderator will make a post ending discussion in the thread.

- “[Revision]” A “Revision” tag may be affixed by the author of a proposal after the seventy-two hour discussion period to designate a change in the original proposal. The author has twenty-four hours after the discussion period has ended to affix a revision tag. The International Council Moderators must then make a decision on the new proposals legality. No discussion is allowed in the topic while there is “Revision” tag. If the author does not affix a “Revision” tag then the proposal proceeds to the next appropriate stage as determined by the International Council Mods

- “[Discussion*]” A “Discussion*” tag designates the second period of discussion for a proposal. For twenty-four hours from the affixing of the tag, Members of the International Council are allowed to discuss and debate there reasoning for or against the proposal in a civil manner, as long as they are in accordance with the rules. After twenty-four hours,  a International Council Moderator will post a ruling to end discussion and lock the thread.

-”[At Vote]” An “At Vote” tag designates the proposal is up for a vote in game in the International Council for all Members to vote on.

- ”[On Hold]” An “On Hold” tag designates the proposal is on hold to be put up for a vote in game until a current proposal is either passed or declined. These proposals will also appear in “Upcoming Legislation” area in the game.

-”[Abandoned]” An author may affix an “Abandoned” tag at any time to their proposal to designate its withdrawal from consideration. The International Council Mods are to promptly delete this proposal and its topic.

- “[Passed]” / “[Failed]” Both tags represent the final stage for a proposal after it has been voted on in game by the World Assembly. he World Assembly Mods are to promptly move the topic to the appropriate area.

Proposal Format

Proposals must be in the following format or it will be ruled illegal and treated accordingly.

[code][center][b][u]Title[/u][/b]

[i]Author[/i]

[i]Date Submitted[/i]

Binding or Non-Binding / Type of Proposal

[u]Preamble[/u]

(Statement of problem)

[u]Article I[/u]

(Solution)

[u]Article II[/u]

(Reasoning/How it Works)

[u]Conclusion[/u]

(tl;dr problem and solution simply put)

[u]Signatures[/u]

[i]I. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]II. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]III. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]IV. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]V. Ruler of Nation[/i][/code]

[/center][/code]

Moderating Legality

Once the author of a proposal has submitted their proposal for consideration by affixing a “Submit” tag, discussion and debate are not allowed until a International Council Moderator has issued a ruling approving the legality of the proposal and altering the tag. If a proposal is ruled illegal, International Council Moderators must affix a “Revision” tag and allow the author twenty-four hours to revise their proposal.

Revision

Only the author of a proposal is allowed to revise their proposal. The author must affix a “Revision” tag to the thread while editing or immediately after. While there is a “Revision” tag, no discussion or debate is allowed in the thread until a International Council Moderator publishes a ruling on the legality of the revised proposal.

Rules for Proposal (Rule Set)

Proposal Types

Environmental

A resolution to protect or otherwise help the environment, often at the expense of the world's industry.

Advancement of Industry

A resolution to help the growth and development of world industry, often at the expense of the environment.

These two types of resolution are more or less opposites. The key words in the descriptions are that they are at the expense of one another. "Environmental" restricts the ability of industry and of individuals to do harm to the environment. "Advancement of Industry" gives industry and individuals more freedom to do what they will with the environment. Note that this category also includes space. So, resolutions discouraging coal power plants or banning the ejection of waste into outer space would go under "Environmental". "Advancement of Industry" would include resolutions to do the opposite.

Free Trade

A resolution to reduce trade barriers and promote a freer market.

Social Justice

A resolution to reduce unfairness in income and welfare standards within nations.

Corporate Regulation

A resolution to regulate corporations on the international scale.

"Free Trade" is more or less opposed to "Social Justice" and "Corporate Regulation". The "Free Trade" category is for resolutions which move the world as a whole towards a more laissez-faire economic system, or to relax standards set on The Market itself. "Social Justice", therefore, is opposed to the side of "Free Trade" which impacts individual economies. Where "Free Trade" might include a resolution to abolish minimum wage laws, "Social Justice" would include a resolution to establish them. "Social Justice" would also be the place for resolutions on welfare, healthcare, and worker standards. "Corporate Regulation", on the other hand, deals with the more international side of "Free Trade". Where "Free Trade" would include a resolution to encourage the outsourcing of jobs, "Corporate Regulation" might include a resolution encouraging companies not to ship jobs overseas.

Moral Decency

A resolution to decrease civil freedoms in the name of morality.

Human Rights

A resolution to further civil rights and liberties for all.

"Moral Decency" and "Human Rights" are two categories which are very much opposites. "Human Rights" works to improve the freedom of people everywhere. So, for example, a resolution mandating that member states recognize same-sex marriages performed in other member states would be in "Human Rights". "Moral Decency", however, might include a proposal stating that no nation can require a religious leader to marry a same-sex couple against their will.

Political Stability

A resolution to reduce political freedoms in the name of stability.

Furtherment of Democracy

A resolution to extend democratic ideals and freedoms.

Again we have two opposing categories. These should be fairly simple, but "Political Stability" includes resolutions which infringe on democracy or personal freedoms in order to ensure that the world is a more stable place. So, for example, a resolution in "Political Stability" might give governments the freedom to declare martial law or to suppress rebellion. "Furtherment of Democracy" might mandate fairness in elections or secure the right of the people to overthrow an oppressive government.

Please also note that resolutions relating to the bookkeeping of the WA itself should go under "Political Stability". For instance, if you want to establish a WA Headquarters or something.

International Security

A resolution to improve upon the safety of the world by boosting the budgets of the armed forces and/or law enforcement.

Global Disarmament

A resolution to improve the safety of the world by reducing the number of weapons as well as military funding.

Please note the key words in here: "budgets" and "funding". These categories are not to be used to call for military actions. That's what sanctions do. "International Security" must deal in some way with either increasing budgets or allowing nations to increase budgets. For example, a resolution to affirm the right of nations to possess nuclear arms. "Global Disarmament" must either reduce funding to the military or reduce weapons. For example, a resolution calling for nuclear non-proliferation or on the need for a just casus belli would go under "Global Disarmament".

Gun Control

A resolution to either tighten or relax laws on the private, personal possession of firearms.

Gambling

A resolution to either tighten or relax restrictions on gambling.

Recreational Drug Use

A resolution to either tighten or relax laws concerning recreational drugs, as well as drug trafficking.

Education and Creativity

A resolution to promote the development of arts and education.

These categories are not grouped together because they are opposites, but because they are their own opposites, save for the last one. Resolutions in the first three can either tighten or relax laws. Please note that "Gun Control" cannot apply to the military or to police. It relates solely to the possession of firearms by individuals. "Gambling" should be fairly self-explanatory, but it should be noted that, like everywhere else in the WA, you should find some way that your resolution is an international issue. For example, a very good gambling resolution would be a resolution to either restrict or encourage gambling by minors in international waters.

Continuing on with international issues, we come to "Recreational Drug Use". Yes, this is the category to outlaw or legalize weed. A word of advice: You will have a hard time passing a resolution which does either. This is also the category to legalize medical marijuana or impose restrictions on drug trafficking. It is not the category to impose harsher punishment for illegal possession of drugs. That would, strangely enough, be under "International Security".

And now, we come to "Education and Creativity". This is the category for those meaningless cultural things the real-life UN loves so much. You want to establish a committee for World Heritage Sites? This is your category. This is also a category to promote the arts in general, as well as education. You want to make a resolution on safety for foreign exchange students? Here's your category. You want to make a resolution that encourages funding to the arts? Here's your category. Want to make a resolution concerning the safety of the press in warzones? This is not your category. That would be "Political Stability".

Sanction

A resolution to punish a nation for wrongdoing.

Amendment/Repeal

A resolution to change or repeal another resolution.

Finally, we have the last two categories: "Sanction" and "Amendment/Repeal". However, they're not going to be explained further here. They are very special categories, and so will receive their own sections further down in the document.

Rules

The Rules form a specific set of guidelines for International Council Moderators and Members to follow to determine if a proposal is legal. The Rules are subject to change at any time by the International Council Moderators. Final decisions on the legality of a proposal are up to the International Council Moderators.

Violations of Legality

Ideological Ban

Ideologies may not be explicitly banned by a proposal or resolution. This includes but is not limited to governmental style or system, economic style or system, religion, etc. You can limit, ban or even encourage actions, but you cannot explicitly target an ideology.

Game Mechanics and Meta-Gaming

The World Assembly can not make changes to game mechanics or game code. It can not request Admin to do anything. It can not mandate forum actions, Internet Relay Chat (a.k.a. IRC) actions, or any other outside utilities used in conjunction with the game.

Market Regulation

The World Assembly can not force any change to regulate market prices in anyway. It can not force a minimum or maximum price or limit production of resources or force nations to buy or sell.

In Character and Real Life References

The World Assembly is an “in character” entity. Proposals should contain no references to Admin or the game. “Real Life” References to outside people, places, events, etc. are also banned. References should refer only to in game or imaginary things.

Creating Committees and Other Nation Groups

The World Assembly is not for creating committees, databases, councils, or any other groups. These groups are allowed to be created as long as they follow the rules but are not to be submitted as proposals. They may be created elsewhere by individual member nations.

Joke Proposals

Joke proposals will be ruled illegitimate and illegal and deleted promptly.

Grossly Offensive

Any proposal ruled by the World Assembly Moderators to be grossly offensive to a large number or group of individuals will be  ruled illegitimate and illegal and deleted promptly.

Duplication

Repeated forms of proposals or resolutions that are passed or deemed illegal are illegal. Denied resolutions may be re-posted after a suitable period of time.

Plagiarism

Proof of plagiarism of a Real World Document or any other document is grounds for an illegal ruling. Limited relations between similar documents is allowed but outright duplication is illegal. Final decisions are up to the discretion of the International Council Moderators.

Regulating the World Assembly

Proposals may not target the International Council or its Moderators in any way. This includes but is not limited to proposals to limit International Council military power, limit Law passing power, limit power to pass Amendments or Repeals, limit voting powers of Members of the International Council, limit proposals, block International Council Moderator actions, block International Council actions or enforcement, etc.

Readability

Decent spelling and grammar is required for all proposals. International Council Moderators make the final decision on readability.

Specific Referencing

A proposal, excluding sanctions, can not specifically name or target a specific nation, nation ruler, alliance, or alliance leadership.

Sanctions

The purpose of a sanction is to punish a General Member of the International Council for wrongdoing. Requests for personal vendettas, decisions in nation or alliance issues, etc. will be promptly deleted.

The Sanction Process

Seventy-five percent or more of the total active nations in the International Council must vote on the proposal and sixty-five percent or more of those who voted must vote for the proposal. This ensures that the passed sanction accurately reflects the desire of the Members of the International Council to punish a nation for widely acknowledged wrongdoing.

Sanctions must be posted in the following format or they will be deemed illegal and treated accordingly:

[code][center][b][u]Title[/u][/b]

[i]Author[/i]

[i]Date Submitted[/i]

[color=red]Target of Sanction[/red]

[u]Reasoning[/u]

(Statement of problem)

[u]Evidence I[/u]

(Evidence)

[u]Evidence II[/u]

(More Evidence)

[u]Request[/u]

We the undersigned believe the target, (target name), deserves a (type of sanction) sanction in light of the evidence presented...(or something along these lines)

[u]Signatures[/u]

[i]I. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]II. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]III. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]IV. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]V. Ruler of Nation[/i][/code]

The accused will me notified in game and given twenty-four hours to respond to the accusations before a Moderator of the International Council will post their decision for sanction type and put the proposal up for a vote. Sanctions may be moved to the front of the queue for upcoming proposals at the discretion of the Moderators of the International Council.

Sanction Types

Economic

-Trade tariffs: A small tax on any importing or exporting done by International Council Member nations with the sanctioned nation. Payed tax will be contributed to the World Bank’s funds.

-Banking tax: A small tax on all banking transactions. Payed tax will be contributed to the World Bank’s funds.

-Market tax: A small tax on all market transactions. Payed tax will be contributed to the World Bank’s funds.

-Trade embargo: Members of the International Council are not allowed to trade with the sanctioned nation.

Military

-Arms embargo: Members of the International Council are not allowed to supply the sanctioned nation with military resources

-Enemy of the International Council: Used only in the most extreme cases after repeated offenses. Members of the International Council who chose to declare war and attack the sanctioned nation will receive a small bonus to their military.

Proposal to Resolution

For a proposal to be put up for a vote to become a resolution it must be deemed legal by the International Council Moderators and follow all rules and complete all required steps. Five signatures of support must be obtained before or during the “Discussion” phase of the proposal with copies posted under the proposal on the main post of the thread. A copy consist of the signatory making a post in proposal thread stating their support and verifying their signature. Signatures may be from any General Member of the International Council in good standing.

The International Council Moderators must then have a final vote to post the proposal in game requiring a two-thirds majority. The vote serves as a final check that the proposal is legal and legitimate per the rules and format. Following a successful vote, a International Council Moderator will put the proposal up for vote to the entire International Council in game.

Only one proposal will be allowed up for vote at a time. Proposals “On Hold” will be published under “Upcoming Legislation” in game to be viewed by all.

For a proposal to pass and become a resolution, seventy percent of the total active nations in the International Council must vote on the proposal and sixty percent of those who voted must vote for the proposal. This ensures that the passed proposal accurately reflects the desire of the Members of the International Council.

Newly passed resolutions will supersede previously passed resolutions in order to accurately reflect the desires of the International Council as said desires change over time.

Amending the International Council

Amending Resolutions

The purpose of an amendment is to alter slightly an existing resolution to better reflect or further clarify the desires of the International Council without changing the vast majority or altering the true purpose of the resolution.

The Amendment Process

Seventy percent or more of the total active nations in the International Council must vote on the proposal and sixty-five percent or more of those who voted must vote for the proposal. This ensures that the passed amendment accurately reflects the desire of the Members of the International Council to alter the existing resolution.

Amendments must be posted in the following format or they will be deemed illegal and treated accordingly:

[code][center][b][u]Title[/u][/b]

[i]Author[/i]

[i]Date Submitted[/i]

[color=green]Title of Resolution to be Amended[/red]

[u]Reasoning[/u]

Statement of reasoning

[u]Article I[/u]

Enough of text to be changed to represent text in full context and text in bold that will be altered.

[u]Article II[/u]

Altered text in full context with altered part in bold

[u]Conclusion[/u]

Summary of change and reasoning

[u]Signatures[/u]

[i]I. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]II. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]III. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]IV. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]V. Ruler of Nation[/i][/code]

Amended resolutions will supersede any previous resolutions as the desires of the International Council change over time.

Repealing Resolutions

Seventy percent or more of the total active nations in the International Council must vote on the proposal and sixty-five percent or more of those who voted must vote for the proposal. This ensures that the passed repeal accurately reflects the desire of the Members of the International Council to remove the existing resolution.

Repeals must be posted in the following format or they will be deemed illegal and treated accordingly:

[code][center][b][u]Title[/u][/b]

[i]Author[/i]

[i]Date Submitted[/i]

[color=green]Title of Resolution to be Repealed[/red]

[u]Reasoning[/u]

Statement of reasoning

[u]Article I[/u]

[quote]Significant Text of document to be repealed[/quote]

[u]Article II[/u]

More Reasoning if needed/desired

[u]Conclusion[/u]

Summary of repeal and reasoning

[u]Signatures[/u]

[i]I. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]II. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]III. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]IV. Ruler of Nation[/i]

[i]V. Ruler of Nation[/i][/code]

Repealed resolutions will be considered entirely defunct. Violation of a repealed resolution before the repeal is passed is still punishable by sanction. Violation of a repealed resolution during the repeal process is still punishable by sanction. Violation of the resolution after the repeal has been passed is NOT punishable as the resolution is considered defunct.

Amending the Charter of the World Assembly

For a period of thirty days after ratification the Charter of the International Council can be freely altered for correction by the Moderators of the International Council and Admin. After thirty days a system will implemented to decide the process of altering this document.

  During Hitler’s reign of Terror he proved himself to be a great and powerful leader.  He captivated a country to follow him to battle and the purification of the human race.  Hitler’s mind may have been full of hate, but it was also full of the knowledge that to go to war and win his army must have the best weapons available, at any cost.  To Adolf, the Jewish race was worthless and insignificant and could be used to experiment with to gain knowledge about the human body and what it can withstand.  As a result of Hitler’s powerful speeches and dominating presence he orchestrated a brutal war in which great advancements in technological and medicinal studies were made, but they came with great human loss. 

   “WHETHER RIGHT OR WRONG. WE MUST WIN. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY. AND IT IS MORALLY RIGHT AND NECESSARY. AND WHEN WE HAVE WON, WHO WILL ASK US ABOUT THE METHOD?” ADOLF HITLER, 1941

 There will always be questions left unanswered as to the reason why a man with such

2.

an obvious mental illness could convince normal everyday people to commit unthinkable crimes against another person.  Adolf loves his Country and fought in WWI and suffered a wound to the leg and fell victim to a gas attack. His need to defend his Country had him returning to the battle as soon as he was fit.  His desire for his country to be perfect motivated him to begin a campaign in politics. The only way to guaranty the result he wanted was to lead his people with a stern hand and a strong voice.

  Hitler’s battle against the Jew’s was fuelled by the belief that they were responsible for the poor conditions in which he was forced to grow up in. His experiences lead him to believe that all businesses were owned by Jew’s therefore having control over all the people. It was time for the German’s to take back their power and have a race free from all insignificant people.

Nature is cruel; therefore we are also entitled to be cruel. When I send the flower of German youth into the steel hail of the next war without feeling the slightest regret over the precious German blood that is being spilled, should I not also have the right to eliminate millions of an inferior race that multiplies like vermin? (Holocaust/resource/documents.com) (Adolf Hitler)

  It is the statements and thoughts like that above that gave Hitler the belief that he could destroy and torture millions of people without any guilt or reprimand. They were only Jews after all. A race that was less than equal too rats and must be exterminated as such.

3.

  The war to purify Germany was beginning and the battle would be long and hard. Hitler was a genius in his plans, he knew he had to have a strong army with the most advanced technological weapons. He gave the Military a huge budget to produce the best equipment possible. The Allies referred to the Germany’s as the “secret weapons”, The German’s called them the “wonder weapons”.

  The investment in weapons lead to the invention of the world’s first jet bomber, the Arado 234, followed by Messerschmitt 262 and 163. Both were the first fighter jets. The jets were equipped with the world’s first guided missile the Henschel Hs -293. Its accuracy was so good it sank a British warship on its first use. The German military was so motivated to produce the best in war technology it is also credited with the first guided bomb, the world’s first cruise missile, the first ballistic missile. 

  The German’s also took their inventions to the water. The submarines were the first to be equipped to stay underwater for a whole patrol not just during combat. They also armed these subs with electric-powered torpedoes. These torpedoes where silent and left no bubbles to show where the sub might be.

  The German invention of the Sturmgewehr 44 automatic assault rifle was the first of its kind, combining the benefits of a rifle and a submachine gun. This gun was the beginning of the automatic assault rifles for which we now have the M-16 and the AK-47.

 The German’s devised a system in which they were able to track their targets using systems of radio transmitters and receivers.  This is the beginning of GPS systems. 

4.

  Finally, the silent but deadly Nerve Gas. The German’s has invented the world’s first three types of nerve gas- The Tabun, Sarin and Soman. These were the most lethal gases.  Unlike mustard gas which burning the skin and tissue leading to death, the German’s have invented a gas that killed by paralyzing its victims.  

 “If the Germans will use chemical weapons, I will order to “rain” the entire British stockpile of chemical weapons in retaliation.” (Winston Churchill)

   This declaration made by Winston Churchill deterred Hitler from using his nerve gas during the war.

 The German’s advancements in military technologies has been the starting point for many makes and model’s that exist in battles today.

  During the Holocaust the German’s used the prisoners for experiments for the benefit of the military and medical knowledge.  The German’s were relentless in their tasks.  Experiments were performed without anesthesia such as bone transplants, nerve removal or mustard gas tests.

  The German’s also subjected the prisoners to freezing temperatures to study the effects of hypothermia and try different methods of re-warming survivors.  Other experiments included infecting prisoners with Malaria and trying different drugs to cure it, or poison administered in food to see the effects it would have.  If the person didn’t die, they would be killed so an autopsy could be performed.

5.

  The German’s drive behind these experiments was to improve the chances of their   soldier’s survival like inventing the gas mask. High altitude experiments were performed to learn the effects on a pilot who had to eject at high altitudes. Although it is unethical to perform these experiments, the knowledge and the medical advancement has been invaluable.  Also, this inhumane treatment has lead to laws to protect all individuals from being used for medical testing or experiments. 

  The obsessive hatred of Hitler on the Jewish people terrorized the world with horrors that a normal person could not imagine.  The suffering of people at the hands of Hitler and his followers will never be forgotten.  The cruel experiments have given us cures for diseases and protection from elements and advancement in war arms to protect our Country.  The way that the information was obtained must never be allowed to happen again, however, if anything good could come from this horrible time in history learning to value life and each other must always be embraced. 

6.

HITLER

GOOD FROM EVIL

Submitted by: Philip Valeri

Submitted to: Ms. Jeanson

Submitted on: January 17, 2011

Shc2d1

When I started changing my diet a few weeks ago, I didn’t get on the scale because at that point, I had no idea what God had in store for me. I was changing it because in all honesty, I was feeling little nagging chest pains. As much as you want to pretend they’ll go away, you know darned well they will not, so I had to start changing my diet. I have no clue what I weighed at that time, either.

After I got “the call”, I stepped on my scale that measures body fat as well as weight; it tipped at 195.5 and 47% body fat. I’m not proud of to reveal this, either. Nine days into the diet, I have lost five pounds and I’m exercising with steady walking of five miles a day. The best laid plans of men sometimes have plans of their own and I have this nasty habit of forgetting that aspect of life.

Three days ago, I started to feel a minor pain in my left shin and I thought I could walk it off. The pain came on after I tried jogging a little bit in an attempt to shave off a little bit of time on my 1.5 hour walk. We’re all told heat and ice will do wonders for the pain; I wrapped it up in an electric heating pad and sat the walk out. Wanting to speed the healing process, I had also been soaking the ankle water as hot as I could stand. Nothing has worked to my satisfaction, so I decided to make a short hobble to the grocery store and purchase an ace bandage and some food.

A few days back I decided to make another change in my diet – I wanted to consume more raw foods. I got a taste for celery, baby carrot sticks, and small tomatoes; I wanted more than the processed foods I was eating. What was on the menu before? I tried to make it healthy with my budget: ramen noodles, Starkist albacore tuna, and Campbell ’s “healthy request” tomato soup. Recently I had cut out the cheerios and corn flakes because they were too carbohydrate intesnsive and switched to old fashioned long cooking oats and brown sugar. Even now, I’ve pushed the brown sugar aside and substituted it for pure honey, which is less processed.

Wandering through the grocery store, I decided to implement some changes in my diet. I decided to pass on canned tuna and opt for Gorton’s salmon fillets since economically they had less salt and cost about the same per fillet. Most appliances are packed up and ready for a move, but I found a stainless steel steamer I forgot I had in the bottom of the kitchen gadgets drawer. This gave me a healthy way to cook the fish and steam a cup of vegetables at the same time. I do have a big food steamer, but for a few veggies and a fillet of fish, it’s impractical.

I also gave up on the ramen noodles and Campbell ’s tomato soup for whatever reason; it was more of a taste buds and salt issue. One day I happened to notice I had figured the salt content wrong in both products. Ramen noodles had a whopping 1520 mg of sodium, so I started to think about how I could cut the salt down. There were insulated paper coffee cups in my cabinet with the two holes in the lid, which became what I thought was a good option: I used half the seasoning packet, cooked it to tenderness, and then put the lid on and used the hole to drain away the excess salt and fat. If anything, it was no longer swimming in salt. The Campbell ’s soup I also made a mistake by reading there was only 470 mg of sodium, but not noticing each can contained 2.5 servings, not two. The sodium went from 470 mg to 588 mg per 12-ounce cup, which is a lot of salt.

I made another mistake a few days ago that cost me some ground: Starkist albacore tuna has 250 mg of salt per serving, and I was ok with that before I realized I didn’t add the salt correctly. The can of tuna contains 2.5 servings, and the can normally contains 4 ounces of tuna and 2 ounces of vegetable broth, so they call it 6 ounces. Most people wouldn’t look at a 4-ounce can of tuna and think to be within the recommended portion, it would mean (2) 1.5-ounce portions and (1) 1 ounce portion. Most diets recommend at least 2 ounces of chicken or four ounces of fish (four times a day in a mini meal format) to be within an acceptable protein range that won’t set you up to fail from starvation. If you do the math correctly, a can of tuna which seems like it would be a healthy alternative, has 625 mg of salt – that’s almost as much as the ramen soup with only half the packet, and breezes past the “healthy request” tomato soup.

Sitting around and recovering from my walk/jog a few days ago, I happened to be watching the local PBS station. They had a diet guru on TV and I hadn’t thought too much about what I was watching because I was tired, but he said something that made me stop and think: “Are you getting high empty calories from any processed food you’re eating? Cut them out and replace them with raw foods and you’ll get more bang for your buck.” I’ve heard this many times, but this time I remembered something I had forgotten: it’s hard to overeat on carrots and celery because you feel full too fast.

I’d been thinking about the ramen noodles for a few days because I didn’t like the fact I was consuming 380 calories on this meal. I had mentally budgeted myself to be somewhere in the range of 800 to 1000 calories per day, and if I stuck to the low end of 800, nearly half of my “calorie budget” was spent on this meal. I didn’t like that thought at all because it meant I would be starving later on or exceeding the calories, so I wanted to replace it and use the ramen noodles as an occasional option.

All those thoughts received not a gentle wake up call, but a plowing over like a train. Going back to the grocery store, I happened to be looking for a nutrient in the vitamin aisle, which they didn’t have. As I searched the shelves, I saw a little old man sit down near me and the sounds of clicking and an electrical motor being used. I hadn’t noticed it before, but there was a free blood pressure machine and I decided I should at least have some idea where I was on the scale.

I figured my blood pressure was going to be a little high since I hadn’t been taking care of myself prior to this point. Sitting down, I forced my sleeve up and slid my arm down into the mechanical cuff. The last time I had checked my blood pressure was a few years ago, and I remember the systolic number was 93, which wasn’t that great, but it wasn’t classified as high blood pressure (according to the doctor who wrote me up, I had high blood pressure over “90”). Quietly waiting as the machine did its thing, I noticed the “high blood pressure” chart on the label in front of me was at 140 on the systolic, and that’s as high as the chart went. The cuff hissed as it released and then the moment of truth flashed on the screen: systolic was 152 and diastolic read out at 101.

How high my pressure was, I didn’t know, but I’d never seen my pressure that high before. Was I five minutes away from a stroke and a heart attack since I passed the highest marker on the machine, and did it automatically dial 911 with a pressure like mine? One can’t help but be full of questions, and even if the machine wasn’t 100% accurate, I knew even if it was off by 10%, my readings were still too high.

Walking through the door, I called my friend Laurie and asked for her advice. I thought I was doing the right things with vitamins, diet, and exercise, but now I wasn’t sure. She has been out of the cardiology field for a while, and although she said I was doing the right things, it might be a temporary spike in blood pressure that sometimes happens with the start of an exercise program. This was something I hadn’t heard before, but it was nice to know it might be a partial contributor.

Once I hung up the phone, I sat down and started to pen a quick email to another friend, elaborating on my dieting mistakes with the sodium monster that I thought I had in check. It wasn’t until I started to think about my current diet during this email that I decided to find out what the daily recommendation for sodium intake was, and it turned out to be 2400 mg a day, but they were actually recommending 2000 mg for most people. I started to add up my mistakes and realized even with cutting out half the salt in the ramen noodles, I was still registering 2600 mg of salt. This is when it hit home I wasn’t as diet and salt savvy as I believed I was.

This realization scared me enough to change a few more behaviors. I went into the kitchen and started stripping it bare of salty foods. All unopened food went into plastic grocery sacks with the full intention of giving it to a friend’s kids who could “afford” to burn off the high salt by simply breathing. In the end, I filled up eleven sacks. Where did I find the salt?

• Salad dressings, pickles, mustard, seasonings, packaged seasonings (taco, chili, stews), marinades, barbeque sauce, hot sauce, hot dog relish, mayonnaise, gravies, dip mixes, bullion cubes, shaker style seasonings, bread crumb mixes
• Hush puppies and corn bread mixes
• Cocoa mixes
• Canned beans, canned chili, canned diced tomatoes, canned tomato sauce (the last two had on the label front “no salt added”).
• Packaged microwave rice, boxed and bagged rice mixes
• Cake mixes, cake frostings, peanut butter cookie mixes
• Soups, canned tuna, oriental noodles, biscuit mixes

This isn’t a complete list of what I bagged up, but it’s enough to get you thinking about what’s inside your cabinets and where the salt is lurking. In the case of one of the salad dressings, for example, one tablespoon had a whopping 600 mg of sodium. The easy mac and cheese microwavable bowls that gives you a small snack size has over 660 mg of salt – that’s a huge amount for a kid or adult to ingest! The microwavable rice weighed in at almost 1000 mg for a half a cup serving size. Also watch soft drinks, which often are loaded with salt and sugar.

The other good thing about cleaning out the cabinets and refrigerator is that I know there will be no unacceptable foods entering my mouth and nothing to sabotage the diet. Not having a vehicle means I have to walk to the store a couple of times a week, and it means I don’t run out for fast food or sweet snacks on a whim. I think about not only about the food I’m choosing, but the amount of space in the backpack as well as the weight I’ll have to carry home.

I may not have been able to control my dieting before, but now I have no choice but to do the right things and eat properly. It’s certainly not practical or even an option for a family with kids, but at least watching what actually comes into your house is achievable.

Here’s one tip that can help in ridding your food of salt: place the food in a bowl of water and rinse it a few times, then let it set for a half an hour. Salt “holds” water in the body, and since it’s naturally drawn to water, it’s drawn out of the food.

Of course this won’t work for soups, but I find with packaged veggies that have added salt, and even fish fillets, it works pretty well. I also give it a hand by steaming the fish and veggies, knowing the dripping water will carry away some measure of sodium. If you choose canned tuna, you can try and rinse the excess salt out, but I will warn you the flavor is a bit “lacking” after this. I’ve tried the lower sodium options, and they were awful in my opinion, but they might taste great to you.

If you don’t like trying to find all the segments of this series, you can locate the links to them here and they will return you the exact spot on the socyberty.com site.

quazen.com articles by this writer can be found here

socyberty.com articles can be located here

relijournal.com articles are here

picable.com photographic images are here