Burning the candle at both ends–and in the middle–has left me with lithe free time. But, don’t pity me. I decided to take a second spring break in order to play in the sandbox with Sen. That was a good choice. So was camping with the brothers. So was releasing The Paper Janes album, Shadowboxing.

Now, I am so busy learning how to write, that I don’t have time to write (as extensively as I would like) on this blog.

Ironic.

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If a video is not enough of a blog entry, you can entertain yourself with a new post from the always-amusing Grand Master Science himself, Ian Palkovitz. Click here…

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Hunger in the Desert: Access to Proper Nutrition in American Cities

The term hunger is often accompanied by a mental image of a small child with bones jutting out, painfully visible under the skin. However, there are many faces to hunger. American Hunger is often disguised under roles upon roles of fat. Many of the most dense urban areas in the United States are inhabited by vulnerable populations of low socioeconomic statuses. Even if these populations were fully educated and informed with up to date nutritional information, they would still have great difficulty accessing healthy foods and gaining proper nutrition.

This concept is known as the urban food desert (Walker, Fryer, Butler, Keane, Kriska, & Burke, 2011). Some of the most unfortunate people, economically speaking, have limited access to proper nutrition. This is a social problem: this exclusive new breed of hunger isclassist against the vulnerable populations living at low socioeconomic statuses in United States cities. Thos who feel the bite of this hunger most poignantly cannot speak out: the set of social conditions that exists today evolved slowly over time, and the origins of the trends are at the same time their perpetuators. There are not easily accessible supermarkets for people living in areas of low socioeconomic status because it would not make sense for business owners, financially speaking (2011). The people most affected cannot speak out. The nature of social problems is that those who are affected often do not possess the resources to petition for change (Blau & Abramovitz, 2004).

Many Americans cannot easily purchase foods that would properly nourish. The consequences of this unavailability are that many hold off their appetites by filling the void with what is accessible or affordable—unhealthy, processed foods. This trend has become more common in recent years. Many densely populated urban areas have sparse grocery store locations. This makes sense, taking into account the value of property and rent in urban centers. Also, due to the high cost of city life, those grocery stores that do in fact operate near urban centers charge higher prices for food (Walker et al., 2011). So, the millions of Americans that live at low economic status in American cities cannot afford to shop at the sparse grocery store locations that do offer foods with high nutritional values.

There are many neighborhoods in urban areas of the United States that do not have access to supermarkets. According to Walker et al. (2011), taxicabs will not enter certain areas of cities. In addition, the bus routes do not extend to many of the higher risk residential sectors. Sensibly, from a business and safety standpoint, these areas also lack grocery stores and restaurants that serve affordable, nutritious foods. Therefore, in addition to being a great distance from affordable nutrition, the residents of these areas are challenged with a lack of transportation (2011).

The fact that many low-income families living in poverty do not have access to proper nutrition simply adds insult to injury. In addition to not having the necessary financial resources to obtain food, many are too far from supermarkets. This leaves many low-income individuals hungry and improperly nourished. In this state of hunger combined with lack of monetary means, the small convenience stores and fast food joints of close proximity become the main providers of food by default. These sources of food do not provide proper nutrition.

Thus, the downward cycle continues. Poor nutrition leaves children unable to focus in school and adults agitated in the tasks of working and providing, which are already difficult enough in communities of low socioeconomic status. Additionally, cheap processed foods that are more readily available for consumption to residents of food deserts do not have the nutritional values or satiating qualities of finer foods. A thousand calories of potato chips and soda may be cheaper and more accessible than fresh juices, vegetables or protein sources, but they are empty calories (Whitney & Rolfes, 2002). Thus, individuals consume more calories than their bodies need, while not meeting all nutritional needs—all the while feeling hungry.

This sick cycle leads individuals to become overweight and unhealthy. The effects are far-reaching. In cases where populations are not able to access satiating and nutritious foods and therefore overeat foods high in empty calories, obesity occurs. Obesity is not a simple condition. There are numerous effects of being largely overweight. For instance, one study found that levels of leptin—a regulator associated with processing fat and normalizing intake of energy into the body—are significantly associated with depressed moods and sleep disturbances (Antonijevic, Murck, Frieboes, Horn, Brabant, & Steiger, 1998).

In a study of 7,108 noninstitutionalized randomly phone-selected adults from the 48 contiguous United States, metabolic syndrome was found to be linked to socioeconomic status (Miller, Lachman, Chen, Gruenewald, Karlamangla, & Seeman, 2011). About half of participants who had grown up in areas of low socioeconomic status had metabolic syndrome at midlife. The higher the socioeconomic status of the individual had been at childhood, the lower the risk of that individual having this cluster of risk factors for chronic diseases (2011). This condition, often brought about by obesity and related insulin complications is not only detrimental to individuals but to the society on a larger scale. If individuals are at risk for coronary artery disease, strokes and type-two diabetes—all of which are likely with the presence of metabolic syndrome—they are not only personally disadvantaged, but they influence their family and the society as well. In addition to not contributing at full potential to society, those who are sick also need medical attention. Often, people of lower socioeconomic statuses are treated at the expense of society at large. Living in poverty, individuals rarely have the financial means to foot excessive medical bills: if they are not assisted by some sort of government aid, then they may end up defaulting in the face of the exorbitant fees they have amassed. These cases have in common that they are financially burdensome for the society on a larger scale. In addition to the financial drudge caused by poor nutrition, the quality of life for those malnourished individuals decreases drastically.

The unavailability of foods in urban food deserts is a common form of hunger, rampant in the modern world. This unfair set of circumstances has been spreading as fast as cities have been built in the United States. The individuals most affected by the inequitable state of the distribution of supermarkets are the victims of the American free-market system of business. From a business standpoint, it does not make sense to build grocery stores in crowded urban hubs. So, businessmen fill their wallets with fat profits turned from building markets out of reach of underprivileged populations, while letting those people go hungry and fill their stomachs with the available, unhealthy foods.

Many issues that are not only personally damaging to individuals but that are also expensive on a national scale are spinoff effects of overeating on nutrient-sparse foods. The lack of access to healthy diets leaves many underprivileged individuals no choice but to overstuff themselves with the low-cost, high-calorie foods that are available in the few small corner stores and fast food joints that are within reach of the populations living in dense housing areas of American cities. This strange new brand of hunger is a major social problem facing the United States today.

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Q: Did you hear about the new corduroy pillows?

A: They’re making all the headlines. 

On wednesday, i turned in my thesis and then turned back into a person. I had not realized how consumed I have become by that work over the past year. In the next couple, I would sometimes crack up, out of the blue. Sitting alone, I would laugh. I took time to listen. Bike, instead of drive. Talk. Eat. Exist. It felt so good. One night, a huge dog interrupted a peaceful moonlight bicycle commute home from town. He snarled and ran after me in the road. I huffed, puffed, escaped and then had a good laugh.

There is a coffee shop in town that a few of us jokingly call “the office,” because we study there so much. Mike, the guy you see in the photo below, draws amazing pictures with paint markers. I had never had the time to look at them before. My friend Tony Lo took this photo.

One day, I went to Willytown–Wilmington that is. I used to spend a lot of time there, when time was freer. Now, I only go about once a week to play with kids in the park. It felt strange knocking on once-familiar doors and asking for old friends.

“Shane, you ain’t been here in a minute! Where you been at?” the mother a friend said sadly.

My friend was out somewhere, she didn’t know. We talked a little while. I asked why she seemed so sad. With tears in her eyes, she asked for help. It was serious. A few short minutes later, I was struggling to pull the naked body of a large man from the bathroom floor to the bedroom. He had collapsed, and could not move. This is relatively normal for him these days. Being willing to put your hands in somebody’s big, sweaty armpits says “I love you, I care” stronger than any words. Life is unfair. I am understanding more and more all the time that I am on the sunny side of this imbalance.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Jeremy from Gable Music Ventures came across the poster for The Paper Janes’ CD release concert in a kiosk on Market Street. It has long been a dream to play at the Grand. I remember staring up at the ceiling as a child, feeling so small.

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• One of my songs is featured on Graffiti Radio’s Songwriting Project. It is a strange feeling to hear yourself on the radio. I am thankful to the station for being so supportive of independent music. If you are interested, you can hear the track by clicking here.

• I am honored to announce that I am a finalist for the Taylor Award. I am humbled by all the kindness and support from many people that resulted in my nomination and consideration for this award.

But then again, saying what you are not going to say is just about the same thing as simply saying it. It is like a sinking censorship.

Okay, enough cheesy wordages for now. I’m off to the woods. The indigo buntings are back. So are some of the thrushes. I heard the geese leave a couple of weeks ago. But, I have barely been out there to appreciate all of this.

I’ll leave you with this absolutely beautiful video. I had nothing to do with its production. But I sure do appreciate it. The lyrical image of “tall buildings” is a strange contrast to the natural setting…

Hap: I have decided (more like been forced by my brother, ha) to update this here blog every tuesday.

Mishap: I waited until 10:30 this week.

Hap: Spring is here!

Mishap: Winter never came. It is like the world has had a fever and we were all enjoying it.

Hap: Keeping in touch with the West-coast Palkovitzenzes over Skype.

Mishap: Little miss had a ball-hop-mishap (mishop?) while video chatting.

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Anyhow, I am beginning the process of saying goodbye to college. I will graduate twice this spring. Then, who knows what. Maybe I’ll film horse races or be a social worker or learn how to live.

It is fascinating talking with friends who are graduating in May. They are scurrying about in panic due to the approaching end. The house is burning down and they are scrambling to collect a few valuable things. There are also a lot of regrets and such to leave behind. Maybe that is one of the best ways to learn lessons, to really learn them: live them.

During finals week of last semester, I wrote a little song in the middle of the night. It is from a parental-ish point of view, commenting on college–the social experience and the institution. I uncovered this video (which I totally forgot filming) when studying for an exam last week. It is not a great video, but it is cool, because there’s a kitten on my shoulder.

I was there for your first steps.
I hope that your feet don’t follow
In the tracks that I have left.

You fell then, into my arms.
Now, I think you’ve gotten so far.

You gave them all you had,
Then you wonder what do you get
Besides regret?

Waking up with a pounding head,
Empty pockets and regret;
That’s what you get.

They promised you a better mind.
They didn’t say you’d have to leave
Yourself behind.

They take your money. They kill your soul.
They tell you that you were never whole,
Before that.

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Collin has always given awesome gifts. One Christmas, some years ago, I excitedly unwrapped a package he handed me. As the wrapping paper fell away, so did my excitement.

Inside that package, inside that frame was a picture of me that plainly showed the outside of my body in a way I had never before looked at it. It showed me how fat I had become.

Collin came to where I was standing by the wood stove and put his arm around me. “Shane, if you don’t like it, I can develop another one. I thought you needed to see yourself like that.” (Collin reminded me–in the comments–that I have remembered this wrong. We had this second part of the conversation a few months later. Sorry about the incorrect memory.)

After that, I listened to him when he would tell me that I probably didn’t need to eat another sandwich. I learned to listen to my body. While I did not want to admit what I had become, I needed to. Life would be much different if I had continued uninterrupted on my trajectory of overeating. But, Collin stepped in. It was a valuable reality check.

That’s the thing about love. It is not all flowers and sunshine. If you love someone, you will not tell them what you think they want to hear; you tell them what you think they need to hear. And, of course, friends laugh and joke and talk about all kinds of nonsense as well, but when it comes down to the serious talks, truth wins.

If you are reading this, you are probably wiser than me and know this already. It is just something simple that I have been thinking about again. I am thankful for all those who have given me a slap (when i have needed it!) or have helped me along in the right direction, no matter how much I complained.

So, i’ll leave you with a song. It is new. I think it will be called “Sister,” but really, it could be from anyone to anyone who has been there through the years. Feel free to click play below and read along with the lyrics.

the first thing i saw of you was the twinkle in your eye.
now the sun has come and gone somewhere around three thousand times.
soon the wrinkles will stay behind after we smile,
our hair will gray and we’ll wonder where the days have gone.
the time it flies, the days seem just like seconds.
the time flies in a good way.

my arms in your arms, your picture in your frame.
after al the rise and fall, i know you’ll love me just the same.

so we build our dreams just like children play with blocks,
we set them up, look at them, then give them a knock.
so we live our lives not a thing like we thought,
the best things come for free, oh no, happiness cannot be bought.
in the midst of ruined dreams, you still have me.
and i have you. that is true.

my arms in your arms, your picture in your frame.
after al the rise and fall, i know you’ll love me just the same.

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It is easy to catch the money bug, and want to live for making money. More, more, always more. I have always said that I don’t care if I make much money, but maybe that is just the naivety speaking. I have not had to live for extended amounts of time in great financial need. It’s not as if I have lived some lavish lifestyle, gratifying every desire. But, I wonder how it feels to really be in need.

With graduation coming up, I am looking to the future. After graduation this spring–then what, retirement?

Music has been one of the liveliest parts of my life for a long time. But, it is hard to make it make a living. For instance, here is the tax form that Uncle Sam sent us for The Look Machine’s yearly royalties. (We still don’t know what we’ve been paid for, or how to collect the money! The check remains unwashed, seeing as none of us have a drivers license that says “The Look Machine” on it…) The hungry-hungry hippos on Capital Hill sure like to take a large slice o’ the pie when it comes to money earned off of creativity. I know, i know–taxes are put back into the public. I enjoy the benefits, why shouldn’t I foot the bill? (One reason I don’t like paying taxes right now is because I don’t like buying bombs.)

The future is coming. I will soon have to make ends meet on my own. I would love if the things that bring those ends together are made by picking out melodies and chords. If you find a profession you love, then you never have to work a day in your life.

A national philosophy that orbits around money is dangerous on many levels. Right from the corruption in the government down to how babies are programmed to think, the dollar stamps out the real stuff of life. I know there are up-sides as well, but what is the point of living a money-focused life?

While we’re on the topic of money, I’d like to say this. You can use my computer for free any time! You know that little slot on the side? That is for discs–not change. Last time the adorable little nieces were over, when they left, my computer was clinking. It was quite a mission removing the donation–a penny.

Here is a new song i wrote yesterday about the money-mind. It is just a rough demo, but you’ll get the picture. You can click play on the little gray bar and read along with the lyrics below.

He’s the perfect American man,
With the perfect life.
He’s got the job, the kids,
The beautiful wife.
He bought a religion too,
Cause that is what you do.
He goes when he can,
Like a religious man.
Out of some obligation,
He made a confession.
He told the priest about
His two obsessions.

I love my self.
I love anything you can sell.

The dollar sign is divinity,
G.D.P. is G-O-D.
They’ll sell you anything
If it gets your money.
They sell us politicians,
We buy their politics,
And like a bunch of thoughtless hookers,
We turn their tricks.
They suck the blood from life,
And sell us suicide knives.
They charge to dig our graves,
Then ask how much we’ve saved.

We are born and raised,
Slaves in collars,
Like pets on leashes,
To the dollar.

We love our selves,
And anything that you can sell.
We love our selves,
And anything that you can sell.

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