Buying Power & Our Food

So I will now do as many transactions as signed credit now as possible. Reason. May take longer, but I don't have the luxury of having funds tied up. Who thought of having the decryption/PIN fuctionality so easily exploitable? /slap

I think that people are starting to catch on to how companies personal investment into 'research' is blatantly influencing results. Recommending more alcohol than water is a tip off. Maybe there will start to be some guidelines set into studies, because I believe the reasons behind the research being debunked lies behind corporate influence and improper scientific method of control. WTB research.

This one is thrilling- The House voted Wednesday to strip many warnings from food labels.

Pushed by food companies seeking uniform labels across state lines, the bill would prevent states from adding food warnings that go beyond federal law. States could petition the Food and Drug Administration to add extra warnings, under the bill. Lawmakers approved the bill on a 283-139 vote. Supporters expect a Senate version of the bill to be introduced soon.

Valid questions are being brought up despite approval, hopefully that won't fall on deaf ears:

“This bill is going to overturn 200 state laws that protect our food supply,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. “Why are we doing that? What’s wrong with our system of federalism?”

State warnings about mercury in fish would remain.

“We ought to do it in all 50 states,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. “Chicken grown in Louisiana is going to end up on a plate in Michigan.”

Great, Katrina toxins in the chicken noodle soup? Pass! Again in relation to the research article above,

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. noted the bill’s supporters have personal ties to food industry lobbyists.

“This is not about consumers. This is about special interests,” she said.

Boo! Just a month ago wasn't there a big fuss over lobbyist dinners and sponsored vacations?

Its Just More News

Lets start off with the light stuff before we get to the heavy hitters.

Chris Penn, brother of Sean Penn was found dead today in his apartment. No immediate or suspicious cause of death is known to the public or officials.

Chris, younger sibling of Oscar-winner Sean Penn is best known for his role as Nice Guy Eddie Cabot in Quentin Tarantino's classic Reservoir Dogs.

I'm not a Catholic so I don't exactly keep the Pope in my worldly pool of things-to-take-note-of. However, this Pope seems to be setting a bearing for not just the world Catholic community but trying to speak to the entire Chrisitan audience. For that I'm paying attention.

In the 71-page document "God is Love," Benedict explored the relationship between the erotic love between man and woman, referred to by the term "eros," and the Greek word for the unconditional, self-giving love, "agape". [Refers to married couples as the agape dynamic.] Eros, reduced to pure 'sex' has become a commodity, a mere 'thing' to be bought and sold, or rather, man himself has become a commodity." Even Vatican officials have expressed surprise at the topic ... Benedict ... could easily have delved into a more problematic issue such as bioethics in his first authoritative text.

Considering how widespread the practice is of having a bed-buddy, a lover, a boyfriend, and a husband is... how is this not a hugely problematic topic to tackle? Bravo. This has its roots in the self-respect we have for one another and the general outlook and bearing we give on day-to-day issues. I have great respect for the long battle this Pope has begun. I only hope people realize to what they are listening and what the vast import it has on humanity.

Funded Bad Adware List

Internet research centers at Harvard Law School and Oxford University plan today to unveil a program aimed at outing the shady companies that produce them. The site will also publicize the names of companies and the methods they use to get marketing and tracking software onto consumers' machines.

Finally, an astonishing piece of information- Bye bye WB, UPN

Two small, struggling television networks, UPN and WB, will shut down this fall, and thei parent companies plan to form a new network called the CW using programming and other assets from each of them. Both UPN and WB has struggled to compete against larger rivals in the broadcast TV business, including Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, News Corp's Fox, General Electric Co.'s NBC, and CBS Corp's CBS.

Sad, sad times.

Two Articles

Super Foods

I did some research today- funny how I couldn't find how much selenium you can find in onions and garlic. Oh well, it just says you aren't supposed to have more than 400 mg per day. How specific. Here's some highlights from the article.

Avocado: A great source of fiber, monounsaturated fatty acids, magnesium, folate, vitamin E, chlorophyll and carotenoids. Avocados are rich in magnesium, which is an essential nutrient for healthy bones, the cardiovascular system (especially regulating blood pressure), prevention of migraines and Type II diabetes. Avocados provide more magnesium than the 20 most commonly eaten fruits.

Extra virgin olive oil: Long a staple of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, olive oil is looking even better now that scientists have shown that the extra-virgin variety has anti-inflammatory properties.

Dark chocolate
Perhaps the best news is that dark chocolate (but not milk chocolate) is now a superfood. Dark chocolate contains substances similar to the heart-healthy compounds in green tea. Six brands were tested for levels of [flavanols]. The winner: Newman's Own sweet dark chocolate.

Cinnamon: The USDA found that half a teaspoon a day lowered blood-sugar levels in patients with Type II diabetes and brought down their bad cholesterol. Also, smelling cinnamon offers a “brain boost” and it is anti-bacterial. It's has been shown to be effective in fighting E.coli.

It goes on to talk about garlic, onion, kiwi, etc. Nice article.

No more Minolta film.

Minolta is pulling their film and camera division to focus on LCDs medical equipment and optics, and color copiers to boost profits. They still will make SLR lenses for Sony. I think this is a shame since I first learned on a minolta how to take pictures. Mom's that she bought almost fifteen years ago still works. I'd urge people to snap them up, but where will you find parts and new lenses once the factories shut down in '07?

Pets on Parade

Cat trained to dial 911. Saves owner's life.

Cat survives interstate. 'Miracle' hitched a ride on an SUV undercarriage and wasn't spotted until 70 miles later.

“He was pretty freaked out,” Dixon-Aquino said. “His paws were burnt, one claw was missing and his fur was singed.”

Schnauberian dog 'Ginny' memorialized at cat show.

Ginny once threw herself against a vertical pipe at a construction site to topple it and reveal the kittens trapped inside. Another time she ignored the cuts on her paws as she dug through a box of broken glass to find an injured cat inside.

Just deserts.

An Ohio woman will spend the night outside for dumping 33 kittens in the woods. Judge Michael Cicconetti said he wanted Murray to feel what the kittens experienced.

The woman was a 25-year old former animal rescuer. What the heck? Most of the kittens now have upper respiratory infections and nine didn't survive. Glad to see that some judges believe in people getting their due.

Credit Wasn't Due

And to think just six months ago I had recanted what I said about Lohan. And now she throws it in my face? That insufferable little *simmers*.

Lindsay admitted she was making herself sick. She is admitting to some drug use in the new Vanity Fair article.

Sorry for this, but the page two of this article is important. I'm pretty sure there is a study somewhere that people don't go for the next page feature on web articles. Something about the first thirteen seconds I think. Article is about people working past their retirement. Why is this important? THE OLD FOLK GOTTA MAKE ROOM FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION. Thanks Gramps, I have to work a lower pay job because you don't wanna retire to your fly fishing?

We tend to think of retirement as playing golf in Florida. But when people talk about what they want to do with the rest of their lives, that rarely comes up.

Page one is even worse-

But there’s no indication of when the working retired plan to slow down their working, saving — which they still do — or their spending.

Noooooes!
All About the Beef

I dub it, MiniCow. You heard me, half size cattle.

“They’re like a pet more than anything. I like them because they’re neat looking, they’re oddities,” Warren said. Those 10 mini cows will provide about 6,000 pounds on the hoof, compared to as much as 3,000 pounds that could come from two full-size cattle, Gradwohl said.

Well ain't that something. Supposedly it will make efforts for organic meat easier since the cattle destroy less grass. And grass heavy diets make healthier meat. And that makes me happy.

What makes me happier? Hearing about a Kobe that doesn't have to do with infidelity.

Healthy beef? Healthy fatty beef? Absolutely, Yamamoto says — he helped fund research that backs up his claim. A Texas A&M University researcher, Stephen Smith, concluded that compared to American beef, Wagyu beef is much higher in unsaturated fat. It has high levels of oleic acid, the fatty acid in olive and canola oils that has been shown to lower bad LDL cholesterol.

"The health aspect of this animal is what should be the standard for the U.S. cattle herd," Yamamoto said. "If I can put these bulls on any breed and decrease the saturated fat, that would be the standard."

Another selling point for Kobe-style beef is that it's often raised without hormones or antibiotics.

This is really a facinating full article, if you read no other linked article I beg you to read this one the whole way through. But I admit- I hate steak fat, it feels slimy.

Movies In Real Life

This story sounds like something out of a Beautiful Mind.

[Colleen Nestler] accused the host of using code words, gestures and "eye expressions" to send her messages since she began sending him "thoughts of love" after his Late Show programme began in 1993.

But it's all ok now that she says "the public knows that this man cannot come near me".

O_o

Right. Unstable much?

Diamonds, Kilts, and Penguins

Stranger leaves diamond ring behind for a man that left his vehicle door unlocked last week. The ring has been appriased at fifteen thousand dollars. The man who found the ring in his vehicle says he'll gladly return the ring if the giver steps forward. A note left behind details, "Merry Christmas. Thank you for leaving your car door unlocked. Instead of stealing your car I gave you a present. Hopefully this will land in the hands of someone you love, for my love is gone now." Awww. :'( Well now America loves you for your generosity.

Baby Penguin kidnapped. The Amazon World zoo of England's Isle of Wight is missing one three month old baby penguin, Toga. Keepers are frantic over the bird's health as it doesn't accept food from human hands and is likely dehydrated. What a cruel thing to do, cruel to do to a human baby that still relies on the bottle and the same goes for a penguin. There is an eight thousand dollar reward for Toga's return. I refuse in this light to make a joke about the common name of that species of penguin.

Teens Can't wear Kilts- according to a Jackson, Missouri high school. Nathan Warmack pieced together a kilt and formal jacket to wear to a dance in November. He presented the idea to faculty that joked he should have something underneath, to which Nathan agreed. Night of the dance while posing for pictures, Principal McClard refused Warmack entry to the dance unless he put pants on. Needless to say, many Scottish organizations and families are stepping forward on the issue and subsequent remarks to demand apology and confront the issue.

Warmack said he’s concerned that school officials are just waiting for the situation to blow over, and that the policy won’t be changed.

“This has picked up a lot of steam,” he said, “but it hasn’t really gotten anywhere.”

Twists Me

Happy news first, Surgeon refuses to treat patient that smokes. According to the article, Mr. Smith has a 15 smoke a day habit and complains of cold legs that pain him. Surgeon tells him to kick his habit first because that is possibly what began his problem. Otherwise the surgery could end up with Mr. Smith minus some legs if it doesn't work- the leg equivilant of an angioplasty. The patient is furious that he is "being bullied" into stopping his habit. Some people are really dense.

Now for the things that make me mad- Kellogg getting rid of trans fats by introducing genetically modified soy oil early next year. As if soy products didn't twist me up enough, they are messing around with the genes of it all as well. Haven't these people heard of techniques like grafting and pollen transfer?

Truthfully, there is a problem with research on things like food/flavor additives (MSG included), alternative diets, and genetically modified food products. That would be that most people have to rely on the internet for their supplimental materials. Unfortunately, there are many people that in turn write the articles with limited sources of information that could be either false, misleading, or incomplete. I'm not saying all articles are suspect and bunk, but how do we find out how much good and bad are in things like soy? How do we know if a vegan diet is truly healthy?

Another glaring problem is that the FDA allows for a certain amount of fudging-

Provides exceptions for spices, flavorings, and colors not required to be certified under specified provisions.

-1990 Food Labeling says basically if you want to hide your secret sauce's kick, you put it as natural flavorings or organic spices and the FDA just wants to make sure that is is natural and organic. They don't care about what exactly the 'flavorings and spices' are. What does a manufacturer need to hide that they put cumin, tumeric, and oregano in their ketchup?

Much research on food products are back pocket affairs. Research is an expensive proposition, and a lot of funding can end up coming from unexpected sources. For example- a soy farmer co-op sponsoring the research on a 'boca-burger-look-a-like' product being good for cancer prevention and reduce the rate of cell oxidation. This can be done if there is significant research that a chemical in the product has been linked to possibly reducing the risk of a commonly researched disease/condition in the USA. But they have to also say the FDA didn't say that it does.

One of the most important things I learned from my science and math classes is that it can be very easy to mislead with the right kind of data or data-less layout. How can consumers make appropriate decisions on what they eat when data is skewed in the manufacturers' favor? The FDA has its guidelines, yes, but many times I have found them to be full of loopholes. There is no regulation on things like herbal supplements. A lot of diet food is regulated simply that it doesn't make false claims or contains snake oil so to speak. If it has a new ingredient in it that the FDA hasn't seen in some form before, it must have enough documentation to show that it won't pose a health risk. Meanwhile, it can have empty calories, enough sugar to rot teeth, and make you crave to eat more of it. Try picking up a 'health food bar' and write down any six of the ingredients you find. Look them up on sites that don't claim their benefit or lack therof. Look up how they are made. That alone should clue you in to the nature of how healthy a product is.

Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Soy lechitin -

Lecithin is the gummy material contained in crude vegetable oils and removed by degumming. Soybeans are by far the most important source of commercial lecithin and lecithin is the most important by-product of the soy oil processing industry.

You can find this in almost every kind of food product. Chcolate chips, cakes, snack bars, cookies. All the sources say the same thing, after they extract the soy oil from the edamame (soybeans) they press more out of the leftover matter into cakes and treat it. What is expelled is a tan or dark brown fluid or gummy mass that is treated into a useable texture. I don't think it would be far off to say that it is what is left over in the pipes after they are done pressing for oils. Amazing, two products out of one vegetable. Ugh.

I take with a grain of salt the addition of calling articles that don't promote a specific brand of product and show both sides of an arguement scientifically as not being labeling. Skewed facts and lobbying anyone?

is displayed or presented, or is displayed or presented with other such items on the same subject matter, so as to present a balanced view of the available scientific information on a dietary supplement

I just don't think there is enough being done to check on the throughness and integretify of product research. The sources of funding is sometimes compromising to the purpose and can promote long term heath risks. Why else do we have such high profile cases on things like Vioxx and Viagra? Cover ups, incomplete research, improper use, improper labeling- spanning years. The FDA isn't all to blame, its a large awkward body. Manufacturers, patients, pharmacists, doctors all make their choices. But we trust in a common law system to be the safety net for us.

On Macs- I disagree with this reasoning "Macs don't crash". So help me, when I was going to school to learn Maya, they yanked out the Sun computers, solid little linux machines to put a Mac lab in. We could do networking, we could use Shake, and Photoshop. They did not like Maya. The two months in that lab was hell with how the computers would randomly crash. Let's not speak of attempts to render.

She gets a CoverGirl contract - OMG SHE HAS NO BREASTS!America's Next Top Model Winner Nicole Linkletter. Poor poor girl. She could go around topless and no one would notice when she would go to the men's restroom.