INTERESTING TIMES

"There’s more money in amputating the limbs of diabetics than in counseling them on diet and exercise."

( Read Michael Pollan's NYTimes Op-Ed from 9/10/09, on the food industry's part in the healthcare boondoggle. )

I heard this on the radio this morning, and then swift on its heels a statement from Obama telling the Chinese to shop more. He wants Chinese people to become as blatantly materialist as Americans are, so that we can sell them things. What? Interesting times indeed. The Cuban leader is ahead of the American leader in recognizing the reality of the crisis that confronts our planet, and the solution to it. Maybe I'll move to Cuba. Much as I adore Obama for his cultural sensitivity and ability to bring previously disenfranchised groups to the table, he is still flunking on the economy. In the long run it may be incredibly beneficial to Cuba to not be sucked into the American paradigm of wealth. The embargo is a blessing in disguise.

Here is a very interesting video made by the US Department of Agriculture instructing farmers on how to grow and harvest hemp. It was made in 1937 and says "now with Phillipine and East Indian sources of hemp in the hands of the Japanese, and shipments of jute from India curtailed, American hemp must meet the needs of our army and navy". So the USDA saw fit to ask American farmers to grow fiber for ropes and twine. It's ten and a half minutes long. Apparently the movie disappeared soon after being made, but was discovered and distributed thanks to Mia Farrow. Who knows how SHE got it. But anyway, check it out if you have ten minutes and an interest in a very useful crop.

Aside: Ron Paul says the best source of ethanol is from hemp, not corn or sugarcane. Saw that on youtube too.

HR 875 was introduced to our 111th congress by Rosa DeLauro, whose husband Stanley Greenburg works for Monsanto. The bill benefits factory farming corporations such as factory farming ops like Monsanto, ADM, Sodexo and Tyson, by stressing small farms with new regulations and potentially putting small food suppliers out of business. My guess is that the bill was written by people from inside that industry.

Monsanto is up to no good. Monsanto has been engineering corn and other crops to be infertile, such that farmers cannot plant next season from this year's seed crop!! And not only does this invention assure that the farmer must purchase seed annually, the genetically engineered corn pollenates other corn and reduces the viability of the crop world wide. Causing starvation and an increased need for people to buy seed corn. Now a Monsanto ally has introduced a bill making it a pain in the ass to grow a little bit of food on your small farm or in your back yard garden. This bill increases the regulation of small food growing operations, while letting the corporate starvation profiteer run free. We can't let this bill pass. Is there anyone out there paying attention? Are you ready to act as a citizen? We the people are up against Goliath, and we'd better pick up some stones!! Please do what you can.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsanto-s-dream-bill-HR-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-090309-337.html
( the scoop and links )

POSILAC Bovine Somatotropin production will now be in the hands of another business, not Monsanto. In my view, this does absolve Monsanto any more than it guarantees the removal of growth hormones from dairy products. I wonder who owns Eli Lilly and Company, the purchasers of Posilac. This sale could just be part of the business shell game in which Monsanto hides its assets by selling them off to another part of itself. But regardless of ownership of the means of BGH production, more and more dairy product suppliers are avoiding hormone-induced milk products. The latest I heard was Yoplait has gone hormone free. Here's the story from the perspective of the Organic Consumer's Association:
( and links including Monsanto's press release )

She was the world's oldest living person, up until Wednesday. She lived in her farmhouse until age 100.
hhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5250767.ece

Q1: Many people in infectious disease circles are concerned about animal housing practices in countries such as China, where pigs and chickens are housed in close proximity. What are the primary concerns based on generation of new strains of flu? Are these concerns valid and why?
( the rest of the homework )