Rant: cloned food

FDA OKs food from cloned animals
By LIBBY QUAID, AP Food and Farm Writer

[with comments from yours truly]

WASHINGTON - The government declared Thursday that food from cloned animals is safe to eat. After more than five years of study, the Food and Drug Administration concluded that cloned livestock is "virtually indistinguishable" from conventional livestock.

[“Indistinguishable” in what way? It looks the same? It tastes the same? Hmmm. Food contaminated with E. coli looks and tastes the same as uncontaminated food. I guess the FDA will approve that too.]

FDA believes "that meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as the food we eat every day," said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine.

[Well, that’s not saying much, is it?]

Officials said they don't think special labels are needed, although a decision on labeling is pending.

Because scientists concluded there is no difference between food from clones and food from other animals, "it would be unlikely that FDA would require labeling in those cases," Sundlof said.

[See, some scientists concluded this. I have to tell you, I know a lot of scientists, and most of them disagree with each other on everything. I’m glad the FDA found a few that agreed with them, but I’d wager there is nothing remotely resembling consensus on this matter. And in what way is there “no difference”? The food is coming from something unnatural, I’d say that’s pretty different.]

Final approval is still months away; the agency will accept comments from the public for the next three months.

Critics of cloning say the verdict is still out on the safety of food from cloned animals.

"Consumers are going to be having a product that has potential safety issues and has a whole load of ethical issues tied to it, without any labeling," said Joseph Mendelson, legal director of the Center for Food Safety.

Carol Tucker Foreman, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, said the FDA is ignoring research that shows cloning results in more deaths and deformed animals than other reproductive technologies.

The consumer federation will ask food companies and supermarkets to refuse to sell food from clones, she said.

"Meat and milk from cloned animals have no benefit for consumers, and consumers don't want them in their foods," Foreman said.

However, FDA scientists said that by the time clones reached 6 to 18 months of age, they are virtually indistinguishable from conventionally bred animals.

Labels should only be used if the health characteristics of a food are significantly altered by how it is produced, said Barb Glenn of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

[Barb seems like an objective source.]

"The bottom line is, we don't want to misinform consumers with some sort of implied message of difference," Glenn said. "There is no difference. These foods are as safe as foods from animals that are raised conventionally."

[Oh, I see, they don’t want to “misinform” consumers. So to avoid that, they will simply not tell consumers what they are eating. Hey Barb, ever hear the term “lie of omission”?]

Those in favor of the technology say it would be used primarily for breeding and not for steak or pork tenderloin.

Cloning lets farmers and ranchers make copies of exceptional animals, such as pigs that fatten rapidly or cows that are superior milk producers.

"It's not a genetically engineered animal; no genes have been changed or moved or deleted," Glenn said. "It's simply a genetic twin that we can then use for future matings to improve the overall health and well-being of the herd."

[See, it’s very simple. And they’re doing it for the animals. Clearly. Animals which will live in filth and squalor until they are slaughtered using inhumane methods.]

Thus, consumers would mostly get food from their offspring and not the clones themselves, Glenn said.

[And how is this better?]

Still, some clones would eventually end up in the food supply. As with conventional livestock, a cloned bull or cow that outlived its usefulness would probably wind up at a hamburger plant, and a cloned dairy cow would be milked during her breeding years.

That's unlikely to happen soon, because FDA officials have asked farmers and cloning companies since 2001 to voluntarily keep clones and their offspring out of the food supply. The informal ban would remain in place for several months while FDA accepts comments from the public.

[We all know how conscientiously the big companies observe voluntary safety measures. Or even mandatory ones.]

Approval of cloned livestock has taken five years because of pressure from big food companies nervous that consumers might reject milk and meat from cloned animals.

[Really, it’s the consumers’ fault. Since they’re making such a big stink about it, we just won’t tell them where the products come from. Take that, consumers!]

To produce a clone, the nucleus of a donor egg is removed and replaced with the DNA of a cow, pig or other animal. A tiny electric shock coaxes the egg to grow into a copy of the original animal. Cloning companies say it's just another reproductive technology, such as artificial insemination, yet there can be differences between the two because of chance and environmental influences.

Some surveys have shown people to be uncomfortable with food from cloned animals; 64 percent said they were uncomfortable with such food in a September poll by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, a nonpartisan research group.

[Why do we even bother with animals at this point? I’m sure Monsanto can just process up some synthetic substitute. “Come on in, kids, it’s time for dinner! Tonight we’re having processed beef-texture protein cakes with melted slices of American processed cheese product! Yum!” Time to reassess the merits of a vegetarian diet.]

My Grand adventure

I had a very busy day today: two car rides and my very first train ride! Wow. First we took a car from our house to Grand Central Station.



It was so big and there were so many people!! I couldn't stop staring at everyone. I know they all wanted to pet me but Monica kept pulling me along. We went to Track 36 to catch our train. I was very excited.




Then we got on the train. I had to jump over a big hole between the platform and the train, and I was a little nervous. But I made it! It was so weird to be moving even though I was standing still. Sean and Monica tried to get me to sit down but I was having none of that. There were WAY too many people to stare at! The jerky train movement made me a little sick, so I panted and drooled a lot on the floor, but I made it to Croton station without yakking. Then we got off the train and met Sean's mom. Can you believe they expected me to get into ANOTHER car??! What a day. I will be needing lots of naps to recover from all this activity.

I win!

Marisa just awarded me the gold star for posting a bunch! Hooray!

What can brown do for you?

Hmm, how 'bout: deliver my packages? To me?

We both work during the day, and we don't have a doorman or super. So except for the odd day off, nobody is home to sign for deliveries. For some reason, instead of just leaving our freakin packages inside our screen door or out of sight behind the stairs, our UPS guy insists on giving them to our neighbors. Whom we never see. Whose phone number we don't know. And who don't have a doorbell.

I WANT MY PACKAGES, DAMMIT!
*grump*

And seriously, are they even allowed to leave my packages with a random other person without my consent??

Houston Street mystery

While out to dinner last night near Houston Street, we noticed a remarkably large number of minivan taxis. We must have seen 2 dozen minivan cabs during the hour or so we were there. What's up with that? Why do they converge on Houston Street? Is Houston Street the nexus of the minivan-cab universe? Someone should do a study.

Names

Even though I am only one dog, I have many many names. These are my 'primary' names:

• Zoe (dur)
• Beans/Bean
• Dog
• Puppy
• Boo
• Stink

And these are my most common 'titles' or prefixes:

• Little
• Miss
• Baby

So I might get called by one of my simple primary names, but I might also get called by infinite combinations of my primary names and prefixes... Zoebean, Miss Beans, Boo Boo, Little Dog, Zo B, Baby Stink Dog... you get the idea.

Does this seem excessive to anyone else? How many names does one dog need?

I'm shick

I have a cold. Bleh. So instead of writing something, I offer pics of our Christmas decorations.

An end to sock amnesty

I have declared an end to amnesty in my sock drawer. All you socks that won't stay up, this is your first and final warning. No more second chances. You will be terminated. No mercy.

Wasting away

I went to the vet today. I rode in a car because I hurt my leg last night while doing my turbo puppy routine. I found out that I am wasting away to practically nothing! Only 48.1 pounds! Can you believe it? The vet said I look great. (Then again, I always look great, don't I??) And I do have more energy and zip these days. But still, I think they should feed me more.

I got my vaccinations too. I don't mind the needles so much, but I hate when they squirt that syringe up my nose. Something about Bordetella they said? Whatevs.

It's been a rough day, so I've had to nap even more than usual.

If I had a million dollars...

I would hire half a dozen helicopters to hover over the homes of each and every one of the producers/executives of all the morning "news" shows in NYC. From about 4am til 9am. Every morning for a week.

I wanna play too!

Dogs are people too!

1. Three things that scare me
-plastic bags on the sidewalk
-wind
-people wearing hoods

2. Three people that make me laugh
-Monica
-Sean
-Our landlord

3. Three things I hate the most
-baths
-not getting fed on time
-getting my ears cleaned

4. Three things I don't understand
-why people go to "work"
-the phrase "get out of the way"
-why my toys are so sassy

5. Three things I'm doing right now
-licking myself
-laying on the carpet
-shedding

6. Three things to do before I die
-pee on every block in Brooklyn
-catch a squirrel
-sleep on Sean & Monica's bed

7. Three things I can do
-slobber
-snore
-eeeeeeeeee

8. Three ways to describe my personality
-goofy
-mellow
-sweet

9. Three things I can't do
-heel
-speak on command
-fetch anything

10. Three things I think you should listen to
-trumpets
-your dog
-someone opening the freezer (where they keep doggie ice cream)

11. Three things you should never listen to
-Tim Berne
-the word "no"
-I can't think of anything else! I have big ears so I hear everything.

12. Three things I'd like to learn
-how to work the toaster
-how to open the treat bags/jars
-how to open the fridge

13. Three favorite foods
-Beggin Strips
-popcorn
-everything else

14. Three beverages I drink regularly
-water
-condensation off beer bottles
-that's about it

15. Three TV shows I watched as a kid
-Animal Precinct
-Emergency Vets
-college football

All your base

In A.D. 2101 War was beginning.
Captain: What happen ?
Mechanic: Somebody set up us the bomb.
Operator: We get signal.
Captain: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
Captain: It's You !!
Cats: How are you gentlemen !!
Cats: All your base are belong to us.
Cats: You are on the way to destruction.
Captain: What you say !!
Cats: You have no chance to survive make your time.
Cats: HA HA HA HA ....
Captain: Take off every 'zig' !!
Captain: You know what you doing.
Captain: Move 'zig'.
Captain: For great justice.

Yes, this is an oldie, but I randomly thought of it the other day, and it's been cracking me up all over again ever since. So enjoy! For great justice.

Power of three

I stole this from Marisa.

1. Three things that scare me
-Rottweilers
-the crowd mentality
-giving up control

2. Three people that make me laugh
-me
-Sean
-Marisa

3. Three things I hate the most
-ignorance
-lies
-mushrooms (except in conjunction with badgers)

4. Three things I don't understand
-people
-Russian
-differential equations

5. Three things I'm doing right now
-deprogramming after work
-enjoying a beer
-wondering what's for dinner

6. Three things to do before I die
-visit Ireland
-buy a home
-hopefully retire

7. Three things I can do
-cook
-roll my tongue
-spell

8. Three ways to describe my personality
-silly
-contemplative
-moody

9. Three things I can't do
-draw
-raise one eyebrow by itself (aka the people's eyebrow)
-sing

10. Three things I think you should listen to
-Zoe's tail thumping
-your heart
-rain on the roof or windows when you're cozied up indoors

11. Three things you should never listen to
-politicians
-salespeople
-whining

12. Three things I'd like to learn
-another language
-photography
-how to bake bread

13. Three favorite foods
-cheeeeeeeese
-home cooking
-soup

14. Three beverages I drink regularly
-water
-coffee
-beer

15. Three TV shows I watched as a kid
-Cosby Show
-Solid Gold
-The A-Team

Off the page

Inspired by Marisa...

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

I was in my cheerleading uniform, and they were both wearing Naperville High sweatshirts. Our cheeks were painted with little orange paw prints. I remembered that Blaine had just caught a long touchdown pass to win the game and advance our team to the state quarterfinals.

Guess what I'm reading??

Oh the places you'll go!

create your own visited countries map



create your own visited states map

It sucks that many of the countries I've been to are tiny and barely show up on the map! But it's a cool toy nonetheless.

Barsufius!

My dear sister Marisa gave me some supercool gifts for my 32nd birthday, including a brand new wrapsack! What is a wrapsack, you ask? Well, check it out for yourself: www.wrapsacks.com. It's a reusable fabric gift bag that is meant to be re-gifted. Each one has a unique code, which you can use to track the progress of the wrapsack. The first person to register the bag gets to name it and give it a goal. I named mine Barsufius, and its goal is to travel around the world. If you register with the site, you can track Barsufius's progress using the code c07039! Thanks Marisa!

Save the internet!

Rooked

So I just got rooked by a 10-year-old pizza delivery guy. I call my regular pizza joint, order my regular pizza. 25 minutes later, the doorbell rings, and I open the door to find a 10-year-old kid holding my pizza box at a rather precarious angle.

"Did you order a pizza?", he asks me very politely.

"Yes I did," I say.

"I'm sorry it's late," he tells me.

"That's OK," I respond. "Do you have change?"

"Change?" he asks, beginning to look somewhat bewildered.

Uh oh. All I have is a $20 and 5 singles. The pie costs $11 and I usually tip $2.

"They sent you out to deliver pizzas with no change?" I ask him, incredulous.

He takes a step back, and shakes his head. Regards me warily for a few seconds as I try to decide what to do. I don't want this kid to get in trouble, but neither do I want to pay $20 for a pizza. Plus I'm hungry and I want some slices.

"Wait, I have my own money," he pipes up. He opens his velcro'd wallet and takes out 3 dollar bills.

I tell him, "OK, here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna take the pizza, and your 3 dollars, and you're going to take this delivery receipt and my 20 dollars. You get back to the pizza place, you tell them they owe you $5, OK?"

He nods vaguely.

"You got it?" I ask him. He half nods, half shakes his head.

I try again. "See, you just gave me 3 dollars of your own money, so you should get that back from them. Plus you get 2 dollars for bringing me my pizza. So that makes 5 right?"

"Right," he says, warming up to the idea.

"Next time they send you out delivering pizzas, you tell 'em they have to give you some change to bring with you," I advise.

"OK," he nods. He eyes the steps, wondering if he is free to leave.

"Have a good night," I tell him.

"OK, bye," he says, turns, and scampers off down the stairs.

Pizza was pretty good. Not $17 good, but what can you do?

Shoe fetish

I blame my shoe fetish on the MTA. Well, the city of New York, really, but the MTA in particular. I ride the subway to work every day, and
since making eye contact is a cultural taboo, I spend lots of time looking at people's footwear. *sigh* So many cute shoes, so little money to spend on them.

Today @ lunch: world's worst seeing-eye dog

My office is in a building that also houses various organizations that research vision loss and/or help the visually impaired, so I frequently see people with white canes, seeing-eye dogs, etc in the area. Today at lunch I encountered the world's worst seeing-eye dog and witnessed an event unparalleled in my experience. Said world's worst seeing-eye dog (WWSED) was ostensibly guiding a visually impaired man along the sidewalk, when without warning, WWSED broke a hard left and lunged into the street, dragging the man off the edge of the sidewalk behind a parked van, stopping just short of traffic. WWSED then gobbled up some disgusting morsel of filth off the pavement, refusing to return to the sidewalk until he was finished. By the time I got over there the man was back on the sidewalk, shouting at the dog, who was serenely licking his lips.

I was shocked.

Then I heard a snotty-sounding Pottery Barn shopper, who had been standing right there the entire time, say to her companion, "I can't believe he's yelling at the dog like that."

Unreal.

Absenteeism

Haven't been posting much. I've been a little busy. New job, holidays, wedding planning.