Sunday, December 29, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Organic gardening in Ventura Calif
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| brocolli in front and behind, with some spinach |
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| The spinach and brocolli box |
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| two boxes of kale |
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| a friend of Beaky's...angel messenger: a lovely egret |
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| food view from the on of the porches |
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| our organic carrots |
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| tomatoes and kale |
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| kale being saved from gophers |
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| bluff planter boxes, doing well in the winter |
Friday, December 27, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
The Daily Messenger: Fukushima is here (in the USA) - WHAT KIND OF CANC...
The Daily Messenger: Fukushima is here (in the USA) - WHAT KIND OF CANC...: Strontium 90, Cesium 137 (same stuff they use to irradiate our food in Calif), Iodine, and dozens of other ionizing-radiation elements in ...
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The Daily Messenger: 28 Signs That The West Coast Is Being Absolutely F...
The Daily Messenger: 28 Signs That The West Coast Is Being Absolutely F...: 28 Signs That The West Coast Is Being Absolutely Fried With Nuclear Radiation From Fukushima
Monday, December 16, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The Kale is doing well
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| A juicing family's dream come true - endless kale |
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| this plant does this every week |
Making a planter box
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| be sure to add chicken wire underneath to keep gophers and such from eating your produce |
Friday, November 22, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The seeds Sprout
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| One month later, radishes and kale appear and grow fast... |
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| A sea of kale...in thirty short days... |
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| our first harvest, a radish for the angel juicer... |
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| Happy kale... |
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| One month later, the roses are blooming and every garden needs some color about...for balance |
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| More balance and buggles |
Beginning an organic garden
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| One must clear and till the earth... |
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| Then add rock dust, sea kelp (Atlantic ocean only, no radiation from Fukushima), compost, and stear manure... |
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| Water and keep wet...then sow...keep wet |
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| Planter boxes are good for control features... |
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| work it dude...or no fruits of your labor |
Monday, September 16, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
USDA privatizing meat inspections with program that allowed ‘chunks’ of feces
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is planning to roll out a meat inspection program nationwide that will allow pork plants to use their own inspectors, but it has a history of producing contaminated meat at American and foreign plants.
The Washington Post reported on Monday that documents and interviews showed that a plan to allow hog plants to replace federal USDA inspectors with their own private employees had produced “serious lapses that included failing to remove fecal matter from meat” in three of the five plants that had participated in a pilot program for more than a decade.
And plants using the same procedure in Australia and Canada also ran into problems. In one case, a Canadian company had to recall 8.8 million pounds of beef products for E. coli contamination.
Most recently, New Zealand had been given permission to export meat to the United States from plants using the inspection procedure. But government inspectors in New Zealand have already warned that the meat produced at those plants is contaminated at times.
“Tremendous amounts of fecal matter remain on the carcasses,” Ian Baldick, an inspectors union representative, told the Post. “Not small bits, but chunks.”
In 1997, the USDA allowed five pork plants to participate in the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point-based Inspection Models Project (HIMP), which industry lobbyists claimed would accelerate processing times while cutting down on the number of government meat inspectors. After 15 years, a USDA inspector general report found last spring that three of the five plants in the program were some of the worst in the country.
A separate Government Accountability Office (GAO) report last month said that it would be difficult to recommend rolling out the plan nationwide.
The USDA is moving forward with rolling out the new meat inspection procedures after the evaluation is complete in the spring of 2014. A similar plan for chicken and turkey plants is expected to be finalized later this year.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/09/usda-privatizing-meat-inspections-with-program-that-allowed-chunks-of-feces/
Friday, August 23, 2013
The Daily Messenger: ad hominem attacks Al Gore: Climate Change Deniers...
The Daily Messenger: ad hominem attacks Al Gore: Climate Change Deniers...: http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/08/22/Al-Gore-Climate-Change-Deniers-Like-Racists-Homophobes-Alcoholics-Smokers
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The Closing Argument for Soda Pop
The Closi
ng Argument for Soda Pop
Soft drinks Ingredients
Many of the soft drinks are similar, but reading the fine print, maybe the best place to begin. regarding their ingredients. There are many, that are categorized under flavors, therefore their Secret Formula, not being revealed. Most soft drinks have either a sugar, sweeteners (neotame, acesulfame, and sucralose), high fructose corn syrup, or Aspartame ( dietdrinks). Some soft drinks may include caffeine. Most drinks you will find Sodium Bensoate. Citric acid is found there along with Benzene, another ingredient often listed. Others ( orange) may contains glyceryl abietate, also known as “glycerol esters of wood rosin”, and brominated vegetable oil. The Colas one of the larger segments of the soft drinks, the cola nut is used as an active ingredient. The cola nut adds the alkaloids of caffeine and theobromine. Since soft drinks basic substance is water that is carbonated. This is, as we know it, carbonated water.
Soft drinks would not be without preservatives and colors. The preservatives such as, Sodium benzoate, is used widely along with Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). The Colors can not be left out such as caramel and the artificialcolors such as Red40 that are used to enhance soft drinks color appeal and taste.
The Hear say or It’s Said to Be Caffeine… is linked to anxiety and sleep disruption when consumed in excess.
The health effects of high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners remain controversial.
Sodium benzoate has been investigated as a possible cause of DNA damage and hyperactivity.
Benzene, is the amount of benzene in soft drinks is small enough that it is not unlikely to pose a health risk.
Aspartame, used in diet sodas, is a potent neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor.
Phosphoric acid, added to give soft drinks “bite,” is associated with calcium loss.
Citric acid often contains traces of MSG, a neurotoxin.
Artificial Flavors may also contain traces of MSG.
Water may contain high amounts of fluoride and other contaminants
Sodium citrate buffers the acids, so the pH stays low (acidic).
Potassium sorbate is added to inhibit yeasts and fungi.
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is used as an anti-oxidant.
In Colas, the color comes from caramel coloring (burnt sugar).
Red 40 and other colors are used a health consideration.
They are used in fruit flavored drinks such as orange soda, glyceryl abietate, also known as “glycerol esters of wood rosin”, and brominated vegetable oil.
FACTS To THE CASE… Caffeine Caffeine,
a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, which temporarily wards off drowsiness and restoring alertness. By the way, caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance. b Unlike many other psychoactive substances, Caffeine is legal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists caffeine as a “multiple purpose generally recognized as safe food substance”.
Caffeine being linked to sleep disorders and anxiety when used in excess will depend on usage, as the report below will indicate. Moderation is the key here. Ill effects such as abuse, intoxication, withdrawals, and effects on children.
For further reading
http://www.minddisorders.com/Br-Del/Caffeine-related-disorders.html. Retrieved 2009-08-03
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). American Psychiatric Association. ISBN 0-89042-062-9.
James, Jack E.; Stirling, Keyn P. (1983). “Caffeine: A Survey of Some of the Known and Suspected Deleterious Effects of Habitualal Use”. Addiction 78: 251–8. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1983.tb02509.x. PMID 6354232
High-fructose Corn Syrup The Sugar-sweetened beverages are the main source of added sugar and the leading source of calories in our diet. When added to drinks, all sweeteners — including natural ones like brown sugar, sugar in the raw, agave syrup and honey — contribute empty calories. Since 1980, calorie intake has increased by an average of 150 to 300 calories per day with about half of those calories coming from liquids — sugar-sweetened beverages in particular.
The American Heart Association recommends Americans limit their sugar intake to half of their discretionary calorie allowance — about 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories per day for men (or about five and nine teaspoons respectively). To put that in perspective, one 12-ounce can of Pepsi contains 150 calories and about eight teaspoons of added sugar.
But it’s worth noting, that the same amount of orange juice has 165 calories and more than eight teaspoons of sugar, that is in its natural form. If you’re looking to add vitamins and minerals, the OJ is the smarter choice, but if weight is is your goal, you should steer clear of both.
When it comes to energy, it’s unlikely that your body registers natural sugar any differently than table sugar or HFC.
Marion Nestle, NYU professor of nutrition and author of “Food Politics” and “What to Eat“, agrees that it’s a matter of too many calories, rather than one particular food. The public now puts HFCS in the same category as trans fats: poison (it’s not; it’s just sugars),” says Nestle. “Biochemically, it is about the same as table sugar (both have about the same amount of fructose and calories), but it [HFCS] is in everything and Americans eat a lot of it — nearly 60 pounds per capita in 2006, just a bit less than pounds of table sugar. HFCS is not a poison, but eating less of any kind of sugar is a good idea these days.”
The American Medical Association agrees. In 2008, the organization issued a statement maintaining that HFCS does not contribute more to obesity than other sweeteners.
CBS News Investigates HFCS Oct. 2008
Stanford Wellsphere HFCS Controversy Apr. 2009
“High Fructose Corn Syrup Health and Diet Facts”.
Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate is a preservative. It is bacteriostatic and fungistatic under acidic conditions. It is used most prevalently in acidic foods such as salad dressings (vinegar), carbonated drinks, acid jams and fruit juices It can also be found in cough syrups like Robitussin.
It is also used in fireworks as a fuel in whistle mix, a powder that emits a whistling noise when compressed into a tube and ignited. The fuel is also one of the fastest burning rocket fuels and provides a lot of thrust and smoke. It does have its downsides: there is a high danger of explosion when the motor is pressed because of the fuel’s sensitivity to impact. That is why only professional pyrotechnicians should make it.
FDA, 2006. “Data on Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages, ” United States Food and Drug Administration.
Martin Hickman Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health The Independent on Sunday 27, May 2007
Martin Hickman E211 Revealed: Evidence highlights new fear over drinks additive
Benzene Benzene in
soft drinks is of some concern due to the carcinogenic nature of the benzene molecule. This contamination is a public health concern and has caused significant outcry among environmental and health advocates. The Benzene levels are regulated in drinking water nationally and internationally, and in bottled water in the United States, but only informally in soft drinks.
The benzene results from decarboxylation of the preservative benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), especially under heat and light.
The FDAemphasized that most beverages contain levels below 5 ppb and poses no risk to consumers. Furthermore, there are no standards for beverages beyond drinking and bottled water. A watchdog organization, the Environmental Working Group, had previously called on the FDA to release its results. The EWG also criticized the FDA for not acting on the Total Diet Study results showing the nearly 80% of the diet soft drinks exceeded the federal drinking water standards.
Further reading facts
Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). April 13, 2006, “FDA Statement: Benzene in Soft DrinksSurvey of benzene levels in soft drinks”
Elliott, Valerie, The Times, April 1, 2006, “Soft drinks pulled from shelves over cancer fear”
Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). April 13, 2006, “FDA Statement: Benzene in Soft Drinks”
Benzene in Soft Drinks and other Beverage Products
LIBBY QUAID Soft Drink Companies Settle Benzene Case, August 24, 2006Martin Hickman Coca-Cola to phase out use of controversial additive after DNA damage claim The Independent 25 May 2008
Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. It was first sold under the brand name NutraSweet. It has also has been sold under the brand name AminoSweet. The safety of aspartamehas been the subject of several political and medicalcontroversies, Congressionalal hearings and internethoaxes since its initialapproval for use in food products by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974.
A 2007 medicalreview on the subject concluded that “the weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a non-nutritive sweetener”. However, because its breakdown products include phenylalanine, aspartame must be avoided by people with the genetic condition phenylketonuria
Magnuson BA, Burdock GA, Doull J, et al. (2007). “Aspartame: a safety evaluation based on current use levels, regulations, and toxicological and epidemiological studies”. Critical Reviews in Toxicology 37 (8): 629–727. doi:10.1080/10408440701516184. PMID 17828671.
^David J. Ager, David P. Pantaleone, Scott A. Henderson, Alan R. Katritzky, Indra Prakash, D. Eric Walters (1998). “Commercial, Synthetic Non-nutritive Sweeteners”. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 37 (13-24): 1802–1817. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1521-3773(19980803)37:13/14<1802::AID-ANIE1802>3.0.CO;2-9.
Phosphoric acid Food-grade phosphoric acid (additive E338) is used to acidify foods and beverages such as various colas, but not without controversy regarding its health effects. It provides a tangy or sour taste and, being a mass-produced chemical, is available cheaply and in large quantities. The low cost and bulk availability, is unlike more expensive seasonings that give comparable flavors, such as citric acid which is obtainable from lemons and limes. However, most citric acid in the food industry is not extracted from citrus fruit, but fermented by Aspergillus niger mold from scrap molasses, waste starch hydrolysates and phosphoric acid.
Biological effects on bone calcium and kidney health Phosphoric acid, used in many soft drinks (primarily cola), has been linked to lower bone density in epidemiologicalal studies. For example, a study using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry rather than a questionnaire about breakage, provides reasonable evidence to support the theory that drinking cola results in lower bone density. This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Total phosphorus intake was not significantly higher in daily cola consumers than in non consumers; however, the calcium-to-phosphorus ratios were lower. The study also suggests that further research is needed to confirm the findings.
On the other hand, a study funded by Pepsi suggests that insufficient intake of phosphorus leads to lower bone density. The study does not examine the effect of phosphoric acid, which binds with magnesium and calcium in the digestive tract to form salts that are not absorbed, but rather studies general phosphorus intake.
However, a well-controlled clinical study by Heaney and Rafferty using calcium-balance methods found no impact of carbonated soft drinks containing phosphoric acid on calcium excretion.[4]The study compared the impact of water, milk, and various soft drinks (two withcaffeine and two without; two withphosphoric acid and two with citric acid) on the calcium balance of 20- to 40-year-old women who customarily consumed ~3 or more cups (680 mL) of a carbonated soft drink per day. Because studies have shown that the effect of caffeine is compensated for by reduced calcium losses later in the day, Heaney and Rafferty concluded that the neteffect of carbonated beverages—including those withcaffeine and phosphoric acid—is negligible, and that the skeletal effects of carbonated soft drink consumption are likely due primarily to milk displacement.
Katherine L Tucker, Kyoko Morita, Ning Qiao, Marian T Hannan, L Adrienne and B. Elmståhl(1998). “Increased Incidence of Fractures in Middle-aged and Elderly Men with Low Intakes of Phosphorus and Zinc”. Osteoporosis International 8 (4): 333–340. doi:10.1007/s001980050072. PMID 10024903.
R. P. Heaney and K. Rafferty (2001). “Carbonated beverages and urinary calcium excretion”. Am J Clin Nutr 74 (3): 343–347. PMID 11522558.
M. J. Barger-Lux, R. P. HCupplesand Douglas P Kiel (2006). “Colas, but not other carbonated beverages, are associated with low bone mineral density in older women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study”. Am. J Clin. Nut. 84 (4): 936–42. PMID 17023723.
S. Elmståhl, B. Gullberg, L. Janzon, O. Johnell eaney and M. R. Stegman (1990). “Effects of moderate caffeine intake on the calcium economy of premenopausal women [published erratum appears in Am J Clin Nutr 1991 Jan;53(1):182]“. Am J Clin Nutr 52 (4): 722–725. PMID 2403065.
Tina M. Saldana, Olga Basso, Rebecca Darden, and Dale P. Sandler (2007). “Carbonated beverages and chronic kidney disease”. Epidemiology 18 (4): 501–6. doi:10.1097/EDE.0b013e3180646338. PMID 17525693.
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid and it is a natural preservative used to add an acidic, or sour taste to foods and soft drinks. Within the biochemistry realm, it is important as an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, and therefore occurs in the metabolism of virtually all living things. It can also be used as an environmentally benign cleaning agent.
Citric acid exists in greater than trace amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most notably citrus fruits, lemons and limes have particularly high concentrations of the acid. Citric acid can constitute as much as 8% of the dry weight of these fruits. However, most citric acid in the food industry is not extracted from citrus fruit, but fermented by Aspergillus niger mold from scrap molasses, waste starch hydrolysates and phosphoric acid.
Studies on production of citric acidby Aspergillus niger in solid … Sep 1, 2009 … Free Online Library: Studies on production of citric acidby Aspergillus niger in solid state fermentation of peat mass.
www.thefreelibrary.com/Studies+on+production+of+citric+acid+by+ Aspergillus+niger+in+solid…-a0215925283
Artificial Flavors/ MSG.
Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate and MSG, is a sodium salt of glutamicacid, a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavour enhancer. The names of monosodiumglutamate include Ajinomoto, Vetsin, Ac’cent and Tasting Powder. It was once made predominantly from wheat gluten, but is now mademostly from bacterial fermentation which is acceptable for coeliacs, following a gluten-free diet.
Although traditional East Asian cuisine had often used seaweedextract, which contains high concentrations of glutamic acid, it was not until 1907 that MSG was isolated by Kikunae Ikeda. MSG was subsequently patented by Ajinomoto Corporation of Japan in 1909. In its pure form, it appears as a white crystalline powder that, as a salt, dissociates into sodium cations and glutamate anions while dissolving (glutamate is the anionic form of glutamic acid).
There are health concerns about the use of monosodium glutamate in food, but few are scientifically supported.
The sodium salt of glutamic acid, monosodium glutamate (MSG), is a widely used additive in the food industry.
Further reading…
“http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/05/health/webmd/main4323568.shtml”. CBS News. Aug. 5, 2008. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/05/health/webmd/main4323568.shtml. Retrieved 2010-11-10. “Studies haven’t found any regular pattern of symptoms that could be typical of a reaction to MSG
^ FUCHSIA DUNLOP (February 18, 2007). “China’s True Dash of Flavor”. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/opinion/18dunlop.html. Retrieved 2010-11-10. “… reputable medical studies have shown that only a tiny proportion of people truly react to it, and then only when it is administered in large oral doses on an empty stomach.”
Water
Carbonated water constitutes up to 94% of a soft drink. Carbon dioxide adds that special sparkle and bite to the beverage and also acts as a mild preservative. Carbon dioxide is an uniquely suitable gas for soft drinks because it is inert, non-toxic, and relatively inexpensive and easy to liquefy.
Purifing the water
The quality of water is crucial to the success of a soft drink. Impurities, such as suspended particles, organic matter, and bacteria, may degrade taste and color. They are generally removed through the traditional process of a series of coagulation, filtration, and chlorination. Coagulation involves mixing a gelatinous precipitate, or floc (ferric sulphate or aluminum sulphate), into the water. The flocabsorbs suspended particles, making them larger and more easily trapped by filters. During the process, alkalinity must be adjusted with an addition of lime to reach the desired pH level.
Filtering, sterilizing, and dechlorinating the water The water is poured through a sand filter to remove fine particles of floc. The water passes through a layer of sand and courser beds of gravel to capture the particles.
Sterilization is necessary to destroy bacteria and organic compounds that might spoil the water’s taste or color. The water is pumped into a storage tank and is dosed with a small amount of free chlorine. The chlorinated water remains in the storage tank for about two hours until the reaction is complete.
Next, an activated carbon filter dechlorinatesthe water and removes residual organic matter, much like the sand filter. A vacuum pump de-aerates the water before it passes into a dosing station.
Read more: How soft drink is made – production process, making, history, used, product, industry, machine, Raw Materials, The Manufacturing Process of soft drink, Quality Control, Recycling http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Soft-Drink.html#ixzz1EQSWdbDJ
Sodium citrate
CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE
Acid, flavoring, chelating agent: Ice cream, sherbet, fruit drink, candy, carbonated beverages, instant potatoes.
Flavoring agent
Citric acid is versatile, widely used, cheap, and safe. It is an important metabolite in virtually all living organisms and is especially abundant naturally in citrus fruits and berries. It is used as a strong acid, a tart flavoring, and an antioxidant. Sodium citrate, also safe, is a buffer that controls the acidity of gelatin desserts, jam, ice cream, candy, and other foods.
Monosodium citrate is used if a buffering effect is required or if citric acid is considered to be too aggressive for the formulation.
Potassium sorbate
Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid. Its primary use is as a food preservative. Potassium sorbate is effective in a variety of applications including food, wine, and personal care products. Potassiim sorbate is produced by neutralizing potassium hydroxide with sorbic acid, an unsaturated carboxylic acid that occurs naturally in some berries. The colourless salt is very soluble in water (58.2% at 20 °C). Potassium sorbate is u
sed to inhibit molds and yeasts in many foods, such soft drinks and fruit drinks, and baked goods.It can also be found in the ingredients list of many dried fruit products. It is used in quantities at which there are no known adverse health effects, over short periods of time. Labeling of this preservative on ingredient statements reads as “potassium sorbate”.
Potassium sorbate at Sigma-Aldrich Nordic Food Additive Database Nordic Working Group on Food Toxicology and Risk Assessment Erich Lück, Martin Jager and Nico Raczek “Sorbic Acid” in Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2000.doi:10.1002/14356007.a24_507 http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/40abcj15.htm
Ascorbic acid ASCORBIC ACID (Vitamin C) Antioxidant, nutrient, color stabilizer: Cereals, fruit drinks, cured meats.
Ascorbic acid—or vitamin C—helps maintain the red color of cured meat and prevents the formation of nitrosamines, which promote cancer (see SODIUM NITRITE). Vitamin C is also used to pump up the vitamin content of foods like “fruit” drinks and breakfast cereals. It also helps prevent loss of color and flavor in foods by reacting with unwanted oxygen. Though heroic amounts of ascorbic acid were recommended by Dr. Linus Pauling as a cure for common cold, subsequent research found only that it might slightly reduce the severity of colds
In Cola’s, Caramel color
Caramel coloring is made by heating a solution of various sugars, often together with ammonium compounds, acids, or alkalis. It is the most widely used (by weight) coloring added to foods and beverages, with hues ranging from tannish-yellow to black, depending on the concentration and the food. Caramel coloring may be used to simulate the appearance of cocoa in baked goods, make meats and gravies look more attractive, and darken beer. Caramel coloring, when produced with ammonia, contains a contaminant, 4-methylimidazole. (That chemical is also present in cigarette smoke.)
In 2007, a study by the U.S. National Toxicology Program found that that contaminant caused cancer in male and female mice and possibly in female rats. The amounts of 4-methylimidazole are so worrisome that the State of California has proposed that a warning notice be required on food and non-food products.
It would be worth avoiding colas and other beverages colored with caramel coloring, because the serving sizes—and amounts of 4-methylimidazole— are so large but the small portions of soy or other sauces that one might consume are less of a problem.
^ FAQ – What are the most common test methods for caramel color?, Sethness Caramel Color, http://www.sethness.com/dsp_faq.cfm#test, retrieved 2009-04-26
Red 40 Artificial Coloring: Soda pop,
The most widely used food dye. While this is one of the most-tested food dyes, the key mouse tests were flawed and inconclusive. An FDA review committee acknowledged problems, but said evidence of harm was not “consistent” or “substantial.” Red 40 can cause allergy-like reactions. Like other dyes, Red 40 is used mainly in junk foods. Glyceryl abi
etate, “glycerol esters of wood rosin” Glycerol ester of wood rosin, glyceryl abietate, or Ester gum is a food additive used as an emulsifier and stabiliser, to keep oils in suspension in water. It has E number E445. It is water-soluble and leaves the body through urine. Products with glycerol ester of wood rosin soft drinks lemonades (Country Time, Minute Maid, for example) Blood …
Read more: http://www.righthealth.com/topic/glyceryl_abietate/Reference#ixzz1ESvRQKCw
Brominated vegetable oil. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is vegetable oil that has had atoms of the element bromine bonded to it. Brominated vegetable oil is used as an emulsifier in citrus-flavored soft drinks to help natural fat-soluble citrus flavors stay suspended in the drink and to produce a cloudy appearance. BVO has been used by the soft drink industry since 1931.
The addition of bromine increases the density of the oil, and the amount of bromine is carefully controlled to achieve a density that is the same as the water in the drink. As a result, the BVO remains suspended in the water instead of forming separate layers.
ng Argument for Soda Pop
Soft drinks Ingredients
Many of the soft drinks are similar, but reading the fine print, maybe the best place to begin. regarding their ingredients. There are many, that are categorized under flavors, therefore their Secret Formula, not being revealed. Most soft drinks have either a sugar, sweeteners (neotame, acesulfame, and sucralose), high fructose corn syrup, or Aspartame ( dietdrinks). Some soft drinks may include caffeine. Most drinks you will find Sodium Bensoate. Citric acid is found there along with Benzene, another ingredient often listed. Others ( orange) may contains glyceryl abietate, also known as “glycerol esters of wood rosin”, and brominated vegetable oil. The Colas one of the larger segments of the soft drinks, the cola nut is used as an active ingredient. The cola nut adds the alkaloids of caffeine and theobromine. Since soft drinks basic substance is water that is carbonated. This is, as we know it, carbonated water.
Soft drinks would not be without preservatives and colors. The preservatives such as, Sodium benzoate, is used widely along with Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). The Colors can not be left out such as caramel and the artificialcolors such as Red40 that are used to enhance soft drinks color appeal and taste.
The Hear say or It’s Said to Be Caffeine… is linked to anxiety and sleep disruption when consumed in excess.
The health effects of high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners remain controversial.
Sodium benzoate has been investigated as a possible cause of DNA damage and hyperactivity.
Benzene, is the amount of benzene in soft drinks is small enough that it is not unlikely to pose a health risk.
Aspartame, used in diet sodas, is a potent neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor.
Phosphoric acid, added to give soft drinks “bite,” is associated with calcium loss.
Citric acid often contains traces of MSG, a neurotoxin.
Artificial Flavors may also contain traces of MSG.
Water may contain high amounts of fluoride and other contaminants
Sodium citrate buffers the acids, so the pH stays low (acidic).
Potassium sorbate is added to inhibit yeasts and fungi.
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is used as an anti-oxidant.
In Colas, the color comes from caramel coloring (burnt sugar).
Red 40 and other colors are used a health consideration.
They are used in fruit flavored drinks such as orange soda, glyceryl abietate, also known as “glycerol esters of wood rosin”, and brominated vegetable oil.
FACTS To THE CASE… Caffeine Caffeine,
a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, which temporarily wards off drowsiness and restoring alertness. By the way, caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance. b Unlike many other psychoactive substances, Caffeine is legal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists caffeine as a “multiple purpose generally recognized as safe food substance”.
Caffeine being linked to sleep disorders and anxiety when used in excess will depend on usage, as the report below will indicate. Moderation is the key here. Ill effects such as abuse, intoxication, withdrawals, and effects on children.
For further reading
http://www.minddisorders.com/Br-Del/Caffeine-related-disorders.html. Retrieved 2009-08-03
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). American Psychiatric Association. ISBN 0-89042-062-9.
James, Jack E.; Stirling, Keyn P. (1983). “Caffeine: A Survey of Some of the Known and Suspected Deleterious Effects of Habitualal Use”. Addiction 78: 251–8. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1983.tb02509.x. PMID 6354232
High-fructose Corn Syrup The Sugar-sweetened beverages are the main source of added sugar and the leading source of calories in our diet. When added to drinks, all sweeteners — including natural ones like brown sugar, sugar in the raw, agave syrup and honey — contribute empty calories. Since 1980, calorie intake has increased by an average of 150 to 300 calories per day with about half of those calories coming from liquids — sugar-sweetened beverages in particular.
The American Heart Association recommends Americans limit their sugar intake to half of their discretionary calorie allowance — about 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories per day for men (or about five and nine teaspoons respectively). To put that in perspective, one 12-ounce can of Pepsi contains 150 calories and about eight teaspoons of added sugar.
But it’s worth noting, that the same amount of orange juice has 165 calories and more than eight teaspoons of sugar, that is in its natural form. If you’re looking to add vitamins and minerals, the OJ is the smarter choice, but if weight is is your goal, you should steer clear of both.
When it comes to energy, it’s unlikely that your body registers natural sugar any differently than table sugar or HFC.
Marion Nestle, NYU professor of nutrition and author of “Food Politics” and “What to Eat“, agrees that it’s a matter of too many calories, rather than one particular food. The public now puts HFCS in the same category as trans fats: poison (it’s not; it’s just sugars),” says Nestle. “Biochemically, it is about the same as table sugar (both have about the same amount of fructose and calories), but it [HFCS] is in everything and Americans eat a lot of it — nearly 60 pounds per capita in 2006, just a bit less than pounds of table sugar. HFCS is not a poison, but eating less of any kind of sugar is a good idea these days.”
The American Medical Association agrees. In 2008, the organization issued a statement maintaining that HFCS does not contribute more to obesity than other sweeteners.
CBS News Investigates HFCS Oct. 2008
Stanford Wellsphere HFCS Controversy Apr. 2009
“High Fructose Corn Syrup Health and Diet Facts”.
Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate is a preservative. It is bacteriostatic and fungistatic under acidic conditions. It is used most prevalently in acidic foods such as salad dressings (vinegar), carbonated drinks, acid jams and fruit juices It can also be found in cough syrups like Robitussin.
It is also used in fireworks as a fuel in whistle mix, a powder that emits a whistling noise when compressed into a tube and ignited. The fuel is also one of the fastest burning rocket fuels and provides a lot of thrust and smoke. It does have its downsides: there is a high danger of explosion when the motor is pressed because of the fuel’s sensitivity to impact. That is why only professional pyrotechnicians should make it.
FDA, 2006. “Data on Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages, ” United States Food and Drug Administration.
Martin Hickman Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health The Independent on Sunday 27, May 2007
Martin Hickman E211 Revealed: Evidence highlights new fear over drinks additive
Benzene Benzene in
soft drinks is of some concern due to the carcinogenic nature of the benzene molecule. This contamination is a public health concern and has caused significant outcry among environmental and health advocates. The Benzene levels are regulated in drinking water nationally and internationally, and in bottled water in the United States, but only informally in soft drinks.
The benzene results from decarboxylation of the preservative benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), especially under heat and light.
The FDAemphasized that most beverages contain levels below 5 ppb and poses no risk to consumers. Furthermore, there are no standards for beverages beyond drinking and bottled water. A watchdog organization, the Environmental Working Group, had previously called on the FDA to release its results. The EWG also criticized the FDA for not acting on the Total Diet Study results showing the nearly 80% of the diet soft drinks exceeded the federal drinking water standards.
Further reading facts
Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). April 13, 2006, “FDA Statement: Benzene in Soft DrinksSurvey of benzene levels in soft drinks”
Elliott, Valerie, The Times, April 1, 2006, “Soft drinks pulled from shelves over cancer fear”
Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). April 13, 2006, “FDA Statement: Benzene in Soft Drinks”
Benzene in Soft Drinks and other Beverage Products
LIBBY QUAID Soft Drink Companies Settle Benzene Case, August 24, 2006Martin Hickman Coca-Cola to phase out use of controversial additive after DNA damage claim The Independent 25 May 2008
Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. It was first sold under the brand name NutraSweet. It has also has been sold under the brand name AminoSweet. The safety of aspartamehas been the subject of several political and medicalcontroversies, Congressionalal hearings and internethoaxes since its initialapproval for use in food products by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974.
A 2007 medicalreview on the subject concluded that “the weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a non-nutritive sweetener”. However, because its breakdown products include phenylalanine, aspartame must be avoided by people with the genetic condition phenylketonuria
Magnuson BA, Burdock GA, Doull J, et al. (2007). “Aspartame: a safety evaluation based on current use levels, regulations, and toxicological and epidemiological studies”. Critical Reviews in Toxicology 37 (8): 629–727. doi:10.1080/10408440701516184. PMID 17828671.
^David J. Ager, David P. Pantaleone, Scott A. Henderson, Alan R. Katritzky, Indra Prakash, D. Eric Walters (1998). “Commercial, Synthetic Non-nutritive Sweeteners”. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 37 (13-24): 1802–1817. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1521-3773(19980803)37:13/14<1802::AID-ANIE1802>3.0.CO;2-9.
Phosphoric acid Food-grade phosphoric acid (additive E338) is used to acidify foods and beverages such as various colas, but not without controversy regarding its health effects. It provides a tangy or sour taste and, being a mass-produced chemical, is available cheaply and in large quantities. The low cost and bulk availability, is unlike more expensive seasonings that give comparable flavors, such as citric acid which is obtainable from lemons and limes. However, most citric acid in the food industry is not extracted from citrus fruit, but fermented by Aspergillus niger mold from scrap molasses, waste starch hydrolysates and phosphoric acid.
Biological effects on bone calcium and kidney health Phosphoric acid, used in many soft drinks (primarily cola), has been linked to lower bone density in epidemiologicalal studies. For example, a study using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry rather than a questionnaire about breakage, provides reasonable evidence to support the theory that drinking cola results in lower bone density. This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Total phosphorus intake was not significantly higher in daily cola consumers than in non consumers; however, the calcium-to-phosphorus ratios were lower. The study also suggests that further research is needed to confirm the findings.
On the other hand, a study funded by Pepsi suggests that insufficient intake of phosphorus leads to lower bone density. The study does not examine the effect of phosphoric acid, which binds with magnesium and calcium in the digestive tract to form salts that are not absorbed, but rather studies general phosphorus intake.
However, a well-controlled clinical study by Heaney and Rafferty using calcium-balance methods found no impact of carbonated soft drinks containing phosphoric acid on calcium excretion.[4]The study compared the impact of water, milk, and various soft drinks (two withcaffeine and two without; two withphosphoric acid and two with citric acid) on the calcium balance of 20- to 40-year-old women who customarily consumed ~3 or more cups (680 mL) of a carbonated soft drink per day. Because studies have shown that the effect of caffeine is compensated for by reduced calcium losses later in the day, Heaney and Rafferty concluded that the neteffect of carbonated beverages—including those withcaffeine and phosphoric acid—is negligible, and that the skeletal effects of carbonated soft drink consumption are likely due primarily to milk displacement.
Katherine L Tucker, Kyoko Morita, Ning Qiao, Marian T Hannan, L Adrienne and B. Elmståhl(1998). “Increased Incidence of Fractures in Middle-aged and Elderly Men with Low Intakes of Phosphorus and Zinc”. Osteoporosis International 8 (4): 333–340. doi:10.1007/s001980050072. PMID 10024903.
R. P. Heaney and K. Rafferty (2001). “Carbonated beverages and urinary calcium excretion”. Am J Clin Nutr 74 (3): 343–347. PMID 11522558.
M. J. Barger-Lux, R. P. HCupplesand Douglas P Kiel (2006). “Colas, but not other carbonated beverages, are associated with low bone mineral density in older women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study”. Am. J Clin. Nut. 84 (4): 936–42. PMID 17023723.
S. Elmståhl, B. Gullberg, L. Janzon, O. Johnell eaney and M. R. Stegman (1990). “Effects of moderate caffeine intake on the calcium economy of premenopausal women [published erratum appears in Am J Clin Nutr 1991 Jan;53(1):182]“. Am J Clin Nutr 52 (4): 722–725. PMID 2403065.
Tina M. Saldana, Olga Basso, Rebecca Darden, and Dale P. Sandler (2007). “Carbonated beverages and chronic kidney disease”. Epidemiology 18 (4): 501–6. doi:10.1097/EDE.0b013e3180646338. PMID 17525693.
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid and it is a natural preservative used to add an acidic, or sour taste to foods and soft drinks. Within the biochemistry realm, it is important as an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, and therefore occurs in the metabolism of virtually all living things. It can also be used as an environmentally benign cleaning agent.
Citric acid exists in greater than trace amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most notably citrus fruits, lemons and limes have particularly high concentrations of the acid. Citric acid can constitute as much as 8% of the dry weight of these fruits. However, most citric acid in the food industry is not extracted from citrus fruit, but fermented by Aspergillus niger mold from scrap molasses, waste starch hydrolysates and phosphoric acid.
Studies on production of citric acidby Aspergillus niger in solid … Sep 1, 2009 … Free Online Library: Studies on production of citric acidby Aspergillus niger in solid state fermentation of peat mass.
www.thefreelibrary.com/Studies+on+production+of+citric+acid+by+ Aspergillus+niger+in+solid…-a0215925283
Artificial Flavors/ MSG.
Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate and MSG, is a sodium salt of glutamicacid, a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavour enhancer. The names of monosodiumglutamate include Ajinomoto, Vetsin, Ac’cent and Tasting Powder. It was once made predominantly from wheat gluten, but is now mademostly from bacterial fermentation which is acceptable for coeliacs, following a gluten-free diet.
Although traditional East Asian cuisine had often used seaweedextract, which contains high concentrations of glutamic acid, it was not until 1907 that MSG was isolated by Kikunae Ikeda. MSG was subsequently patented by Ajinomoto Corporation of Japan in 1909. In its pure form, it appears as a white crystalline powder that, as a salt, dissociates into sodium cations and glutamate anions while dissolving (glutamate is the anionic form of glutamic acid).
There are health concerns about the use of monosodium glutamate in food, but few are scientifically supported.
The sodium salt of glutamic acid, monosodium glutamate (MSG), is a widely used additive in the food industry.
Further reading…
“http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/05/health/webmd/main4323568.shtml”. CBS News. Aug. 5, 2008. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/05/health/webmd/main4323568.shtml. Retrieved 2010-11-10. “Studies haven’t found any regular pattern of symptoms that could be typical of a reaction to MSG
^ FUCHSIA DUNLOP (February 18, 2007). “China’s True Dash of Flavor”. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/opinion/18dunlop.html. Retrieved 2010-11-10. “… reputable medical studies have shown that only a tiny proportion of people truly react to it, and then only when it is administered in large oral doses on an empty stomach.”
Water
Carbonated water constitutes up to 94% of a soft drink. Carbon dioxide adds that special sparkle and bite to the beverage and also acts as a mild preservative. Carbon dioxide is an uniquely suitable gas for soft drinks because it is inert, non-toxic, and relatively inexpensive and easy to liquefy.
Purifing the water
The quality of water is crucial to the success of a soft drink. Impurities, such as suspended particles, organic matter, and bacteria, may degrade taste and color. They are generally removed through the traditional process of a series of coagulation, filtration, and chlorination. Coagulation involves mixing a gelatinous precipitate, or floc (ferric sulphate or aluminum sulphate), into the water. The flocabsorbs suspended particles, making them larger and more easily trapped by filters. During the process, alkalinity must be adjusted with an addition of lime to reach the desired pH level.
Filtering, sterilizing, and dechlorinating the water The water is poured through a sand filter to remove fine particles of floc. The water passes through a layer of sand and courser beds of gravel to capture the particles.
Sterilization is necessary to destroy bacteria and organic compounds that might spoil the water’s taste or color. The water is pumped into a storage tank and is dosed with a small amount of free chlorine. The chlorinated water remains in the storage tank for about two hours until the reaction is complete.
Next, an activated carbon filter dechlorinatesthe water and removes residual organic matter, much like the sand filter. A vacuum pump de-aerates the water before it passes into a dosing station.
Read more: How soft drink is made – production process, making, history, used, product, industry, machine, Raw Materials, The Manufacturing Process of soft drink, Quality Control, Recycling http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Soft-Drink.html#ixzz1EQSWdbDJ
Sodium citrate
CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE
Acid, flavoring, chelating agent: Ice cream, sherbet, fruit drink, candy, carbonated beverages, instant potatoes.
Flavoring agent
Citric acid is versatile, widely used, cheap, and safe. It is an important metabolite in virtually all living organisms and is especially abundant naturally in citrus fruits and berries. It is used as a strong acid, a tart flavoring, and an antioxidant. Sodium citrate, also safe, is a buffer that controls the acidity of gelatin desserts, jam, ice cream, candy, and other foods.
Monosodium citrate is used if a buffering effect is required or if citric acid is considered to be too aggressive for the formulation.
Potassium sorbate
Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid. Its primary use is as a food preservative. Potassium sorbate is effective in a variety of applications including food, wine, and personal care products. Potassiim sorbate is produced by neutralizing potassium hydroxide with sorbic acid, an unsaturated carboxylic acid that occurs naturally in some berries. The colourless salt is very soluble in water (58.2% at 20 °C). Potassium sorbate is u
sed to inhibit molds and yeasts in many foods, such soft drinks and fruit drinks, and baked goods.It can also be found in the ingredients list of many dried fruit products. It is used in quantities at which there are no known adverse health effects, over short periods of time. Labeling of this preservative on ingredient statements reads as “potassium sorbate”.
Potassium sorbate at Sigma-Aldrich Nordic Food Additive Database Nordic Working Group on Food Toxicology and Risk Assessment Erich Lück, Martin Jager and Nico Raczek “Sorbic Acid” in Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2000.doi:10.1002/14356007.a24_507 http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/40abcj15.htm
Ascorbic acid ASCORBIC ACID (Vitamin C) Antioxidant, nutrient, color stabilizer: Cereals, fruit drinks, cured meats.
Ascorbic acid—or vitamin C—helps maintain the red color of cured meat and prevents the formation of nitrosamines, which promote cancer (see SODIUM NITRITE). Vitamin C is also used to pump up the vitamin content of foods like “fruit” drinks and breakfast cereals. It also helps prevent loss of color and flavor in foods by reacting with unwanted oxygen. Though heroic amounts of ascorbic acid were recommended by Dr. Linus Pauling as a cure for common cold, subsequent research found only that it might slightly reduce the severity of colds
In Cola’s, Caramel color
Caramel coloring is made by heating a solution of various sugars, often together with ammonium compounds, acids, or alkalis. It is the most widely used (by weight) coloring added to foods and beverages, with hues ranging from tannish-yellow to black, depending on the concentration and the food. Caramel coloring may be used to simulate the appearance of cocoa in baked goods, make meats and gravies look more attractive, and darken beer. Caramel coloring, when produced with ammonia, contains a contaminant, 4-methylimidazole. (That chemical is also present in cigarette smoke.)
In 2007, a study by the U.S. National Toxicology Program found that that contaminant caused cancer in male and female mice and possibly in female rats. The amounts of 4-methylimidazole are so worrisome that the State of California has proposed that a warning notice be required on food and non-food products.
It would be worth avoiding colas and other beverages colored with caramel coloring, because the serving sizes—and amounts of 4-methylimidazole— are so large but the small portions of soy or other sauces that one might consume are less of a problem.
^ FAQ – What are the most common test methods for caramel color?, Sethness Caramel Color, http://www.sethness.com/dsp_faq.cfm#test, retrieved 2009-04-26
Red 40 Artificial Coloring: Soda pop,
The most widely used food dye. While this is one of the most-tested food dyes, the key mouse tests were flawed and inconclusive. An FDA review committee acknowledged problems, but said evidence of harm was not “consistent” or “substantial.” Red 40 can cause allergy-like reactions. Like other dyes, Red 40 is used mainly in junk foods. Glyceryl abi
etate, “glycerol esters of wood rosin” Glycerol ester of wood rosin, glyceryl abietate, or Ester gum is a food additive used as an emulsifier and stabiliser, to keep oils in suspension in water. It has E number E445. It is water-soluble and leaves the body through urine. Products with glycerol ester of wood rosin soft drinks lemonades (Country Time, Minute Maid, for example) Blood …
Read more: http://www.righthealth.com/topic/glyceryl_abietate/Reference#ixzz1ESvRQKCw
Brominated vegetable oil. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is vegetable oil that has had atoms of the element bromine bonded to it. Brominated vegetable oil is used as an emulsifier in citrus-flavored soft drinks to help natural fat-soluble citrus flavors stay suspended in the drink and to produce a cloudy appearance. BVO has been used by the soft drink industry since 1931.
The addition of bromine increases the density of the oil, and the amount of bromine is carefully controlled to achieve a density that is the same as the water in the drink. As a result, the BVO remains suspended in the water instead of forming separate layers.
Project 1 billion: reducing the population for those unable to see what's in front of them
So basically here is what we got:
1) Gulf of Mexico fish are polluted with oil
2) West coast fish are polluted with radiation.
3) East coast fish are basically just polluted because they are on the East coast.
4) We are told to Eat fish for our health.
Understand?
1) Gulf of Mexico fish are polluted with oil
2) West coast fish are polluted with radiation.
3) East coast fish are basically just polluted because they are on the East coast.
4) We are told to Eat fish for our health.
Understand?
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
million farmers are now suing Monsanto
Launching a lawsuit against the very company that is responsible for a farmer suicide every 30 minutes, 5 million farmers are now suing Monsanto for as much as 6.2 billion euros (around 7.7 billion US dollars).
The reason? As with many other cases, such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the ‘suicide belt’, Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges.
The farmers state that Monsanto has been unfairly gathering exorbitant profits each year on a global scale from “renewal” seed harvests, which are crops planted using seed from the previous year’s harvest.
The practice of using renewal seeds dates back to ancient times, but Monsanto seeks to collect massive royalties and put an end to the practice. Why? Because Monsanto owns the very patent to the genetically modified seed, and is charging the farmers not only for the original crops, but the later harvests as well. Eventually, the royalties compound and many farmers begin to struggle with even keeping their farm afloat. It is for this reason that India slammed Monsanto with groundbreaking ‘biopiracy’ charges in an effort to stop Monsanto from ‘patenting life’.
Jane Berwanger, a lawyer for the farmers who went on record regarding the case, told the Associted Press:
“Monsanto gets paid when it sell the seeds. The law gives producers the right to multiply the seeds they buy and nowhere in the world is there a requirement to pay (again). Producers are in effect paying a private tax on production.”
The findings echo what thousands of farmers have experienced in particularly poor nations, where many of the farmers are unable to stand up to Monsanto. Back in 2008, the Daily Mail covered what is known as the ‘GM Genocide’, which is responsible for taking the lives of over 17,683 Indian farmers in 2009 alone. After finding that their harvests were failing and they started to enter economic turmoil, the farmers began ending their own lives — oftentimes drinking the very same insecticide that Monsanto provided them with.
As the information continues to surface on Monsanto’s crimes, further lawsuits will begin to take effect. After it was ousted in January that Monsanto was running illegal ‘slave-like’ working rings, more individuals became aware of just how seriously Monsanto seems to disregard their workers — so why would they care for the health of their consumers? In April 2012, another group of farmers sued Monsanto for ‘knowingly poisoning’ workers and causing ‘devastating birth defects’.
The reason? As with many other cases, such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the ‘suicide belt’, Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges.
The farmers state that Monsanto has been unfairly gathering exorbitant profits each year on a global scale from “renewal” seed harvests, which are crops planted using seed from the previous year’s harvest.
The practice of using renewal seeds dates back to ancient times, but Monsanto seeks to collect massive royalties and put an end to the practice. Why? Because Monsanto owns the very patent to the genetically modified seed, and is charging the farmers not only for the original crops, but the later harvests as well. Eventually, the royalties compound and many farmers begin to struggle with even keeping their farm afloat. It is for this reason that India slammed Monsanto with groundbreaking ‘biopiracy’ charges in an effort to stop Monsanto from ‘patenting life’.
Jane Berwanger, a lawyer for the farmers who went on record regarding the case, told the Associted Press:
“Monsanto gets paid when it sell the seeds. The law gives producers the right to multiply the seeds they buy and nowhere in the world is there a requirement to pay (again). Producers are in effect paying a private tax on production.”
The findings echo what thousands of farmers have experienced in particularly poor nations, where many of the farmers are unable to stand up to Monsanto. Back in 2008, the Daily Mail covered what is known as the ‘GM Genocide’, which is responsible for taking the lives of over 17,683 Indian farmers in 2009 alone. After finding that their harvests were failing and they started to enter economic turmoil, the farmers began ending their own lives — oftentimes drinking the very same insecticide that Monsanto provided them with.
As the information continues to surface on Monsanto’s crimes, further lawsuits will begin to take effect. After it was ousted in January that Monsanto was running illegal ‘slave-like’ working rings, more individuals became aware of just how seriously Monsanto seems to disregard their workers — so why would they care for the health of their consumers? In April 2012, another group of farmers sued Monsanto for ‘knowingly poisoning’ workers and causing ‘devastating birth defects’.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
McDonald's burgers "unfit for human consumption"
Hamburger chef Jamie Oliver has won his long-fought battle against one of the largest fast food chains in the world – McDonalds. After Oliver showed how McDonald’s hamburgers are made, the franchise finally announced that it will change its recipe, and yet there was barely a peep about this in the mainstream, corporate media.Oliver repeatedly explained to the public, over several years – in documentaries, television shows and interviews – that the fatty parts of beef are “washed” in ammonium hydroxide and used in the filling of the burger. Before this process, according to the presenter, the food is deemed unfit for human consumption. According to the chef and hamburger enthusiast, Jamie Oliver, who has undertaken a war against the fast food industry, “Basically, we’re taking a product that would be sold in the cheapest way for dogs, and after this process, is being given to human beings.”Besides the low quality of the meat, the ammonium hydroxide is harmful to health. Oliver famously coined this the “the pink slime process.”“Why would any sensible human being put meat filled with ammonia in the mouths of their children?” Oliver asked.In one of his colorful demonstrations, Oliver demonstrates to children how nuggets are made. After selecting the best parts of the chicken, the remains (fat, skin and internal organs) are processed for these fried foods. In reply to all of the bad press this process has received from Oliver, the company Arcos Dorados, the franchise manager for McDonalds in Latin America, said such a procedure is not practiced in their region. The same, it should be noted, applies to the product in Ireland and the UK, where they use meat from local suppliers.In the United States, however, Burger King and Taco Bell had already abandoned the use of ammonia in their products. The food industry uses ammonium hydroxide as an anti-microbial agent in meats, which has allowed McDonald’s to use otherwise “inedible meat.”Most disturbing of all is the horrifying fact that because ammonium hydroxide is considered part of the “component in a production procedure” by the USDA, consumers may not know when the chemical is in their food.On the official website of McDonald’s, the company claims that their meat is cheap because, while serving many people every day, they are able to buy from their suppliers at a lower price, and offer the best quality products. But if “pink slime” was really the “best quality” that McDonalds can muster in the US, then why were they able do better in Latin America and Europe? More to the point, why can they apparently do better now in the United States?These questions remains unanswered by the franchise which has denied that the decision to change the recipe is related to Jamie Oliver’s campaign. On the site, McDonald’s has admitted that they have abandoned the beef filler from its burger patties.
McDonald's burgers "unfit for human consumption"
Refreshing News: McDonald's burgers "unfit for human consumption": Hamburger chef Jamie Oliver has won his long-fought battle against one of the largest fast food chains in the world – McDonalds. After Oli...
Saturday, August 3, 2013
MessiahMews Blogs: The Truth About Your Birth Certificate...
MessiahMews Blogs: The Truth About Your Birth Certificate...: How We Got Into the Matrix (The System)
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
The Daily Messenger: CURRENT Fukushima radiation map as measured by sat...
The Daily Messenger: CURRENT Fukushima radiation map as measured by sat...: " On July 5, radiation levels at Fukushima were what passes for "normal," which means elevated and dangerous, but stable, acc...
Thursday, July 18, 2013
CURRENT Fukushima radiation map as measured by sat...
The Daily Messenger: CURRENT Fukushima radiation map as measured by sat...: " On July 5, radiation levels at Fukushima were what passes for "normal," which means elevated and dangerous, but stable, acc...
Let's all join hands and cancer up...it's the beast system at its finest.
Let's all join hands and cancer up...it's the beast system at its finest.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Hepatitis B Vaccine Linked to Multiple Sclerosis
MessiahMews Blogs: Hepatitis B Vaccine Linked to Multiple Sclerosis: http://www.neurology.org/content/63/5/838.abstract/reply#neurology_el_2046 ... Hepatitis B Vaccine Linked to Multiple Sclerosis R. M...
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
When GM pollen blows into a non-GM farmer's fields and irreversibly contaminates his crop with 'biopollution,' who does the law side with? Historically, Monsanto. Also, it's not called 'economic sabotage' but rather 'copyright infringement,' and the victim not the aggressor is threatened with economic ruin.
When Monsanto's unapproved and therefore illegal GM wheat is found years after open field trials growing freely in an Oregon wheat field, the entire state crop's export fate is held in limbo, jeopardizing the present and future living of thousands of farmers and their dependents, with Monsanto receiving little more than a reprimand, followed by rapid USDA assurance that despite a lack of approval their GM wheat is "safe."
Given the unfair rules of the game, no wonder some folks in Oregon, having been treated much like feudal peasants lately, are taking things quite literally into their own hands.
So, when the FBI investigates the destruction of genetically modified sugar beets from two fields in Southern Oregon's Jackson County this month, the act is immediately labeled "economic sabotage," presumably against the multinational corporation who owned the plants.
How fitting an FBI description, considering that Monsanto already planted these 'evil seeds' of doubt by suggesting their unapproved GM wheat in Oregon was a result of sabotage, and not negligence (or intentional contamination) on their part.
According to the Spokesman Review, "The agency [FBI] said in a statement Thursday that about 1,000 sugar beet plants were destroyed on June 8, and more than 5,000 plants were destroyed on a different plot three nights later."
The article went on to explain that the plants were owned by the Swiss-based biotech company Sygenta, and that the FBI spokewoman, Beth Anne Steele, would not comment on the manner in which the crops were destroyed "...because we don't want to encourage copycats." However, an article published on OregonLive.com demystified the FBI's account, quoting Paul Minehart, head of corporate communications in North America for Syngenta: "It doesn't look like a vehicle was used. It looks like people entered the field and destroyed the plants by hand."
Some resort to pulling up, burning and otherwise destroying the plants themselves. Are they terrorists or freedom fighters? And if you answer affirmatively to the latter definition, will you yourself be defined as sympathizers to these "economic saboteurs," or terrorists?
Sayer Ji
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Make your own Ranch, Dry Onion Soup Mix and Taco S...
MessiahMews Blogs: Make your own Ranch, Dry Onion Soup Mix and Taco S...: Make your own Ranch, Dry Onion Soup Mix and Taco Seasoning and store in small mason jars....This is soooo much HEALTHIER than those you...
Monday, June 10, 2013
Major Loss to Organic Farmers as Court Rules in Favor of Monsanto
In a major blow to organic farmers and food sovereignty advocates, the US Court of Appeals Monday has thrown out a “pre-emptive strike” against Ag Giant Monsanto meant to protect organic growers from the “world’s most famous patent bully.”
(Photo via OSGATA.org)
“The district court concluded that there was no justiciable case or controversy and dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Because Monsanto has made binding assurances that it will not ‘take legal action against growers whose crops might inadvertently contain traces of Monsanto biotech genes (because, for example, some transgenic seed or pollen blew onto the grower’s land),’and appellants have not alleged any circumstances placing them beyond the scope of those assurances, we agree that there is no justiciable case or controversy,” stated the appellate court’s ruling.
The aforementioned ‘binding assurances’ refer to a statement on the company’s website which claims it “has never been nor will it be Monsanto policy to exercise its patent rights where trace amounts of our patented seeds or traits are present in farmer’s fields as a result of inadvertent means.”
Despite these claims, the company has thus far pursued over 800 patent cases against farmers who plant their genetically modified (GMO) RoundUp Ready seeds without paying the proper royalty—whether deliberate or not—including a May Supreme Court ruling which favored the biotech company in a suit against Indiana soybean farmer Hugh Vernon, who planted unlabeled seeds he had purchased second-hand.
“It is a very bizarre ruling that relies on a paragraph on a website,” said Andrew Kimbrell, a lawyer with the Center for Food Safety, which joined as a plaintiff in the suit. “It is a very real threat to American farmers.”
The coalition who filed the suit—which includes the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association among over 20 others—had hoped the action would serve as a “pre-emptive strike” on behalf of organic farmers to protect against accusations of patent infringement in the case that their organic crops become contaminated by genetically modified (GM) seeds.
Reuters reports that Monsanto officials specifically refused to sign a covenant stating it would not sue the growers, though the court felt the website statement “was sufficient and would be binding.”
The ruling comes as scientists grapple with the recent discovery of Monsanto’s unapproved GMO wheat in an Oregon field, spurring concerns over potential contamination by the controversial GM seeds which can easily be spread by wind or pollinators.
“Monsanto is the world’s most famous patent bully,” OSGATA President, Jim Gerritsen, said ahead of the ruling. “Monsanto villainizes everyone they sue, and everyone they come up against becomes the bad guy.”
This article originally appeared on: Common Dreams
(Photo via OSGATA.org) “The district court concluded that there was no justiciable case or controversy and dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Because Monsanto has made binding assurances that it will not ‘take legal action against growers whose crops might inadvertently contain traces of Monsanto biotech genes (because, for example, some transgenic seed or pollen blew onto the grower’s land),’and appellants have not alleged any circumstances placing them beyond the scope of those assurances, we agree that there is no justiciable case or controversy,” stated the appellate court’s ruling.
The aforementioned ‘binding assurances’ refer to a statement on the company’s website which claims it “has never been nor will it be Monsanto policy to exercise its patent rights where trace amounts of our patented seeds or traits are present in farmer’s fields as a result of inadvertent means.”
Despite these claims, the company has thus far pursued over 800 patent cases against farmers who plant their genetically modified (GMO) RoundUp Ready seeds without paying the proper royalty—whether deliberate or not—including a May Supreme Court ruling which favored the biotech company in a suit against Indiana soybean farmer Hugh Vernon, who planted unlabeled seeds he had purchased second-hand.
“It is a very bizarre ruling that relies on a paragraph on a website,” said Andrew Kimbrell, a lawyer with the Center for Food Safety, which joined as a plaintiff in the suit. “It is a very real threat to American farmers.”
Reuters reports that Monsanto officials specifically refused to sign a covenant stating it would not sue the growers, though the court felt the website statement “was sufficient and would be binding.”
The ruling comes as scientists grapple with the recent discovery of Monsanto’s unapproved GMO wheat in an Oregon field, spurring concerns over potential contamination by the controversial GM seeds which can easily be spread by wind or pollinators.
“Monsanto is the world’s most famous patent bully,” OSGATA President, Jim Gerritsen, said ahead of the ruling. “Monsanto villainizes everyone they sue, and everyone they come up against becomes the bad guy.”
_____________________
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 LicenseThis article originally appeared on: Common Dreams
Saturday, June 8, 2013
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Aspartame has changed the name to AminoSweet
Aspartame has changed the name to AminoSweet
BE ADVISED
Monday, May 20, 2013
Official Story Has Odd Wrinkles: A Pack Of Questions About The Boston Bombing Backpacks
By Dave Lindorff on May 20, 2013
Among the reasons law enforcement sources are so confident they “got” their men were video surveillance photos from a Lord & Taylor storefront area showing the two brothers as they arrived at the finish-line area, each wearing a backpack, allegedly carrying what the FBI now says were two identical 6-quart steel pressure cookers marketed by the Canadian corporation Fagor. Fragments of those pots, which the FBI says were packed with black powder (gathered from a collection of fireworks) as well as nails and BBs, were recovered at the scene.
Besides the photos of the two brothers wearing their packs, the FBI also has released a photo of the remnants of one of the backpacks, allegedly the black, or dark-colored, one worn by the elder Tamerlan Tsarnaev. There is also a photo of what is described as a white backpack, which was placed on the street side of a metal crowd-control fence. It was said to contain the second bomb, which exploded 10 seconds later, further from the finish line. This is presumed to be the same light-colored pack Dzhokhar is seen wearing in the store video as he arrives on the scene.
There are a number of serious problems with this supposedly damning evidence, however.
First of all, nobody looking at the evidence to date has tried loading up one of these Fagor pots with the amount of weight that would have been created by a big four or five quarts’ worth of black powder, perhaps two quarts of nails, and perhaps a pound or two of BB shot, to see what it would look like in a basic unstructured book bag of the type the two men were wearing.
WhoWhatWhy decided to do that.
***
The first problem was buying the pot. This reporter looked it up online and found that it was being sold by Macy’s. Going to the nearest Macy’s at the Montgomery Mall in Montgomeryville, PA, we discovered that the cookware section had no pressure cookers. The store clerk in charge of that section was asked where pressure cookers were.
“We don’t sell pressure cookers,” she said.
“How can a cookware section not sell pressure cookers? Anyhow, your website says you sell a line of Fagor pressure cookers.”
She replied, “We stopped selling them after the Boston Bombing.”
So it goes. Guns—even the gun used in the incident, still get sold in stores after the Newtown, CT, school massacre, but when someone makes a bomb with an ordinary kitchen implement, they are taken off the shelves. (What’s next, a demand for licenses to buy canning equipment?)
Luckily, we found several of the Fagor six-quart pots in a nearby Sears store, and purchased one, on sale for $76.00. The dimensions of the kettle are 10 inches in diameter and 7.7 inches bottom to top, not counting the handle (which cannot be detached without exposing four bolt holes through the top and side of the lid).
After getting a calculation that a quart of black powder weighs about two pounds (a very general measurement, because the compound changes weight according to the humidity, and can be loosely or densely packed like any powder), and testing a bag of small nails to find that they weigh about six pounds per quart, and after weighing the pot itself, we found that the whole contraption, fully loaded with four to five quarts of powder, two quarts’ worth of nails and BBs, and a battery and ignition device, would weigh about 30 lbs. So we put a sufficient number of exercise weight plates into our container, shut the lid, and tried carrying it in two backpacks similar in construction to the ones on the two brothers’ backs.
The results were instructive.
If you look carefully at the first set of photos, showing the surveillance photo of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and the model wearing a similar pack containing the loaded pot, both packs being slung over the right shoulder using the right strap only, you can see a dramatic difference. There are stress wrinkles under the jacket of the right image on the model, caused by the 30-lb. weight pulling downward, but Dzhokhar’s jacket can be seen to be completely smooth under the strap. His pack is clearly extremely light on his shoulder (which may be why he’s not wearing it slung over both shoulders). As well, you can see that the weight of the pot, pulling down and outward in the model’s bag on the right, is causing a downward sloping of the top of the backpack, and is also causing many vertical stress lines on the face of the bag itself. Dzhokhar’s bag, however, is flat across the top, indicating no such downward pulling force, and it does not exhibit any downward wrinkles on its side. Whatever he is carrying, it is clearly not a 30-lb., or even a 20-lb. cylinder.
Here’s a close-up image of the shoulder straps on Dzhokhar’s and the model’s right shoulders:
Moving to Tamerlan Tsarnaev, check out the model’s slightly larger pack, which like Tamerlan’s is being worn with both straps over the shoulders. Again, the pack on the right, containing the loaded pot, is causing obvious wrinkles on the winter coat where the straps are bearing down on a small section of padded coat. Once again the weight of the straps of the shoulder— this time 15 lbs. per strap—can be seen causing prominent wrinkling on the winter coat worn by the model underneath the straps. The downward sloping of the face of the backpack, and also the vertical stress wrinkles are prominent and clearly visible also. In the video surveillance photo of Tamerlan, however, his coat can be seen to be unwrinkled under the straps, and there are again no vertical stress lines on the face of his pack. Again, it is hard to imagine a 30 or even a 20-lb. weight in the bottom of that pack.
There are other questions too, that need to be asked, and that demand answers.
First of all, there is the matter of the photo released by the FBI of an exploded backpack, said to have contained one of the pressure cooker bombs. The material is dark black, and it is not because of charring, because the color is uniform, and also there are white images on it, including a white square (more on that later). That would have to have been Tamerlan’s pack, given that Dzhokhar’s is white or light-colored. But looking at the image of Tamerlan wearing his pack, and contrasting the light color of the pack relative to his clearly black winter coat, it appears that the pack is more of a gray than a black. It’s possible that it’s a matter of the lighting and the quality of the video, but it does not seem to be a jet black color, especially as there are much darker lines on it that appear to be real black, along the seam lines. So was that exploded pack really Tamerlan’s?
As for Dzhokhar, the photo of a pack set on the sidewalk in front of a bunch of spectators, in the spot where bomb number two exploded bears no resemblance to the pack he was photographed wearing, which had wide black seam lines and zippers.
Meanwhile, there were people on the scene near the finish line who were wearing backpacks that were both very dark black and large enough and full-enough looking to be containing a loaded pressure kettle. These men were observed and photographed wearing baseball caps and shirts bearing the uniquely drawn white skull logo of a Houston, TX-based mercenary-for-hire firm called Craft International Security (whom no governmental agency will admit to having hired). Curiously, images of several of the men wearing those packs show them to have an unusual white square image on the top of the pack, quite like the white square visible in the FBI’s image of the exploded black pack. The Craft personnel’s packs are made of material that looks remarkably similar to whatever was used to make the exploded pack. (The man on the right below is photographed before the bombing. He is also seen, in an image taken after the explosion, running alongside a second identically-dressed Craft man wearing a pack and the company’s logo-emblazoned hat. Note that the left runner, interestingly, now no longer has on his pack. Where did it go?)
Note: Stay tuned for more information on Craft, its origins, management and relationship with the US government. We will try to determine what these private “soldiers” were doing at the end point of the marathon wearing large backpacks (or mysteriously losing those large backpacks) right around the time of the explosions. Of course it’s possible there is some benign explanation. It’s equally possible they were hired to guard against some threat that runners and spectators were never cautioned about, which could explain all the secrecy now about them.
***
Some may argue that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has confessed to the crime, and even that two days ago his written confession was found scrawled on the inside wall of the boat he was captured in. But while the corporate media is reporting that as evidence, let’s not rush to judgment here. Those reports of a confession have been sourced by the media only to unnamed “law enforcement sources” and there have been many such leaks and statements that have turned out to be false, such as the report of a 7-Eleven being robbed by the brothers, and a lengthy shootout between Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and police before he was captured in the boat (unarmed).
Since Dzhokhar has not said a word since he was finally provided with a lawyer, these “law enforcement sources” are reporting things that Dzhokhar would have had to have said during an unrelenting 16-hour interrogation by the FBI’s crack post-9/11 terrorist interrogation unit, who interrogated him while he was in serious condition from having been shot multiple times, including through the neck, possibly blowing off part of his tongue, after he had suffered massive blood loss and shock, and while he was heavily sedated and handcuffed to his bed. We’re supposed to accept that “confession” without question?
A copy of the transcript of a hospital bedside visit to Dzhokhar in Beth Israel Hospital by Federal Judge Marianne B. Bowler, who had finally called a halt to the interrogation (all conducted without a lawyer or witness present, despite reports that Dzhokhar had repeatedly requested and been denied an attorney), gives a good idea of how aware and capable of talking he actually was:
The Court: I will ask the doctor whether or not the patient is alert.
You can rouse him.
Dr. Odom: How are you feeling!
Are you able to answer some questions?
The Defendant: (Defendant nods affirmatively)
There follow a series of questions and answers between judge and attorneys, and then some questions to Tsarnaev, which are only answered by nods.
Later, the Judge asks:
The Court: Can you afford a lawyer?
The Defendant: No.
The Court: Let the record reflect that I believe the defendant has said “No”.
This is the quality of “conversation” of which Dzhokhar was capable almost a week after his capture, at a time when the hospital was listing him in “fair” condition. Just what level of “conversation” did he likely have with his FBI interrogators in secret when he had just been captured and was listed in serious condition and when there was some question as to whether he would even survive his shooting ordeal?
Meanwhile, the purported writing on the inner hull of the boat was not reported for several weeks, until CBS Senior Correspondent John Miller—himself a former FBI spokesman—broke the story. Was it really written by a frightened and severely wounded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev while he was on the lam from a city-wide manhunt? Or is it perhaps some cop’s prank? At this point who knows? As far as we know, nobody has tried to match the scrawl with his own handwriting to date.
So that brings us back to those two backpacks. What could have been in them for them to be hanging so lightly on the two suspects’ backs? And if it wasn’t two explosive-laden pressure cookers—if—then who put those bombs at the finish line?
These are precarious times. We owe it to ourselves to fully investigate all aspects of this singular affair, not to take anyone’s word for what we should think.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
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