A Sprinkle of This and a Dash of That:

Today I learned more about how to use my bloglines account. Don't ask me to explain it clearly, but it has to do with seeing what blogs other people have subscribed to (at least seeing the people that *I* subscribe to already).

It's pretty damn fascinating actually!

I've been perusing places I never heard of or even knew to know about! Fascinating!

Here's a little morsel. It's an article about Genetically Engineered (GE) corn being sold in San Luis Obispo. Here, read it for yourself:

Genetically Engineered Corn in SLO

Avila Beach site of first known instance of labeling
Sierra Club, Santa Lucia, CA Chapter, December 2007

In what may be a national first, a local grower has voluntarily labeled genetically engineered corn being sold to the public.

The sign "Our own GE corn" appeared over a bin at Avila Valley Barn in September, with "traditional corn" identifying the contents of an adjacent bin. On request, helpful workers will aid shoppers in distinguishing between the two. (The GE product is skinnier.)

Known as Bt corn, the variety has been genetically engineered to produce a toxin that kills the corn ear worm. The Bt toxin is present in every cell of the plant, requiring Bt corn to be registered as an insecticide with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. About 30 percent of the corn planted in the United States since 1996 is estimated to be genetically engineered.

Avila Valley Barn's decision to label GE corn is apparently unique. "I have not heard of this happening anywhere else in the U.S.," said Renata Brillinger of Californians for GE-Free Agriculture. "There are some voluntary labels for GE-free foods -- we have distributed several hundred posters for farmers to use at their market stalls. But I haven't seen any like this."

The FDA does not require toxicity or allergenicity testing before allowing GE foods on the market, despite the recommendations and warnings of many of its own scientists. The first GE food, the Flavr Savr tomato, genetically engineered for longer shelf life, was allowed on the market despite the fact that it was known to cause stomach lesions in lab rats.

"Not surprisingly, FDA's 'no testing, no labeling' policy is opposed by the vast majority of Americans," writes Joseph Mendelson, legal director for the International Center for Technology Assessment and the Center for Food Safety. "Opinion polls consistently show that more than 90 percent of Americans strongly support the labeling of GE foods. More than half a million people wrote to the FDA to support a legal petition filed by the Center for Food Safety which demanded mandatory labeling and testing of biotech foods."

The Avila Valley Barn is owned by John DiVincenzo. The Santa Lucia Chapter has spoken with Dr. DiVincenzo on numerous occasions over the last year and a half about labeling the GE corn he has been growing for sale at Avila Valley Barn. He has agreed with us that more information is better than less, and the public has a right to know. We hope he will go on to produce informative materials available on the premises describing all the types of produce he sells - genetically engineered, traditional, no-spray and organic.

Jesse Arnold of SLO GE Free reports that, in a September 27 discussion with Robert Hayashi at the SLO Farmers Market, Hayashi said that Hayashi & Sons is also selling Bt corn, but did not say whether they intend to label it.
At press time, Hayashi and Dr. DiVincenzo had not returned calls from the Sierra Club.

A couple of things here interest me.

1) John DiVincenzo was our family's orthodontist. We call him Dr. D (original, I know). He was even at my brother's wedding in 2004. Super nice man! I'm proud of him for labelling his stuff, but I have to say I'm surprised he even offers it in the first place. The Avila Valley Barn is a place I consider 'natural' . . . like the apple cider from Gopher Glen.

2) Hayashi's is another 'natural' place and I'm quite disappointed they won't be clear whether they are labelling their stuff GE. Hayashi's Fruit & Vegetable Stand is practically a historic landmark and the Hayashi's have a long and successful agricultural history at the Coast. Sadly, that same 3rd generation Michael Hayashi mentioned is also this Michael Hayashi mentioned. Pathetic.

Here's another thing I happened upon.

Another blog I stumbled across . . . it has 11,889 subscribers so I'm guessing that everyone's heard of this place BUT me! The first picture made my heart skip a beat.

Doesn't that look downright delish?

crafty eliza and her shitty kitty. That blog name cracks me up!


Holy crap that's a hugeass blanket!






Freckles is doing SO much better since we got her medicine changed, and we've switched her to the dry diet food.

Last but certainly not least, my bestest bud Sheila JUST got her invitation to ravelry. Go here and friend her and freak her the fuck right out, lol! She's so new to ravelry, I think there's still some afterbirth in her hair.

(if y'all wonder what else I'm doing when I'm not blogging, you can see alot of my activity here. I just spent a hellofalottatime uploading and organizing 10 cds of pictures and three emails with a ton of picture attachments - all for the Success Bass Club. I'm also the Blogger for the club too.)