dalearch says...

This phony - who travels around in a private jet - called people who drive SUV's "Un-American".

April 14, 2009 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Wright_Winger says...

RFK, Jr. in 2003 announced that he thinks large hog farms are more of a danger to America than Osama bin Laden. He has further said he "plans to go after" (sue) all large farms in the country.

April 14, 2009 at 5:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Trixie says...

Waaay Cool! Sign me up. Agree with him or not, there's something to be learned from someone with a passion for a cause. I say "welcome"!

April 14, 2009 at 6:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dalearch says...

I see we have another "Bush lied" piece of trash.

You're too stupid to see that you're doing exactly what you're insinuating we would do. You're defending Kennedy because he's a democrat.

Are you honestly not smart enough to see that he's a hypocrite when he flies around the country and the world in a private jet using thousands of gallons of extra fuel - and then criticizes people who drive SUV's because they get 10-15 MPG less?

April 14, 2009 at 10:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

TonyRipesRoma says...

Bryan,

Amen to that! I second your sentiments!

And for the record, I for one always subscribed to the theory that everyone is a lying, hypocritical, worthless piece of garbage at some point, somewhere in their life. There is no such thing as the innocent anymore.

April 15, 2009 at 1:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Wright_Winger says...

What does MichaelH find sinister about the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009? It is has only been introduced at this time and has not been passed, but here are the provisions reported by the respected Congressional Research Service:

2/4/2009--Introduced.
Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Food Safety Administration. Assigns all the authorities and responsibilities of the Secretary of Health and Human Services related to food safety to the Administrator of Food Safety.
Transfers to the Administration all functions of specified federal agencies that relate to the administration or enforcement of food safety laws. Renames the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the Federal Drug and Device Administration.
Directs the Administrator to: (1) administer a national food safety program; and (2) ensure that persons who produce, process, or distribute food prevent or minimize food safety hazards. Sets forth requirements for the Administrator to carry out such duties, including: (1) requiring food establishments to adopt preventive process controls; (2) enforcing performance standards for food safety; (3) establishing an inspection program; (4) strengthening and expanding foodborne illness surveillance systems; (5) requiring imported food to meet the same standards as U.S. food; and (6) establishing a national traceability system for food.
Requires the Administrator to: (1) identify priorities for food safety research and data collection; (2) maintain a DNA matching system and epidemiological system for foodborne illness identification, outbreaks, and containment; (3) establish guidelines for a sampling system; (4) establish a national public education program on food safety; (5) conduct research on food safety; and (6) establish a working group on foodborne illness surveillance.
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop the Food-Borne Illness Health Registry.
Directs the Comptroller General to report on the federal resources being dedicated to foodborne illness and food safety research.
Sets forth provisions regarding prohibited acts, recalls, penalties for violations of food safety laws, whistleblower protections, and civil actions.
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In view of the recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses the legislation may be needed to help prevent future incidences.

April 15, 2009 at 6:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Wright_Winger says...

According to the paranoid conspiracy theory crowd H.R. 1388 and S. 277 would establish the "brown-shirt youth corp" similar to the Nazi army of youngsters.

Here are some of the more frightening provisions:

1/16/2009--Introduced.
Serve America Act - Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to create two new service-learning programs: (1) a Youth Engagement Zones to Strengthen Communities program, providing competitive grants to partnerships between local educational agencies that serve high-need, low-income communities and certain community-based or state entities to engage students and out-of-school youth in service-learning addressing specific challenges faced by their communities; and (2) a Campus of Service program, which annually grants up to 30 institutions of higher education (IHEs) with exemplary service-learning programs the funds to assist their students' pursuit of public service careers, and the right to nominate additional individuals for ServeAmerica Fellowships.

Creates a ServeAmerica Corps program providing formula grants to states and awarding competitive grants to states and nonprofit organizations to fund national service in low-income communities by: (1) Clean Energy Service Corps that improve certain clean energy indicators, including energy efficiency and conservation measures; (2) Education Corps that improve certain education indicators, including student engagement, achievement, and graduation; (3) Healthy Futures Corps that improve certain health indicators, including health care access; (4) Opportunity Corps that improve certain opportunity indicators, including financial literacy and access to housing, and employment-related services; and (5) Encore programs designed to take advantage of the skills of participants age 50 and older. Creates additional incentives for national service participation by individuals age 50 and older.
Creates a Volunteer Generation Fund program awarding competitive matching grants to states and nonprofit organizations to increase the availability and capacity of volunteers to address state priorities with regard to areas of national need or work with nonprofit civic entities, including faith-based organizations, to address such needs.

--------------------------------------------

Pretty scary stuff, huh?

April 15, 2009 at 7:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Wright_Winger says...

Monsanto seed corn

First, some disclaimers: (1) I own no interest of any kind in Monsanto or any other company. (2) The last year I derived income from the sale of farm crops was 2006 so I may be three years behind the information curve.

Many decades ago farmers did indeed save a portion of their crop to use as seed for the next year. However, with the advent of hybrid seed corn in 1930 that practice was discontinued because of the vastly superior yield performance of the hybrids. Over the years the hybrid strains have been improved to resist diseases, better survival of drought conditions, resist lodging, etc. The more recent hybrids are resistant to specific herbicides such as Round-Up which reduces or eliminates the need for cultivation between planting and harvest.

Grain saved from a crop of hybrid corn will germinate and grow, but will revert back to the parent strains and will not produce a harvest of any significance. Thus, the hybrid seed must be produced every year to be planted for the next year crop. A bag of hybrid seed corn contains about 80,000 seeds and is planted at a rate of about 30,000 seeds per acre.

The best hybrid seeds cost as much as $300 a bag so you can see just the cost of seed approaches $100 per acre. Not all the seeds will germinate and grow and the germination rate must be expressed as a percent on the seed bag. Several storage factors such as heat and humidity affect the germination rate, but time alone will dramatically reduce the germination rate. Seed corn with a germination rate of 95% for the year it is sold could have a germination rate of 80% or less after a year of storage. It would make little economic sense for a farmer to buy more expensive seed than needed just to see it deteriorate before use. I do not personally know of any illegality in saving seed from year to another, it just doesn't seem a good practice to me.

Monsanto has developed and patented many of the genetics involved in modern hybrid seed production. As I understand it, they license these patents for use by other seed companies, thus increasing the overall corn production in the United States.

That is what I know about Monsanto and hybrid corn seed production and would be interested hearing more up-to-date information.

Hopefully, it will help set MichaelH's mind at ease.

April 15, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

tigersfan says...

WOW, Winger, those are really long comments....of course I didn't read them due to my ADD. Anyway I am surprised you are posting comments today, I figured you would be out "Teabagging" with your fellow Conservs.

April 15, 2009 at 10:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Wright_Winger says...

Our local tea party isn't being held until 5:30 this afternoon so as to give the working people a better chance to participate. You probably won't understand this as it wouldn't pertain to your circumstances.

April 15, 2009 at 10:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

tigersfan says...

Really??? That cuts into my afternoon nap (my third nap of the day)....It's hard work lying on applications and trying to avoid work, I tell you. So are you going to take your fellow "Teabagger", Dalearch, with you so you guys can bond while protesting the fine government that we as US citizens elected into office?

April 15, 2009 at 11:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Wright_Winger says...

ninja_man & tigersfan....Dale wasn't interested and Bill was already taking Monica.

April 15, 2009 at 1:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Wright_Winger says...

ninja_man .... your ADD wouldn't let you concentrate

April 15, 2009 at 2:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )