Observations From the Back Row: 5-19-11

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“De Omnibus Dubitandum”

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. I have said more than once that history never repeats itself: what happens is that people keep forgetting it. Opposing this new authoritarian collectivist green offensive is "The Battle of Our Times". Let all who are here remember that we are on the stage of history, and that whatever our station may be, and whatever part we have to play, great or small, our conduct is liable to be scrutinized, not only by history, but by our own descendants.

H. L. Mencken, Gerard Jackson is Brookes news economics editor, Viv Forbes, Winston Churchill

Psst. Got any raw milk?
Buying unpasteurized milk in Maryland requires jumping through hoops
When the truck carrying the goods pulls up to Suzy Provine's flower shop in Millersville, as many as a hundred people may show up to get their fix. They'll snatch up their share of the contraband and take it back to their homes, where they are free to consume it in peace…….Laurie Bucher, chief of the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Center for Milk Control, said there are good reasons for banning the sale of raw milk. Drinking it is risky, and could lead to salmonella poisoning……."We can't change people's minds, but we're here to protect the public's health," Bucher said. "Even the advocates will tell you, they know they're taking a risk, but they feel the benefits outweigh that risk."……. "The further we get away from nature, the worse food is for us," said Ashley Fuchs, a Crofton mother of two and former pediatric nurse.

My Take - These are the same people who are in love with regulations on everything else. "The further we get away from nature, the worse food is for us". What nonsense! We have heard this claptrap for so long everyone has stopped thinking critically. The further we have gotten away from nature the longer healthier lives we have lived. Once again…..everything we are told should bear some resemblance to what we see going on in reality.

Ron Paul battles FDA over drinking raw milk
……In a statement introducing the legislation, Paul said it would remove “an unconstitutional restraint on farmers. Many Americans have done their own research and come to the conclusion that unpasteurized milk is healthier than pasteurized milk,” Paul said today. “These Americans have the right to consume these products without having the federal government second-guess their judgment or thwart their wishes. If there are legitimate concerns about the safety of unpasteurized milk, those concerns should be addressed at the state and local level.”…. “It’s protectionism for industry. Because remember industry makes a lot of money on processing but they make no money on raw milk that comes directly from a farmer to consumer,” he said. “So this is a blowout where people are saying ‘Hey let the farmers feed us and stop getting between the farmers and the consumers.’”

My Take – So…..it’s “protectionism” for industry is it?  Although I don't question that this goes on all the time, all you have to do is take a look at the tax code.  However, I have to ask; how did they convince everyone of the need to process milk in the first place if there was no need? When I was in school we were taught of all the health factors involved. Did all of that change?

More Scientific Studies Indicate That Cell Phones are Harming Bees
Scientists may have found the cause of the world’s sudden dwindling population of bees – and cell phones may be to blame. Research conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland has shown that the signal from cell phones not only confuses bees, but also may lead to their death. Over 83 experiments have yielded the same results. With virtually most of the population of the United States (and the rest of the world) owning cell phones, the impact has been greatly noticeable.

My Take – I think this study needs further investigation. For fraud!

Another Stupid Greenie Idea! 
The pledge by Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak to roll back key provisions of the Ontario Green Energy Act is a courageous move and deserves to be applauded. It will likely spark intense debates as we head into the upcoming election. It is hard to say whether public opinion will be on his side, but the facts certainly are. The Green Energy Act (GEA) was proposed as both an environmental policy and a job-creation policy. It is misguided on both scores.

The “Tar Sands” Campaign and the Suppression of North America’s Energy Potential Environmentalism is attacking Alberta’s oil sands industry. Their “Tar Sands” campaign is best understood when placed within the grand crusade to suppress North America’s energy potential. Canada and USA have combined oil reserves of several trillion barrels. Over 2 trillion barrels are recoverable with existing technology at current prices. Combined Canadian and American petroleum consumption is 10 billion barrels a year. These countries possess centuries of oil supply.

‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ duped by family’s sick claim
Ty Pennington and the philanthropic crew of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" have been giving families the houses of their dreams through sweeping seven-day renovations and reconstructions since the series premiered in 2004. The uplifting reality show brokers in hardest-luck cases that sometimes appear too sad to be true. And in some cases, as it turns out, they are: according to a recent trial in Oregon, it seems the would-be do-gooders were duped by a family falsely claiming two very sick young daughters.

Climate Depot
Please talk a look at this site.  It is a wealth of information.  RK

'Exploding' watermelons hit farmers in China
A rash of "exploding" watermelons has hit farmers in eastern China after they sprayed their crops too liberally with growth-accelerating chemicals.  "On May 7, I came out and counted 80 (bursting watermelons) but by the afternoon it was 100," said Mr Liu who told China Central TV that three acres of his melons had exploded. "Two days later I didn't bother to count anymore."

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax -

Of cabbages and kings,

And why the sea is boiling hot,

And whether pigs have wings."

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