m.e.g.h.@.n.o.l.o.g.y.!

Mercury, Venus, Us, Them, J, SUN, Pluto!

You remember, I *know* you do -You remember how you memorized the planets for a test? That was mine, "Mercury, Venus, Us, Them, J, SUN, Pluto!" Just had to keep Mercury and Venus straight and I was good to go!

And I just want to add - is Mercury really that much bigger than Pluto was - er, is, anyway? (um, well, yeah, it is but! relatively! come on!)

So, today I am talking about stupid decisions. Or, not stupid, but - okay Pluto, to me, seems irrelevant but I did want to say that this next one just falls under "stupid."

Washington (where else?) wants to add " A mix of bacteria-killing viruses " to our "cold cuts, hot dogs and sausages". Now - they say it is "to combat common microbes that kill hundreds of people a year," but, you know - it's a VIRUS on our FOOD. Normal virus kill hundereds of people a year and the FDA hasn't started spraying people down in January!

I think that it is great that people are working to make our food safer.

Woah - hold on. "... make our food safer."
My greatgrandparents were farmers and I often eat mulberries right off the trees in local parks. There was nobody around the check my grandpa's cow's milk and no one walks behind me spraying random fruit I pick off trees. And we are all okay. (Well, my great grandparents are dead - but not because of the food they ate!)

And on top of all that - Intralytix (in tral i ticks?) (Entrails I ticks?) (what?) is a Manufacturer which makes me wonder how much we are paying for this new miracle of science. And I *really* worry when the FDA is telling me that not only is it safe - it's safe for pregnant women. I seem to recall something called... thalidomide. Anyone else?

Here - this sounds rather official:
The bacterium the viruses target can cause a serious infection called listeriosis, primarily in pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. In the United States, an estimated 2,500 people become seriously ill with listeriosis each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 500 die.


Luncheon meats are particularly vulnerable to Listeria because, once purchased, they typically aren't cooked or reheated, which can kill harmful bacteria like Listeria.

(( SO - can't you just say, "heat this sandwhich meat" and who still eats hotdogs cold? Nastiness.))

" The FDA had concerns that the virus preparation potentially could contain toxic residues associated with the bacteria. However, testing did not reveal the presence of such residues, which in small quantities likely wouldn't cause health problems anyway, the FDA said. "The FDA is applying one of the toughest food-safety standards which they have to find this is safe," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. "They couldn't approve this product if they had questions about its safety."

---------Are you kidding me??? ----------------------

posted by meg @ 3:24 PM