Comments for FROM MY CHAIR

Comment on I do NOT need to get over Michael Vick by Vicki Guerrero

Vicki Guerrero — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:04:45 +0000

I agree with you! Vick is a sick man. And it’s sad that some people can easily forget that. Animal abuse leads to human abuse!

Comment on Corn, it’s everywhere by Barbara Lacy

Barbara Lacy — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:48:05 +0000

Great commentary. It is like watching a tv news show. I knew corn was amazing. . .
I agree it is in too many places it shouldn’t be.
What can we turn other vegetables into?

Comment on The truth about America, what every citizen needs to know by lilmommacass

lilmommacass — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:31:14 +0000

If we can’t vote them out of office, it would be nice if they were actually held accountable for their crimes and punished like the rest of americans. Something must be done soon.

Comment on Corn, it’s everywhere by Pepper

Pepper — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 23:46:39 +0000

Michael, True, corn is a grass but it’s not one cows naturally choose to eat while grazing. I make my own decisions from information distributed by many people – Michael Pollan is only one. I am, however, a nutritionist, and I get distressed when huge corporations screw around with the food that God gave us. And God may be necessary to make things grow but once that altered food enters our bodies, it’s not always recognized as edible. You can’t splice fish genes with a tomato and still call it a tomato. At least, I don’t believe you can. Frankenfood doesn’t work for me. Sorry, I won’t be checking with many vets since they, as with human medical doctors, usually (and I do mean usually, because I know there are always exceptions) only know how to treat symptoms with pharmaceuticals instead of actually heal. Corn is everywhere and I personally don’t think it’s wonderful unless it’s organic and hasn’t been tampered with by scientists and chemical companies. BTW, organic popping corn, prepared using organic coconut oil, is absolutely scrumptious! Give it a try!

Comment on Corn, it’s everywhere by Michael

Michael — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 14:49:58 +0000

Sorry, cattle are not pumped full of antibiotics. Check with a beef producer or veterinarian for the real scoop on that.
Corn is a grass Always has been. Cattle eat many things other than grass on pasture so saying cows should only eat grass is short changing the wonderful rumen that helps them change cellulose into simple sugars.
No matter how much man messes with it, it is still dependent on God’s handy work to make it grow.
As a farmer, it’s my job to understand how these things work. I get very distressed when people like Michael Pollan try to tell you they are experts when they are not nutritionists, nor veterinarians or even plant science students. Don’t buy into the crisis of the day theories of those who are not in the industry.
Yes, corn is every where. Isn’t it wonderful!

Comment on Corn, it’s everywhere by Pepper

Pepper — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:48:38 +0000

Michael, thanks for reading my article about corn. I do disagree with you, however, that genetically modified plants are not bad. When moth genes are spliced with potatoes, or arctic char fish genes are sliced with tomatoes, your body most definitely does not know how to process it. Way too many people are sick these days and it is because we are eating Frankenfood, not God-created produce. Plus, it doesn’t matter how long cows are grazed, corn used for finishing makes them sick, which is why they are pumped full of antibiotics. Their bodies are sensitive to the corn much like some of us have reactions to certain pollens and weeds. Grass is their natural diet and we’ve got to stop bypassing the natural process for plants and animals just so we can eat them faster. As for me calling corn Zea Mays…I got that title from my research…it is as correct as Zea Maize. And somehow I feel you’ve missed the point here…I was merely reporting about how much corn is around us and how many ways it’s used. But then, I see by your wordpress handle that you’re a farmer…

Comment on Corn, it’s everywhere by Michael

Michael — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:06:20 +0000

Oh, and all fish are not naturally carnivores. Most fish, like most land animals are mainly plant eaters.

Comment on Corn, it’s everywhere by Michael

Michael — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:02:38 +0000

Corn is not as common as Pollan would have you believe. Although it does seem to be everywhere. That’s because it is such a wonderful source of starch. Starch that modern science has learned to modify to produce so many useful products.
Beef is not all from corn. In fact most beef is pasture feed for most of their life. Even when corn is part of the diet it is never all of the diet. Some areas of the world feed their cows wheat or barley instead of corn.
Most beer is fermented from barley, not corn. Some beer is fermented from wheat.
Because a plant has been genetically modified does not make it bad. Man has been modifying corn for over 5000 years. The biggest changes in corn were not in the modern era, but in pre historical times when ancient man collected seeds of what was to become corn and planted only the best ones.
There are now 5 main types of corn. Sweet, pop, dent, flint and pod. Sweet corn, flint corn and pop corn are mainly for human consumption. Dent corn is the industrial source of starch, protein and minerals that is used as a livestock feed, an ethanol source and industrial feed stock.
As omnivore’s our bodies recognize many things as food. As long as it can be broken down to basic sugars and amino acids it is food. Because someone used a gene gun and moved a gene from one place to another does not make it no longer food.
If you want the truth about corn check with corn growers, not Pollan.
Oh, and it’s Zea Maize, not mays.

Comment on LAX food inspections at airports by Friend

Friend — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:20:32 +0000

Yeah…that was pretty annoying.

Comment on More government control via proposed HR 875 by Debra

Debra — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:52:19 +0000

People wake up – this is a real threat and it is important….don’t go to sleep on this one….get on that phone and call!