On Food Safety

Recently I happened to exchange bit of correspondence about food safety with Janice who is developing a website http://farmcommunities.com/ on green living and eco-friendly communities. Having recently witnesses a case of food poisoning in our university, I felt intrigued about sharing my correspondence with readers (after having Janice’s permission for it).

Janice: I wish more people would take the time to understand what they areconsuming. It's especially alarming here in the United States. The majority preferring the quick and cheap over quality and nature.

Me: Well, just last week I took my friend and colleague Asher to see a doctor in the nearby hospital. Asher was having diarrhea with blood in it. He told me he had taken his supper at the hostel mess (his wife not being home to cook for him) and it left him listless with motions. Later, I learnt from the canteen’s waiter that many people had suffered that problem since three dishes (two of them made of meat and one of red beans) were unclean. He told me that at the mess, it is common practice for the waiters and cooks to mix the leftover with fresh dishes of the same kind and serve them again, without freezing or boiling. Just imagine what we are eating here. Since that day, I always go out to eat. But who knows what I am eating there too?

Janice: Wow! Mixing old food with fresh food! I bet that happens more often thanwe think. I'm sure we are all exposed to unsanitary food throughout ourlives and in some ways it helps develop immunities but it just seems things are deteriorating all around. Becoming vegetarian was one of the best decisions of my life. I rarely eat out anymore as well. I don't even trust the local food market for any freshfruits and vegetables. I only purchase from an organic market and even thenI wonder if things are as they seem. Businesses are so consumed with the bottom line they will sacrifice us allfor their benefit. I read a disturbing story about a Chinese baby formulamaker that admitted to adding toxins to the baby formula in order toachieve higher nutrient gradings on the formula. A lot of children in China have died recently because of it. Too many souls have fallen dark to the mighty profit margin.

Farm Communities: Poll on Environmental Issues

As the consciousness to conserving and ameliorating our environment grows, new green websites are appearing online with purposeful material about environment-friendly lifestyle. More recently, a new website called Farm Communities has been born on the web, aiming at creating and improving general awareness about environment related issues, with special emphasis on establishing eco-friendly communities. The website is expecting to grow into an interactive venue for people who want to learn about ecological issues, green living, and communities themed around green living. This growing site is now inviting people from all walks of life to express their opinion on what environmental issue is the biggest concern for them. The poll allows one to opt for one among 6 burning issues in environmental consciousness. You may visit http://farmcommunities.com/ and opt for the issue that concerns you most. Statistics obtained so far are displayed instantly after you vote. So rush to the site and poll your vote!

Ernest Dempsey

Which Animal to Become?

Hi Folk!

Okay, I thought of posting the result of that poll on the question of what animal would you choose to become, if given a chance. I did not receive many responses but that is of course not a grievance. Life is busy for all of us and many of you are still away from your computer systems. So the poll statistics are pasted below. Click on the image to see the graphic representation of the poll result.

Total Responses Received: 30

Flying Bird: 8
Dogs/Wolf: 5
Predator Cats (Lion, Cheetah, Panther): 3
Mink/Raccoon: 2
Tortoise/Turtle: 2
Miscellaneous: 9

You can clearly see that, from the responses that arrived, flying birds are the most inspiring animals – at least to the people I know. This is a pleasant thing to look at since my own vote was for this category. Being a dog lover, it was really tough to choose between ‘dog’ and ‘flying bird’ but then the freedom aspect of flight took over and I joined the flock.

As for the categories, I grouped the closely matching animals together. Some of you may frown over this but I think I’ll excuse myself with the explanation that generalizing is the best way create meaning without spending dozens of hours over a matter. Let’s hope your personal definitions of animals don’t radically disagree with mine. Among the ‘miscellaneous’ category, each person named a different animal. Here is the list: Panda, Squirrel, Monkey, Amoeba, Goat (a black one), Flightless Bird (Penguin), Fish (Orca Whale), and Rabbit.

Finally, I got this response to the poll question from my brother Shais (he’s an MA in Philosophy): ‘Hello Bro! Man is, from the beginning, a social animal. So I am not ready to become an animal twice!’

Have a nice time,

Ernest Dempsey