WASHINGTON, April 18, 2013 – A recent study by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) reveals shocking rates of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in U.S. supermarket meats. An alarming 81% of ground turkey and well over half of ground beef and pork chops tested contained some form of these “superbugs.” Established in 1996 to track antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria, NARMS is a […]
June
01
Frankenfoods: The debate over genetically modified (GM) foods
posted by lasesana
WASHINGTON, DC, April 15, 2013- Also known as genetically engineered (GE), genetically modified (GM) foods have passionate opponents as well as supporters. Unfortunately, clear and reliable information about GM foods and their impact, especially regarding health effects, is difficult to come by. Derived from genetically modified plants or animals, GM foods are created in a laboratory […]
June
01
Poet Pablo Neruda’s body exhumed in Chile
posted by lasesana
WASHINGTON DC, April 14, 2013 – Last Monday the body of renowned Chilean poet Pablo Neruda was exhumed in Isla Negra, 70 miles from Santiago. The exhumation comes after a Chilean judge ordered an investigation last February to determine whether the Nobel Prize winning poet was poisoned. Author or Canto General and 20 Love Poems and a Song of […]
June
01
Bees are dying at alarming rates
posted by lasesana
WASHINGTON, DC, April 5, 2013 – Huge numbers of bees in the U.S. have been inexplicably dying since 2005. In the past 12 months, what many are calling Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has destroyed 40 to 50% of the beehives used in the nation’s agricultural industry. Commercial beekeepers are worried, as bees continue to die and nobody really […]
May
12
Ag-gag bills: criminalizing whistle-blowing on factory farms
posted by lasesana
From my column in Communities @ Washington Times WASHINGTON, DC, April 2, 2013- A number of recent polls show that a majority of Americans think that animals raised for food deserve some level of protection from harm and exploitation. Even self- described “meat-eating conservative Republican” Mary Matalin has sided with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to […]
May
12
Afghan women cyclists riding for freedom
posted by lasesana
From my column in Communities @ Washington Times WASHINGTON, DC, March 29, 2013- When asked to describe their bicycle in one word, many cyclists of all kinds use the word “freedom.” Nowhere is this description more appropriate than for the women who make up the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team. Challenging the long- held cultural belief that a woman cycling […]
April
30
Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 2006
posted by lasesana
***½ Eat, Pray, Love I resisted reading this book for the longest time. I still haven’t watched the movie. It’s strange how books sometimes come to you when you are receptive. Had I started this book two years ago, I probably wouldn’t have made it through the first section. In this autobiographical book, Elizabeth is […]
April
28
The Power of Small Things, guest post by Elizabeth Jennings, author of THE BUTTON COLLECTOR
posted by lasesana
Elizabeth Jennings, author of THE BUTTON COLLECTOR Years ago, I began writing a novel based on a family’s collection of discarded buttons because I liked the idea of small, tangible items telling stories that weave together to form a larger truth. At the time, I had no idea how many button aficionados exist in this […]
April
18
Frankenveggies: Monsanto Protection Act passes Senate
posted by lasesana
From my column at Communities @ Washington Times WASHINGTON, March 25, 2013 — Last week, the U.S. Senate approved HR 933, a short term funding measure designed to avoid a March 27 government shutdown. Hidden within HR 933 is section 735, the “Farmer Assurance Provision.” Called the “Monsanto Protection Act” by critics, this section gives the USDA the power […]
April
18
Why opinion is shifting on same-sex marriage
posted by lasesana
From my column in Communities @ Washington Times WASHINGTON, March 21, 2013 – Views on same-sex marriage have been rapidly shifting in the U.S. From politicians coming out in favor of marriage equality to growing portrayal of homosexuality in the media, popular opinion is decidedly changing. Two separate national surveys conducted earlier this month confirm […]
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