"Excess Wiggling Is Not Covered"

“The warranty does not cover excess wiggling,” our son reminded 'him'. “There are limits to its coverage”, he continued. ... I guess I should look at the clause nullifying 'excess wiggling'. It was an unusual problem for the most 'wigglingest' male dog we'd ever had. ...

How does a large dog, weighing in at 75 pounds, manage to bend his whole body, non-stop, in a horseshoe style of motion, while wagging his tail, too? And so our precious Mr. Wiggles continues on his merry wiggle way as he happily carries the 'gift' in his gentle, oh so sweet pink mouth. 

 

Mr. Wiggles, our yellow male retriever, is the messenger of all things, good. He is in a perpetually happy state, always happy to see his cousins and his 'brothers' whenever they come to visit. He is Mr. Wiggles and Mr. Happy, all in one. ... 

 

In New Scientist, a look at our animal pets brings us to our senses. They are definitely intelligent, maybe more so than we think they are. They do not possess language skills but intelligence is not necessarily measured by that given standard only. (Wiggling was not mentioned.) Our pets might not like us as much as we think or even hope for but they are knowing and willing to teach us. ... Dogs communicate and show affection in many different ways. They demonstrate to the rest of the world who they truly are, each and every moment. They help us cope. Our mental and physical health are strengthened, immeasurably, by their inclusion in our lives. These animal gems remember and never forget the good, the bad and the ugly. They bark and growl when they feel powerless or in danger. They 'protect' us from danger - real or imagined. Our Mr. Wiggles is no different, except for that one startling quality!

Our furry teen has been a pup-in-motion, most of his young life. Assigning warranty coverage for his never-ending motion had never been considered. The comical idea of warranty coverage for Mr. Wiggles' wiggling had never entered my mind, until it was mentioned, in a comical sort of way. With strangers, however, he is quiet, unmoved, refusing to budge to the absurd or anything else. He is unsure and his actions reflect that. Mr. Wiggles watches intently, to confuse and befuddle us all. He refuses to move. I am uncertain as to what to expect next. It is an unusual side to this magnificent beast. At breakfast, he marches, with great resolve, in quick stride, in a straight line to the dining room, focused on what happens there. Food happens, in all unpredictable manner, especially those delicious morsels of yellow stuff, called eggs, full of the incredible healthy ingredients for life. ...

Mr. Wiggles is a dog, with a purpose, wrapped up in a serene beautiful face. I call him Big Face 'cause he has one, a gentle, large, pink one that is always aware and thinking about the next moment. When I look into his eyes, I see wisdom beyond his species and a future full of wonder and miracles to come. The warranty covering Mr. Wiggles cannot be extended, he is reminded, by his 'brother' on another occasion. (I guess his wiggling is a preexisting condition so excessive wiggling cannot be covered, I muse.) I smile again at the silly thought. 

 

Mr. Wiggles must curtail this non-stop action, lest the warranty become null and void. Over the decades, our canine children, the other species we love, have assisted our human ones to develop into caring, funny men. There was no warranty covering our furry family members, back then. Those furry gems rarely over-indulged in the gifting and wiggling practice, until now, with our newest family member, Mr. Wiggles.

Our pup in-motion is on duty, endlessly, ready to gift, lick and wiggle. I am tired just watching him. How was this wiggling trait of his formed? Granted, he was 'trained' early, by 10 weeks, to 'go outside', though it was good timing, on our part, that probably made that happen. How had this unusual character trait been created? Were we simply the 'environment', triggering his genetic self-expression of wiggling? He does not growl but leaves it up to his companion, 'Sally' to make those sticky 'decisions'. She is his leader, his mentor. His job is to wiggle. It's simply what he does or is it who he is? His sister, however, leaves nothing to chance. All things are potentially evil, she thinks. She barks, he listens, while excited that company is here. 

 

When confused or happy, Mr. Wiggles walks with a purpose while carrying anything, perhaps a sock or mitt he has found. He is always poised to 'change direction', however, should a stranger appear. The floor and adjacent rooms are awash with his continual gifting purpose, his constant need to please and wiggle. The objects are everywhere. He is always on the look-out for that soft squeaky toy or antler bone to offer to his mom, dad, 'brother' or 'sister' and cousins when they are near. Mr. Wiggles desire for food or that special treat has him 'dropping in' for a quick look into the kitchen or dining room to see if it's time to eat. ... Do not forget us, Mr. Wiggles reminds me with his intense look and wiggling. Talk to him directly and his bodily gyrations become even more rapid, more intense - something akin from the Cirque du Soleil. Oh, My. 

 

What an engaged little guy, you are. Calm down. We do not want your 'warranty' to expire, little pup. You have many years to live and a spine that must remain supple, ready to carry you into your golden years. A warranty that does not cover excess wiggling struck me as funny. Never had we been so blessed with a male retriever who was so relaxed, engaged, in harmony, with his environment and the 'creatures' within it, that my adult son, a character in his own right, would remark that Mr. Wiggles' warranty could be in jeopardy. Yes, it could. I took note. Be careful my sweet little guy. Your wiggling is a precious commodity, warranty or not!

The Science of GMOs, Part II

After writing Genetically Modified Us, I thought I was done. ... Then suddenly a link appeared, arising out of the Dr. Mercola's web-site world, illustrating another compelling story of GMOs. In,“Growing Doubt: A Scientist's Experience With GMOs”, Dr. Jonathan Latham, a scientist with a master's degree in crop and a PhD in plant virology began to unravel some horrible truths behind GMOs. The Momsey listened. She had no choice! (Lucy, my editor, would expect it. This 24-year-old, petite human dynamo is demanding; her standards, high. Why me?)

Dr. Latham is a scientist married to a scientist. Imagine the dinner time conversation there! He founded the Bioscience Resource Project, to “provide the highest quality scientific information and analysis to enable a healthy food system and a healthy world.” He is also its editor. His story begins. Dr. Latham talks about the implications of GMOs on human health, in the real world, where we all live. GMOs were an idea, created in the intellectual, artificial world of the laboratory where it all began. He is raising the alarm on GMOs, those things born of ambition. As his professional life unfolded, Dr. Latham began to see the diabolical implications arising out of the 'Let's see what happens if we do this to this species and then add traits of species A to species B in the laboratory.” He became “concerned about the potential implications the commercialization of genetically engineered plants might engender.” He began to see the no-holds barred scenario in the laboratory and to challenge the status-quo. Some plant 'traits' were being transplanted into other species that would never ever occur naturally, in Mother Nature's world. Genetic engineering was here to stay, regardless, making it possible for new food kingdoms to be created - in the lab - now, and travelling to a human body 'near you'. GMO experimentation was creating a potential Pandora's box. In the real world of Mother Nature, certain things could never happen. ... But in the world of GMOs, however, anything could and did!

Dr. Latham worried about these 'agricultural ideas' having a major impact on human health, if implemented, without thought. He is a scientist, a man of science. He would know. Dr. Latham reasoned that no serious person would engage these ideas in the so-called 'real world'. But the doctor was wrong, as it turned out. A Pandora's box had been unleashed into the environment and human health. The “regulatory system was intellectually bankrupt and also corrupt”, he wrote. ... Oh My. Where was this going, I wondered? It was too scary to ponder. Dr. Latham left his job in the United States, knowing that his findings would be dismissed there, as many scientific conclusions are. There is no money to be made in Mother Nature and the truth. He then moved to England.

In 2006, Dr. Latham and his wife Dr. Wilson published a scientific paper outlining the consequences of putting DNA of one plant into the genome of another. The data was slowly becoming clear and on point. Genetic engineering was an imprecise science and “making a mess of plant genomes.” Oh My. “The process caused unexpected gene mutations, movement and activation of transposons and DNA damage.” Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, of the Institute for Science in Society, another scientist sounding the alarm on GMOs, warned that “genetic modification can probably never be safe.” and “to take responsible action to ban all environmental releases of GMOs now.” Genetic modification is imprecise, artificial and dangerously simplistic, an 'illusion', Dr. Ho added, while crossbreeding or hybrids are precise, natural processes conducted in real time within the natural world in which we live.

Humans are made of DNA. Were we now becoming mutated targets from the food we are eating? Oh, My! Where do we go now to eat healthy food? Is Mars or Pluto open for the business of breakfast, lunch, and dinner? The mess being created to 'improve' the food supply was becoming difficult to study and 'contain'. 'Pandora' could not leave. The process of these “trans-genetic insertions are so complicated” that it is impossible to figure out what is happening and to know what to do next, the scientists were saying. The foods arising out of these laboratory miscues, found at the market, grocery store and restaurants, were out there for the unsuspecting public to eat and enjoy. A quagmire was developing. And it's here!

Are we now paying for the privilege of our demise? (Is Momsey's sarcasm showing?) To add to the confusion, there are things called viral trans-genes being inserted into the plant genome giving rise to unforeseen consequences called hazardous proteins in an attempt to make the plant resistant to viruses. But these new 'implanted' genes, these hazardous fabricated proteins, are posing extremely high risks to human health since the plant organisms are now more susceptible to the viruses they were originally meant to resist. Oh, My. (We are what we eat.) ... Dr. Latham knew this could happen. He is virologist and his concerns were mounting. ... This experimental tinkering of trans-genes was now moving into the realm of science fiction. (Proteins are the building blocks of all living things) Now what?... Has a global GMO monster been unleashed that will now run amok in our food supply, endangering human and animal health, forever? Are we now poised to become the latest endangered species statistic? ... Sign Rachel's and Gwyneth's petitions. Sign them all! ...

Our gut microbiome, our intestines, our human DNA, it would seem to me, are now up for sale and going cheap. And we wonder why human health is under attack, surprisingly and so relentlessly. ... If 70% of processed foods contain GMOs, as Dr. Ho has vigorously maintained, then it is obvious to the Momsey we need to start eating organic apples, oranges, grapefruits, celery, carrots, onions and garlic, in our meals, with our meals and in-between them. But then are these vital foods accessible, available and affordable for all? When was the last time a salad was the main event?

I need a respite from the storm. Where are my precious Mr. Wiggles and his sister, my animal children? I need to talk, hug and lavish them both with attention. Only then will I be able to relax, sit down and eat something for breakfast without wondering how much of my DNA has been lost to GMOs. Am I malingering? Hopefully, it's not 70%.

Coming soon:
The Canadian bakery that did!
GMO, Roundup and the Bees
Mitochondria and Health!

Genetically Modified Us?

We are now facing the greatest health challenge in history. How did GMOs become so entrenched, in our lives, that every trip to the grocery store is now fraught with the unease of a walk down a dark alley? Everything is under suspicion now, not just food. Oh My! We are entitled to know what is and is not in the foods we eat. Food keeps us alive! 

We think of organics as the panacea to the dilemma of GMOs. Maybe. Hopefully. They are not easily accessible, at affordable prices, however, creating the have/have not world of healthy eaters and everyone else, not envisioned by us. We exist because of the food we eat. There is no escaping that basic fact. Few of us have access to this gold standard of food: organics. Does buying locally, guarantee our food is O.K.? I hope so. I simply do not know. Oh My!! Recently, strange looking interiors in both a tomato and several potatoes I was cutting, had me thinking “What is this? What is going on?”. (My husband refused to ever eat tomatoes again, though I cautioned him not over-react, just now.)  His reluctance to eat tomatoes, had me wondering, “Were the tomatoes reacting to something, not a part of their 'upbringing?" We had never seen such a sight! These unusual things, inside the first tomato, were grotesque squiggly things, never seen, by me, in over 40 years of eating, cooking, and preparing raw tomatoes, making BLTs, sauces, stews and mashed potatoes, galore. Oh, my! "Where were we headed?", I wondered with trepidation.

We are what we eat, as the saying goes, so it would seem to me that we are slowly becoming genetically modified, too. While shopping for additive-free wild caught seafood, recently, I was told by a 'helpful' store employee, who grows her own food, that strawberry DNA have been spliced with salmon DNA to produce a more resilient berry that can grow in cold temperatures. Was she misinformed? The thought was preposterous! She pointed to the produce aisle, in a sweeping gesture with her hand, indicating the world of GMO. I was suddenly nauseated. I thought we still had time to re-think this GMO strategy. 

Sixty countries have banned GMOs. Is it too late for us to follow suit? I wonder at the secrecy waiting for us in the grocery store. Is the music that is being played simply a divergent tactic to distract us from the 'food' we are putting into our grocery carts? Are the brightly coloured boxes and packages a ploy to entice us into a world of 'fun' eating where paying too much for 'foods' laden with sugars, starches, HFCS and other foreign ingredients, formulated in the chemistry lab, is simply good business? Is the motive for all this, profit driven? Must be. ... While watching an episode of the hit comedy show,“Just For Laughs”, Ron White, the American comedian, spoke of the wisdom in remaining behind when a tornado is predicted, with its destructive, high velocity winds. “It's not that the winds are blowing but what the winds are blowing.”  In the case of agriculture, what happens if GMO seeds, plants and their accompanying entourage of leaves and blossoms become airborne next to a certified organic farm? Contamination is the biggest threat to the healthy food being grown, in the next county, town, region, province or state! But are the efforts of those 'certified' farms being sabotaged, in other ways, too? 

The Suzuki Foundation questions GMO in our food supply. The growing body of research raises questions and more questions about this sinister game being played with our health, with its longterm “unintended consequences”. In 1992, other regulatory bodies - the FDA in the U.S. and the Royal Society of Canada - raised concerns about GMOs hidden “toxins, allergens or substances inhibiting assimilation of nutrients”. That was a quarter of a century ago! We are now presented with an obesity epidemic, widespread gluten and lactose intolerance, even cancer. Twenty-four years later, does scientific data mean anything to those in power? Is anyone listening? ... It would seem from my vantage point that there are serious conflicts of interest within government and governmental agencies and serious errors in judgment. The people we voted into power are not doing their duty: to always protect the public's interest. Why do we accept such a lackluster attitude from these politicians? Who are we entrusting with our lives as we go shopping for food or anything else, for that matter? What does healthy eating really mean, anymore? 

It's a monumental challenge to do what is right, agriculturally, in today's GMO world. If pressure is being brought to bear for the farmer to change his methods but he refuses, then what? Planting seeds is not a simple act, today. Where do the seeds originate? We need heritage ones, now. What hope do our children and future unborn generations have if we stand by and do nothing? Is greed behind the inability to act expeditiously? Profit can be such an evil thing. 

Hybrid plants, unlike genetic engineering, is a simple tinkering slow process with Mother Nature, in charge, involving two parent plants, with the help of farmers, novice gardeners and the all-powerful honey bees, Mother Nature's 'natural' scientific pollinators, the major shareholders in this game called agriculture. A new, hardier generation of plant offspring result. Agriculture is guided by the dedicated farmers, gardeners, Mother Nature and her workaholic bees, these 'master manipulators' of the outdoors. But the bees are struggling to stay alive. Why? Are modern-age pesticides and insecticides giving rise to their demise? Are the bees being ambushed?

TheMomsey is not easily deceived and she is not a scientist. Recently, I found 'farm raised' and 'responsibly farm raised' seafood, while 'sight seeing' in the frozen seafood aisle, of the grocery store. What is the difference and what is the inference here? Is a babysitter involved with the second variation? It's a scary picture when we practice to deceive. 

GMOs are here. Does their sinister presence, in our food supply, make guinea pigs of us all, with every morsel? Remember, we are what we eat! Are we slowly becoming genetically engineered, too? What about our growing children and all future generations of man? Rachael Parent, a 15-year-old Canadian girl is shedding serious light on this global GMO issue, with GMO labeling, a right. Listen to her. Support her. Sign her petition. ... Gwyneth Paltrow, an A-list celebrity, is also fighting to bring sanity back, to the kitchen, with GMO labeling, a human right. We must not get distracted by her wealth, power and connections in shedding light on labeling GMO food. Let us get signing and do our part. We all have a right to know “what's cookin.''

Next: What scientists are saying.