USMB Coffee Shop IV

[gallantwarrior]

In your part of the world, I would expect that. How have you been sleeping lately? You posts often indicate you have insomnia.

I used to sleep the clock round, but now I am grateful if I get six hours in a row. So I get up early and go onto twitter.

Oddly enough, during the work week, I sleep around 4 hours a day. I usually start work around midnight and am done by 10 am, unless I work overtime. On my "weekends", I'll sleep until around 2 am, get up to read or do some project or watch a show, then go back to sleep until around 8 am.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Nearly closing time at Doc's. Just me and my bartender in the place. Nice uneventful evening I didn't have to break up any fights (as usual) and didn't have to chase any drunks out, (unusual) We'll close out the register in 10 minutes and be out of here before 3 AM. Then out to breakfast at Waffle House and in bed about 4. Sleep well, my friends!

Once upon a time, long ago, I worked at a Waffle House...mid-night to early am shift. Loved the folks who came in during those hours...

 

[Dajjal]

In your part of the world, I would expect that. How have you been sleeping lately? You posts often indicate you have insomnia.

I used to sleep the clock round, but now I am grateful if I get six hours in a row. So I get up early and go onto twitter.

Oddly enough, during the work week, I sleep around 4 hours a day. I usually start work around midnight and am done by 10 am, unless I work overtime. On my "weekends", I'll sleep until around 2 am, get up to read or do some project or watch a show, then go back to sleep until around 8 am.

Yea ! I have given up trying to get back to sleep when I wake up early. So I get up and do some web surfing.

 

[ChrisL]

Good night darlinks. I really do love you guys.

And we're still keeping vigil for

Harper (Save's granddaughter),
Pogo’s friend Pat and special comfort for Pogo,
TK, and TK's grandma,
Spoonie, Ringel, 007, Hombre, Sheila, Alan, & GW's sore backs,
Sherry’s Mom,
Becki and Becki’s hubby,
Noomi’s Auntie Marj,
The Ringels in difficult transition,
Mrs. BBD's knee,
Mrs. O and SFCOllie and Colonel,
GW's daughter, her friend Sachendra, and Sachendra's husband Bob and son Gary.
Noomi!!!
Ringel for wellness, rest, healing, and extra strength,
Nosmo's mom,
Foxfyre's sore back and painful shoulder,
Mrs. Ringel's knee,
Pogo's brother,
Ernie's stop smoking project,
Chris's new job,
GW's new job,
Gracie's fur friend Karma,
All of us and those we care about who are looking for work,

And the light is left on for Againsheila, Alan1 and all the others who we miss and hope to return.

P.S. Sometimes in the editing of the vigil list or when I have switched computers, somebody gets dropped that is supposed to be on it. This will always be inadvertent and if ya'll would call it to my attention, it would be much appreciated.

Haven't seen much of that here yet, thankfully! I seriously am not missing snow right now.

 

[ChrisL]

Nearly closing time at Doc's. Just me and my bartender in the place. Nice uneventful evening I didn't have to break up any fights (as usual) and didn't have to chase any drunks out, (unusual) We'll close out the register in 10 minutes and be out of here before 3 AM. Then out to breakfast at Waffle House and in bed about 4. Sleep well, my friends!

Sounds like a good night, Ernie!

 

[peach174]

Wow!
It is really cold here. It is 17.2 and still going down.
Good news is there is no snow, and we don't have to go anywhere this morning .

 

[Ringel05]

Modern corn as we know it is a complete GMOed product modified over centuries.

 

[ChrisL]

Modern corn as we know it is a complete GMOed product modified over centuries.

Corn on the cob? It's so good though! What about maize?

 

[Ringel05]

Modern corn as we know it is a complete GMOed product modified over centuries.

Corn on the cob? It's so good though! What about maize?

Corn is maize.

 

[ChrisL]

Modern corn as we know it is a complete GMOed product modified over centuries.

Corn on the cob? It's so good though! What about maize?

Corn is maize.

But didn't it look like today's corn?

 

[Ringel05]

Modern corn as we know it is a complete GMOed product modified over centuries.

Corn on the cob? It's so good though! What about maize?

Corn is maize.

But didn't it look like today's corn?

Only when we discovered the Indians who had GMOed the Maize (corn) to look like it did (and still does today). Corn also known also as maize goes back centuries, it's a grass.
Corn was the old European generic word for all grains, that's how corn got it's name.

 

[Ringel05]

Maize is the Indian name for corn.

 

[Foxfyre]

Probably it would be impossible to identify all the GMO foods out there, much less avoid them and still have much enjoyment in the pleasures of eating. I feel sorry for those who must avoid all wheat or all soy or all dairy for health reasons because our food supply is permeated with them, and unless you don't get bored with plain meat, veggies, salt and pepper, I would find that pretty grim. But then I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, etc. So take all the GMOs out of that and there isn't much left to enjoy. People have been breeding plants and animals for maximum quality and yields for a very long time but I would like to avoid the waxes (for appearance) and injected hormones etc. as much as possible and completely artificially developed or created foodstuffs aren't my cup of tea. There has to be some kind of reasonable balance in there somewhere.

 

[Ringel05]

Most people think laboratory and chemicals when GMO is mentioned. They either don't know about or have forgotten about splicing, splice one variety onto another to develop a hybrid obviously modifying the genetics of both combined varieties.
If I remember correctly all modern corn that comes to our table is male and sterile.

Female corn on top, male corn on bottom.

Another comparison between original corn and modern corn.

 

[ChrisL]

I'm not bothered at all by most foods. The only thing that really seems to bother me is too much chocolate.

 

[Ringel05]

Probably it would be impossible to identify all the GMO foods out there, much less avoid them and still have much enjoyment in the pleasures of eating. I feel sorry for those who must avoid all wheat or all soy or all dairy for health reasons because our food supply is permeated with them, and unless you don't get bored with plain meat, veggies, salt and pepper, I would find that pretty grim. But then I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, etc. So take all the GMOs out of that and there isn't much left to enjoy. People have been breeding plants and animals for maximum quality and yields for a very long time but I would like to avoid the waxes (for appearance) and injected hormones etc. as much as possible and completely artificially developed or created foodstuffs aren't my cup of tea. There has to be some kind of reasonable balance in there somewhere.

I wouldn't worry about the waxes, they come from plants that naturally produce the wax and are used to do more than make the apple look pretty.
Pick an apple off a tree, rub it on your shirt and now you have a nice shiny apple. What you just did was remove the natural wax the apple produces to protect it's high moisture content, a wax without which it would shrivel up on the tree and would become inedible.

 

[Ringel05]

Oh and the modern, cultivated apple tree is another ancient GMOed plant.

 

[Foxfyre]

I'm not bothered at all by most foods. The only thing that really seems to bother me is too much chocolate.

And yet in moderation chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is very good for most of us. In truth, most processed foods are nutritionally deficient compared to natural foods and contain way too much salt, sugar, and other additives. And I say that as one who loves and craves salty foods and who has a sweet tooth that won't quit. But again all things in moderation I think. A handful of potato chips is no big deal nutritionally unless I make a meal of them.

 

[Foxfyre]

Oh and the modern, cultivated apple tree is another ancient GMOed plant.

I would guess almost all fruit bearing plants have been cultivated for maximum yields and beautiful fruit. Selective breeding by mixing the best with the best almost certainly isn't a bad thing.

But I continue to be leery of food products that have been modified chemically or unnaturally modified. Think mad cow disease as a result of force feeding in appropriate substances to cattle.

A good article on the subject here:
WHO | Frequently asked questions on genetically modified foods

But the question remains, there is no way to determine who is doing this responsibly and who is not.

Excerpt:

. . .
5. What are the main issues of concern for human health?
While theoretical discussions have covered a broad range of aspects, the three main issues debated are the potentials to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity), gene transfer and outcrossing.

Allergenicity
As a matter of principle, the transfer of genes from commonly allergenic organisms to non-allergic organisms is discouraged unless it can be demonstrated that the protein product of the transferred gene is not allergenic. While foods developed using traditional breeding methods are not generally tested for allergenicity, protocols for the testing of GM foods have been evaluated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO. No allergic effects have been found relative to GM foods currently on the market.

Gene transfer
Gene transfer from GM foods to cells of the body or to bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract would cause concern if the transferred genetic material adversely affects human health. This would be particularly relevant if antibiotic resistance genes, used as markers when creating GMOs, were to be transferred. Although the probability of transfer is low, the use of gene transfer technology that does not involve antibiotic resistance genes is encouraged.

Outcrossing
The migration of genes from GM plants into conventional crops or related species in the wild (referred to as “outcrossing”), as well as the mixing of crops derived from conventional seeds with GM crops, may have an indirect effect on food safety and food security. Cases have been reported where GM crops approved for animal feed or industrial use were detected at low levels in the products intended for human consumption. Several countries have adopted strategies to reduce mixing, including a clear separation of the fields within which GM crops and conventional crops are grown. . .​

 

[Montrovant]

I think that GMO is usually defined as the genes of something being directly modified. Selective breeding, while it certainly does lead to modified genes, is more an indirect change and normally doesn't fall under the GMO umbrella.

And that's as much as I will say on the topic as it veers too close to politics.