The beta agonist ractopamine, a repartitioning agent that increases protein synthesis, was recruited for livestock use when researchers found the drug, used in asthma, made mice more muscular.

Ractopamine is started as the animal nears slaughter.

How does a drug marked, “Not for use in humans. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure. Use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH-approved dust mask” become “safe” in human food? With no washout period?

The drug is banned in Europe, Taiwan and China, and more than 1,700 people have been “poisoned” from eating pigs fed the drug since 1998, but ractopamine is used in 45 percent of U.S. pigs and 30 percent of ration-fed cattle.

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

Ractopamine, aka Paylean and Optaflexx, is banned in 160 countries, including Europe, Taiwan and China. If imported meat is found to contain traces of the drug, it is turned away, while fines and imprisonment result for its use in banned countries.

Yet, in the United States 45 percent of pigs, 30 percent of ration-fed cattle, and an unknown percentage of turkeys are pumped full of this drug in the days leading up to slaughter.

Why?

This drug, manufactured by Elanco Animal Health, increases protein synthesis. In other words, it makes animals more muscular … and this increases food growers’ bottom line.

Adding insult to injury, up to 20 percent of ractopamine remains in the meat you buy from the supermarket, according to veterinarian Michael W. Fox. Yet this drug is marked “Not for use in humans,” and is known to increase death and disability in livestock.

Why is Ractopamine Allowed in U.S. Meat?

While other drugs require a clearance period of around two weeks to help ensure the compounds are flushed from the meat prior to slaughter (and therefore reduce residues leftover for human consumption), there is no clearance period for ractopamine.

In fact, food growers intentionally use the drug in the last days before slaughter in order to increase its effectiveness.

“How does a drug marked, “Not for use in humans. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure. Use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH-approved dust mask” become “safe” in human food? With no washout period?” asks columnist Martha Rosenberg.

She answers:

“The same way Elanco’s other two blockbusters, Stilbosol (diethylstilbestrol or DES), now withdrawn, and Posilac or bovine growth hormone (rBST), bought from Monsanto in 2008, became part of the nation’s food supply: shameless corporate lobbying.

A third of meetings on the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s public calendar in January 2009 were with Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly — or about ractopamine.”

Massive Industry Lobbying Gets Agribusiness What it Wants … at Your Expense

Industrial agriculture lobbyists wield incredible power in Congress, and the fact that ractopamine is in U.S. meat is a shining testimony to this.

Time magazine put it quite well when they described current farm policy as “a welfare program for the megafarms that use the most fuel, water and pesticides; emit the most greenhouse gases; grow the most fattening crops; hire the most illegals; and depopulate rural America.”

There are too many conflicts of interest to name, but, for example, you may be surprised to learn that former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is now the Secretary of Agriculture, an appointment that took place despite massive public outcry.

What was needed for an effective Secretary of Agriculture was someone who would develop and implement a plan that promotes family-scale farming and a safe and nutritious food system with a sustainable and organic vision.

What we got was yet another politician who’s already made room in his bed for the industry lobby. Overall, Vilsack’s record is one of aiding and abetting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) or factory farms (the ones that use chemicals like ractopamine) and promoting animal cloning.

Cozy Connections Allowed rbGH Hormones in Your Dairy Products, Too

Michael Taylor, a former vice president of public policy and chief lobbyist at Monsanto Company, is now the senior advisor for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Who is Michael Taylor?

He is the person who not only “oversaw the creation of GMO policy,” according to Jeffrey Smith, the leading spokesperson on the dangers of GM foods, but also oversaw the policy regarding Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH/rbST).

This growth hormone, which has been banned in Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand because of cancer risks and other health concerns, was approved in the United States while Taylor was in charge at the FDA. Smith writes:

“Taylor also determined that milk from injected cows did not require any special labeling. And as a gift to his future employer Monsanto, he wrote a white paper suggesting that if companies ever had the audacity to label their products as not using rbGH, they should also include a disclaimer stating that according to the FDA, there is no difference between milk from treated and untreated cows.”

Taylor’s white paper, which again was untrue as even FDA scientists acknowledged differences in the rbGH milk, allowed Monsanto to sue dairies that labeled their products rbGH-free!

In a similar vain, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Surveillance and Compliance sent a 14-page warning letter to Elanco regarding ractopamine three years after its approval for use in pigs. They accused the company of withholding information about “safety and effectiveness” and “adverse animal drug experiences.”

Nonetheless, the next year the FDA decided to approved ractopamine for use in cattle, too, and later for turkeys as well.

What Should You do if You Don’t Want Drugs and Chemicals in Your Food?

As the U.S. agriculture industry now stands, antibiotics, pesticides, GM ingredients, hormones and countless other drugs are fair game in your food. So if you purchase your food from a typical supermarket, you are taking your chances that your food is teeming with chemicals and drugs — even those that have been banned in other countries.

So please do your health a favor and support the small family farms in your area. You’ll receive nutritious food from a source that you can trust, and you’ll be supporting the honest work of a real family farm.

It all boils down to this: if you want to optimize your health, you must return to the basics of healthy food choices. Put your focus on WHOLE foods — foods that have not been processed or altered from their original state — food that has been grown or raised as nature intended, without the use of chemical additives, drugs, hormones, pesticides and fertilizers.

It’s as simple as that!

It is not nearly as daunting a task as it may seem to find a local farmer that can supply your family with healthy, humanely raised animal products and produce. At LocalHarvest.org, for instance, you can enter your zip code and find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, all with the click of a button.

Once you make the switch from supermarket to local farmer, the choice will seem natural, and you can have peace of mind that the food you’re feeding your family is safe. (click HERE for original article)

Mrs. Gentry, Mr. Mason and Keelen and his new 9th gup belt

It’s been a while since I have posted here. Yes…I have been remiss! MsSparky.com has been keeping me busy for hours a day but I am happy to say we are making progress. Click HERE to read that.  Keelen is keeping me hopping. He just turned 7 and is now a 9th gup in TaeKwonDo. He is clearly not one of the those easy “push button” kids. He tests and tests and tests and tests. But I am happy to say he is sweet and compassionate and not a mean person. He can be ornery, but he is not mean.

Tiffany is in her last two years. Woo Hoo. She may be able to get some taken off her sentence if they change the sentencing guidelines for Measure 11 crimes. Measure 11 has all but bankrupted the State of Oregon. I am not banking on an early release so as of now her release date is Dec 8, 2011.

I will try to do better about posting updates. I urge you to head over to MsSparky.com and see what’s going on in the corrupt world of Defense contracting.

I understand all too well this is not a resort. It is a a prison. But…Tiffany was not sentenced to death. This decision that CCCF made was so amazingly irresponsible. I feel helpless. There is nothing I can do to help her.

Cold spell means cold showers at women’s prison

by Steve Mayes, The Oregonian
Saturday December 20, 2008, 2:18 PM

Inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility learned Saturday morning that they weren’t immune from the crummy weather.

The prison is one of 180 large NW Natural customers who were given a choice: shift to the back-up fuel systems or pay higher rates during the current cold spell.

The prison, some universities and big manufacturing firms among others have “interruptible service contracts,” said NW Natural spokesman Cory Beck. Those customers pay lower rates because they agree to shift to an alternate fuel sources or pay higher rates under certain conditions, such as long periods of cold weather, Beck said.

The company notified customers a few days ago that it was imposing the requirement. It will be in effect until at least Monday, Beck said.

Until then, almost 1,500 Coffee Creek inmates won’t get hot showers or more than one hot meal a day, said Department of Corrections spokeswoman Jennifer Black. The Wilsonville prison started using it’s propane-fueled back-up system Saturday morning.

We have been having some pretty bad winter weather and school has been canceled….argh!!! So all this week I have had an assistant. I am at my desk and deeply involved in some research I am doing for my Ms Sparky blog when the following conversation ensues.

Keelen: Grandma do spiders have hearts?

(I am deep in thought and he actually has to ask me twice to get my attention)

Keelen: (a little louder than before) Grandma do spiders have hearts?

Me: (It takes me a minute to snap out of my totally focused alter reality) Um. Um. Yeah. I think so. I’m sure they do.

Keelen: (evidently not totally convinced with my wishy washy answer, he responds) Can you “google” that?

When I was a kid the response to most of my questions were “Because I said so.” or “Just because.” Clearly those days are gone.

I guess before I try to BS my way through another one of those “Are you smarter than a 5th Grader questions” I will just say…”Let’s “google” that!”

FYI- Yes, spiders do have hearts…but they are very different from a human heart.

I decided to go visit Tiffany at the prison on Saturday. It was a nice visit, just her and I chatting and playing cards. Although it’s always nice to take Keelen to visit his mom, he totally monopolizes her time and there are just some conversations you can’t have with a 5 year old around.

Tiffany started to tell me about the recent drug bust in one of the units. They found drugs, needles, cigarettes and all kinds of contraband. Before every visit, I go through metal detectors and at times get “wanded”and patted down. I don’t understand how that stuff gets in there. Seriously…how do you smuggle in a pack of cigarettes? And why would you risk it? I started questioning (interrogating) Tiffany about the drug use. She has never failed a drug test in prison. Thank God for that. If she does….I swear she better hope they don’t let her out. I’ve already told her I am soooo done with this drug crap!

Then out of the blue she asked me “Do you know how I started taking Meth?” I was a bit shocked at the matter of fact way she asked the question.

Honestly…it had never occurred to me to ask her. I am not a “shades of grey” person. There’s black and white, right and wrong, good and bad….taking drugs is bad. End of conversation.

I could tell she was intent on telling this story and I could feel that “judgmental defensive mother” rising to the surface. What could possibly be a good excuse for taking Meth?

I quietly sat and watched her eyes as I listened to her tell her story. It was very short and to the point.

“I was a 19 year old single mom, working nights and trying to stay awake during the day as well. Keelen was a 1 year old. One night at work I was complaining about being so tired.  A co-worker said “Here take this. It will keep you awake”. He handed me a pill. I didn’t know what it was, but I was desperate and I took it. That’s how it all started and it only got worse from there.”

That’s it? One little pill? No big drug dealing “gang banger”. No messed up “meth head”? One little pill? The decision made at that moment in time changed her life forever.

It is sad she felt so overwhelmed and alone. I was on the road working and wasn’t there to help her. I would be going to Iraq soon. Again, I wouldn’t be there to help her. Would she have even let me help her. I don’t know. She is very independent and stubborn. Hmmmm  I wonder where she gets that?

I was very impressed with her ability to verbalize this moment. She wasn’t giving me an excuse or trying to justify anything. She was just stating a fact about a moment in time that altered her life dramatically. I just hugged her and thanked her for trusting me enough to tell me.

On the inside my heart was breaking and my “critical self” was savagely beating me up. I should have done this, I should have done that……the list of “woulda, shoulda, coulda” is endless.

One thing is certain, my little girl has grown into quite the amazing woman.

Tiffany And Ethan At The Prison

When I tell people my daughter Tiffany is in prison, I normally get an “Oh….I’m so sorry”.  I just respond, “Don’t be sorry. It’s OK….I’m thankful Tiff’s in prison.” That usually earns me an odd look.

But it’s true.

I am very thankful for those weekly 100 mile round trips to the prison to sit in a visiting room crowded with inmates, some who have committed truly unthinkable crimes.

I am very thankful for those phone calls from Tiffany that always seem to come when I am busy doing something else or just don’t feel like talking.

I am very thankful for those insane conversations about how bad things are in prison or how weird her “cellee” is.

I am very thankful she was pregnant when she was arrested.

I am very thankful she is in prison so I can now raise  my other grandson Keelen.

I am very thankful she got 70 months.

I can hear it now. “Girl…you have lost your freakin’ mind! How can you be thankful for that?”

Well….every week I get see my daughter. I get to hug her and give her a kiss and I get to watch Keelen play games and read stories with his mom.

I get talk to Tiffany almost every night on the phone and Keelen gets to tell his mom about his day.

I get to watch Tiffany grow from a “wannabe” street thug into the amazing woman that I always knew she was with no interest in a life of crime.

I got to watch Tiffany give birth to a healthy baby boy, my second grandchild Ethan and in a selfless act of love give him to an amazing deserving adoptive couple that will raise him to know both his moms.

I know that Keelen is safe and well cared for and gets to have a relationship with both his mom and dad.
It is going to take the full 70 months for Tiffany to break this destructive cycle of drugs and unhealthy men.

Plus the brains behind this crime got 136 months. And if the person he assaulted had died, Tiffany could be doing life!! So…WOO HOO only 70 months!!

There are many many parents with children that were traveling down the same path as Tiffany. And they now have to visit their children in the cemetery. So, yes…I am very thankful Tiffany is in prison.

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving

Debbie

If you read my “I Got Mugged In Istanbul” blog you remember that my bank accounts were seriously compromised because I used a public computer in Istanbul to check my account status after being mugged.

Here is an excerpt from an article I just read on this very subject entitled: “7 Surefire Ways To Become and ID Theft Victim” by Sheyna Steiner (to read this article click the link above)

For maximum risk, commit the computing equivalent of licking a handrail in a New York City subway station and do some online banking on a public computer — like the one at the library or a public cafe. Bonus points are added if your Social Security number is your user ID for any transactions.

Evidently, I did the equivalent of licking a handrail in a New York City subway station. That analogy just makes me want to gag!!!!

This is an informative and well written article with some humor thrown in. You may be amazed at how often you put yourself at risk. Can you answer yes to any of the following questions:

1. Do you use a wireless network in your house?
2. Do you mail out checks for bills from your mailbox?
3. Do you carry your Social Security card in your wallet or purse?
4. Do you ever give personal information via email?

If you answered yes to any of these question, do yourself a huge favor and read the article. I thought I was totally educated on protecting myself from identity theft and I learned a lot.

For every defense we take to protect ourselves, identity thieves are counter attacking. It’s a freakin’ war!!!

Ms Sparky

When Cal and I were working in Baghdad we took the opportunity to take our R&R’s in places we had always wanted to visit. We spent our first R&R in Cairo, Egypt riding camels and exploring the pyramids at Giza. We had decided we were going to spend our next R&R in Phuket, Thailand. When Phuket was hit by a devastating tsunami in December 2004, we decided to go to Istanbul, Turkey instead.

Istanbul (aka Constantinople) is a very old and beautiful city. There are an abundance of attractions such as The Topkapi Palace, The Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, The Grande Bazaar, The Spice Market and The Orient Express to name only a few. The museum at Topkapi Palace was my favorite. It is the home of the Spoonmaker Diamond (aka The Kasikci Diamond). A single 86 carat stone surrounded by 49 individual stones (see photo) That would look soooo good on my finger!!

Unfortunately, Istanbul is also the pickpocket capital of the world.

I have traveled all over the world and have never encountered a problem. I would like to think I conduct myself in such a manner that doesn’t scream “I’m a tourist….rob me….mug me I won’t even resist”. I would prefer to think I project the image of “Mess with me and I will kick your freakin’ ass!!!” Well, the pickpockets and muggers in Istanbul will not be intimidated.

We were at the Spice Market and I was drooling over a table of cashmere scarves. The market was very crowded, I suspect full of pickpockets. All of sudden I was pushed and held face down on a table full of cashmere. I could feel the hand in the middle of my back. My bag, which was a courier style, worn across my chest, in the front, closed and zipped, was being pulled back. I heard the zipper and in all of two seconds, it was all over but the cryin’. I had been mugged. The muggers disappeared into the crowd with my wallet, cash, bank card, credit cards and passport.

It all happened so fast I was stunned. It took me a minute to realize the grave reality of what had just happened. I felt so victimized and violated. I WAS INFURIATED!!!! I found my husband and we went to the first police officer we could find. I told him what happened and he gave me that “You and 1000 other people, nothing I can do” look. It was so commonplace the police officer didn’t even blink an eye. I am doing my best to not cuss in this blog, but I am here to tell you there was a whole lot of cussin’ going on in Istanbul!!!

Now I had to contact my bank, credit card company and the US Consulate. This all happened late on a Thursday afternoon. We were flying back to Iraq on Saturday morning and I didn’t have a freakin’ passport!!! I had one business day to get a passport from the US State Department. What are the odds of that happening?

This is just too long for one blog. To be continued tomorrow.

Ms Sparky

Continued from “I Got Mugged In Istanbul-Part 1-See Below

Fortunately, Cal had enough taxi fare to get us back to our hotel where there was an internet cafe. I needed to contact Wells Fargo Bank so I logged into my Wells Fargo account. I checked my accounts and and after several tries was able to contact Wells Fargo via the “International Number” and cancel my cards. It would appear I had acted quickly enough and had averted any potential damage to my accounts. So I thought.

I then contacted the US Consulate. I was so afraid I was going to be stuck in Istanbul for weeks without a passport. But, do to the large number of US Citizens needing replacement passports, the US Consulate in Istanbul is one of the few in the world that can make you a temporary passport “while you wait”.

I didn’t sleep well that night. I just replayed the mugging over and over in my head. What could I have done differently? How could I have prevented this? Why was I targeted? Who knows, but being the victim of anything is just not OK with me.

The next morning we headed out bright and early to the US Consulate across town. There was a shop owner right across the street that took passport photos….how convenient.

As we crossed the street and headed for the Consulate it occurred to me….”I think Gloria worked on this project!” For a brief moment, I forgot about being mugged and was thinking about the time I worked with Gloria in Kansas. She is a journeyman electrician as well and a damn good one. She told me she and her husband had worked on the new US Consulate in Istanbul and how much she loved living there. This must be it. I started looking at the building from and electrician’s perspective. It’s was a beautiful building. “Nice job Gloria!” Gloria is by far one of the best “tool buddies” I’ve ever had and I really enjoyed working with her.

The staff at the Consulate was very helpful and efficient. Obviously, they had done this many times. They told us that Americans are the primary targets. We tend to carry more cash and credit cards. They average ten replacement passports per day. I asked her what the chances were of having my passport recovered and returned. She said Zero. I was so disappointed. I had my Antarctica stamps and South America Visas in there. Whatever!!! Damn thieves!!!

I was issued a temporary passport, good for one year and a letter to Turkish Customs written in English and Turkish explaining why I didn’t have an “entrance visa” in my passport. This took all of an hour and was relatively painless. I spent the rest of the day packing and ranting about my experience. Although he appeared very supportive and didn’t say anything, I’m sure my husband had to be thinking “Just Shut Up!!!! Enough already!!!! Get me back to Iraq!!!!”

The next day we went to the airport, checked our bags and headed to Customs. We had done this many many times. You stand in line, the Customs agent looks at your passport, stamps it and you move on. No fuss, no muss!! Well, after standing in line for what seemed like hours, I get to a customs agent. He looks at my passport and letter and says “What is this? Where is your entrance stamp?” I said, “Read the letter.” They must get hundreds of these letters each month and he is looking at it like he’s never seen one before. Again he’s says, “Where’s your stamp?” Now I’m getting aggravated and with a raised voice and somewhat of an attitude I tell him “There is no stamp. I was mugged. Read the letter!!!!” I look back at my husband standing in line behind me and he is giving me the “Shut up. You are going to get arrested” look (I get that a lot). Now, there are three customs agents looking at my passport and letter and talking amongst themselves. FINALLY, my agent comes back…..stamps my passport….with added enthusiasm, shoves it back across the counter and gives me that “Get the hell out of Turkey” look. “GLADLY!!!”

I didn’t relax until our flight left the ground. I thought customs might just come to our gate and get me. Our flight was uneventful. We made it back to Dubai and then Baghdad. It was about five days from the time I got mugged until I got back to my office. Just to be on the safe side, I wanted to contact the credit bureaus and put fraud alerts on my credit reports. I also wanted to check my bank accounts and make sure they were OK. When I logged into my bank accounts I was stunned. Thousands of dollars were missing. I called my husband just to make sure he hadn’t bought something big without mentioning it. He said “No!”. I started going through our accounts. Huge checks were being sent out to someone in New York. I was enraged beyond words. Do not mess with my family or my money (and it’s not always in that order). I contacted Wells Fargo. They closed my accounts and put stop-payments on the checks. I was soooo lucky none of those checks had cleared.

Here’s what I think happened. After I got mugged in Istanbul I went to an internet cafe and logged into my account. They must have had a “keystroke logger” on the computer. It captured my bank name, user ID and password. They went into my account, then went into my BillPay and set themselves up as a payee. Then they wrote themselves checks to the tune of thousands. They almost cleaned out my savings. Had I been gone a few days longer, I could have lost it all.

Other than magor aggravation, I came through this unscathed and within four days Wells Fargo had opened new accounts and returned all our money. I learned a very valuable lesson. I NEVER NEVER NEVER log into my bank accounts using a public computer. A keystoke logger can be installed on any public computer and you wouldn’t even know it.

I wasn’t working in a hell hole war zone, away from my friends and family so some freakin’ thief could rob me blind. I hate thieves. If I have to work for it, they have to work for it. I’m not going to make it easy for them.

Well…..that’s “The Istanbul Mugging Story”. I know this was kind of long for a blog, but I couldn’t get it any shorter. I’ll try to do better.

Ms Sparky