I’ve been tied up this week working on the top 50 free agents ranking, and will probably be doing the same most of this upcoming week. I will be at Salt River Fields next Saturday for the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars Game, and hope to see some of you there.
* Adding to my link from two weeks ago about GM crops and California’s Prop 37, check out this French study that claims that rats fed Monsanto-modified corn developed tumors and died earlier than other rats. They found similar results with rats fed amounts of the herbicide Roundup that are permissible under U.S. law. (EDIT: Reader Dennis points out why this study might be a load of crap. And here’s a somewhat balanced look at the problems with the study and the need for follow-up.)
* Don’t buy or eat shrimp from Vietnam. Or any seafood from there, really. Or from China. Maybe this is why Bruce and his fellow sharks say fish are friends, not food.
* Former minor league pitcher John Dillinger comes out of the closet. I remember his name well, for obvious reasons, but never saw him pitch. This is a great read, especially his belief that an active player who chose to come out would meet with a friendly or at least non-hostile reception.
* Not that I want to be kind or gentle to the troll by giving her attention, but I thought this response from a man with Down Syndrome was spectacular.
* “The Island Where People Forget to Die” tells of the remarkable longevity of residents of Ikaria. One of their secrets is a heavily plant-based diet with virtually no processed foods, heavy on olive oil, legumes, and wine.
KLaw, regardless of what you think of the GMO foods, that French study was pretty worthless, scientifically:
– The population of rats used have a high propensity for tumors.
– There were only 20 rats in the control group, and 80 in the exposure groups, an atypical asymmetry.
– The researchers did not control for total amount of food consumed, or fungal contaminants, both of which increase tumors in this population of rat.
(Those bits, and lots more from: http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-gm-corn-rat-STUDY/ )
There may very well be real problems with GMO foods, but that study isn’t any kind of proof.
Dennis – thanks, that’s a good link. So why was it published in a peer-reviewed journal? Is that journal just garbage? I’m not in the industry so I assumed (wrongly?) that the study’s publication in that forum was a validation of its methods.
Keith thanks for talking about 37. I’m a political consultant working on the campaign. We just went up on TV after the million dollar a day barrage from Monsanto and Dow. Very close race and very important measure. Thanks.
Keith,
I’m no expert on scientific journals, or on the peer-review process. My understanding is that things sometimes slip through the vetting process. I don’t know what the reputation of that specific journal is.
Here’s another good article on the Seralini study: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/09/are_gmo_foods_safe_opponents_are_skewing_the_science_to_scare_people_.html
The whole journal process is kind of a joke, really. Not only do journals wildly vary in quality and scientific rigor, but the whole system is biased toward reporting experiments where an effect was found. You could conduct an extremely well-done study, but if you fail to find an effect, good luck getting your research published. Also, the peer-review process itself can either be substandard or nonexistent, as some open-access journals will publish anything for a fee: http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090615/full/news.2009.571.html
Thanks for sharing the piece on Dillinger. Combined with the Orlando Cruz story and the Kluwe/Ayanbadejo story resurfacing with election day approaching, hopefully we are seeing a sea change in the sports world’s acceptance and support of LGBTQ folks. Given that it was long considered the last bastion for homophobia, these are all really positive development.