The Times They are a Changin'.
An American institution dating back almost 100 years, the Miss America pageant, is going by the boards. The competition began in 1921 as a swimsuit contest when it was considered modern and liberating for women to pose in bathing suits. Now, Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America, is the chairwoman and has dropped the swimsuit and evening-gown competitions. They will be replaced by ever-thrilling extended on stage interviews. Ms. Carlson believes it is important to make women's voices heard in the “cultural revolution in our country.” The TV broadcast is of critical importance to the program as it generates a large piece of revenue. When asked for comments, Ms. Carlson said no binary choice between swimsuit and television deal was ever posed. The organization has long been on precarious financial grounds with a net loss of $575,000 in 2016 on revenue of $9.8 million. The immediate result of this to-do is that almost half of the board has quit or been asked to resign.
Fifi, You and Phideaux are Going to Miss the Next Trip.
Airlines have had it trying to provide emotional support animals. Barely a week passes without a story of a pet trapped under a folding seat or in an overhead compartment. Current guidelines force carriers to accommodate a menagerie of critters that are often poorly behaved. They defecate and urinate in the aisles and have bitten, licked, jumped on and growled at other passengers. Carriers complain that passengers are taking advantage of the US Department of Transportation broad definition of a service animal. Air carriers are urging regulators to change the parameters for flying with service animals. It is past time to draw a distinction between trained service dogs that assist people with psychiatric or physical disorders, and animals that provide more passive emotional support. The USDT has agreed to revisit their rules.
Ah, the Environmentalists. They Killed Millions by Spreading Malaria with a Ban on DDT, but Failed to Ban GMOS.
The people, many of them scientists, who attacked GMOS now have a steady diet of eating their words. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel sent a reporter to a west coast farmers market in 2014 asking shoppers what they thought of GMOs. All customers stated their horrified avoidance of GMOs, but none could explain what GMO stood for. The letters mean genetically modified organism. The opposition was largely inspired and led by environmentalists calling for food boycotts of “frankenfoods.” They claimed that GMOs would damage the environment because they were bred to withstand weed killers and would be used to excess. They asserted that GMOs were bad for the developing world, tying farmers to expensive new seeds that would not reproduce. Perhaps most crucially many opponents claimed that GMO foods were a threat to human health, causing a higher incidence of everything from cancer and autism to diabetes and obesity. Contrary to initial fears, the overall impact of genetically modified crops has been to dramatically reduce the amount and toxicity of pesticides sprayed by farmers. 90% of Indian cotton acreage now consists of insect resistant GMO plants, 37% less chemical pesticide is used for GMO crops than for conventional versions. The American Association for the Advancement of Science declared, “The science is quite clear: Crop improvement by the modern techniques of biotechnology is safe.” The German researcher Marin Qaim estimates that the reduced use of insecticides by Indian farmers, thanks to GMO cotton, have avoided as many as 2.4million cases of poisoning a year. And finally, a massive 2016 report by the US National Academy of Sciences concluded that the data do not support the assertion that cancer rates have increased because of consuming GMO crops. Moreover, not just the NAS, but the AMA, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the UK Royal Society, the French Academy of Science, the African Academy of Sciences, and numerous others agree. While 88% of American scientists believe it is safe to eat GMO foods, only 37% of US adults in the general public believe it is safe. The reason for this gap in consumer knowledge is clear: Anti GMO activists have peddled so much misinformation. Like emesis you can't put it back (save your dog), you cannot get the genie back in the bottle, and no amount of scientific knowledge can erase the lies.
The Best made Plans of Mice and Men…
A generation ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a proposal to “Eliminate syphilis from the United States.” The plan was a dismal failure. Almost as soon as it was issued infection rates began to head in the wrong direction. From year 2000 to 2006, the rates of syphilis quadrupled. Congenital syphilis, a nearly eradicated condition in which the infection is passed from mother to fetus, jumped 28%. This is really distressing because it is easy to diagnose and treat protecting the mother from the 40% chance of a stillbirth. Not limited to syphilis, sexually transmitted diseased (STDs) are roaring back as well. Chlamydia has nearly doubled and gonorrhea has more than doubled. What is going on? A few theories abide. The first is that CDC funding has been reduced to state health departments and clinics by 40% since 2003, and has continued to slide with current administrations. Another explanation is that sex is now seen as less risky. HIV is much less scary than generation ago for gay and bisexuals. Prophylactic pills taken daily can reduce the chance of infection by 99%. Condoms are cast aside and IUDs and birth control pills are seen as enough. STDs are surging in the UK as well with a 20 to 22% increase in syphilis and gonorrhea. One could even propose there is a cultural shift in moral behavior as persons of both sexes see no anxiety about limitations.
Who Should be Cast as James Bond?
Cubby Broccoli and his wife saw Sean Connery in “Darby O'Gill and the Little People.” No great actor but Ms. Broccoli liked his accent and his raw sex appeal. She said he would be a great James Bond. When asked to test for the part, Connery refused and said “Either take me as I am or not at all.” Broccoli said what impressed them the most was he had balls.
Addenda
Krispy Kreme is going to start opening shops at Walmart. They will offer an additional flavor, polyester.
Eighty percent of married men cheat in America. The rest cheat in Europe.
A foundation is a large body of money surrounded by people who want some.
A man can have two, maybe three love affairs while he's married. After that he's cheating.
Women speak two languages, one of which is verbal.
Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.
Love is what happens to men and women who don't know each other.
ALOHA AND KEEP THE FAITH rts
(Editorial comment is strictly that of the writer.)