Free Republic

Let’s get real. It doesn’t matter if you think Monsanto is evil. Genetically modified  food is safe—no matter what logical fallacies will lead liberals like Bill Maher to believe. If Monsanto has anything to do with it, it must be evil. That seems to be the prevailing opinion on the monolithic biotech company. Following that logic, if they produce corn or soybeans or another crop that has been genetically modified (GM), those too must be evil. That’s Bill Maher’s reasoning at least—reasoning that lures liberals away from science and towards denial. Making the leap from Monsanto’s business practices—whatever you may...

Eating bacon can significantly lower a man’s sperm quality, Medical Daily reported. In a study presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Boston, researchers from Harvard University gathered data from 156 men who were undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVR) with a partner. Each couple was asked questions about their diet, including how often they consumed processed meat, red meat, white meat, poultry, and fish.

The same racetrack that's provides its fans bacon flavored cotton candy, bacon martinis and a brisket and doughnut sandwich is now trying to convince people that beer, bacon and a milkshake make for a good treat. Texas Motor Speedway will be selling the Shake 'n Bacon beer milkshake for the November Sprint Cup race weekend. The main ingredients in the shake are Rahr Ugly Pug beer, Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and of course bacon

An iconic Michiana company is closing. Tuesday, FOX28 talked with owners of the Bonnie Doon plant and downtown Mishawaka location. They tell us there are many reasons for the shutdown such as the declining economy and the rise in production costs. But the number one factor? The anticipated cost of the Affordable Care Act.

To find out how many people participate in the program in your area and how that number has changed since 2000, enter your ZIP code, city, or county and state....

Oh, oh, oreo. Ever feel like you could eat the whole bag yourself? According to a new study — you’re not a glutton, you’re addicted. A student at Connecticut College found lab rats that ate oreos were just as strongly associated to them as lab rats that were injected with cocaine or morphine. (Via WNCN) And, this sounds even more dangerous — eating Oreos activated even more neurons in the “pleasure centers” of rats’ brains than those addicted drugs did. (Via YouTube / Oreo)

Bacon might be the least “ninja” ingredient out there. Aside from being bright-ass red, its scent alone has the power to send every fat kid (or fat kid at heart) running from within at least a three mile radius. Still, we wouldn’t want our ninja burgers made any other way. Starting October 25, Burger King Japan is rolling out a black-bunned hamburger called the “Black Ninja.” Like most of the country’s other chromatically-challenged eats, the BN gets its hue from the bamboo charcoal used to make it, which in this case, also happens to impart a nice smoky smell. But...

When over the weekend, a Xerox "glitch" shut down the EBT system, better known as foodstamps, for nearly the entire day across 17 states leaving millions without "funding" to pay for food leading to dramatic examples of the basest human behavior possible, some of the more conspiratorial elements saw this merely as a dress rehearsal for what may be coming in the immediate future. While there was no basis to believe that is the case, a USDA (the currently shuttered agency that administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) memo obtained by the Crossroads Urban Center in Utah carries in it...

Investigations underwayAir India said Tuesday an investigation was underway after a passenger found worms in his sandwich mid-flight. The passenger made the discovery during a flight from New York to New Delhi on September 28 on India's struggling flagship carrier. The passenger reported the incident to Air India, but said he did not hear anything back for two weeks, according to the Press Trust of India. "We are investigating the caterer regarding this incident," airline spokesman Prasad Rao told AFP in New Delhi. The spokesman said the airline maintained high standards, including hygiene conditions, adding that this was a "very...

When the Northwestern Wildcats face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ryan Field in Evanston on Saturday, something will be missing: peanuts. Northwestern University is hosting its first peanut-free football game to give fans with allergies a chance to focus on the game instead of worrying about negative reactions to the popular stadium snack, which can range from mild irritation to life-threatening anaphylactic shock.

I am a member of BJ's wholesale. They have this emergency food supply available: http://www.bjs.com/augason-farms-emergency-food-storage-kit-1-year-1-person.product.211362?dimId=8052 Any thoughts? I have a supply of food that I've been building up over time. About two months for my family of four (two adults - two children). I want a compact supply and something I can build further on. Thanks in advance.

Liftware is a handheld device which actively counteracts the shaking of a persons hand by up to 70% allowing them to more easily feed themselves. It is basically an electronic self-stabilizing spoon.

McDonald’s Corp. has started serving chicken wings, but some locals say the new item may not fly in Gainesville. Coinciding with the beginning of football season, Mighty Wings have temporarily joined the menu until mid-November. Hoss Rice, a manager at Gator’s Dockside, said he’s not concerned about the competition because atmosphere plays an important role in attracting customers. “The people that are going to go to McDonald’s for chicken wings are just driving on their way home and are like, ‘Man, I really want some wings, and I don’t have time to go somewhere good,’” he said. Alexis Thomas, a...

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. There is no telling where it will go and... that...

Harvest is in full swing across the country, and farmers in many states are surprised at the abundance of corn they’re getting from their fields. Dairy farmer Ben Steffen, who also grows corn, soybeans and wheat on 1,900 acres near the southeastern Nebraska town of Humboldt, said his first corn field brought in 168 bushels an acre, above the average of 140. … The best crops in the U.S. are in areas that received adequate rain combined with cooler temperatures at the time corn pollinated, a welcome sight after last year’s dismal harvest due to the drought withering corn and...

CHURCH HILL — A month long pizza binge landed a Hawkins County teen in jail after she allegedly bought pies in Church Hill on 18 separate occasions this past June using a debit card number stolen from the online boyfriend she was scamming. Heather Nicole Arnold, 19, 145 Lynch Road Lot 9, Church Hill, allegedly gave the online boyfriend a bogus name, and used a bogus Facebook profile during that online romance earlier this year. CHPD Detective Kevin Grigsby said Arnold’s phony Facebook page used photos that Arnold allegedly pirated from a Destin, Fla. woman’s Facebook profile. The Florida woman...

The lemon-lime soda seems to help the body better metabolize alcohol, according to Chinese researchers. Plain soda water had a similar effect.If you're searching for the magical elixir to cure a hangover, Chinese researchers may have found it. The solution: lemon-lime flavored soda Sprite. But if you prefer to skip the sweet stuff, soda water is a good alternative, findings showed. Some of the adverse effects of alcohol are thought to be caused not by the alcohol itself but by the process of the body trying to break down the alcohol. After drinking, the body goes through two stages of...

Back in 1987, a young demagogue named Al Sharpton leapt onto the national scene, accusing a New York assistant district attorney, Steven Pagones, of raping a 15-year-old girl, Tawana Brawley. Actually, Sharpton claimed that Pagones had raped Brawley, anally raped Brawley and then scrawled the initials "KKK" on Brawley's torso in feces. "We stated openly that Steven Pagones did it," Sharpton proclaimed. "If we're lying, sue us, so we can go into court with you and prove you did it. Sue us — sue us right now." Pagones sued. Pagones won. But Sharpton never apologized and had his supporters foot...

“There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch”—the title of a book published by Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman—may be economic fact, but that did not deter the U.S. Justice Department from informing furloughed department workers that they can have one. In an “Ethics Q&A” the DOJ published on its website advising furloughed employees on what they can and cannot ethically do during a government shutdown, the department said it was okay for them to accept free sandwiches from commercial enterprises as long as those sandwiches were offered free to all federal workers and not just some. …

The latest in New York City dining? Eating in silence. A restaurant in Brooklyn's trendy Greenpoint neighborhood is serving up a four-course meal of organic, locally-sourced food, but isn't allowing any chit-chat. 'Eat' restaurant chef Nicholas Nauman says he was inspired to put on the occasional 'No Talking' affairs after spending time with Buddhist monks in India. He says the silence allows customers a chance to better experience the food. The restaurant's Facebook page says seats fill up fast at the no talking meals. It costs $40 for 4 courses. Epicurious.com Editor-in-Chief Tanya Steel says the silent eating experience sounds...

MOUNT CLEMENS, Michigan - A 53-year-old woman has pleaded guilty after she allegedly used cans of spaghetti sauce to simulate a bomb and then proceeded to rob a bank. Police say Ophelia A. Neal, a parole absconder, robbed a Fifth Third Bank branch in Macomb County's Clinton Township on April 6. According to police, Neal told bank employees she had a bomb in a cloth bag, demanded money and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash into a getaway car driven by a man. Neal pleaded guilty Monday in Oakland County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens to bank robbery and...

Full Title: Now the shutdown's getting SERIOUS... as government closure dries up the nation's beer supplyUS federal shutdown closes agency responsible for alcohol licensing Craft brewers on the frontline facing financial disaster Small businesses and start-ups put on hold indefinitely One brewer claims shutdown will cost him $8,000 a month As the US government shutdown enters its ninth day the closure is threatening to leave America’s craft brewers nursing a serious hangover. While stores across the country will continue to stock a range of beers and ales on their shelves, the shutdown has closed an obscure agency, which quietly approves...

Eating five times a day can help keep weight down, a new study has suggested, as scientists reject the idea that three daily meals is the key to staying healthy. Researchers say a daily routine of breakfast, lunch, dinner along with two further snacks a day can help shed pounds. But breaking the routine can lead to weight gain—for instance, skipping breakfast is associated with putting on weight, according to the study published in the International Journal of Obesity. …

It may only take a minute or two to boil a kettle, but the agonizing wait for that reassuring click is now over, with the launch of the world’s first WiFi version. The ultimate in mod cons for the consumer too busy—or lazy—to enter the kitchen and do the job manually, the iKettle can be switched on from your smartphone from anywhere in the home. The technology promises to cater for any “urgent hot drink scenario”, enabling the user to remain on the sofa, or in bed in the morning, until the water is ready to pour. …

South Africans are being asked to quit drinking for the month of October as part of a campaign to raise awareness about alcohol abuse. The idea behind the OcSober campaign is simple - stay sober in October. Instead of drinking away their cash, participants are encouraged to donate it to a charity of your choice. Organisers hope that the initiative will help to reduce the number of alcohol-related fatalities on roads. Charity organisations have given the campaign the thumbs up. “It’s new for us, but I think if you talk about a campaign like this and you can really market...

It’s hard to watch any sporting event without seeing a commercial featuring a star athlete such as Peyton Manning or LeBron James. Now, a study published on Oct. 7 in Pediatrics shows that a lot of the foods they are promoting are unhealthy, concerning pediatricians because adolescents are among their primary viewers. “Professional athletes wouldn’t endorse tobacco today because it would be a liability for them,” lead study author Marie Bragg, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Yale University, told the Globe and Mail. “We’re hoping one day that the same would be true for unhealthy foods.” …

I was in Walmart the other night and saw something I did not know was available. As I was standing in the checkout line a woman was using her Food Stamp EBT card to buy stuff and at the end of the transaction she was able to get money back on the EBT card like you can with a debit card. I enquired about this and was informed that a change had been made by Government that permitted this. So you can get a cash back on a EBT Card then are able to buy things not on the approved...

A Japanese fast-food chain has announced plans to grow rice and vegetables on a farm 60 miles from the crippled Fukushima power plant, site of the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. Yoshinoya Holdings, which sells "gyudon'', or stewed beef over rice, has formed a joint-venture with local farmers to grow onions, cabbage and rice for use in outlets across the country. About 160,000 people nearest the plant were ordered to move out and the government established a 12 mile compulsory evacuation zone after an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 caused reactor meltdowns and contaminated water, vegetables...

The region around Florence is renowned for its food. Ian Henderson discovers why as he joins the hunt for one of its most famous delicacies.I'm enjoying a breakfast of scrambled eggs with delicate shavings of ridiculously expensive white truffle. According to experts, it’s the perfect way to bring out the unmistakable but indefinable flavour. I’m at a perfectly dressed table on the terrace of the luxuriously relaxed Villa La Massa hotel overlooking the River Arno, a few miles outside Florence. Below a kingfisher has just shot across the water, a brighter blue than the pale Tuscan sky. Ahead are the...

<p>Every day as she sat down for dinner with her husband, Dawn Chadwick would pick at the food on her plate, eating only a fraction of it.</p> <p>Then, as Chris waved goodbye and headed out to work, she would systematically empty the fridge and raid the cupboards, eating as much as she could before he got home.</p>

There’s only so much you can do with a pizza before it becomes something that doesn’t even resemble a pizza — there’s a fine line between novelty food and monstrosities like the cheeseburger crust creation. But things like sauce, crust and cheese are pretty safe bets, so far as widespread appeal goes, which is perhaps why Pizza Hut is tripling down on the dairy and introducing a 3-Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza.

A storm system that buried parts of Wyoming and South Dakota in heavy, wet snow on Friday also brought powerful thunderstorms and possible tornadoes to the Great Plains. The storm dumped at least 33 inches of snow in a part of South Dakota’s scenic Black Hills, National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Helgeson said Friday afternoon. Later in the day, thunderstorms rolled across the Plains, and witnesses reported seeing tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. …

San Francisco's famous Cliff House restaurant on Thursday joined other popular attractions that closed as a result of the federal government shutdown. An employee answering the phone at the restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the western end of the city said the business closed its doors after Wednesday night because of the shutdown. Because Congress failed to pass a budget by the end of the day on Monday, all federal services deemed "non-essential" have been shut down until an agreement is reached. National Park Service spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet said the Cliff House had to close because it is a...

Murphy's Law famously states that "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." But many are unaware of the lesser-known corollary to Murphy's Law, known as Fox & Friends Law, which states that "anything that can be derped on Fox & Friends, will be derped." Consequently, from the moment it was decided to pair the hosts of Fox & Friends with Hispanic meteorologist Maria Molina for a segment on National Taco Day this morning, the derp was inevitable. It was inevitable that Brian Kilmeade would ask Molina, "What are tips we need to know to do it correctly? You grew...

Arthur Boyt eats animals killed by cars. He stews badgers with the head on, and he loves the taste of labrador. He'll even eat carrion several weeks old. Once you've picked the maggots off and cooked it, the meat tastes really good, says the British pensioner. Cats, foxes, badgers, mice or dogs, killed and mangled by tires and left to rot by the side of the road. Most people simply drive past and feel disgust with perhaps a tinge of sorrow. But Arthur Boyt scrapes them up and has them for dinner. Roadkill eaters devour whatever they find. Boyt, 74,...

Diesel pollution makes it harder for honeybees to find flowers by changing the chemical make-up of their scent, scientists have found. Honeybees use floral odors to find flowers that will give the best yields of pollen and nectar, but diesel fumes can affect their ability to locate and recognize the plants, potentially affecting pollination and ultimately global food security. British researchers took eight chemicals found in the odor of oilseed rape flowers and mixed them both with clean air, which had no impact on the scent, and air containing diesel fumes. When mixed with diesel fumes, six of the eight...

Time spent in the company of camels reveals that the sociable animals can be particular when it comes to sharing their milkBader lifted the rope that circled the camel pen and we entered. The 50 or so camels casually went about their business, showing little interest in us, until Bader began to summon them with a deep, long call. One by one the camels lifted their heads and ambled in our direction, with their eyes fixed firmly on us. They crowded around us, jostling for position. They used their long necks to nudge one another aside, so as to get...

From camel carpaccio to camel bourguignon and gold-leaf burger, the meat offered traditionally at big festivities of bedouins has become a fancy ingredient in the Gulf's prestigious restaurants. Under the golden dome of Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace, which bills itself as a seven-star hotel, French chef Sandro Gamba proudly presents his latest: a camel burger bedded in gold-leaf bread, served with onion jam and smoked halloumi cheese. On the side, the traditional french fries have been replaced by fried hummus fingers.

All is not well with France’s famed wine industry. Despite fears of a rise in wine taxes seemingly having been allayed by the country’s agriculture minister this week, industry leaders are still nursing a headache over government plans to reinforce health warnings on wine bottles and packaging. In reaction to the plan, leaders of the wine industry—which represents France’s second-biggest export sector—have mobilized and created a lobby group Vin et Societé (Wine and Society) to take on the government. … According to Sud Ouest newspaper, the French government plans to change the warning from “Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your...

THIS WASHINGTON STATE fan is sticking it out till the bitter end. It’s raining, miserable, and his beloved WSU are losing to Stanford 41-3. At least he’s got his popcorn to console him, and hopefully someone to escort him home.

WONDERING what to eat this mid-week "hump day"?Why not try camel? Fettayleh Wholesale's range of camel burgers has hit the shelves in selected Victorian and NSW Coles supermarkets in the past month. The NSW company said its product was proving popular with customers and was moving beyond novelty value. "We've been a supplier to Coles with our halal range and when they found out about our camel burgers they were very keen to give them a go," said Fettayleh Wholesale's Ahmad Fettayleh. "As you know, millions of camels are feral in South Australia, the Northern Territory and up to northern...

The Best Meals Around the World (Can only be linked to)

The world is aging so fast that most countries are not prepared to support their swelling numbers of elderly people, according to a global study being issued Tuesday by the United Nations and an elder rights group. The report ranks the social and economic well-being of elders in 91 countries, with Sweden coming out on top and Afghanistan at the bottom. It reflects what advocates for the old have been warning, with increasing urgency, for years: Nations are simply not working quickly enough to cope with a population graying faster than ever before. By the year 2050, for the first...

No injuries were reported Monday in the predawn armed robbery of several customers at a Buckhead Waffle House. The robbery happened just after 6:30 a.m. at the 24-hour diner on Piedmont Road north of Pharr Road. Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones said three men from Philadelphia were robbed of nearly $40,000 in jewelry and iPhones. ~SNIP~ Jones said the suspects took a $6,000 gold chain and medallion and a diamond-covered Rolex watch valued at $20,000 from Vincent Lamar “Cash Out” Robinson, a Rolex Submariner watch valued at $12,000 and a $500 iPhone from Raheem Jefferson and an iPhone 5 valued...

Pouring two to three glasses of wine when you think you’re pouring just a glass is actually quite common, new research at Iowa State and Cornell universities reveals. In fact, researchers found that how much one pours is affected by a number of environmental factors and could have somber repercussions when it comes to overconsumption of alcoholic beverages. Researchers asked the study participants to pour what they thought was a normal drink utilizing various types of glasses in different environments. The findings reveal how easy it is to overpour. For example, participants poured approximately 12 percent more wine into a...

A circular has been issued by the Indian Consulate warning pilgrims not to accept food and drink from strangers. The circular was disseminated on Facebook and other social media sites following an incident in Makkah, where several Indian pilgrims fainted after drinking a cup of tea offered by a stranger, who then stole their belongings. The circular was issued by the Indian Haj Pilgrims Affairs Office in Makkah. Speaking to Arab News, Mohammed Noor Rahman Sheikh, deputy consul general and Haj consul, said: “We have already brought this incident to the attention of Saudi authorities and they have launched an...

The Agriculture Department says 524 schools—out of about 100,000—have dropped out of the federally subsidized national school lunch program since the government introduced new standards for healthier foods last year. The new standards have been met with grumbling from school nutrition officials who say they are difficult and expensive to follow, conservatives who say the government shouldn’t be dictating what kids eat and—unsurprisingly—from some children who say the less-greasy food doesn’t taste as good. But USDA says the vast majority of schools are serving healthier food, with some success. Data the department is planning to release Monday shows that 80...

The things you take for granted...I was sipping some Apple & Eve apple juice today during lunch, and idly glanced at the label of the bottle. I saw red when I read the countries of origin included CHINA! We all know about the melamine contamination which killed or maimed thousands of U.S. pets, and the recent controversy about school lunch chicken being processed in China and then sent back here, etc. We all know about the lack of environmental legislation there and how the land is being poisoned by "make money now, the heck with the future" people in China....

Worker at a restaurant was smuggling cigarettes to Saudi prisonersSaudi prison guards could not hide their puzzlement on how the inmates get enough cigarette supplies despite tight security at jail. Their puzzlement turned into a shock when they found that the culprit was the broasted chicken. And it was a mere coincidence. A guard was routinely checking the chicken meal brought into the prison in the northwestern town of Hail when he felt a hard item. “The guard found cigarette boxes were stuffed between the broasted chicken and bread…police discovered that a worker at a chicken restaurant was smuggling the...

Now that Barilla has fully caved to the Gaystapo, I think it's time for a new slogan for their pasta brand. Please add your suggestions.