1) Of COURSE we remember you. You have always added so much to our understanding of these issues.

and

2) Scout! I love the name. Just like “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I’m glad you found room in your heart.

Post anytime, darlin’

I’ve been busy working at my hobby farm and enjoying my new pal Scout - An English setter I found at the local Humane Society. He is a wonderful little guy with love in his heart and boundless energy.

Of course the farm is where Brandy is burried and every day I am there I stop by her grave and fill her water dish and tell her how sorry I am for being hasty in having her put to sleep (before I knew why she was sick) and how Scout was not meant to replace her.

The flowers on her grave look nice but it doesnt make up for her loss.

While I may not post, I do always try to read the blogs here at least every day or two.
I promise to chime in when I have something of value to contribute.

Bernie

wow, my local fox affiliate has covered the following three stories right in a row: tainted pet food contaminated with ingredients from china that killed ‘dozens to hundreds of pets,’ a new recall of castlebury (human) food resulting in botulism poisoning, and vick’s dog fighting ‘allegations.’

This is quite a master plan that the FDA is drumming up. If Van Eschenbach won’t give the Congress any response to their official requests for info, what chance is there that he’ll give them a look-see at the master reorganization plan before it’s well under way. By then, all the technical expertise of the FDA will be dissipated and regulation will be fully in the hands of corporations.

E: Maybe von Eschenbach will resign in disgrace… or FEAR ?? maybe ?? we can all hope!

There is a phrase I often hear in my head when such situations arise and it guides me.

I could not love thee half so much, loved I not honor more.

Silly of me, I know, to want my love and my life and my actions to mean something because they come from a person of honor. Honor, duty, doing the right things matter to me and I wish they mattered to more public officials. I am a VERY foolish old woman to want such things but I do.

http://www.latimes.com/news/na.....9299.story

I don’t know if a transcript is available yet, but I especially remember the Committee’s lead investigator, Mr. Nelson, saying that the main purpose of the “reorganization” of the FDA’s testing facilities is to consolidate power.

It was shocking to learn yesterday that the inspection and testing sites don’t have the discretion to test imports that don’t already appear on a list issued from Washington.

What is shocking is to see in action how the Bush presidency’s total grab for power has infiltrated down as far as to whether rotten fish or toxic wheat gluten get inspected in Long Beach, for example.

I read that one of the new Commissioner Von Eschenbach’s early acts was to attempt to stop the funding for a small women’s health initiative that was involved in Plan B.

Also, at yesterday’s hearing, it was interesting to watch former Commissioner Hubbard squirm when his actions as FDA head under the Bush administration were 180 degrees from where he now stands on issues. What ever happened to principaled stands and resigning your job when your marching orders conflict with your conscience? Didn’t he almost say — or actually say — when confronted with his previous actions, “…that’s when I was speaking out for the administration…”?