Akheia Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Aw, y'all say that as if what you're buying is "natural" food. That's so cute. If it were the case that GMO is so benign, then why are lobbyists fighting so hard against full labeling disclosures for GMO foods? Europe's had such laws for years, but somehow we decided that GMO labeling laws would mean the end of life on Earth as we know it. Last week for some research I found myself delving into food-supply frauds and scams that made me wonder if *anything* in my cupboard or fridge is really what it says it is. Our food-supply chain is a modern marvel of engineering and chemistry--no doubts about that. But it's also a marvel of corruption, greed, dishonesty, and sickness. I'm starting to realize that the reason that organic honey (for example) is so expensive is because that is what it costs a beekeeper to honestly produce real honey--if you're paying less than that, especially if you're paying WAY less than that, chances are excellent that you are not getting real honey--and only real honey--in that bear-shaped bottle. As to college, I graduated, but did nothing with the degree and ended up swimming in student debt--which I'm still struggling with some two decades after graduation. At least it isn't that much debt, comparatively speaking. I got off easy. It's not easy to attend college now; with the normalization of higher education came a soaring increase in costs for technical and private schools. And many careers have very specialized educational paths--law, for example, or pharmacy, or education--that really don't "translate" to other schools' demands if you need to change. I think it's just gotten more compartmentalized over the last 20 years. I don't have an easy answer, except to say that maybe speaking with an advisor at the school might be a really good idea at this point, WMDK, if you're passionate about the career that class would give you. I feel just terrible thinking about the situation and I so very much wish I could help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 You do realize that humans have been genetically modifying crops and livestock for thousands of years, right? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 ... And you realize that the genetic modifications that are going on in labs goes well past anything humans did with selective breeding, right? It's bizarre that anybody would conflate the natural selection farmers have always done with what Monsanto and its ilk are doing. If GM really were so benign, it shouldn't be a big deal to be honest about its presence in food products. Europe's been labeling foods with GM components for years, as I pointed out. But for some reason lobbyists here fight against the idea tooth and nail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antix Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 You do realize that humans have been genetically modifying crops and livestock for thousands of years, right? Cross breeding is one thing, inserting genes from other organisms is another. Sheep fed fair amounts of GMO corn get leukemia and no, I do not trust GMO food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 The first time I went to college it was because I'm from a middle class suburb and that was just what one does after high school. I flunked out. Now I'm going back in my mid-30's with more specific goals and passions in mind and with a much clearer idea of who I am, and I'm off to a good start. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 The first time I went to college it was because I'm from a middle class suburb and that was just what one does after high school. I flunked out. Now I'm going back in my mid-30's with more specific goals and passions in mind and with a much clearer idea of who I am, and I'm off to a good start. I always figured on going to university. I grew up poor, was homeless by my 14th birthday, and I saw education as my way out. Due to circumstances, I opted to do year 12 part-time over two years. I needed to do five subjects to get an ranking to go to university, but I ended up only completing two of the three I needed to do in the second year, thanks to the arsehole fundy husband I married. So, I didn't finish high school. I left the jerk when I was 19, and figured I would work for a couple of years, and apply for mature age entry into university when I was 21. The university requested that I sit a test that analyses my ability to think, and accepted me on the basis of those results when I was 21. Then along came bipolar. After 18 months, I was just too mentally ill to study. So I dropped out. Last November, having finally learned how to manage my illness, I enrolled in university again, planning to start out part-time and think of going full-time later. I was 26. I only just managed to get one unit done (8 units is a full-time study load here), as I was having severe issues with my reproductive organs. I took six months off university to get my operation done, but I've enrolled in my next unit already, to start at the end of August. I'm going to get my degree. Come hell or high water, I'm getting that damn degree lol. And then I'm going to keep on going, all the way to a Ph.D. It just means too much to me to not do it, you know what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdp Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 ...I quit fucking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 ... And you realize that the genetic modifications that are going on in labs goes well past anything humans did with selective breeding, right? It's bizarre that anybody would conflate the natural selection farmers have always done with what Monsanto and its ilk are doing. If GM really were so benign, it shouldn't be a big deal to be honest about its presence in food products. Europe's been labeling foods with GM components for years, as I pointed out. But for some reason lobbyists here fight against the idea tooth and nail. You do realize that humans have been genetically modifying crops and livestock for thousands of years, right? Cross breeding is one thing, inserting genes from other organisms is another. Sheep fed fair amounts of GMO corn get leukemia and no, I do not trust GMO food. Take a course in genetics and you will see that selective and cross-breeding IS the insertion of genes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 ...I quit fucking... Liar!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 The first time I went to college it was because I'm from a middle class suburb and that was just what one does after high school. I flunked out. Now I'm going back in my mid-30's with more specific goals and passions in mind and with a much clearer idea of who I am, and I'm off to a good start. I always figured on going to university. I grew up poor, was homeless by my 14th birthday, and I saw education as my way out. Due to circumstances, I opted to do year 12 part-time over two years. I needed to do five subjects to get an ranking to go to university, but I ended up only completing two of the three I needed to do in the second year, thanks to the arsehole fundy husband I married. So, I didn't finish high school. I left the jerk when I was 19, and figured I would work for a couple of years, and apply for mature age entry into university when I was 21. The university requested that I sit a test that analyses my ability to think, and accepted me on the basis of those results when I was 21. Then along came bipolar. After 18 months, I was just too mentally ill to study. So I dropped out. Last November, having finally learned how to manage my illness, I enrolled in university again, planning to start out part-time and think of going full-time later. I was 26. I only just managed to get one unit done (8 units is a full-time study load here), as I was having severe issues with my reproductive organs. I took six months off university to get my operation done, but I've enrolled in my next unit already, to start at the end of August. I'm going to get my degree. Come hell or high water, I'm getting that damn degree lol. And then I'm going to keep on going, all the way to a Ph.D. It just means too much to me to not do it, you know what I mean? GOOD LUCK!!! just don't flunk out when you're 6 months away from getting your doctorate! lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Ophelia: I did. Also worked in a genetics lab in college. I still think I have the right to know if a food product is GM. I respect your opinion and am willing to believe that it was developed via education. Wish you'd do the same for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMDKitty Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 Hey. I made it to my senior year of pharmacy school and failed out. 6 years, almost 100k down the toilet. It can't be THAT bad. Can you share how that happened? I mean, you got throught most of the schooling until the final year? Were the courses that hard or what? Just curious... 9 AM class, I'm nocturnal, and never functional before noon. On top of that, the instructor was never clear about assignment instructions, and yes, I did ask him to be more specific in his instructions. (That lasted for all of one week.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMDKitty Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 The other issue is financing. I can't get financial aid because I've accumulated too many credits (over two separate tries at a career path). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Hey. I made it to my senior year of pharmacy school and failed out. 6 years, almost 100k down the toilet. It can't be THAT bad. Can you share how that happened? I mean, you got throught most of the schooling until the final year? Were the courses that hard or what? Just curious... 9 AM class, I'm nocturnal, and never functional before noon. On top of that, the instructor was never clear about assignment instructions, and yes, I did ask him to be more specific in his instructions. (That lasted for all of one week.) Are there any options for doing that subject through your university online? Only reason I ask is that my sleep cycle is often all over the place, and I knew I could never deal with 9am lectures (I feel for you- no wonder you're pissed off! Going through all the effort of early classes, only to bomb out... Yep, that would have pissed me off royally, too!). So I elected to study my degree online, and it works way better for me, because it doesn't matter if I am fully awake at 3am or 2pm, I can study when it suits me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 The other issue is financing. I can't get financial aid because I've accumulated too many credits (over two separate tries at a career path). This is definitely a bigger issue. I don't have any advice for that one, as I've got no idea what help is out there in America :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Even federal student loans can't cover the credits? YIKES. WMD, I really wish I knew something that might help. That sucks so hard. Have you talked to your school's guidance counselor, if there is one (the registrar's office might be able to hook you up with one)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raoul Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Hey. I made it to my senior year of pharmacy school and failed out. 6 years, almost 100k down the toilet. It can't be THAT bad. Can you share how that happened? I mean, you got throught most of the schooling until the final year? Were the courses that hard or what? Just curious... 9 AM class, I'm nocturnal, and never functional before noon. On top of that, the instructor was never clear about assignment instructions, and yes, I did ask him to be more specific in his instructions. (That lasted for all of one week.) Thanks and that stinks. I had a teacher like that in my Algebra class in college. We actually organized a protest over his lousy tactics and they replaced him with someone more adept at teaching skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raoul Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Wow, the American system sounds so inflexible and like such an easy way to fuck people over. Yep, just like everything else in this shithole of a country we're stuck in.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 So what are you gonna do when you eventually have to work at a job at 8 or 9 am like the rest of us schlubs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I missed a cum laude on my diploma by one-hundredth of a point. I still consider that the reason I missed was a C I got in Economics; the course was supposed to be pretty easy, and I already knew most of what it taught, but the instructor was a grad student from India who had no fucking clue how to teach, test, or even speak adequate English. Afterward but before I knew what my final grade was, I made sure the department knew how unhappy I was (and I was not the only student present when this conversation occurred), but they didn't give a shit. So there ya go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 So what are you gonna do when you eventually have to work at a job at 8 or 9 am like the rest of us schlubs? Find work with different hours to the norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 That's the nice thing about a red-hot-maximum-24/7 society like our modern one: there's night hours for just about every profession imaginable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Come on McD, let's hear the lame joke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I'm at a loss. Or am I? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I suppose you're baiting me for a hooker joke tho? Nah, I'll pass. Thx tho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts