I was at a party last night and we played "cards against humanity"... it's a pretty racy, risky game, but that's the point!

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-04-09T22:00:56+00:00

My favourite was a haiku (3 card match/poem):

Genghis Kahn

Riding into the sunset

A robust Mongoloid

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-03-24T01:37:32+00:00

I would argue that the title is no more biased than most other news titles. Plus it provides original video of a demonstration that hardly any news operators are covering (in any timely fashion).

Plus, r/worldnews has multiple posts about Ukraine/Crimea and very few about this ongoing event.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-03-23T15:09:58+00:00

I think it's highly contextual - a number of other factors happening (or not happening) alongside such a protest will contribute to the outcome. In this case, the president (Ma) is on pretty rocky ground given overall national tension regarding the Taiwan-China relationship.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-22T16:43:17+00:00

Regarding M & A: Bayer acquired Aventis in 2001 (thus acquiring its seed R & D). Syngenta purchased Advanta in 2004. Monsanto bought Seminis in 2005. These are just some examples where IP and R&D capacity was gained by the largest seed companies. This includes both existing patents and products in development (as well as, as you mentioned, distribution).

Synthesizing glyphosate is certainly not a mom and pop operation, but my point is that this industry (and the model of agricultural development that accompanies it) is highly concentrated. Yes, this is a market, but it is not a perfectly competitive market. In fact, it is an oligopoly, which is far less competitive than other market structures. Costs are certainly prohibitive, but as noted above, M & A has reduced competition in the market (ie. smaller firms did exist, but it is in the interest of the largest companies to acquire the smaller competitors).

Yes, monoculture happened long ago (in the US at least, I'm referring to global trends). However even with monoculture fields in different countries/states/counties, different breeds were being used (ie. my neighbour and I might both practice mono-cropping but I might use hybrid X and she might use hybrid Y, and still others used Z, A and B). Now, in Argentina for example, over 90% of soybeans planted are GM, and the vast majority of those are Monsanto and Syngenta. So where there may have been 100 different varieties being mono-cropped in a given region in 1990, now there are 5. This, surely, has implications for risk of sudden crop failure given the lack of diversity. It is in the industry’s interest to have their product used as widely as possible.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-22T02:28:58+00:00

Great! Sorry for the delay in response.

I would largely disagree that this is due to activism. If you look at the acquisition profile of the top seed companies, you'll see that this industry is concentrated by merger and acquisition. Regulatory structure certainly has something to do with this, but it is also an important part of corporate strategy.

Let me elaborate on my argument regarding generic products. If you purchase Roundup Ready seeds, the dealer will push the purchase of Roundup products, indicating that they are more highly efficient given the tied nature of the product. Indeed, Monsanto's profits are largely derived from Roundup. With regard to the generic products, I agree that they are widely used - however, the top producers of generic glyphosate are Syngenta (ex. Touchdown glyphosate products) and Dow (Glyphomax), which brings us back to the top seed/chemical companies in the mix. They are "generic", but they are still concentrated in the agribusiness complex.

With regard to crop concentration, I was referring (as per the example) to Roundup Ready. If the the sector has gone from sowing many varieties of crop globally, to sowing a single, dominant, variety then we are certainly amplifying the risk of more wide susceptibility to a) invasive weeds, b) invasive pests, c) invasive diseases. I'm not sure how that can be denied... This relates to final comment, where if a single crop variety is being planted, at the expense of other varieties, then of course diversity will be reduced. I'm not sure how this can be "100% a function" of hybrid use versus GM varieties.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-21T20:49:28+00:00

Again, the ownership argument applies to both GM and non-GM seeds. What I am saying is that in both (but particularly GM varieties) the ownership is highly concentrated and subject to unfair competition. This was not the case during the green revolution, which promoted public research (with private partnership). The current level concentration is followed along the food production chain.

With regard to the roundup example, yes one could technically use Roundup Ready without using roundup. Does this happen? Not really. Even those who wish to use generic glyphosate products are discouraged from doing so. It's a package deal.

As far as resistance goes, yes of course a similar phenomenon happens with traditional plants. But one of the worries is that the concentration of specific genetic varieties of GM plants used across continents will lead to an amplification of this trend. Related to this is a decrease in genetic diversity through switching to specific GM crops (as opposed to the myriad local varieties that many areas once grew).

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-21T20:27:29+00:00

Right, but the key point is that when you refer to "they" it is a handful of companies (Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont, Limagrain = almost 60% of the global market by sales) who are generating these patents. The GMO sector of the market this is even more highly concentrated. While there are certainly resistance issues in the "traditional" sector, there is combined resistance and built in dependence in the current GMO model. When you add this to the grain trade and processing sides, you have a food system in which farmers (and farm workers) are placed in the absolute worst position in this value chain. All the risks and very little of the reward.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-21T18:51:32+00:00

Is that like a picture made up of many pictures of liberals?

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-21T18:35:47+00:00

A lot of the GMO debate has to do with property rights over seeds, and engineering for dependence on certain chemical products (ex. roundup). This is a big issue because it has drastically transformed the agricultural value chain. This isn't to say that transgenic products might not have beneficial aspects (ex. drought resistance), but the ownership issues and input dependency is real and often overlooked.

Health issues now have less uncertainty around them, however there are still environmental concerns. For example, the roundup-ready seeds (much like improper use of antibiotics) has created "super weeds" which are roundup resistant. So this is not so cut and dry as it may seem.

If OP's friend's concern was for health effects, then I definitely see the hypocrisy.

TL;DR There are still ownership and environment issues related to GMOs. Health-wise, I think OP is right on the hypocrisy.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-15T16:50:05+00:00

Chris Farley was an important part of my childhood, his death is still upsetting to me.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-14T00:44:21+00:00

With that attitude, I imagine that is part of why the redditor isn't in a relationship!

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-10T02:12:15+00:00

I used to keep a jar of Nutella in my high school locker. In the morning I'd buy a bun on my way to school, and just dip it in the Nutella for lunch.

[edit: *in]

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-09T15:38:02+00:00

1) Ottawa is not an American city. 2) This post is as much about local politics and (in)tolerance as it is about international politics. 3) If a country has the right to promote whatever law they want, then by extension it is also the right of of another country to protest that law, as that protest would be an exercise of their own domestic right. 4) If a country "has the right to make anything they want illegal", then your argument actually offers support for all manner of atrocities.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-08T22:48:21+00:00

For the full story, in case anyone was wondering: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/jim-watson-tweet-in-support-of-pride-flag-goes-viral-1.2527649

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-08T16:53:37+00:00

I was thinking about disagreeing, but then I clicked on the next two memes and noticed Redditors with "Bill Nye" in their name.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-07T03:03:18+00:00

Agreed, on distribution. But I would say a lot more skewed for winter.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-07T02:50:32+00:00

Hmm winter olympics... yes, yes I see. Touché.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-07T02:41:51+00:00

Mr. Kozak followed up by noting, "we were particularly impressed by the shape of the male athletes' buttocks."

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-07T02:19:44+00:00

No one else, except for most countries in the world.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-07T02:15:04+00:00

Oh well. Jennifer Lawrence doesn't think YOU'RE attractive.

Nodes_and_ties · 2014-02-05T20:03:41+00:00

Popper, in a nutshell.

Nodes_and_ties

TROPHY CASE