http://www.connpost.com/…

Have you ever wondered about the price disparity among various bottles of olive oil, especially higher priced extra virgin? Connecticut officials are now offering an answer.Connecticut became the first state in the nation last week to regulate the purity of olive oil — and for good reasons.

After complaints and extensive testing that found various olive oils contained additives such as soy oil and pomace, an olive pulp derivative, the state Department of Consumer Protection has promulgated regulations to ensure purity standards by requiring that any additive must be indicated on the labeling.

Interestingly, neither the state nor the federal government previously had regulations governing the purity of olive oil.

The issue began when Luciano Sclafani, president of Gus Sclafani Corp., a Norwalk importing company, became wary of olive oil selling far below market value. He had tests conducted on the oils and found one brand that billed itself on the label as “100 percent pure extra virgin olive oil” but was actually 90 percent soy oil. He then alerted state officials.

Extra virgin olive oil often sells retail for some eight to 10 times more than soy oil.

But, as state officials point out, there’s also a health issue at play. Deceptive labeling that does not identify the addition of cheaper soy oil, for example, can be harmful to consumers with soy allergies.

Connecticut’s new standards are patterned after guidelines set by the International Olive Council in Spain. They could now become impetus toward gaining national standards for olive oil.Americans have rightfully been very vocal critics of adulterated food products coming from China, but the olive oil labeling saga demonstrates that there can be modified foodstuffs coming from many other nations, including our own.

It’s never a bad idea to question a product if one’s suspicions are aroused.

I’m a big user of olive oil. I want my oil to be pure. I don’t want an olive oil purity regulation. If you’ve even tasted different types of olive oil it’s obvious something is up. Some taste completely different from others. If it was that big a deal the olive oil customers could have requested Consumer Reports to look into the matter. I just went and bought the brand I though taste better. If it turned out to be the 10% brand I’d just start buying soy oil separately and mixing myself. How much different really is this from “PH Up” and “PH Down” sold for pools? They sell you baking soda and hydrochloric acid for something like 10 times the bulk, straight product. Granted the PH Up lists its ingredients but that doesn’t stop people from wasting money on packaging. These rules won’t either.

And I like how they claim it’s a possible health issue. Has anyone actually complained about this? Technically everything sold on the market shelf is a potential health problem. At what point do they start providing us with the food directly? Why waste resources on the middle man?

Also note that this was all started due to a olive oil importing company because his competitors were undercutting him. Regardless of how or why… but just note that customers didn’t make this an issue… the corporate competition did. Luciano Sclafani could have just taken the information he gained and advertised that his competition was being deceptive. Could have worked with other olive oil producers to fund a third party to test the purity. Instead he’s using tax payers money through proxy to push out competition.

> Thanks for answering our questions, very nice from you.
>
> 1- First of all we would like to know what is exactly SERVICE NATION
> SUMMIT and what’s your position there?

Service Nation (http://servicenation.org) is an organization which
is attempting to get more people to be volunteers. Primarily by
increasing US federal government programs such as PeaceCorps and
AmeriCorps. The Service Nation Summit was to “bring together 500
leaders of all ages and from every sector of American life from
universities and foundations, to business and politics to celebrate the
power and potential of citizen service, and lay out a bold policy
blueprint for addressing Americas greatest social challenges through
expanded opportunities for volunteer and national service.”

I’m not a member of the organization. I attended as a member of the
press representing the Manhattan Libertarian Party
(http://manhattanlp.org), Free Talk Live (http://freetalklive.com) and
my own blog, http://blogofbile.com.

> 2. Then, why do you think Jon Bon Jovi there?

He is a well known celebrity and well liked. He’s made significant
charitable contributions and created his own organization to help
people. Inviting that sort of individual would gain attention for
Service Nation and the summit.

> 3. How was the speech of Jon Bon Jovi?

I thought it was fine. What I disliked was that Service Nation is
advocating expanding government funded service and yet most of their
examples of service, like Bon Jovi’s, are in fact private voluntarism.
I whole heartily support private individuals volunteering their time and
money to charities they believe in. However, taxing the populous to
provide similar services which they may not agree with is both an
inefficient use of resources and immoral. Incentivising people with
education grants and the like negates the meaning and nature of voluntarism.

> 4. What is the feeling there in the States about the charity things
> Jon does? People like them or they think “God! he’s doing this with a
> purpouse!”?

The United States is the most charitable nation
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16638810/,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-06-25-charitable_N.htm) and
voluntarism is a major component of many people’s lives. You may find
people who disagree with his methods or target but the fact he’s doing
something to help those in need likely gains the respect of most
Americans.

> Thanks so much iambile, feel free to add any comments to the interview
> outside the questions.
>
> Regards
>
> Javier

I just want to make sure it is clear that those in the liberty movement
completely support true private voluntarism. What we don’t and can’t
support is government funded service, so called voluntary service or
compulsory service. Compulsory because it’s tantamount to slavery and
so called voluntary because the government is inefficient and the
taxation process is theft. Taking from John to give to Paul is wrong
regardless of the reason it’s done or the individual doing it. So
called voluntary service is what Service Nation is advocating. However,
several members of their coalition desire compulsory service and the
natural progression of government increasing the size and scope of
voluntary service is toward mandatory service.

UPDATE:

You can find the interview, translated, here.

I’m not sure how well the translation is… putting a couple things into Babel Fish I’m not so sure my points get across. Though the one comment made on the post seems to understand that I’m being critical.

http://www.twincities.com/…

Now that Hillary Rodham Clinton has conceded the Democratic contest, we are faced with the prospect of another round of boring, scripted party conventions.

The only sign of life is the alternative convention scheduled for September in St. Paul by Ron Paul. The losing candidate for the Republican nomination has hired a hall so he can put on a show for the libertarian wing of the party as the big GOP show goes on nearby.

This promises to be fun. But it would be more fun if the Republicans had simply given the Texas congressman a speaking role at the convention and thereby brought his supporters into the fold. John McCain certainly needs them in what promises to be a close election. But why doesn’t he want them?
Read More…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…

Ordinary Germans have begun to reject euro bank notes with serial numbers from Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal, raising concerns that public support for monetary union may be waning in the eurozone’s anchor country.

Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper says bankers have detected a curious pattern where customers are withdrawing cash directly from branches, screening the notes to determine the origin of issue. They ask for paper from the southern states to be exchanged for German notes.

People clearly suspect that southern notes may lose value in a crisis, or if the eurozone breaks apart. This is what happened in the US in the Jackson era of the 1840s when dollar notes from different regions traded at different values.

A group of leading German professors warned at the outset of EMU that the euro would tend to be weaker than old Deutsche Mark, and that it would fuel inflation over time. German citizens were never given a vote on the abolition of the D-Mark, which had become a symbol of Germany’s rebirth after the war.

Many have kept a stash of D-Marks hidden in mattresses to this day. A recent IPOS poll showed that 59pc of Germany now had serious doubts about the euro.

While I’m not sure how justified this action is but I support it regardless. Centralized control of the money supply is one of the most disgusting and insidious forms of theft and economic intervention. If people have lost faith in the money they generally use they should be free to replace it.

• The attack on the US embassy has resulted in the death of one person who’s burned body was found. I’ve yet to hear any identifying info.
• Russia is threatening to use “force to resolve the dispute over Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia if NATO forces breach the terms of their U.N. mandate.”
• While watching CNN this morning report on rallies in Kosovo I saw 2 or 3 individuals wearing Che Guevara t-shirts. The city is 50/50 serb/albainian and there are great fears that it could turn violent. Let’s hope it doesn’t and those Che supporters aren’t the rock throwing types.
• Serbs have cell phones

• They only have US flags to burn in order to keep warm

• Foreign-owned shops were vandalized, Serbian police did nothing about it.
• Russia and China still oppose the declaration of independence and Spain is afraid that official recognition will encourage other secessionist movements… like the Basques in their north.
• Given that… blog of bile fully supports the people of Kosovo’s choice in becoming independent of Serbia and recognizes Kosovo as a nation. Don’t throw rocks at the Serbs unless they throw first.