Sitting on the 39th floor of the Millennium Hilton overlooking the World Trade Center reconstruction site, here are a few links and stories that came across my desk over vacation.

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Most recently, legislators and farm leaders in Michigan rolled over and capitulated to Pacelle and his anti-meat eating terrorist organization HSUS. Pacelle trumpeted the move on his blog, and naturally pitted Ohio as the neanderthal in praising Michigan’s move as enlightened and reasonable while belittling and bemoaning Ohio’s efforts to create a Board of experts to decide issues of animal welfare rather than allowing avowed opponents of agriculture eviscerate our state’s most essential industry.

By the way Wayne, good luck getting Ohioans to say “Let’s be like Michigan!”

Speaking of Wayne, he had a few nuggets (I won’t say of what) on his blog this weekend. The second is another example of how HSUS uses tragedy and misinformation or outright falsehoods to advance their radical vegan agenda. In this case, Pacelle attempts to link “the tragic details of Stephanie Smith, a former dance instructor from Minnesota who ate a hamburger at age 20 and is now paralyzed” to the beef industry and cattle farmers. Quoting HSUS’ “Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture,” Pacelle claims the “emergence and spread” of E. coli 0157:H7 “has been blamed on three factors: the beef industry’s transition to factory farms, the routine mass feeding of antibiotics to cattle, and the stress associated with trucking these animals as many as a thousand miles to slaughter.”

“Blamed” is the correct word, because activists like Pacelle with no scientific backing aside from their own paid “experts” have blamed the bacteria’s effects on those factors. In reality, E.coli is as likely to come from improperly washed leafy greens as it is from ground beef, and when beef is processed, handled, and prepared correctly, the risk of the bacteria affecting the human body is infinitesimally small beyond comprehension.

If you’re talking about your farm and Ohio agriculture and you’re not reading Wayne’s blog, you have no idea what we’re really up against in combating the myths, misinformation, and radical nonsense these charlatans are spreading.

The third and final link from the Wayniac is about a vegan cookbook. I point it out simply as further evidence of the true agenda HSUS is pushing in taking up issues of animal agriculture: the end of meat production and consumption in our society. Remember the phrase Wayne uses in the post about reducing consumption of meat, and about replacing meat in the diet with plant-based ingredients.

Deer Vehicle collisions up 18% in five years… according to stats from State Farm. Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for sharing this link. As someone who’s been a victim of our state’s deer overpopulation more than once, I can attest to the severity of the problem.

“Alternatives to the Ohio Farm Czars…” was the title of a blog post this week over at Aude Sapere. Citing another Ohio blogger, the post criticizes Ohio Issue 2, the effort of Ohio’s farmers to create the above mentioned Livestock Care Standards Board. I think it’s important to know what otherwise reasoned folks are saying in opposition to this commonsense effort to protect animal well-being and local farmers from out of state radicals.

AT&T or the Iphone… Which are customers loyal to? No question in my mind, and Scott McKain hits it on the head. Customers like me who use Apple’s iPhone on AT&T’s cellular network are overwhelmingly loyal to Apple rather than AT&T. While I have had generally great customer service experiences with AT&T (perhaps because we have three phones with “unlimited” plans on our account), the AT&T network is very disappointing compared to the iPhone’s capabilities. My feelings on this truth were solidified this weekend in New York City, where I dealt with dropped calls, slow data speeds, and a GPS/locator that was typically five or six blocks off my actual position.

Scott is one of my favorite bloggers, and probably the best business/motivational speaker I’ve ever met. His blog is full of great information.

Barry Wins the Nobel Prize… I’ll not delve into this in great detail since far more accomplished pundits than I have already pointed out the numerous problems with this incomprehensible decision by the Nobel committee. The only reason I bring it up is because RedState has a great piece on the comparisons between Barack H. Obama and Jimmy “The Most Disastrous President of Modern History” Carter. They, unfortunately for our nation, are many.

Interestingly enough, I’d had an argument on Twitter this week about how Nobel economist Paul Krugman is a nitwit, and that his selection by the Nobel folks cheapened the Nobel prize… The selection of Barry for the Peace prize further proved my point that the Nobel folks aren’t great arbiters of accomplishment.

For further Nobel enlightenment, TownHall columnist Jerry Bowyer has a great piece on the tragedy of Alfred Nobel, and the tragedy of today’s Nobel Prize.

Finally, Dr. Althouse points out exactly why the Nobel folks chose Barry: to further emasculate the United States as history’s most essential superpower. Barry didn’t need much help, but Althouse’s point is right on the money.

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Okay, that’s enough for tonight… I’m still officially on vacation until tomorrow, after all!