Why is organic food so "expensive"?

http://online.prevention.com/budgetorganic/images/263x300-budget_organics.jpg

As we have learned in this class, although it seems as if organic foods cost more than conventional foods the hidden costs of conventional foods make conventional food much more expensive than organic foods. But why is the face value of organic foods higher than conventional food? Well keep reading and you will find out.

Here's are the reasons why organic food costs "more" than conventional food:

1. In the organic market the demand is higher than the supply.

2. There are generally higher production costs for organic food.

3. The handling of organic food after they are harvested costs more than the handling of conventional food.

4. The marketing of organic produce is inefficient because of the small quantities of organic produce that are sold.

5. The organic farmers' efforts to protect the environment result in higher costs.

6. It costs more to have the animals live in humane conditions.

Now we all need to stop complaining about the high costs of organic food and start complaining about the hidden costs involved in conventional foods.

Check this out if you want to know more about where your money goes when you buy organic food.

-Quinn Rhodes

Breaking the Mold

Hello bloggers. Hope everyone had a good weekend. I'm sure most Pius people won't see this til tomorrow (Who doesn't love procrastinating?), but there might be some national and even international readers out there, and if so, welcome to you!

The first article is an interview with a woman who owns a restaurant. The twist: it's an organic, healthy, fast food restaurant. Yes, i just said organic and fast food in the same sentence. Healthy in a Hurry Organic Cuisine to Go is proving that it can be done, successfully, true to organic, local-grown standards, and most importantly, tastily! The owner, Sue Caldwell, says her goal is "To create a connection between the land, the food and the people who prepare it and eat it." Animal, Vegetable, Miracle anyone?

The second article highlights a very interesting statistic that disproves a common stereotype. People ARE willing to pay extra to eat organic. The sale of natural and organic products has increased during our current recession. Whole Foods has even expanded. While people have cut back in other areas of life, buying organic has been (thankfully) an area they've deemed to important to cut.

These two articles show that there is hope for America yet!

Article 1
Article 2

-Mason Mariney

Part 6 :Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

The wonderful author Barbara Kingsolver takes pride in cooking all her own food. She even makes her own spaghetti. But here is something I bet you have never considered making at home: cheese. Yep, that's right cheese. Well according to Kingsolver it only takes thirty minutes to make some super yummy mozzarella cheese. And here's the big shocker you really don't need that much stuff to make cheese. All you need is milk, citric acid, and liquid rennet.
Here's a link to website where you can buy culture (bacteria) for cheese making. Here's a link to a one of Kingsolver's recipes for cheese making.
Do you know what else is super interesting? There is a reason why some people are lactose intolerant and a reason why some people are not. Well according to Kingsolver, being lactose tolerant is actually a genetic mutation that became adaptive for the people that first started to domestic animals that produce dairy products. Normally, after people reach their fourth year of life they should not be able to drink milk. However, people who are blessed enough to have the gene SNP C/T13910 can slurp that milk away until their eighty and still not experience any problems. The people who tend to be the most lactose inclined are northern Europeans (86 % frequency among that population) and people of African heritage (50 % frequency among that population). The people who tend to be the lactose genetic losers are Asian (10 % frequency among the population) and Mexicans (25 % frequency among the population).

  += yummy cookies?
Now let's move on to something even more surprising. Apparently you can make chocolate chip cookies with zucchini in them. That is one way of force feeding children vegetables that I have NEVER heard of. But apparently, in the Kingsolver household this happens - without Kingsolver's youngest daughter's awareness. I have the link to the recipe right here. To be quite honest, I kind of really want to try it. Maybe we could bring it in to class and see how many people would notice? I wonder if anyone would because Kingsolver's daughter has yet to notice that her cookies are vegetable flavored.
http://www.epicurean.com/articles/zucchini.html
http://vintagerosestudio.blogspot.com/2009/07/woolworths-cookies-aka-urban-legend.html
- Quinn Rhodes

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Part 5: The Truth of the Turkey

Kingslover doesn't mess around. She gets to the point, slightly euphemistically, but she gets there all the same. In chapter 19, Kingslover begins describing the process of breeding turkey's at a large-scale operation. While not getting into all the details, she describes how the birds have been genetically modified to grow so large (a result of our need for more turkey) that they cannot breed themselves. In fact, most turkeys nowadays never breed naturally, but rather, through artificial insemination. It's a highly mechanized process that seems rather gross, but as no one points out, it is simply a reaction to the consumers (that's us) needs. The fundamental issue behind these turkey breeding techniques remains that we, the consumers, demand a unhealthily high amount of meat and the company's simply deliver. This, however, is still an issue to be looked at in terms of the welfare of all animals.

To learn more about the technical turkey breeding process, please read the following link
http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/4123

And if you're feeling really up to it, please read this article from the non-profit organization United Poultry Concerns that exposes the nitty-gritty aspects of this practice firsthand. Reader discretion is advised because as this article is a first person testimonial, it does get a little...detailed.
http://www.upc-online.org/fall94/breeding.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakwoodfcr/5219202739/

Jamison Porter

Clif Company Misleads Consumers

This unit has instilled a sense of distrust amongst myself as well as my peers. We have lost our culinary innocence if you will and no longer live in a Matrix world characterized by ignorant bliss. The American people have not been told what their food contains; this is in part our own fault, because we have not been asking. These blogs, readings, and documentaries have raised our awareness to exactly what we have been digesting for seventeen years, but awareness will not protect us from continuing to make similar mistakes. We must constantly ask the question: "What is in my food?"

I have enjoyed a variety of Clif Company products, as they have long been pushed in the climbing community. Our current scholarly unit has opened my eyes to the value of Clif products. Clif does not bow to the pressure of the American market. Very few snacks are organics as well as delicious, but I think Clif has achieved a relatively diverse line of pre-prepared munchies which satisfy both qualities. Therefore, I was surprised to find through my own food investigation that Clif Kids' "Twisted Fruit Rope" following the lead of companies like Betty Crocker and Yo Plait misleads consumers through false advertising. The snack claims a full serving of fruit and comes in both strawberry and grape. However, after looking at the ingredients lists for both, I realized that strawberries and grapes do not appear in either. "Apple juice concentrate" makes up for the serving of fruit. After another look, I realized the ingredients for both flavors are exactly the same! This snack may be organic by some standard, but clearly isn't formed from truly raw ingredients.

Cameron Cassan

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Part 4.5: "Splendid Spuds"

In honor of that great Irish saint whose feast we celebrate today, and in continuation of Jamison's previous post, I would like to pay tribute to the potato with an orignal poem (bear with me; this is spontaneos):

Ode to the Potato



O glorious spud,

that sprouts from the mud,

Have pardon on those

that think you're a dud.

Plentiful in the fall,

bringing nutrients to all,

You've so much to offer,

The other starches are in awe.

O, popular subject of many a fable,

 please be organic as long as you're able,

A spud with great versatility,

Come, be a guest of honor at our table.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/stone-soup/4620821029/sizes/z/in/photostream/



This little piece as been inspired by Camille Kingsolver's summary of the chapter documenting their food journey in October-- "Smashing Pumpkins". Camille' spread spans pages 272- 276 and is called "Splendid Spuds". Its content illuminates some of the potato's little-known nutritional benefits ( powerful antioxidants, vitamins C and B6, potassium) and some of its risks (If not eaten with certain other nutrients, potatoes can cause "a sharp rise in blood glucose that stimulates high levels of blood insulin" (272)). Most importantly, Camille cautions the reader of the doom that can ensue when one eats an inorganic potato: because of their skins, potatoes have an extremely high rate of pesticide contamination. So be wary of the potato skins, and if you are not fortunate enough to have organic spuds, be sure to peel and boil them completely before eating (273).

One of the most captivating aspects of Kingsolver's tidbit is her recipe collection; she always manages to give the reader a way to incorporate the Kingsolver family's journey into his daily life. This section includes recipes for the "Four Seasons of Potato Salad"... Want to see these intriguing recipes for yourselves? Check out Animal, Vegetable, Miracle from your library today!

In the meantime, enjoy this link to a so-called potato game: it gauges how fast you can peel a potato. Tempting, I know. My time was 3minutes, 35 seconds!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

-Taylor Halbig-



Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Part 4

At the end of each chapter in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Camille, the nineteen year-old daughter of the author, writes a short essay that compliments the chapter preceding it. In the chapter 11 essay, Camille writes about some of the reasons to go organic--surprise! Camille, however, does point out a new way to view the reasons behind organic produce. In her article, she explains how organic crops are grown without pesticides--again, surprise! But as a result of this, organic crops must become stronger and evolve to withstand the insects and diseases that are naturally prevalent in nature. To fight its natural predators, the plant develops phenolics, compounds that protect the plant and are good for us. So whats the prognosis? Organic foods are better for us to eat, and this just gives us one more reason.

I found an another article (this one also has a sub-theme about bodybuilding...I don't really know why I keep finding these) that supports Camille's claims. And in addition to her comments, this article brings to light to a new reason why organic produce has higher antioxidant levels. While commercialized produce is picked before it's ripe, organic produce is picked once it's ripe, allowing the plants to fully absorb the "trace vitamins and minerals which the soil has to offer" (shapefit.com)

Read the following link for more information on organic produce...and weightlifting
http://www.shapefit.com/organic-foods.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/3773953521/

Jamison Porter

The Truth About Moo Juice!



http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/118970265/sizes/m/in/photostream/

 With all the recent controversy regarding milk, I decided to investigate this product and the many views surrounding its consumption. Personally, let me just say that I am an avid dairy fan... Still, I know that it is not always good for you (Once when I had a cold, my doctor advised me to avoid dairy for a week because the cold viruses feed on the live bacteria cultures in milk. I cried. Granted, I was in like 6th grade, but still... I really love milk!)

The Discovery Health website discusses some of the arguments for and against milk, including the fact that "milk is frequently not tolerated by the gastrointestinal tract. For many, milk can cause bloating, constipation... reflux... increased eczema, worsening sinus problems, migraine headaches and joint pain". So what can we do to help ourselves? Well, switching to organic milk products would be a start! However, 'the term 'organic'  can be misleading" (Discovery Health) because its meaning varies depending on the context. Another option is to switch to raw (unpasteurized) milk. That means that the milk is not heated to the hight temperatures that kill bacteria. Yes. It sounds gross. But according to the article, exposure to these bacteria benefited children and warded off allergies. My neighbors up the street travel to South Carolina to but their raw milk... So it must be worth it!

If this post has struck a cord of your food conscience and you feel the need to change your ways--but are afraid of dairy withdrawal-- there are some easier options. This link presents three non-dairy alternatives to regular milk: RICE milk, ALMOND milk, and SOY milk. Every once in a while, I actually get a craving for soy milk; I find it to be rather enjoyable. You can use any of these in the same way you would use dairy, chuck-full-of-lactose milk (in cereal, in coffee, plain, colored green for St. Paddy's Day :) Same concept, better health.

Happy Milking!
-Taylor Halbig

Chick-fil-a

http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Menu-Section/Classics

Ok so I've been reading so much about how all these fast food restaurants have bad ingredient after bad ingredient and that got me thinking about my personal favorite, Chick-fil-a.  I was curious about how "healthy" they're food really was because I for one don't consider it a "real" fast food place, it's more of a home away from home.  


After doing some research, I found out that it is definitely one of the healthier options when eating fast food, but that isn't saying much.  And like anything, the experts say you can eat it (phew) , but not too much
  
At least the first ingredient in the Chicken Sandwich is chicken...but here's what else is in it:


Chicken (100% natural whole breast filet, seasoning [salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, spices, paprika], seasoned coater [enriched bleached flour {bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid}, sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, nonfat milk, leavening {baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate}, spice, soybean oil, color {paprika}], milk wash [water, whole powdered egg and nonfat milk solids], peanut oil [fully refined peanut oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness and dimethylpolysiloxane an anti-foaming agent added]), bun (enriched flour [wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, folic acid], water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, contains 2% or less of each of the following: liquid yeast, soybean oil, nonfat milk, salt, wheat gluten, soy flour, dough conditioners [may contain one or more of the following: mono- and diglycerides, calcium and sodium stearoyl lactylates, calcium peroxide], soy flour, amylase, yeast nutrients [monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate], calcium propionate added to retard spoilage, soy lecithin, cornstarch, butter oil [soybean oil, palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor, TBHQ and citric acid added as preservatives, and artificial color]), pickle (cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, lactic acid, calcium chloride, alum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate [preservatives], natural flavors, polysorbate 80, yellow 5, blue 1).


To me it looks like there are a lot of spices and flavors added but as you get towards the bottom, I start having no idea what purpose the rest of those ingredients serve.... 
I'm going to do some more research but this is just food for thought..


Sarah Johnson 
http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Menu-Detail/ChickfilA-Chicken-Sandwich#?details=ingredients

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Part 3

Chapter 15: Where Fish Wear Crowns

http://www.flickr.com/photos/krossbow/339163403/in/photostream/

In Chapter 15, we find Barbara and her husband, Steven, prepping for a 2nd honeymoon of sorts. They're taking a trip to Italy in search of good food and good times (a la Eat, Pray, Love). They find both in abundance, as they fall even more in love with Italy and its culture (Stephen has Italian heritgage). At first they enjoy the sights, and as the trip progresses their journey becomes more and more food-centered. They sample good food in the cities as well as the countryside. She even says they can't find "in the whole of Italy...a bad meal" (Kingsolver 244).

So far I'm enjoying the book, and as I read more I'm becoming more convinced that every American should read this book. It's an easy read as well as an interesting one, and she makes points Americans drastically needs to hear. For one, she talks about how Italians are able to eat so plentifully and not be fat (clearly a problem in America). The key is eating slow and not over-eating. When Italians eat, not only do they eat their food, but they savor it, enjoy it, experience it. Also, any place selling food is dedicated to good food. Just because you're in the middle of nowhere doesn't mean you have to eat at a Shell to save yourself from starvation.The last, and most important point I think she makes, is when she discusses olive harvesting (255). She mentions that the government is trying to preserve the old ways of farming and limit machine harvesting. A government that cares about what its citizens eat!? Impossible, right?

The solution to America's food woes are not out of reach. Italy and other countries around the world have the answer. The movement has started in America, but government cooperation is needed, or at least would make things a lot easier.

Final note: Here's a quick trivia about some facts from Chapter 15. Seeing as most of you aren't reading the book, you'll probably fail (kidding, if you fail you need help), but the answers are at the bottom and the point is really just to provide additional information. So DOOO ITTTT

 Trivia

-Mason Mariney

Chipotle: Food with Integrity

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/trading-markets/burritos-beat-burgers-chipotle-delivers-healthy-revenues.html
If you have not yet eaten at the restaurant Chipotle I would strongly recommended for you to go there! The food there tastes amazing and you can you feel good about eating it too! The pigs that the restaurant uses for their pork are allowed to roam free, eat a vegetarian diet, and do not consume any antibiotics. Unfortunately, since there are very few farms that raise natural beef only 85 % of the restaurant's beef is from naturally raised beef farms. However, the company is still trying to meet their goal of having 100% of their beef come from farms that raise natural beef.  Although, only 35 % of the Chipotle's dairy products come from pasture dairy animals, none of the dairy products have any artificial hormones added to them. In regards to chicken, the company's ultimate goal is to have 100% of their poultry not be fed antibiotics. In addition, Chipotle tries to have most of their produce be local, organic, and from family owned farms.   
Visit the Chipotle website to find the nearest Chipotle.
-Quinn Rhodes

Girl Scout Cookies

http://www.delish.com/food/food-articles/san-diego-restaurant-week-girl-scouts

Does this look like the face of a person who would sell you bad cookies? … Well think again!

It’s that time of year again … The flowers are blooming and the girl scouts are going door to door selling their “delicious” cookies.

Well delicious maybe isn’t the word to describe their cookies. Better words to describe these dubious sweets might be “fake” or “artificial.” Yes, I am sad to tell you that our beloved Girl Scout cookies have been polluted with artificial ingredients.  

Did you know that all Girl Scouts cookies contain genetically modified soy?

Did you know that five of the Girl Scout cookie varieties contain hydrogenated oils and Trans fat?

Did you know that six of the Girl Scout cookie varieties contain genetically modified soy products?

Here’s the biggest shocker of all: the variety Trefoils is the oldest variety of the Girl Scout cookies. Trefoils are advertised as “short bread cookies.” Do you know what’s really interesting about that? Well one of the most basic ingredients found in short bread cookies is butter … But butter is somehow not listed in the ingredients for this variety.

I have to admit that I am a diehard tagalong, but after finding about the ingredients in my beloved peanut butter patties I will think twice about buying them from those adorable Girl Scouts.  

Read the ingredients before you make your purchases!!

http://www.milehimama.com/2011/01/11/girl-scout-cookie-ingredients-and-real-food/

-Quinn Rhodes 

The Enemies

    Many misconceptions and facts prevent consumers from knowing what foods are "healthy" or "harmful". First off, one must decide their purpose for eating healthy. If said customer only wishes to lose weight, the foods considered "healthy" will be very different than the foods a dietitian may consider "healthy". Often foods with less preservatives will be higher in both carbohydrates and fats than their artificial counterparts. This is how the foods are supposed to affect your body. The issue may be that we try to eat too much low calorie food rather than simply eating less of unaltered foods. No matter from what point of view, here's a list of  "7 Foods Experts Won't Eat". The list includes foods we've discussed such as "corn-fed beef", "non-organic potatoes", and "farmed salmon", but also mentions "canned-tomatoes" and "microwave popcorn"--both of which have been linked to reproductive problems.


Cameron Cassan

Cereal Excitement!

SnackGirl recently posted on her site about my all-time favorite food--cereal. No matter the day or the hour, nothing quite hits the spot for me like a crunchy bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats, or the like. SnackGirl discovered a company that allows you to make your own ORGANIC, flax-enriched cereal online, and the company--Custom Choice Cereal--will then ship it to you.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/25572801@N00/414939826/

 Your cereal is gluten-free and completely personalized (with up to 11 ingredients). However, the fee can be outrageously high; while experimenting, I racked up a hefty $14.19 pricetag... and that's without shipping! The site has other cool gadgets, such as interactive nutrition facts that change as you add extras to your base cereal. (These extras include dried coconut chips, bananas, apples, mangos, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios and much more!)

The idea of being able to know and choose exactly what goes into our food is so empowering! This is the way food eating should always be!

-Taylor Halbig

A Sampling Story from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

As Cameron Cassan pointed out earlier, Barbara Kingslover in her book  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle describes her family's journey on their food odyssey. Kingslover, however, also uses the book as a forum to promote ideas she supports and to warn her readers about her fears surrounding industrialized western food. In one such instance, Kingslover takes a chance to mention the organizations dedicated to protecting and saving heirloom seeds--seeds that have been saved and passed down for generations. Among the organizations she mentioned are Seed Saver's Exchange and Slow Food International. These are the groups dedicating themselves to protecting the remaining variety of food left on our planet. These are the true warriors trying to fight Monsanto and the industrialized food system. Read the following links to learn more. 

http://www.seedsavers.org/Content.aspx?src=aboutus.htm

http://www.slowfood.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alosojos/346967854/

-Jamison Porter 

Organic clothing?

Emma Watson is definitely most well-known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies. However, she has now decided to team up with Alberta Ferretti and launch an organic clothing line. The Burberry model is giving a portion of her earnings to People Tree, a fair trade fashion brand. Now all you organic lovers out there can take your love beyond food! :-)
http://www.organicitsworthit.org/news/get/2011/3/9/emma-watson-design-organic-clothing-line


http://www.flickr.com/photos/43527194@N07/4186764976/sizes/s/in/photostream/

-AP Meagher

Consequences of the "Western Diet"

http://www.saidaonline.com/en/newsgfx/junk%20food2-saidaonline.jpg

Typical Western Food a.k.a. heart attack on a plate

In Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food,  I recently read something that no one wants to hear.   Americans have become the most unhealthy people in the world. The"Western diet" consists of "lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fats and sugar, lots of everything except for fruits and vegetables," leading to constant health problems in America.  There was a study in 1990s where several medical professionals analyzed various native populations from around the world and compared them to the United States.  What they found to be the most noticeable difference was the almost "complete absence of chronic disease."  
They came up with several common American problems such as the following that other places around the world hardly experience:
heart disease
diabetes
cancer
obesity 
hypertension
stroke
appendicitis
diverticulitis
malformed dental arches
tooth decay 
varicose veins
ulcers 
hemorrhoids
After realizing that this occurred mainly in the West, the researchers decided that the common cause was WESTERN FOOD because after the western food (refined sugar, and flour, "store food") showed up, western disease followed close behind. 


In The Defense of Food is an a great read and very interesting! I highly recommend it! 
(this information can be found on pages 89-93) 


- Sarah Johnson 

Who Owns the Organic Companies?

Get ready to have your world rocked...
Although the subject of what companies own the organic companies was briefly discussed in the movie Food Inc., we never got to hear all the details about which companies own the organic companies. Well you can wonder no longer about which company is getting your money from when you make organic purchases because this informative chart gives you all the details about which companies own the organic companies. This chart was created by Dr. Philip Howard, a professor at Michigan University who has conducted several studies on the origins of organic foods.

Here's the link for the full-size version of the chart above.
If you were shocked or even disappointed by this information ... Fear not! All is not lost. Here is a link for a chart that shows all the major independent organic companies. Sadly there are less independent organic companies than owned organic companies. However, the good news is that you can still eat a cliff bar and not worry about who is getting your hard earned money (this especially good news for me because a cliff bars is my favorite snack to grab when I am running out the door).
Then, last but not least there is a link to the chart of the private label organic brands.
This information is really important because as consumers we have the right to know who gets our money when we splurge to purchase organic foods.
Were you surprised by some of this information?
Feel free to share your thoughts.
-Quinn Rhodes

Who Owns the Organic Companies?

Get ready to have your world rocked...
Although the subject of what companies own the organic companies was briefly discussed in the movie Food Inc., we never got to hear all the details about which companies own the organic companies. Well you can wonder no longer about which company is getting your money from when you make organic purchases because this informative chart gives you all the details about which companies own the organic companies. This chart was created by Dr. Philip Howard, a professor at Michigan University who has conducted several studies on the origins of organic foods.  

Here's the link for the full-size version of the chart above.
If you were shocked or even disappointed by this information ... Fear not! All is not lost. Here is a link for a chart that shows all the major independent organic companies. Sadly there are less independent organic companies than owned organic companies. However, the good news is that you can still eat a cliff bar and not worry about who is getting your hard earned money (this especially good news for me because a cliff bars is my favorite snack to grab when I am running out the door).
Then, last but not least there is a link to the chart of the private label organic brands.
This information is really important because as consumers we have the right to know who gets our money when we splurge to purchase organic foods.
Were you surprised by some of this information?
Feel free to share your thoughts.
-Quinn Rhodes

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (Part 1)

One day while passing through the library, I saw the book assigned to us for class. When checking it out, the librarian kept talking about her experience listening to it on audio cds and quickly convinced me to check those out instead. Each portion of the book is read by a different family member which reminds the "listener" that the project was a group effort.

Barbara begins by explaining her family's past and how she met her current husband. She lists reason for her distress with their past diet in Arizona. The most memorable being the poor quality of water availible. She and her girls decide to move across the nation to a location where they vacationed each summer to live with her husband. The family announces that they will only eat what they can buy locally or grow themselves. Each family member begins to write (besides the youngest girl) about their experience. Barbara's is the main story and is full of descriptive language as well as beautifully crafted examples.

Cameron Cassan