The Death Of Organic Foods

Get ready to see the death of organic foods, and the rise of genetically engineered produce.

After twelve years of battle and protests, the "Organic Elite," including Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stoneyfield Farm, surrendered to Monsanto's GE crops, calling for a co-existence between organic farmers and those supporting GE crops. The recent crop in question was Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa, which is herbicide resistant or "Roundup Ready." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the official announcement on Thursday to allow the unrestricted commercial production of the mutated alfalfa. And while the Agriculture Department "considered" putting a restriction on where the GE crop can be grown, no such action was taken.

Winter X Games 15 Are Upon Us!

Groomers have been busy on Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Co. The Winter X Games are upon us once again, and the competition will kick off at 10:00am MST tomorrow morning. ESPN will begin their coverage around noon, and will be providing us with live 24 hour coverage throughout the four day event. ESPN.com will be streaming live video and live chat for the duration, and the site has initiated it's "X Countdown" (12 hours, 58 minutes, 15 seconds to go!) I am SO STOKED! I think I watched every second of the WX 14, including the 1am-2am X-Center wrap-ups. I will be a little busier this year, but I will be religiously checking ESPN.com for daily highlight steams.

Blog Update Number One!

To my super-awesome and adventurous readers:

THANK YOU! You are the reason I love doing this! I have had a substantial amount of viewers after only five posts and hardly a month under my belt... or harness! I will be posting later today, but first I wanted to update everyone on what's been going on with Kim In A Kayak (the blog, not me!)

Winter Blues?

Autumn and winter blow in bearing change. Days grow shorter and cloudier, animals fatten up for hibernation. Some people like me watch their seasonal jobs wind down, which can be a tough transition all on it's own. But dark days and cold weather seem to bring forth a shift in some people's psyche, like seasonal mood swings. Many folks brush it off as the winter blues... and it is. Many people report tendencies of overeating during wintertime, leading to extra pounds. Oversleeping is also a noted issue, in which victims awake tired and tardy. Other symptoms include utter lack of energy and motivation, and in some cases, depression. Weight gain, grogginess, inability to focus, social withdrawal and even cabin fever can all be attributed to this condition. Experts sum it up as seasonal affective disorder.

Staying Connected Outdoors

There are days when you just want to shut the phone off and not have to deal with it until the morning. There are other times when technology guides you through your day. Lately I have been testing out a few applications available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Here are five reviews of the coolest FREE apps for your reading (and tinkering) pleasure:

Let's Move!

Politics (as well as fashion) come about a year late for me. Yesterday I discovered the most exciting action American government has taken in recent history. Right now, Michelle Obama is taking the steps to get our country back into shape, literally! Her new movement "Let's Move!" makes efforts to give childhood obesity a big sucker punch to the jaw. To explain, let's first face the facts:

Dry, Comfortable, and Affordable

Being of the outdoor profession, it's often that I get caught working in the rain. I have never owned a rain jacket in my life (*gasp*) and decided to just bite the bullet this year and purchase one. After some preliminary research online, I was surprised to learn just how much technology goes into rain gear production. I was definitely overwhelmed with information, and figured that I can't be the only one. The following summarizes what I learned, and I hope it will be helpful in providing some clues to the rain gear mystery.

New Year, New Adventures

New year, new ambitions, new adventures, new experiences, new places, new interests, new friends. New blog.

I wanted to start 2011 off on the right foot, so I kissed the snow farewell and headed south to spend New Year's with the family. Having the coolest family ever, it wasn't long before they had me jumping into an adventure of which I had never even heard. Hint: Where I'm at right now this trek includes hiking, exploring, crawling, and sometimes wading. It requires expert ninja detection-evading skills, along with a morale that is not easily defeated. Think adult scavenger hunt. If you haven't guessed it, or think I'm a crazy person, here's the scoop: