I'm a bit distracted lately, meaning to pick up with the regular installments of the Evolution Narrative but it just isn't happening at the moment. My writing funk is a mixture of mental and physical, hopefully to clear soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to post links to a few interesting items I've come across in recent days.

• A natural wonder shows the course evolution can take without resulting in complex organisms. The glacial blood falls at Lake Bonney are due to microorganisms evolving to survive in harsh conditions, and remaining micro. The red color is actually due to iron content.

• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), a common additive to prepared foods, is causing problems due to potential salmonella contamination. Marzetti dips, McCormick, and Wegman's are some of the big brands affected. A complete list of current recalls is available via the FDA.  

• The FDA has issued warning letters to 17 companies about misleading labeling. The most surprising of which is Juicy Juice, which isn't actually 100% juice!  Or maybe the most surprising thing is that WalletPop is the investigative reporting bringing aberrant and illegal labels to light. Yes, illegal.

"Baby food makers were scolded for making a series of claims that are forbidden from any products intended for children under the age of 2"

Ouch!