 | "There's Justice In The Universe" |
| Posted 8/1/2008 1:17 PM CDT The Federal Trade Commission may yet prevail in preventing Whole Foods from taking over Wild Oats aka Sun Harvest. I've been a 'core' Sun Harvest customer since 1991. I used to do some shopping at Whole Foods back then, too -- but then they went upscale & the cost/quality ratio suffered. Sun Harvest provides excellent produce, meat, etcetera for fair prices... and in a more peaceful atmosphere. I don't want to lose a good thing & neither do other Sun Harvesters. http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0710114/0710114.shtm http://ftc.gov/os/caselist/0710114/080729wholefoodsopinion.pdf If you feel as I do, then write a letter (or send an e-mail) of support to FTC's director of the Bureau of Competiton, Jeff Schmidt, thanking them for watching out for Middle America--- Letter: Office of Policy and Coordination Room 394 Bureau of Competition Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Call: #202-326-2180 E-mail: antitrust@ftc.gov |
| Posted 7/30/2008 6:01 PM CDT Only 3% Of Sunscreens Are Safe & Effective An investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products finds that most contain chemicals that may pose health hazards and / or don't adequately protect skin from the sun's damaging rays. Some of the worst offenders are leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena. More than a million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, but FDA still hasn't finalized sunscreen standards first announced 30 years ago. Meanwhile, companies are free to claim Group's comprehensive sunscreen guide —but not provide broad spectrum protection. Until FDA requires that all sunscreens be safe and effective, Environmental Working including a list of 143 products that offer very good sun protection—fills in the gaps. http://cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/summary.php 28 Sunscreens That Are Both Safe & Effective: http://cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/findyoursunscreen.php?sunscreens=1&haz=g&eff=g¬hanks=1 Take Action: http://cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/letter.php |
| Posted 7/29/2008 1:04 PM CDT I recently went with some out-of-town visitors to enjoy the view of Austin from UT's Observation Deck atop the the UT Tower. As we climbed the stairs, I remembered the moment I heard on the radio about the shootings in 1966 when the sniper, Whitman, carried his bag of weapons out onto the observation deck and started shooting. Then, when I was out on the deck, I understood why he was able to target so many people. The view of the area below is tremendous. From the bags of garbage on the Scientology building to the antics of kids riding their BMX bikes, the details of the visual impact is surprising. Aside from experiencing a sense of tragic history, the panorama of the changing Austin skyline is almost staggering. Nowhere else in Austin can you enjoy such an centrally located and uninterrupted view. I highly recommend the $5 tour. Just call UT at 512-475-6633 for reservations. http://www.utexas.edu/tower/schedule.html/ http://austin.about.com/cs/uttower/p/uttower.htm |
| Posted 7/28/2008 5:56 PM CDT [After reading about the out-of-work truck driver who opened fire at a Unitarian church because of his hatred for its liberal policies, including its acceptance of gays, I am reminded that the most virulent anti-gay individuals are often latent homosexuals themselves. If that were the case in this instance, then his self-loathing might have been tempered with a better understanding of homosexuality.] During human gestation, low levels of male hormones feminize the brain of the fetus. If the fetus is male, then sexual orientation is skewed towards gayness. However, high levels masculinize the brain of the fetus & if the fetus is female, sexual orientation will be tilted towards the same. Straight women and gay men have highly symmetrical brains (equal-sized right and left hemispheres). Straight men and gay women have right hemispheres that are significantly larger than the left. In straight women and gay men, the 'amygdala' (the section of the brain that makes connections between stored information and emotional reactions) is rich in connections that allow for sophisticated interplay of thoughts and feelings. In straight men and some lesbians, the 'amygdala' shows more 'fight-or-flight' responses (more action related). [Note: Although this is one very important factor regarding the development of sexual orientation, we need to remember that experiential factors also complicate our overall understanding of sexual orientation and other issues relating to sexual manifestations. Note: I wonder what the differences/effects of high/low male hormone levels in gestation are on paternal twins?] In addition: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/dn14146-gay-brains-structured-like-those-of-the-opposite-sex.html http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/dn14146-gay-brains-structured-like-those-of-the-opposite-sex.html?feedId=online-news_rss20 |
| Posted 7/27/2008 5:27 PM CDT "The Environmental Protection Agency has released new figures for what they consider the average American's life is worth. The amount, which is used to determine if the costs related to implementing various environmental policies are worth the amount of human life those policies save, has dropped one million dollars in just the last five years. Frankly stated, you're not worth nearly as much to the U.S. Government as you used to be. Is this method of cost analysis and comparison a valid way of determining which environmental regulations are worth implementing and which are too expensive?" [Note: In second and third world countries, life is sometimes considered cheap. Are we headed that way?] http://news.aol.com/story/_a/epa-drops-value-of-an-american-life/20080710201309990001 |
| Posted 7/26/2008 7:33 PM CDT From: http://numbersusa.org/aboutus.php "Employers in the hi-tech industry use the H-1B work visa to avoid hiring older American programmers and engineers. American workers in the tech industry are all too familiar with stories of older workers being replaced by younger and cheaper foreign workers. Many American workers have had to train their replacements. "Older workers are not the only ones affected by the abuse of the H-1B program. American students are spending years getting degrees in science and engineering, only to find the market saturated by workers from overseas. "Mass immigration hurts American workers at both ends of the pay scale. Whether you are a landscaper, an agricultural worker or an engineer, Congress can and does create unfair labor competition by importing large numbers of foreign workers into your industry." [Note: Someone I know very well works for a large corporation & overheard top management discussing ways of circumventing current immigration rules.] "Several years ago, former Federal Chairman Alan Greenspand said the goal of the H-1B visa program was to keep wages from growing too fast in hi-tech professions. As the average wage for tech workers declined or remained stagnant during the past decade, it became clear that the H-1B visa program was working as intended. "Studies consistently show that the vast majority of H-1B workers do not possess skills that American workers lack. Rather, the main attraction of H-1B workers is the ability of employers to legally pay H-1B visa holders less-than-market wages to fill the positions left empty by older Americans who have been pushed out of their jobs. The Department of Labor states that "H-1B workers may be hired even when a qualified U.S. worker wants the job, and a U.S. worker can be replaced from the job in favor of the foreign worker. " The H-1B program isn't about skills, it is about salaries." |
| Posted 7/25/2008 5:50 PM CDT "Despite ten years of consumer pressure, Starbucks has yet to increase their purchase of certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee to a respectable level. Although most Starbucks Customers (and many of their employees) believe the majority of Starbucks coffee is Fair Trade, to date, only 6% of Starbucks' coffee is certified Fair Trade. High quality certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee is readily available and is a concrete way that large corporations like Starbucks can support small-scale organic and sustainable coffee farmers abroad. " http://www.organicconsumers.org/starbucks/index.cfm 1) Sign OCA's 2008 petition to Starbucks demanding that all espresso drinks be both 100% certified Organic and Fair Trade. http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1267 2) Make a toll-free call to Starbucks' Customer Service Line and let them know how you feel! (800) 235-2883. Click here for a sample script. http://www.organicconsumers.org/Sbux/callstarbucks.htm 3) Sound off on My Starbucks Idea, Starbucks' public forum. We have an idea for you Starbucks, its called Fair Trade! http://www.mystarbucksidea.com/ 4) Break the Chains. Find an independently owned café near you! http://delocator.net/index.php For example, I like The Trianon. |
| Posted 7/24/2008 1:48 PM CDT Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS) called the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco to take over the triple homicide case committed by illegal alien MS13 gang member Edwin Ramos.... because San Francisco has repeatedly been irresponsible (as a sanctuary city) & urged the federal government to prosecute the triple murder suspect. Edwin Ramos murdered residents Tony Bologna and his two sons, Michael and Mathew near their home on June 22nd in a road rage incident. The City of San Francisco's so-called sanctuary policy has led to the shielding of convicted drug pushers and violent offenders, and now a triple murder by somebody who should have been deported from our country years ago. All sanctuary cities should pay close attention to this case and understand the damage and destruction that results from their misguided and naively lethal posturing when they defy our nation's immigration laws. http://www.capsweb.org/content.php?id=413&menu_id=8 YouTube Video Of Debate (05:32) / before watching, note that the 'mouthy' fellow in the upper right hand corner is Francisco Hernandez, a close associate of President George Bush and Vicente Fox & is a member of the John McCain Presidential campaign / while his brother isJuan Hernandez (who is the Latino Outreach Coordinator for John McCain & has dual citizenship as a Mexican and American): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz-nVW3Zitk%20 Take Action: http://www.capsweb.org/wrapper.php?wrapper_id=1&menu_id=5&menu_item_id=19 Read More: http://www.capsweb.org/content.php?id=32&menu_id=7&menu_item_id=25 |
| Posted 7/22/2008 1:33 PM CDT One of my favorite web sites is the "Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive". A different picture is posted each day of Earth, our solar system, our galaxy (and other galaxies) and other wonders of the cosmos with paragraphs explaining each. Today they posted something entirely different -- they posted the video you'd see on The Tonight Show of Matt Harding dancing in many different locales. It's worth watching again, especially if you've been reading the usual run of the daily news. It'll bring a smile to your face: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080722.html Then be awed by: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html |
Posted 7/21/2008 2:19 PM CDT
One of the most successful conservation
programs in the U.S. is at risk. The USDA
is considering the release of 24 million acres
of land from the Conservation Reserve
Program for commercial use. The penalty-free
release of this land would deal a
devastating blow to our water, soil,
habitat and efforts to stop global warming.
It would be the equivalent of having 11
million more cars on our roads...each year.
http://action.environmentaldefense.org/EDF_Action_Network/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=25843926&redirect=eupdate
If this CRP land is released, there will
be billions of dollars of taxpayer investment
lost in addition to millions of acres tagged
for land and wildlife conservation as farmers
begin using marginal lands for crops to use
for ethanol production.
http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=45
Note: When we have developed the ability
to produce ethanol from cellulose & can
use switch grass as the source, then
conservation programs will not be
threatened.... and could even be enhanced.
Also, we need to remember that the depth
of topsoil in the Midwest has been
decreasing ever since we started
farming it... especially as of late. In some places it's so critical that they've had to switch to soybeans because the soybeans aren't as sensitive to topsoil depth. This is an underplayed
issue / not as dramatic, but more serious
than oil shortages. Loss of topsoil has
been a major factor in the fall of civilizations.
http://www.culturechange.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=1
Quote: "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLrTPrp-f8
