 | "There's Justice In The Universe" |
| Posted 5/25/2007 11:13 AM CDT FDA / USDA & Wal-Mart “On-The-Cheap”: The tainted pet food fiasco highlighted the fact that inspections by the Food and Drug Administration are a cruel joke. Some 9 million shiploads of foreign food came into our ports last year, yet the FDA sampled only about 20,000. That's barely one percent! Foreign suppliers know this, so they've turned America into an easy-access dumping ground for fish, grains, fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, and other foods tainted with everything from cancer-causing toxins to illegal veterinary drugs….. Wal-Mart, giant supermarket food chains, and the big food processors from our own country are steadily abandoning American farmers to get cheaper commodities and packaged goods from countries like China where farmers, workers, and the environment are easily exploited. That's what these retailers and processors mean by "cheap" foodstuffs… these are the same corporations that are trying to kill legislation requiring food imports to be labeled by country-of-origin. http://jimhightower.com/node/6122 [My Comment: You can see how the feds and big business have a cozy relationship by reading the following quote from a USDA statement: “Food suppliers can voluntarily label their products with country of origin. Generally, they have not emphasized, advertised, or labeled food made in the United States, because they discount this attribute's potential to attract sufficient consumer interest. Demands for mandatory country-of-origin labeling have sparked considerable controversy. But mandatory labels are unlikely to increase food demand and likely will generate more costs than benefits.” This is despite the fact that more than 80% of Americans strongly want there to be labeling telling where our food comes from!!! Support “country-of-origin-labeling” (COOL).] http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/fwwatch/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6119 GM Biotech Sneak Play??: I understand that the House was to have considered language this past Thursday, May 24th, to deny states’ rights to protect citizens from risky foods. The U.S. House subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, considered new language added to the 2007 Farm Bill that would bar states or localities from prohibiting any food or agricultural product that the USDA has deregulated….which means no state or locality can ban risky products when the federal government has failed to act to protect our health or the environment. The primary intent of this passage is to deny local or state rights to regulate genetically engineered crops or food. [Note: When I tried to send an e-mail to the committee members, it was blocked. Since this was a last minute move on their part, there was no time to call or write a letter because the word didn’t in time. Very clever.] Accountability Due In State Legislature: Texans need to know how their state lawmakers vote. Unfortunately, for the most part, keeping tabs on our representatives and senators is impossible because, particularly on the House side, most votes aren't recorded. That simply isn't acceptable. The Legislature should conduct its business in the open and not through voice votes in which no one can be sure how any individual lawmaker actually voted. To their credit, lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol are trying to make recorded votes a requirement, at least some of the time. Unfortunately, the far better Senate bill doesn't stand a chance of passage in the House, so the House is considering a measure that, some members say, is better than nothing. It isn't, and the bill shouldn't be passed this session if both sides cannot agree to pass a bill that requires recorded votes virtually every time. Both the House and Senate bills call for constitutional amendments to be voted on by the people of Texas in November. The Senate version, sponsored by John Carona, a Dallas Republican, would require recorded votes on all preliminary bills, final bills, amendments to those bills and gubernatorial appointments. The House version, sponsored by Dan Branch, also a Republican from Dallas, is far less inclusive, requiring recorded votes only on final passage of a measure. Since much of the give and take on a bill is done in preliminary votes, the public would be left in the dark about the actions of its lawmakers. http://www.theeagle.com/stories/052307/opinions_20070523040.php Diabetes Type II & POPs: Researchers have found evidence that people who consume fish containing high levels of “persistent organic pesticides” (POPs) are more prone to developing insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. POPs are synthetic chemicals that accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals. Many POPs have been banned in developed countries, but they remain in the food chain. Oily fish are prone to accumulating these fat-soluble chemicals. This may be one more reason the obese are more prone to diabetes -- more fat in the body can result in higher levels of POPs. Obese patients with low POP levels have a lower incidence of diabetes than those with higher levels. Obese patients with low POP levels have an unexpectedly low incidence of diabetes. [My Comment: POPs are found in other foods as well, so avoiding fish isn’t the solution. But avoiding ‘POPs’ aka ‘Pesticides’ is. Also, the studies aren’t definitive... so, it may be that those with diabetes accumulate the POPs faster.] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6544709.stm http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Eating-Fish-May-Actually-Cause-Diabetes-10967-s.aspx Omega-6 Fatty Acid & Depression: A study suggests that the imbalance of fatty acids in the typical American diet can be associated with a sharp increase in heart disease and depression over the course of the last century. The more omega-6 fats people had in their blood compared with omega-3 fats, the more likely they were to suffer from depression, etcetera. Omega-3 fats are found in foods such as fish, lean meat, fruits and vegetables. Omega-6 fats are found in “refined” vegetable oils, which in modern times are used in many products ranging from margarine to baked goods to snack foods. The amount of omega-6 fats in the Western diet increased greatly when refined vegetable oils became part of the diet in the early 20th century. [ Note: To reduce the amount of omega-6 fat in the diet, limit fatty meats and vegetable cooking oils, except canola, olive or flaxseed oil.] http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/020204.Watkins.omega3.html http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL76158120070417?feedType Fun Healthful Antioxidants: U.S.D.A. scientists announced that fruity alcoholic beverages may be good for you because adding ethanol to purees of blended fruit apparently raises their levels of healthful antioxidants. http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/04/20/nutrition.cocktails.reut/index.html Dark Chocolate Flavinoids: The evidence appears overwhelming that the consumption of dark chocolate can improve both glucose metabolism (diabetic control) and blood pressure. It was discovered that dark chocolate supplementation was linked to improved insulin resistance and sensitivity, as well as decreased systolic blood pressure. The white chocolate, on the other hand, had no effect. Cocoa is rich in flavanols, a class of polyphenols found in plants; however, the concentration of the flavanols in any chocolate depends on both the flavanol content of the cocoa plant it is derived from and the procedures used to transform the cocoa into chocolate The study also suggested eating chocolate with at least a 70 percent cocoa content….. it has antioxidant properties that can protect the body from damaging oxidative stress. Why? Adding milk to the process--meaning the milk chocolate bars you find at most grocery stores--cancels out its beneficial antioxidant effects of chocolate. In fact, researchers suggest proteins in the milk bind with antioxidants, making them less easily absorbed by the body. http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/81/3/541 http://www.mercola.com/2004/jun/16/chocolate_health.htm Chocolate Lovers Unite!?: The food industry in the USA wants to loosen requirements for how much cocoa butter a confection must contain for it to qualify as chocolate by allowing the use of vegetable fat substitutes in place of cocoa butter. While the FDA has heard from the chocolate industry, they encourage consumers to weigh in as well. If you want the standard of identity for chocolate to remain the same, please communicate your opinion to the FDA: http://dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com/howtohelp.asp Note: West African cocoa producing nations would be negatively impacted by this chocolate ‘lite’ scheme. Chocolate Humor: http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?106-10-09 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?103-03-16 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?104-01-24 Dinner’s At What Time?: For the longest time, dinner was the primary and biggest meal, eaten in the middle of the day (anytime between noon at 1 p.m.) by working class folks and the wealthy, because artificial lighting was expensive and weak at best, forcing people to head to bed at sundown. Conversely, breakfasts were small affairs as were late-day suppers. Wealth and technology, along with more peaceful times, emboldened people during the 1700s to expand their days into the night for business, parties, and various entertainments. The wealthy (who spent less time in governmental affairs and more on leisure) tended to sleep in more often, pushing that primary dinner time to as late as 6 p.m., with supper coming as late as 2 a.m. http://www.history-magazine.com/dinner2.html Beating The Body Clock Blues: In coping with disruption of the body’s circadian rhythm (e.g., jet lag), the use of melatonin and various other coping strategies are well documented. A new rabbit in the hat to help out is the combined use of short naps and caffeine… you do the two together. A study show that it takes 15 to 30 minutes for caffeine to kick in. All it takes is a cup of coffee — not even a pill. By the time the caffeine is working, your nap is over.” http://www.sleepdex.org/s33.htm ~"Life is like a box of chocolates...You never know what you're gonna get." ~ Forrest Gump |
| Posted 5/23/2007 3:04 PM CDT S.1348 -- A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform…. Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and President Bush have negotiated a plan that would: 1) Grant an immediate amnesty for nearly all of the 12-20 million illegal aliens in the country (granting them legal status for residence and jobs); 2) Triple the rate of chain migration from around 250,000 a year to around 750,000 a year for about a decade; 3)Create new flows of 400,000 "temporary" foreign workers every year, who will bring their families and have anchor babies who will qualify for citizenship. NOTE: The very first line of the bill makes it clear that illegals get "probationary status" before ANY border security triggers are implemented. Once given this legal status, the bill expressly states that a former illegal alien "may not be considered an unauthorized alien." Despite what pro-illegal alien supporters spin, this is the definition of amnesty![My Comment: Those who have read Texas History probably recognize the irony of Mexican petitoners in pre-republic Texas protesting to their Mexican central government about the large number of anglo immigrants who were refusing to speak Spanish and bringing other aspects of their culture with them. Note: The Native Americans probably wish that they’d had control of their borders, too… as did the Romans, Canaanites, and many other groups who experienced “illegal invasions” by people seeking better lives.]http://www.numbersusa.com/news?ID=7976 Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007: U.S. Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) reaffirmed his commitment to reforming the nation’s immigration practices by cosponsoring legislation which will clarify birthright citizenship. H.R. 1940, the “Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007,” amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to ONLY grant birthright citizenship to children born in the United States with at least one parent who is an American citizen, an alien lawfully admitted to the United States, or a foreigner serving in the American military. Boozman said, “Any plan for true reform of our immigration laws needs to include clarifying who gets citizenship by birth. The practice of illegally entering into the United States, birthing a baby inside our borders, and reaping the rewards needs to be ended. America is a welcoming country, but I do not think it is too much to ask those who wish to become a part of our country follow our laws and procedures.” [My Comment: This is just good common sense. I’m contacting my representatives in Congress via www.congress.org and asking them to support this bill. Note: All you need is your zip code in order to do so, too.] http://arkansasgopwing.blogspot.com/2007/05/boozman-support-birthright-citizenship.html http://www.numbersusa.com/hottopic/congress.html http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01940:@@@P Illegal Immigration As Satan’s Plan?: The devil is sticking his pitchfork into the nation's immigration politics. At least that's what one of Utah County's Republican delegates thinks. Don Larsen, a district chairman, has submitted a resolution equating illegal immigration to "Satan's plan to destroy the U.S. by stealth invasion". Referring to a plan by the devil for a "New World Order ... as predicted in the Scriptures," the resolution calls for the Utah County Republican Party to support "closing the national borders to illegal immigration to prevent the destruction of the U.S. by stealth invasion." [My Comment: If this ‘kook’ had read Joseph Smith’s “Book of Mormon”, he’d realize that the Latin Americans (Lamanites) are ‘prophesized’ (within its pages) to prevail over the light-skinned Nephites. Though that might yet be the result of globalization’s “international labor force” mentality, let’s leave Satan out of this one. It’s not Satan / it’s just good old fashioned greed. The same thing that uprooted black Africans and brought them out of Africa and to the New World.] http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660215179,00.html Emergency Contraception (EC): In America, where 95% of the annual 800,000 teenage pregnancies are unintended and quality reproductive health services for young women are often limited, we know all too well that access to emergency contraception (EC) is vital to young women's health…. you can use emergency contraception right away - or up to five days after sex - if you think your birth control failed, you didn't use contraception, or you were forced to have sex. Emergency contraception makes it much less likely you will get pregnant. But emergency contraceptives are not as effective as birth control that's used before or during sex, like the pill or condoms. So if you are sexually active or planning to be, don't use emergency contraception as your only protection against pregnancy. Also, emergency contraception does not protect against sexually transmitted infections, like HIV (only condoms do). For much more information, click on: http://ec.princeton.edu/birthcontrol/ http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/ecrx.html http://ec.princeton.edu/providers/index.html#zipcode http://advocatesforyouth.org/ International Women’s Rights: In 1979, The United Nations adopted the Convention on the “Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women” (CEDAW). Up until 1979, when the U.N General Assembly adopted the Treaty, there had been no document addressing women's basic human rights….CEDAW is often referred to as the international "Bill of Rights for Women”. The United States played a significant role in drafting CEDAW, but the U.S. has yet to ratify it. Today, 185 countries have ratified CEDAW. The United States is the ONLY industrialized nation NOT to have ratified the Treaty, stalling the process along with countries like Iran, Afghanistan and Somalia. http://www.sierraclub.org/population/cedaw/ http://www.sierraclub.org/population/lte_cedaw.asp Keep Babies Away From TV: Allowing children under 3 to watch television can impair their linguistic and social development, and also put them at risk of health problems including attention-deficit disorder, autism and obesity. Before the age of 3, children's brains go through rapid development and are being physically shaped in response to whatever they are exposed to. Exposing children to fast-moving images for sustained periods at this time can inhibit their ability to sustain attention, and hinder their development of social skills. Research suggests that television can also cause irregular sleep patterns for infants and toddlers, and decrease their resting metabolic rate, which compounds the physiological problems that come with lack of exercise. http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,2064185,00.html http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Why-You-Want-to-Keep-Your-Baby-Away-From-the-TV--12053.aspx Halftime Entertainment?: Last summer's mix of sun, beer and excitement during the World Cup Finals appears to have produced a massive hormone rush in German bedrooms, gardens and back alleys. Nine months later, birth clinics across the country that hosted the tournament are reporting a much-needed baby boom. German demographers announced a 30% spike in the number of children being born at this time of year as compared with past years. http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,467714,00.html Contraception Humor: http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?95-06-03 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?92-05-26 Google Your Area Code + Phone Number: Reverse Telephone Search …and you’ll find your name, address, and a map to your house. If you do not want it to appear, select the opt out option. This doesn’t take care of the many other search engines, etcetera / only an unlisted number helps there. Beluga Whales Endangered: There are only 300 beluga whales left in Alaska's Cook Inlet -- a 77 percent decline from the 1,300 whales that thrived there in the early 1980's. Now that these whales are on the brink of extinction, the National Marine Fisheries Service is “finally” proposing to protect them as an endangered species. But industry groups -- backed by all three members of Alaska's congressional delegation -- are opposed to the whale's protection. Send your Official Citizen Comment urging the Bush Administration to give these whales a fighting chance by protecting them as endangered and designating their critical habitat. http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/actionfund_beluga_0507 ~Contraceptives should be used on every conceivable occasion.~ Spike Milligan |
| Posted 5/21/2007 2:47 PM CDT Bacteria For Better Health: Many scientists have begun to argue that the trend of using antibacterial soap and other antibacterial products may actually cause diseases like eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and even diabetes. What's more, the solution may be to feed patients bacteria. Probiotics, which are pills containing bacteria, have resulted in complete elimination of eczema in 80 percent of the patients treated with it. Probiotics have also been used to treat irritable bowel disease, acne and premenstrual syndrome. In one recent study, infants given a probiotic were, after two years, 25 percent less likely to develop eczema. From 50 trillion to 100 trillion bacteria live in your digestive system, where they have a complex relationship with digestion and health. Antibacterial products can disrupt the balance that protects you from allergies and malfunctioning immune responses. http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2007/04/bacteriahacking http://vitalvotes.com/blogs/public_blog/How-You-Can-Use-Your-Body-s-Bacteria-for-Better-Health-13144.aspx Antibiotics Used On Food Animals: An estimated 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States are regularly added to the feed of livestock and poultry that are NOT sick—a practice with serious consequences for our health. Bacteria that are constantly exposed to antibiotics develop antibiotic resistance. This means that when humans get sick from resistant bacteria, the antibiotics prescribed by doctors don’t work. [My Comment: These same antibiotics are then ingested in small amounts indirectly by you when you eat the meat….and those you don’t ingest have been distributed throughout the environment…read about the full spectrum of pollutants in our water supplies. Remember that they’re used, in the first place, because the animals are grown in less than desirable conditions.] http://ucsaction.org/campaign/4_27_07_antibiotics_legislation/?source=wacucs_actaspotlight http://ucsaction.org/ucsaction/home.html?qp_source=wacucs%5fheada http://www.ucsusa.org/ucsaction/ Antibacterial Soaps: When it comes to hand washing, nothing works better than simple regular soap and water, according to the most comprehensive study ever done on the topic of hand hygiene products. Washing hands with soap and water was able to kill viruses that cause the common cold, hepatitis A, acute gastroenteritis and other illnesses. Meanwhile, waterless handwipes removed only 50 percent of bacteria from hands. The study involved 14 different hand hygiene products and measured their ability to reduce both bacteria and viruses on the hands. [ My Comment: Antibacterial soaps are unnecessary and perhaps even detrimental to your health…and their use adds more chemicals into our water supplies. Regular soap effectively kills bacteria by disrupting their cytoplasmic membranes and aids in washing them away. Note: Let’s remember that ‘germs’ are any disease-causing microbe (microorganism) aka bacteria, fungi, parasites, protozoa, and viruses… & that hospitals rely on thorough, prolonged, and repeated washing of hands to control their spread. Sterilization of the home/foffice/ school environment is not possible / indeed, any attempt to do so is somewat detrimental to your health (hence counterproductive) if it involves chemicals of any sort. Perhaps ‘cleanliness’ is next to ‘godliness’.] http://www.mercola.com/2005/mar/23/germs_hands.htm http://tinyurl.com/29vc6s Antibiotics To Cure Cold/Flu: Don't bother taking antibiotics to treat your flu or cold; antibiotics do not kill viruses, and they should be used only for secondary bacterial complications such as sinus or middle ear infections. Overuse of antibiotics has become a very serious problem, leading to a resistance in disease-causing bacteria that may render antibiotics ineffective for certain conditions. [ My Comment: If you go to the doctor, let him decide how best to treat you. It used to be that, if you insisted, they’d give you a shot of antibiotics just to keep you happy (and perhaps ward off a secondary infection).] http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/896_flu.html http://www.rowan.edu/studentaffairs/healthcenter/coldandflu.htm Antibiotics Humor: http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?105-05-22 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?98-01-01 What’s Cold Pasteurization?: Currently, irradiated food must be labeled as “Treated with irradiation” or “Treated by radiation” and have on them the irradiated symbol. But now, in yet another attempt to appease industry at the expense of the public, the FDA has proposed a new rule that would allow irradiated food to be marketed in some cases without any labeling at all. In other cases, the rule would allow the terms “electronically pasteurized” or “cold pasteurized” to replace the use of “irradiated” on labels. These terms are not used by scientists, but rather are designed to fool consumers about what’s been done to their food. Pasteurization involves heating liquids for the purpose of destroying harmful bacteria and other pathogens, and has been used safely for decades. Irradiation is a completely different process, using high-energy gamma rays, electron beams, or X-rays on meat, grains, and other foods. Tell FDA Not to Weaken Labeling for Irradiated Foods! http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/fwwatch/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=7188 http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/ Most Angioplasties Are Unnecessary: Every year, doctors in the U.S. perform more than half a million angioplasties, at about $40,000 apiece. Unfortunately, a new study has concluded these expensive procedures aren’t saving any lives that couldn’t be saved by drugs alone. In a study of angioplasties versus drugs (aspirin etcetera) a equal percentage of people in both groups died from heart complications over five years of treatment. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802008.html Austin Driving Hazard At S.E. Quadrant of Mopac and Koenig: Coming off of northbound Mopac onto Koenig / 2222, be very careful. You’re having to go from a higher speed into a curve that is blinded by trees growing up from beneath the deck on the right hand side. Cars backed up from the intersection ahead are waiting in line and can’t be seen until it’s almost too late if the line is long. If someone were a tad slow in responding or distracted, there’s a great potential for tragedy. The tree foliage needs to be trimmed. [ Although I rarely travel this route, I notified the city on May 3rd… so if it’s still there when you read this and if you experience what I described, please call them at #311 / I don’t think they’re going to ‘fix’ this on my ‘say-so’ alone] Sharing Streets With Motorcycles: The Department of Public Safety says Texas has one of the largest motorcycle populations in the United States. With or without an extra influx of bikers, such as the upcoming Republic of Texas Biker Rally (May 31-June 3), motorcycle safety and sharing the roadways in a safe manner should be on every motorists mind….a former Emergency Room worker said she dreaded the arrival of any event that brought a larger than usual number of motorcycles to town. [ My Comment: While riding his motorcycle, my brother died because someone ran the light at an intersection. The lives of my family members and the life of the ‘convicted lawbreaker’ aka ‘criminal’ were destroyed and had to be rebuilt. When the law says STOP, you stop!!! And even then, you look both ways and make sure there’s no one in your blind spots BEFORE proceeding. Failure to do these basic things causes repeated tragedies on our highways every day.] http://austin.about.com/b/a/256910.htm?nl=1 “A sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ.” John Steinbeck |
| Posted 5/18/2007 5:25 PM CDT Senate Amnesty / Guestworker VOTE Delayed: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has delayed until at least Monday evening (May 21) the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S. 1348, immigration legislation very similar to last year's Senate-passed amnesty bill (S. 2611). The vote was delayed to buy Senators more time to negotiate a "compromise" bill and draft its language. The Senate negotiators and President Bush want to raise the number of greencard holders in our communities from 25 million to 60 million in just the next 13 years! It is a nearly total blanket amnesty that would allow more than 95% of the 12-20 million illegal aliens to remain in the U.S. forever (citizenship might not come until 18 years of age). At a time of incredible congestion and deterioration in the American quality of life due to the biggest population explosion in our history, this compromise would INCREASE annual legal immigration by at least another 50%. Many Senators are ‘telling’ staffers and other Senators that they are inclined to vote for the Ted Kennedy/Bush amnesty bill (S. 1348) because they say they have been surprised at how few phone calls of protest they've gotten during the last two months of highly-publicized negotiations to create the amnesty. They are concluding that the citizens of their states just aren't all that worked up about granting an amnesty. And they're interpreting that as a green light… and THESE are the Senators who have voted “against” amnesty in the past. We’re in trouble! Our citizenry’s population growth is stable, but the legal and illegal immigrant population growth (influx and reproduction) is causing us to increase our numbers by 30-50% by midcentury. MAKE A PHONE CALL TO YOUR TWO SENATORS AT: Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 OR: DC Office of Senator Kay Hutchison Washington, DC 202-224-5922 Abilene Office of Senator Kay Hutchison Abilene, TX 325-676-2839 DC Office of Senator John Cornyn Washington, DC 202-224-2934 Dallas Office of Senator John Cornyn Dallas, TX 972-239-1310 Always be polite but firm. You can make a very successful call(s) by simply stating your name, where you are calling from, and a couple of brief talking points. Then, free up the line so the next caller can get through. If you make only one comment, be sure it is this: Vote “NO” on cloture on Rule 14 on S. 1348 & vote ‘no’ on any bill that rewards illegal aliens with legal residence or jobs! Other talking points: http://www.numbersusa.com/phones?ID=7884 http://www.numbersusa.com/phones?ID=7907 http://www.numbersusa.com/index [ My Comment: Since the Senators’ capitol offices’ phone numbers were always busy, my approach was to contact their Texas offices and ask whether the “Senator” was going to vote “yes or no” in regards to the immigration legislation in S.1348. Cornyn’s aide said that he would vote ‘no’, which pleases me. Hutchinson’s aide said that the Senator was ‘undecided’…. which tells me that (based on her past statements / and votes on other issues ) she’ll probably vote ‘yes’, which will displease me.] |
| Posted 5/16/2007 5:50 PM CDT The “Farm Bill” & Twinkies: Twinkies are made from 39 ingredients, most of them requiring elaborate processing themselves, in addition to packaging and marketing. But they, like many other processed foods, are cheaper than a similar quantity of carrots, which require no processing or marketing, and little or no packaging. How is this possible? The answer is a piece of legislation called the FARM BILL, which is renewed every five years (including this year), and sets guidelines for the American food system -- including ‘which’ crops will be subsidized and ‘which’ will not. Processed foods like Twinkies are made from carbohydrates and fats extracted from corn, soybeans and wheat, which, along with rice and cotton, are the products supported with $25-billion subsidies from the U.S. government. But the farm bill does almost nothing to support farmers growing other forms of produce, such as more nutrient-rich vegetables. The result is a food system flooded with corn-derived added sugars, and soy-derived added fats. Meanwhile, the ‘real’ price of fruits and vegetables increased by nearly 40 percent between 1985 and 2000, while the ‘real’ price of soft drinks (made with high-fructose corn syrup) actually declined by 23 percent. The farm bill has far-reaching effects on health, the economy, and the environment. A growing body of activists are becoming aware of the implications, and are pressing for changes to the bill, which has remained largely unchanged for decades. http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Knowing-Where-Your-Food-Comes-From-is-Vital-To-Your-Health-12037.aspx http://tinyurl.com/2rkod6 http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-05-05-un-organic_N.htm?csp=34 TAKE ACTION:http://act.oxfamamerica.org/campaign/farmbill?qp_source=07fy%5fgo%5ffarmbill&gclid=CNms1oqCiowCFQkjWAod6QnfAgYou Are What You Grow: Almost all Americans ignore the farm bill. But what's at stake is much more than farms and farmers. It's everything from obesity to immigration, with clean water and land-use in between. The farm bill subsidizes overproduction of soy and corn, but does nothing to promote fresh produce. It makes the most unhealthy foods the cheapest. It has pushed millions of Mexican farmers off their land. It determines what happens on nearly half the private land in America. [ My Comment: The whiter the bread, the sooner you’re dead.] http://tinyurl.com/ysf5vs Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to U.S. Premature Births: Premature births vary with the season, but there's nothing natural about it. Preterm birth rates peak when pesticides and nitrates measurements in surface water are highest, from April through July, and bottom out when nitrates and pesticides were lowest, in August and September, a new study found. A previous finding was that birth defects peak from April through July, the same months as pesticides and nitrates reach their maximum concentrations in surface water. The rate of premature birth in the United States has risen almost a third since 1981. Here's more on the effect of endocrine disruption in child development. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2007/2007-05-07-02.asp http://tinyurl.com/2pymnj Which Organic Foods To Buy?: Perhaps you can’t afford to buy only organic foods, but it helps to know what fruits and vegetables are the worst offenders as far as pesticide use…the attached website will help you do so. As the demand for ‘organic’ increases, the prices will drop and the supply will increase making it far easier to obtain relatively more inexpensive high-quality organic produce. Meanwhile, if you must buy conventional produce, there are ways to reduce your pesticide exposure: thoroughly washing all fruits and vegetables will help, although ‘all’ pesticide residues cannot be removed by washing. You can also remove the outer layer of leaves or peel vegetables if possible. http://www.foodnews.org/ Why Organic Cotton?: Cotton accounts for less than 3% of farmed land but consumes about a quarter of the planet’s pesticides and 10% of its herbicide production. http://www.purebeginnings.com/prWhyOrganic.htm Why Organic Coffee?: Commercially grown coffee is the most pesticide-saturated crop in the world. It’s best to buy “shade grown coffee” (organic) from traditional coffee growers… they can’t afford pesticides in the first place….and the forest environment provides all the needed pest protection in the form of birds. http://www.retailcoffee.com/organic_coffee_benefits.php Coffee Humor: http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?93-06-01 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?99-07-29 Redundant Trade: One feature of the global food economy is the simultaneous, often superfluous, import and export of the same items, a phenomenon known as “redundant trade.” Take California, the nation’s biggest produce grower: At the height of its cherry season, it sends cherries to Canada and Japan even as it ships them in from Chile, Italy, Germany, and Eastern Europe. The Golden State also exports and imports nearly identical amounts of lettuce and almonds. [My Comment: Why are we selling our produce elsewhere and shipping in the same kind of stuff that has been raised with DDT and other pesticides that are still used in Latin America and other parts of the world.] http://www.motherjones.com/news/featurex/2006/05/goin_back_to_cali.html http://www.foodroutes.org/learnmore.jsp BMW vs. Big Mac: The international meat industry generates roughly 18% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions—even more than transportation….. much of that comes from the nitrous oxide in manure and the methane that is "the natural result of bovine digestion." Methane has a warming effect that is 23 times as great as that of carbon, while nitrous oxide is 296 times as great….. global meat production is expected to double between 2001 and 2050. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/article/0,28804,1602354_1603074_1603171,00.html Food Humor: http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?106-05-16 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?97-04-16 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?105-06-23 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?104-01-27 The EPA Closes Its Libraries, Destroys Documents: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun closing its nationwide network of scientific libraries, effectively preventing EPA scientists and the public from accessing vast amounts of data and information on issues from toxicology to pollution. Several libraries have already been dismantled, with their contents either destroyed or shipped to repositories where they are uncataloged and inaccessible. http://ucsaction.org/campaign/1_17_07epalibraryclosures/explanation http://ucsaction.org/campaign/1_17_07epalibraryclosures/ ~Economic advance is not the same thing as human progress. ~ John Clapham |
| Posted 5/13/2007 3:44 PM CDT Tiny Babies Go To Heaven: The Vatican has all but abolished the concept of limbo (the place just short of heaven where unbaptized infants go). A papal ‘investigation’ NOW finds that unbaptized babies ‘might’ go straight to heaven. The Week “Heavenly” Perspectives: If the ‘ancients’ would have had even just a little of our knowledge of astronomy, just think how different their perspective on mankind’s place in the order of things would’ve been. Click on the following links for a simple lesson in perspective (orders of magnitude): http://www.samtsai.com/p318/world-biggest-star-planet-order-of-magnitude/ http://www.motodom.com/Galaxy.htm Jennifer Lopez: A Russian billionaire forked over $2 million for Jennifer Lopez to perform at a joint birthday party for himself and his wife. Lopez's 40-minute set – which included such hits as "Jenny From the Block" – cost 35-year-old Andrei Melnichenko $1.2 million. He paid another $800,000 to fly the singer, her husband Marc Anthony and their entourage from the U.S. to his 27-acre estate in Surrey, England, and put them up at the Mandarin Oriental in London. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20036291,00.html Interesting Online Map Sites: Select any country in the world and read relevant news stories: http://muti.co.za/static/newsmap.html Uses NASA topographical data to illustrate changes in global coastlines for each meter that sea levels rise: http://flood.firetree.net/ Maps fast food concentrations in more than 50 cities nationwide: http://fastfoodmaps.com/ Tracks distances to more than four decimals places: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ Shifting Demographics: An American student will have as many as 14 jobs by the time he or she turns age 38. More than 3,000 new books are published in the United States every DAY….The amount of new technical information doubles every two years, which means students attending a technical school will learn information that will be outdated by their third year….The number of words in the English language is 540,000 -- that is FIVE times the number of words present during Shakespeare's time…AND MORE: http://www.glumbert.com/media/shift Outlawing DWT: Several states are moving to outlaw ‘driving while texting’ after a major insurance industry study found that 37% of young drivers admitted to having sent or read text messages while driving. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-na-texting22apr22,1,2224881.story Society Service: A Dutch escort agency is offering a special service to the shy, often sexually inexperienced geeks who work in the computer industry. Agency founder, Zoe Vialet, says her ‘girls’ are trained to ‘educate’ socially awkward IT professionals….. “We take the time to take a bath together, do a massage, and explore each others bodies….there’s nothing more terrible than dying as a virgin.” http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/20/geek_service/ Kryptonite: The only element that robbed Superman of all his powers, has been found on Earth, unearthed in Serbia by geologists. However, unlike the fictional kryptonite in Superman comics and films, which is green, the substance, is white and powdery and emits no radiation. Strangely, its chemical composition matches the description of kryptonite in the 2006 movie Superman Returns. In the 2006 movie, Superman's archenemy Lex Luthor, steals a kryptonite rock fragment from the Metropolis Museum. On the case are written the words "sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide with fluorine"….which is what was found in Siberia. http://news.sawf.org/Health/36239.aspx Catch-22: A man has been charged with one count of indecent exposure after he went to a Raleigh dry cleaners without pants on. Police arrested Kenneth Lee Wollen after he allegedly went through the Pope's Cleaners drive-through while not wearing any pants. He said he was there to pick up clothing. Wollen was charged with one count of indecent exposure. He later posted a $1,000 bond. The Week http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1284065/ ~The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.~ Mark Twain |
| Posted 5/10/2007 7:25 PM CDT End Of Anchor Babies?: On April 19, 2007 Representative Nathan Deal (R-GA) introduced H.R. 1940, The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007. H.R. 1940 would end the process of granting automatic birthright citizenship to the babies born in the United States to illegal aliens. Note: Since the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution states that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside" that will need to change. Popular Opinion: Present U.S. anchor baby "policy" is an abuse of the 14th Amendment. This amendment was ratified in 1868 to protect the civil rights of native-born black Americans, who had recently been freed from slavery and whose rights were being denied. [ My Comment: What’s interesting is that there are no mainstream media outlets that have dealt with this proposed bill…at least, not that I have found. We’ll never slow down “chain migration” unless we deal with this.] http://www.14thamendment.us/info/what_can_be_done.html Sample letter / to use after you enter your zip code and hit ‘enter’: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/userletter/?id=249&letter_id=1159118796 Other material: http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/legislation_proposed110.html http://www.americanpatrol.com/ANCHORBABIES/AnchorBabiesAllanWall.html http://www.coxwashington.com/reporters/content/reporters/moscoso_e.html Immigrant Ordinance Protested: On Saturday, Dallas voters in the suburb of Farmers Branch will vote to accept or reject a city ordinance that would ban apartment rentals to most illegal immigrants. [ My Comment: It should be noted that Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas in notorious for the large number of anchor babies being born there. Unlike many other Americans who oppose illegal aliens being allowed to remain in this country, I primarily blame American citizens for this. We act as though there is no limit to the finite resources that our prosperity depends upon (e.g., oil, soil, etc.) to sustain our industries and food production. Our ‘political correctness’ and ‘Chrisitian charity’ is a mask for our greed….and helps explain our general apathy. Just as citizens in the Roman Empire may have had some misgivings about allowing Visigoths entry, the temptation of cheap labor and military conscripts that the Visigoths offered was more than the empire could resist…. and so history continues to unfold.] http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/05/10/10immigfb.html http://www.examiner.com/Topic-Immigration.html http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/parkland.asp Illegal Aliens A Racial Term???: The state representative from El Paso, Paul Moreno, wishes to emphasize the racial aspect of the current invasion of our country by illegals. He says that the term “illegal alien” denotes a racial conflict…. that Mexicans are accused of being the cause of our country’s problems, etcetera. This is seemingly in response to representative Leo Berman’s comments made while chastizing the House for failing to consider controversial proposals targeting illegal immigration. [ My Comment: My wife came here from Mexico legally 50 years ago / and she (and her extended family) does not appreciate people playing the ‘race card’. One of my best friends lives in El Paso… and even El Pasoans don’t like the changes that the flood of people from across the border is bringing. If 12 million+ Norwegians flooded into the USA illegally, I wouldn’t approve of it just because I share their bloodline.] NOTE: My sister-in-law, who worked for 30 years in a public customer service position in the Rio Grande Valley (where I grew up) observes (from her many years of first-hand observation): “The people that came to this country from the 40's through the 70's (whether legal or illegal) came to work and work they did. After the 80's the people (especially from Mexico), found out how easy it is to get all type of benefits form the good old USA. As soon as they cross the bridge they stop by the offices of the government housing and get a place to live because they are "homeless", food because they “cannot find a job”, and so forth and so on. Elderly parents, at the ripe old age of 62, are brought in by their children, however, 3 years later these parents are getting SSI (about 800 to 900 dollars per month) when they never worked here. Section 8-housing, food stamps and so forth.” http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/05/09/9moreno.html http://tinyurl.com/2cvehg Black Civil Rights Activist Opposes Amnesty: T. Willard Fair, an ally of former Gov. Jeb Bush, is the new face of opposition to proposals like one championed by President Bush to allow undocumented immigrants to gain citizenship. Fair, president of the Urban League of Greater Miami, is appearing in ads in The Washington Post and RollCall, a Capitol Hill newspaper, saying that "to black Americans, amnesty is an immoral seizure of our jobs." http://www.miamiherald.com/509/story/86837.html http://www.numbersusa.com/actionbuffet U.S. Mexico Social Security Treaty: Americans should oppose the implementation of the U.S. - Mexico Social Security Totalization Treaty 2007 proposed by the Bush Administration. Currently, the Social Security Act prohibits the payment of benefits to noncitizens who are not "lawfully present" in the United States. However, if the noncitizen establishes lawful presence in the U.S. and has paid into the system, he may be eligible to receive benefits. [ That is to say --- when an illegal immigrant works using an “improper” Social Security number, the illegal worker will earn U.S. Social Security work credits… and when this illegal immigrant “later” obtains a “legitimate” U.S. Social Security number (amnesty accord), the worker can then claim those work credits if the earnings can be documented. There are already many Mexican immigrants who are here legally earning SS benefits. Let’s not add to that number… and since there are a few bills which do oppose the giveaway of your Social Security benefits making their ways through Congress….. Send a message to Congress today and tell them to say “No” to the U.S.- Mexico Totalization Treaty. Tell them to pass H.R. 279, S.43, and House Resolution 18. http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=rs&issue=1 http://www.numbersusa.com/hottopic/totalization.htm The Boat Is Already Full: The European Union has recently created a special force to protect its southern borders against illegal immigrants. Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Malta have been pleading for help in policing their borders. The new border guard teams will be drawn from all 27 E.U countries. [ My Comment: When our own country’s prosperity is no longer able to sustain the influx of illegal aliens (after worldwide energy costs skyrocket), we shall (all too late) also realize that the “boat’s full” and begin to seriously take our border security to heart… remember that the population growth rate for U.S. citizens (all groups combined) is stable (actually slightly decreasing). Our overpopulation is from immigrants (legal and illegal).] The Week Related reading: NOTE: “A Nation In Full” @ www.tinyurl.com/h2rhx H-1B Visas: The H-1B visas, for "specialty occupation workers" in high-tech fields such as medicine, computers and engineering, are capped at 65,000 a year. Is it true that many of those industries face a shortage of skilled American labor? The tens of thousands of H-1B rejects will constitute some of the world's best and brightest. Is it possible that America is foolish to block them from the U.S. economy? After all, according to the National Science Foundation, a third of all science and engineering doctorates awarded in the United States go to foreign students….. and according to the National Venture Capital Association, over the past 15 years one out of every four public companies backed by venture capital was started by an immigrant. http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/05/07/7visas_edit.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/03/30/DI2006033001345.html Immigration Humor: http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?105-06-14 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?104-08-04 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?105-01-06 QUOTE: “The Republican Party looks at massive immigration, legal and illegal, as a source of cheap labor, satisfying a very important constituency. The Democratic Party looks at massive immigration, legal and illegal, as a source of voters.” Tom Tancredo |
| Posted 5/8/2007 6:09 PM CDT Fuel Economy Standards: Record levels of gas consumption are producing a crisis. Petroleum costs are destined to go skyhigh (i.e., supply and demand economics worldwide) , the earth’s climate is changing, and pollution is increasing. We depend on unstable regimes for oil imports. It is far past time to chart a different course. Despite this, the fuel economy standard for cars has not been raised since it took effect over two decades ago. Technologies are gathering dust on the shelf that would boost the fuel economy of cars. Without a higher standard, however, Detroit continues to invest in gas guzzlers. Tell Congress to reduce U.S. gas consumption by raising the ‘fuel economy standard’ for cars: http://action.citizen.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3938 http://ucsaction.org/campaign/03_19_07_Markey_Platts_CAFE_bill Black Gold: The world is so extremely dependent upon this valuable resource, that when its supply cannot keep up with demand, inflation shall exponentially increase. This is not in dispute. The only question is in regards to the timetable. Another question comes into play when we ask what shall we use as an oil substitute for energy and making products like plastics, synthetic rubber and fibers, fertilizers, pesticides, paint, detergents, additives, etcetera. The following is a good ‘read’ for study purposes…..planning ahead for long term self-preservation should follow: http://www.endoil.org/node/181 http://www.endoil.org/real_price_of_oil http://www.endoil.org/fools_black_gold/uses_of_oil http://www.endoil.org/fools_black_gold/peak_oil_theory Oil Use Tidbits: ~ 7.6 gallons of every 42 in a barrel of oil go to products like plastic bottles, eyeglasses, CDs, and tires. ~ The majority of plastics are landfilled or incinerated after a single use. ~ Bioplastics now exist that, unlike conventional plastics, are made from renewable crops rather than petroleum and biodegrades relatively quickly under the right conditions. ~ The first interest in creating plastic from renewable resources was by Henry Ford in 1910….in using agricultural waste for such….and succeeded in the 1930s. In 1941 he built a ‘plastic car’ (Ford's 'plastic' car weighed 2,300 pounds, which is approximately 2/3s the weight of a steel model of comparable size, and was economically a better alternative). http://www.twelve-fiftyone.net/ Inspirational Pictures: http://www.liquidsculpture.com/fine_art/index.htm http://www.its.caltech.edu/%7Eatomic/snowcrystals/photos/photos.htm http://leenks.com/link70511.htm In next link, use ‘categories’ column on left to further engage: http://photowebs.blogspot.com/search/label/Nature Care For Grass Lawns: Natural lawn care advocates advise mowing high and often so that grass can out-compete any nascent weeds. Also, leaving clippings where they land (mulching mowers do a terrific job of allowing this) so they can serve as natural mulch --also helps prevent weeds from getting a foothold…and also helps save water. http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/grass_lawns.htm World Opinion of the United States: The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org surveyed people in 15 countries (including the United States) and found that people around the world reject the idea that "as the sole remaining superpower, the US should continue to be the preeminent world leader in solving international problems." Even Americans agree. But in 13 of the countries, poll respondents also rejected the idea that the United States "should withdraw from most efforts to solve international problems." Instead, they prefer to see a United States "(doing) its share in efforts to solve international problems together with other countries." In other words, the world does not want us to take our ball and go home. http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/backgroundhistory/a/worldop2007.htm Abstinence-only Doesn't Work! : In 1997, Congress authorized a long-term study of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. This groundbreaking report was quietly released on a government Web site. No press release. No announcement. Nothing. Why all the secrecy? Because it turns out that the government discovered what we have been saying for years – “abstinence-only” programs have no impact. Even worse, abstinence-only participants were less likely to believe that condoms lower the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. http://capwiz.com/advofy/issues/alert/?alertid=9640346 http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/ $5 a gallon is the only thing
Americans can relate to.
The rest is just an inconvenience.
Kelly Giles
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” Martin Luther King Jr. |
| Posted 5/6/2007 7:40 PM CDT Drug Industry Profitable: While they complain about the enormous costs of producing new drugs, the top ten prescription drug companies just netted profits of $36 billion. That was more than half of all profits listed for all the Fortune 500 companies together. They can thus easily afford to employ an army of lobbyists in 50 states and in Washington, D.C. – a record 1,291 lobbyists in 2004 at a cost of $158 million. That is more than two lobbyists for every member of Congress. No wonder major legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices just failed on the SENATE floor. Check out the VERY predictable voting record: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=132&chamber=S&congress=1101&state=tx http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=132&chamber=S&congress=1101 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=110-s20070418-13&bill=s110-3 http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/how_to_votes.htm http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSN1929826020070419 http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/PPreport89a5.pdf http://www.publicintegrity.org/rx/report.aspx?aid=823 FDA & Drug Companies: Almost no one realizes that the majority of funding for the FDA comes from the very companies that it is seeking to monitor and evaluate…. via “User’s Fees”, Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), FDA receives 53% of its drug review budget from the drug companies. There seems to be some cause for concern herein as it’s reminiscent of having the “fox guarding the henhouse”. [ Note: Upcoming Votes “Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments of 2007” - S.1082. The Senate is scheduled to take up this bill reauthorizing the Food and Drug Administration’s drug review operations.] http://www.mercola.com/2006/oct/10/do_you_want_your_tax_dollars_funding_a_better_fda.htm http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-25-fda-money_x.htm http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?&bill=s110-1082&tab= Drugs Humor: http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?106-05-01 http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?102-06-08 Slapdown For Pets’ Owners Too: With the revelation that the Chinese company that supplied wheat gluten suspected of contaminating pet food may have shipped wheat gluten to the US for human consumption too, its clear that our pets are the “canaries in the coal mine”. Human food safety is also at risk. The importer insists its product went only into pet food, but this has not been substantiated by the FDA. According to the AP, FDA only inspects 1.3% of food imports, and inspections today are only 75% of what they were in 2003. You can protect yourself somewhat by buying locally or organic but we really need an effective federal watchdog in this era of global food supplies. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) would help if there is a contaminant in human food, but Congress has delayed COOL numerous times. Note: The Times reported that powdery scraps of melamine -- a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers -- were secretly mixed into animal feed in China. http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/04/07//health/14_29_254_2_07.txt http://avma.org/aa/petfoodrecall/default.asp “Greenies” Build A Skyscraper: Real “green power” kicks in when the meaning of “A penny saved is a penny earned” becomes a matter of millions of dollars being saved. The building of the Bank Of America Tower in NYC is applying the lessons that green builders have learned to build the ‘greenest’ building in New York and save a cool million bucks a year ‘forever after’. Read more at: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/article/0,28804,1602354_1603074_1603140,00.html New Yorkers As “Greenies”: The Big Apple is home to the greenest citizens in the U.S. Relatively few New Yorkers own cars—one of the biggest contributors to an individual's carbon emissions. Most walk, bike or ride public transit to work—all more efficient transport than the best hybrids. And New York has developed up, rather than out, which limits wasteful sprawl. Eight million New Yorkers are squeezed into 301 sq. mi.—less than a fortieth of an acre per person. Even a fairly dense suburb devotes about a third of an acre to each person. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/article/0,28804,1602354_1603074_1603153,00.html Dream Girl: One morning 5 years ago, Englishman David Brown woke up with a cell phone number running through his mind. Brown, then 19, had no idea where the number came from, and sent a text message to it hoping to solve the mystery. He reached Michelle Kitson, a 17-year old student living 60 miles away. She had no idea, but after several messages back and forth, they struck up a friendship that blossomed into love. They recently returned from their honeymoon… and Brown says, “She’s indeed the girl of my dreams”. The Week Texas Pledge To Include "Under God"?: The Texas House has voted to add the words “under God” to the Texas pledge which is recited daily in all classrooms throughout the state of Texas. [ My Comment: As a newly retired teacher who led his students through the U.S. national pledge of allegiance, the Texas pledge, and ‘moment of silence’ each and every day, I’d like to suggest dropping the Texas pledge. The U.S. pledge already includes ‘under God’ and is an eloquent oath ( whereas the Texas pledge is awkward and redundant).] http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/05/05/5pledge.html http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4777149.html Words Of Wisdom: Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. |
Posted 5/4/2007 4:42 PM CDT
Natural Way To Curb/Stop Smoking: In a first of its kind study, 209 smokers were asked to name items that worsen or enhance cigarettes' taste. Smokers reported that drinking milk or water and/or eating fruits and vegetables often worsened the taste of cigarettes. On the other hand, alcohol, coffee and meat generally enhanced the taste of cigarettes. These findings could lead to a diet that makes it easier to quit smoking. Smokers of menthol cigarettes were less likely to say that foods or beverages altered the taste of their cigarettes. Silver acetate is known to alter the taste of cigarettes and is used in the form of a gum to help smokers quit. [My Comment: Since additives in tobacco are used to BOTH enhance the taste AND increase the addictive quality of cigarettes, I’d suggest that a smoker who’s trying to ‘cut back’ also smoke only natural tobacco with no additives. Note: My brother quit by eating a lot of sunflower seeds and sheer will power. My brother-in-law quit when a personal experience of someone dying as a result of smoking motivated him. The bottom line is that you really have to ‘want’ to quit in order to beat an addiciton like this.]
http://tinyurl.com/26zx8a
Nicotine As A Natural Pesticide: If it were possible to extract and inject all of the nicotine in a single pack of cigarettes into an adult, it’d easily kill them. Children and pets have been accidentally poisoned by eating cigarette butts.
http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Drug_and_Addiction_Information/about_tobacco.html
http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/poison/nicotine/nicotine.htm
Smoking Humor:
http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?80-02-14
http://www.frankandernest.com/cgi/view/display.pl?97-09-02
USA Has World’s Biggest Prison System: More than 2.1 million people are in jail in the US at any one time….. about one in 140 Americans. One of the biggest drivers of the expanding population are the tough policies like the "three strikes" laws. They are tactics that are working / as figures have shown violent crime and murder falling. [My Comment: There are too many people in prison on simple drug possesson charges that are toughened by exposure to hardened criminals… and who themselves are subjected to undue punishment via exposure to and abuse by these ‘hard cases’ (e.g., prison rape) despite the enactment of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003. We’re rehabilitating less and incarcerating more… and using technology to make it more economical to privatize even this social cause.]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4858580.stm
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/prison/learn.html
Model Rehabilitation Center: The Delancey Street Foundation in San Francisco puts hardened criminals - including thieves and murderers - in charge of their own recovery and it doesn't take a penny in grant money from the United States government. Instead the residents support themselves - and each other - by running a string of businesses including a gourmet restaurant. Nestling in the shadow of San Francisco's Bay Bridge the Delancey Street Foundation looks more like an upscale Mediterranean resort than a commune for ex-cons.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6245531.stm
http://www.eisenhowerfoundation.org/grassroots/delancey/
San Francisco: Has 120,000 dogs, but only 93,000 children under the age of 14.
http://tinyurl.com/2bldhc
Credit Offers A Problem??: In The Week magazine (04-13-2007), they indicate that, as consumers rein in their borrowing, lenders are getting desperate and have turned to new tactics that wind up with you being flooded by unsolicited credit offers. This makes consumers more vulnerable to bait-and-switch schemes and increases the risk of identity theft. So, make sure that you’re on the National Do Not Call Registry / www.donotcall.gov & opt out of all prescreened credit solicitations (including credit cards) at www.optoutprescreen.com
Identity Theft: It makes us all less financially secure. Reforms can help. Companies should be required to notify customers if the security of their sensitive personal information has been compromised. And all consumers should have the power to put a security freeze on their credit files before they become victimized. Security freezes need to be easy to use, low cost, and available to every American. Let’s ask our representatives to please make stronger financial privacy laws a priority. Action via “Consumers Union”:
https://secure.npsite.org/cu/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1229
Wisdom: If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature's way. ~ Aristotle ~
