Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
When it Comes to Emergency Funds, Size Does Matter
Posted: 02 Sep 2008 06:00 AM CDT
giantredwoods090208.jpg
Photo courtesy of Maurice
A solid emergency fund is the foundation of any solid financial plan. Having a little tucked away for rainy days puts some distance between you and the ledge of a financial cliff that could give way at any moment–usually from broken appliances, car repairs or major medical issues. Most financial planners advise people to have about 3-6 months worth of expenses saved in money designated for emergencies only. However, over the years I’ve found this 3-6 month rule to be too arbitrary, because there are a variety of factors to consider when deciding how large to grow your own emergency fund.
Emergency Savings: Just Starting Out
Dave Ramsey’s plan calls this first phase of savings the “baby emergency fund.” It is represented by $1,000 in a savings account. This first $1,000 in savings is the first of seven financial baby steps recommended by Ramsey, but over the years of putting his plan in action we’ve found this amount to be too low. $3,000 is actually a better amount for our family, and we arrived at this number rather unscientifically by floating an amount that made both me and my wife comfortable. Not unlike most couples, our emergency savings balance represents a “middle ground” that we both compromised to reach because of our differing degrees of risk we were willing to take on. We have our emergency fund stashed away in an ING Direct high yield online savings account.
Men Are From Mars
My wife is more conservative than I am when it comes to the amount of risk she is willing to accept. I am on the opposite end of the scale, opting to take on more risk for the opportunity for a larger reward. Our differences are not unlike most married couples, where one spouse helps balance out the personality of the other. I agreed with her that the $1,000 baby emergency fund seemed a little low, and thought we should double it. She thought $5,000 sounded good to her. We met in the middle (almost) and settled on $3,000.
How Large Should Your Emergency Fund Be?
I mentioned in the opening that there was no magic formula for calculating how much should be in your initial emergency fund. But if I were attempting to devise such a formula it would probably look something like this:
* $500 per Spouse
* $500 per Child
* $1,000 Extra for Single-Income Families
Following this formula we arrived at the $3,000 amount for our family. If my wife worked outside the home, we could probably live with a $2,000 beginner emergency fund, because if I became unemployed we would still have her income to fall back on.
A Fully-Funded Emergency Fund
Once you are completely debt free I recommend saving a fully-funded emergency fund which represents 6-12 months of living expenses. For most families this would probably look like $10,000-$15,000. Remember, in a real emergency this amount would only be used to pay for basic expenses. Mortgages, car payments, food and basic utilities should be included in this calculation. Your Netflix membership and cable bill could be canceled or put on hold in a pinch. To the savvy investor $15,000 may sound like an exorbitant amount of cash to keep on the sidelines, but just imagine the peace you would feel knowing you had $15,000, or even $20,000, just sitting there in case of emergency.
Post from: Frugal Dad
Dang, thanks for posting that and to all involved with the pings to the critter lists. Apparently these balls come in different sizes to suit all breeds, probably a few cats out there playing with them too.
Stupid me, I played those vids here at work and had a coworker catch me with tears in my eyes.
Cal, thanks for helping to get the word out about the dog toy.
I almost missed it, almost did not check it out.
You are welcome and my thanks to all of you who are passing on the warning.
It is not enough that our kids toys are not safe, now it is the pets toy.
Yes, the photos would make an iron man cry.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2074036/posts?page=1
Our Hope, Our Children, Our Responsibility in Fighting Jihad
United States Action.com ^ | September 3, 2008 | Jeffrey Imm
Posted on Wednesday, September 03, 2008 2:26:26 PM by nw_arizona_granny
Our Hope, Our Children, Our Responsibility in Fighting Jihad
September 3, 2008 Jeffrey Imm, Anti-Jihad League of America
[I have posted other articles in the thread, on jehad and safety of schools.
granny]
1. Hooded Sweaters Recalled by Empress Arts; Children Can Strangle on Drawstrings
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2008
Release #08-383
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (323) 780-8181 collect
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Hooded Sweaters Recalled by Empress Arts; Children Can Strangle on Drawstrings
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Children’s Hooded Sweaters
Units: About 130
Manufacturer: Empress Arts Ltd., of Monterey Park, Calif.
Hazard: The sweaters have drawstrings through the hood. Children can get entangled in the drawstrings that can catch on playground equipment, fences or tree branches. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstring in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts. From 1985 through 2007, CPSC received reports of 27 deaths and 70 non-fatal incidents involving the entanglement of children’s clothing drawstrings.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: The cotton knit sweaters are cream colored with a blue stripe at the wrists and waist, a blue ball on the hood, and blue buttons. There is a drawstring through the hood with pom-poms at the ends. The sweaters were sold in children’s size 2T under the brand name “Empress Arts.” “Empress Baby” is sewn into the sweaters tag.
Sold at: Specialty children’s stores nationwide from August 2006 through April 2008 for between $28 and $45.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the drawstrings from the sweaters to eliminate the hazard.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Empress Arts collect at (323) 780-8181 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.empressarts.com
To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08383.html
********************************************************
2. Rapid Reel(r) Recalls Portable Garden Hose Carts; Tires Can Explode Posing an Injury Hazard
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2008
Release #08-384
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 523-2363
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Rapid Reel(r) Recalls Portable Garden Hose Carts; Tires Can Explode Posing an Injury Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Products: Portable Garden Hose Reel Carts and Wagons
Units: About 7,000
Importer: Eley Corporation, dba Rapid Reel of Lincoln, Neb.
Hazard: The tires on the portable garden hose reel can explode while being inflated, posing an injury hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Rapid Reel(r) has received five reports of tires exploding while being inflated, resulting in lacerations to fingers, arms, and legs from flying pieces of plastic.
Description: This recall involves the Rapid Reel(r) portable garden hose reel carts and wagons. The cart has two tires and the wagon has four. The tires have a white plastic rim and a steel ball bearing hub or a black plastic bearing hub.
Sold by: Home repair retailers and distributors such as Ace Hardware, Amazon.com, and True Value Hardware nationwide from April 2005 through March 2006 for between $190 and $250.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should not inflate tires on the portable hose carts and contact Rapid Reel(r) for free replacement tires.
Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Rapid Reel(r) toll-free at (866) 523-2363 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.rapidreel.com
To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08384.html
This message contains the following:
1. Bicycles with Deda Forza Handlebar Stems Recalled by Deda Elementi Due to Crash Hazard (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08385.html)
2. Circo Children’s Bobbie Socks Recalled Due to Choking Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Target (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08386.html)
3. Worldwise Inc. Recalls Retractable Dog Leashes; Metal Clasp Can Break and Cause Facial and Body Injuries to Dog Owners (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08387.html)
4. Cordless Screwdrivers Recalled by Menards Due to Fire and Burn Hazards (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08388.html)
5. Optave Inc. Recalls Action Baby Carriers Due to Fall Hazard (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08389.html)
6. Pendants and Candle Charms Recalled Due to Risk of Lead Exposure (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08390.html)
7. Wolf Appliance Recalls Gas Ranges Due to Burn Hazard (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08391.html)
8. CPSC Public Calendar
http://coloradoradio.com/?m=200809
A black bear helped Garfield County, Utah police and Forest Service Agents discovered 888 marijuana plants and 4,000 starter packs—plastic bags with seeds on Tuesday.
According to KJCT, police also discovered pipes chewed in half, cans with bear teeth marks, claw marks and bear prints, and claw scratches in the trees.
The marijuana was being grown in the Dixie National Forest, about 250 miles west of Grand Junction.
Authorities think the growers were so scared that they didn’t think about taking anything when the bear arrived.
The bear has yet to be found.
Source: KJCT (Posted 4:16p)
[Yes, I laughed, loudly...granny]
the bear was last seen getting on his bike...
Fred, your bear really looks like he thinks he can ride it.
What a fantastic photo.
Thank you for sharing it.
Here’s a copycat recipe that I have developed.
I use it in recipes that require an box of
Jiffy Corn Muffing Mix.
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix - Copycat recipe
Makes: 6 muffins.
This recipe is equal to one 8.5 ounce box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix.
Makes 8.5 ounces (equal to 1-box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix) Makes 1-1/2 cups of mix. Makes 6 corn muffins.
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well with whisk. Whisk in vegetable oil and mix until dry mixture is smooth and lumps are gone.
2. If another recipe is calling for a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, add the above mixed ingredients to that recipe.
3. If you wish to make Corn Muffins, continue with instructions below.
4. Preheat oven to 400F.Combine above mixture with egg and milk. Mix well.
Fill muffin tins 1/2 full. Bake 15-20 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.
http://www.russiatoday.com/features/news/30193
September 9, 2008, 19:17
Horned beasts off to feed in downtown L.A.
A hundred goats have been set on the loose in downtown Los Angeles. They are there to get rid of the weeds covering a slope in the Bunker Hill district, and they cost less than half the wages of bipedal workers.
Head of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency Cecilia Estolano said the 100 goats have being rented for $US 3,000 to clear the 10,000 square meters hillside while hiring workmen would have totaled as much as $US 7,500. They are also more environmentally friendly then brush-clearers armed with gasoline-powered weed-whackers, reports the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
The goats are kept from running all around the city by an electric fence, and security guards watch over them while their keeper George Gonzales is off work.
Gonzales said his crew would work long hours over the next week to 10 days and “won’t collect a pension or charge for working overtime and won’t call in sick.”
Cheap workers as they are, the goats are also a great entertainment for local office workers who don’t miss the change to snap pictures of the munching animals at work.
“My friends won’t believe this unless they see it,” said Vicky Bravo, a student who lives south of downtown.
http://www.russiatoday.com/features/news/29818
Features
Send to friend | Print version
Happy as a pig in sh…owers?! September 2, 2008, 13:32
Happy as a pig in sh…owers?!
Although pigs are said to be happy rolling in mud, those living in Switzerland might soon change their habits. According to new Swiss legislation effective as of September 1, they now have a legal right to shower.
The new law covers a number of aspects relating to handling domestic animals and wild animals in zoos or circuses. It is particularly strict when it comes to treating social animals. Thus, common household pets, such as hamsters or budgies are no longer allowed to be kept by themselves.
As for cold-blooded species, owners are required to keep their goldfish and other pet fish in aquariums which are not transparent on all sides. This is needed to maintain the natural cycle of day and night. The law also forbids flushing living fish down the toilet to get rid of them. Instead the fish must be killed before its body can be disposed of.
Those wishing to keep man’s best friend in their households will now have to attend special classes to learn how to properly raise dogs. Cropping tails and ears is not allowed any more, so as not to make animals suffer for the sake of fashion.
Farmers will also need to be more attentive to the animals they breed. Sheep and goats, for example, must at least have visual contact with the rest of the flock.
http://www.russiatoday.com/features/news/30093
September 8, 2008, 10:51
Model citizen: monument honours selfless Kazan pensioner
A monument in tribute to people who devote their lives to helping others has been unveiled in the city of Kazan in Russia’s republic of Tatarstan. While monuments to prominent philanthropists are nothing unusual, this one is special - it’s been inspired by a local pensioner who remains unfazed by the attention.
Almost 100 children live in a Kazan orphanage, most of them suffering from mental disorders. Many need specialist treatment that they can only get outside the orphanage.
It used to be the case that making a trip to town was a challenge. But now, life for the children has been made easier by one simple thing - a minivan.
The van was a gift from a man so well-known for his charity work that he served as prototype for the monument recently unveiled in Kazan’s central square.
“With this van, we also take them to parks or the zoo. Here, all the children see are the walls around them, but during these trips they get to discover a whole new world,” says head nurse Evgenia Dobrynina.
72-year-old Asgat Galimzyanov has been helping children for most of his life. He’s changed many jobs, from driving a horse and cart at a Soviet market, to breeding cattle.
He has spent most of the money he’s made buying minivans, clothes and toys for local hospitals and orphanages. Asgat says he has seen hardships in his life – that’s why he feels it necessary to ease the life of others.
Asya Minnullina, the sculptor who cast him in bronze, says she couldn’t wait to make the monument: “When I met Asgat, I saw a really positive man and I got inspired straight away. It’s all about someone who is happy when he makes others happy”.
As for the locals, they believe the project is long overdue, but hope that the monument will make others follow his example.
Welcome and thank you for posting your recipe.
It will be good, and it brings fond memories to me.
In 1955 I asked my grandmother for a good cornbread recipe,
her answer was simple “Take a box of Jiffy corn bread mix”....
Today, I prefer mine to not come out of the box, and your recipe will be a good one.
Over the years, I have gotten different results with mine, LOL, as I don’t measure for cornbread, I have used the same mixing bowl for so many years, that I could pretty well gauge, what I once measured.
I have been trying to get back to posting here, but have been sidetracked with all the terror news, I will be back and I hope that you will continue to post also.
INFANT KIDNEY STONES - CHINA: GANSU, MILK POWDER SUSPECTED, REQUEST
FOR INFORMATION
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
[1]
Date: 10 Sep 2008
Source: Reuters [edited]
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSPEK25999920080910?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews
A Chinese hospital has received 14 kidney stone patients, all infants
under 11 months who drank the same brand of milk formula, reviving
memories of a milk-powder scandal that killed at least 13 babies.
The infants, from a rural area of northwest Gansu province, were all
admitted in the past 2 months, Xinhua news agency said, citing
doctors at a local hospital.
“It is rare for babies to get kidney stones, let alone so many babies
at the same time,” Zhang Wei, a doctor at the Gansu-based No. 1
Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army, was quoted as saying.
Parents told the hospital their babies had all been drinking the same
milk powder, Xinhua added without mentioning the brand.
The provincial Public Health Bureau said further investigations would
be carried out to find out whether there was any connection between
the kidney stones and the milk powder.
Kidney stones are small, solid masses that form when salts or
minerals normally found in urine crystallize inside the kidney.
If they become large enough, they can move out of the kidney, cause
infection and lead to permanent kidney damage. In 2004, at least 13
babies in eastern Anhui province died after drinking fake milk powder
that investigators later found had no nutritional value, a scandal
that rocked the country and triggered widespread investigations into
food and health safety.
—
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via
PRO/MBDS promed-mbds@promedmail.org
******
[2]
Date: 9 Sep 2008
Source: Shanghai Daily [edited]
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=373126&type=Metro
14 infants from country areas of Gansu Province are suffering from
kidney stones after drinking a particular brand of milk powder.
The latest patient, an 8-month-old infant from Min County, was sent
to the No. 1 Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in
Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu, yesterday [8 Sep 2008], Lanzhou
Morning Post reported today [9 Sep 2008].
The infant is the elder of twins. The father said the younger one was
diagnosed with kidney stones in August [2008] and had just been
released from hospital after surgery.
Li Wenhui, a doctor from the urological department of the hospital,
told the newspaper he saw the 1st infant patient on [28 Jun 2008] and
more in the following months. All the infants had the same symptoms.
The ages of the infants range from under 6 months to 11 months,
according to the report, and they came from counties of the province,
including Wushan, Yongjing, Min, Yongdeng, Qin’an.
The youngest patient had been in critical condition, with blood
potassium levels exceeding the norm by 50 percent, and could have
died at any minute.
Doctor Li said kidney stones rarely occur in infants.
The parents of the children all fed their babies with the same brand
of milk powder. The milk powder sells well and is the 1st choice for
young parents in these areas.
The report didn’t name the brand or the production. According to the
report, the manager of the company’s Lanzhou Office said experts had
been sent to investigate.
An earlier milk powder scandal in Fuyang, Anhui Province killed at
least 13 babies. Hundreds of other babies suffered from “big head”
disease, a condition stemming from malnutrition caused by inferior
milk powder.
The scandal was uncovered in April 2004 and involved several
companies, powder producers, wholesale dealers and officials in
governments and supervisory departments.
—
Communicated by:
PRO/MBDS promed-mbds@promedmail.org
[Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) are relatively rare in infants and
are usually related to metabolic disorders such as cystinuria. In
“Baldwin DN, Spencer JL and Jeffries-Stokes CA. Carbohydrate
intolerance and kidney stones in children in the Goldfields. J of
Paediatrics and Child Health. 2003. 39 (5): 381-385,” concerning that
renal stones are common findings in children of the Goldfields region
of Western Australia, the authors hypothesize that “carbohydrate
malabsorption (related to lactose intolerance) together with the
ensuing chronic diarrhea and intraluminal breakdown of sugars by
enteric bacteria may result in a situation of chronic metabolic
acidosis. Chronic metabolic acidosis can lead to protein catabolism,
increased urate excretion and the formation of renal stones.”
More information on the findings of investigations into this apparent
“outbreak” of nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) among infants in Gansu,
including biochemical studies on the contents of the implicated milk
powder, would be greatly appreciated.
Deficiencies in quality control in China have led to substandard
pharmaceutical products produced and distributed both domestically
within China as well as internationally (see prior PRO/MBDS and
ProMED-mail postings referenced below). The prior incident of
substandard infant milk powder distributed in China occurred in April
2004, during the height of the SARS epidemic, and seems to have been
missed by ProMED-mail. At that time, substandard infant milk with no
nutritional value was distributed to 11 provinces, Beijing, and
Shanghai, resulting in severe malnutrition of hundreds of infants as
well as the deaths of 13 infants.
For a map of China with administrative divisions, see
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/china_pol01.jpg
For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of China with links to other
recent ProMED-mail/PRO/MBDS postings in China and surrounding areas,
see
http://healthmap.org/promed?v=36.5,103.9,4
- Mod.MPP]
[see also:
ProMED-MBDS:
Fake pharmaceuticals - Cambodia 20080725.2262
Fake pharmaceuticals - China: artesunate 20080213.0573
Fake pharmaceuticals - China: enforcement 20080124.0306
2007
[For additional references on related postings from the general
ProMED-mail list, see below at
http://www.promedmail.org
- Mod.MPP]
Malaria - Africa: substandard & counterfeit drugs 20080508.1566
2007
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