(UK/US) Religious groups’ fury at Osama bin Lego toy
-— by US toy manufacturer BrickArms
-— also designs Nazi-based toys
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23597009-details/article.do?ito=newsnow&;;
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,461647,00.html
—— US toy manufacturer calls toy “Bandit ‘Mr. White’”
http://www.brickarms.com/toys/minifigs/bandit_white.aspx
If reposting elsewhere, please credit source of this research as UnitedStatesAction.com
https://ionmx.com/apps/display.aspx?t=d09-74-74-acc-3a32b&h=a251043646bb6e02fde592ac4ef3a238
The National Archives, Kew, Surrey, TW9 4DU, UK
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
History/writers ping.
Grandfather Critical After Pushing Newborn To Safety
Police Say James Lewin Pushed Granddaughter Out Of Harm’s Way
POSTED: 4:57 pm MST December 3, 2008
UPDATED: 1:17 pm MST December 4, 2008
DENVER — A grandfather remained in critical condition Thursday after police said he sacrificed himself to save his newborn granddaughter.
James Lewin, 65, was out Friday night walking with his wife, two grandchildren, his daughter and her husband. They were heading home after the annual Candlelight Walk and Tree Lighting ceremony in downtown Littleton.
Lewin was pushing his 12-day-old granddaughter, Sara, in a stroller. They were entering a crosswalk at South Price Street and West Church Avenue when a Dodge pickup truck turned from Prince Street onto Church Avenue and hit Lewin, police said.
Lewin pushed Sarah’s stroller out of harm’s way just before he was struck by the truck, witnesses said. The family’s Web site said the truck dragged Lewin 75 feet after it hit him.
Thanks to her grandfather’s quick thinking, Sara was not hurt.
“He pushed the stroller so hard, the stroller’s axle bent and the handle was broken from Jim shoving the stroller away,” said Carol Lewin, his wife.
continued.
I think this man needs a few Freeper prayers........
granny
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel08/holidayscams120108.htm
Press Release
For Immediate Release
December 1, 2008
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
Holiday Season Cyber Scammers Target Victims
The FBI is reminding people this holiday season that cyber criminals continue to aggressively seek ways to steal money and personal information. Scammers are using several techniques to fool potential victims including sending unsolicited e-mails that contain attachments such as electronic greeting cards containing malware (malicious software), setting up spoofing websites that look like legitimate commercial sites, and unleashing phishing and vishing attacks where individuals receive e-mails asking for personal data.
“These cyber scammers will do whatever they can to steal your money and personal information this holiday season and are trying many different ways to commit these crimes. The best way to protect yourself is to report these scams to law enforcement or the Internet Crime Complaint Center, IC3,” said Shawn Henry, Assistant Director, FBI Cyber Division, Washington, D.C.
In the greeting card scam, the cards, which are also referred to as e-cards or postcards, are being sent via spam. Like many other Internet fraud schemes, the criminals use social engineering tactics to entice the victim, claiming the card is from a family member or friend. Although there have been variations in the spam message and attached malware, generally the spam directs the recipient to click the link provided in the e-mail to view the e-card. Upon clicking the link, the recipient is unknowingly taken to a malicious webpage.
Spoofing scams are when criminals create a false or shadow copy of a real website or e-mail in a way that misleads the recipient. All network traffic between the victim’s browser and the shadow page are sent through the spoofer’s machin e. This allows the spoofer to acquire personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and account numbers.
Even though the e-mail looks like the real thing, complete with authentic logos and working web links, it’s a fak e. The website where you’re told to enter your account information is also fak e. In some instances, really slick spoofers direct you to the genuine website, then pop up a window over the site that captures your personal information. The information entered does not go to the legitimate site, but rather to the spoofer’s account. The information you entered will most likely be sold to criminals, who’ll use it to ruin your credit and drain your account.
In phishing and vishing attacks, individuals report receiving e-mails or text messages indicating a problem with their account. They are directed to follow the link provided in the message to update their account or correct the problem. The link actually directs the individuals to a fraudulent website that looks legitimate where their personal information, such as account number and PIN, is compromised.
Other reported scams have included victims receiving an e-mail message asking them to complete an online survey. At the end of the survey, they are asked for their personal account information to allow funds to be credited to the account in appreciation for completing the survey. Providing this information will allow criminals to compromise the account.
Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:
* Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
* Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
* Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
* Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
* Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link that you are actually directed to.
* Log on to the official website, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail.
* Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuin e.
To receive the latest information about cyber scams please go to the FBI website and sign up for e-mail alerts by clicking on one of the red envelopes. If you have received a scam e-mail, please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint at www.ic3.gov. For more information on e-scams, please visit the FBI’s New E-Scams and Warnings webpage.
Victory Mail
Companion website to a physical exhibit about the history of Victory Mail, “more commonly known as V-Mail, operated during World War II to expedite mail service for American armed forces overseas. ... V-Mail used standardized stationery and microfilm processing to produce lighter, smaller cargo.” Includes sections on V-Mail operations and use and letter-writing in World War II, a timeline, and references. Includes lesson plans with facsimile V-Mail forms. From the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
URL: http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/victorymail/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26882
United States Renal Data System
This is “a national data system that collects, analyzes, and distributes information about end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States.” Features the Annual Data Report, which (as of 2008), “includes a volume dedicated to the Chronic Kidney Disease population, a first for public health surveillance of CKD in the United States.” Also find presentations and posters, slides, a researcher’s guide, and related resources.
URL: http://www.usrds.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27233
[It would be the NY Times and no posting from there...]
Hanukkah Recipes
Collection of recipes for foods served for Hanukkah celebrations. Includes recipes for latkes, jam-filled mandelbrot, letcho (Hungarian eggs with tomatoes, peppers, and onions), and other dishes. Also includes links to articles about Hanukkah, such as “A Beginner’s Guide to Hanukkah.” From The New York Times.
URL: URL TRUNCATED, SEE LII ITEM
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27260
Christmas Season Celebrations in Australia
Learn how Christmas is celebrated in Australia, where Christmas comes at the beginning of summer. Topics include where Australians spend Christmas (often out of doors, such as at a beach or camping), how “many people no longer serve a traditional hot roast dinner” (serving cold turkey and Christmas plum pudding with cold custard instead), and Australian Christmas carols. Also includes brief information about Indigenous Australians’ summer celebrations. From the Australian Government.
URL: http://culture.gov.au/articles/christmas/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27278
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10064
FamilyFun.com 2008 © FamilyFun
Angel Garland
Angel Garland
Strung together with fancy ribbon, this order of lacy angels looks heavenly draped from a tree bough, on a mantel or around a banister.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Lacy white fabric or tulle
Cotton balls
Both white and yellow yarn
Yellow felt
White ribbon or cording
Glitter glue, optional
Beads or charms, optional
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
Angel Garland 1. To make each angel, place a cotton ball in the center of an 11-inch square of white fabric. Gather the fabric around the cotton ball and tie it with white string or yarn to form a head and gown. Trim the ends of the string close to the knot.
2. Next, cut a 12-inch piece of yellow string or yarn for a belt and tie it around the angel’s gown (be sure to leave sleeve openings large enough to thread ribbon through).
3. Loop and tie another piece of yellow string (or gold thread) into a halo and glue it to the back of the angel’s head.
4. Use the same method to make five more angels. Then thread a 5-foot length of white ribbon or cording through the sleeves of each angel. For an extra festive touch, string beads or charms between the angels.
5. Finally, cut out a pair of yellow felt wings for each angel. Glue the wings (paint them with glitter glue, if desired) to the backs of the angels, and the garland is ready to hang.
More Christmas crafts »
http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/specialfeature/christmas-crafts-ms/
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[Please do not make my kids a Jingle Bell bracelet, it will drive me over the edge.......if I had kids still...granny]
The Plum Book (United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions)
“The Plum Book is used to identify presidentially appointed positions within the Federal Government.” It features details about jobs, locations, salary, and more for “over 7,000 Federal civil service leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government.” Published every four years just after the presidential election. From the Government Printing Office (GPO).
URL: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plumbook/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/116
Regiftable.com
Humorous website on the financial and personal aspects of regifting. Includes “Regifting 101” (with matters to consider such as the condition of the gift and keeping the regifting secret), user-submitted regifting stories, and a blog. This site also sets the Thursday before Christmas as National Regifting Day, which “according to ... unscientific research ... is the most common day for a holiday office party,” where much regifting takes place. From a consumer credit counseling service.
URL: http://www.regiftable.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27315
A couple years ago, John at 850koa.com, a Denver radio station, did a program on regifting, it was a delight.
I did not know it had a name, thought of it as “something everyone did, quietly”.
Some callers were horrified that you would do such a thing.
Others told the truth that they did it all the time.
There reports on the same gift regifted for 30 or more years between people.
My favorite, was the entire family regifts, you bring a regift and put it on a table, enter your name in a hat, and when it is drawn, you get to go to the table and choose a gift that you do want........that has to be fun, of course the first are lucky and the last will bring theirs back for next year.
One not so pretty vase had been there 13 times.
granny
Economic Indicators
“Available from April 1995 forward, this monthly compilation is prepared for the Joint Economic Committee by the Council of Economic Advisors and provides economic information on prices, wages, production, business activity, purchasing power, credit, money and Federal finance.” Searchable; or browse by date back to 1998. Available in ASCII text (charts and graphic omitted) and PDF formats. From GPO Access, a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office.
URL: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/indicators/index.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27313
http://family.go.com/food/pkg-quick-easy-recipes/pkg-20-minute-meals/?micrositeid=quick-easy
20-Minute Meals
Your family can still eat well on busy school nights with these quick & easy recipes.
parmesan chicken
eating well.com
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gnocchi zucchini eating well.com
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http://family.go.com/food/pkg-quick-easy-recipes/recipe-ar-15602-basic-microwave-risotto-t/
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Basic Microwave Risotto
By Drasaid
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If all the stirring, and stirring and stirring has discouraged you from making creamy risotto, then read on. This simple recipe cooks up in the microwave all by itself in about 20 minutes. You can add different ingredients to the basic recipe and come up with countless variations.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. In a 3 quart, microwave safe casserole dish combine butter, garlic and onion. Place dish in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes.
2. Place vegetable broth in a microwave safe dish. Heat on microwave until the broth is hot but not boiling (approximately 2 minutes).
3. Stir the rice and broth into the casserole dish with the onion, butter and garlic mixture. Cover the dish tightly and cook on high for 6 minutes.
4. Stir wine into the rice. Cook on high for 10 minutes more. Most of the liquid should boil off. Stir the cheese into the rice and serve.
Nutrition Information
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 370 cal Total Fat: 10.7 g Cholesterol: 28 mg
Sodium: 380 mg Carbohydrates: 50.1 g Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 7.5 g
http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/ai473e/ai473e03.htm
snipped:
In Far East Asia, in spite of an overall good supply situation, serious food insecurity continues to be reported in several countries, notably in Myanmar due to the effects of cyclone Nargis, sweeping through the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) delta region and the country’s main city and former capital on 2 and 3 May 2008. In Bangladesh, large-scale humanitarian relief operations are still ongoing to assist the 1.5 million people most affected by Cyclone Sidr, which hit up to 30 districts on 15 November 2007, and millions of people affected by rising food prices. In the Democratic People ’ s Republic of Korea, the food supply outlook remains precarious. The WFP/FAO Rapid Food Security Assessment (RFSA) conducted in June 2008 confirmed a significant deterioration in food security in most parts of the country.
Localized food insecurity in Nepal continues. Tens of thousands of people in the Eastern region have been displaced due to a breach in the banks of the Koshi River which flooded the area in August, while 180 000 people have been reportedly displaced in the affected districts of the Far Western and Mid-Western regions since 19 September due to floods and landslides. The food security situation of a large number of people in Sri Lanka continues to be affected by the resurgence of civil conflict, which claimed 7 000 lives since the beginning of 2008, as well as rising high food prices. In the Philippines, the effect of Typhoon Fengshen on 18 June 2008 and high food prices continue to impact on the wellbeing of a large number of vulnerable people. The food supply situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran is of serious concern since the significant reduction in 2008 of wheat production as a result of drought conditions in the country as well as crop damage due to winter frost. In China, 1 million urban households and 3.5 million rural families in Sichuan province, affected by the severe earthquake in May, have moved into transitional houses. However, millions of people are expected to continue to need agricultural and food assistance in the coming months.
In the Near East, in Iraq, following continued improvement in the security situation and financial incentives offered by the Government, many refugees in Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic are returning home. However, food security concerns are exacerbated this year following the drought, which drastically reduced the domestic wheat crop, meaning the country will have to rely more heavily on imports. Furthermore, the drought has also led to difficulties in the supply adequate safe drinking water. Outbreaks of cholera spread throughout central and southern areas in late August. In Afghanistan, insecurity and widespread lack of adequate access to food has being exacerbated by a drought-reduced harvest in 2008. The cereal import requirement for 2008/09 is estimated at 2.3 million tonnes, more than double the previous year’s level. With the commercial import capacity estimated at 1.5 million tonnes, this leaves a requirement of 700 000 tonnes as food assistance. The Government and the United Nations are appealing for funds to cover the food assistance needs and also to facilitate preparation and planting for the next winter crop season, which starts in September-October.
In the Asian CIS, in Tajikistan, widespread poor access to food has been exacerbated by a drought-reduced cereal crop in 2008 for the second year in succession. Reflecting the poor harvest, the cereal import requirement is estimated to be a high 560 000 tonnes. The country is having difficulties mobilizing its supplies commercially and food aid will be necessary to bring relief to the poor.
In Central America and the Caribbean, exceptionally high rainfall has afflicted the subregion since mid-August. Three tropical storms and one hurricane caused major flooding and mudslides in Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with damage to infrastructure and severe losses of cash and food crops, in particular bananas, plantains, cassava and paddy. Food vulnerability has increased dramatically in several Caribbean countries, where soils are widely saturated and local livelihoods and food supply may be further affected by additional precipitation in the next two months until the end of the hurricane season.
http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/economic/giews/english/fo/index.htm
Food Outlook is a biannual publication (June and November) focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. The sub-title “Global Market Analysis” reflects this focus on developments in international markets, with comprehensive assessments and forecasts on a commodity by commodity basis. Food Outlook maintains a close synergy with another major GIEWS publication, Crop Prospects and Food Situation, especially with regard to the coverage of cereals. Food outlook is available in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.
http://www.agmrc.org/directories__state_resources/
Directories and State Resources
Home » Directories & State Resources
This section provides access to value-added agricultural directories.
Sections
AgMRC Value-added Directories
Includes Agricultural Innovation Centers, state resources, Value-added Agricultural Consultants and Service Providers, and Value-added agricultural Businesses.
USDA Related Directories
Includes data resources, state and federal agriculture statistics, National organic program, state fact sheets, state farmer’s markets, state marketing profiles and more.
Related Agricultural Directories
Includes cooperative development programs/centers, general value-added programs, national commodity and farm organizations, sustainable agriculture programs, state extension, and more.
State Resources - Contacts of individuals and programs in each of the 50 states for value-added agriculture information specific to that state.
[Good source of links to the plant world...just keep clicking.]
http://www.agmrc.org/directories__state_resources/agmrc_directories/index.cfm
AgMRC Value-added Directories
Home » Directories & State Resources » AgMRC Directories
* State Resources - Contacts of individuals and programs in each of the 50 states for value-added agriculture information specific to that state.
* Agricultural Innovation Centers - List of USDA-funded agricultural innovation centers, with an overview, subject areas of expertise, activities and contact individuals.
* Value-Added Agricultural Consultants and Service Providers - List of specialists who have registered on the site to assist producers in developing or expanding a value-added agriculture business.
* Value-Added Agricultural Businesses - List of value-added businesses that have registered on the site that can be contacted by individuals with similar interests.