Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
Another rainy day. Another wood fire to stave off the dampness. What hasn't rotted in the garden or been eaten by the groundhogs is now being devoured by the deer. After 60 plus years of the same old, same old, why don't I just buy my veggies? I know, it's in my genes and I always manage to harvest enough to make it worth my time and expense.
Now, another rant. This stimulus!! My daughter has been given two half-time literacy teachers that she neither needs or wants just to use up stimulus funds. My grandson is working overtime drawing up plans for new sewer systems for towns, just to use up stimulus funds. Meanwhile, we are incurring debt that will be impossible to pay off. Has the whole country gone crazy?
Arthroscopic Shavers: Ongoing Safety Review
Audience: Orthopedic healthcare professionals, hospital risk managers, surgical services supervisors
FDA informed healthcare professionals of instances in which pieces of tissue have remained within arthroscopic shavers, a device used in orthopedic surgical procedures, even after the cleaning process was believed to have been completed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Since retained tissue in these devices can compromise the entire sterilization process, FDA is actively working with the manufacturers of these devices to gather more data about this situation and to understand its potential public health impact. FDA encourages facilities that use any of these types of devices to evaluate the adequacy of their cleaning procedures and has provided recommendations for minimizing the potential risk to patients.
FDA asks that surgical facilities that discover retained tissue in arthroscopic shavers after following the manufacturer-recommended cleaning procedures file a voluntary report with MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting program online. These voluntary reports will help FDA gather additional information related to this problem and assess its public health impact.
Read the complete MedWatch 2009 Safety summary, including a link to the FDA communication about the ongoing safety review, at:
www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm170730.htm
You are encouraged to report all serious adverse events and product quality problems to FDA MedWatch at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm170514.htm
Robertstjohn.com recalls Rich, Rich, Rich Hot Chocolate Mix because of possible health risk
Company Contact:
Stacey Andrews
888-315-6774
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 02, 2009 – HATTIESBURG, MS—robertstjohn.com has initiated a voluntary recall of its Rich, Rich, Rich Hot Chocolate Mix, after learning equipment used at a supplier’s facility may have been contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
Plainview, Minnesota supplier, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative announced it had voluntarily recalled its instant non-fat dried milk and whey protein because of potential salmonella bacteria contaminations. This milk product was used in the manufacturing of the hot chocolate mix.
The Robert St.John product under recall is packaged in 13 ounce plastic bags with the lot #20494 printed on the bag. The bag is packaged inside a metal tin can. Approximately 560 tin cans of the mix were sold to stores in Mississippi between November 18, 2008 and December 20, 2008. The stores have been notified and the product has been removed from their shelves.
This Robert St. John brand product has not been identified as contaminated or linked to any illness. The removal of product from store shelves is precautionary in nature and has been done to protect safety of the company’s customers.
Consumers who have purchased Rich, Rich, Rich Hot Chocolate Mix should not consume it. They should contact robertstjohn.com for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact robertstjohn.com customer service at 888-315-6774.
Robertstjohn.com expects to resume sales of its Rich, Rich, Rich Hot Chocolate Mix this Fall.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm170785.htm
Traditions Meal Solutions Recalls Non-Fat Dry Milk Packets Because of Possible Health Risk
Contact:
Traditions Meal Solutions
601-664-3100
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — July 7, 2009 - Traditions Meal Solutions is recalling approximately 104,500 packets of 25 gram non-fat dry milk packets because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The non-fat dry milk packets are components of Traditions Meal Solutions shelf stable meal kits distributed to food distributors and regional nutrition service providers located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. These meal kits were distributed between January 8, 2008 and June 15, 2009. The meal kits are packaged in small white boxes that have no identifying information and contain single-serve food items. These shelf stable meal kits were not available for individual consumer purchase. The only component of the shelf stable meal kit that represents a potential hazard is the non-fat dried milk. The non-fat dried milk packets are white and are approximately 5” by 4” and labeled with lot numbers from 19047 to 21203.
The packet of non-fat dried milk should not be used or consumed. Consumers who have any of the non-fat dry milk packets are urged to destroy them. Traditions Meal Solutions has not received any notification of consumer illness associated with the consumption of its product.
The recall was initiated when Traditions Meal Solutions was notified by its non-fat dry milk supplier, Blendco, Inc., that the non-fat dried milk packets included in the shelf stable meal kits contained product supplied by Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, which has issued a voluntary recall because the non-fat dried milk has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
Traditions Meal Solutions has isolated all recalled non-fat dried milk packets located in its facility and ceased the distribution of any shelf stable meal kits containing the recalled non-fat dried milk.
Consumers with questions regarding the recall should contact Traditions Meal Solutions Quality Assurance Manager, Marcia Guymon at 601-420-8806 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm CST. Media inquiries should be directed to Elmer McInnis, Executive Vice President of Procurement at 601-664-3138.
I've read: make in full moon /
make in new moon /
Aries /
Leo /
knees ...
I've always pickled with signs above the waist..
as usual any help appreciated ...
BTW: the news stories I have to post are so depressing I hesitate to bring up any more sorrow...
just double up...
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june09/auctionfraud_063009.html
ONLINE AUCTION FRAUD
Don’t Let it Happen to You
06/30/09
Auction fraud
One in four complaints in 2008 to the Internet Crime Complaint Center involved online auction fraud.
Computers, sports memorabilia, rare coins, designer fashions, and even cars.
These are just a few of the items offered for sale every day on legitimate online auction sites. They’re also just a small sample of the items used to lure unsuspecting victims into online auction fraud schemes.
Most of the one million-plus transactions that take place each day on these websites are legitimate; just a fraction actually result in some type of fraud.
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But even that fraction adds up. According to the latest report of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), more than 70,000 complaints made to IC3 last year—about one in every four—involved online auction scams.
There are a variety of auction frauds, but here are some of the more common ones to watch out for:
* Overpayment fraud targets the seller. A seller advertises a high-value item—like a car or a computer—on the Internet. A scammer contacts the seller to purchase the item, then sends the seller a counterfeit check or money order for an amount greater than the price of the item. The purchaser asks the seller to deposit the payment, deduct the actual sale price, and then return the difference to the purchaser.
* Wire transfer schemes start with fraudulent and misleading ads for the sale of high-value items being posted on well-known online auction sites. When buyers take the bait, they are directed to wire money to the crooks using a money transfer company. Once the money changes hands, the buyer never hears from them again.
* Second-chance schemes involve scammers who offer losing bidders of legitimate auctions the opportunity to buy the item(s) they wanted at reduced prices. They usually require that victims send payment through money transfer companies, but then don’t follow through on delivery.
And needless to say, in all of these schemes customers never get what they pay for.
2008 Top 10 Complaint Categories (Percent of Total Internet Crime Complaints Received) Non-delivery, 32.9% Auction Fraud, 25.5% Credit/Debit Card Fraud, 9.0% Confidence Fraud, 7.9% Computer Fraud, 6.2% Check Fraud, 5.4% Nigerian Letter Fraud, 2.8% Identity Theft, 2.8% Financial Institutions Fraud, 2.2% Threat, 1.9%
Who is behind the scams. Mostly individuals. However, there are exceptions: criminal enterprises from West Africa are especially fond of the overpayment scams, while Romanian crime groups favor the second-chance schemes.
We’re working to address the problem. We’ve had a number of successful auction fraud investigations, worked collaboratively with other agencies, including one in Virginia and one in Texas.
What to do if you’ve been victimized. Go to the Internet Crime Complaint Center or the Federal Trade Commission websites and submit a complaint. The more we know about the extent of the crime—including the specific methods being used to perpetrate it—the more effective we can be in preventing and investigating these scams. You can also report incidents to your local police and to auction companies.
So, how can you avoid being a victim of auction fraud? A few tips:
* Ask the seller for a phone number and verify it.
* Beware of buyers who insist on wire transfers as the only form of payment they’ll accept.
* For big-ticket items, use a legitimate online escrow service that will hold the payment until you receive what you’ve ordered.
* If you receive an overpayment as a seller, don’t cash it but instead ask for the exact purchase price.
* Don’t ever give out your social security or driver’s license number—a legitimate seller wouldn’t ask.
* Be skeptical if the price sounds too low.
For more advice, see our Internet fraud webpage.
Awesome articles - thanks!
>>>Does anyone pickle / make kraut by the signs ?<<<
Have never tried it.
Are there supposed to be advantages?
So far, I have been pleased with my pickles, relish and sauerkraut and never checked the stars...
Maybe if a batch fails, I could blame it on the wrong sign.
Bush's Fault... there that takes care of it /s
Supposedly the kraut is more firm and does not tend to rot , as opposed to ferment, if signs in head /neck.. puts it the 20/21st this month ,, I don't think this cabbage can wait that long..
Dryer weather is coming... (I think) to your area.
I am now irrigating my garden again and no rain is expected till Sunday, and temps are almost 90 now.
Tell your daughter that things are not rosy at most school systems across the country.
Here in Delaware, ALL teachers received a 2.8% pay cut. Daughter wasn’t happy about it, but it beats being laid off.
“Recession-proof” schoolteachers feeling the pinch (Some layoffs from last 3 weeks)
Grand Rapids, MI area schools -45
Harvard University additional -77
Chicago Public Schools layoffs take effect -557
Clermont County, OH public library -24
Hudson, MI area schools -7
Donna, TX School district potential layoffs -100
Fort Mills, SC area schools -9
Winston-Salem State University -16
San Joaquin County, CA school layoffs top 1,100
Parajo Valley, CA School District facing “hundreds” of layoffs
Lincoln Land Community College -10
Scotts Valley, CA area schools -33
Roseburg, OR School District -10
Eureka City, CA area schools -35
City of Rochester, NY area schools -200
Fort Worth, TX area schools -95
Oregon City, OR area schools -22
Washington, D.C. area schools -250
Harvard University -275
Maury County, TN area schools -35
Lynnwood, CA area schools -78
Washington State University -360
Grand Rapids, MI area schools -141
Duluth, MN area schools -47
Palm Springs, CA school district -120
Springfield, MA area schools -74
Lansing, MI Community College -19
Salida, Ca area schools -13
Portage, MI area schools -23
Broward County, FL area school -396
Bridgewater, MA area schools -90
Oldham County, KY area schools -50
Tuscon, CA Unified School District -200
Hey, why are you complaining? You live in the official ‘Freest State’ in the Nation... (at least that is what the report I read said...)
Cheer up - things are going to get worse...
Even the U.N. is complaining about the bad situation world-wide.
U.N. Head: World Faces Era of Crisis ‘Like No Other’
DUBLIN — The United Nations is struggling to keep its peacekeeping missions staffed and supplied as the world endures an unprecedented combination of crises, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday as he opened a two-day visit to Ireland.
“We are living through an era like no other. There are multiple crises: a food crisis, fuel crisis, flu crisis and financial crisis,” Ban told an invited audience at the Dublin Castle conference center in between meetings with the president and prime minister of Ireland.
“Each is a crisis we have not seen for many years, even generations. But this time they are hitting the world all at once. We have never seen any era when we have been hit by all these multiple crises at the one time,” Ban said.
‘Don’t worry, be happy...’ ‘Every things gonna be all right.’
My father always told me it was good to be like a duck...
Calm and serene above the waterline but paddling like heck out of sight below the waterline.
Notice many places from Ca in your list. Can't say I feel sorry for their financial crisis. My grand-neice from Ca was visiting last summer. When I dared to mention illegal immigrants, she flew to their defense, saying Ca needed their cheap labor. Then proceeded to tell about the cheap projects they had negotiated under the table. Just oblivious to the drain on their system from the welfare and perks from these illegals. I couldn't believe my ears. This from an intelligent woman!! Not surprisingly, she also hailed Obama's election as a MOMENTOUS occasion.
>>>>>> Maybe if a batch fails, I could blame it on the wrong sign. <<<
Bush’s Fault... there that takes care of it /s<<<
Hey, when do we start saying it’s Bammie’s fault!!!
LOL sometime - maybe he will accept responsibility for something.
>>>Daughter just objects to the waste.<<<
Boy, don’t we all...
BUT, until we get people like Barney Frank, John Conyers - Oooh the list is long... (even Olympia Snowe) to either wake up and do what is right, or we replace them, then failing either of those, we is DOOOOOOMED.
Shoot, Al Gore even promised me my place would be beachfront property in 10 years - but that water isn’t even a few feet closer than it was... Guess I better add /s
Can Sarah be our Joan of Arc?
Hey, I heard an interesting idea - solve 12 million job losses by paying each illegal $30,000 as the cross the border LEAVING... Cheaper than Bammy’s dark holes...
Welcome to the thread...
Look forward to more posts from you.
I call it macaroni salad... but I add different things to it - hard boiled egg slices, B&B pickles and a bit of the juice, chopped celery, sometimes even squash or zucchini, sprinkle some celery seed on it, olives on top, sprinkle with paprika and add a couple sprigs of parsley. Sometimes I even make it as a whole meal and add ham or diced chicken.
Real versatile Summer meal.
I’ll have to try it without all my extras.. Sounds good.
I think her indignation was self-serving. She spoke of having her roof repaired and landscaping projects completed at very little cost for labor. I would hope that most natives had more sense. They are truly pleasant, well-educated people, but I am certain that they feel our objection to Obama lies in the color of his skin and that is so wrong.
Susan and Olympia are both enigmas to the Repubs, but I’m sure the only way they keep getting reelected in this state is by showing the sheeple how bi-partison they are. With our few cities leaning farther and farther to the left, it is just a matter of time until no repubs can be elected here.
1.56 inches of rain in the night. Temp in the low 50’s, another wood fire. Such is life in the vacation state-pity the poor tourists paying thousands to visit here.
>>>With our few cities leaning farther and farther to the left, it is just a matter of time until no repubs can be elected here.<<<
Boy can I relate to that... We have 4 cities in our state that are so far left that the rest of us are inconsequential in the election process. Wilmington with it’s Dem. machine, Newark with the U of D, Dover which now has 4 colleges, and Rehoboth Beach with the highest GLBT concentration of any city in the nation.
>>>1.56 inches of rain in the night.<<<
Ouch! Weather map looks like more today, then a short break, and big rain area just West of that heading your way.
Hey, ever given hydroponics any consideration? I still have some float trays from my hydroponic lettuce operation a few years back. You could use to keep your veggies above water... The ‘floating gardens’ of Maine instead of Xochimilco.
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