I have not purchased the "pre-packaged" salad mixes for about two years. They just never smelled quite right to me. I much prefer buying the whole heads of Romaine and spinach. I'm even worrying about those now......and we eat fresh salad every evening.
On another topic......RR, Jr. just returned from Istanbul. Said it was more tense there than he has ever seen it. This was his sixth trip in the past two years. Except for his two visits to wood products plants, he stayed in his hotel. He specifically requested a room "off street". A wise decision, I think. Said he would not be going back until things calm down. Our son and my husband frequently travel to places I won't go. I usually stay home and pray alot. We just returned from a ten day business trip to Latvia and Lithuania. No problems there. They are trying very hard to restrict the Muslim immigration that is so common in most of Europe right now. There, they feel the same way we do about the Muslims.
Ready to settle down and enjoy my beautiful Black Hills for a few months.
Yes the bagged lettuce does smell funny.
I buy the plastic boxes of baby spinach here, but not any more.
I'm happy to hear your RR Jr will be staying home for now. I think the muslims are itching for a bigger fight and they just may get their wish.
An "off-street" room sounds like a wise decision.
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http://www.tkb.org/RWExecquery.jsp?SDOC=1&sLibraryType=information_resource&QueryString=Istanbul
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http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060917-125140-3479r
"Novelist tried for insulting 'Turkishness'"
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "ISTANBUL, Turkey, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A Turkish female novelist who is nine months pregnant goes on trial in Istanbul this week accused of insulting "Turkishness" in a best-selling novel.
Elif Shafak, 34, who is expected to give birth any day, will be tried because a character in "The Bastard of Istanbul" describes the massacres of Armenians in the late Ottoman Empire as "genocide.""
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "While other Turks have faced charges for referring to the massacre as genocide, Shafak is the first to be prosecuted for words spoken by a fictional character, The Times of London reports.:"
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Note: The following text is a quote:
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_2861.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Sun Sep 17 2006 19:21:17 GMT-0700.
Turkey
August 29, 2006
This Public Announcement alerts Americans to the continuing potential for terrorist actions against civilians in Turkey and notes recent incidents in areas frequented by tourists. This Public Announcement expires on November 1, 2006.
Between August 25th and August 28th, seven bombings occurred in the principal tourist areas of Turkey, injuring as many as 60 or more persons, including foreign tourists, and killing three Turkish nationals. These explosions occurred in Istanbul, Adana, and in Marmaris and Antalya in southwestern Turkey. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, also known by the Kurdish acronym TAK, have claimed responsibility for many of the explosions. The TAK, believed to be an affiliate of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a terror organization, also reiterated a public warning to foreign tourists not to visit Turkey.
The Department of State advises U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Turkey to exercise caution, and to closely follow media reports. Terrorists do not distinguish between official and civilian targets. These may include facilities where Americans and other foreigners are known to live, congregate, shop, or visit, especially hotels, clubs, restaurants, shopping centers, housing compounds, transportation systems, places of worship, schools, outdoor recreation events, or resorts and beaches. U.S. citizens should remain in a heightened state of personal security awareness when attendance at such locations is unavoidable. U.S. citizens also should avoid areas where crowds are expected to gather, as even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence.
U.S. citizens living or traveling in Turkey are encouraged to register with the Embassy or nearest consulate through the State Department's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Turkey. U.S. citizens without Internet access may register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, at the Consulate General in Istanbul, at the Consulate in Adana, or with the Consular Agent in Izmir to obtain updated information on travel and security in Turkey. Embassy communications with the resident American citizen community, or "Warden Messages," can be found on the Embassy's website at http://ankara.usembassy.gov.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Departments Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Cautions, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Travelers should also consult the Department of States latest Consular information Sheet for Turkey. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara is located at 110 Ataturk Boulevard, tel: (90) (312) 455-5555, fax (90)(312) 468-6131. The Internet address is http://ankara.usembassy.gov.
The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul is located at Kaplicalar Mevkii Sokak No. 2, 34460, Istinye, Sariyer, tel: (90) (212) 335-9000, fax (90) (212) 335-9102. Istanbul-specific information can also be accessed via the Consulate's web site at http://istanbul.usconsulate.gov/.
The U.S. Consulate in Adana is located at Girne Bulvari No. 212, Guzelevler Mahallesi, Yuregir, Adana, Turkey. tel: (90)(322) 346-6262, fax (90)(322) 346-7916, web site: http://adana.usconsulate.gov.
The Consular Agent in Izmir can be contacted at (90) (232) 464-8755.
Istanbul is one of the places I always wanted to visit. It just sounds intrigueing, but given world events and hostility toward "Westerners," most assuredly a trip we'll never make.
Clerics teaching "secret jihad" in Australia
Snip: ISLAMIC clerics in Sydney and Melbourne are using covert tactics to preach martyrdom and jihad to young followers, recruiting them under the guise of classes teaching the Koran.
Snip: In 2005, more people from Muslim countries became legal permanent United States residents -- nearly 96,000 -- than in any year in the previous two decades.
More than 40,000 of them were admitted last year, the highest annual number since the terrorist attacks, according to data on 22 countries provided by the Department of Homeland Security.