More SIDS Deaths on New Year's. Should New Year Drunks Pay for Hospital Care? Bubba's Car!

Thanks for all your good work saving America's wilderness in 2010!

______________________

Sudden Infant Deaths Most Common on New Year's


"Boozing parents may be responsible for spike in cases.
A new study finds that more babies die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the United States on New Year's Day than any other day of the year.

It's not clear why, but researchers suspect it has something to do with parents who drink heavily the night before and put their children in jeopardy.

"Alcohol-influenced adults are less able to protect children in their care. We're saying the same thing is happening with SIDS: They're also less likely to protect the baby from it," said study author David Phillips, a sociologist. "It seems as if alcohol is a risk factor. We just need to find out what makes it a risk factor."
SIDS kills an estimated 2,500 babies in the United States each year. Some researchers think genetic problems contribute to most cases, with the risk boosted when babies sleep on their stomachs."
More at: http://www.realage.com/healthday-news/sudden-infant-deaths-most-common-on-new-years-news-647766?eid=5861&memberid=22654565
_________________

Watch out for New Year's Eve drunks

Last Updated: December 31. 2010 1:00AM   By Tom Greenwood

"It's New Year's Eve, and I'm worried about you. I'm not concerned about you drinking and driving because you're too smart for that; it's the drunks sharing the road with you who scare me. We're getting better when it comes to drinking and not driving, but there are still way too many cheating drivers out there. Here is just a portion of the drunk/high arrests made in just a few days by the vigilant officers at the Troy Police Department."    More at The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101231/OPINION03/12310348/Watch-out-for-New-Year’s-Eve-drunks#ixzz19igeUi6w
__________________

New Year Drunks Should Pay for Hospital Care?
Taken from a Reuters report, the headline references the toll intoxication is taking upon Great Britain’s public health care program. British citizens do not have to pay for their health care, and in the last decade hospitalization for alcohol intoxication has doubled. The government is considering charging the equivalent of $845 to anyone who is admitted to the hospital in a drunken stupor. (Health care costs for alcohol related illness in Great Britain is in the area of 5 billion dollars a year). From: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5BU29E20091231
___________________

1 Corinthians 11:29
(29) For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
___________________

Bubba's Car

 ___________________

Question: Are New Year celebrations pagan in origin?

Answer: Simply put, the answer is yes! In the earliest days of the Church (first and second centuries after Christ) there were no such celebrations as Christmas and New Year's. The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: "According to the hypothesis accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the WINTER SOLSTICE (December 25th on the Roman Calendar . . . January 6th on the Egyptian Calendar) because on this day, as the sun began its return to the northern skies, the pagan devotees of MITHRA celebrated 'dies natalis Solis Invicti' (the birthday of the invincible sun)."

Those customs carried over in the observance of Christmas (with its many traditions and practices steeped in paganism and mythology), and the "birth" of the "new year" of the sun! This is why the Roman calendar designates Jan. 1 as the beginning of the "new year" as opposed to God's holy calendar (the Hebrew calendar). The beginning of the year from God's perspective is in the spring.

Much of the symbolism associated with New Year's today (mistletoe among others) has very definite sexual origins and meanings.

Because we live in this secular society and must operate within the Roman calendar, even as Christians we acknowledge that a new calendar year begins to be counted on Jan. 1. Yet to get involved in the celebration of such would not be appropriate. That said, one should be careful not to become too judgmental if a Christian is, for example, viewing a football game or parade at that time of year—as opposed to actually "celebrating" the "new year."

There are many resources that show the pagan origins of New Year's celebrations. You can find related material in reference encyclopedias and online research resources as well.
From: http://www.verticalthought.org/issues/vt05/qa.htm
___________________

Today:

The Formica which I had been saving for my bathroom chest of drawers countertop, is no longer available, so we can't use it for the trailer. So I have been looking at other Formica patterns and colors on line.

I have a few picked out, and they will send me samples, or I can look at them at one of the building stores. They always look different on a computer, but so far, I think top left, Crystalline Pearl, looks like the best match.


























The weather was nice, but overcast, but it was still T-shirt and 'windows open' weather.   We looked at the animated radar of our area, and it showed rain coming.  You could smell it in the air.  So we spent the time sanding the Bondo patches on the front of the trailer, on the floor patches, and the countertop base.
I took my thermo-hygrometer outside and the humidity reading showed that we could use the primer, so Ray primed the Bondo patches. 

It just had a chance to dry, when it started raining.  Not hard, but enough to stop us from doing any more, today

Whole Foods Recall. Ethoxyquin in Your Pet's Food? Kroger's Pet Food Recall. Contact Cleaner saves the day!

Whole Foods Recalls 61 Products After Food Poisoning Linked to Supplier

Dec 27th 2010 at 3:00PM
Whole Foods Market is recalling 61 bakery products and prepared foods sold under its store brand after its supplier, Rolf's Patisserie of Illinois, was linked to 100 cases of food poisoning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

Rolf's Patisserie recalled all its desserts made after Nov. 1 after they were connected to four outbreaks of staphylococcus aureus food poisoning in two states. The desserts were sold online and through retailers, wholesalers and the bakery's catering service, including Whole Foods. The FDA is working with the Illinois Department of Public Health to get a distribution list.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said staphylococcal food poisoning is caused by toxins in food produced by the bacterium. Consumers may start to feel sick from the toxins in as little as 30 minutes and usually throw up, feel nausea, have stomach cramps and diarrhea. Most people get better in one to three days.
From: http://www.walletpop.com/2010/12/27/whole-foods-recalls-61-products-after-food-poisoning-linked-to-s/
_______________________

I Learned the Hard Way  by Dr. Karen Becker, DVM:

"I was in my second year of veterinary school and I had a Rottweiler named Gemini.

I was getting free food from the school for Gemini. I was told it was good food (Science Diet), I was broke, and I liked the idea of free food for my dog.
Unfortunately, when Gemini was 7 she went into acute liver failure from an additive in the Science Diet food called ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is a stabilizer commonly added to pet food that is known to damage the liver.
I didn’t think Gemini was going to make it.

I made a change to her diet literally overnight.   Gemini lived to be 13.
My experience with Gemini was pivotal for me. It changed my belief about how companion animals should be fed.
It changed forever how I feed my own pack and the nutritional guidelines I give my veterinary clients, other pet owners and pet caretakers.
Because Gemini was so seriously ill and the cause was her diet, I had to make an overnight change to save my pet’s life.
I hope you never find yourself in a similar situation, and it’s likely you won’t."

"Or the owner of an older pet will tell me, “Oh my gosh! What have I done? I just realized I’ve been feeding my 13 year-old dog terrible food his whole life!”
I want all of you in a similar situation to take heart. I’m here to tell you it’s never too late to implement small changes that can make huge gains in the overall wellness and quality of life of your beloved companion animal."

More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/09/14/false-beliefs-in-pet-care-for-aging-pets.aspx

______________________

Yet ANOTHER Pet Food Recall for Deadly Contaminants:


Kroger food stores has announced a recall of several Kroger, Old Yeller and Pet Pride brands of dry pet food due to possible aflatoxin contamination.
The following products, all with sell-by dates of October 23-24, 2011 are being recalled:

• Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages
• Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 18 lb. packages
• Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages
• Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 18 lb.
• Pet Pride Kitten Formula Food sold in 3.5 lb. Packages
• Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 22 lb. packages
• Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages
• Kroger Value Cat Food sold in 3 lb. packages
• Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 15 lb. packages
• Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages

Kroger stores in the following states are included in this recall: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
The recall also includes Dillons and Gerbes stores in Kansas and Missouri; Baker’s stores in Nebraska; Food 4 Less stores in Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana (Chicago area); and Jay C, Hilander, Owen’s, Pay Less and Scott’s stores in Illinois and Indiana.
Stores the company operates under the following names are not included in this recall: Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, Smith’s, QFC, City Market, Foods Co., and Food 4 Less stores in California and Nevada.
Package UPC codes and additional information can be found at FDA.org.
____________________

Today:

We don't have a Whole Foods here, and I don't feed my animals Science Diet, or Kroger's cheap foods, so, thankfully we have not been affected.

It is a lovely day, with a high of 72.4 deg. so far.  Ray and I worked in T-shirts.  It was overcast, with a forecast of 20% rain.  We started out by looking at the guest house breaker box, as the new breaker had been tripping.  We removed a dead lizard from the inside of the breaker box with some plastic tweezers, (really my strawberry de-corer), then pulled the breakers and sprayed them with Contact Cleaner.  Mine is just a generic brand, but it seems to work just as efficiently as the well known, Caig's De-oxit. 

Sometimes, it had taken up to 15 minutes for the breaker to throw, so, as we could see a light in his bathroom window if we walked into his back yard, we worked on the outside front of the cargo trailer.  Frequently, one of us would walk back there to see if that light was still on, and Ray even started a load of laundry and turned on different appliances to try to make it throw, but it didn't.  It must have been oxidation on the metal contacts of the breaker box that was causing it.  Though I did check the old breaker with my ohmmeter, and I couldn't get a reading.

Someone had gooped up the front seams of the cargo trailer with silicone. That takes a lot of scraping, and cussing to remove it.  The place where they had screwed that piece of plastic over the old war wound, had left screw holes, so Ray filled them with Bondo Spot Filler. 

We got most of the front prepped for painting today.

Gardasil Vaccine Injuries. Osteoporosis Drugs Risk. Chelation Therapy. Cargo Trailer.

Gardasil Vaccine Injuries:

Leslie Carol Botha says:  October 26, 2010 at 7:40 pm
"According to our VAERS research – there are now 20,101 reports of adverse reactions and 84 deaths attributed to the HPV vaccines. In September a healthy 40-day old breastfed infant died the day after its mother received her first Gardasil injection. These are serious incidents.
Sane Vax Inc. has written a letter to Dr. Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner requesting the vaccine be taken off the market.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101025005268/en/S.A.N.E.-Vax-Asks-FDA-Rescind-Approval-Gardasil%E2%84%A2
More information can be found here…:   http://lecafpolitiquedecamusdecaf.blogspot.com/2010/10/gardasil-under-fire-again-all-we-want.html
And of course at http://truthaboutgardasil.org/ and http://sanevax.org/"
From: http://www.vaccineinjuryhelpcenter.com/gardasil-related-death-numbers-could-be-rising
______________________

Millions of women in the U.S. were scared by Merck's powerful ad campaign into becoming "one less" victim to cervical cancer by getting vaccinated with Gardasil. But instead of saving women from cancer, the vaccine has turned an increasing number of formerly healthy girls into "one more" victim of vaccine abuse.
The reported death toll for the HPV vaccine now stands at 89, and the first male death has also been reported. A young boy died just eight days after being vaccinated with Gardasil.

As of November 3, 2010, there were also 20,575 adverse reactions, the Age of Autism reports, and 352 reports of abnormal pap smears post vaccination. Keep in mind however, that it has been estimated that only 1 to 10 percent of all vaccine adverse events are ever reported, which means there could actually be millions of vaccine injuries related to Gardasil, and perhaps thousands of deaths.

 

The FDA needs to step in on this one!
______________________

Fracture Risk With Osteoporosis Drugs:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning there is a possible risk of a rare type of thigh bone (femoral) fracture in people who take drugs known as bisphosphonates to treat osteoporosis.
The agency warned patients and health care professionals of this risk on Oct. 13, 2010, because the rare type of femoral fracture has been predominantly reported in patients taking these prescription medications.
Medication Guide, Labeling Change
The changes to labeling and the medication guide will affect only bisphosphonates approved for osteoporosis. These include

• oral bisphosphonates such as Actonel, Actonel with Calcium, Atelvia, Boniva, Fosamax, Fosamax Plus D, and their generic products
• injectable bisphosphonates such as Boniva and Reclast and their generic products

Labeling and the medication guides for bisphosphonates that are used for other conditions will not change.
More at: http://www.everydayhealth.com/fda/possible-fracture-risk-with-osteoporosis-drugs.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthinCoordinationWithFDAFoodDrugandMedicalProductSafety_20101020
_________________

Another FDA warning:

FDA Warns Marketers of Unapproved 'Chelation' Drugs

Federal regulators are warning eight companies to stop selling so called ‘chelation’ products that claim to treat a range of disorders from autism to Alzheimer’s disease by removing toxic metals from the body.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the companies have not proven their products are safe and effective in treating autism spectrum disorder, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, Parkinson’s disease or any other serious illness.

Some of the companies also claim their products can detect the presence of heavy metals in the body in an attempt to justify the need for chelation therapy.
FDA compliance expert Deborah Autor says the companies are preying on people made vulnerable because of serious illness.
“These products are dangerously misleading because they are targeted to patients with serious conditions and limited treatment options,” says Autor.
More at: http://www.everydayhealth.com/fda/fda-tightens-reins-on-unapproved-chelation-drugs.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthinCoordinationWithFDAFoodDrugandMedicalProductSafety_20101020
_______________________

Today:

Ray, Jay and I started out working on a couple of projects on the outside of the cargo trailer.   Ray took off the trim bar off the outside bottom front, straightened it, cleaned it, and got it ready to paint. Jay and I were looking at the back door, as it didn't fit very well on one side, and you could see daylight.  We decided to leave well enough alone, and fix that during the trimming out of the door jam. 

But then it started to drizzle.  Heavier rain was forecast, so we re-grouped and rolled up all those tools, and started on other projects.  Ray sanded, vacuumed, patched and leveled some of the imperfections in the trailer floor.

Jay and I unrolled the new lino out on my living room floor.  We took very careful measurements of the wheel wells in the trailer, and cut the lino right there in my living room.  We rolled it up around a piece of pipe, so it wouldn't get squashed, and kept it in my house, for the time being.

I went up in my attic and brought down a scrap of the Formica that is in my house.  It seemed to match the colors in the trailer pretty well.  Even though I think it is a little 'pinky'.  It is called Sanibel Maple by Wilsonart.  I have one more sheet of it, which is for the long countertop over the built-in fifteen drawers in my bathroom, which hasn't been done yet.

I will have to go back to Houston to replace it, but if it helps this trailer job get finished, we can use it.

A quick trip into our little town to buy a breaker for the guest house, which Ray rents.  It kept on tripping for no reason.  Then to the auto parts store to buy some jack oil.  One hydraulic jack hasn't worked for a while, and our favorite one is starting to act up. 
Found a few more bargains at Krogers, including some salmon!  Ray put the breaker in, and so far it hasn't tripped.  The downpour waited until I got home, wasn't that nice?

Patches did the unforgivable this morning.  She usurped Bobcat's bathroom window bed on that 15-drawer chest of drawers.  

Bobcat just looked on, and didn't know what to do.   

Bobcat looks out of that window, out onto the road, most of the day.

Do Something Incredible for Veterans, Animals, or Birds. Cargo Trailer.

Your gifts are fully tax-deductible, which means it's also your last chance to claim a tax break for 2010.
So please hurry and make your gift today!
_________________


USO For the Troops:
"Dear Friend,
General Myers kicked off the USO's At Home In Our Hearts campaign with a personal appeal to stand in support of our troops at this important time of year. We've seen a truly incredible and inspiring response from supporters all across the country.

And with your gift today, you can help bring our holiday campaign to a strong finish. In fact, by giving today to support our troops, your gift will go twice as far!

Starting now through December 31, any gift you make to the USO will be matched by a generous supporter, dollar-for-dollar, up to $350,000. With your tax-deductible gift of $20, we will be able to provide $40 of support for our troops thanks to this limited-time matching gift opportunity."
I hope you'll take advantage of this special opportunity to double the impact of your generosity and make a tax-deductible gift to our troops today.

________________________

Disabled Veterans:

"Every Person Who Served is a Hero!
But Those Who Came Home with Lifelong Disabilities are a Special Kind of Hero.

It's people like you. People who don't forget.  People who truly care about the overwhelming need of today's veterans, who truly uphold America's promise to its heroes.


It's our opportunity! Show how you feel about our disabled heroes. "

https://secure3.convio.net/dav/site/Donation2?idb=603213009&df_id=1300&1300.donation=form1
________________________



World Society for the Protection of Animals:

"In just a few days, many of us will gather together with family and friends to say goodbye to 2010, make resolutions, and share our hopes for the upcoming year.
For suffering animals around the world the last few days of 2010 will continue to be filled with fear, hunger and pain.
But you can bring them hope."



"Dear Friend,
There are only a few days left in 2010, but you still have time to do something incredible for animals. 

In just a few days, many of us will gather together with family and friends to say goodbye to 2010, make resolutions, and share our hopes for the upcoming year.
For suffering animals around the world the last few days of 2010 will continue to be filled with fear, hunger and pain. But you can bring them hope. Your special year-end gift to WSPA can give them a new future - one that is free from cruelty and abuse.

What does hope look like for an animal in need?

• It's a warm, safe place to sleep for a stray dog who has spent every night of his life shivering and alone on the street.
• It's a strong pair of hands to provide care and comfort to a kitten who has been injured and separated from her family during a disaster.
• It's the cutting of a rope that has bound a dancing bear and the delicate removal of the nose ring from his sensitive muzzle.
• It's the end to excruciating pain as a donkey's hobbled leg is treated and bandaged, so that she is finally able to walk without limping.
• It's you: your compassion, generosity and kindness, which makes all of WSPA's work for animals possible. 

As you can see in our 2010 achievements video, you've helped us accomplish many amazing successes, from ending bullfighting in Catalonia, to building a new sanctuary for rescued bears in Pakistan and saving the lives of tens of thousands of dogs in Indonesia.
 
With your support, WSPA truly has brought life-saving care, relief and an end to cruelty to hundreds of thousands of animals in need this year.

But there are still so many animals who are waiting for their happy endings. Will you make a special year-end gift to bring hope to these animals?
Thank you for your continued generosity and support of WSPA's work for animals,"

Silia Smith
Interim Executive Director, WSPA USA
P.S. Your gift to WSPA is fully tax-deductible, which means it's also your last chance to claim a tax break for 2010. So please hurry and make your gift today!
Bear image © Meeta Gupta/WTI/WSPA      
Dog image © RSPA
____________________


Then there are the birds:




Time is running out for you to help birds in 2010




"2010 has been a great year for ABC and bird conservation, but although we have saved many bird species, others continue to need our help. Many teeter on the brink of extinction. As the year draws to a close, you can help ABC reach its fundraising goals and continue to achieve more than any other bird conservation organization in the world.

Only with your continued help can we:
•    stop the threat to birds from dangerous toxins such as lead and pesticides
•    ensure that the burgeoning wind power industry does not harm birds and their habitats
•    create and expand reserves in Latin America that protect some of the world’s rarest species
•    build fences that keep out predators from the most sensitive bird areas in Hawai'i
•    restore key bird habitats from the Appalachians to the great grasslands of the West

Make your tax-deductible year-end donation to ABC now to support real conservation results for birds.

Thank you for your support,

George Fenwick
President, American Bird Conservancy
____________________________

Today:













Ray sanded, and started to float the cargo trailer floor, to get ready for the linoleum.  He also removed the rear porch light, and any clearance lights which had been screwed into the metal siding only. Under normal conditions the running lights would have been installed where there is a stud or something sturdy, but this trailer wasn't built that way, so we had to rectify that.


 












Then he re-installed them with new butyl putty tape, and Jay screwed in wooden blocks as back-up for the running light's screws.  The big rear porch light had to have a scrap piece of thin plywood behind it.  This had to be done before the insulation and paneling can be installed.

If anyone tries to remove the lights at a later date, at least now there is a wooden back-up.
The weather last year on this date was 50 deg. high, and 28 deg. low, but it was 63 high, and 45 low, and none of us wore coats, today.

Lead in Make-Up. Lead Paint and Birds. No Greenies.

Don't Become the Next Victim of Lead Poisoning:

Most cosmetics today contain the poisonous metal lead. Ask the FDA to ban this substance from our make-up!

There is simply no reason we should be applying poison to our bodies. Sign the petition asking Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret Hamburg to ban the use of lead in all cosmetics.
Sponsored by: The Breast Cancer Site
Lead is a poisonous metal that can cause serious negative reactions in the human body. It's been proven to severely damage brain function, the nervous system, and the kidneys.
Would you apply a substance with those implications to your face or body? It's safe to say no one would do such a thing, yet an overwhelmingly large amount of cosmetics in today's make-up market contain lead.
Petition at:
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces?siteId=2&campaign=LeadCosmetics
____________________________


Black-capped Petrel by Glen Tepke

---

"The Laysan Albatross's breeding colony on Midway Atoll is threatened by toxic lead paint peeling from dozens of aging buildings that is eaten by curious chicks, and by the invasive plant Verbesina that chokes out nests so that parent birds cannot reach their young to feed them. ABC is working to eliminate both these threats, and has also helped significantly reduce the deaths of Laysan and other albatrosses on longline fishing hooks."

The Challenge
"Seabird bycatch from commercial and artisanal longline fisheries is decimating seabird populations on a global scale. Additional threats to seabirds, including predation by introduced mammals on seabird breeding islands, marine trash, poisoning from pollutants such as lead, and potentially global warming, have made seabirds the most threatened group of birds on Earth.

An astounding 19 out of 22 species of albatross have now been flagged by scientists as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. American Bird Conservancy is the only U.S. national bird conservation group working throughout the Western Hemisphere to solve these problems for albatrosses and other seabirds."
To learn more and help support ABC's efforts to protect the Laysan Albatross and other seabirds, click here.
__________________

"You may have noticed you can no longer find those trendy green dental bones at your local grocery store or Wal-Mart.
NUTRO Products, Inc. says it is pulling its Greenies line of pet dental chews from supermarkets and other mass markets. Beginning in June, the Greenies -- which have been blamed for illness and deaths in some dogs and cats -- will be distributed only through veterinary hospitals and pet specialty retailers.
It's the latest attempt to resolve highly-publicized incidents of pet deaths attributed to the popular treats. Pet owners said the treats failed to be properly digested and led to fatal intestinal obstructions." More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/09/01/Why-All-Your-Healthy-Pet-Efforts-May-Be-Worthless-if-You-Do-This.aspx
__________________

Today:

Jay and I drove onto the next town to buy some more things we needed to continue working on the cargo trailer.    The main thing was more insulation, as we can't put up all the paneling with out it. 

Another thing was a new shade for the grooming room, where my foster cats sleep.  Yesterday, I was sitting at my desk when heard a strange noise, and out of the corner of my eye a billowing white sheet came at me.  The door to the grooming room was open as the foster cats have the run of the house in the afternoons.  It was poor little Patches, she had her claw stuck in one of the shades that I lower on cold nights.  She was frantic, and came to her "Mom" to be released from this terrible white monster.
  
The prices were not what I was used to paying at Home Depot, so we also stopped at Lowes.  Their cheap shades had gone up too, but they were out of them.  The shades do help keep out the cold.

As we happened to be passing their 'Scratch & Dented Dept', I saw a Levelor shade, on sale for $2.50, so the shade lady cut it to the right length for me. 

Also the carpet dept. had a great big remnant of dark blue commercial carpet for $10, so we were glad that we stopped there, today.

Boxing Day. McDonald's McNuggets, and Eggs. Breaker Box. Great Stuff.

Boxing Day is traditionally day for sporting events such as fox hunting with dogs (which is now outlawed). ©iStockphoto.com/RUDI TAPPER

"Boxing Day in the United Kingdom is the day after Christmas Day and falls on December 26. Traditionally, it was a day when employers distributed money, food, cloth (material) or other valuable goods to their employees. In modern times, it is an important day for sporting events and the start of the post-Christmas sales. "

"Because the staff had to work on such an important day as Christmas Day by serving the master of the house and their family, they were given the following day off. Since being kept away from their own families to work on a traditional religious holiday and not being able to celebrate Christmas Dinner, the customary benefit was to 'box' up the left over food from Christmas Day and send it away with the servants and their families. Hence the 'boxing' of food became 'boxing day' .
Boxing Day in the UK is traditionally a day for sporting activity, originally fox hunting, but in modern times football and horse racing." More at: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/uk/boxing-day
_______________________

McDonald's Chicken McNuggets:

This sentiment was echoed by Federal Judge Robert Sweet in a lawsuit against the restaurant chain back in 2003 when he said:

"Chicken McNuggets, rather than being merely chicken fried in a pan, are a McFrankenstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook."

At the time, Time Magazine reported that Judge Sweet "questioned whether customers understood the risks of eating McDonald's chicken over regular chicken."

REAL Food "Lives" and "Dies"

"I recently commented on the curious ability of McDonald's food to remain impervious to degradation. It's as if the food has been embalmed to stay "fresh" forever! After sitting on a shelf for 14 years, the hamburger bun has yet to develop a single trace of mold. It's barely even begun to shrivel...
Folks, these buns bear absolutely no resemblance to real bread, and when you read the list of ingredients, this mysterious mummification feature becomes less of a mystery.
Here are just a few of the ingredients in a McDonald's hamburger bun:

• calcium sulfate (aka Plaster of Paris)
• calcium carbonate (Antacid medication)
• ammonium sulfate (According to MSDS,“harmful if swallowed”)
• ammonium chloride (Causes irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea)
• calcium propionate (Preservative)
• sodium propionate (Mold inhibitor)

Always remember that wholesome, health-promoting food is "live" food, and the hallmark of live food is the fact that it will decompose.
The fact that these burgers, buns, and fries do not decompose, even after a decade or two, is a clear sign that it's just not real food, and should not be part of your diet."   More at: http://www.time.com/time/insidebiz/article/0,9171,1101030811-472858,00.html   and:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/08/do-you-have-any-idea-of-the-chemicals-used-in-fast-food-chicken.aspx

____________________

McFrankenuggets

But wait! Don’t forget to add a dash of dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foaming agent made of silicone that is also used in Silly Putty and cosmetics.

Now add a heaping spoonful of tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), which is a chemical preservative and a form of butane (AKA lighter fluid). One gram of TBHQ can cause “nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse," according to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives. Five grams of TBHQ can kill you.

Sprinkle on thirteen other corn-derived ingredients, and you're only about twenty shy as many ingredients as a single chicken nugget from McDonald’s. And you were using pulverized chicken skin and mechanically reclaimed meat for your chicken, right?

No one in his or her right mind would cook chicken like this. Yet every day, hoards of Americans consume these ingredients in Chicken McNuggets, which McDonalds claims are “made with white meat, wrapped up in a crisp tempura batter.”

However chicken only accounts for about 50% of a Chicken McNugget. The other 50% includes a large percentage of corn derivatives, sugars, leavening agents and other completely synthetic ingredients, meaning that parts of the nugget do not come from a field or farm at all. They come from a petroleum plant. Hungry?

Scariest perhaps is the fact that this recipe is a new and improved, “healthier” Chicken McNugget launched in 2003 after a federal judge called the deep-fried poultry bites “a McFrankenstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook.”

Also terrifying is the fact that these McFrankenuggets are overwhelmingly marketed to children who love their fun shapes and kid-friendly size.  More at :
http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/what-is-in-fast-food-chicken-hint-its-not-chicken.html

________________________

May 23rd, 2010
At Thursday’s meeting of McDonald’s shareholders, Paul Shapiro, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States’ factory farming campaign, urged the fast food chain to decrease its use of eggs from caged hens.

Most competitors, including Burger King, Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr. and Sonic, have gone cage-free, but egg products sold by U.S. McDonald’s restaurants come from hens confined to battery cages—enclosures so small that birds cannot spread their wings or move freely.

In contrast, cage-free hens have 200% to 300% more space per bird, the Humane Society notes.
McDonald’s stores in the UK have already gone the cage-free route, and franchises throughout the European Union will follow suit this year.

To jumpstart a transition in the United States, the Humane Society specifically proposed that the chain, with 13,000+ American locations, commit to procuring 5% of its eggs from cage-free suppliers by next January.

This meant Ronald McDonald could continue to buy 95% of his eggs from regular suppliers.
But the board urged shareholders to vote against the resolution, arguing it “would not enhance our existing policies and practices regarding the welfare of egg-laying hens and is not in the best interests of shareholders.” (Translation: McD’s makes less money, as a cage-free egg cost more, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.)
More at:  http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/organic-food/mcdonald%E2%80%99s-board-rejects-cage-free-eggs/
______________________

This is just one egg farm in California, they are all over the United States:

_____________________

Today:

Jay and I both had thoughts about the dilemma of the breaker box overnight.  We each had solutions on how to fix it, rather than tearing out the wall to replace the box.  We used both ideas, and it was successful.  So now I have my 'kick-ass' , (as Jay calls it), 220v. heater going.  

While that auxiliary breaker box was turned off, I could see in the dark garage that daylight was coming in.  Right in the corner where the contractors had added onto the house.  You couldn't see it from the outside as the vinyl siding covered it.

Jay and I braced a ladder on top of my washer and dryer, and he put Great Stuff all down the crack.  No wonder it was drafty in there.  He gets all the "tall jobs"!

It is very tall in the garage, as it was originally built for an RVport.  While my late DH and I had built the first part of the house, Jay and I built that front roof a bit later, to keep the sun off the front of the house.   The contractors just built underneath it, but only put a car height garage door in there.  So we had to build another RVport on the side.

We used up the rest of the Great Stuff in the cargo trailer to seal up little nooks and crannies.  Then you have to throw it out, as it doesn't keep.

Yes, there are still the front windows going from my bedroom into the garage. There a two more on the side of the bedroom.   Back then, it was just a great big carport on the front.  We kept them there in case there was a power outage, for cross ventilation. 

We are in hurricane territory, and twice we have had no power for days.

Get Out of the Tanning Bed! Freeze Coming. Breaker Box Woes.

"Get Your Daughters Out of the Tanning Bed!

"I’m not gonna lie. I have done it a few times, and my daughters do it way too much, despite my nagging about its negative health implications. Back-to-school season often includes dances and various other social events that lead to that urge to hit the tanning booth. It’s a quick fix for that fast-fading summer tan. But tanning beds aren’t without their complications: A recent press release by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) notes that indoor tanning beds can “raise the risk of getting melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent.”

My daughters argue that it is safer than the sun. The AAD refutes this, pointing out that the amount of ultraviolet radiation produced from tanning beds is the same as from the sun, if not stronger. To this end, the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the International Agency of Research on Cancer have declared that UV radiation from artificial light sources such as tanning beds and sun lamps is now considered a known carcinogen.




In the past, I would go “tanning” right before a vacation, convincing myself that with a base, I wouldn’t burn on the beach. Many young women partake in indoor tanning to prepare for dances and parties; unfortunately, our culture seems to be one that many of us think we look better with sun-kissed skin. Statistics indicate that annually, about 28 million people in the U.S. tan indoors, with 2.3 million of those being teens.

As parents, it is our responsibility to impart the truth about tanning beds to our kids. There are plenty of sunless tanning lotions and sprays out that work (gone are the days of orange skin with exaggerated brownish-orange blotches on elbows and knees). And most experts agree that sunless tanning products are safe, and the end results look pretty good if applied correctly. Just follow the directions carefully.

It’s time to get our kids out of the tanning booth. Please share your thoughts on how to do just that."
From:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/the-organized-caregiver/get-your-daughters-out-of-the-tanning-bed/?xid=nl_EverydayHealthinCoordinationWithFDAFoodDrugandMedicalProductSafety_20101020
____________________

From Dr. Oz:

"Tanning beds are not safe. Both UVA and UVB rays cause cancer. Tanning beds often exceed “safe” UV limits, despite the claims of the salon. Teens are at special risk because their bodies are undergoing such accelerated growth rates that their cells are more prone to the damage of the UV radiation.
By routinely tanning their skin starting at a young age, teens put themselves at greater lifetime risk of developing skin cancer. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to get a sunburn in a tanning bed, and your eyes are at an increased risk of developing cataracts and corneal burns.

The FDA and the CDC both suggest that you avoid using tanning beds in order to prevent developing skin cancer. There really is no such thing as a safe tan from a tanning bed. In addition to the risk of developing skin cancer, exposure to UV rays causes your skin to age prematurely."
More at: http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/susan-evans-md/dangers-tanning-beds
__________________



From USA Today:
"But as use of tanning beds has increased among people under 30, doctors have seen a parallel rise in the numbers of young people with skin cancer. In Britain, melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, is now the leading cancer diagnosed in women in their 20s. Normally, skin cancer rates are highest in people over 75."
 
More at: http://amch.questionmarket.com/adscgen/invite.php?survey_num=810609&from_node=1427&site_num=22&pic=gif&creativename=1000_opinion2-300x250-1l-eng-usd&secs_up=60&type=popup
______________________

Today:

As it is going to go below freezing for the next couple of nights, Jay and I watered all the plants before we turned off the outside faucets at their main cutoff, and covered up the plants, again.  I don't mind, as we have 70 deg. days in between the cold ones.

It was really too chilly with icy winds to work outside, so we tackled a job which has been waiting to be done for years. 
When I bought the 50 amp Airstream motor home, we used the double throw 220v. space in the breaker box which were for my 220v. house heater, for the two 110v. breakers going to the 50 amp dedicated circuit outside.  When the Airstream left here, we took all that wiring out, but never replaced the 220v. breaker.  The local electrician has been saying that he would come and fix it, but never did, so I have been without my 220v. heater all these years, and just used some 110v oil filled radiators.
Now I would like it to be more cozy inside!

This is an auxiliary breaker box off my main one, which the contractors added when they finished the front part of the house.

It didn't work.   Jay found out that they had used an old breaker box with the tabs broken that are supposed to hold the buss bar in the box, so the breakers won't stay in place.  They had just held it all together with the breaker box cover, and hoped for the best!   Now, I remember having a problem with it when we replaced the breakers before.  We asked Ray over here, for a second opinion, and he affirmed that we have to tear the wall out, and replace the breaker box.

Oh, well, tomorrow is another day!

"Merry Christmas". Visiting and Cooking.

Many good intentioned people have sent me Christmas Greetings. 

I thank you, and appreciate the thoughts behind them.  

I wish all of you very best wishes, for EVERY day, not just at this time of the year.

I have been trying to make people understand why I do not celebrate Christmas.

It was explained to me thus: 

If someone offered you a glass of water with one drop of sewage in it, you would shun it, right?   That is the way I feel about Christmas.  

As it is based on old pagan customs,  God would not want any part of it.

Please don't judge me, as I will not judge you.         Matt:7-1    Judge not, that you be not judged.

 ^{KJV: Romans: 14-5}One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

We have a choice. We can choose the feast days instituted by God or the holidays substituted by men unwittingly deceived by Satan.

2 Tim: 3-16  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

But it is very difficult to explain that all these Christmas festivities are sickening to people who have chosen not to celebrate it, for religious reasons.       I see this every time I look across the street:



I try not to look that way, as it only reminds me of the pagan origins. And what has Santa got to do with Jesus?
_____________________

Today:

This afternoon, I went over to Becky's, my ex-daughter-in-law's house as she asked me to help her.
She is a kind, good hearted gal, has a little house, a fixer-upper, all paid for, and she is my granddaughter, Michelle's, mother, so I agreed.  
I did not agree with what she was doing, but she needed help. 
It saddened me to see her struggling and striving so hard to make this meal for her guests, as she doesn't usually cook.  How she had managed to raise two grown kids, and now a toddler, I don't know.

She knows that I do not celebrate Christmas, and as I was leaving, she said "You don't want to stay to celebrate Jesus' birth?"  So I replied that the only birthdays celebrated in the Bible were by the pagans, and that Jesus was born in the Autumn, and that I did not wish to the celebrate the 25th. December, the birthday of pagan gods.

She never knew this, and now understands why I wanted to leave before the guests arrived and the meal was served.  Her daughter, my granddaughter, was not there yet, but I am meeting her on Sunday, anyway.

Here she is with little toddler, Carson, so I took this picture, which she wanted to have with her tree in the background.



I would rather have taken it from her front porch, with the view of the little fishing lake, trolling motors only, in the background:


 

We live on opposite sides of our little town, a 12 mile trip each way.   It was an enjoyable visit today.


____________________

Video Transcript

The Christmas controversy is here again. Do you say "Happy Holidays" or has the pendulum swung to pressure you to say "Merry Christmas"?
[ video clip ]
Would Jesus really tell us that "it's ok to say "Merry Christmas"? We know He never said that and it's not written in the bible.  I understand the sentiment.
But did you know that thousands upon thousands of Christians do not say "Merry Christmas"  Why?  Because they don't celebrate Christmas. Now why not?
They've found that no matter how good the intention, no matter how spiritual we try to make it, no matter how heartfelt, the fact is that Jesus did not say to celebrate His birth.
Do you believe your bible is God's standard of truth? If so, here's a challenge for you—go to your bible and find out what days Jesus commanded to be observed. It will surprise you.
Do you know God's Holy Days?  Find out about them so you can honor Him in the way that He commands and appreciates.  And it just might change your greeting.
For GN Magazine, I'm Steve Myers.
____________________

The belief that Jesus was born on or around Dec. 25 simply has no basis in fact, even if 2 billion people have accepted it without question.
As the famous playwright George Bernard Shaw said, "If 50 million people believe a foolish thing, it's still a foolish thing."

I hope you are all safe and happy, as I am today.

Clydesdales. Drew Carey. Nat. Parks. Propane. Marmite. Electricity.

_________________________

"Red dragon, seven horns, 10 crowns, got it.."

"We should sit up and take notice of remarks from a popular American comedian and actor, Drew Carey. At a White House correspondents' dinner on May 5, Mr. Carey directed his comments to the president and vice president and their wives, several military and civilian dignitaries and a host of Hollywood entertainers:

Drew Carey      From: Splash News Online.

"I can't watch the news lately," he said. "It gets too depressing. What I do now is turn the news off, get out my Bible and turn to the book of Revelation. I start just checking things off ... Got it, got it, need it, got it, need it ... Red dragon, seven horns, 10 crowns, got it.

"Yeah, I read the Bible a lot, you know. It's just crazy [the way] we celebrate holidays in the United States. I found out just recently there are so many religious holidays we celebrate here in this country that have nothing to do with the Bible at all. Real famous holidays, like Christmas. Christmas has nothing to do with the Bible.

"The birth of Jesus is in the Bible, but not Christmas. The tree is not in the Bible, you know. Gifts—that's not there either. There's no place where it says, '"Celebrate my birthday," says Jesus.' It's a pagan holiday that the Romans invented that we just do.

But everywhere you go, I'm telling you, I've seen this so many times, you see a nativity scene and there's baby Jesus, the manger, sheep, shepherds, Mary, Joseph and Santa Claus right in the middle. Who's he? Mary's [birthing] coach? Santa Claus has nothing to do with anything."

Drew Carey actually brought up a serious side of Christmas: that history exposes the holiday as nothing more than a pagan observance dressed up in Christian garb.

Several months ago Drew Carey was interviewed on an equally popular television talk show, The View. Mr. Carey surprised the audience when he addressed the value of telling children the truth about Santa Claus.

"I don't think you should tell kids that there is a Santa Claus," he said. "That's the first lie you tell your children." Instead, "tell kids that Santa's a character we made up to celebrate a time of the season." Otherwise "when kids get to be 5 ... they realize their parents have been lying to them their whole life."
Does the question of whether Christmas is biblical or not make any difference? What must Jesus Christ think about the feel-good, commercially driven season that supposedly honors Him?"
More at: http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn43/bornchristmas.htm
__________________

But that is not why I don't celebrate Christmas, it is also because I don't celebrate birthdays.   The only ones mentioned in the Bible were celebrated by pagans. 

"We find the first occurrence in Genesis 40, in the account of the dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker. After hearing these men's dreams, Joseph tells them that within three days the king will restore the butler to his office but hang the baker (Genesis 40:9-13, 16-19). "On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday" (Genesis 40:20), the king did just as Joseph had predicted. The day ended badly, not only with the death of the baker, but also with Joseph having to languish in prison for another "two full years" (Genesis 40:22—41:1).
The New Testament occurrence appears in both Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29. Herod holds a feast on his birthday and is so pleased by the dancing of his step-daughter that he promises to give her anything she desires. Her mother, Herodias, instructs her to demand the head of John the Baptist, as revenge for his condemnation of her marriage to Herod. Though regretful, Herod orders the execution, feeling bound by his oaths and pressured by his guests (Mark 6:26-27).
One birthday celebration ends with a hanging and a servant of God locked in prison, and the other with the corruption of a young girl and the death of one of God's greatest prophets, the Elijah to come (see Matthew 11:11, 14). The major lesson in each of these events is certainly not about birthdays per se, but we cannot escape the fact that God puts birthday celebrations in an evil light through the details of these stories."
Read more: http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/788/Birthdays.htm#ixzz18wla55jE
_______________________

"To the early Christians the idea of celebrating the birthday of a religious figure would have seemed at best peculiar, at worst blasphemous. Being born into this world was nothing to celebrate. What mattered was leaving this world and entering the next in a condition pleasing to God. 
"When early Christians associated a feast day with a specific person, such as a bishop or martyr, it was usually the date of the person's death ... If you wanted to search the New Testament world for peoples who attached significance to birthdays, your search would quickly narrow to pagans. The Romans celebrated the birthdays of the Caesars, and most unchristian Mediterranean religions attached importance to the natal feasts of a pantheon of supernatural figures."
____________________

Also because Jesus was not born on 25th Dec.
Here is more about the time line for that belief:  http://pennys-tuppence.blogspot.com/2009/12/whats-john-baptist-got-to-do-with-it.html
____________________

Dear Friend of the National Parks,

NPCA Board member Bill Walter, and his wife, Judy, have offered to match all online donations made by midnight on 12/31, up to $100,000. Have you taken advantage of this incredible opportunity to double your gift?
There’s still time – please make your year-end tax-deductible contribution of $35 or more to NPCA today.
Your gift can help us achieve an important part of our work – adding new lands to the National Park System. Working across the country, our goal is to create rich mosaics of public lands and historic sites we can preserve, and to celebrate the very best of our nation’s natural, historic, and cultural treasures.
The 12/31 deadline is fast approaching! Please donate now.
P.S. Not only will your gift made by midnight on 12/31 be matched, dollar-for-dollar, but it is also tax-deductible.
_________________________

Today:

First off, Jay and I took one of the full horizontal propane tanks that my brother had left here, to the hardware store.  His Lance truck camper had two of them, but he had to buy new tanks when he shipped the rig back to England.  Even if he had emptied them for shipping, no one would give him a certification that they were empty, so he bought new ones.  Horizontal tanks are exempt from the new OPD law.    We had to buy a couple of fittings to make the pigtail fit my regulator.  We installed it, checked for leaks, and everything was OK.  The rack we built for two upright propane tanks worked out great, as the horizontal one fit in there just right.  This will last me for ages, as I only have a propane cooktop, the rest of the house is all electric.

We had to stop at Krogers to buy some cat food and litter, and we always check out the Clearance Items.  Now I have been eying the Marmite in the British food section for years.   http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/marmite.htm   Marmite went from $6 a little jar to over $8.00, so I wouldn't buy it.  Low and behold, as it wasn't selling, (I wonder why), they had reduced it to $1.99 a jar, and it didn't expire until next year. I like it on buttered toast, with or without peanut butter or cheese, and butter beans just don't taste the same without it.   So I bought 4 jars!  I think it is like Vegemite down under.








After we had installed the propane tank, we started on the cargo trailer's breaker box again.  Jay mounted it on the wall, and pulled the wires into it.  He hooked up the wires to the breakers, but we haven't wired up the 30 amp cord yet, so we couldn't try it out.  It will come in at the bottom of the box, and out the cable hatch there.   We will make a trim for the inside of the cable hatch, and build a place for the cable to be stored inside, where it won't interfere with anything else.

It is mounted under one end of where the counter top will be.  We had to do this now, to get all the wires in place, and out of the way, to be able to insulate and install the next piece of paneling.  It will have the 12v. fuse block mounted on it, which will be under the dinette.

I must be popular, and I know it's not because I look skinny!   No cooking for a while!
My granddaughter, Michelle, called me and she is going to take me out to dinner on Boxing Day (26th). 
Then her mother, Becky, stopped by with a beautiful gift basket and to ask me to dinner at her place tomorrow.
Jay's sister is sending me a dinner on Saturday.
Now, I have to go, my son Kevin, is bringing me dinner today.