Want to Help Animals, Fight Breast Cancer, and Alleviate Hunger? More Free Days in Nat. Parks.

It's always free!
FREE Touch To Give^TM app - click to download!
One touch every day helps shelter animals!
Give extra with your iPhone.
It's fast, free, & easy!
Now you can "Touch To Give^TM" on your iPhone to feed shelter animals, fund breast cancer research, and provide hunger relief — all with the GreaterGood Network's handy and free iPhone app.
Click here to download the FREE app today at the iTunes Store!
How does Touch To Give^TM work?
Once you download the app onto your iPhone*, iPod Touch, or iPad, you will be able to Touch To Give^TM every day! Just open the app, choose the cause, and tap the colored "Touch To Give^TM" button.
100% of revenue from our sponsor ads are used exclusively to help the cause. You can Touch To Give^TM for all three causes every day — to click for the other causes just click on the "GreaterGood Network" at the top left.
It's always free!
More at: http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/touch-to-give-iphone-app.faces?siteId=3
Your click still counts! Don't forget to click every day at The Animal Rescue Site!
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More free days slated for national parks, federal lands

Now the Interior Department has announced more free admission days to round out the balance of the year. Here’s the schedule:
August 14 and 15
September 25 (Public Lands Day)
November 11 (Veterans Day)


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Real Tree Art:


My air conditioners don't know what has hit them:
This is the hottest it has been all year, today!

Toxic and Dangerous Foods for Pets

Do you know which foods and beverages might be harmful to your pets – and what to do if your pet ingests something toxic?

Poison is a growing concern among pet owners. Household poisons are not the only thing that can harm your pets. Many common household foods and drugs can also be toxic to your pets. The following are foods that can be toxic or poisonous to your pets.

Avocados.

Avocados contain a toxin known as persin. Persin is found in various parts of the avocado and avocado trees (eg, leaves, rind, etc). This toxin is known mostly to cause vomiting and diarrhea. Birds and small pets seem most affected by the negative side effects of consuming avocado.

Beer.

Alchohol and Yeast Dough

Not just beer ... all alcohol. Depending on how much alcohol your animal ingests, it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, depression, difficulty breathing, coma, and possible death.

 

Chocolate.

Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine that is toxic to pets. If enough is ingested, your animal can suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures, and possible death. Cocoa mulch contains theobromine; the ASPCA advises dog owners to avoid using this fertilizer around unsupervised dogs, and dogs with indiscriminate eating habits since it can be toxic if ingested.

Candy.

Chocolate is the most common candy that is toxic to pets, especially to dogs, cats, and ferrets.  Any candy containing the sweetener xylitol can also be toxic to pets.

Xylitol (artificial sugar).

Xylitol is a sweetener used in many products including mouthwash, chewing gum, toothpaste, and various foods. Because it is toxic to pets, products containing xylitol should not be given to your dog or cat.

Caffeine.

Caffeine is generally highly toxic to pets, having negative effects on both the cardiac and nervous systems. Side effects can include vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures, and possible death.

 

Grapes and raisins.

An unknown toxin in grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure and ultimately lead to death. Symptoms of this poisoning can include hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea, and irregular heartbeat.

 

Nuts.

An unknown toxin in nuts can have negative effects on the nervous, digestive, and muscular systems of your pet. Symptoms can include muscle tremors, weakness, an upset stomach, vomiting, depression, inactivity, and stiffness. Particularly avoid Macadamia nuts.

Onions.

Onions, along with garlic and chives, are all part of the same species of plant — the Allium species. Allium species plants contain sulfur compounds that can cause stomach irritation and possibly result in damage to red blood cells causing anemia. This is referred to as Allium poisoning.

 

 

Lily Plants.

All portions of the lily plant are poisonous to cats when ingested. Just a nibble of the leaf, petal, or stem can cause irreversible kidney failure despite extensive medical treatment.

 

While some human medications are prescribed for pets by veterinarians, others can be highly toxic and fatal.

Acetaminophen, which is contained in Tylenol and other similar products, for example, can be fatal to cats.

Always consult with your veterinarian before giving human medication to a pet.

Other foods that can be toxic to your pet:

• Apple Seeds
• Chives (see "onions," above)
• Fruit pits, especially those of apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, and cherries
• Garlic (see "onions" above)

Moldy foods

• Mustard seeds
• Potato leaves and stems
• Rhubarb leaves
• Salt
• Tea
• Tomato leaves and stems

Toxic Household Items

• Antifreeze
• Liquid potpourri
• Polyurethane glue
• Pennies
• Pine-oil cleaners

A study by the pet health insurance company VPI found that these were the top 10 foods and plants involved in pet poisoning claims:

1. Raisins/Grapes
2. Mushrooms
3. Marijuana
4. Lily flowers
5. Walnuts
6. Onion
7. Sago Palm
8. Macadamia nuts
9. Azalea flowers
10. Hydrangea flowers

From: http://www.webvet.com/main/article?id=1870

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"The new ‘COCOA MULCH’ is very dangerous for all pets – it can also be lethal. Spring is coming and this easy to find good smelling mulch is sold in many stores. However it’s not safe if pets are near. "

Read more:   www.petplace.com/dogs/cocoa-mulch-toxicity/page1.aspx 

and http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_cocoa_mulch.htm 

and:  http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

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Years ago, my friend's little dog suddenly became very ill.  The vets back then, couldn't make the same tests that they can now.  The little dog died that night, and it was assumed that she had ingested a toxin.  Don't let this happen to your little friend.

 

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Today:

Jay and I got the wrenches out, and took the inoperable electric tongue jack off the cargo trailer.  We went to the RV Store up the road, but they had ordered the wrong one, so back to square one.  They had one in stock, but it was overkill and for a lot heavier trailer.

 

Jim, the mechanic, seems to think he can get the rusty gears a'grindin' in the electric one, so we shall see.

 

Then we went on to Conroe, and this time we took time to go to some thrift shops.  Everything was half price during their remodeling sale at two of them.  Jay bought a lovely hand made wooden schooner on a stand for $1.50!!  Some mahogany coasters, and some jeans, etc.  

I bought another Shark little vacuum, and a blouse.

On to Krogers to get their brand of scoopable cat litter, which is $7.99 for a 40 lb box.  That made it so that I had bought enough this month to fill the tank at $2.35 a gallon!

 

I don't think the AC compressor ever shut off today!

Costco's Fishy Secret. No Fish by 2050!

"The saying "There are plenty of fish in the sea" may make singletons feel better, but it's just not true.


In reality, many of the world's fish populations are on the brink of collapse. Overfishing has pushed 75 percent of global fisheries beyond the point of sustainability, and nine out of ten of the seas' big fish have disappeared.
If you want to know who's responsible for depleting the world's oceans of threatened species, there's no better place to start than Costco, the largest wholesale club operator in the country.

Everything in Costco is big - including its environmental footprint. A recent survey found that Costco sells 15 of the 22 fish listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. For this and many other reasons, Costco received the lowest marks of all national supermarket chains on Greenpeace's 2010 ranking of stores based on their sustainable seafood policies.

Costco consistently robs the ocean of its scarcest resources and sells them to shoppers at wholesale prices. Worse, the store provides no labeling information about the sustainability of the fish it sells, preventing shoppers from making the choice to avoid buying threatened species.

Given Costco's massive buying power, improving the store's buying practices wouldn't just save the untold thousands of threatened fish in its megastores - it would create a sea change across the entire seafood supply chain."
More at: http://food.change.org/blog/view/tell_costco_to_stop_selling_endangered_fish
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Costco Is Selling Endangered Species of Fish. Boycott Costco!

"If you think Costco is saving you money, think again! The fact is, they are selling endangered species as fast as possible and when those species go extinct, the price of Fish will Sky-Rocket!

All the money you believe you have saved from buying Fish at Costco, won't be able to buy your Fish in the future! The same goes for all the other endangered Species we humans are threatening with extinction.

Costco is destroying our oceans through its horrible seafood purchasing practices and leaving customers, like YOU, in the dark by hiding the truth. "
More at: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/168005
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We have to leave some fish for our children, the birds, and the sea lions.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/oceans/future-of-fishing
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Oceans' fish could disappear in 40 years: UN
"If the various estimates we have received... come true, then we are in the situation where 40 years down the line we, effectively, are out of fish," Pavan Sukhdev, head of the UN Environment Program's green economy initiative, told journalists in New York.
According to the UN, 30 percent of fish stocks have already collapsed, meaning they yield less than 10 percent of their former potential, while virtually all fisheries risk running out of commercially viable catches by 2050.
The main scourge, the UNEP report says, are government subsidies encouraging ever bigger fishing fleets chasing ever fewer fish -- with little attempt to allow the fish populations to recover.
Fishing fleet capacity is "50 to 60 percent" higher than it should be, Sukhdev said.
"What is scarce here is fish," he said, calling for an increase in the stock of fish, not the stock of fishing capacity."
From: http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans-fish-fishing-industry.html
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We all need to think about tomorrow, instead of just living for today.

Outsmarting Poison Ivy. More Oops!

"First comes the itching, then a red rash, and then blisters. These symptoms of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac can start from a few hours to several days after exposure to the plant oil found in the sap of these poisonous plants."

Recognizing Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac

Picture of Poison Ivy Plant and Poison Ivy Skin Rash

• Poison Ivy: Found throughout the United States except Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of the West Coast. Can grow as a vine or shrub. Each leaf has three glossy leaflets, with smooth or toothed edges. Leaves are reddish in spring, green in summer, and yellow, orange, or red in fall. May have white berries.
• Poison Oak: Grows as a low shrub in the eastern United States, and in tall clumps or long vines on Pacific Coast. Fuzzy green leaves in clusters of three are lobed or deeply toothed with rounded tips. May have yellow-white berries.
• Poison Sumac: Grows as a tall shrub or small tree in bogs or swamps in Northeast, Midwest, and parts of the Southeast. Each leaf has clusters of seven to 13 smooth-edged leaflets. Leaves are orange in spring, green in summer, and yellow, orange, or red in fall. May have yellow-white berries. "

Not Contagious

"Poison ivy and other poison plant rashes can't be spread from person to person. But it is possible to pick up the rash from plant oil that may have stuck to clothing, pets, garden tools, and other items that have come in contact with these plants. The plant oil lingers (sometimes for years) on virtually any surface until it's washed off with water or rubbing alcohol."

More at: http://www.everydayhealth.com/fda/outsmarting-poison-ivy.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthinCoordinationWithFDAFoodDrugandMedicalProductSafety_20100721

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More Oops:

Double parked!

 

Flying sled!

Industry always trying to booster output:

That is it for Wednesday!

Belly Fat. New Tire on Cargo Trailer.

Dr. Oz said that we need to learn how to tighten up our belly muscles.  Doing sit-ups will not suffice!  Try this:

Dr. Oz’s Belly Fat Buster Exercise:

1. Find a set of stairs and sit on a step.

2.  Lean backwards.

3.  Relax your stomach.

4.  Suck your stomach in towards your spine and push it back out.

5.  Repeat steps 3 and 4.

"Once you learn which muscle to flex and relax, you are ready to go!  I find myself doing this exercise while waiting in line at the store or even in the car when I’m waiting at a red light."

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Belly Fat is Dangerous.  Fat that accumulates around the vital organs and around the mid-section is known as visceral fat.

“Conventional diets don't work like most of the things we try to teach you that are based purely on willpower because they violate your biology. … But we always tell people to diet. It doesn't work … But you can nudge your biology a little bit in the right direction, but you've got to measure the right thing. The most important thing to realize, it's not about your weight. It's about your waist.

You want your waist size to be less than one half your height.”
So if a person is six feet four inches, six times twelve is seventy two inches plus four is seventy six divided by two equals thirty eight inches.
A 6’4” should have a waist size no larger than 38 inches.
Read more at Suite101: Dr. Oz Talks about Health: Aging, Weight, Exercise, and Blood Pressure http://daytimetv.suite101.com/article.cfm/dr_oz_talks_about_health#ixzz0tyVd2S7B
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Don't expect to achieve muscular abdominals overnight. Flattening, strengthening and toning abdominal muscles can take several weeks or months. Your diet and workout routine will need to be consistent in order to be effective.
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Belly Fat is Dangerous.
"Fat that accumulates around the vital organs and around the mid- section is known as visceral fat. It's the most harmful type of fat because it produces inflammation, which affects the rest of the body and leads to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

To reduce weight in this area, it's important to go on a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains, and to REDUCE PORTION SIZES and therefore caloric intake.

To lose one to two pounds per week, you'll need to reduce your caloric intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day. To hasten the movement of visceral body fat, it's also important to exercise — aerobically and with weights — five or more times per week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time.

Make sure your diet is high in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains and that your fat intake is mostly unsaturated, the kind found in olive and canola oils. "
http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight-specialist/how-to-eat-to-beat-belly-fat.aspx
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Today:

We have had thunderstorms forecast for today, yesterday, the day before, tomorrow and the next couple of days.  If feels muggy, it is overcast, just like it is trying to rain, but it doesn't. All we have had in the last four days is .02 inches of rain.  I wish it would get it over with!

Before the cargo trailer can go down the street to have the outriggers welded, it had to have a new tire put on the rim.  So Jay and I went into our little town to a tire store.


I didn't want to go to the expense of a new tire at this point, but the tire man tried to sell me one that was made in 2002. 
I know how to tell, and I think he was surprised:
_____________

In the example above:
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107
Manufactured during the 51^st week of the year
DOT U2LL LMLR 5107
Manufactured during 2007
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Then he dug out one that was made in 2008, so I bought that one, and he mounted it.
After a quick stop at Kroger's we came home, and Jay put the wheel on.

Then we remembered that the electric tongue jack doesn't work, so I ordered a manual one from our local RV store.  It should be here on Thursday.

So that was all we could do today.

The Elk "Refuge"? Cargo Trailer. Misty.

 The National Elk Refuge--in the shadow of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks--may be doing more to harm elk than anyone would ever expect.


"Dawn comes late to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on winter mornings. When the sun finally edges over the high ridges that crowd the town of Jackson and paints the Tetons pink, the huddled mounds studding the snow-covered meadows along Flat Creek finally come into focus as thousands of sleeping elk. They stir, shaking the hoarfrost from thick pelts with a clatter of antlers and flapping of ears. Plumes of breath rise from thousands of black nostrils, forming a shimmering cloud in the frigid air as the elk wait for breakfast to be served.

And soon it is: The growl of engines in low gear accompanies the sunlight as rubber tracked crawler tractors appear, pulling trailers loaded with 20 to 30 tons of alfalfa pellets across the snow. As a tractor approaches a group of elk, the driver opens a gate in the underside of the trailer, releasing a stream of green pellets.
How did the National Elk Refuge and Grand Teton National Park evolve from a safe harbor for the nation's largest remaining herd of elk to a threat to their descendants' survival?"
More at: http://www.npca.org/magazine/2007/winter/the_refuge.html
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 Please Don’t Feed the Elk: Alternatives to Winter Feeding of Elk.

"Winter feeding programs designed to boost elk populations, prevent their interactions with livestock and reduce depredation of haystacks are commonplace in the West.
Unfortunately, elk herds that concentrate on these feeding grounds are more likely to be infected with brucellosis and may facilitate the spread of chronic wasting disease than elk that winter “out”.

In addition, winter feeding programs are expensive. Discontinuing winter feeding programs may be necessary to decrease the spread of disease and reduce costs."
More at: http://www.behave.net/projects/wildlife-elk2006.html
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Did You Know?
The stunning sugar white beaches of Gulf Islands National Seashore are composed of fine quartz eroded from granite in the Appalachian Mountains. The sand is carried seaward by rivers and creeks and deposited by currents along the shore.
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 Today:

 Misty enjoyed rolling in the dirt again:





 
I dust her off, and tell her to "shake", so she shakes, and then goes under my bed!!



Jay and I removed the rest of the shelves and stuff out of the cargo trailer. 

We cut the bad section of floor out, right up against the main frame, so that the welder can get to the outriggers to weld them back in place. 
But I have to go into town to get the bad tire replaced first, so he can tow it down there.

Someone must have run over something strong to have bent them like they were!

This is going to make a great "stealth" travel trailer.  I have already designed the floor plan.

The wheel well, lumber and parts were getting in the way in the workshop, so we moved all of it into poor old "Pugsy", the vintage motor home, today.

Five Ripoffs to Watch for at Outlets. Credit Cards. Grooming Pepper.

"Outlet shopping is such big business, it stands to reason that retailers try to slip some tricks past shoppers to make a little more money.

The next time you hit your nearest outlet center, keep these tips in mind, and avoid the five ways that retailers try to divert you from the true discount shopping opportunities……"

Read more, and the 5 tips at: http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/06/28/five-ripoffs-to-watch-out-for-at-the-outlet-stores/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl8|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2F28%2Ffive-ripoffs-to-watch-out-for-at-the-outlet-stores%2F#ixzz0sYddA7xM
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"New" Credit Card Fees:

To nobody's surprise, credit cards are still imposing fees on their customers.
It wasn't necessarily supposed to be quite this bad, however. The Credit CARD Act, which goes into effect on August 22, is aimed at making credit cards more transparent, fair and a little less fee-heavy.

But while some fees are going to be outlawed, many credit cards are just inventing new ones (or turning to some tried and true oldies) to replace them.
Read more: http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/07/21/the-latest-in-sneaky-credit-card-fees/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl6|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2F21%2Fthe-latest-in-sneaky-credit-card-fees%2F#ixzz0uj7kVwYn
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Today:

Claudia called to ask me to groom "Pepper", her daughter's Long Coat Chihuahua.    Pepper is staying with them for a while.  So Misty and I went down there in the Puddle Jumper, and picked up Jay and Pepper.   Misty, Maddie the Yorkie, and Pepper played a bit on their fenced porch.

15 year old Misty is feeling very good since she no longer has the bad teeth and infection in her mouth and sinuses.  So she plays and prances, and walks with her head held high now.  She seems to remember where steps are, and can even jump in and out of the car. But I am always there to guide her.

Pepper had been done in a Lion Cut before, and had a big ruff around his neck, like this:
It is a 'pretend' lion, a guard dog cut to look like a lion!!  Oohh!  Scary!!

Prime, foster cat, has got over attacking dogs.  She just stays up high, and watches them being groomed.   Misty sleeps in the grooming room near her,  Paco walks in there sometimes, to steal any food that Misty has left.  Then different dogs are here to be groomed, she gave up, or got over it.

A lot of Pomeranians are cut in a Lion Cut, but I can't see the sense in getting a long haired dog, and then cutting it's hair off.  Get a short haired dog, if that's what you want!


Pepper jumps on Jay's bed, when Jay is sleeping at his mother's house, so he doesn't like the ruff.   Jay said it got dirt and food caught in it, and begged me to cut it all off.

Well, it was not my call, so I compromised, and cut the ruff a lot shorter.  I sent these pictures to Pepper's Mom, and she liked them, so I am glad.

So this is Pepper, after his haircut today:

The Toxic FEMA Trailers are Back.

The FEMA trailers are back, now in Gulf. This time they're being used to house workers fighting the Gulf oil spill.

 

Risk factor: A child plays outside formaldehyde-tainted FEMA trailers. PHOTO: Associated Press (AP).
Tell Congress to strengthen standards for toxic chemicals.

Katrina chronicles meet the BP oil disaster: Formaldehyde-laced trailers are back in the Gulf
07/01/2010

"Consider this fact: The United States imports formaldehyde-laden plywood from China, some of which sickened people forced to live in FEMA trailers after Hurricane Katrina.
That same plywood could not be sold in Japan or the European Union or even for domestic use in China."
 


"New York Times reports on the front page today that those toxic trailers ''' sold at auction by FEMA back in March ''' have been reincarnated once again, this time as housing for Gulf cleanup workers.  The New York Times reports that disaster contracting firms like Alpha 1 are selling the FEMA trailers to cleanup workers in the Gulf of Mexico, where the demand for cheap, short-term housing has skyrocketed as crews work around the clock to battle the gushing crude.


The New York Times reports that those formaldehyde-laden FEMA trailers of Katrina infamy are back.
This time they're being used to house workers fighting the Gulf oil spill. "
More at: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/07/01/128235966/those-fema-trailers-are-back
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Did you note? :
"That same plywood could not be sold in Japan or the European Union or even for domestic use in China."
What is going on here??  Haven't we had enough poison from China,  and why can't we use our own homegrown plywood?
Tell Congress to strengthen standards for toxic chemicals.
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"From toxic toys to poisonous powdered milk, Chinese imports have caused havoc in the U.S. and around the world." Photo: Flickr

"However, today, the China Syndrome is a completely different ‘meltdown’ scenario; the exportation of toxic and potentially deadly products by unscrupulous Chinese manufacturers such as:

1. Deadly, defective tires;
2. Toxic Fish – substituting poisonous puffer fish for monk fish;
3. Toxic Thomas the Tank Engine toys;
4. Toxic antifreeze in baby’s milk;
5. Toxic children’s overalls;
6. Deadly electrocution hair driers;
7. Toxic/Neurotoxic lead in children’s toys and jewelry;
8. Toxic pet food;
9. Toxic, radioactive drywall; and
10. The deadly and toxic Chinese product list goes on-and-on. 

It seems that the rule of thumb used in the Chinese manufacturing sector is to generate product as cheaply as possible regardless of the risk to the consumer, that is, until they get caught at it.
Even if they get caught, it’s no big deal because the contract will be crafted so that the liability for any defects rests with the wholesale distributors and retailers selling the product to the public. "
More at: http://www.open.salon.com/blog/gtigerclaw/2010/04/07/the_new_china_syndrome_radioactive_drywall
and another list at:
http://www.who-sucks.com/business/made-in-china-2007-danger-timeline
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Today:

Ray and I finished up with the mowing and weed-eating.  The place looks a lot better.

Then I sorted out my many purses, and put about 30 in the "Yard Sale Dept"!  Gee, can we collect stuff!!

Princess, (Ray and Shay's black Lab), died on 10th. Jan. 2006.  I used to day-babysit her, and she was a good friend of my little dog, Levi, who died 25 days later.

This is her grave, still being tended, today.

Tricking the Birds. Hedge. Misty.

"More than a billion birds will be in danger in the coming weeks as they continue their normal migratory patterns, flying towards the Gulf of Mexico and the growing oil spill.
They're migrating to the Gulf to mate and nest, unaware that their habitat has been contaminated by the BP accident.

Beau Harghatre coordinates the response for migratory birds in the Gulf, a sort of ambulance dispatcher for birds. He said the Gulf coast is North America's biggest hub for the birds that will pass through here over the next six months.


Flooding the Fields
To protect the birds from the encroaching oil, teams are hard at work to play an elaborate trick on them.
Federal officials are paying farmers to flood fields in five states, hoping to fool the birds into landing in clean water.
If that doesn't work, they are hoping that booms will keep oil out of Gulf marshes."
More at: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/bp-oil-spill-birds-face-danger-migrate-gulf/story?id=11068341
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Audubon, says this:

"How will the oil impact migrating birds? How does the timing impact birds and their breeding cycles?
Many of us are concerned about shorebirds that will be migrating back through this area starting in early July. Some will be coming from as far north as the Arctic and heading south to Argentina, where they will stay during winter. As they head south, they will need a lot of food and safe places to rest. And we don’t want them to get stuck in oily slicks or habitat.

With some species, it will be hard to guide them to safe habitat. For example, pelicans need to be on barrier islands to breed. Trying to move them wouldn’t work. However, ducks are more mobile and we can help provide them with healthy habitat as they make their way south.

And with some birds, we are hoping to work with farmers and others to create good habitat away from the coast and the oil. For example, we will work with farmers to flood their harvested rice fields, and birds like long-billed Dowitchers will stop to feed and rest. They will not only eat the rice, but the insects and other creatures that live there, too. This is called short-stopping. We’re tricking the birds to stop before they get to all the oil and gunk along the coast.


What are the best ways to help?

If you live near the coast, you can volunteer to help through Audubon’s volunteer center and help count and monitor bird populations and help to restore habitat. There are also many other ways to help, including restoring habitat no matter where you live—but especially if you live along a major bird migration flyway. It’s also important that all of us look at our own energy use.


Document the birds around you, especially the water fowl that migrate.

More at: http://www.audubon.org/educate/kids/gulf/Kids-MelanieDriscoll.html
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Today:

Ray and I attacked the privet hedge this morning.  We have had quite a lot of rainfall the last few weeks, and it and grown quite high.  There is a timed shut-off underground watering system all along the fence, and I had been turning that on, too.

The hedge was too high, as Bobcat couldn't see the road and the traffic out of her window.  Laying on that built-in chest under my bathroom window is one of her favourite pastimes.

I found a 4 foot 2"x2" and we screwed a 1"x 1/2" on it to make a "T-post", and that was the gauge for how much to cut off the hedge.  It took quite a while, and was hot, thirsty work, as the weeds had grown with the rain, too.

I was weeding the row of privet and the trough of aloe vera, while Ray was cutting with the electric hedge trimmer.


We had it done by 10.45, but had enough for today.  Ray said he will mow later this evening.

After lunch, I bathed and groomed Misty.   After 3-1/2 years of not being groomed since her 'Dad' died, and before I got her, she really appreciates it, so she is really good, and stays still.
Of course, as soon as she went out, she had to roll off the 'Doggie Cologne'!  But she likes to roll in the dirt anyway.  I think it is because she was a matted mess for so long, that she likes to feel the grass on her back.  It will take a long time for her ears to grow back to their former glory.

But that tired her out, so she is asleep under my bed for the rest of the day!

Safe Cosmetics & Fragrances??

We are still being bombarded with toxic products.

"Fragrances are now used in almost every cleaning, laundry, and personal-care product on the market. Since people have been using perfumes for hundreds of years. It's reasonable to wonder why the problem of using scents has surfaced only recently.

Until the 20th century, perfumes were made from natural ingredients derived directly from plants and animals, and as fragrances became cheaper and more widespread, they also became more synthetic.

The National Academy of Sciences reports that 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum, including known toxins capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions."
More at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9682.php

"Consumers Believe FDA Is Their Protector Under the present law, FDA can't even begin to regulate cosmetics until they are already on store shelves, which means they can be sold to the pubic without safety testing of the product or its ingredients.

When there are cancer-causing chemicals in baby shampoo and mercury in skin cream, you know the regulatory system is broken." The Environmental Working Group has been studying cosmetics for years, and everywhere it has looked it has found hazardous or untested cosmetics ingredients.

Testing has found that blood and urine samples from 20 teen girls from across the country were tainted with an average of 13 potential hormone-disrupting preservatives, plasticizers and other cosmetic chemicals.

Also, in umbilical cord blood from 10 newborn babies, synthetic musk fragrances were found to have crossed the mother's placenta to pollute the baby's body before birth.
More at: http://1037litefm.radio.com/2010/07/22/how-safe-are-cosmetics-new-bill-wants-to-find-out/
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"Some other ingredients in cosmetics may be benign in one state but toxic in others. For example, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral often used as a pigment or thickener) is considered to be safe when put into a viscous mixture, such as in sunscreen or toothpaste. But in powder form, such as in mineral makeup powders, it can cause cancer when inhaled, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organization).

1. A study has found that some (more than half of those tested) major big name brands of lipstick contain lead, including:
L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red”
Christian Dior Addict “Positive Red”
Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red”
and more. And there was lead found in some of the most expensive brands too, so paying more is no preventative.

2. Some cosmetics are contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane, and it isn’t of course listed on the labels, so there is no way of telling which ones."
From: http://naturalskinhealth.com/safe-cosmetics/
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Five Top Sources of Toxins  
And How To Avoid Them:

"Researchers from the World Wildlife Fund UK and the Environmental Working Group USA discovered that when a newborn babies take their first breath they are already contaminated with a range of toxic chemicals.
They found a shocking average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood.

180 of the 287 found in babies born in US hospitals cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.

This is fact not fiction.

Jeffrey Bland, the American researcher and nutritional biochemist who introduced the concept of Functional Medicine has stated that “illness is related to problems of the digestive and liver detox systems and their influence on the immune, nervous and endocrine system”.

So it’s true to say that toxins can shorten your life.

What are toxins?
A toxin is a substance that is harmful to your body. It is any substance that if allowed to build up in your body will cause damage to your cells. This includes substances produced in your body as well as substances that you take in through food, water and air and things you apply to your skin."
More at: http://thedetoxspecialist.com/blog/detox/five-top-sources-of-toxins-and-how-to-avoid-them
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Even most of the every day cleaners are toxic.

SAFE CLEANING:
-- Baking soda cleans and deodorizes kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Mix about four tablespoons in one quart of warm water.
-- To remove mold or mildew, scrub with baking soda or borax.
-- Vinegar and lemon juice will remove wax and grease build-up.
-- Baking soda and vinegar can also clear up clogged drains. Just remember if you use the above natural cleansers, don't follow them with chemical cleaning agents, as you might create a toxic chemical reaction.
From:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/07/20/use-of-household-cleaning-products-linked-to-breast-cancer/
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Just laundry and cleaning, so not much going on today.

RV Fridges, Ovens & Power. HiLo Gone!

Help your RV refrigerator:

"There are several things we can do to help our RV refrigerator do its job more efficiently. First and foremost the RV must be fairly level for the refrigerator to operate properly. Older RV refrigerators required more precise leveling, but even the newer models need to be close to level for optimum performance.


Over time a cooling unit operated out of level will be permanently damaged. The initial cool down process can take four to six hours.
You should turn the refrigerator on the day before you plan to leave and before you put any food in it. When you do load the refrigerator, the food you put in should already be cold, and the food put in the freezer should already be frozen."
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Biscuits Got Burned Bottoms:
http://www.rvvideos.com/2010/06/rv-oven-cooking-tip-will-improve-your.html
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"One thing that most RVers are concerned with is power: how much are they using in their RV? With the Kill A Watt P4400 you can monitor the energy eaters in your RV or home, saving on energy bills in some cases.
Plug whatever item you want into the device and it will tell you its efficiency by displaying the kilowatt use per hour. The Kill A Watt also calculates voltage, line frequency, current and power factor. Also, it can also test if an outlet is working or evaluate the quality of the electrical power."
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Battery Care:
Volts — Remaining Capacity
12.63 — 100%
12.54 — 90%
12.45 — 80%
12.36 — 70%
12.27 — 60%
12.18 — 50%
12.09 — 40%
12.00 — 30%
11.91 — 20%
11.82 — 10%
In our photo, the meter shows 12.30 volts, between 60 & 70 percent of full capacity. The trick is to try and never let your remaining capacity fall below 50%. If you keep it at 50% or more, your batteries will have many more “charge, discharge” cycles before croaking.
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Difficult to believe after 50+ years, HiLo Travel Trailers have also bitten the dust:
http://www.hilotrailercompany.com/hilotrailercompany.com/Welcome.html
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Today, Jay and I went to the next town, to shop and unshop.
For the first time in many years, I had my hair cut by a licensed beautician.   I used to get my hair done every week at the same little beauty shop in our little town, for decades, but when she died, I just didn't know where to go.  So I just washed it myself, and tied it back.
After it grew to almost waist length, I started hacking at it myself, with my poodle grooming scissors.  But I couldn't do the back very well.


So I was determined to have it cut, and had it done in the Walmart Style Shop today.