The Word

Delicious Food - Killing Us One Bite At a Time!

2010-12-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

Where exactly did someone come up with the idea that putting toxic chemicals in our food was safe? Not only knowing full well that these toxic chemicals were harmful, they've endorsed the very toxic products from which they've cleared for consumption by millions of consumers, and with the permission granted from the government to do so.

The FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, is the most under regulated federal agency in America, especially in light of all the defunct and harmful products it passes to be marketed to the public. You thought that maybe the economic crisis that prompted foreclosures because of the mortgage industry not being regulated was bad?

There's a reason why they call it the Food and (Drug) Administration; the two words are synonymous in that there are drugs, and, many toxic chemicals are legally added to our foods. Not just some of our commercially grown and processed foods, but all foods that are not certified organic, hormone free, non-genetically Modified (GMO), antibiotic free and steroid free are unequivocally ladened with modified or added poisonous chemicals in the food we eat.

Unless you are aware of these chemicals and genetic modifications done to the food your eating, your ingesting these foods on a daily basis. After all, we need to eat to survive, and the food you just bought at the grocery store or at a fast food restaurant, there's no getting away with not having these chemicals in our bodies, which are slowly killing us one bit at a time.

The FDA legally endorse food companies that inject these chemicals into our food from farm to store which are directly responsible and have been linked to degenerative diseases, food borne illness and thousands of deaths of people who have consumed or used the particular products that the FDA considered as "safe".

The number of lawsuits against the FDA is overwhelming. There are millions who are affected adversely because of the food additives that the FDA legally allows food companies to put in the food and products they sell, as well as the many food borne illnesses that can occur because there is little regulation from the FDA at farms and slaughter houses.

Stephanie Smith, 22.

One such incident was of a woman who consumed a hamburger her mother ate. Stephanie Smith, a children’s dance instructor, thought she had a stomach virus. The aches and cramping were tolerable that first day, and she finished her classes.

Then her diarrhea turned bloody. Her kidneys shut down. Seizures knocked her unconscious. The convulsions grew so relentless that doctors had to put her in a coma for nine weeks. When she emerged, she could no longer walk. The affliction had ravaged her nervous system and left her paralyzed.

Ms. Smith, 22, was found to have a severe form of food-borne illness caused by E. coli, which Minnesota officials traced to the hamburger that her mother had grilled for their Sunday dinner in early fall 2007.

Meat companies and grocers have been barred from selling ground beef tainted by the virulent strain of E. coli known as O157:H7 since 1994, after an outbreak at Jack in the Box restaurants left four children dead.

Yet tens of thousands of people are still sickened annually by this pathogen, federal health officials estimate, with hamburger being the biggest culprit. Ground beef has been blamed for 16 outbreaks in the last three years alone, including the one that left Ms. Smith paralyzed from the waist down. This summer, contamination led to the recall of beef from nearly 3,000 grocers in 41 states.

Ground beef is usually not simply a chunk of meat run through a grinder. Instead, records and interviews show, a single portion of hamburger meat is often an amalgam of various grades of meat from different parts of cows and even from different slaughterhouses. These cuts of meat are particularly vulnerable to E. coli contamination, food experts and officials say. Despite this, there is no federal requirement for grinders to test their ingredients for the pathogen.

What is very alarming is that the FDA legally allows food companies like Kraft, Nabisco and a myriad of other food companies to secretly disguise chemical additives in foods labels as something entirely different, and not just a few kinds of foods either.

The grocery stores are lined with literally tons of toxic chemicals in the products they sell, but you wouldn't know by some of the wording used on the ingredients list like "natural flavor", which is a chemical disguised as natural, which is actually MSG or some other additive that the FDA allows food companies to secretly list on their food items and in body products as "natural", "spices", and a litany of other deceptive labeling.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats to give the food a seemingly more flavor and taste. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that's "generally recognized as safe," the use of MSG remains controversial.

The FDA has classified Vioxx as safe, which was a pain killer, which was recalled and has been linked to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, with Consumer Reports stating that they estimate Vioxx Caused 27,785 deaths!

This subject hits very close to home as I was prescribed Vioxx which led me to the emergency room with heart attacks symptoms. There was an irregularity on the EKG, though up until that point, I have had no problems with my heart. If my incident was investigated further, in my opinion, it would have led the Vioxx being the culprit.

Clearly Merck who was the drug maker was at fault for creating such a deadly drug, but what's more frightening is that not only did the FDA pass the drug as "generally recognized as safe," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not require a Vioxx recall; Merck voluntarily pulled Vioxx from the market on September 30, 2004.

The list goes on and on about the deception from the FDA and it's 'above the law' stance when considering that there are protections in place that make is nearly impossible to sue the FDA and win a court case against them because of agency protections from the government from such lawsuits.

Since 1972, inspections conducted by the FDA declined 81 percent. Since 2003, the number of FDA field staff dropped by 12 percent, and between 2003 and 2006 federal inspections dropped by 47 percent, according to analysis by the CSPI, an advocacy group dedicated to food safety. And a recent congressional study revealed that the agency inspects less than 1 percent of the U.S. food supply, leaving the food industry to police itself.

In the space between farm and table - at processing plants, where food is handled and sorted – is where many experts believe our best chance exists to catch food borne pathogens.

There has not been a coordinated system, nor any government oversight by the Food and Drug Administration to place safeguards to ensure that our food isn't potentially deadly.

"FDA not only has insufficient resources, but it also has some major gaps in its authority," said Sandra Eskin, director of the Food Safety Campaign at Pew Charitable Trusts.

An unwanted side effect of those gaps: 76 million illnesses and 5,000 deaths are caused by food borne illness in the U.S. each year.

This past Tuesday's passage of a new law called, S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act gives the FDA more power to prevent outbreaks - a change that was hailed by food safety advocates.

Sadly though, this does not address the allowance of toxic additives to our foods labeled as something that has nothing to do with what is actually in the product. The FDA allows food companies to legally mis-label their food products, with no penalties, so that they will stay on the shelves longer, and seemingly taste better, no matter the consequences, which are documented by peer review journals as being dangerous to our health by being exposed to toxic additives that are added to our food.

There are over 14,000 man-made chemicals added to our American food supply today. Food additives are not natural nutrition for humans or their pets. Children are suffering the most from food additives because they are exposed to food chemicals from infancy, and human bodies were not meant to be exposed to the degree of chemicals and food additives found in most all our foods.

Toxic build-up / exposure have been linked to serious diseases and developmental disorders, including:

* Cancer, Cardio-vascular diseases, Immune system diseases, Hormonal imbalances.

* Childhood and reproductive health problems: ADHD, hyperactivity, learning disability, autism. May cause reproductive damage.

* Neurological disorders / brain disease: 25% of the chemicals in the environment are neurotoxins linked to increased incidence of brain disease. Other related symptoms: memory lapses, "brain fog", depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia,

"The body naturally manufactures fat in abundance to incarcerate and absorb chemicals and toxins that accumulate over time. As you cleanse the body, one can expect fat and inches to be substantially reduced." - J. K.Paulsen, M.D. - a Bariatric Physician.

Looking out for specific foods to avoid is key. Studies show that eating just one sausage a day can significantly raise your risk of bowel cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease, according to an analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund. Eating 1.8 ounces of processed meat daily - about one sausage or three pieces of bacon - raises the likelihood of the cancer by a fifth. Processed meats may also trigger cancer in the prostate, lung, stomach and esophagus.

Processed meats include bacon, ham, pastrami, salami and hot dogs. Sausages and hamburgers can also fall into the category if they have been preserved with salt or chemical additives. The analysis also found that red meat raises the risk of bowel cancer, but to a lesser extent. Processing raises levels of cancer-causing chemicals called N-nitroso compounds, making bacon, sausages and other processed meats more deadly.

The World Cancer Research Fund recommends people avoid eating all processed meats.

According to estimates, if everyone cut down on red and processed meat, one in 10 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented. (Ref.: Daily Mail March 31, 2008 World Cancer Research Fund: Food Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective November 2007)

Nearly everything we consume unless certified organic has pesticides, hormones, steroids, antibiotics, heavy metals, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, food coloring, sulfites, nitrites, nitrates and a vast amount of other toxic additives.

The following is an online list of 45 additives having the functional class “preservative,” from the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) Online Database .

Mind you that these are only a short list of just preservatives, not including all the other toxic additives put in our food.

Please take a moment to read this very important list of The More Widely Known Dangerous Ingredients in Body and Food Products.

It's shocking and daunting realizing the impact that our food industry has been dealt with in trying to preserve our foods and make them look more appealing and taste better. But it's at the cost and risk of exposure ourselves to highly toxic chemicals found at every corner at a retail store. And what's worse is that it is costing more money to treat these health related conditions because the food companies add these toxic chemicals that can adversely impact our lives from child birth.

It's no wonder that in the 21st century, there is a higher prevalence of cancer, childhood obesity and diabetes among the youth because of exactly what they are eating.

Those who blindly throw anything from off the shelf into their shopping cart at a grocery store is more likely to wind up consuming large amounts of toxic compounds, which lead to many degenerative diseases. Studies have shown this is the case with most food additives being carcinogenic, and playing havoc with our cholesterol from the Trans Fats that are ladened in most all foods we eat.

But people want convenience, and most don't find the time to prepare a healthy meal that is inexpensive because the fast food joint on the corner, or prepared meals are easier to make and costs less.

But at what price do we pay for in our health by having these conveniences?

Do you really know what's in your food? Most do not, because either they don't make the time to read what's in it, or it is mis-labeled disguised as something else, which leads us down a path of unknowing destruction of our health and well being.

Where is the accountability from all the food companies and suppliers? Where's the responsibility in seeing that food companies make healthy food? Well at this point, there aren't any.

It's up to us to take care of ourselves and our children by shopping only organic products and shopping on the outside isles of a grocery store, as the middle of the store is where you'll find most refined and processed foods. Although, the outside isle does as well, but if you shop with a health-wise conscience realizing the importance of reading ALL food labels, you'll be decreasing your chances of many diseases.

We are the creators of our own health and what we consume, and with that in mind, the information provided here, hopefully we can become more aware of what to eat, and not trust everything that is on the store shelf as being healthy to consume which is approved as "safe" by the FDA.

For surely, "The life you save, may be your own." - Theodore Roosevelt

Lady GaGa's Don't Ask, Don't Tell Video Gets Scrutinized!

2010-09-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

Clearly Lady GaGa is not an actress and can't read a script as well as some people in the media, but her message should be applauded and not made into a caddy headline by certain online media outlets such as Queerty.com about how it's scripted, but rather they should join her in her fight to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

Certainly her statement isn't a passionate cry and lacks spontaneity, but her message is no less credible in trying to help repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. How many of us have had the guts to address this issue on a forum such as YouTube, much less be subjected to the scrutiny of a national audience?

Is it that some media outlets just want to stir a heated response by their caddy headlines, or is it that they have such ill feelings towards Lady GaGa, that they'll stoop to 'trying' to make her seems less than human and victimize her and her message? Rather it's the opposite in this video, she's showing how 'real' she is, unlike her funky and sometimes hideous costumes have been.

I never was a fan of hers, however seeing this video shows her humanity and acceptance of those that do not have the opportunities as she, and is trying to be a voice for those who are victimized by the US government trying serve their country in the military. It's astonishing to think that more than 13,500 service members have been discharged from military service, just for being gay.

Isn't it strange how the military will honor a serviceman with a gold medal for killing a man in war, yet they'll discharge them for loving one?

What legacy shall we leave behind for those which espouse intolerance and judgment of those trying to protect and better the world around us?

What is "Fraud", as Queerty has stated, is anyone who has the contempt trying to demonize her for trying to abolish the ridiculous policy, and, rather than showing their support for her and give her a headline that backs the so called stance that Queerty has made in the past for the repeal of DADT, they've lowered themselves into a media pitfall being the least common denominator of all "journalism" – hypocrites!

They may try to shoot the messenger, but hopefully people's criticism hasn't dissuaded those who hear her message, and that Lady GaGa's support of gays who serve(d) proudly in the military should not be treated as second class citizens.

By making this video, she is getting people to pick up the phone by making phone calls to their state officials, those who can actually do something about this issue. While I at times find the publicity surrounding the "GaGa phenomenon" irritating, here she gets a pass.

Her message isn't in vain, as this has sparked not only scrutiny, but interest and awareness from the publicity of this raw video. The message is clear, and phone calls from constituents sharing her message will make the most impact by asking Republican Senators to side with the Democrats to block a filibuster.

Tell your home state senators to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by voting the week of September 20 in Washington, D.C.

Everyone who supports the repeal of the DADT should call their Republican Senators at (202) 224-3121 which is the Capitol switchboard – they’re staffed 24 hours a day.
What to say while on the phone:

-- Tell your senators to vote with Sen. Reid and Sen. Carl Levin in opposing the filibuster, defeat amendments to strike repeal, and defeat any crippling amendments.

-- Senators should follow the lead of Sen. Carl Levin who will be managing the defense bill.

-- It is critical that the vote on “final passage” takes place before senators leave for the election recess.

Call your senators, and join Lady GaGa and tens of thousands of others, and ask them to let the DADT Repeal come to the floor and finally put and end to this unconstitutional and anti-equality law.

Click here to tell your friends to take action too!

A Generation of Lost Children - What went wrong?

2010-08-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Rewind fifty years ago and children's lives were much simpler and filled with more promise of their parents dreams. Together sitting down for dinner and talking about the day, instilling a bond between parents and children which underlined what family represented if only a little time spent together on what really was important - family.

The days of a less stressful life where there weren't any school shootings, violent video games that children too easily emulate, where the idea of walking down the tree lined covered street that you’re lucky not to be gunned down by a stray bullet by the rival neighborhood gang.

There was a time that I’m sure many people from a generation or two ago remember where their time wasn’t consumed with being in front of a TV sixteen hours a day without a parent being home and wouldn't be until after work where children are free to go unsupervised with no other role model than The Power Rangers or a violent video game, or worse, the streets of good old USA.

In our busy day to day world, parents have almost lost all sense of what parenting is, not necessarily because they want to, but the choices that their faced with having to pay the bills, rent and other expenses and long work hours keep them away from the ones who need them most in those formative years, their children. This has over-shined the need to look after their own children, disregarding the necessary principles of right and wrong, the ideals of respect, the concept of self worth and instilling a sense of moral compass, and, if the parent isn't at home and know exactly where their kids are, then there's a lack of accountability on the parent's part.

Not all parents lack this parental innate sense, but seemingly there's a gap left with many kids of teaching these important things factors in a child's life, and the need to just try to survive and put food on the table working more hours can't be the entire reasoning behind some parents irresponsible conduct.

It’s because of this disconnect that children have found other sources to fill their time, and many times, it’s to their detriment, especially when they head outside where it’s much too easy for a child to find some kind of trouble to get into in a concrete jungle amidst predators lurking around every corner to steal a child's innocence.

There surely is no wonder why there is more teen violence now than ever before in our nations history. Children far too often do not have a role model to look up to, and many times children and teens wind up being associated with gangs not because of violence that may look appealing from what they've seen in movies and video games glorify, but it's the sense of family and feeling of kinship they get from being a part of a gang.

Children want to be accepted more than anything, and being a part of a community gives a sense of worth and belonging, something they may not getting at home. Truly the sense of community is lost when the only place a child can feel acceptance is on the streets and in a gang.

Is it a wonder why these children have turned into criminals many times repeating the crimes over and over again, even after being in front of a judge more than a few times? Clearly they haven’t learned their lesson, and more people are being subjected to these violent crimes when harsh punishments by the courts are needed and aren't imposed.

There’s a myriad of reasons why kids are in this predicament, and because of parents not raising their kid emphasizing on spending the quality time they need and deserve as children all too often a single parent working double shifts, along with not learning any parenting skills themselves because of their own upbringing, mixed together with a court system that is overwhelmed with teen violence, it's continuous vicious circle which continues at the peril of our children and society as a whole.

Indeed psychopaths are seemingly being raised in this generation, where there is many times a lack of respect for others, no responsibility taken for children and teens actions due to the numbing effect from years and years being plopped down in front of a TV a.k.a 'The Babysitter', watching violent movies, seeing gratuitous sex at a young age, the internet where absolutely anything can be found, and, playing violent video games all without any parental guidance. It's no wonder these children have lost all sense of self worth, compassion and respect for others.

Children emulate what they see, and when they see violence, they repeat it. History has proven this theory. When before the invent of video games or horrific violent movies in history did you ever hear of a child gunning down and killing other kids in school?

The sad outcome society is faced with is a kid that has no remorse for the violent crimes they commit because that's what he's been brought up to see for years upon years. School shootings, teen stabbings, defiling of property with graffiti, bullying and other crimes and violence isn’t because of good parenting obviously, it’s due to a lack of any parenting at all. This is what begets a child being raised unknowingly into becoming a psychopath. A psychopath is a person with no remorse from the violent actions they inflict.

In many cities, there are programs in community centers that allow teens to partake in activities that are sponsored by the city where children can find productive resources that allow them to participate with other teens in sports, mechanical repair, homemaking, and other resourceful and fun activities that facilitate a sense of community among those children which keep them off the streets and give them the opportunity to spend their time learning social skills and other skills that can better their lives with alliances from the city which they live.

Surely the responsibility of raising kids in a nurturing and safe environment is a necessary global task that everyone should be involved with, not only to foster a sense of community within a child's own neighborhood, but to allow children the benefit where they can grow to their fullest potential in life, which will allow them to become positive role models to other children helping them to find a much needed place in this world.

Contact your city’s community outreach center, Big Brothers Big Sisters or your local county commissioners office and find out ways where you can become a positive role model for a child, and help out where you can, for surely there is no better legacy to leave on this planet than helping a child who needs it most.

Pros and Cons of the iPad

2010-07-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

We all know that iPad is an eye-catching product for all gadget lovers . It is full of good features but there are few features in iPad which you might not like. There is a mix reaction about Apple iPad, positive and negative. I would suggest that before purchasing iPad , it is better to know about it’s Pros and Cons .

Pros of Apple iPad:

•10 hour battery life

•Built in Speaker and microphone

•Awesome App Store

•Interface is very much alike to iPhone/iPod Touch

•User-friendly to read newspaper, eBooks, magazines

•Uses home Wi-Fi

•Supports third party apps without modification

Movies – The iPad not only allows easy viewing of full-length movies, but with the Netflix app, users can watch (legally) almost any movie available. If users already have a Netflix account, the extra feature is free.

Some of the drawbacks of the iPad:

•No built in Web Cam – Although critics complained at the pre-release about this lack, Apple(r) did nothing to fix the problem, instead offering a "Camera-Connection Kit" that costs an extra $30.

•No USB support.

•Apps look funny – many of the available apps were made for the iPhone, and haven't yet been adjusted for the much bigger screen on the iPad. They have to be reworked to fit, and that takes a lot of time. Meanwhile, there are fewer apps available to those that already own the iPad.

• It doesn't multi-task.

• It is a fingerprint magnet. For something so elegant, it sure does look pretty grimy after a few minutes of use.

• No Drag and Drop file management

• It is heavier than you think it is. Using it as an e-book reader can be difficult if you are planning to hold it like a book for prolonged periods of time.

•No SD card reader built-in.

• Typing on the keyboard can be hard to get used to. You have to set it down to place your hands on the keyboard, which is awkward and odd. You may not be able to compose long e-mails on it.

•It does not support Flash and tens of thousands of web sites use Flash. They won’t be able to quickly change to HTML5 like some media sites have.

• It will not replace your notebook or iPhone. You won't be able to produce a lot on this. It is meant for you to consume media like music and video. Producing things like video, photo, or written text is not really the best experience.

•GPS is not supported completely .

• It is expensive for something you're not sure you need yet. There is always the chance that Apple will lower the price in a few months like they did with the iPhone. There is also a very good chance that a camera will be installed in the next installation of the device. So if video calling is important to you, you might want to wait.

• It is not a high definition experience. High resolution but not HD.

• You cannot annotate your books from the iTunes store. So if you are reading a book you bought through Apple, you can't take notes on the book or mark passages like you can on the Kindle.

•You won’t able to connect iPad to TV because there are no HDMI output.

So although the iPad has begun its young life with heaps of expectations and certainly lots of potential, its future is uncertain. With Apple's propensity for putting a high price on everything and its paranoia with regards to anything open-source, the iPad, although cool and new, might not be as cool when the competition releases its product that has flash, has a web cam built-in, and has a price tag significantly smaller.

2010-07-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

A Personal Letter From President Obama

2010-07-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

This is a personal letter I received from President Barack Obama and wanted to share with you, my fellow Americans.

Steven --

The Fourth of July is especially dear to my family. For us, it is not just our nation's birthday. It is the day Michelle and I became parents 12 years ago. And I can't wait to watch the fireworks with Malia on her birthday tonight, as we do every year.

As we celebrate the profound pride of being American, today is a time to honor the women and men in our armed forces, whose immeasurable bravery and sacrifice have made our country what it is today.

That sacrifice is shared with husbands and wives, with sons and daughters, with fathers and mothers, who are asked to wait at home as their loved ones protect our nation. Their heroism, too, has helped pave the path of our freedom.

Even before we moved into the White House, Michelle was a champion for those military families. She has witnessed their struggles, and she has made it her personal mission to fight for them. On this Fourth of July, she recorded a personal message, commemorating our nation's birthday and paying tribute to these families.

Please take a minute to watch Michelle's video -- and join us as we honor our military families here and abroad:

http://my.barackobama.com/July4th

From all of us, happy Independence Day.

Thank you, and may God bless America.

President Barack Obama

July 4th, 2010

i i i - Yet Another iPhone!

2010-06-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

“Now serving customer number six hundred thousand?” With all the buzz about the new iPhone 4, there certainly are some great improvements to expect from Apple, but the phone isn’t exactly living up to it’s touted potential, but it sure looks pretty.

The iPhone 4’s front and back panel are made out of chemically strengthened Gorilla Glass instead of shiny plastic. But this is glass and glass breaks and shatters, and it isn’t exactly scratch resistant. Careful which pocket you put your phone in--the one with the keys will make the phone look almost unreadable with the amount of scratches on it, not to mention if you drop it, it will spiderweb like a windshield.

When first looking at the phone, it looks impressive. But taking a closer look you’ll see yellow dots that are on the face of the phone, which some are speculating that these areas of pale yellow are related to how the phone is being held, but so far Apple hasn’t stated anything on the subject. Perhaps it was just a bad batch of screens and later version won’t have this issue. It certainly speaks to Apple’s quality control though.

Along with AT&T’s piss-poor service which has further contributed to the phones lack of reception, the phone has a serious flaw in the way you hold the phone, especially when you touch the bezel with your left hand--but how exactly do you get away from that if your holding it? You don't!

The "Grip of Death" iPhone 4 flaw had Steve Jobs in rather unfamiliar territory when he too lost his wifi signal when he showed the demo version to the public, which had him visibly upset and blaming it on his audience having their phones on interfering with the wifi signal which he claimed was the reason for the poor reception. We now know that wasn't the case but rather a major glitch of the antenna of the phone itself.

When you add in that the new features of the camera are crashing many iPhones, the reception problems, despite the myriad of other issues, the phone is indeed one of the best out there in terms of, well, apps.

Apps are probably the pinnacle of reasons why most buy the phone, although having the latest tech toy to boast in your friends faces almost makes the issues and cost of the phone worth it.

Speaking of cost, it ain't cheap owning an iPhone. With the cost of the phone itself for some , and the AT&T phone plan, and the data plan that is required to purchase the phone, even if you don’t plan on using the Internet, it’s a hefty price just to talk to someone or find your nearest coffee shop or book store on the GPS.

The approximate cost of having an iPhone depending on the plan you have minus the cost of the Apps, can run upwards with the unlimited calling plan and 2GB data plan a whopping $1,140 a year. Account for accessories and applications and it can be well over $2,000 a year for a brand spanking new, look what I’ve got, I can see you, can you see me, hello....hello, are you there iPhone 4.

I can’t wait for next year for the “new and improved” version of the “I gotta have it" iPhone.

Although having the #1 App that farts makes it all the more worth owning. Go iPhone!

BP - Big Phailure

2010-06-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

The word Phailure is a special type of failure, about 7 levels below failure. Failure so fantastic, it's written about in epic novels.

It's difficult to impart just how devastating the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico has impacted an incredible amount of environmental toll on marine life, pristine Louisiana and Florida shoreline, enormous economic loss, the loss of thousands of jobs in the fishing industry, tainted toxic seafood, and the tragic loss of 40+ lives from the explosion on the BP oil rig. And with no end in sight, an influx of skilled engineers still unable to cap off the tens of thousands gallons per day of gushing oil increasing the likelihood that things will only get worse before they get any better.

This is the largest oil spill in our nations history, and throughout history with this spill alone from April 20th to present, it has spilled roughly 72,000-600,000 tons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The Exxon Valdez oil spill two decades ago spilled 10.8 million US gallons (40.9 million litres, or 250,000 barrels) of crude oil was a mere drop in the bucket of what the spill is in the Gulf of Mexico.

Below is a live video feed of the leak at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

wkrg_oil_spill on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

The efforts of BP and the US government has done far too little and has been far too late in the efforts to keep this crisis from creating even further devastation. This is and never was the responsibility of President Obama until he made it his. His character of leadership to take the reins shows without a doubt his resolve to help this crisis. This should have been the sole responsibility of BP to have in place contingency plans that would lessen the impact should something like this were to occur.

The regulatory agencies that oversee BP and over 1,000 oil rigs dotting just the gulf of Mexico has failed in it’s duty in preventing this from happening. Accidents surely do occur in an industry such as this, but to fail to strengthen their regulations to put in place a system of redundancies to ensure that there are key contingency plans in place to contain an oil spill of this nature were obviously not in place. Sadly those regulatory agencies overseeing oil rigs have failed miserably.

Maybe this is a poignant sign pointing in all our faces at something more than spilled milk saying that fossil fuels are not the way to go, especially in light of the carnage that is seen by the mistakes of man's attempt at tapping into and draining earth's limited resources. You'd think 'they'd' get it by now!

Sustainable resources like solar, wind and electric green energy should be infused in every avenue of our lives allowing a much cleaner source of energy with less toxicity as fuel such as gas, coal and oil create.

The overwhelming jab at mother Earth in this instance came to past in part because of the de-regulation from the Bush administration. Tethered along with this is what brought on the de-regulation of wall street that Bush created which has come full circle and has slapped the US in the face once again, specifically from the Bush/Cheney administration, which we are seeing the boomerang effect with a catastrophic outcome of not only the BP oil spill, but the economic instability and crash of wall street, the millions of foreclosure’s and millions of lost jobs. These fiasco’s are directly correlated and were orchestrated by Bush’s legacy of corruption and greed--all due to the de-regulation of big corporations.

There is no question that this oil spill will be far reaching beyond the scope of any environmental disaster that we have ever seen in this world thus far. It is once again man’s attempt at gaining greed and power through which the the almighty dollar is more important than the lives of American’s and other countries people. Mans destruction for it’s profits go back decades. If you look at Chernobyl and the radioactivity that still exists to this day has created a toxic ghost town. There is a 80 mile radius with no one in sight other than scattered researchers taking data and radioactive samples and readings. To that, the deforestation of the Amazon rain forest which has far reaching implications on the earth’s climate, which is now being seen from the melted ice caps which are flooding out small cities and putting them under water and killing everyone in the floods path. This is all at the hands of short sighted corporate greed mongers putting profits before people’s lives and ultimately the horrendous immeasurable toll they are placing on our world and it’s people.

The time has far past the need for more regulations instilling in our lives and guaranteeing events like these will not further cripple this world and put us in further jeopardy to which the resources of this planet are stripped bare. It’s only a matter of time before it all runs out, and then what are we to do? Man's constant need for greed has created nothing good for the betterment of mankind, but rather has de-humanized the lessened the capacity for compassion for our world which is greater than ourselves, and has pushed us further against the moral grain of humanity giving greater rise to mans destructive ways for mere profit.

Let us instead send a message to create and build a sustainable future for our children, their grandchildren and beyond. It is time to not do what only can be done, but do it in such a way that will leave a lasting legacy of one our future generations can look back with respect and gratitude that we accomplished and ensured their lives with a planet that is safe and livable for them, and for their future generations to come.

Foods - To Dye For!

2010-06-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

What do strawberry Jello, orange Koolaid, raspberry soda, grape popsicles, much candy and baked goods, most brands of ice cream, maraschino cherries, many snack foods, and most pet food have in common? They are laced with millions of pounds of artificial coal-tar based dyes with names such as Red 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40.

Each year, Americans eat (as food dyes), swallow (as pill coatings or medicinal syrups) or rub on themselves (as cosmetics) 6.4 million pounds of these 7 dyes, mostly in food.

That was in 1985. In 2005, Americans consumed more than 17.8 million pounds of these dyes.) Four of these food dyes (Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 2) which make up over half of the food dyes used each year have been shown to cause cancer as have other dyes which are not used in food but are used in drugs or cosmetics.

CHILDREN AND FOOD DYES

In July 1976, the FDA Division of Consumer Studies published a report concerning the ingestion of food dyes by children in the United States. Some of their findings follow:

95-99% of children eat some food containing coal-tar (petroleum derived) food dyes.
Over 4 million children will have consumed a total of more than one pound of coal-tar food dyes by the time they are 12 years old.
The maximum consumption of food dyes by children is as high as three pounds by age 12.

The government has refused to take dangerous dyes out of your food, drugs and cosmetics, but there are several steps you can take to protect yourself and your family:

1. Avoid using any foods with artificial dyes ("artificial coloring," "U.S.Certified colors") such as the seven listed in Table 2: Red 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 40.

2. The seven drug and cosmetic dyes which should be avoided, all "D&C" (drug and cosmetic dyes) are: Red 8, Red 9, Red 19, Red 36, Red 37, and Orange 17. Read the ingredient list on cosmetics (if it is there) before using them.

3. Avoid yielding to arguments that only one in a million people using each of these dyes will get cancer at the doses used in foods, drugs, or cosmetics. For all of these dyes, for all people using them, this amounts to well over 1000 cases of cancer. In addition, hundreds of thousands of people are extremely allergic to Yellow 5 or Yellow 6 and small amounts, even a few thousandths of a gram, can cause severe reactions in some of these people. (Don't forget that the amount you and your children are exposed to today is many times higher than what you were exposed to as a child, and there is no valid study showing that long term exposure to even low levels of these additives is safe.)

4. Write your Senator and Congressperson asking them what they are doing to push the government to obey the food safety laws and ban these dyes.

Taylor Lautner Pounds It Out With Tom Cruise In New MTV Movie Awards Promo

2010-06-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

With the MTV Movie Awards creeping up on Sunday June 6th, and "Tropic Thunder" character Les Grossman (Tom Cruise) just plain creeping his way back into the Hollywood spotlight, the hilarity keeps on coming with promos starring the outlandish movie mogul (don't miss the one we posted earlier, in which Robert Pattinson was the butt of the joke!).

In the newest commercial, Les' latest victim, Taylor Lautner, finds that the double Les has picked out to stand in as the "Twilight" star — a much older man drinking whiskey in a tuxedo — looks nothing like him! "No one is going to believe this is me!" exclaims Taylor, while Les retorts with, "I'm sorry, which Taylor said that?" Still, even when Taylor gets frustrated, he’s a stud!

Google Scammers Spam Craiglisters

2009-11-30T17:24:00.001-08:00

This news article looks pretty legitimate offering Google for it's work at home job, but don't be fooled. It's a SCAM!

While the ad content is legitimate for Google Ad Sense and Google Word Sense, the link in the article directs you to a SCAM WEBSITE which asks for a $1.99 "shipping and handling fee", which of course is anything but that. They also gather your personal information and sell it. Staying clear from these sites isn't easy when they look like they're offering fantastic opportunity with such little investment. That's a major RED FLAG to look for!

I posted on craigslist many times and just recently was sent an email from a spammer with a link attached that directed me to this website.

None of these scams being touted are in any way associated with Google.

The "Google Work From Home Scam" has been around for a while, but I thought I'd post this just to give anyone a heads up of just what some other scams that people on craigslist are trying to get away with, and if people fall for it, they not only take your money, but your personal information as well.

Although Google does have some very legitimate job opportunities such as Google ad sense and Google word sense, which is the only money making opportunities that Google offers. The old saying: when it's too good to be true, it probably is.

This is the link to the fake news article, and even the Youtube video is edited to have you believe that it's in fact a legitimate work from home job when it's not. This is the SCAM WEBSITE that is linked on the news article page. Please do not input any information whatsoever on this site, but only to view it and see what a scam website looks like.

So, you are forewarned about this and hope this serves you well not to take anyone's word for anything these days, especially if you're contact by someone you do not know online.

Don't Mess With The Gays!

2009-05-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

I just really don't get the overwhelming sentiment that somehow gay marriage is going to corrupt or infringe on traditional marriage whatsoever. National Organization for Marriage traffics in hate and fear to their website and cause, and does this under the guise of holding the sanctity of marriage in some held high esteem.

I guess the 52 hour marriage of Britney Spears, the divorce rate sky-rocketing to over 65% now, and the cohorts that feel straight married couples somehow are better fit to be married or have children than gay married couples.

It's fear and discrimination like this that does nothing for the religious right, nor does it address the deeper issue of their obvious homophobia. It's undeniable that churches preach from the bible that it is a sin and wrong to commit adultery, to have children outside of wedlock, and it specifically abhors separation and divorce.

Divorce itself was as stated by Jesus himself insisted that marriage must be indissoluble (God's original plan). He abrogated accommodations that had compromised the sixth commandment. Therefore between a couple who is married, "a ratified and consummated marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any reason other than death", yet we don't see the National Organization for Marriage coming down against the 65% of divorcees.

And why is that? Maybe they feel they can just pick and choose the passages to fit their own agenda? Or is it conceivable that the "will of God" exists for everyone but those who commit an abomination against the commandments. Hm, wasn't shell fish considered an abomination? I guess married homosexuals eating shellfish is the biggest sin of all.

No where in the Bible does it state that homosexuality is a sin, nor does it state that marrying the same sex is sinful. It's the religious sect that espouses it's bigotry towards anyone but themselves if their interpretation of the Bible of anyone that goes against what they have 'chosen' believe by the interpretations that they made from the Bible.

The N.O.M says same-sex marriage will somehow demoralize the sanctity of traditional marriage, yet Canada has legalized marriage in 2005, and since then they haven't seen in four years any construct of a deterioration of society or infringement on anyone due to the ruling of same-sex marriage.

But I guess the religious folks who don't support gay marriage will pick and choose the passage where the Bible states "Love Thy Neighbor", "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart" or, "he who is without sin cast the first stone". So, let them pick and choose and interpret their Bible verses. It only cast them in a negative light by espousing their own agenda of discrimination and intolerance.

Do gays really need religious fanatical tyrants like the N.O.M. telling anyone how to live their lives when clearly it doesn't affect their lives in the slightest? And, how exactly does a gay married couple infringe on anyone else marriage, and how could marriage between two loving people ever threaten anyone if it's bounded in love?

If the National Organization for Marriage doesn't support gay marriage, they shouldn't get one.

Marriage is a human right, NOT a heterosexual priviledge.

Swine Masks--A Bargin At $90--What?!?!

2009-04-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

In the scuffle of trying to protect ourselves from the SWINE flu, there I said it, "Swine" flu--there's a mad dash to cash in on people by selling a mask for $45 a pop that doesn't even have a gold encrusted nose clip to secure your airway.

It'd be hard pressed to find someone that would consider paying this price for a mask, but we may just want to buy a cheaper version of one to cover up the stink it's causing by offering it at such a exorbitant and ridiculous price.

Nothing like the free market, where absolutely nothing is free, and in a crisis you have to pay ten times the price!

Virgnia Foxx Mis-represents Matthew Sheppard Hate Crime Bill

2009-04-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC) on the house floor stated: "There was a bill, the hate crimes bill that’s called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. The bill was named for him. The hate crimes bill was named for him. But it’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills."

20/20 reported about the Matthew Sheppard case which was so ladened with such false information that it was laughable having no credibility. But apparently Ms. Foxx saw the 20/20 story about Matthew Sheppard which sadly mis-represented the facts about his death, or just has no clue about the facts of the case.

It's media's attempt once again to re-purpose it's function in any factual basis, and in the face of that mis-inform people like Foxx believing that this drivel is somehow valid.I'm not sure what 20/20's motivation was to skew the facts about Sheppard's death, but what this shows is that people, even in held in an elected position can be subject to being stuped in believing wrong information.

I don't know what upsets me more, the fact that 20/20 told that malicious untrue story, or that Congresswoman Foxx could believe it. I think it's a tie: the show and she are both unworthy of any support whatsoever.

Matthew Shepard's mom Judy Shepard, is a woman of enormous dignity and courage, crusading for legislation and for changes of attitude that would make crimes like this impossible. To lose a son under those circumstances, and then to have to listen to this ignorant woman diminish what happened, was just a disgrace.

In the words of Keith Olberman: "She is at best callous, insensitive, criminally misinformed. At worst she is a bald-faced liar. And if there is a spark of a human being in there somewhere, she should either immediately retract and apologize for her stupid and hurtful words or she should resign her seat in the House."

I agree!

Get Gitmo-Closing Guantanamo!

2009-04-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Torture by law of the U.S. is illegal, and the means by which people are tortured at Guantanamo with water-boarding, humiliation, beatings, sexual exploitation and starvation does nothing to bring an accurate confession.

All too often prisoners provide false information to lessen or stop the abuse. Prisoners aren't allowed an attorney, a trial or even the basic of rights under the laws of the United States. They're in Cuba and those laws don't exist.

The Geneva Convention rules don't apply because the government doesn't use the word 'prisoner' which then allows detainees to be treated without any rights whatsoever. By the U.S. military not using the word 'prisoner', the term 'enemy combatants' is used instead to skirt the Geneva Convention rules so as those rules do not apply.

Those who order torture and those who follow those orders through, are just as guilty of crimes against humanity. But who's going to enforce those laws? Surely not our own government who created the torture tactics to begin with.

Many suggest that the Nazi's were just following orders when they tortured and murdered millions of Jews in the Holocaust. The Nuremberg trials established the "just following orders" defense did not excuse the atrocities that an officer acted upon.

The U.S. is obligated to abide by our treaties, laws, and agreements. The Geneva Convention specifically forbids torture. We agreed to abide by the Geneva Conventions, yet seemingly those rules don't apply to the U.S. government at Guantanamo.

Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush tried to evade the law by making up their own definition of what constitutes torture. They should pay the consequences. But sadly the powers that be can not be held accountable by the Geneva Convention because the definitions of those laws are re-worded and are not set forth to determine that those laws are being broken.

The military suggests that many detainees many times don't cooperate and they are not successfully 'screened'. They also suggest that what they do at Guantanamo is saving lives, because it's "good for the American people". This U.S. naval base has been re-purposed into a dumping ground for people who's civil rights they'd rather not consider because it's "necessary" for the good of our country.

If one were to condemn Guantanamo it certainly wouldn't be an indictment of just the administration, but of the entire congress. Congresses silence can only be attributed to the consent, acquiesce or disinterest. But it's at least safe to say they just don't care.

The U.S. government is torturing people, giving them no trials, no lawyers. It's so intrinsically wrong and goes against what this country is suppose to represent, it's laughable. Maybe because we're all not having a really good laugh is because the little 'gitmo' tricks have started popping up close to home.

The recent revelations of FBI abuse of the patriot act, all the bogus subpoenas manufactured evidence against American citizens. Maybe it's just ruined the fun of 'gitmo' for the military and it's government because it's much more in the public eye and scrutinized now much more rigorously by our new administration.

Maybe we should start with the little things first though, like human rights. The executive branch has a particular expertise, in fact they've been brilliant at it. Calling the prisoners "enemy combatants" instead of prisoners so they don't have to abide by the Geneva Convention so that the military can torture them, brilliant. Basing the camp in Cuba so the constitution really won't get in their way, brilliant.

And under the pentagon's new draft guidelines, they'll have tribunals in Guantanamo that will have suspects to be jailed for life, or even executed on evidence that would never be admissible in any civilian or military court, brilliant.

Imagine what this country could become being able to execute someone on triple hearsay on a totally coerced confession. Absolutely Brilliant!

We condemn terrorists for, among other things, torturing hostages, while we torture our prisoners. We condemn China for holding "political prisoners" without due process, while we hold "terrorists" without absolute proof. We can not willfully claim the moral high ground while at the same time climbing down to roll in the muddy gutter of political expedience.

Get Your FREE Unclaimed Money Here

2009-04-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I'd find anything for myself or family when I did a search, but low and behold I found that there was unclaimed money for myself of $30 when I worked for Burger King when I was a kid. How bout that!!

Governments keep a record of unclaimed money it is holding that belongs to individuals. Hard to believe, but the U.S. government wants to return this money to their rightful owners. Unclaimed money could include deposits, derivatives, salaries, stocks, bonds, wills, estate monies, and any other money or property that is not claimed by the legal owner.

State law requires local governments to turn over unclaimed money to the state after a specified period of time. The state has no time limit for filing claims. It holds unclaimed money in trust for the rightful owners forever. Visit the state's The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrator's web site for additional information.

Marriage, With All The Trappings

2009-04-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Bridezilla sporting a dress that paints them as a fairy princess in white, shrouded in a veil that sinched their bonds of love with the 'last words' of "I do", both being led into a force fed fairy tale that we've believed to more than it actually is--Marriage!

Marriage is an idealistic institution concocted by the government set up years ago to gain ownership over women as property. But over the many years it has changed to be a rather skewed form of wedlock that many don't take too seriously, given the fact that divorce rates are skyrocketing higher than any other time in history.

From almost infancy we're forced to believe that marriage is the panacea of all our ills in life, and that the person whom we choose to spend the rest of our lives with will actually not cheat or divorce us at the first sign of problems within the marriage. Security, commitment, and the happily ever after is an idealistic viewpoint, and most can't or don't live up to the reality of what marriage is, and, with the over 65% divorce rate in the U.S., those sentiments are sadly not based in anything other than fantasy.

The 'ideals' of marriage is kind of like watching a movie, momentarily suspending disbelief for the purpose of believing that the farce we've been led to believe, can live up to the dream. Faced with facts that are solely setting this institution up for failure with the numerous reasons why marriages fail, men and women just don't want to believe the realities that they are confronted with.

Instead of enhancing a relationship, many time people feel marriage replaces true attraction and the ideals of what marriage is supposed to be, with a institution and a feeling of being trapped.

On a more innate and fundamental aspect of human courtship, marriage goes against the very fabric of our being. In most every species on this planet, the mating rituals do not link together only one male and one female for life. It is the natural course of instincts that allows us to perpetuate our species by selecting several mates throughout our lifetime keeping our species thriving. But marriage has stripped away this innate characteristic.

The institution of marriage replaces an independently constructed relationships with a single social contract that attempts to compact years of development into indeed, heartfelt vows and a single binding sentence of: "I do." It is like buying your diploma from a mail order company rather than actually going to college. The problem is, most leap into marriage with their hearts and not their heads. There are courses on cooking that employ a larger time frame learning the makings of a soup base than there is to leap into a legal binding, financially draining, and emotionally binded arrangement that marriage is.

It is the perception of the supposed guarantees that marriage offers which is ingrained into our minds since childhood, and seemingly having this 'fairy-tale' life given to them simply by getting married.

The realities are that men cheat, as do women, because they are not getting what they otherwise would be getting outside of the marriage. What this is, is freedom, and an intrinsic desire to perpetuate our species and move on. For men, it's quite easy to do this as their brains are wired to do so, however women would rather have a sense of security instead of spreading their seed.

A contract, or a vow of marriage doesn't precede this deeply rooted chemical human characteristic to procreate. What marriage can do most times is trying to re-wire the brain which can not be done, no matter the intent. It's selfish and serves no purpose other than to hold a false bond onto someone else's life with a contractual basis signed on the dotted line.

The legal rights that marriage offers alone certainly would persuade couples to get married. Indeed married couples have many more benefits of a legal nature than non-married couples. For this reason alone, marriage is a construct that can ensure certain rights, particularly tax benefits, health care options, and survival benefits.

The proponents of marriage hold that it is a sacred tradition that should be held in the highest esteem allowing it only to be undertaken by a man and a woman. How selfish a notion to keep away the supposed 'unworthy' ones who want to marry simply because of a religiously held prejudices against certain groups of people, namely same sex couples.

No matter the veil of 'holiness' that religious folk find themselves wrapped in, this shouldn't preclude anyone from wanting to get married if they so choose. It's amazing and shocking to see a 'religious' sect of people holding a sign which states "God Hates Fags". What they may fail to realize when they are pointing one finger of judgement toward another, the other three fingers are pointing back at them.

Many people want to ban gay marriage because of this strong held 'belief' that gay men and gay women shouldn't be allowed to marry because it would taint the sanctity of what marriage represents. What some fail to realize is that what has tainted marriage is divorce.

Those proponents say ban gay marriage, but if they want to keep marriage 'sacred', ban divorce! Then there would be an equally challenging and more serious prospect into wanting to leap into marriage because of the consequence of not being able to get out of this instituion.

Companionship and relationships are what keeps our species alive and thriving, and the need to share intimacy and love is the foundation of our existence. This is the commonality that we all share throughout our life. Nothing else binds us together stronger than this. But to try to enshroud this innate experience by encasing it in an unrealistic manner, we strip away the natural course of our being. It's like encasing a butterfly in a box, pinning it to enjoy it's beauty, all the while destroying it's life.

Life is an ebb and flow which is continually founded in change, and with it brings happiness and disappointments. But greater than that is lessons of life that we all must stumble upon which shape us into the people we become.

The marriage laws that disallow anyone to marry by religious groups, media campaigns, modernization of family traditions, and the social economic impact has skewed the realities of that institution.

The bonds of love and committment are not found with a piece of paper, but in the hearts of those who choose to embrace that sentiment.

Truly the ideals of what marriage represents is wrapped in a tidy package of meet, greet, date, fall in love, get married, and live happily every after. It's a fantasy many subscribe to from childhood stories in books and movies, and perpetuated by their parents, religion, government, media and everything else that promotes marriage.

The best we can hope for is to share as many special bonds of friendship and love that we can, taking the most from each person and allowing that to fill our lives, taking the best of what each person has given us and hold it into our memories and hearts lasting a lifetime.

For if this were the case then you would have found the most important part of what we are all searching for with someone, and that, is what binds us all together and gives us true meaning.

Perez Hilton-The Queen of Mean

2009-04-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Aw SNAP! Seems Perez Hilton showed his claws after asking the 21-year-old Miss California Carrie Prejean, the Miss America contestant the question about same-sex marriage and didn't get the answer he wanted.

He asked what her 'opinion' was on the matter, asking if she thought the US should follow in the footsteps after the four states that now have legalized same-sex marriage.

Carrie said, ''Well, I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage.'

She continued: 'And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.

'No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be - between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.'

Having Perez's rainbow feathers ruffled not hearing what he wanted to hear, he called her a " dumb bitch". He went on to describe her as having 'half a brain' and said he would have stormed onto the stage and ripped off her tiara if she had won.

It seems Perez will swoop down on any prey if he doesn't like what he sees or hears and will rant and post ridiculous and childish scribbles on their picture just to show how infantile he is. It's typical 'Perez-snobbery-shtick'.

Although maybe Carrie Prejean should have won, because I'm sure there would been a welcomed cat fight between these two girls fighting for that tiara.

Although I don't think the self proclaimed Queen that Perez is would've looked as good as Carrie in that tiara, although I'm sure if he ripped that tiara out of her hands, he would have worn that tiara much more proud being self crowned and as the 'Queen of Mean', after his distasteful and disrespectful remarks.

A title well deserved!

Smoking--It's To Die For

2009-04-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

"Smoke, smoke smoke that cigarette-puff, puff, puff' until you smoke yourself to death" is the little 1947 catchy song we may all know too well. We all know smoking cigarettes are addicting, and with each cig it roughly take 20 minutes off a persons life. Let's sing it, all together now!

But do you think anyone really cares that they're killing themselves? If they did, surely they would put down the cancer stick and be free from the cost, the stigma associated with smoking, and the obvious health risks....right?

Smoking cigarettes are just as addictive as heroin, and the cigarette companies know it--that's how they stay in business and why they're making billions each year at the expense of peoples lives. Did anyone see the movie "Thank You For Smoking"?

Listen, most people are like cattle. They follow crowds, they follow trends, and they certainly follow what is legalized by a government that realizes the health consequences if someone smokes, despite that they're killing almost half a million people each year.

Cigarettes contain over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Nicotine is the reason why many people find it difficult to quit smoking. The US Surgeon General said nicotine addiction is similar to addiction to other drugs like heroin and cocaine.

Over the long term, smoking leads people to develop health problems like heart disease, stroke, emphysema (breakdown of lung tissue), and many types of cancer — including lung, throat, stomach, and bladder cancer. People who smoke also have an increased risk of infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.

Smokers not only develop more wrinkles than non-smokers, and yellow teeth, they also lose bone density, which increases their risk of osteoporosis, a condition that causes older people to become bent over and their bones to break more easily.

438,000 Americans die each year from smoking related illnesses, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and victims of "secondhand" exposure to tobacco's carcinogens.

Smoking cost the United States over $193 billion in 2004, including $97 billion in lost productivity and $96 billion in direct health care expenditures, or an average of $4,260 per adult smoker.

Secondhand smoke causes almost 50,000 deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year, including approximately 3,400 from lung cancer and 22,700-69,600 from heart disease.

Research indicates that private research conducted by cigarette company Philip Morris in the 1980s showed that secondhand smoke was highly toxic, yet the company suppressed the finding during the next two decades.

There are seven medications approved by the FDA to aid in quitting smoking. Nicotine patches, nicotine gum and nicotine lozenges are available over-the-counter, and a nicotine nasal spray and inhaler are currently available by prescription. Buproprion SR (Zyban) and varenicline tartrate (Chantix) are non-nicotine pills.

Those who try quitting, it can be helpful to realize that the first few days are the hardest. So don’t give up. Some people find they have a few relapses before they manage to quit for good.

Staying smoke free will give you a whole lot more of everything — more energy, better performance, better looks, more money in your pocket, and, in the long run, more life to live!

Sexting 101

2009-04-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

In an effort to better understand the intersection between sex and cyberspace about kids attitudes and behavior, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl commissioned a survey of teens and young adults to explore electronic activity.

This is the first public study of its kind to quantify the proportion of teens and young adults that are sending or posting sexually suggestive text and images.The survey of those ages 13-26 was conducted by TRU, a global leader in research on teens and 20-somethings.

The survey was fielded online to a total of 1,280 respondents— 653 teens (ages 13-19) and 627 young adults (ages 20-26)—between September 25, 2008 and October 3, 2008.

Although most teens and young adults who send sexually suggestive content are sending it to boyfriends and girlfriends, others say they are sending such material to those they want to hook up with or to someone they only know online.

FIVE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE PRESSING “SEND”

1. Don’t assume anything you send or post is going to remain private.
Your messages and images will get passed around, even if you think they won’t: 40% of teens and young adults say they have had a sexually suggestive message (originally meant to be private) shown to them and 20% say they have shared such a message with someone other than the person for whom is was originally meant.

2. There is no changing your mind in cyberspace—anything you send or post will never truly go away.
Something that seems fun and flirty and is done on a whim will never really die. Potential employers, college recruiters, teachers, coaches, parents, friends, enemies, strangers and others may all be able to find your past posts, even after you delete them. And it is nearly impossible to control what other people are posting about you. Think about it: Even if you have second thoughts and delete a racy photo, there is no telling who has already copied that photo and posted it elsewhere.

3. Don’t give in to the pressure to do something that makes you uncomfortable, even in cyberspace.
More than 40% of teens and young adults (42% total, 47% of teens, 38% of young adults) say “pressure from guys” is a reason girls and women send and post sexually suggestive messages and images. More than 20% of teens and young adults (22% total, 24% teens, 20% young adults) say “pressure from friends” is a reason guys send and post sexually suggestive messages and images.

4. Consider the recipient’s reaction.
Just because a message is meant to be fun doesn’t mean the person who gets it will see it that way. Four in ten teen girls who have sent sexually suggestive content did so “as a joke” but many teen boys (29%) agree that girls who send such content are “expected to date or hook up in real life.” It’s easier to be more provocative or outgoing online, but whatever you write, post or send does contribute to the real life impression you’re making.

5. Nothing is truly anonymous.
Nearly one in five young people who send sexually suggestive messages and images, do so to people they only know online (18% total, 15% teens, 19% young adults). It is important to remember that even if someone only knows you by screen name, online profile, phone number or email address, that they can probably find you if they try hard enough.

5 TIPS TO HELP PARENTS TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT SEX AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Talk to your kids about what they are doing in cyberspace.
Just as you need to talk openly and honestly with your kids about real life sex and relationships, you also want to discuss online and cell phone activity. Make sure your kids fully understand that messages or pictures they send over the Internet or their cell phones are not truly private or anonymous. Also make sure they know that others might forward their pictures or messages to people they do not know or want to see them, and that school administrators and employers often look at online profiles to make judgments about potential students/employees.

2. Know who your kids are communicating with.
Of course it’s a given that you want to know who your children are spending time with when they leave the house. Also do your best to learn who your kids are spending time with online and on the phone. Supervising and monitoring your kids’ whereabouts in real life and in cyberspace doesn’t make you a nag; it’s just part of your job as a parent. Many young people consider someone a “friend” even if they’ve only met online. What about your kids?

3. Consider limitations on electronic communication.
The days of having to talk on the phone in the kitchen in front of the whole family are long gone, but you can still limit the time your kids spend online and on the phone. Consider, for example, telling your teen to leave the phone on the kitchen counter when they’re at home and to take the laptop out of their bedroom before they go to bed, so they won't be tempted to log on or talk to friends at 2a.m.

4. Be aware of what your teens are posting publicly.
Check out your teen’s MySpace, Facebook and other public online profiles from time to time. This isn’t snooping-this is information your kids are making public. If everyone else can look at it, why can’t you? Talk with them specifically about their own notions of what is public and what is private. Your views may differ but you won’t know until you ask, listen, and discuss.

5. Set expectations.
Make sure you are clear with your teen about what you consider appropriate “electronic” behavior. Just as certain clothing is probably off-limits or certain language unacceptable in your house, make sure you let your kids know what is and is not allowed online either. And give reminders of those expectations from time to time. It doesn't mean you don’t trust your kids, it just reinforces that you care about them enough to be paying attention.

No one can enforce these rules upon kids 24/7. But giving them the information and the know-how to better equip themselves to keep them safe, and to keep their personal information out of the prying eyes and hands of those who don't have their best interests at heart, are the best tools that we can give them which can, in the end, be used to protect kids lives.

Animal Shelter Run Entirely by KIDS!

2009-04-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

The Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary known as D.A.W.G.S., in Texas’ panhandle is proof positive that hard workers who are committed to helping our county’s shelter animals come in all shapes and sizes.

This very special rescue group is run almost entirely by children. One historic spring in 2003 school teacher Dianne Trull was talking to her students about pet over population and one child earnestly inquired, “Why do the dogs have to die?”

Able to grasp the power in that moment and unwilling to tell her students that they were powerless to help these desperate animals, Diane instead took it upon herself to empower these young leaders. As Diane puts it, together her students, her family and she set out to “change how the world works. And change the world they have done indeed–in spite of tremendous obstacles– for themselves and the over 5,000 dogs and cats they have placed in loving homes!

In an effort to protect the shelter from the forces of nature, D.A.W.G.S. is now enrolled in a USDA conservation program that will match the funds they raise to build a natural windbreak out of trees. This is yet another challenge for the amazing team at D.A.W.G.S, a challenge we have no doubt they will meet. Especially if we all put the word out and show them that they have the support of all of us.

The Boobie Trap

2009-04-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Blip blam boom, your done! All in one fell swoop, she's got bigger boobies. As a part of the convenient drive-through mentality that has befallen most all American's nowadays, it's no wonder "millions have been served" with cosmetic surgery.

But beyond the easy road it takes to get a boob job, why are more women than ever sticking these oversized obvisously fake looking cantelope shapped ballons in their chest?

For those who need reconstructive surgery, this proceedure may be necessary. But elected surgery to put silicone in one's body is just beyond reason.

Every culture has some sort of elicit form of attraction that is 'suppose' to make the women more attractive or appealing. In the US it's boob jobs and plastic surgery.

In Africa, neck rings worn by women of the Padaung are a reminder of the long-necked dragon mother from whose egg the Paudaung emerged which represents fertility.

In other areas of the continent, women implant lip plates that have become the main distinguishing feature of the Mursi tribe. A girls lip is cut by her mother or someone else she agrees too at about the ages of 13-16 usually around 6 moths before marriage.

Maybe it's that women have a penance for sticking objects inside their bodies to attract men, and they've been doing it for decades. But isn't it men who are suppose to be sticking something else in women's bodies other than silicone implants?

The female gender has been brainwashed by the media since birth by shoving these false images of what the media thinks someone is suppose to look like, which is extremely unrealistic, and gives a very skewed view of what beauty represents. Beauty comes in all forms, shapes and sizes, but he motivating factor behind the beauty industry, is you guessed it, it's the multi-billion dollar making scam that women buy into.

Eye cream, leg cream, hair cream, hair dye, make-up, diet pills, boob jobs, tummy tucks, butt implants, laser peels,chemical peels, hair extentions, fake nails, nose jobs, false eye lashes, botox, and face lifts- are all implicated as the fallacy that is driven by the 'beauty-made-by-media' campaign.

There's such a huge stigma on being young, or thin, or hot, wrinkle free, or whatever is superficially geared which creates a false sense of what beauty really is, and the beauty industry knows this and relies, and preys on it. Everywhere we turn there's something being shown that mis-represents what beauty is, by TV, magazines, movies, etc. which only re-inforces the beauty trap.

No wonder why so many people have such self image issues-they've been bombarded with the 'beauty rules' by the media, and by society since birth.

It would be unfortunate, but quite probably in the not too distant future if someone wants a boob job or any other cosmetic proceedure done, all they'll have to do is drive up to the 'fast-fake-beauty' window and place their order and say, "I'll have a dermapeel, a boob job, a lip injection with a side order of botox, oh, and please, super-size" me!!