A Rape Occurs Every Minute~! in America

A dozen ways to avoid the most brutal of crimes:

1. Avoid going out ALONE with anyone you don't know well.
3. Don't go to someone's apartment whom you do not know.
2. Stay with group when you are out socializing (e.g. partying)
3. Don't walk anywhere alone at night.
4. Have a friend or co-worker escort you to your car.
5. Make sure you keep your eye on your drink at all times.
6. Get your drink directly from the bartender, not a stranger.
7. Don't drink or take drugs to the point you can't make rational decisions.
8. Do not depend on self-defense techniques --gives a false sense of security.
9. Avoid dressing too provocatively.
10. Insist a date be completely respectful of your wishes.
11. LISTEN to your inner instinct...if you get a bad feeling, leave immediately.
12. If someone starts to attact you, scream "FIRE!" as loud as you can - you are more likely to attract attention and get help--plus screaming "FIRE" may startle and confuse your attacker -the last thing he/she wants is public attention.

I read "The Gift of Fear" and discovered it is a great book to give the women (and men) in your life...it may save theirs & yours!)

The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin De Becker.

Amazon.com review of "The Gift of Fear" --Each hour, 75 women are raped in the United States, and every few seconds, a woman is beaten. Each day, 400 Americans suffer shooting injuries, and another 1,100 face criminals armed with guns. Author Gavin de Becker says victims of violent behavior usually feel a sense of fear before any threat or violence takes place. They may distrust the fear, or it may impel them to some action that saves their lives.

A leading expert on predicting violent behavior, de Becker believes we can all learn to recognize these signals of the "universal code of violence," and use them as tools to help us survive. The book teaches how to identify the warning signals of a potential attacker and recommends strategies for dealing with the problem before it becomes life threatening. The case studies are gripping and suspenseful, and include tactics for dealing with similar situations.

People don't just "snap" and become violent, says de Becker, whose clients include federal government agencies, celebrities, police departments, and shelters for battered women. "There is a process as observable, and often as predictable, as water coming to a boil." Learning to predict violence is the cornerstone to preventing it. De Becker is a master of the psychology of violence, and his advice may save your life. --Joan Price --

There's a hole in the bucket

There is an old song that goes: There's a hole in the bucket dear Liza dear Liza - Well, then FIX IT dear Henry, dear Henry--then FIX IT.

It is so easy to complain about anything...obviously, it takes more effort to fix things...maybe that's why more people complain than get things done... still, knowing what is wrong is valuable...the first step is to state the problem clearly, which will often even suggest a solution. Personally I believe there is a solution to EVERY problem if only you can find it-it might just come to you (mentally or through someone else) or through simple research or by some creative action (think MacGyver--80's t.v. show).

I am hereby announcing:

The World's Worst Problems Challenge

To paraphrase Martin Luther King ("A justice delayed is a justice denied") - A problem not solved in a timely manner, just gets worse... a good friend once told me "It's better to do something when you first think of it." This belief has saved her hours of grief and lots of money.
I have my own saying: CREATIVITY CONQUERS COST!

Here is an abbreviated list of The World's Worst Problems -please suggest what can be done to "fix" any one of these--then we can have some really great "Better World" news to share. Add to the list as you see fit.

1. War
2. Hunger
3. Slave trade (children stolen or sold into slavery)
4. Epidemic disease
5. Oil depletion /energy needs
6. Intolerance of other's religions

New things to beware of

Avoid artificial butter flavoring...in fact avoid any artificial colors and flavorings, which can contribute to a host of health problems.

Artificial Butter Flavor and "Popcorn Lung" Disease
(From http://www.feingold.org/articles/popcorn.html)

"Beginning in the 1990's, factory workers in four Midwestern states have contracted a (previously) rare lung disease as a result of exposure to artificial butter flavoring used in microwave popcorn. The Environmental Protection Agency is now conducting its first study of the chemicals emitted from bags of microwave popcorn.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has linked diacetyl, a chemical in the popcorn flavoring, to the respiratory illness found in workers who mix it. Investigators believe this chemical becomes dangerous when it is heated and there is repeated exposure to large quantities over an extended period.

The EPA study began last fall when popcorn workers became ill at the Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. plant in Missouri, a company that produces artificial butter flavoring. Eight employees developed a disease that causes irreversible lung damage, and four needed lung transplants. Twenty-one other employees apparently also suffered adverse health effects.
The study, which should be completed this year, only examines the type and amount of chemicals emitted from microwave popcorn. According to the EPA, further research will be needed to determine health effects.
We question why the effects of such synthetic chemical additives on both workers and consumers were not studied before being allowed for use in this popular snack food.
Many brands of microwave popcorn also contain tartrazine (FD&C Yellow No. 5), which has been linked to hyperactivity, asthma and other health problems. "

This excellent site explores food additive issues, especially as they effect children: http://www.feingold.org

Where have all the honeybees gone?

The plight of the honeybee --
Are honeybees becoming an endangered species?
April 12, 2007 CBC News
(Robin Loznak/Daily Inter lake/Associated Press)

The once ubiquitous honeybee population has been declining drastically across North America, more so in the United States than in Canada. But how serious is the problem?

The latest phenomenon threatening honeybees is known as "colony collapse disorder," referred to as CCD by scientists, beekeepers and farmers. It has not yet been detected in Canada — perhaps because spring results are not yet in — but a Canadian authority on bees says CCD in the United States is "an absolute catastrophe."

Dr. Peter Kevan, an associate professor of environmental biology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, says the cause of CCD remains a mystery. It might be caused by parasitic mites, or long cold winters, or long wet springs, or pesticides, or genetically modified crops — or stress. Read more at http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/insects/index.html

SUGGESTION: Stop using toxic pesticides/herbicides--look for safe alternatives.

More Health Related Information

$$$ -Use your dollar as your vote--e.g don't buy anything you don't want more of! (like plastic bags, toxic pesticides, gas guzzling cars, etc.)

• RE FABRIC SOFTENERS --"Fabric softeners are made to stay in your clothing for long periods of time. As such, chemicals are slowly released either into the air for you to inhale or onto your skin for you to absorb. Dryer sheets are particularly noxious because they are heated in the dryer and the chemicals are released through dryer vents and out into the environment. Health effects from being exposed to the chemicals in fabric softeners include: Central nervous system disorders Headaches Nausea Vomiting Dizziness Blood pressure reduction Irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract Pancreatic cancer Don't wrap your family in chemical-coated fabric-softened towels! Simple baking soda will leave your laundry soft and your health intact." see "The Toxic Danger of Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets" at www.SixWise.com
• RE CHLORINE: Chlorine is toxic and corrosive--breathing the fumes are hazardous to your health. Better to use borax or white vinegar in your laundry...chorline will deteriate your clothes by breaking down the cloth fibers and will continue to break down fibers (long after your washing) if not completely rinsed out of clothing. White vinegar is also great for household cleaning, especially on grout and tiles.
• RE COSMETICS: Use non-toxic ingredients. Avoid mineral oil, petrolatum, DEA, EDTA and artificial colors. Best ingredient in lotions: "Allantoin relieves the skin irritation caused by soaps and detergents, acids, and alkalies in oral and skin care products. It is said to promote wound healing and tissue formation, but is not recognized for that by regulatory agencies." see http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/allantoin.html
• RE TOOTHPASTE: Good to use baking soda or diluted hydrogen peroxide or a brand with all natural ingredients. If you can't brush right away rinse your teeth well after eating.
• RE DEODORANTS: Avoid products containing aluminum. "According to Ms. Garland most commercial brands of antiperspirants and deodorants contain either aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium. These compounds are very soluble and are readily absorbed by the body. Once in the body, the aluminum portion of the molecule ionizes, forming free radical aluminum (Al+++) This passes freely across cell membranes and forms a physical plug, that when dissolved is selectively absorbed by the liver, kidney, brain, cartilage and bone marrow. It is this concentration of aluminum that has been the source for concern in the medical community, and has prompted the research being done on Alzheimer's disease and Breast Cancer victims. The human body has a few areas that it uses to purge toxins: Behind the knees, ears, groin area and armpits. The toxins are purged in the form of perspiration." (aluminum blocks perspiration). see http://www.newstarget.com/009969.html

Important Information on Health & Happiness)

• RE HEALTH & HAPPINESS: According to Thomas Jefferson, "Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits." Helen Keller tells us that, "Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves." What is Secret of Happiness? - "Something to love, something to do, something to look forward to." (anon.)

• RE HYDROGENATED FAT /TRANS FAT--"The New York City health department urged all city restaurants yesterday to stop serving food containing trans fats, chemically modified ingredients that health officials say significantly increase the risk of heart disease and should not be part of any healthy diet." [New York Times August 11, 2005] Read the ingredients of all your food products. Better yet don't eat processed food.

• RE MICROWAVE COOKING: "Two researchers, Blanc and Hertel, confirmed that microwave cooking significantly changes food nutrients. Hertel previously worked as a food scientist for several years with one of the major Swiss food companies. He was fired from his job for questioning procedures in processing food because they denatured it. He got together with Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Biochemistry and the University Institute for Biochemistry." Studies in the former USSR lead to the banning of the use of microwave ovens because of their negatitive effects on health. http://www.relfe.com/microwave.html

• RE VITAMINS & other supplements: --many people are depleted in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, so supplementation can be a wise thing...missing even a single trace mineral can compromise our health. Best sources for supplements are sprouted seeds (esp. sunflower), nutritional yeast, kelp, chlorella, and spirulina - see http://www.chlorellafactor.com/. Best to eat lots of fresh, raw, organically grown foods. The Mediterranean diet is arguably one of the best known diets--proven better than the American Heart Association diet.

• RE EXERCISE: "Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very fast." Thomas. Jefferson. Best to exercise 40 minutes every day. Alternate weight training with aerobic excersise --allow 24 hours for muscles to rebuild)

• RE CANCER & other diseases: see Budwig's diet.http://www.cancure.org/budwig_diet.htm - basically a healthy diet plus cottage cheese and fresh ground flax seed.

• RE MENTAL HEALTH: "B" vitamins especially B-6 & B-12 are especially important for good mental health. Mentally ill people frequently lack these vitamins and autopsies on suicide victims reveal they are severely reveal deficient in magnesium. The body requires "B" vitamins to metabolize sugar, so if you drink alcoholic beverages or eat a lot of sweets you'll need more B vitamins than if you didn't drink alcohol or eat a lot of sugar. This information is worth researching.

My Mom Says:

• Bring a small flashlight with you to the movie theater so you can see where you are stepping and avoid a fall.
• Don't drive after having your eyes dilated...you can misjudge distances and possibly cause an accident.