Saturday, June 02, 2007

FDA BANS TOOTHPASTE FROM CHINA-WATCH BUYING TOOTHPASTE FROM DOLLAR STORES-

A lot of time the toothpaste you pick up at the local Dollar Stores are name-brand but if you read the label closer....you will see it is from MEXICO or CHINA.

FDA Bans Toothpaste From China

06.01.07, 12:00 AM ET FRIDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials warned consumers Friday not to use toothpaste made in China because it may be contaminated with a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze and as a solvent.

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed an import ban on all toothpaste from China," Deborah M. Autor, director of the FDA's Office of Compliance, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told reporters at an afternoon briefing.

"The companies will have to prove that their products don't contain harmful levels of DEG (diethylene glycol) before it is allowed into the United States," she added.

There have been no reports of poisoning from DEG in toothpaste, Autor said. "However, the agency is concerned about chronic exposure to DEG and exposure in children and individuals with kidney or liver disease," she added.

The agency began its investigation after it discovered DEG-contaminated toothpaste from China had been sold in Panama. In addition, DEG in cold medicine reportedly killed at least 100 people in Panama last year.

"DEG is used in antifreeze and as a solvent and it is used as a low substitute for glycerin and as a thickener," Autor said. "It does not belong in toothpaste even in a small concentration."

Autor said consumers should throw out any toothpaste they have that is made in China. But, she added, "no major toothpaste brands are involved in this matter."

Chinese toothpaste makes up about $3.3 million of the $2 billion U.S. toothpaste market, she said.

The FDA identified the following brands of toothpaste from China that contain DEG and are included in the import alert: Cooldent Fluoride; Cooldent Spearmint; Cooldent ICE; Dr. Cool, Everfresh Toothpaste; Superdent Toothpaste; Clean Rite Toothpaste; Oralmax Extreme; Oral Bright Fresh Spearmint Flavor; Bright Max Peppermint Flavor; and ShiR Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste.

The manufacturers of these products are Goldcredit International Enterprises Limited; Goldcredit International Trading Company Limited; and Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemicals Company Limited, DentaPro, DentaKleen and DentaKleen Junior, Autor said.

These brands are usually sold in discount stores, Autor said.

The FDA has seized tainted toothpaste at a DollarPlus store in Miami, Fla., and from a Todo, a store in Puerto Rico.

"In addition, FDA inspectors identified and detained one shipment of toothpaste at the U.S. border that contained about 3 percent DEG and FDA inspectors also found product at a distribution center," Autor said.

"FDA continues to investigate this problem," Autor said. "If FDA identifies other brands of toothpaste products containing DEG, FDA will take appropriate actions, including adding products and their manufacturers to the import alert to prevent them from entering the United States."

More information

For more information on the toothpaste ban, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The street drummer is Larry Wright

Saturday June 2, 2007

I cannot believe we are halfway through 2007 already! June marks the halfway point! It seems like only yesterday it was Christmas!

Today we have had a few storms roll through. Sometimes they are pretty good downpours. Then the sun comes back out. It feels like a jungle outside....so humid. Your lungs feel like they collapse when you go to take a breath in.

Today I am having an extremely difficult time focusing on my work or much of anything else. It drives me crazy when I get like this as I get little done and it takes me a very LONG time to do it!

Noah goes to his orthopedic doc on Monday. Hopefully that will go well.

Otherwise...part of me just feels like lying down and taking a nice nap, WHICH I cannot do right now anyway.

Tomorrow is our family reunion. I am not planning on going. I have my reasons. Noah and I instead will probably go see Grandma C. for a nice visit in the rehab center.

shaving...


When I pick up my razor
And glide it across my skin
I imagine it's your fingers
My thoughts all turn to sin


I ponder the possibilities
As you tickle my underarms
I'm amazed by your abilities
You have such a bedside charm


As I stroke my legs and thighs
So gingerly to avoid a nick
I seek the ultimate prize
Thus finishing the job so quick


I move a little higher
To my softest skin I dare
I work up quite a lather
And soon I've lost all care


My body stands at attention
As the foam begins to rise
My hand begins ascension
Making it drip between my thighs


I catch my breath and freeze
Focusing on this pleasure
Shaving with you is a breeze
A job I've come to treasure


Copyright ©2007 man-SippingTheVastSpring
Image Source: Yahoo Images

Wild Honeysuckle review...haha


Bath & Body Works Pleasures Wild Honeysuckle Shower Gel

April 10th, 2007

Whenever I want to get in touch with my feminine side, I like to dip my body in a tub of Nair to get rid of all my body hair, rinse off and slip into something comfortable, preferably something silky, in either pink or purple, and with a white lace trim. The smoothness of the silk feels good on my skin, while the white lace provides a little bit of scratchiness, but both providing sort of a balance of pleasure and pain.

I’ll light warm vanilla scented candles around my bed, put some lavender body lotion all over and paint my nails either Steamy Red, Goth Purple or Pink Passion. Then I’ll lay on my bed with more silky and lace pillows than I have fingers. While I allow the nail polish to dry, I’ll pick up a Harlequin romance novel and read it from cover to cover, giggling every time the word “manhood” is used.

Then I’ll watch a marathon of The Facts of Life episodes on DVD, watching Blair’s spoiled tendencies, Natalie’s fun-loving ways, Tootie’s nosiness, Jo’s tomboyishness and Mrs. Garrett’s hot messy red hair. After the marathon I’ll enjoy a glass of red wine, while I prepare a light, yet delicious, meal from one of my Martha Stewart cookbooks with the Lifetime Channel playing the background.

After I’ve enjoyed my meal and cried a little from the movie that was playing on the Lifetime Channel, I’ll relax in the comfort of a warm bubble bath with another glass of red wine and a CD of ambient sounds playing.

As I sit in the bath, a mud face mask helps clear my facial pores and soaks up the toxins coming from them. Cucumbers are placed over my eyes to help deflate their puffiness. I take in deep breaths, hold them for a moment and then exhale.

After I step out of the bubble bath and rinse everything off, I’ll fart, burp and scratch my balls to return to my manly self.

As you can see, I do quite a number of things when I want to get in touch with my feminine side. But sometimes I want a quick way to bring out the X chromosomes in me, but I haven’t found anything to do that.

Recently, my twin sister picked up for me the new Bath & Body Works Pleasures Wild Honeysuckle Shower Gel for me to review, thanks to a coupon I gave her, which allowed her to pick up a free Wild Honeysuckle product when she spent ten dollars or more. I hoped that using it would help bring out the inner woman in me faster than my usual routine.

I’ve been using it for the past week and I have to say that its sweet floral scent is definitely not meant for dudes, like some other Bath & Body Works products are. However, let me just say if a woman had the Wild Honeysuckle Shower Gel’s sweet floral fragrance originating from her body she would smell so good that I would totally fuc…

(Editor’s Note: Sixteen paragraphs have been removed due to their extremely explicit XXX sexual content. They definitely weren’t fit for TIB reader consumption, although from those sixteen paragraphs many of you would’ve learned something new you could’ve used when making hard, sweaty lovin’.)

Okay, I guess the Bath & Body Works Pleasures Wild Honeysuckle Shower Gel won’t let me get in touch with my feminine side. Instead it does the carnal opposite, which I think is good for me, but bad for the woman I’m in bed with. I imagine it’s sort of like what Elizabeth Dole goes through when Bob Dole takes his Viagra.

Item: Bath & Body Works Pleasures Wild Honeysuckle Shower Gel
Price: FREE (Retails for $9.50)
Purchased at: Bath & Body Works
Rating: 4 out of 5
Pros: Smells awesome on a woman and I would fuc…(Editor’s Note: Three sentences have been deleted due to their explicit sexual content). Sweet floral smell is really nice. Getting in touch with my feminine side. Mrs. Garrett’s hot messy red hair. Silk on my skin.
Cons: Its scent is not meant for dudes. Pricey for shower gel, but isn’t most stuff from B&BW expensive when not on sale. The use of the word “manhood” in Harlequin romance novels.

New STREET VIEW feature on Google Maps! WALK IT!

>This is amazing. You can go to Maps.google.com and the cities below have a new feature called STREET VIEW. You can click on that and a little PERSON icon will show up which you can place on any of the blue outlined streets.....even highways...and then manually move that person down the street and view it as you walk it! Just amazing. Noah loves this and so did I. It is like walking down a street in real time. The box opens and you will see a yellow line with white arrows in the STREET VIEW box. THAT is where you move forward or sideways or backwards with your arrow keys. NOT on the map itself. HAVE FUN!

Google said the Street View photos, found at maps.google.com, are currently available only for specific, blue-outlined streets in certain areas, although they plan to soon expand coverage to other areas, as well. Initially, Street View includes areas of the San Francisco Bay area, New York City, Las Vegas, Denver, and Miami, with other U.S. locales soon to come.


By navigating online through Google Street View, users can virtually walk the streets of a city, check out a restaurant before arriving, and even zoom in on bus stops and street signs to make travel plans.

While the photos are not real-time captures, they can include windows of apartment buildings, houses, or businesses, through which private details may be viewed. In an article in Friday's New York Times, for instance, one Oakland, California resident expressed her concern over being able to see her cat Monty in the living room window of her second-floor apartment, using the new Street View technology.

Within Street View Help, there is a link to "Report Inappropriate Image," with reporting options such as "this image infringes on my privacy" and "this image presents personal security Relevant Products/Services concerns." However, the navigation paths to this reporting are not immediately evident.

"Most companies," said Brad Shimmin, an analyst for industry research firm Current Analysis, "won't sell photos if you can identify people" in a given, private setting. He noted that people and objects seen in public spaces constitute news, and there is no apparent privacy right there -- especially because Google is not presently making money from the images.

The borderline, he suggested, is being able to see into people's windows and their private lives, whose visual accessibility from a public space might be legal but runs counter to U.S. notions of privacy.

But Wait, There's More

Google apparently has even more plans for photographic and data mapping. On Wednesday, Google announced it had purchased Panoramio, a company based in Spain that enables photographers to link their digital images to the exact location on the planet where they were taken, via Google Maps.

Concurrent with the Street View announcement at the Where 2.0 conference in San Jose, the company also announced the launch of Mapplets. This new tool allows developers and consumers to create miniature Web pages inside Google Maps and then put anything there that could go on a normal Web page. This includes HTML, JavaScript, or Flash. The idea is to create miniature applications, such as real estate search, current weather conditions, or distance measurement.

The technology underlying Street View is amazing, with plenty of positive benefits. However, malicious use also seems more than likely and it will be interesting to see how Google responds to yet another round of criticism and concern from privacy advocates.

Friday, June 01, 2007

finally a heavenly shower!

I used caramel corn body wash......followed by pecan pie after bath body lotion today. Not sure why...

I hesitate to say I smell good enough now to eat....


but DAMN....it wouldn't be a lie!

YEAH...the mower re-charged enough...

so I could go back out and finish mowing! I just got it done before it started to hail and POUR down rain!

let the sweat-fest begin......

I AM able to mow my grass. Today it feels like I am mowing grass inside a sauna.

I cannot wait till it is time to shower!

Thursday, May 31, 2007

genie...




Your genie in a bottle is what I want to be
Filling all your days and nights with luscious ecstasy
Anything you want is always my command
I'm always ready for you just like On Demand
All you have to do is whisper in my ear
All your heart desires I will give you do not fear
Rub me oh so perfectly in just the way you do
My body will respond so quickly, I'm stuck on you like glue
No matter your request if you ask of only me
I promise I will give you all, until eternity.



Copyright ©2007 Melinda A. Napoletano
Image Source: Yahoo Images

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Wednesday...

The men working next door on the neighbor's roof actually got a lot done today. I did not envy them being up on a roof in the heat and humidity we had.

I did not mow. My grass now looks too high for my little electric mower to probably handle. SO I will have to call the man out to mow...tomorrow or Friday.

Noah and I checked some schools out today. He seems more than willing and ready to try it again and I am going to let him. SO we have a lot of papers to fill out and some testing to do. More on that later.

We stopped by the landlord's house today to pay our rent. WOW...they have a very nice home. They also had dog (Sassy) that Noah just loved and it was a friendly dog. Noah did not want to leave when it was time to go. He actually started crying and wanted to know if we could go back tomorrow to visit them again. The landlord's wife was moved by that and told him to come back and visit sometime as she would be there all summer. We may just have to surprise them sometime. They are both very very nice people and I feel comfortable talking and visiting with them. When I explained to Noah that these people would not be like visiting family though I would have no problems visiting with them, he said "they are family"...which made me realize yes they are. It does not really make any difference to him if they are blood family or not and that is how it should be in the world today.

I have to try to do some more work now, now that there is some. This is hard for me to do because I just recently switched from nights back to early mornings and I am so ready for bed right now!

MASS EMAIL invite for another blogging community sent to all my contacts in error!

How embarrassing! GMAIL along with Multiply sent out an invite to a blog I was going to start to ALL my email contacts by mistakes. This means businesses....personal....auto-adds.....ANYONE in my email address book.

I had NO WAY to control that mistake and to fix it.....a new email was sent to the masses but it showed all the email addresses to everyone. I had no way to control that either.

It did cause me to take a good look at all the addresses as more than half I did not even know who they were and know I do not use them so I went through my address book and deleted them.

MOST have been very understanding and just deleted the mess when they got it and understood what happened. I had ONE woman however who thinks I DID THIS ON PURPOSE and SHOWED all the email addressed ON PURPOSE as a form of harassment. LIKE I HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH MY TIME than harass her and other people!

SO since she threatened to send CRAP or spam now to all my contacts (whom I know would be smart enough to just ignore it and delete it BUT)......I am PUBLICLY putting this explanation online......so the entire WORLD will know what REALLY happened here.......and can get on with their lives! I am truly sorry this happened.....it will never happen again (I HOPE)......and if there were some way to take it all back and fix it as if it never happened I would.

SEEMS to be a common trait replaying in my life right now.

well....

The photo is the view from my grandmother's window in the rehab center....she has a gorgeous view!
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I am still caught up at work....on both accounts. They were running an incentive for the month of May...which means with NO work till much later in the day (AFTER) my normal time to work..even if I change my schedule around which I do....I will probably not be able to meet my incentive. That sort of ticks me off a bit......and it will come down to where it will be just humanly impossible to meet the quota if I have no work.

My third account is also caught up....and to be honest....I just don't think I want to try to learn another account. These account specs are usually 40+ pages long....and if you make 2 mistakes on ANY account within a certain period of time you get put on probation and are limited in what you can type. I have been aiming for and getting 100% accuracy....I don't want to mess that up.

It sounds like I am making excuses....but I think I have just finally come to accept the realization I am NOT always super woman. While I know there are no limits to what I can do.......in my mind......and my body for the most part....I sometimes need to be a bit more realistic about how much I try to cram into any given day.

So.....I am switching my schedule around again today. I was going to go outside and mow.....one of my workouts in the summer I do enjoy. However....the neighbors have decided to have an entire new roof put on their home. There are like 4-5 half-naked men out there.....and I do not relish the idea of being out there mowing and having them gawk at me while doing so. AND I am not saying they would......but something about it all makes me uncomfortable. I mean I cover up about every inch of my body when I am out in the sun......and I half the time wear gloves and a hat AND face mask....cause cut grass and weeds can really set me up for a bad headache later when I don't wear the mask. I imagine I resemble a burn victim......no skin showing except for the little bit around my sunglasses. So I am just going to have to wait and do it once they leave.........or another day if they are not here......OR pay the pastor to come out and mow it. At least that money goes to charities. With the pollens and stuff so high in the air right now that too hinders me or Noah getting outside to do too much.
and why am I sitting here spouting all this? I need to get a shower.

Hope you all have a great day!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

I am craving...



a soft pretzel. WHY I have no idea......but I am. Could be because I cannot even remember the last time I had an actual carbohydrate! :)

AND here is a recipe for HOMEMADE soft pretzels...which are made similarly like bagels! (I SHOULD NEVER have posted this photo...it made the craving worse!)

1 cup warm water
1 package dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup flour

4 cups water
2 tbs. baking soda
2 tbs. coarse salt

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. Add the vegetable oil, salt and 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Add remaining flour and knead dough for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 12 equal shapes and reform them into small balls. Let them rest for 15 minutes. Roll them into 18" lengths and form them into pretzel shapes or cut each length in half to make sticks. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

In a large pot, place the baking soda and water to a boil. Let the pretzels rise for a 1/2 hour. Add the pretzels to the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and place on a greased sheet pan. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake for 12 minutes


I am also missing my Multiply blog tremendously. I should never have deleted my account. I am an idiot. I have done this before....you would think I would learn. I have emailed them once again asking them if I could have my account back. HOPEFULLY I can.....no word yet. I am getting tired of waiting to hear from them..so I may have to just open another account. I know...patience....it has been a holiday after all.

Street drummer

this guy is simply incredible. I wish I could play drums like he does these tubs!




Tuesday May 29th? I think...I keep thinking it is Monday...


Supposed to get to 87 degrees today or hotter. AND SO MUGGY. It feels like a sauna when you go outside. I have never minded sweat or sweating (though I don't like wet, sweaty clothes clinging to my body...I would rather be naked)....but I have never much enjoyed a sauna or high humidity. Does anyone? It feels like a tropical forest or jungle outside today. AND we will have to venture out sometime. I have held off on mowing....hopefully the grass will dry out really well today and it will be cooler in the morning and no rain, so maybe I can mow. I am not sure about that as rain is in the forecast I think.

I was reading on some other blogs today...parents of autistic children. Sounds like some really have it rough. I remember many more trying times with Noah in the past....and I thank God that he has improved so tremendously over the last couple of years. With that being said however....I don't believe he was ever quite as severe as some of these other children sound like they might be. I am thankful for that...not because I would be disappointed in my son. I would love him regardless. I am thankful because it gives him a better, perhaps slightly easier, fighting chance at a good, productive life. And I wonder what this means for those other parents and children out there. The ones much worse. More severe. Even little spurts of improvement you grasp onto like your life depends on it.

I am not trying to make Noah sound so much better and superior than anyone else either. There are many more children not even at his level....who far surpass him. My job is to give him the best chance he's got for a future. And it is not like there is a book walking you through each step. Autism books, while helpful, could never possible cover all the variations and degrees of its own characteristics as there are so many. While it has common characteristics among most who have it....what works for one child or adult with autism does not necessarily work for another. It is truly a trial and error, "let's see" sort of thing.

The NIKE commercial always blares over and over in my head. "JUST DO IT!" That is the best way to learn anything. What works and what doesn't. JUST DO IT. Try it and see. If it doesn't...you have to keep looking for something that does work. Something that does make that connection with your child. This provides hope...which leads to encouragement, and drive to try again. And again.


I remember Noah's first week at preschool where all he wanted to do was kneel on the floor and push his head across the floor. I remember him not being able to hold scissors or a pencil let alone a crayon....and not being able to use any of those things. He could not draw a face or trace lines or write. I remember him not being able to talk at all...he only made sounds...till he was almost 4-1/2 years old. I remember him not knowing how to walk down steps one step at a time...or not being able to peddle a tricycle. I remember him not being able to stand one drop of water getting on his shirt without having a screaming fit. I remember him not being able to touch sand let alone play in it. Same for shaving cream or finger paint or play dough or coloring Easter eggs. I remember him not being able to go to church because the crowds bothered him. I remember him not being able to go shopping because he would think everyone was staring at him. I remember him not wanting anything to do with a toilet. He was not potty trained till 5-1/2 years of age and even now....he sometimes has to have help wiping. I remember him not being able to put a coat on properly or zip it up. He still has problems with buttons and tying shoes. I remember him not wanting to go to a public park because other kids might come and also want to play. He would scream if he saw another child or people coming our way. I remember him not knowing how to swing or kick a ball. I remember him being too tired just from playing to walk back up the steps to go home. I remember so much....things I had almost forgotten about...or maybe even took for granted now because he can now DO all those things and so much more.

I list these things to offer some of those other moms out there HOPE. It IS possible for your child to improve and succeed....little steps at a time.

Today I give thanks for each little glimmer of hope.

In Your Arms...


Is where I belong
And where I long to be

Desire and ache for you
Wash over me yet again

The waves too numerous to count
Gently lap at my soul
Soothe my mind
Warm my heart
I close my eyes

And see you there
Pulling me toward you

The touch of your hand on my skin
Fiery hot
Leaves your mark on me
Your brand
Lest there be no mistake
I belong to only you


Copyright ©2007 Melinda A. Napoletano
Image Source: Yahoo Images

Strange yet beautiful sunset last night...

On the way home last night Noah and I had to pull off the road and snap a few photographs of the setting sun. It was pretty impressive actually. We had a lot of mist and fog forming which created a haze and filtered out some of the light. When we first saw the sun it was the classic "red rubber ball" and was simply amazing. By the time I pulled off the road it had moved and was changing shades....orange, pink...all very vivid and sometimes pale colors. Here are a few of the shots. I left the one with the grass and sign in the photograph so you could see I did not doctor up the hue any for these photos. The grass is green and the sign out front is red, white, and blue as shown.

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Monday, May 28, 2007

a tribute I made to remember those who have served...

it is POURING down rain

and one of my bunnies in the backyard is lying contently under my patio table....

Memorial Day 2007



I am thankful for so very much in my life. I thank God for my family, friends, and loved ones. For my health and job and home. For my son, who is such a joy in my life. And for the love of my life who cares not only about my life here on this earth but also my eternity. Never before has anyone - - other than myself and God - - ever given that even a tiny thought. God has blessed me....even when I do not deserve it, with the very best!

I am thankful I live in a country of freedom. Today we remember those who died so we might live in freedom and I will ask God to bless those families with love and compassion....and to show mercy on us all.

And some may say this is sappy....some may think I have lost my mind....or am a Jesus freak...or am brainwashed or any number of bizarre things....I don't care. You are FREE to think and believe as you wish....and even if we disagree.....I am thankful you and I both live in a country where we are free to choose what we think and believe in...and free to express it.

Have a safe, blessed Memorial Day.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

User.....(dedicated to someone from my past who just doesn't get it!)

You have no further use for me
You spout to all who'll listen
Spinning webs of lies and deceit
You only cause division


I dismissed you long ago
You just refused to hear
Now save it before you go and blow
And wipe that big fake tear


Clouds of darkness cover and choke
No matter where you turn
They follow you as if your cloak
Into your pores they burn


Surrounded by negativity
You wear it like your charm
Dressed to attend some festivity
With Miss depression on your arm


Your silly 1-2 word phrases
Tell the truth on you
Ain't no one going to sing you praises
So you'll only feel more blue


That seems to be your color choice
Throughout eternity
We all can hear it in your voice
Like hazing for some fraternity


How dare you blurt no need for me
No further use you say
This admits to all you see
What a user you are to this day


Copyright ©2007 Melinda A. Napoletano


Refined...



I am refined by your love

Caressing my heart and soul

It soothes me

And brings a smile to my lips

Sweet deep sighs fill my breast

Your cool waters quench my thirst

At times you allow the flames to grow high

Testing my faith in you

Trying to avoid fear and doubt

I turn further toward you

And allow your love

To fall around me like a blanket

Covering me and protecting me

Trusting you

I become a mirror to the world

Reflecting the light of your love

So brightly... it burns the eyes of those who gaze upon it

And once seen

Its purity and brilliance is never forgotten

Its heat so sweltering

It in turn refines each that has viewed it

And their hearts are caressed

A smile is brought to their lips

Sweet deep sighs fill their breast

Each soul is filled to overflowing

Creating a rippling effect

So powerful

The waves could lap the shore of eternity


Copyright ©2007 Melinda A. Napoletano

Image Source: Yahoo Images

Coffee....The New Health Food (I LOVE MINE!)


Coffee: The New Health Food?

Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage.
By Sid Kirchheimer
WebMD Feature

Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?

If it sounds too good to be true, think again.

Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.

Reducing Disease Risk

After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over java avoiders.

Though the scientists give the customary "more research is needed" before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck's to specifically prevent diabetes, their findings are very similar to those in a less-publicized Dutch study. And perhaps more importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.

In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning -- and increasingly daylong -- ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.

"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."

Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.

Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research indicates. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.

There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.

Is it the caffeine? The oodles of antioxidants in coffee beans, some of which become especially potent during the roasting process? Even other mysterious properties that warrant this intensive study?

Actually, yes.

Some of coffee's reported benefits are a direct result of its higher caffeine content: An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg -- about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate.

"The evidence is very strong that regular coffee consumption reduces risk of Parkinson's disease and for that, it's directly related to caffeine," DePaulis tells WebMD. "In fact, Parkinson's drugs are now being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine based on this evidence."

Caffeine is also what helps in treating asthma and headaches. Though not widely publicized, a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams -- what's in a hefty mug o' Joe.

Don't Forget today is RACE DAY! INDY 500 starts at 1:00 p.m. EST

I love football...but especially college football...

and one thing I have missed is this specific area to live in .....because the college football "FEELING" is so much greater. I have missed it and I have missed seeing all the Ohio State games on television. I used to follow them around to most all their games years ago....what a blast that was! The atmosphere of college ball is nothing like pro.....at least not to me. If I had to pick I would likely choose college games any day. NOT to say I don't enjoy watching other football games. I have missed it more than I realized. The sites, the smells, the atmosphere is such a rush and reminds one I suppose of their youth.....high school football....but to the extreme! AND for me there is something about seeing the men in their uniforms! DAMN.... Ohio State has always had such incredible team spirit.....for me it all started way back with Woody Hayes!

Their band is simply amazing......here is a clip: OHIO STATE BAND

Union Soldiers - will these men be remembered this Memorial Day?

Union Soldiers

The Union soldier was typically a man in his early 20s, in most cases, he was a farmer who had either enlisted to fight a war which he thought wouldn't last more than a few months, or near the peak of the Civil War, someone who had been drafted. Those who were called to serve against their own will were often poor, since anyone who could pay the sum of $300.00 would be exempt from fighting. Still, many of the Union soldiers had ideals to uphold, and all of them were more than well equipped to do so, as opposed to their southern enemies. As the war progressed, even women joined the fight, dressing up as, and pretending to be men so that they could join the army.

Union soldiers' uniforms were dark blue and made of thick wool. Their only relief from the hot and uncomfortable outfit was most often a cotton shirt sent to them by their families, as their army issued shirts were also made of wool. Why all that wool? The reason was that wool would not take in water, or remain wet like cotton in the event of rain, and it was also more durable. Union soldiers also wore woolen caps which had leather visors to provide shade when aiming in the blazing sun. Union soldiers not only had better uniforms, they also had better weapons, British made Enfield rifles were the norm, and they were the most accurate weapons on the battlefield.

In addition to heavy clothes, Union soldiers carried a heavy knapsack, a blanket, and a small protective cover called "dog tent". Like the Confederates, Union soldiers carried a haversack filled with the usual set of eating implements, the canteen and frying pan being the most important. Unlike the southern Rebels, the Federals were required to groom themselves, and maintain a proper appearance, therefore their kit also included a comb, a razor, and other personal hygiene products.

Union Infantrymen wore belts on which there were cartridge boxes to carry multiple rounds of ammunition, a pouch to carry "percussion caps"; a17th Century equivalent of the hand grenade, and a scabbard which held their bayonets. Union Cavalrymen had similar accoutrements, but their belts included a pistol holster, and a special straps to hold their sabers.

While the Union troops were well fed, many died from ptomaine poisoning, the result of eating poorly canned meat and other tainted food items. Morale was generally high amongst the Federal troops, but desertion was a serious issue since many soldiers which had left their homes in the hopes of fighting a short war, would eventually feel the need to return to their families and farms. Since many of them had been drafted, they did not want to be where they were in the first place. Those who deserted for cowardice were mostly drummed out of cam with a sign around their neck that read "coward", while others hung or executed by firing squad for more serious offences such as treason. Other, less draconian methods of discipline included tying a soldier to a large wheel for hours on end, and imprisonment.

There exist many photographs of the Union forces, as their army had greater funding. While they did win the war, it was not an easy battle, and many lost their lives, not to mention the thousands who returned home as amputees. It is also interesting to note that many freed slaves became fighters for the Union, no doubt motivated by Lincoln's attitude towards human rights. He is after all, remembered as the "Great Emancipator".


Not far from where I currently live there is a cemetery with an entire section devoted to the Union Soldier. Many of their graves are there from that time along with a memorial and a cannon. I have always wondered if anyone comes by to decorate their graves on Memorial Day. I have some small flags and if Noah is up to it...we will go over and place a flag on each of the tombstones as well as the tombstones of my relatives who also served in any war. This has been something that has bothered me for some time. Here are a couple of photographs:

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Contact Lens Solution Linked to Eye Infection

Contact-lens solution is linked to eye infection
By Daniel Yi, Times Staff Writer
May 26, 2007

I wanted to pass this on to my sister which I already did in email because she had been having problems with her eyes and come to find out this was the SAME contact lens solution she was using. PLEASE......IF YOU ARE ALSO USING IT......STOP. ALSO....TELL YOUR EYE DOCTOR OR FAMILY DOCTOR AND BE TESTED FOR THIS BACTERIA SO THEY CAN TREAT YOU PROPERLY.....DO NOT THROW OUT YOUR SOLUTION......KEEP IT. IT COULD BE TESTED AS WELL IF NECESSARY!

A contact-lens solution made by Santa Ana-based Advanced Medical Optics Inc. has been linked to a serious eye infection that can lead to blindness, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website Friday.

Health investigators with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have linked bacterial infections to Advanced Medical Optics' Complete MoisturePlus solution, the website said.

Company and CDC officials could not be reached for comment.

In November, Advanced Medical Optics recalled 183,000 units of 12-ounce packs of Complete MoisturePlus after bacterial contamination was found in solutions sold in Japan. All had come from the same Chinese manufacturing plant, the company said at the time, adding that there were no reports of injuries from using the solution.

According to Friday's Wall Street Journal report, the eye infections linked by the CDC involved an amoeba called Acanthamoeba. Such infections are rare, but eye-care centers have tracked increasing numbers of them.

There were no exact numbers on how many consumers might have been infected.

The news came a day after Advanced Medical Optics, which had sales of nearly $1 billion last year, announced it was interested in bidding for larger rival Bausch & Lomb Inc.

Advanced Medical Optics' shares, which closed Friday at $40.20, down 90 cents, dropped $3.20, or 8%, to $37 in after-hours trading shortly after the news.