"OCA
Director Ronnie Cummins is urging the public not only to stop
purchasing the following brands, but also to call their corporate
hotlines and demand that they reverse their position and begin
supporting GMO labeling initiatives nationwide, including upcoming GMO
labeling ballot initiatives in Vermont, Washington state, Connecticut,
and elsewhere."
We are asking our members to boycott the following brands:
Naked Juice, Tostitos Organic, Tropicana Organic, Boca Burger, Back to
Nature, "O" Organics, Honest Tea, Odwalla, Muir Glen, Cascadian Farm,
Larabar, Orville Redenbacher's Organic, Hunt's Organic, Lightlife,
Alexia, Kashi, Bear Naked, Morningstar Farms, Gardenburger, R.W.
Knudsen, Santa Cruz Organic, Ben & Jerry's, Horizon, Silk, White
Wave.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_26671.cfm
gov's talk right now live--open public land for public private natural gas exploration, michigan's fracking record is great "we do it right" he says therefore mi will be partner w/um to understand fracking in the state to be in forefront "to be environmentally responsible". environment: land and water. state owns over 4 million acres -- state needs strategic plan for land like organizing trails in the state from belle isle through upper peninsula. review use of state public lands. urban areas need work (blight, right to farm). water resources discussed. "integration" resources -- best practices for farms (certification). how to be more green in the state. recycling--how to improve in the state only 21 of 83 counties have recycling procedures that is acceptable. proposal 3 on ballot--let's decide our goals together in the state not ballot issue through the legislative process. "michigan is the come back state" . in summary--since it was an environmental talk and energy efficiency nothing mentioned about JOBS.
did like the traverse city energy specialist who asked why the legislature was lowering standards for energy efficiency--gov said he didn't support legislature necessarily--but does cost $ so state has to be careful. grand valley question--about coal fire plants being closed what is gov's plan for energy? gov--time for dialog about this problem (equivocating i assume) replacing ad valorum tax by severance tax when a mine closes down (wasn't up to date on this issue -- but jobs lost by mine's closing discussed) oxford question about using MI manufacturing --gov says won't be big tax credits for businesses (hummm--not believing this)
sites charity donations:
givewell.org -- efficiency and financial info
causes.com -- find a cause to support
justgive.org -- allows recipients of customize donation gift cards to pick their charity
deal finders:
pricegrabber.com
redlaser
the christmas list
karma -- ships gift lets receiver customize it, swap, or donate it
drop down gifts = web browser plug in showing local deals and free shippinbg on sites as you shop
nutrition action healthletter dec 2012 says since 19987 per capita consumption of sugary drinks has declined by 25% and for the first time in 30 yrs, obesity rates appear to be leveling off
good soups = health valley organic no salt added, tabatchnick low dsodium, trader joe's organic low sodium, pacific organic light sod. butternut squash, amys' organic light in sod (lentil, minestrone, butternut squash) and dr mcdougalls lower sodium
from acres usa novembeer 12gm wheat may cause glycogen storage disease IV reulting ibn enlarged liver, cirrhosis of the liver and failure to thrive. average life = 5 yrs (australian study)
gm fed rats developed tumors and died sooner than rats fed standard diet. (food and chemical toxicolgy un of caen molecular biologist gilles-eric seralini)
epa phaseout of AZM used on apples azinphosmethy or guthion. used on apples, cherries pears and blueberries mostly in wash, mi, ca, new york, oregon
book = the esdentials of economic sustainability by john ikerd former prof of econ at u of missouri "everyone knows that if we continue to pursue the policies we've been pursuing, particularly for the last 30 yrs, that econ and social inequities are going to continue to grow"
as long as we allow economic values to dominate what we do individually or what we do in our conmnmunities or what we do through public policy, we will continue to live in an unsustainble society.
the social inequity will continue to grow, and the environmental problems and pollution will continue to grow because there is simply no econ incentive to do those things that are absolutely necessary for the long run sustainability of human life on earth"
bee article : 100% of of honey sampled from drug stores like walgreens, rite aid and cv pharmacy had no pollen and 77% from big boxes costco, sams, walmart, target and HEB had the pollen filtered out.
mosquito repellent: 2 cups catnip 3-4 cups mild rice vinegar. rinse, dry catnip, crush and place in clean quart jar. vover w. viegar. seal jar store in dark place 2 wks. strain liquid into clean jar refrig for up to 6 months. spray bottle
beekeeping101.psu.edu for beginners
food hub resource = www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5097957
recent study by stanford u researchers made internat news when it claimed organic foosds are no more safe or nutritious than conventional foods see tinyurl.com/stanfordstudysept2012. cornucopia and other organic policy experts recognized however that stanford's research in fact substantiates health and safty advantages in consuming organic food, including an 81% reduction in exposure to toxic and carcinogenic agrichemicals. ...resuklts of the study were spun by the stand=ford researchers and public relations staff, and accepted without thge nec fact checjibng by journalists in a rush to file stories over the labor day weekend.. . . charlotte vallaeys food and farm policy director of the cornucopia institute: "we were not surprised to find that the agribusiness giant cargill, the world's largest ag business enterprise, and foundations like the bill and melinda gates foundation, which have deep ties to ag chemical and biotechnology corps like monsanto, have donated millions to stanford's freeman spogli institute, where some of the scientists who published this study are affiliates and fellows." also discovered: one of the study's authors has a well documented history of accepting research funding from the tobacco industry ...when the scientific lit in the 70's pointed to serious health risks from smoking.
cars--best time to buy = july and aug. see truecar.com for price info (aarp mag)
tmas Tithe'
Religion is far too judgmental. Surveys show that many people think
that, especially a new generation of young people who — more than ever
before — are checking the “none of the above” religious affiliation
box.
I get it. But religious leaders tend to be judgmental about many of
the wrong things; they are not making moral judgments on the important
questions. So I am going to be judgmental, as a religious leader, about
something I just read.
A recent
Harris International and World Vision poll showed that Americans plan to spend more this Christmas season on
consumer gifts than they did last year, but give less to charities and
ministries that help the poor. Many say they are less likely to give a
charitable gift as a holiday present — a drop from 51 percent to 45
percent.
(and why a surprise here if states like MI no longer allow charity deductions? family not others will come first.)
So we will have more Christmas presents this year, but less help for
the poor. While retailers, economists, and politicians may rejoice at
the news about higher consumer spending this year, the lower levels of
support for the ones Jesus called “the least of these” should
legitimately bring some moral judgments from the faith community.
Indeed, the Matthew 25 scripture that this text is taken from is one
of the few, and most, judgmental passages in all the New Testament.
About some things, Jesus was judgmental. The Gospel clearly says that
how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick,
and the prisoner is how we treat Jesus. That’s pretty judgmental,
especially when you go on to read what will happen to those who ignore
Jesus in this way.
But rather than
just being judgmental, let’s do something
about it. Let’s start a "Christmas Tithe.” Let’s spread the idea to our
kids, our families, our friends and neighbors, and to the members of our
congregations. Let’s keep it simple:
Keep track of all our holiday spending for gifts this year, and then
tithe a percentage of that amount to an organization that directly
serves the poor. A tithe is traditionally 10 percent, but you could
decide to do less or even more. But make a decision about your Christmas
tithe and pledge it to groups that are now struggling to respond to the
highest number of Americans in poverty in half a century, and to those
who focus on the poorest and most vulnerable around the world. This is a
time to give
more — not
less.
Sit down with your kids and get them involved in the discussion and
decision. You may be surprised at how responsive they are to doing this
together. World Vision, which commissioned the sad survey, has a great
World Vision Gift Catalog that concretely improves the lives of a
children and families in need around the world by providing critical
tools, opportunities, and animals to overcome extreme poverty!
We do this every Christmas Day at our home after we have opened our
presents to each other; and our two boys often feel it is the best part
of the day. Each kid gets to choose a gift for a family in one of the
world’s poorest countries. (Goats are top choices!) And then we decide
together what else we will give to other families. Many other
organizations provide similar opportunities. We at Sojourners have
launched our own
Just Giving Guide for that reason. Such gifts can be given in the name of our children or loved ones.
The only silver lining from the World Vision survey was the high
number of people who like charitable gifts like this that are given in
their names. This Christmas, my own extended Wallis family, instead of
just giving more things to each other, are all giving to an orphanage in
Haiti that our sister Marcie and her family and church are very
involved with.
All of that can be part of our Christmas Tithe.
Many of us are deeply involved in missions and campaigns to bring
social justice to this world — to transform structures and policies that
hurt the poor into new practices that help them overcome their poverty.
But the kind of personal giving that we do is also very important,
especially in teaching the lessons of compassion and justice to our
children.
So let’s counter the results of the survey with a Christmas Tithe.
Gather your family together around this, send the idea to your friends
and fellow believers, take the idea to church, write letters to the
editor in your local paper. Let’s all decide this Christmas to tithe a
percentage of all that we give in Christmas presents directly to the
poor — those who were given the greatest gift at the first Christmas,
with a child born in a stable who promised to bring them “good news.”
from time dec 3 2012:
joe klein--socialism = dictionary def: " a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state. is that what 49% of young people favor? i don't think so. if it is count me on bennett's team. that sort of soc has been an utter failure, and regulated cap has been the greatest eradicator of poverty in the history of the world. but i suspect...that all those blacks and young people got their definition of soc from rush limbaugh and other wing nut foghorns: soc is when the gov helps people out" (william bennett citing 20122 Pew poll on young who were more positive of soc than capitalism)
this active life nov 12:
clean up on line info--use google,com or bing.com to find out about you. check first 3 or so listings and then if you want stuff out, start by cleaning up your social media like changing your pic and the about info on facebook. set stronger privacy settings. set up google.com/alerts for not when your name is mentioned in a news story. and protect passwords.
use a device password if you access soc media through phone or other device
keeping lists on line use: toodledo.com
free antivirus software: windows use avast! free antivirus. MAC use iAntiVirus Free Edition
best browsers = chrome and firefox
picasa for photos (cost?)
robocalls delete==try press # key or *# and ) keys at the same time (*#0)
clogged drains= zip it tool
caps = try petroleum jelly on threads of bottle when you open. keeps them easy to reopen
dirt and odor removal = floor cleaner
1 cup white vinegar, 1/4 c baking soda and 6 drops essential oil like lavender, cinnamon, etc in pail w/hot water
this active life: the media and some politicians have falsely claimed that under the ACA 716$ billion has been taken out of the medicare trust fund to pay for the expansion of health coverage to the uninsured. the aca did find that amt in spending reductions buy they impact the insurance co and hospitals, not medicare enrollees
Nation dec 3 p.8 "philip giraldi retired career cia case officer told nation "i would not say that cia has been taken over by the military but i would say that the cia has become more militarized. a considerable part of the cia budget is now no longer spying; it's supporting paramilitaries who work closely w/ jsoc to kill terrorists and to run the drone program the cia is a killing machine now"
p 17 on "timeless whoppers" we are witnessing the worst inequality since the gilded age. the top 1% of taxpayers pocket more income each yr than the bottom 40%, and they own more wealth than 90% of americans. yet their tax rates are near the lowest in post wwII history."
average annual ss is 14,800
in these times dec 2012: p 16 "the new right's rabid watchdog"
right started in 70's w/ direct mail fundraiser richard viguerie who founded conservative digest and political strategist paul weyrich who co founded the heritage foundation and others built "the new right". in 1981 in the new right: we're ready to lead viguerie wrote that their strategy included the creation of AN ALTERNATIVE MEDIA. in 2004 viguerie new book america's right turn: how conservatives used new and alternative media to take power
p39 weak teavangelicals: interesting artickle since i saw the billy graham ad in a paper, whole page. "graham placed ads after romney meeting--the keepers of his website carefully removed a prior mention of mormonism in an entry on illegitimate non christian cults shortly after the romney meeting. HYPOCRITES aren't they?
photo from 1990 in pretoria showing how the bible supports segregation
matt 10-5
neh 13-1
josh 23-12
help w/ checking how dark money has been laundered:
http://tiny.cc/InvestigateDarkMoney