ShowMeBlog

Carcinogen found in 31 of 35 cities’ water supply

  Well I just woke up and was still not awake when I read the above headline.  Not a good way to wake up.  There was no good news in the story.

“Tap water in 31 of 35 American cities is highly contaminated by hexavalent chromium, otherwise known as chromium-6. That's according to a new study released today by the Environmental Working Group.

While the dangerous carcinogen may be foreign sounding to most people, perhaps the name Erin Brockovich will ring a bell. After it was discovered that chromium-6 had poisoned the water supply of Hinkley, California, Brockovich helped bring about a lawsuit that ultimately ended in 1996 with the utility company, Pacific Gas & Electric, paying more than $330 million in damages. (See the latest on chromium-6 in Hinkley here.)..”   CNN Story

  If I had money to invest I would be investing in the stock of corporations that make water filters.

 

  Hexavalent Chromium (chromium VI)

  I think the above is Latin for all I want for Christmas is safe drinking water for my family.

Note:  I am not sure if any of the filters listed above will remove chromium-6. 

Thanksgiving 2010

  I am not much of a holiday person.  I am not sure why.  But I do like Thanksgiving. 

“Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. While it may have been religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday. It is sometimes casually referred to as Turkey Day.

In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October, which is Columbus Day in the United States. In the United States, it falls on the fourth Thursday of November.

The precise historical origin of the holiday is disputed. Although Americans commonly believe that the first Thanksgiving happened in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts, there is some evidence for an earlier harvest celebration by Spanish explorers in Florida during 1565. There was also a celebration two years before Plymouth (in 1619) in Virginia. There was a Thanksgiving of sorts in Newfoundland, modern-day Canada in 1578 but it was to celebrate a homecoming instead of the harvest.

Thanksgiving Day is also celebrated in Leiden, in the Netherlands. A different holiday which uses the same name is celebrated at a similar time of year in the island of Grenada…”  Wikipedia

 

 

  I love the food.  I love turkey.  This year I will have two Thanksgiving.  My ex-wife got two turkeys at Walmart.  She is making one on Thanksgiving and her “boyfriend” is coming over and after he leaves I will get turkey and dressing.  He does not know that Russell and I live here in town.  He thinks we are in FL.  She never told him we moved here.
  Then our son who just moved from FL has off Saturday and Sunday.  So my ex-wife will make another turkey and we will all have Thanksgiving dinner again.  (No her “boyfriend” does not know that our son has moved here.) 
  So I get two Thanksgivings this year. 
  
  I am going to eat to much.  It will taste so good and I will eat a lot of food and then I will feel full and sick the rest of the night.  But the next day I will have left over turkey again.

  I am at 211.8 pounds (96.27 kgs).  My blood pressure today, I took it at CVS, was 141/81 and heart rate of 80. 

San Francisco may order Happy Meals to go

“San Francisco, California (CNN) -- Happy Meals could become a thing of the past in San Francisco after a vote by the city's leaders Tuesday.

San Francisco's board of supervisors is expected to formally approve a ban on most of McDonald's Happy Meals in current form during a meeting Tuesday.

The move to turn Happy Meals into healthy meals was proposed because some in the northern California city felt that McDonald's offers toys to entice kids to buy meals that don't meet nutritional criteria.

The board already approved the ban during a preliminary vote last week.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has indicated he would veto the ordinance, but the board has enough votes -- eight out of 11 -- to override the veto, said San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar who initiated the proposal

Under the proposal, McDonald's and other restaurants would have until December 2011 to improve their meals' nutrition with fruits and vegetables -- if the chains want to keep offering Captain America figurines or toys tied with latest films…”

  If you go got a fast food restaurant already in San Francisco then they sort of got you behind the eight ball.  But no one should open a fast food restaurant in San Francisco now. 
  Also if I had a fast food restaurant in SF and there law hurt my business and made me lose money I would sue them in court. 
  Also if I had a restaurant I would leave up the menu with the banned items on it and put a big ”X” on each banned item and put something to the effect that the item is banned by the San Francisco “Police State Action.”
  Also each one of the major fast food restaurant chains should make a list of those city “leaders” that voted for the ban and make a point of donating and working to defeat them in any position that attempt to get elected to from now.
 
  I do understand that getting kids to eat healthy is very important.  Not just for  the children but for our nation.  We are going to have a ton of fat kids and they are going to grow up to adult with major health problems and we all are going to have to pay taxes to take care of them.  They will not be working and paying taxes.
  But telling restaurants what they can have on their menu is going to far.
  Now I do not think this is the same as smoking.  I think the  city can and should make laws that people can not smoke in public places. 

Beverage Universe

  My son came up stairs with some Coke for me.  A 2 lt will last me about 24 hours.  I know that is to much Coke and to much sugar.
  Darlene found a site on the web called Beverage Universe.  They deliver Coca Cola products. When I get my SS money on the 27th I am going to place an order with them.  For those of you rolling your eyes right now.. Keep in mind that I do not own a car.  If I want Coke I have to walk over and get it.

  They ship UPS “Ground” Service.  I will have to see how much shipping costs are going to be on the order.  It seems to me that the cost per item is going to be very high.

I wonder if the local Coke company would deliver Coke here.  I could order more than a local little store.  I just would not order as often.

Best dang food joint in Texas

  Did you see the story on CNN on the "Best dang food joint in Texas?"

  It is in Blessing (Texas).  I wish I had moved there instead of Fort Worth.  I would like to live there just to eat at that place.  If I win a lottery I will move there just so I can eat breakfast and lunch at the place.  I guess if I won a big lottery I could buy the place and move it to where I live! Smile
  I guess if you win a lottery and are rich you could hire someone to cook food like that.
  I just had a can of tuna for breakfast. 
  That place, The Hotel Coffee Shop, has been in business in Blessing  for 103 years!

Vegan Family

  I have family members that are "Vegan" and no that is not a person from some other world.  Well sometimes it feels like it.

  See "My Vegan Life" for a well written and interesting post on being a vegan.

"Hello. I'm Marly. I'm a vegan. For any members of my family who may be reading this post, it's pronounced VEE-ghun. I have had several people (yes, in my family, but others too) who've asked me what the heck that means. Here's the short and simple answer: it means I do my best to eat food that does not include any type of animal products. I also do my best to avoid purchasing things (like purses) that are made of animal products…"
Read more: http://blogcritics.org/tastes/article/my-vegan-life/#ixzz0yS9sv3kS

  I think the Comedy Channel could come up with a great show on the subject.  I see the show being something like "My Name is Earl."  Just show a vegan person  trying to deal with life and the people around the vegan person trying to deal with them.  For one show you could use the line "not that there is anything wrong with that" all the time during the show.
 
  I love meat.  I eat way to much and I eat "meat" that no one should eat (like hot dogs).  I think eating almost no meat would be a lot more healthy.  I think eating zero meat for most people would not be good.
  I think to be a true vegan and be healthy you have to very smart and you have to work very hard. 

 

Licorice

  I like black licorice.  I got a bag of it the other day and ate it in one day.  I like it for the taste but I noticed for along time that it has some effects on me.  I got a bag of licorice today and am eating it.  I decided to look it up and see what in the hell it is and what is in it that effects me.

 

"Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a flavorful herb that has been used in food and medicinal remedies for thousands of years. Also known as "sweet root," licorice root contains a compound that is about 50 times sweeter than sugar. Licorice root has been used in both Eastern and Western medicine to treat a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to liver disease. This herb has long been valued as a demulcent (soothing, coating agent) and expectorant (rids phlegm and mucous from the respiratory tract). It is still used today for a variety of conditions, although not all its uses are supported by scientific evidence.

Licorice with the active ingredient of glycyrrhiza can have serious side effects. Another type of licorice, called DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice), doesn't seem to have the same side effects and is sometimes used to treat peptic ulcers, canker sores, and reflux (GERD). Whole licorice is still sometimes suggested for cough, asthma, and other respiratory problems. Topical preparations are used for eczema and other skin problems…"   University of Maryland Medical Center

 

  I found the following on Wikipedia:

"…Toxicity

Excessive consumption of liquorice or liquorice candy is known to be toxic to the liver^[20] and cardiovascular system, and may produce hypertension ^[21]and oedema.^[22] In occasional cases blood pressure has increased with excessive consumption of liquorice tea, but such occasions are rare and reversible when the herb is withdrawn.^[23] Most cases of hypertension from liquorice were caused by eating too much concentrated liquorice candy.^[24]Doses as low as 50 grams (2 oz) of liquorice daily for two weeks can cause a significant rise in blood pressure.^[25]

The European Commission 2008 report suggested that “people should not consume any more than 100mg of glycyrrhizic acid a day, for it can raiseblood pressure or cause muscle weakness, chronic fatigue, headaches or swelling, and lower testosterone levels in men.” Haribo, manufacturer ofPontefract cakes, stated: “Haribo advises, as with any other food, liquorice products should be eaten in moderation.” A 56-year-old Yorkshire woman was hospitalized after liquorice overdose (200 grams or 7 oz a day), which caused muscle failure. The hospital restored her potassium levels, by intravenous drip and tablets, allowing her to recover after 4 days.^[26]

Comparative studies of pregnant women suggest that liquorice can also adversely affect both IQ and behaviour traits of offspring…"

    OK, it sounds like I should not be buying it.  I do not have the self control to just sit and eat a little of it.  So I will not buy it..  after I eat all of this and wash it down with Coke.
    You may wonder how it is that I am still alive and going to be 70 in March.  Smile

Julie Powell

I did not win the Samsung 32-inch LCD HD TV.  The odds are good at winning something at SwagBucks but I guess you need a bit of luck and I do not seem to have any.
In six days we will see if I win an Amazon Kindle.  They have another 500 GB hard drive up and I got one ticket for it.  It will be sometime they have to issue 3000 chances for it.  I got one entry so, right now, my odds would be 1 in 3000.  Not bad odds for a contest.

I am thinking of spending $10.00 for the HuLu Pro when they start it up.  On the other hand I am thinking I am paying for Netflix now and if I spend another $10.00 a month I might be better off just paying for cable TV.

I posted the other day about the movie "Julie & Julia" and I told you about the Julie Powell and about the blog that she wrote.  I looked up her blog. She started the blog in 2002 and did it for one year.  It sucked big time.  I was shocked.  You would think she would have updated it but it just comes to an end and that is it.
But it got her a book deal and the movie made from the book!  But God what a bad blog.  The content was dull and not well written and it does not appear that she posted any photos.  You posting about food and you do not show photos?

  I have not checked the books yet to see if she can write.  I know she sure could not write a blog but the books might be good.  I will read a little bit of them on Amazon when I have time.  

Julie & Julia

  I just watched a very good movie "Julie & Julia" (2009). 

"Julia Child and Julie Powell - both of whom wrote memoirs - find their lives intertwined. Though separated by time and space, both women are at loose ends... until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.Written by Columbia Pictures

In 1949, Julia Child is in Paris, the wife of a diplomat, wondering how to spend her days. She tries hat making, bridge, and then cooking lessons at Cordon Bleu. There she discovers her passion. In 2002, Julie Powell, about to turn 30 and underemployed with an unpublished novel, decides to cook her way through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in a year and to blog about it. We go back and forth between these stories of two women learning to cook and finding success. Sympathetic, loving husbands support them both, and friendships, too, add zest. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>"

 

  It is not just that the movie has a great deal of blogging in it.  I have found recently that I am a fan of movies about food.  There are a lot of movies that food plays a big part in the story.  I watched a good movie the other day and pies was a big part of the movie.
  Julie & Julia is an excellent movie and it is a true story well it is two true stories.

I may become a drunk

   I am doing a search on the Internet to find the "best beer."  ( I just got 11 SwagBucks ) from the search.  Smile
  I do not think I am going to have any luck finding the "best beer." It looks like everyone has a beer that they like.  Plus there are to many beers.  I have no idea if I would like a light or dark or an ale …  Remember I am not a drinker. 
  When I was little my dad would let me have a little drink of his beer sometimes.  But we never discussed beer. 

  It looks like I will just have to buy different beers and try them out. So I am sure you will be seeing post here about beer.
  You never know what you are going to find me commenting on here.  It is what ever happens to interest me at the time.

  Right now I am at 272 Swag Bucks.  I took a survey and got 50 SW.  Later to day I will spend some of them on a chance to win something.  I suspect I will take a number of chances on the 500 GB external hard drive.  They are 14 SW a chance and only 3000 tickets.  I must have about 15 of them.  If I buy a few more I think those are pretty good odds.