New Questions about Risks to Humans Evolving in Contamination Quandry

If you haven't checked the latest news on the pet food contamination situation, you might want to. Contaminated food may have been eaten by chickens and hogs, some of which have already gone to slaughter and may have entered the human food chain. Although the USDA and FDA say the health risk to humans from eating meat of animals who ate the contaminated food would be very low, the source and prevalence of the contamination still remain unclear. It now appears wheat gluten and rice protein may not have been the only contaminated food components. Corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, rice bran and rice protein may also have been contaminated. Additionally, contaminated rice protein, the ingredient in the hog feed, appears to have been imported during the week of April 2, well after the start of the recall initiated March 17 by Menu Foods.

6,000 hogs may have eaten tainted feed: USDA
from Reuters.com
Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:57PM EDT
By Christopher Doering

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An estimated 6,000 hogs from New York to California were likely given feed containing melamine, a chemical used in plastics and fertilizer, the U.S. Agriculture Department said Thursday.

. . .

FDA officials said they would inspect imports of six grain products -- wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, rice bran and rice protein -- used in foods ranging from bread to baby formula for traces of the chemical that is believed to have killed and sickened cats and dogs.

. . .

Special Feature -- Coming this Weekend, Researching Salary

Ever wonder if you're making what you're worth? Well, if you're wondering, you probably aren't making what your worth. One of the most surprising things I learned as a recruiter was that salary varies greatly for practically identical positions based not only on skill but also on knowledge of the market and ability to negotiate. In this brief article, I will help you focus on the first of those two factors, knowledge of the market. In the follow up article, I will help you hone your negotiation skills.

Wacky Wednesday -- Toddlers Make the Worst Drivers

Toddler puts car into gear, hits tree
from News 10 Now
4/24/2007 4:07 PM
By: Web Staff

A two-year-old put a vehicle into gear and hit a tree after rolling down the street. It happened in the 200 block of Forest Avenue in the city of Syracuse around 11 a.m. Tuesday . . .

Wacky Wednesday -- Donkey Witness in Dallas

Appparently a video of the donkey's behavior just wouldn't do.

Donkey becomes witness in Dallas dispute
from Yahoo! News
Thu Apr 19, 11:09 AM ET

DALLAS - The first witness in a lawsuit Wednesday between two neighbors was Buddy the donkey, who walked to the bench and stared at the jury, the picture of a gentle, well-mannered creature and not the loud, aggressive animal he had been accused of being . . .

I'm Blushing

I'm blushing. Can you tell? I've been nominated for the Blogger's Choice Awards Best Political Blog and for Hottest Mommy Blogger. Click on either of the buttons in the sidebar to the right to learn more or to go vote. A big, big thanks to Oh, the Joys, a.k.a. The Nominatrix, for the nominations.

Mombot Monday -- Cheat Sheets for the Domestic Goddess

"Work smarter, not harder" should be emblazoned above my doorway. If there is a better way to accomplish a task, I want to know about it. To that end, there are a few sites I have found I can reliably turn to for domestic tips and tricks. Whether it is removing coffee stains from your favorite blouse, picking paint colors for the nursery, or finding fresh decorating ideas for entertaining, these sites deliver:

MarthaStewart.com -- the ultimate domestic guide, with great ideas, always in good taste.

Doityourself.com -- everything from how to complete simple plumbing projects to removing food stains from clothing and how to make your own candles, this site doesn't disappoint, an excellent overall resource.

BHG.com -- Better Homes and Gardens Magazine's web site, a fun site for recipes and decorating tips, unfortunately plagued by an annoying number of pop-up ads.

PAllenSmith.com -- reliable resource for gardening and landscape design tips, well-organized and explained in easy to understand terms. Includes helpful features such as a hardiness zone map complete with a zip code zone finder.


*These are my favorites. I would love to hear about yours too.