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.

Wacky Wednesday -- Seven Words Every Parent Hopes Not to Say

"Stop picking your nose with your fork."

Yet another reason to give them spoons.

Wacky Wednesday -- Flaming Potty

Oh my, and I thought the singing potty was bad.

Japan firm apologizes after toilets smoke, catch fire
from Reuters.com
Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:43AM EDT
Oddly Enough News

TOKYO (Reuters) - Twenty-six smoking toilets, and three more on fire, put a Japanese toilet maker in the hot seat on Monday . . .

How to Get Recruited, Becoming a Passive Candidate

*A cross post from Firm Advice.

Companies love to recruit "passive candidates," people who are not actively looking for a job, but are open to hearing about the right opportunity. Often they are people already doing the same job at a similar or competing company.

So how, you might ask, does one become a "passive candidate"? Is it really possible to look for a job without looking? Absolutely.

First, consider joining a professional networking site such as LinkedIn. LinkedIn offers a managed professional setting online in which you can make new connections through trusted contacts. Users may include a brief bio or resume in their profile and indicate what sort of contact they are open to receiving, such as business deals, reference requests, getting back in touch, career opportunities, consulting offers, job inquiries, or expertise requests.

Next, submit your CV to reputable search firms and be willing to act as a source of information to help them find candidates for positions that are not a match for you. If a recruiter calls to seek your insight, your response can speak volumes. Search firms such as Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, and Korn Ferry have a well-established process and can be expected to call upon you only when appropriate. As you build a relationship with them, they will better understand your expertise and interests.

Become a resource for others in the area in which you specialize. If you are an intellectual property attorney, don't just belong to the bar association, belong to the intellectual property law section, even better serve on a committee.

Whether through the bar association, with your firm, or on your own, develop and present continuing education classes. Be sure to maintain lists of attendees and include reliable contact information in your course materials.

Finally, stay informed about not only your field of speciality, but also its top firms and players, improving your position as a respected resource and enabling you to better evaluate offers presented to you.

A New Blog in Town

Please pay a visit to ZoKai's sister blog Firm Advice. It's a little something new I've been trying on for size. Come on over and let the comments flow.

It is a legal career blog intended to have broad appeal. I would love to get your thoughts.

Mombot Monday -- Trader Joe's, The Magnificent Market

If you like healthy food, or low-calorie food, or gourmet food, or great bargains, you'll probably like Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is the modern girl's answer to the mega market money pit.

With the feel of a small local grocer, Trader Joe's offers top quality baked goods, organic products and even gourmet foods for incredible prices. Quality is kept high by testing every product, and prices are kept low by cutting out the middleman.

You won't find shelves filled with Del Monte or Cheerios, but you will find canned vegetables and Trader Joe's O's plus organic strawberries, ready-made salads, and gourmet cheeses for significantly less than you would pay at Albertsons or Whole Foods.

The selection is outstanding, different than today's typical mega market, but more than ample to fill your cupboards, fridge and pantry.

To learn more or find the Trader Joe's in your area, just click this link to visit www.TraderJoes.com.

April Showers Bring Spring Flowers

Thanksgiving Thursday -- The Sisterhood of Motherhood

A real glimpse into the sisterhood of motherhood, worth the time to read: The Path We Walk
at Oh The Joys.

Wacky Wednesday: Everything You Need to Know about Having a Baby, Only 99 Cents

If only it was that simple:

Toddler Files Tuesday: Don't Have a Paddy

A reprint from the New Zealand Ministry of Education:

Toddler tantrums

A mother recently asked what she could do with a two year old toddler, who had terrible tantrums, refused to cooperate over anything and could even undo the buckle in her car seat while they were moving. Once in a tantrum the child was inconsolable and most things set a tantrum off. She and her husband had conflicting views on how this could be handled. Whatever they tried did not seem to work and they were at their wits end. It seemed like tantrums were ruling their lives. Does this sound familiar? It probably does, since most toddlers go through a tantrum time as they learn to assert their autonomy. But, telling parents that this is normal is not enough, they want answers!

Keeping your cool is reassuring to a toddler (over time!) who is in the process of finding out about their own feelings and responses in ways that are new to them too. This means keeping your voice low and calm as much as possible. If having a paddy is noticed and attended to, the child learns that having a paddy is the way of getting what they want. If the tantrum is ignored, they will learn in time that this is not how to get what they want. The key here is "in time". It takes many experiences before they first realise paddys do not work and then that a paddy is not the way to get what they want. Somehow a parent has to learn to close off to the sound of heels drumming on the floor as the learning takes place. This is hard!

Allowing toddlers as many chances to do things for themselves helps, but again takes time. If you are racing out the door it is not the time to tell the toddler to hurry up! This is when s/he wants to put their own shoes on and halfway through gets sidetracked into another activity. Have you noticed that a toddler is not good at realising a sequence of events? They live in the here and now. Saying "we cannot go if you are not ready" is meaningless. The child who undoes the seatbelt does not realise that if she kept it on a little longer she could see grandma or have an outing.

Giving some choices of their own will help. Watch out that the choices are not too hard and have an element of non-choice. This can include the non-negotiables. Wearing a seat belt is non-negotiable - you have to wear it in the car. Getting them into it can be an issue, but you can try a choice, "you have to wear your seat belt. Do you want me to do it up or will you?" If they refuse you need to get out of the car and not go. If the child undoes the belt in the car you need to stop and repeat the process until they realise that wearing the belt is a non-negotiable. It is important to see the process you have decided on right through as many times as it takes. You will need to allow time for the child to do it themselves.

Avoiding situations where the child is powerless will help. This means keeping to routines so the child learns to know what comes next. Avoid going shopping when anyone is tired, hungry or fractious. This is the time to consider is shopping with the toddler worthwhile or do you need to leave them with someone else while you shop. Putting your precious things up high or away means you avoid having to continually watch while the child persists in reaching for it. We do want the child to keep that perseverance, but only after they have learned to discriminate! Above all, it is useful to remember that this time will pass and your strong willed child will come out of it older, wiser and more sure about who they are. This is their task in this stage.


This paper is copyright to the Ministry of Education and may be freely distributed as long as it remains unaltered and identifies the Ministry of Education as the copyright owner. It may not be distributed in return for compensation of any kind.

You Might Be the Parent of a Toddler If:

1. You appreciate the efficiency of a grocery list written in crayon.

2. You are not offended by wiping someone's nose with the edge of your sleeve.

3. Shirt is really just another word for bib.

4. You face down boogers bare-handed.

5. You spend enough money on diapers each month to cover a car payment.

6. You have heard the word "Mama" repeated 368 times in a row, without pause.

7. You have decided setting the dog free in the kitchen is easier than sweeping up the Cheerios.

8. Getting by on 5 hours of sleep is a breeze because it is so much more than you were getting a year ago.

9. The last feature film you saw was The Wiggles Magical Adventure, for the 49th time.

10. Your home is adorned with 117 pieces of safety hardware, including cabinet locks, drawer latches, toilet lid locks, outlet safety plugs, stove knob covers, and a special stretchy cushion that covers the edges of the coffee table.

Mombot Monday -- More Yum Yum for Your Money

These Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits (Banana Strawberry) are apparently like ambrosia to toddlers. The heavens open up, sunlight beams down, the birds sing and troubles cease to exist on the earthly plane when my girls are given this snack time favorite. The only problem is the little mathematician in my head cringes at their $2.99 price tag each time I pull them from the grocery store shelf. That is $2.99 for 1 ounce of freeze dried fruit. Which makes these little yum yums cost nearly $48.00 per pound. Yikes! What else costs $48.00 per pound? Maybe lobster? Really, really good lobster?

Thinking there must be a better way, I did a little research and found this on the Internet -- 100% Natural Cereal Toppers (Bananas & Strawberries). For significantly less money, it seems worth a try, so long as you order in sufficient quantities to balance the shipping cost.

*Graphic from CerealToppers.com web site.

Get Involved

Getting involved and making a difference may be easier than you think. Online activism and use of the web for organizing are making it easier than ever. Whatever side you are on, your voice is important in achieving true democracy.

Easy places to get started for the 2008 campaign:

Political Party Sites:

Call Talk Radio
The Republican guide for calling national talk radio shows, complete with call-in tips and talking points.

GOP.com
Republican Party Web Site (available in English and Spanish)

Democratic Party
Democratic Party Web Site (available in English and Spanish)

50 State Strategy
A quick explanation of the 50 state strategy

Democratic Presidential Candidate Sites:

Obama '08
Barack Obama Presidential Campaign Site

JohnEdwards.com
John Edwards Presidential Campaign Site

ChrisDodd.com
Chris Dodd Presidential Campaign Site

Bill Richardson for President
Bill Richardson Presidential Campaign Site

HillaryClinton.com
Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign Site

JoeBiden.com
Joe Biden Presidential Campaign Site

Kucinich 2008
Dennis Kucinich Presidential Campaign Site

Republican Presidential Candidate Sites:

Tommy2008
Tommy Thompson Presidential Campaign Site

TeamTancredo
Tom Tancredo Presidential Campaign Site

MittRomney.com
Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign Site

RonPaul2008.com
Ron Paul Presidential Campaign Site

JohnMcCain.com
John McCain Presidential Campaign Site

GoHunter08.com
Duncan Hunter Presidential Campaign Site

JoinRudy2008.com
Rudy Giuliani Presidential Campaign Site

Brownback.com
Sam Brownback Presidential Campaign Site

A Sweet Surprise, Sweet Potato Fries

This simple recipe offers a nice alternative to candied sweet potatoes or french fries.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potatoes, cut in slices; Olive Oil; Salt; Ground Allspice

Instructions:
Place sweet potato slices in large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and allspice to taste. Mix ingredients until slices are evenly coated in olive oil and spices.

Spread in a single layer on aluminum foil lined baking pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.

* For an even sweeter treat, add a little cinnamon and sugar to the mix.

Thanks Giving Thursday -- There's a New Candidate in Town

Money talks, and $25 million says a lot. Barack Obama raised over $25 million in the first quarter of this year alone, a sure sign he is a serious contender for the Democratic nomination. Notably, Obama reported donations from 100,000 people compared to donations from only 50,000 for Hillary Clinton, indicating broader support for Obama and possibly a continuation of the grassroots level of involvement repopularized by the Howard Dean presidential campaign.