From a recent Feingold.org newsletter:
McDonald's has been in touch with the CSPI (Center for Science in
the Public Interest) and has told them that they really aren't sure that
Americans are concerned about the fact that their food contains synthetic
dyes. McDonald's has asked their nutrition & labeling manager, Julia Braun,
to gather information on whether or not consumers have any interest in this
area.Julia says that McDonald's rarely does anything unless they can document a
consumer demand, so she has invited parents to write to her and share their
feelings about food dyes, and she has provided information below on how to
reach her.Email: julia.braun@us.mcd.com
Julia Braun, MPH, RD
Nutrition & Labeling Manager
2111 McDonald's Drive
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Maybe you don't have any children who are as markedly affected by preservatives as mine, but are concerned about what you do put in your kids' bodies in terms of artificial colorings and preservatives. This is a good opportunity to let a major corporation know what you think of those booby traps in some of the food they sell! While I realize that fries aren't health food, it sure would be nice if we could let NM eat them as a treat and know he won't have any repercussions the next day. It seems that no preservatives in oil is such a small and doable step for a company that's trying to attract more clients, even those who may not normally consider McD's.
On to the guv'mint:
Feingold is also recommending we contact our good congress folk and encourage a ban on artificial colorings and preservatives in food being sold in the US by major corporations. There is a ban proposed in the UK currently; US companies with interests in the UK are voluntarily replacing artificial colorings with naturally derived ones.
I'm not opposed to companies doing this voluntarily but I'm not so sure about doing an across-the-board ban. But I'd much prefer the FDA a comprehensive listing of all ingredients because not everyone has the same issue with artificial preservatives we do. People should have a choice to partake or not. After all, to remove the iffy preservatives from our food would likely cause significant increases (been to a health food store lately?).
Currently, the loopholes allowed in the food label laws are huge, you can drive a Mac truck through them. Think your organic, non-fat milk is perfectly good for you? Well, they don't tell you that Vitamin A Palmitate is most likely preserved with BHT or one of its kin. Hardly organic stuff. But unless you have contacted the dairy to find out where it gets its source of Vitamin A is, and then checked out that source, you wouldn't know. The amounts are miniscule by legal standards so the preservative isn't listed.
But of course, if Snickers had to list everything it really has in it, the label probably wouldn't have much room for the logo! And what about Twinkies? Snoballs? DingDongs? PopTarts? Ok, no, they're not really healthy things but a surprising number of "health foods" do contain artificials in them but don't list them because they don't have to.
I love this show, and even more so now because of this advert.
A few more photos/videos here.
We hung out in the back yard last night making soccer videos. Someone---err, somedog---was really happy about that.
Note the dead and dying grass. Our temps have been quite high lately! We're only allowed to water 2x a week on designated days. I cheated and watered a day early because the trees were looking a little worse for wear.
J was so tired last night. We'd make a video, he'd insist on watching it and then he'd laugh, and laugh and laugh so hard he was red in the face. We had fun!
Oh no, not at all.
The collar? Meh. It's itchy but that's about it.
But the leash? Oh, my heavens, the leash. It was and will be a power struggle for a long time, I think. She hates it. She fell asleep resisting it, get that one. I have no idea how she did it.
From here on out, it is going to be a lesson in the pack hierarchy for Sprocket. Sprocket of the soft laps and front-and-center of the alpha male's desk. It's hard because I want to play with her and to puppies, that means "we're even" and not at all "you're in charge." It probably didn't help that she saw me cleaning up her poop, yet another hierarchy issue. The sight of that kind of startled her, I think.
I have to get hubby to help me remember how we trained our first dog together. After all, that one set up a dog run on her own, could fetch a toy from several when we named it and was class valedictorian of the doggy training class.
Last Saturday, the kids and I went out to Emma Long Park, a local camping/hiking/lake swimming park for the birthdays of folks from church.
Hubby had to stay home because he was working on a church project that had a drop-dead deadline of Sunday afternoon since he had to fly to CA for a meeting today. QQ
Anyway, the boys had a blast. I actually went into the water. Waist-deep, but it still counted. J didn't want to go in unless I was there. Later on, after we ate, he wanted to go back in and I told him he was ok on his own because his brother was also there and I was watching. He did go in and I felt better about it that time because he didn't go so far out from shore. When I was in the water, he was getting past neck-deep, enjoying his new-found swimming skills, and that made me nervous because there was definitely a current in the river. I think he will be a surfer if he ever gets the chance to learn. J would dive under the waves like my hubby told me you were supposed to do. Honestly, I had no idea. The beaches we went to when I was little are probably the ones that gave the Pacific its name.
NM played with his friend KR from church for the most part. They were having a blast together, of course, since someone had the forethought to bring a football. "Foosball, mom. That's what they call it in Germany and the rest of the world." :)
I met someone new from church who I don't see at all. Of course, I forgot her name. But we chatted a good long while because she was starting to learn how to knit and would ask me a bunch of questions about fixing things and why her stitches looked the way they did, etc. I gave her my email addy so she can contact me (I would have lost hers) and we can start a knitting circle or something. I have a couch and a coffee maker! All I need is better lighting if even that, and voila! Perfect environment as long as the puppy leaves the yarn alone.
In honor of the upcoming Olympics, what could you win a gold medal in?
Submitted by TheFiercestCalm.Most consistently spacey brain. It's hard work, but I forget I how I do it.
How do you travel to and from work - personal vehicle, bus, subway/train, pedal power? What does it cost you per week in gas or fares?
Submitted by Jan.I have to make the grueling trek from my bed to the kitchen. To the computer upstairs. Downstairs to make breakfast. Outside to bring the dog inside.
No gas used. Such is the WAHM life!
It went very well! J went with me even though he really wanted to stay home and watch the other boys (NM and a friend) play Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii. He's a good boy :D
When he saw her, the vet said she reminded him of his favorite patient. I mentioned to him that I didn't think she was a full-blooded corgi and that, he said, was intriguing. I told him her father was a herding dog and he said that she's probably just like his favorite patient, a heeler/corgi mix because of Sprocket's markings. His favorite patient's name? Widget. Tooooo funny.
She did well with the shots, not even a whimper because she was going gaga over the treat instead. She had two of them since the vet wanted to help her get over having to take two jagged pills. Normally, they get one but since I told him we have NM and chemical sensitivities, they opted for a pill instead to help rid of fleas.
We go back in a month. In the mean time, I will get her a leash and collar so we can go hang out with neighbor dogs to help her learn how to be social. Supposedly, that will help with all the biting and nipping since the other dogs will help her learn by putting her in her place. We'll see! The boys like to run and jump and get her to chase which is, of course the exact opposite of what they're supposed to do to prevent the nipping-at-the-heels.
"But it's fun!"
"Mama it's so cuuute!"
I wonder how much longer the fun will last?
Made for someone at church and knit up very quickly. There's something to be said for mindless, easy, no-pattern knitting :D
Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton confetti colors in blue (400 g, one BIG skein)
Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton 2 oz. skein in denim for border
Size 8 needles
I almost used up both skeins. I may have had a yard of the small skein and maybe three yards of the big one left over. Unfortunately, the yarn had a knot in it. Boo! But otherwise it's ok. I would go for 2 small skeins for the border next time.
Speaking of border, I just did 4 rows of garter stitch and then a picot bind off (cast on 2 using cable cast on, then bind off 6 stitches).
