#1
One can't ingest an entire tube in one go -- the amount of flavour will cause vomiting before a dangerous level is reached, even for small children. Excalibur, try one of the sensitive teeth brands containing potassium nitrate (I prefer Sensodyne (w/KNO3), but go with what you find). I speak with authority on the subject, as I spent my lab technician years developing New & Improved!! toothpastes.
#2
Guys, when are people going to realize that Chinese Industry, a large portion of which fronts the People's Liberation Army, doesn't tell the truth or care about harming others. They are greddy and dishonest at so many levels. Not only will they lie to make more profit on something, they are stealing every kind of technology that isn't tied down, and thanks to US Chinese expats like Wen Ho Lee, steal our military technology at the highest levels. These people are not your friends, rarely worthy of trust in business, nice though they are on many personal levels, and their government views us as their major enemy in the near future.
#4
Indeed, Anguper Hupomosing9418. JustAboutEnough, I think that lesson is being taught to the world right now. Our wonderful military has been preparing for China for a number of years now, if that's any comfort to you (it is to me!). May this be the beginning of the end of China's flood of exports, and the temporary, undeserved prosperity that came with it. And may they (please!!) learn the right lesson from this, that in future their prosperity is built on a solid foundation.
On a less painful note (no, I'm not sorry!), I saw in my grocery store that Crest makes a sensitive teeth toothpaste w/KNO3, too. I trust them more than the Sensodyne people, but that's just me. ;-)
#6
Never heard of any of these toothpaste "brands."
Jeez - they're too cheap even for Wal-Mart to carry them.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/02/2007 0:24 Comments ||
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#7
Time to require 100% inspection of all Chinese products entering the United States. We need to strangle China's economy damn soon if we are to have any hope of preserving American industry.
#11
The fluoride compounds in most toothpastes are considered poisons when used as, say, insecticides. But they're good for your teeth, and not bad for the rest of you if you don't insist on eating the whole tube at one sitting.
Sudan is not happy about Bush's new economic sanctions. In fact, their ambassador held a weird news conference that Dana Milbank of the Washington Post described as bearing "no relation to reality," in which the ambassador threatened to personally cut off the supply of gum arabic, an important ingredient in soft drinks. John Ukec Lueth Ukec, Sudan's Ambassador, said:
"The United States is the only country saying that what is happening in Darfur is a genocide," Ukec shouted, gesticulating wildly and perspiring from his bald crown. "I think this is a pretext."
...
"I want you to know that the gum arabic which runs all the soft drinks all over the world, including the United States, mainly 80 percent is imported from my country," the ambassador said after raising a bottle of Coca-Cola.
A reporter asked if Sudan was threatening to "stop the export of gum arabic and bring down the Western world."
"I can stop that gum arabic and all of us will have lost this," [Ukec] warned anew, beckoning to the Coke bottle. "But I don't want to go that way."
We suspect Mr. Ukec overestimates his negotiating position rather severely.
#3
From my reading, it sounds like gum arabic is quite useful for many products and processes. I would imagine that with some additional work, the complex mixture of saccharides and glycoproteins that is gum arabic could be synthesized by chemists, just like synthetic rubber did to natural rubber, when the allies faced a shortage, and John Ukec Lueth Ukec can then go pound sand.
It would be fun to sink Sudan. My two cents.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/02/2007 12:15 Comments ||
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#4
I'm sure there's a biologist out there willing to genetically modify something suitable to produce gum arabic. Perhaps kudzu, or honeysuckle?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
06/02/2007 12:22 Comments ||
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#5
We need to end our dependence on foreign gum arabic by 2020. We need a program to conserve gum arabic through the use of gum arabic caps and trading gum arabic credits.
#6
Coca Cola Classic ingredients:
Carbonated Water
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Caramel Color
Phosphoric Acid
Natural Flavors
Caffeine
See any gum arabic in there Ukec?
Nearly 80% of gum arabic is produced in Sudan[1], and the production of gum arabic is heavily controlled by the Sudanese government.[2]
Oddly, the connection between Sudan and Osama bin Laden brought the otherwise innocuous gum to public consciousness in 2001, as an urban legend arose that bin Laden owned a significant fraction of the gum arabic production in Sudan, and that therefore one should boycott products using it.[3] As a result, some food producers, for instance Snapple, renamed the ingredient to "gum acacia" on their labels.
This story took on somewhat significant proportions, mostly thanks to an article in The Daily Telegraph a few days after the September 11 attacks, which echoed this claim. Eventually the State Department issued a release stating that while Osama bin Laden had once had considerable holdings in Sudanese gum arabic production, he divested himself of these when he was expelled from Sudan in 1996.
#12
I can envision the moonbats screaming in my head already, "NO WAR FOR COCA-COLA! NO WAR TO ENRICH BUSH'S CRONIES IN THE MILITARY-SOFT DRINK COMPLEX!"
A Polish man has woken up from a 19-year coma to find the Communist party no longer in power and food no longer rationed, Polish TV reports.
Railway worker Jan Grzebski, 65, fell into a coma after he was hit by a train in 1988. "Now I see people on the streets with mobile phones and there are so many goods in the shops it makes my head spin," he told Polish television. He credits his survival to his wife, Gertruda, who cared for him.
Doctors gave him only two or three years to live after the accident. "It was Gertruda that saved me, and I'll never forget it," he told news channel TVN24.
She is reported to have moved her husband every hour to prevent bed sores. "I cried a lot, and I prayed a lot," Mrs Grzebski said on Polsat television.
"Those who came to see us kept asking: 'When is he going to die?' But he's not dead." When Mr Grzebski had his accident Poland was still ruled by its last communist leader, Wojciech Jaruzelski.
"When I went into a coma there was only tea and vinegar in the shops, meat was rationed and huge petrol queues were everywhere," Mr Grzebski said.
The following year's elections ushered in eastern Europe's first post-communist government. Poland joined the Nato alliance in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
"What amazes me today is all these people who walk around with their mobile phones and never stop moaning," said Mr Grzebski.
"I've got nothing to complain about."
Posted by: John Frum ||
06/02/2007 14:24 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11125 views]
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#1
priorities get sorted out pretty quick when you almost die, huh? At least he appreciates the changes....
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/02/2007 17:23 Comments ||
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#2
An isreali joke.
A surveyor asks:
"Exuse me what do you think about the derth of meat?"
American: What means dearth?
Russian: What means to think?
Polish: What means meat?
Isreali: What means excuse me? (A guy who had lived in Israel told me he was shocked by howimpolite were the Israelis. Perhaps a reactionto too many generations curbing their spines).
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
06/02/2007 18:16 Comments ||
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#4
Rob, I admire his wife.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/02/2007 21:45 Comments ||
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#5
The reason the Israel-born Jews are called Sabras (the fruit of the prickly pear) is because they're prickly on the outside, but sweet on the inside. JFM is probably right, but also they've been more or less at war for a full century now, and that tends to make people straightforward and effective in their communication style. ;-)
Philadelphia City Council voted yesterday to end a nearly 80-year-old lease held by the Boy Scouts local branch over the group's adherence to a national policy banning actively homosexual leaders.
The ongoing dispute pitted the Scouts' Cradle of Liberty Council against homosexual activists over the organization's refusal to adopt an official policy welcoming homosexuals into leadership. The City, under pressure by activist groups, wants the Scouts to either alter the organization's policy or start paying market rent for the use of the historical Beaux Arts building, where the Scout headquarters has been housed since 1928 for a nominal rent.
The resolution permitting the city to end the lease was introduced unexpectedly, according to coverage by the Philadelphia Inquirer, and passed 16-1 with no debate. City councilors stated their hope that the resolution would generate leverage for the city by and open the door to talks resolving the dispute.
Homosexual activist organization Equality Advocates Pennsylvania pushed the city to act on the scout's lease, the Inquirer reported. Executive director Stacey Sobel said yesterday that the Boy Scouts should not be able to use taxpayers' dollars to discriminate against homosexuals.
Scouts take an oath of duty to God as part of their membership, and actively homosexual individuals are not permitted as leaders. Although the Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that as a private organization, scouts could restrict homosexuals from leadership, scout groups have faced opposition from local officials revoking privileges where they have refused to alter policy based on the demands of homosexual activists.
The American Family Association of Pennsylvania said the city was caving to the pressure of homosexual activists, in a press release earlier today.
"With an alarming number of children facing violent deaths on the streets of Philadelphia, the city's answer is to target one of the few organizations that offer purpose and meaning to these children. Of the 64,000 members the Cradle of Liberty Scout Council serves, 40,000 are in Philadelphia alone," said Diane Gramley, president of the AFA.
"The Scouts' policy banning open homosexual leaders is the right policy. Would the parents of Girl Scouts want a man to be their daughter's Scout leader? No and neither do parents want a man who is sexually attracted to other males to be Boy Scout leaders. Common sense should prevail here, but it's not."
"Efforts to appease never work. Homosexual activists want a pro-gay policy expressly stating that the Cradle of Liberty Scout Council will accept open homosexuals. They are not concerned with the well-being of the children of Philadelphia and surrounding counties, but instead choose to use them in an effort to make an example out of the Boy Scouts," Gramley said.
#2
Scouting is a wonderful organization and really helps our youth. When society doesn't seem to know about integrity and honor we need to support scouting more than ever, to help our youth.
It's not just gays, it would be for hetero guys too. Sad that our society has taken us to this neccesity of thinking. To not be alone with a young scout needing two adults is okay with me if that's what it takes.
Posted by: Jan from work ||
06/02/2007 13:47 Comments ||
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#3
I don't think this is about anything other than finding a politically expedient excuse to raise rent that has been reduced since 1928.
Boy Scouts are a wonderful tradition. Too bad our elected officials - even at the city level - are just about taking our tax money and doling it out to their friends to get re-elected. It will be the end of our great country.
#4
The only reason homosexuals have targeted the Boy Scouts is that if homosexuals tried to start a similar organization, the purpose of soliciting young boys into a "club" they would be tarred and feathured.
So what they are doing is attempting to use cloak the dignity and decency established by the Boy Scouts of America, and saying they want to be leaders, as a wolf entering a sheeps pack, disguised as a lamb.
#5
When one looks at the tremendous good the Boy Scouts have done it give me complete nausea to see the anti-Christian RINOs defending this crap. The mentally ill liberals want to destroy this nation from the inside out. There is no excuse for defending their destructive goals.
This wasn't about rent nor government support of a fantastic institution. It is purely about gays not liking a group that doesn't approve of their fudge packing ways.
#6
Fudge packing is sinning, and if you think you can make light of sinning, just try crossing that dark river of death with a sin hanging on your neck. Bye, bye queer bates, hell awaits your arrival.
#9
Perhaps so, but that isn't what is going on here.
Gay activists may be sincere in wanting to participate in Scouting -- the organization has a long and honorable history. I was a Scout and I had a blast. Men I know are Scout leaders and they love it. So I suppose that a gay man would sincerely want to help the community by helping out the young lads.
That isn't the issue here either.
This is part and parcel of the leftie agenda to control all NGOs and make them part of an over-arching organization that advances what is most dear to lefties. Organizations that can't be co-opted are targeted for destruction.
The Scouts won't allow gays because they fear the consequences if a gay pedophile gets his hooks into a young lad. The activists will use that concern to destroy Scouting if they can.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/02/2007 10:38 Comments ||
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Film maker Brooke Goldstein traveled to the West Bank and filmed more than five hours of interviews with terrorists and their brainwashed children. She went into it believing the situation had been exaggeratedbut found it was worse than she could have imagined: Recruited To Die.
As the group walked through the town, they spoke to Palestinian Arab children in schools and on the street. Our fixer was encouraging us to speak with the children. I think Id always, deep down, had a hard time thinking the problem was really that bad. I thought maybe it was a lunatic fringe, she said.
In fact, the fanaticism was worse than she ever imagined. The most shocking thing was reconciling the normal appearance of these kids and what was coming out of their mouths, she said. I was holding these beautiful children in my lap, and my translator was translating words of hate.
The story was always the same. No child ever said, I dont want to be a martyr. They talked about fame, paradise, virgins, and Ferris wheels [after death]. They were happy to tell me they hated Jews, she said.
The children were more fanatical than their parents. When we interviewed Hussams family for the film, his parents were distraught. They dont believe in this whole child suicide bomber concept, Ms. Goldstein said. Then I interviewed his sister, who was like, Im so proud of my brother. Hamas says hes a hero. At one point she had a loser, dwarf, mentally handicapped brother. Now shes the coolest girl in class, and very proud.
In addition to the children, Ms. Goldstein interviewed Mr. Zubeidah, commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Jenin. At the time, the Israel Defense Forces had made five attempts to assassinate him. In person, Mr. Zubeidah was not the harsh figure she had expected. It was like talking to any other kid, about 27 years old, she said. He was smiling. My translator told me, Hes talking about killing Jews.
The Making of a Martyr is being shown at the Brooklyn International Film Festival on Saturday and Tuesday.
#1
It's pity Brooke didn't take a peek at the text books and lesson plans in the school as she spoke to the children and remember that children's ideas come from someone else.
They talked about fame, paradise, virgins, and Ferris wheels [after death]
Virgins for the big boys. Ferris wheels for the tots. Charming.
Im so proud of my brother. Hamas says hes a hero. At one point she had a loser, dwarf, mentally handicapped brother. Now shes the coolest girl in class, and very proud.
And her loser, dwarf, mentally-handicapped, terribly embarassing brother is dead. Double win for the cool girl on campus!
#2
Recruited to Die. The American title is "March of the Lemmings." A movie we hope does not come to a theater near you. It might wake up those that have been asleep in the West or that are apologists for the Religion of Peace.
#3
The children were more fanatical than their parents.
Just one more reason why there is no longer any such thing as collateral civilian deaths for the Palestinians. Every single one of them could die tomorrow and this world would not have lost anything of worth. The Palestinians are a blot upon humanity and have no place on this planet.
#5
Every radical Muslim cleric should be tried for crimes against humanity for the indoctrination of children in the values of a death cult. The only way to save generations which are not even born yet is to break the grip of their perverted ideology.
This is taken from a discussion group where a bunch of librarians are discussing why Voters in Jackson County, Oregon, decisively rejected a property tax levy May 15 that would have reopened the countys library system.
Note that this is the county where Clinton banned logging to protect the spotted owl!
In trying to explain this problem they totally ignore the fact that since all those loggers lost their jobs, nobody has the money for a library,
Enjoy, btw... a librarian friend clued me into this story
By now I trust that most of you have seen the item from American Libraries Online about the failure of the levy in Jackson County, Oregon, that would have raised enough money for the county's 15 libraries to reopen and continue operating. If you haven't read it yet, you can find it here: Levy Fails
This is a closure of a significant public library -- Jackson County, in southwestern Oregon, has a population of 181,000, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. The margin of defeat was also significant -- 58 percent against vs. only 42 percent for.
The county's personal income data, again according to the 2000 census, is as follows: Median household income was $36,461 and per capita income was $19,498, with 8.9 percent of families and 12.5 percent of the population below the poverty line, including 16.3 percent of those under age 18 and 6.9 percent of those age 65 or over.
The anonymous authors of the Wikipedia entry for Jackson County strongly imply that it is a hotbed of racism, narrow thinking, and antigovernmentism. Perhaps some Publibbers with personal experience in Oregon can comment on the accuracy of such perceptions.
In fairness to the residents of Jackson County -- and as one who has only followed this crisis from afar -- I would acknowledge that the county doubtlessly is strapped for money and the local population is not particularly well off as a whole (as the above figures may suggest). And whenever government operating funds are tight, you know who gets cut first.
I doubt that I will soon again see something quite as dismal as the Jackson County Library System's index page:
One could argue that the failure to support this library is the product of local circumstances -- the county's loss of a federal subsidy to offset lost revenues from taxes on now-banned timber cutting -- but I wonder if the Jackson County closure is a harbinger of things to come.
Here's why.
I have recently read that the central banks of various Asian nations hold about a trillion (yes, trillion) dollars in United States government bonds, and purchase more of them every year. This is how we finance our adventures overseas as well as the more humdrum, daily operations of the federal government -- since we spend more than we collect through income taxes, we make up the difference by selling Treasury bonds to foreign bankers. We neither cut back on expenditures to bring them into alignment with revenues, nor do we increase revenues by raising the federal income tax.
This staggering, and growing, debt will have to be serviced, and that means that in the future more of our taxes will have to go to paying off the bonds, and less will be available to patch holes in the interstates, bolster failing social safety net programs, launch space probes, and so on.
The predictable response from the federal government will not be to raise revenues -- which means raising taxes, which has become the latest third rail of American politics -- or to cut popular programs (a fourth rail, if you will), but to go even deeper into debt.
That course, unfortunately, is unsustainable. Our Asian creditors will have a say in just how much more of our spending they are willing to finance. (They will ultimately have considerable leverage over what we do with our economy.)
A solution will be to pass the responsibility for many services to local government. Unfortunately, this will come at a time when the core of the local tax base -- the beleaguered middle class -- will see stagnant or falling household incomes. They will not support new tax levies, as we are already seeing, and something will have to give.
And you and I know that what will have to give is not going to be public-safety services. How deep and extensive the retreat from the goal of universal public library service will be, is a matter of conjecture. At this point all I'm willing to declare with certainty is that we're not in a growth industry.
I was not an economics major, and I don't know the intricacies of the dance between government debtor and central-bank creditor. I would love to have someone prove my analysis wrong, because if I have this right, our future doesn't look particularly bright, though there is always inspiration, I suppose, in brilliantly maximizing service in an environment of sharply reduced circumstances.
#1
Public libraries are a classic middle-class subsidy. Not to mention an anachronism in the internet age. I actually use my local library, but these days there are far more people surfing the net or borrowing DVDs than there are borrowing books.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
