Coolest Spider in my Garden

It looks sooooooo neat... it's called a Black and Yellow Garden Spider. (surprise surprise)

If my nosy neighbor reads this entry... I will be home most of the day and she can come over with the kids to see the spider. It's been there for several days.


Which is good, because I prefer to have it where I can see it! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA









I know I know... don't you LOVE my Camera!

My Rant about Aspartame Continues...

Oh woe is me.... My beloved Diet Pepsi is sweetened by Aspartame.... I know, I know... what did I expect.....Pixie Dust?

Well, I just couldn't let the whole aspartame thing go... (you know me and my conspiracy theories) I just.... couldn't .... let it go.

So, today I located the mythical 92 symptoms attributed to Aspartame. It was a scary scary list. But I'm not going to provide you with that list... because, although it said the Department of Health on the pdf... it was just a single page chart, without any other identifying marks.. and honestly, I couldn't find any documentation in the FDA archives.

However, in my effort to find the chart on a government website I wadded through hundreds of documents and dockets regarding the dangers of aspartame. Some people actually used the Aspartame studies as precedents for .... if you can believe this..... discarding case studies or petitions ... So, without further adieu.... Here is what I found interesting today.... AND I have included the links to the documents I found at the government sites.

Four interesting facts:

1) According to the FDA, you would need to drink 21 cans of Diet Soda sweetened with Aspartame a day to get cancer. (doesn't that imply a cancer risk... ok ok, so the average person would have to drink a lot of soda... but still)

2) Singulair has aspartame

3) augmentin has aspartame

4) There are literally hundreds of FDA articles about how to label the risks of aspartame on ingredient labels, mostly due to PKU (or something like that which is an allergy to a specific amino acid or something)

OK... here are three intersting snippets and their link to the original document.

The amino acid risk ... this is just one of hundreds of documents regarding this particular sensitivity.

A recent report on amino acids prepared by the Federation of American Societies
for Experimental Biology concluded that even healthy men who take single or
incomplete mixtures of amino acids as dietary supplements are engaging in a potentially
harmful practice. According to the report, other groups taking these supplements are at
an even greater risk of possible adverse effects and should not use them without
responsible medical supervision.
In large doses, phenylalanine may make some people irritable or cause insomnia.
In addition, this amino acid should be avoided by people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a
birth defect caused by the body's inability to metabolize phenylalanine. (Diet products
made with aspartame [NutraSweet] contain phenylalanine at low, safe levels for people
who don't have PKU and must bear labels warning people with PKU of the presence of
this amino acid.)

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00207.htm



When you read this one... you will understand and just say... what? It looks like the fact that aspartame has not been labeled dangerous even in view of the evidence... is being used as a precedent to get a different drug approved.

In 1986, the Community Nutrition Institute (“CNI’) filed a petition with the HHS seeking an
immediate ban of aspartame, pursuant to an “imminent hazard” provision, which claimed that
aspartame causes neurological damage (e.g., seizures) or eye damage in a significant portion of
consumers. 15’ To support that claim, CNI relied primarily on anecdotal data concerning epileptic seizures and eye damage, including over 3,000 reports allegedly associated with aspartame collected by FDA over a two year period, a review of a portion of the FDA AERs conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”), letters and case reports collected by several physicians, and even an animal study.

However, HHS concluded that this information was insufficient to establish that an “imminent
hazard” was present, explaining that “[the evidence submitted [by the petitioners] is not of the
type that, standing in and of itself, establishes a link between aspartame consumption and
possible harm to public health.“152 HHS further explained that the type of information presenter was insufficient to “materially affect the scientific determination that aspartame has been shown to be safe for its approved uses, “Is3 because the information was not “reliable or concrete.“‘54
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/03/Apr03/040803/95n-0304-c003907-01-vol338.pdf

And Finally....Here's the one I wasn't even looking for... that really really gets me.... It supports my conspiracy leanings... and frankly, although doesn't shock me... does sadden me.

This is an excerpt from
United States Food Safety System
PRECAUTION IN U.S. FOOD SAFETY DECISIONMAKING:
Annex II to the United States' National Food Safety System Paper

E. Economic Factors
As a general rule, U.S. law requires cost-benefit analysis of regulations (Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Flexibility Act). This general rule does not apply where cost-benefit analysis is prohibited by law. Cost-benefit analysis is not applicable to most food safety decisions. Rather, these food safety decisions are based solely upon science and risk analysis. For example, FDA is not permitted to consider economic factors in determining whether a food additive, color additive, or animal drug is safe, and therefore allowed to be approved. In these determinations, economic factors are forbidden at the risk management step as well as, of course, the risk assessment step. Likewise, EPA is generally not permitted to consider economic factors in determining whether, with respect to human dietary risks, a pesticide is "safe."
There are some situations in which consideration of economic factors in food safety decisions is required or permitted. For example, a 1994 statute created the Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis in USDA (Pub. L.103-354). This office's primary role is to review drafts of USDA's "major regulations" to provide an added assurance that they are based upon sound scientific, technical, and economic analysis. A "major rule" is one that concerns human health, safety, or the environment and that has an annual economic impact of at least $100 million. For major USDA food safety regulations, this statute requires USDA to conduct a thorough analysis that makes clear the nature of the risk, alternative ways of reducing it, the reasoning that justifies the proposed rule, and a comparison of the likely costs and benefits of reducing the risk. The consideration of costs and benefits is for the purpose of identifying efficient ways of mitigating risk. This thorough analysis should describe the uncertainty and variability inherent in these analyses along with an evaluation of how these factors affect the outcome of the analyses. (Because few food safety regulations have exceeded the $100 million threshold for treatment as a major rule, the main contribution in the food safety area of the Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis, since its creation in 1995, has been its review of the Pathogen Reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points proposed and final regulation.)
Further discussion of consideration of economic factors is found in paragraphs 209-213.
http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/fssyst4.html

And so, it would seem... that although the paper is saying that no economic factor should be considered at the risk of health factors... it is also saying... if it's big business... we will really really really need to weight the health factors.

And so in closing.

So... there is a huge controversy over the long term effects of aspartame.

Since I am NOT a scientist... I can't tell you one way or another which is the correct path to take.

I do know that ... The FDA approved cigarettes... and has not banned them ... even though they have been proved to cause cancer.

hhmmmmmmm.... could that fall under the: Economic Factors thingy again?

Well, thanks for listening. Have a great day!

Aspartame - Good or Evil

Last night while I waited for all the kids to fall asleep, I happened across a "documentary" channel.

The current documentary was about aspartame... and most of the documentary was centered around the fact that it causes holes in the brains of rats.

I didn't understand much of the chemical scientific mumbo jumbo but got the gist. Basically they were saying that several of the molecules of aspartame are actually poison and when the stuff is dissolved in our bodies those poisons go to work.

Today, I'm going to see what's going on......

First to Snopes:
I was interested to learn that snopes was "debunking" a chain letter and email campaign which was linking aspartame with Alzheimer's. According to Snopes, there was no truth to the allegations.

Well, I was so convinced by the documentary... that I continued to research... then I read something that Snopes wrote: "Just because something is beyond your comprehension doesn't mean it's scientific." I felt the fool. Because I believed the documentary without understanding.

AND yet, still not convinced that there isn't something to worry about, I went to the web.

Here's the Snopes Link: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

Second the FDA
I found the FDA paper very easily, and it basically details that there were some concerns that aspartame would cause brain tumors in humans. The final analysis is that they don't believe it causes harm to humans... however it says: "there was not sufficient scientific evidence presented to the PBOI that aspartame did not cause brain tumors in rats."

This paper concluded:
"In 1981 after extensive review of the record by FDA scientists, then Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes approved aspartame as a food additive. In his decision Hayes noted that additional scientific data from a Japanese study about the brain tumor issue corroborated his decision. The PBOI chairman later wrote in a letter to Hayes that the Japanese data would have caused that panel to give aspartame an "unqualified approval."

"As data stood, we were unable to reach a communal feeling of confidence in aspartame's innocuousness on this score and expressed this unease in our report to you. By the same token, we wish to express our endorsement of your final decision in this matter," wrote Walle J. H. Nauta, M.D., Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology."

That worries me a little... Walle J.H. Nauta, M.D. Ph. D of MIT is basically saying, we support your decision even if we don't agree. right? Am I reading that wrong?

So, now I'm confused, Snopes seemed to indicate that there wasn't anything to worry about with aspartame, and the FDA although saying that there was nothing to worry about is kind of saying that we approved it for human use... but it seems to be a problem for rats.

Third Source: Wiki-pedia
Well well well..... I gotta tell you, it may not be scientific... but any wiki-pedia entry to has Donald Rumsfeld listed as a driving force for approval... makes me nervous and itchy..

Honestly, my hole ridden brain may have a problem wrapping itself around all that chemical compound analysis... but when I read something like:

"At that point in time, there was no requirement in place in FDA regulations to include brain research in the approval process, only cancer research. Searle's Chief Operating Officer, Donald Rumsfeld, reapplied for FDA certification immediately after U.S. President Ronald Reagan took office.[8] In 1981, Reagan appointed Arthur Hull Hayes as FDA commissioner. Citing data from a Japanese study that had not been available to the members of the PBOI[citation needed], Hayes approved aspartame for use in dry goods.[9] "

So now I don't really know what to believe.

An unfortunate quirk of my personality is to want to believe that government and big business conspiracies do exist at the expense of the general population and are propagated by the corporations ability to weigh their earnings against the % of fatalities... or chance of getting caught.

So, I have read the "Japanese Data/Study" referred to in all three of the places that I have so far searched for answers... and yet, I haven't actually FOUND the Japanese Data/Study...

on with the quest

I can't write much more this morning... So I will leave you with this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy

The above link is the wikipedia outline of the Aspartame Controversy... (Please keep in mind, that I don't believe wikipedia is governed by any omniscient judge of truth and facts... but rather it is frequently used as a vehicle to further forward causes and press releases...)

I can only say this....

What if only a little bit is true.

Even the FDA papers hint at a controversy and discrepancy in opinions.

Surprise Surprise, whenever I Google or search for Japanese Data regarding Aspartame, although no specific study is found, I found many pages stating that Japan since listed aspartame as a hazard and has moved to stevia for it's sugar replacements...

Now... that may or may not be true. What is true... is that there is a controversy over aspartame that is not so easily debunked by a common person like myself.

There seem to be many studies stating that the use of aspartame is safe for most people... and many studies that say... it is killing rats, and that there is an increase in brain tumors and all kinds of maladies that are directly related to aspartame.

I wonder, where is the truth....

Perhaps... sugar isn't all that bad.

What do you think?

Making a Phone Call... Can Save Money

The last several days has been a fantastic lesson in how to save money by asking questions. I have saved literally $500.00! Just by making phone calls and asking questions.

#1) My Phone, TV and Internet. VERIZON FIOS
Current Bundled Package: $126.00 a month
Phone: $26.00 - no savings
-Here's the thing, my phone is actually only $14.00/mo., but there is an additional $12.00 in subscriber fees and taxes. So, I can't really do much better with the phone, however this is the bundled price. In order to keep this price, I will have to switch to Basic Local Service and drop the long distance carrier. I won't be able to make phone calls out of my local area... but I do have a cell phone... and I can just program calling cards into the home phones for those times when I'm charging the cell.
Internet: $49.99 - switching will save $34.00/mo
-I will happily go back to DSL for $15.99/mo. The FIOS isn't any faster then the low end DSL. When you call FIOS they say, oh it's your computer, oh it's the websites you are accessing... whatever, it's all about how it's NOT the FIOS lines. The bottom line is... the lines may be fiber optic coming to the house... but once it gets to the house it runs on regular cable lines. AND if it's not any faster than DSL... why am I paying almost $35.00 a month more? no reason.
TV: $50.00 - switching will save from 10.00 - 37.00
-If I switch to satelite I can get "basic" for about $39.99, which will save me about $10.00, and won't really change the channels available. If I stay with FIOS and switch to basic local channels... I go from $50.00/mo to $12.99/mo. I will not have anything, but local channels. Which means, I will have mostly inappropriate shows for children except for what they put on PBS. I think the impending new school year will be a good time to switch, because they will be busy at school, and doing homework. I personally only have time or the inclination to watch The Daily Show and Colbert Report... and although Stephen Colbert may disagree, it's just not worth the $37.00 a month to keep that love affair going.
Savings: $71.00 a month!

#2) Calling to return or replace defective products
-I recently purchased a dog collar to train my dog NOT to jump the fence. It was pretty expensive, about $130.00. It worked great, until the last time I had to replace the batteries and the battery housing broke. I called the mfg. support line thinking I would have to purchase a new housing if I ever got the batteries out of the main unit... and surprise surprise, they offered to send me a new unit, in exchange for the one that I have. They are sending me the unit FREE and I am returning the broken one. That's a HUGE savings! HUGE... because like I said, the collar was about $130.00... and I didn't see any parts available online.
Savings: $130.00 replacement cost

-I also purchased a iRobot last year... this is an old savings occurance, but along the same lines. A couple of weeks after I purchased my little vacuuming robot, one of the sweeper brooms broke, I called and they sent me 4 new sweeper brooms... which as it turns out is a consumable. That means, that they expect me to have to replace them occassionally, I guess they didn't expect me to have to replace them so soon. I checked online, and the sweeper replacement pack they sent is worth about $30.00
Savings: $30.00

#3)Miscellaneous Savings
-Some of you may know, most not... that I'm a software trainer. I have been working on getting into the Office 2007 tests to recertify my instructor status. I was set to take the tests a few weeks ago, but the exam location called to tell me that their testing computer is down. I haven't taken it. I went online to research what I needed to take to recertify... and the short story is... I was provided with 5 exam vouchers! The exams are about $100.00 each. That's $500.00 in savings... unless the testing center has an independant fee... I will now be able to take the tests for free!
Savings $500.00

I just can't seem to do.....Coupons
This is a much more traditional way of saving money then... asking. But I can never remember to bring coupons when I go somewhere and I usually don't find coupons for items that I am interested in purchasing.

So, I decided to take a look at my monthly bills to see if I could lighten the load.

The savings I realized from the exam vouchers is unusual, however, the savings for the dog training collar and the vacuum only took about 15 minutes each.

How many times have you purchased something... anything and it either broke quickly or suddenly... Coffee pots, that stop working. Chairs that don't last more than a month. Anything that is no longer useful and will have to be replaced... is worth calling about.

I once bought a kitchen set at ... Crazy Al's (or something like that) a small chain of discount furniture stores in Central Jersey. The furniture came with a 1 year warranty.. I suppose they weren't expecting my big fat pregnant 275lb body to be constantly plopping down on those chairs because one by one they went ... kaput. yes, they were cheap... but you bet your bottom dollar (no pun intended) that I called up and they had to send someone out to fix them!

I did learn my lesson about cheap furniture.. it's not worth it. Because after the warranty period, and even after I lost 100lbs... the chairs still continued to break. I would have actually saved money if I had purchased a better set. In the long run, I ended up purchasing a new kitchen set at a garage sale, which I then had to lug home. The combined purchases were probably the cost of a well built reputable brand new set.

Live and Learn

I'm writing this entry for those of you that think... well, I'll just go buy a new coffee pot, or vacuum or dust buster. Don't do it, without first calling the company. Many of our small household appliances come with life time gauranty's. Take advantage of it. Make the phone call, you will be pleasantly surprised that the mfg. will probably either offer to replace or repair your item.

I hope this helps!

EASY FOR YOU TO SAY.... TIPS FOR GETTING THE JOB

First let's get this straight, I'm not talking about getting a job at White Castle or your local 7-Eleven... I could be wrong, but I don't think they even interview for those positions... I think you fill out an application and get the job when a position is open.

So, I'm talking about the job you really want. The receptionist job that fits perfectly with your kids school schedule. I'm talking about the customer service job that is the first rung on a ladder in a company that has great benefits... I'm talking about the job where there is some competition for the position.

I'm also assuming that you have an excellent resume. It's doesn't have to be cramed with lots of stuff... by excellent, I mean that it is well written and professional looking. You know, it's not typed on a typewriter with typo's and white-out...

Here's the list of the 6 verbal blunders that could cost you the job:

1) Yeah - instead of yes
2) Axe - instead of ask
3) Youse - instead of you
4) Ain't - instead of isn't
5) Don't - instead of doesn't
6) Mines - instead of mine

Here's the thing. I have met some very smart young ladies that prefer to speak "cool" or "street" rather than properly. AND although I know that they are smart, as soon as they open their mouth they sound shockingly illiterate.

My mother used to tell me: You can talk like that when you are around your friends, not when you are around me.

While we are on the topic of Job Interviews... Here's some more advice:
During an interview you need to BE the person that you think the company wants to hire. The very least .... the absolute least you can do is, sound like a grown-up professional adult.

So during the interview, when the employer asks:

Do you own your own transportation?
Bad Answer:
"Well, ya see, my baby daddy has da car that's mines. He in the parking lot now waiting, see dat Lexus, ah huh. So, he drive me"
Good Answer:
"I don't own my own car, but I've made arrangements to get to work and I have several backup plans."

Why do you want to work for this company?
Bad Answer:
"I see here in the newspaper ad that you will pay up to $15/hr, I be needing that kind of money to go back to work, if you know what I mean"
Good Answer:
"I've looking for more than a job, I'm looking for a career. I've read some great things about this company and based on the job description believe that my skills and experience will be a good fit.

Why did you leave your last job?
Bad Answer:
"My last boss didn't like me"
Good Answer:
"There wasn't any potential for advancement in my last position"

What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Bad Answer:
"Well, I would say I have a tendency to drink too much.... HA HA HA HA HA OK, seriously
Strengths; I am very strong and my weaknesses? Well, most people always complain because I am late for everything"
Good Answer:
"Funny you should ask, I guess my weakness could also be considered my strength. I've been accused of being too organized. I like to have everything in it's place, I like to complete a task, you know, follow it through to make sure it's completed, then file all of the paperwork appropriately before I leave for the day"

FINALLY.... THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE INTERVIEW... and the part that most people don't take advantage of..... the part where they ask: Do you have any questions for me?

This is where you can shine and stand out above the rest. All you need to do is check out the company online, to get a little information and figure out some questions to ask. Here are some samples:

#1) Is this a new position or has someone recently left leaving this position available. (if they left, and the interviewer doesn't say why... then say: May I ask why they left?)

#2) How many employees work at this location?

#3) Who would I be working with?

#4) I noticed online that your company has several locations, is the position for this location?

IMPORTANT-- don't ask about salary or vacation or holidays. These questions can be asked when you are offered the job. AND if they ask you what you are expecting to earn... give them a range. something like, between 15 - 18/hr or 33 - 38K. There is no reason to bid against yourself. Unless you already know exactly how high they are willing to go... give them a range... and when you are offered the job, you can discuss the specifics.

SO... remember... speak proper english.
Sit up straight
BE A GROWN UP... Confident, Educated... and perfect for the job.

Good Luck

The Innocent by Harlan Coben - A Book Review

Yesterday I read "The Innocent" by Harlan Coben. It was an enjoyably fast read with a satisfying ending.

The main characters are likeable, smart and could be based on real people. The descriptions and actions are lively and the author seemed to assume that I was smart too, as he didn't frequently ask me to suspend my disbelief, for the stories sake.

The part I liked the most about this book is what the author didn't write. This story includes murder, strippers, prison and blackmail and although the author certainly wrote about these things, his detail was only enough to convey the sadness and desperation required to believe the actions of the characters. Yes, there are bad people who do bad things, but the details provided were just enough to understand the situation, because honestly, this isn't a story about murder, strippers, prison and blackmail, this is a story about people.

Like I said, I like the characters because they are smart. I didn't spend the whole book groaning over their poor choices. The author wouldn't let me. Just when I thought the character was making a mistake, the author gave me a glimpse into the characters thought process... I saw the doubt, the confusion, the guesses and finally I understood the WHY of each choice.
Sometimes sadly, sometimes righteously, sometimes shockingly... always believably.

The only thing I found slightly hard to swallow was brought to light at the very end of the book. --I won't go into it, at the risk of giving away the ending.

I would suggest this book to anyone from Morris, Essex, Bergen County, New Jersey, (you'll see why when you read it) and anyone that enjoys a satisfying read with a well developed plot and thinking characters.

The Whole -- Whole Foods Experience

Today, I woke up bright and early.

I arranged for my brother to watch my children

I was at The Whole Foods in Madison, NJ 2 minutes before the automatic door opened.



First Impression:

Whole Foods was tidy and great pains were taken to lay out the fresh produce in an appealing and easy to access manner. The aisles were divided down the middle by an Aisle that cut most of the store in half, this was handy, since it turns out that the aisles nearest the front of the store didn't have anything I would ever purchase. (well, not at Whole Foods anyway)



The Prices:

While I didn't think the prices were extravagant... they were higher than Trader Joes, but Much less than The Health Food Shoppe. Like I said, I didn't see any outrageous prices for the items I purchase regularly and there were a number of 2/5.00 price discounts. I was very very very pleasantly surprised that they were WELL STOCKED in all manner of gluten and wheat free products. From Cheese crackers (actually rice) to Frozen Pizza (as you know, a good frozen pizza is worth it's weight in gold!) And still.... I walked out with 8 bags of groceries and paid $300.00. AND I didn't purchase any meat. yup... that's right... Thankfully I live near Costco (smile)



I have to say this. I think The Whole Foods has gotten a bad rep... and the rep I heard... was bad.



Do you want to know what I heard?



I heard Whole Foods was over-priced and pretentious and that only the hoity toity or those aspiring to hoity toity-ness shopped at The Whole Foods.



Here's the low down.



#1) I got there when they opened on Saturday... The Real Hoity Toity... aren't up at 8:00am The people that were shopping that early (and there were about 3 people shopping that early) were busy shopping.



#2) 3 different whole foods employees asked if I need help finding something, it was pleasantly refreshing... These employees weren't "assigned" to me... or standing at a courtesy counter waiting for me to come up with a question... they were just walking by and saw me studying the shelves... and ... guess what... they thought they could help.



#3) The manager, I am guessing a manager because he opened the door at 8:00 and knew a bunch about some of the other locations... took the time to mention to me that the wine I was purchasing couldnt' be "bought" until 9:00, because in Madison on Saturday, that's the law. No liquor earlier than 9:00am... he went on to mention that some of the other Whole Foods are governed by the town in which they reside.



So you see... the rep... which had kept me from going to Whole Foods was decidedly undeserved... again, I must say... that I was grocery shopping at the "crack of dawn" for for most people.