GOD WILL LOVE THIS ONE

A little boy was waiting for his mother to come out of the grocery Store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the Post Office is?"

The little boy replied, "Sure! Just go straight down this street a coupla blocks and turn to your right."

The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new pastor in town. I'd like for you to come to church on Sunday. I'll show you how to get to Heaven."

The little boy replied with a chuckle. "Awww, come on...You don't even know the way to the Post Office."

BREAKING: House Passes Senate Bill; Reform to Become Law

.The Treatment
BREAKING: An Ugly Scene
Jonathan Cohn
Jonathan CohnSenior Editorview bioBREAKING: House Passes Senate Bill; Reform to Become Law Taking Care of Family Business With Stupak, Democrats Have the Votes (Confirmed) March 21, 2010 | 2:44 pm

BREAKING: House Passes Senate Bill; Reform to Become Law
Thank John Dingell for Tonight's Outcome
With Stupak, Democrats Have the VotesYou may have heard or read about the ugly scenes on Capitol Hill yesterday, when a few conservative activists shouted racial and homophobic epithets at Democratic lawmakers. Today the conservative activists are back. And so is the ugliness--only this time, a few Republicans were actually encouraging them.

That's an incendiary charge, I know. But let me describe what just transpired here inside the House of Representatives:

Moments ago, while members were on the floor for a vote, a protester stood up in the visitor's gallery and began shouting "Kill the bill! Kill the bill! Kill the bill!" Clerks quickly removed him. But as they were doing so, a number of Republicans--at least half a dozen, from what I could see from a few feet away--were cheering the man.

Representative Barney Frank, who was the target of yesterday's homophobic epithets, told reporters he was "appalled" and that he felt the Republicans "were encouraging him to resist. ... I've never seen members of the House cheering on a guy resisting being kicked out of the gallery. It's a dangerous situation and the Republicans are cheering him on."

Frank says he approached one of his Republican colleagues--I think he said it was Missouri's Roy Blunt--and told them his caucus should not be stoking this kind of emotion. Blunt apparently replied by saying he wasn't one of the Republicans cheering.

Meanwhile, conservative activists are staging a rally on the North lawn, which is right outside the House chamber. A trio of Republicans went to the House balcony and started waving hand-made signs saying "Kill...the...bill" as the crowd chanted. As a colleague of mine remarked, that scene was more farcical than scary--like a scene out of Evita. But there's something just a bit unsettling about all of this.

To be clear, I have no problem with a robust demonstration. The activists have every right to their views and every right to express those views. And I certainly don't want to impugn the actions a large group of people--whether it's the House Republican caucus or the protesters outside--based on the actions of a handful.

I'm told that Representative Mike Pence later said that he was glad the protester would be removed, assuring Democrats that Republicans would do what they could to uphold decorum. Good for him.

But, as I reported yesterday, the protests have taken on a slightly menacing tone, one that's manifesting itself in many different ways.

Marin Cogan, who wrote for TNR before moving over to Politico, reports that protesters confronted her on the way into the building, shoving a bullhorn in her face and yelling "Media bias! Media bias! Media bias!" And there were sharper confrontations with actual members of Congress.

She and her colleague, Meredith Shiner, filed this dispatch:

Tea Party protesters disrupted Speaker Nancy Pelosi's press stakeout at a House Office Building, yelling "you're a disgrace to your office" and one protester yelled a gay epithet at Rep. Barney Frank again on Sunday, adding yet another layer of chaos to an already tense afternoon on Capitol Hill.


In a moment of apparently unscripted political theater, Pelosi and Democratic leaders marched arm in arm across the Capitol complex while protesters yelled at them and police held a barricade.


The Pelosi disruption came inside the Cannon office building, where Democrats where whipping the final votes for the historic health care overhaul. When Pelosi said "We're doing this for the American people," a protestor yelled "you're doing this TO the American people!"

Someone in the crowd yelled "faggot" — an epithet overheard by a POLITICO reporter — at Frank, who is gay. A group of Catholics supporting reform sang a chorus of "we love you Barney, oh yes we do."


"It's like the Salem witch trials, and healthcare is the witches," Frank said. "There is mass hysteria."

Update: I originally wrote "dozen." That's because I accidentally deleted the phrase "half a." I only saw about six members cheering, although there could have been more.

More Articles On: Barney Frank, Congress, House, House of Representatives, Marin Cogan, Meredith Shiner, Mike Pence, Missouri, Nancy Pelosi, Roy Blunt

SOUTH INDIAN RECEPIE Taste of Kerala Mathi Mulaku-arachathu/Sardines in Red Curry

Taste of Kerala Mathi Mulaku-arachathu/Sardines in Red Curry

Ingredients:
1/2 kg Fresh Sardines
3-4 pieces Kudam puli(see picture)
Salt-to taste

To Temper,

3 tbsp Coconut oil( a little too much,but you need it :)
½ tsp each of Mustard and fenugreek seeds
4 pods of Garlic, cut into juliennes
1” piece Ginger, cut into juliennes
3 Shallots/Ulli, cut into juliennes
2 Green chillies,slit lenghtwise
A tsp Dhania powder
2 tbsp Red Chilly powder
A sprig of Curry leaves

Method:

1. Clean and cut the fish into 2 pieces each. Discard the head part of each.

2. Rinse and soak the kudampuli in half a cup of warm water.Too big ones are to be slit into smaller pieces.

3. Heat coconut oil in a kadai, splutter the mustards and brown the fenugreek seeds.Sauté the shallots, garlic and ginger pieces, green chillies and the curry leaves till the aroma fills the air.Add the dhania and the chilly powder, blend them in oil for just 3 to 5 seconds taking care not to char.At this point the oil should look watery and Bright Red along with the tempered ingredients. add 2 cups of water, immediately.

4. Add the puli as such(no need to extract the pulp) and let it boil.

5. Transfer contents to a flat manchatti/earthern pot and add the fish pieces.Simmer the gravy for a few minutes till the fish pieces turn soft and the oil separates.

6. The curry tastes better if prepared at least 4 hours before serving and the best, the second day. Goes well with hot rose matta rice or kappa puzhukku.

Keep It Secret TIPS OF THE DAY

Keep It Secret!

Whenever you use any of your credit cards or cards with
personal information in public, hold them with all your
information covered until the cashier needs them. If you lay
them down face up, the people around you can take your
information by taking a picture with their cell phones. My
neighbor learned this the hard way.
snelcamp

As for me and my house, we will serve
the Lord!
Message from CleverHomemaker

TIPS - YOUR CREDIT CARD

Keep It Secret!

Whenever you use any of your credit cards or cards with
personal information in public, hold them with all your
information covered until the cashier needs them. If you lay
them down face up, the people around you can take your
information by taking a picture with their cell phones. My
neighbor learned this the hard way.

tips for :: Waterlogged Cell Phones

TIPS FROM >>> CleverHomemaker] tipWednesday, 17 March, 2010 12:02
Waterlogged Cell Phones

How many people have ever dropped their cell phone in water
and figured it was finished? This is what I did the other day.
My son, who is an auto mechanic, said to wrap it in mesh (like
hose) and bury it in rice. It worked! The phone is now 100%
working.
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< ¸...¸ __/ /\____ ____ ,·´º o`·,/__/ _/\_ //____/\ ```)¨(´´´ l±±±± ¸,.-·²°´ ¸,.-·~·~·-.,¸ `°²·-. :º° As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

President Obama’s health-care bill

The goal is to speak to someone — anyone — other than a congressional member’s receptionist. And thanks to a memo from Democratic leadership, Tea Partiers may not only make it past the front desk, but also get a cup of coffee.

Tea Party activists will storm Capitol Hill this morning, spending the day rallying and protesting against President Obama’s health-care bill and demanding meetings with targeted members. Former Republican leader Dick Armey, whose FreedomWorks is an organizer of the day’s events, said the Tea Partiers will be a reminder to members that a vote for health care could doom them in the polls in November.

“The fact of the matter is these folks — they got Nancy Pelosi saying, ‘You either give me your vote or something bad is going to happen to you,’ and … real voters in their district saying, ‘You give Nancy Pelosi that vote and something worse is going to happen to you,” Armey told The Daily Caller, referencing members of congress weighing their decision.

Brendan Steinhauser, a FreedomWorks organizer involved in the logistics of today’s events, said, “The focus is to get people to offices.”

“They’ll definitely be up and down the hallways of Congress,” he said. “They’ll be finding congressmen in the cafeterias, seeing them outside on the street, going in and setting up appointments with staff.”

The Tea Party Patriots group is also helping coordinate the effort that begins at 9 a.m. on the East Capitol Lawn across from Cannon House Office Building. Organizers say they expect thousands to hit the halls of Congress as well as the local district offices to warn members not to vote for the bill.

Tea Party Express is holding a 10 a.m. rally at Taft Park, located on the Senate side of the Capitol. Spokesman Levi Russell said the event will feature Republicans Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Rep. Phil Gingrey of Georgia.

In an e-mail, Tea Party Patriots coordinators instruct activists to bring handwritten letters when they visit the offices of both their own representatives, as well as targeted members of the Blue Dog Coalition of 54 conservative Democrats, who may be the deciding factor on whether the bill passes.

Getting past the front desk of the member’s office is the goal, the e-mail states. Activists, in the e-mail, are told to first ask to speak with the representative, but to ask for the chief of staff or health-care adviser if the member isn’t available.

FreedomWorks chief executive Matt Kibbe said smart members will take meetings with the activists who storm the halls.

“I use to work on the Hill, and I think the stupidest thing you can do is refuse to talk to your constituents regardless of what the issue is,” he said. “There’s a lot of goodwill created simply by showing up at a town hall meeting. Even if people are yelling at you for three hours, it’s your job.”

In a memo sent out Monday by the Democratic leadership to the party’s freshman and sophomore members but obtained by The Daily Caller, representatives are told to be hospitable to the “tens of thousands of conservative and Tea Party activists” and put out snacks, water and coffee for them (no word on whether tea will be served as well).

“Many of the conservative activists are not opposing the actual provisions in the bill, but are instead reacting to a caricature of the reform bill presented by right-wing media outlets,” the memo reads. “In fact, many conservative and GOP ideas and concerns are addressed in the legislation.”

Members are also told to meet with attendees in small groups and bring in extra chairs to accommodate the visitors.

“Also, don’t assume common myths about this bill have been debunked. Be prepared to explain that there are no death panels, that Medicare is in fact strengthened, and that reform is not a government take-over, but it is an attempt to crack down on the abusive practices of health insurance companies by providing oversight and increasing competition,” the document says.

Steinhauser said organizers expect “anywhere from 1,000 to 2-4,000” on the Hill, but said he’s unsure how many will actually show up since the event has mostly been advertised through Twitter and Facebook and has been organized only within the last several days.


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2010/03/16/tea-partiers-storm-capitol-hill-in-last-minute-protest-of-health-care-bill/#ixzz0iLih9ZWu

Pesky Florida Pro-lifers Bring End to Planned Parenthood Program Funding

MARTIN COUNTY, Florida, March 11, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - After four years of dedicated activism, a group of Florida pro-lifers is celebrating a "David and Goliath victory" after consistent pressure apparently forced a Planned Parenthood program not to re-apply for a county grant.

Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast has acknowledged it will not request a $50,000 grant from the Martin County Children’s Services Council for its La Promesa program, which was aimed at teaching the Hispanic community about contraception and abortion, in fiscal year 2010/11.

While Planned Parenthood blamed "the unrelenting harassment by radical community members" for their decision, local pro-lifers denied claims of harassment, and said they merely exposed the program's uselessness and questionable reporting practices.

Local pro-life activist Ed Daccarett told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) that pro-lifers could not say for sure why Planned Parenthood declined to apply for funding, except "we think that we did such a job in proving that the program was a total waste."

"We hung on to this issue [to de-fund PP] like junk yard dogs," said Daccarett. "We simply would not let go!"

After the council lent a deaf ear to moral and religious concerns expressed by pro-lifers, the group began to investigate the specifics of the PP program, including whether there was a need in the community for such a program, and how it compared with similar services that were already being provided in the county, Daccarett explained.

He said the group interviewed 17 community and Hispanic leaders and approximately 100 Hispanic youth. In a community of no more that 3,200 Hispanics, most had no knowledge of the program - and of the handful of community leaders that knew of the Planned Parenthood program, all reported that the program was useless and a waste.

"No one saw the need for it," said Daccarett.

The pro-life activists also say they discovered that the number of program “contacts” that was reported by Planned Parenthood’s CEO, Lillian Tamayo - 12,000 Hispanics over a five year period - would have meant that every Hispanic man, woman and child in the community was contacted close to four times each. In addition, they said, Florida Statute 125. 901 specifically state that the Council is to help children, not adults - yet Planned Parenthood reports emanating from five years of funding state that 96% of “contacts” were adults.

The group conducted an entire spectrum of activities to counter the PP program - ranging from prayer, fasting, pickets, protests, witnessing, public comments at the Council’s monthly meeting and legislative venues, TV interviews, and contacting the governor’s office.

As the pressure mounted, and negative newspaper articles appeared against Planned Parenthood and the Children’s Services Council, two board chairs resigned, as well as the executive director and a few council members. These events appeared to have been either a direct, indirect or incidental result of the pro-life activities.

In a letter disclosing the decision not to apply for funding, CEO Lillian A. Tamayo demonized pro-lifers and their efforts as “intimidation, harassment and increased security risk, whose political agenda was outside mainstream American life.”

Tamayo went on to accuse the pro-lifers of subjecting the Council’s staff to “vile intimidation and threats."

"I pledge not to give up this fight until we create a culture where all community members can receive life saving information and health care without fear of violence, harassment, or intimidation and I know we are in this together," she wrote.

Yet according to the pro-lifers, no threats or intimidation were carried out - as evidenced by the lack of any police reports to that effect - and all their activities were "done professionally with dignity, respect and with proper research."

Daccarett said he believed "the straw that broke the camel's back is that they realized that we had done our homework, and if this thing had been investigated, it would make a number of poeple look really bad, including the executive director at the Children Services Council, and so I think they thought it was best just to bow out."

Daccarett hoped the story would spread "so that all the pro-lifers could realize that it can be done!"

Social Security is going to start paying out more in benefits this year than it's collecting in taxes -- close to $29 billion more.

Social Security is going to start paying out more in benefits this year than it's collecting in taxes -- close to $29 billion more.

It will be Social Security's first deficit since it was over-hauled under former President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. Since then, the program has been taking in more money than it has been spending.

The problem is that the government has not been saving that extra money, it has been spending it.

"This is not just a wake-up call, this is it. We're here," said Mary Johnson, a policy analyst with the Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group. "We are not going to be able to put it off any more."

Now Washington will have to start borrowing money, much of it from foreign governments, to pay for the Social Security program for its senior citizens.

The government is expected to post a record $1.5 trillion budget deficit this year, with trillion dollar deficits to follow in the years to come.

The deficit begins just as baby boomers start retiring and some are worried it will lead to reduced benefits. Experts say that Social Security is projected to drain its trust funds by 2037 unless Congress formulates a plan of action.

Microchips must for pet dogs in Britain?

Microchips must for pet dogs in Britain?

London: British dog owners may be forced to microchip their pets and take out insurance, part of a proposed crackdown on the country’s dangerous canines.
Postmen are delighted, but civil libertarians grumble that Britain’s sprawling surveillance state now wants to track the nation’s estimated 8 million dogs. Others complain that the insurance plan would impose a financial penalty on innocent pet owners — while criminals who own violent animals will simply shirk the law.

“This is yet more surveillance and continuous datagrabbing by government who want to have as much information on us as it can possibly have,’’ said Dylan Sharpe, a campaigner with rights group Big Brother Watch. Opposition lawmaker Nick Herbert said the proposal risked “penalizing millions of law-abiding dog owners with the blunt instrument of a dog tax.’’

The government’s proposals are aimed at tackling the growing problem of aggressive canines being used to harass, attack and even kill. In a country where guns are tightly controlled and even carrying a kitchen knife can result in a prison sentence, animal rights experts and politicians say street thugs have turned to dangerous-looking dogs to cow their victims.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the number of complaints about dog fights had soared 10-fold between 2004 and 2008, the last year for which figures were available. In 2009, London Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse called for action on what he called “weapon dogs.’’ AP

London, March 13 (ANI): Ladies everywhere, please take note: The man of your dreams may be in the North East of England - according to a UK poll, the

London, March 13 (ANI): Ladies everywhere, please take note: The man of your dreams may be in the North East of England - according to a UK poll, the men in the region are the very best lovers.

A survey of female casual daters, headed by Forget Dinner, found that the North East beat London and the South East to the title, reports The Sun.

Yorkshiremen, on the other hand, were voted the Worst Lovers in the UK, ahead of males from the West Country and the Border regions.

Over 2000 of the female members quizzed also chose to explain their choice, giving the following comments about each region collected.

1. Tyne Tees - 'attentive'

2. London and the South East - 'eager to please'

3. Scotland - 'manly'

4. Wales and West - 'passionate'

5. Central and the Midlands - 'good fun'

6. Meridian (Thames Valley) - 'pleasant afterwards'

7. Granada (The North West) - 'would rather watch football'

8. Anglia - 'too selfish '

9. West Country - 'too rough'

10. Borders - 'too quick'

11.Yorkshire - 'lazy in bed' (ANI)

ANIMaking up with your partner

London, Mar 13 (ANI): Kissing and making up with your partner before sleeping really does improve your mood the next day, a new study has suggested.

After fighting, couples with high activity in a certain outer brain region are less likely to be upset the next day, while those with low activity are more likely to be in a bad mood, continue to mull over the argument in their heads, and turn to alcohol or drugs, the study found.

The lateral prefrontal cortex is thought to be involved in the way people control their emotions, with more activity linked to more emotional resilience, reports The Daily Express.

The study was conducted by Harvard and California University psychologists and is published in the Biological Psychiatry journal.

Lead author Professor Christine Hooker said: "What we found, as you might expect, was that everybody felt badly on the day of the conflict with their partners. But the day after, people who had high lateral prefrontal cortex activity felt better and the people who had low lateral prefrontal cortex activity continued to feel bad." (ANI)

sexual torture in Naxalite camps -India

INSTANCES of rape and sexual torture in Naxalite camps are coming to the fore with more and more disillusioned members deserting the CPI ( Maoist).
The Maoists have also been jolted by the arrest of senior leaders in Orissa.
Two women extremists, who recently surrendered in Keonjhar, said they were repeatedly raped by male colleagues in jungle camps.
"After getting drunk, they would sexually assault me," Dipti Munda (name changed) said. She had joined the extremists at 16.
Anita Munda (name changed), 18, who surrendered last month also said she was subjected to sexual torture in the forests. Women members were reportedly forced to spend nights with men. "It was tough and disgusting," another former Maoist said. She hoped the government would help her live a better life.
Last year, at least 29 Maoists, including 12 women, gave up arms. They accused the leadership of deviating from the movement's core ideology of protecting and empowering Dalits. The women invariably alleged sexual abuse by male colleagues.
The leadership has taken to extortion and failed to check harassment of women, former Maoist Kamala Mandal said.
She surrendered on February 28 in Kandhamal along with two male colleagues.
In June last year, Maoist couple Ghasiram Majhi alias Akash ( 32) and his wife Jharana ( 31) surrendered in Raygada.
They said they wanted a normal life for their two- and- ahalf- year- old daughter. The couple was among the founding members of the Bansadhara division of CPI ( Maoist).
Some senior leaders have also surrendered. On Tuesday, Suresh Sundhi alias Hati — a close associate of top leader Sabyasachi Panda — surrendered.
He said he was disillusioned with the pursuit of "mindless violence". Sundhi (24) was the commander of the party's Similipal squad. He was wanted in several cases, including the 2008 Nayagarh attack that left more than a dozen policemen dead.
Police sources said Sundhi was involved in at least seven cases of violence. He had masterminded last year's Similipal tiger reserve attack.
Sundhi was upset with the exploitation of tribals, an issue raised by tribal Maoist couple Mamina and Mataram Munda, too. They had surrendered to the Keonjhar police about a week ago. They were allegedly involved in violence in the district's Daitari area.
The Mundas alleged that Maoist cadre misbehaved with tribal women during raids. Mamina also alleged harassment of women in Maoist camps.
On Tuesday, Naxalite leaders Salim Barla and Jablin Munda were arrested during a joint operation by the Orissa Police and the Central Reserve Police Force in Sundergarh. They were allegedly involved in the murder of CITU leader Thomas Munda in January.
These developments come in the wake of the arrest of Panda’s wife Subhashree alias Mili in Bhubaneswar on January 15. Her arrest was a major blow for the Naxalite propaganda machinery.
Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.
by Ashutosh Mishra in Bhubaneswar

purpose of Costa Rican government is TO SAVE the turtle eggs from natural predators like vultures, gulls, crabs and other animals which eat new born t

An egg harvest by villagers at Ostional beach,
a remote community near Punta Gurones on Costa Rica's Pacific coast (U.S)….



The Costa Rican government initiated the Egg Harvest Project
which allowed villagers to continue their traditional practice of harvesting eggs.



The harvests are strictly controlled, with villagers only allowed to take eggs
within the first day and a half of each egg laying event, known as an "arribada".



The capacity of the half mile Ostional beach is insufficient for the large number of nesting turtles
and thus many clutches are destroyed in the nesting process.



As thousands upon thousands of Olive Ridley turtles climb on to a stretch of beach,
70-80% of previously laid nests are crushed or dug up during the subsequent nesting.



It is for this reason that the Egg Harvest Project is justified.
Villagers wait and watch, harvesting the eggs laid in the first day and half of the arribada.



Over the years this practice has proven to increase the percentage of successful hatching by as much as 20%.



A major contribution to the success of the Egg Harvest Project is the lack of decomposing eggs.
Otherwise the decomposed eggs develop bacteria and contaminate rest of the eggs as well.



The Egg Harvest Project at Ostional helps to protect and sustain this precious species.
The project represents an innovative, and so far successful approach to species protection.



-
And the response from reliable sources is : >>

I consulted with a cyber friend who lives in Costa Rica and he says that the email that circulates about stolen turtle eggs is NOT TRUE, it's a lie.
The purpose of Costa Rican government is TO SAVE the turtle eggs from natural predators like vultures, gulls, crabs and other animals which eat new born turtles.

Alert - Love Pills

Govt to warn on baby slings

Govt to warn on baby slings because of deaths
– A baby sling is displayed in Washington, Wednesday, March 3, 2010. The U.S.
WASHINGTON – The government is preparing a safety warning about baby slings — those popular and fashionable infant carriers that parents strap around their chests to give the little ones a cuddle on the move.

The concern: Infants can suffocate, and at least a few have.

The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Inez Tenenbaum, said Tuesday that her agency is getting ready to issue a general warning to the public, likely to go out this week, about the slings.

"We know of too many deaths in these slings and we now know the hazard scenarios for very small babies," said Tenenbaum. "So, the time has come to alert parents and caregivers."

Tenenbaum spoke at a meeting of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, an industry trade group that certifies certain children's products, including soft infant carriers.

Tenenbaum did not single out any specific baby slings or discuss the number of deaths linked to them. But there have been complaints for a couple years now about some baby carriers.

In 2008, Consumer Reports raised concerns about the soft fabric slings and some two dozen serious injuries, mostly when a child fell out of them. A follow-up blog warned about a suffocation risk and linked the slings to at least seven infant deaths.

Consumer Reports, published by Consumers Union, complained about the "SlingRider" by Infantino. The "bag style" sling wraps around the parent's neck and cradles the child in a curved or "C-like" position, nestling the baby below mom's chest or near her belly.

It's the "C-like" position that causes safety advocates to shudder. They say the curved position can cause the baby, which has little head and neck control in the early months, to flop its head forward, chin-to-chest — restricting the baby's ability to breathe.

Another concern: that the baby can turn its face toward mom's chest or belly and smother in the parent's clothing.

Infantino's "SlingRider" was recalled in 2007 for problems with the plastic sliders on the sling's strap. But there have been no recalls because of a suffocation risk.

A statement from Infantino said the company believes the SlingRider is safe, but added that officials there were working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission "to address the agency's concerns and those of any parents and caregivers."

Baby slings have been billed as an important way for new moms to bond with their babies.

Use of slings, also known as "babywearing," has become increasingly popular in recent years, with colorful and vibrant slings seen on Hollywood moms and sold everywhere from big retailers such as Babies R Us to smaller outfits like BabySoSmart.com in Kansas City, Mo.

Tiffany Speck, a nurse who owns BabySoSmart and sells her own baby carriers, has been warning about slings where the baby falls into a chin-to-chest position in the classes she teaches at hospitals, stores and doctors' offices.

"You wouldn't want to put a baby in there," Speck said during an interview with The Associated Press. "The baby is curling, head toward toe, and what happens is the baby occludes its own airway."

Speck recommends that babies in slings remain in an upright position, with the baby's tummy facing mommy's tummy.

___

On the Net:

Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov

No tourist will be allowed to interact with Jarawas: Centre -Andaman + Nicobar Islands- India

No tourist will be allowed to interact with Jarawas: Centre

Dhananjay Mahapatra TNN

New Delhi: The Jarawa tribe numbering just over 300 in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and facing extinction would soon be isolated from the commercial world and no tourist would be allowed to interact with them, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Monday.
Terming the Jarawas to be highly vulnerable to diseases and virus carried by urban population, attorney general G E Vahanvati told the apex court that no tourist resort would be allowed to function within a fivekilometre buffer zone created around their habitations on the western coasts of South and Middle Andaman Islands. One such tourist resort, which has been ordered to be closed, protested before a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and justice B S Chauhan and its counsel K K Venugopal said the decision was arbitrary as its business was in no way affecting the habitation of Jarawas nor interfering with their lives.
Countering this, Vahanvati asked why would foreigners and tourists need to come and interact or even watch the Jarawas. Appearing for the Lt-Governor of the Union Territory, the AG said the power to create a buffer zone needed to be exercised by the authorities to make the measures meaningful and effective in protecting the endangered tribal population.
But, the bench understood the pressing needs of the time and stayed judgment of the Calcutta high court circuit bench at Port Blair allowing the resort — Bare Foot Inns and Leisure Pvt Ltd — to continue commercial activity despite being situated in the buffer zone notified in recent years. Venugopal assured the court that there was not a single Jarawa within the five-km buffer zone and that the resort only had 10 tents. But, the bench said there was no question of any commercial activity within the notified area.
To ensure a rich resource of forest-based traditional food like wild pig, turtle, honey and fish, the Jarawa reserve area has been increased from 847 to 1,028 sq kms and the exclusive marine resource base has also been increased by declaring coastal water upto 5 km from the High Tide Line as a tribal reserve under the central policy.

Tourists at a beach in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Campaign for America's Future

[FriendsofMichelleObama] Re: Last Stand For Health CareMonday, 8 March, 2010 9:52 AMFrom: "Mary Wilson" To: manager@ourfuture.org
Hey, Roger, I sent this letter to all my GOP Congress people...although they only way they will ever vote for health reform is if Blue Cross and Humana tell the it's OK! I am sending a copy of this message to all my online friends. Hey people, even if you do not need, or even WANT reform, there are people in your town, your neighborhood, your hospitals who desparately need our help! And by the way, with Dodd signing on today, we only need 14 more Senators to add on to the public option!

--- On Mon, 3/8/10, Roger Hickey, Campaign for America's Future wrote:


From: Roger Hickey, Campaign for America's Future
Subject: Last Stand For Health Care
To: marytheprez@ yahoo.com
Date: Monday, March 8, 2010, 11:21 AM

Dear Mary,

Demand Up-or-Down Vote For Health Care

The President and the congressional leadership have made it clear to the conservative minority: if you refuse to compromise, we will finish the job without you. Demand Congress schedule an up-or-down vote on health care NOW. GO »

We've debated health care for over a year. The House and Senate passed their bills. The President has bent over backwards to be bipartisan.

It is long past time to get this done.

Click here to tell Congress: We want an up-or-down vote on health care reform, NOW.

The President and the congressional leadership have made it clear to the conservative minority: if you refuse to compromise, we will use Senate budget rules that prevent filibusters to finish the job without you.

We must let Congress know we demand action.

Click here to tell Congress: We want an up-or-down vote on health care reform, NOW.

Congressional conservatives continue their efforts to obstruct anything that would rein in the destructive practices of the insurance industry.

If they won't stand up to the insurance industry, we will.

In fact, a major rally led by Health Care For America Now is taking place Tuesday, March 9 to execute a "mass citizens arrest of the insurance companies" which will be meeting in Washington, DC that day.

If you plan to be in the DC area, meet at Dupont Circle at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, March 9 to take part in the "mass citizens arrest."

Whether or not you can make it the rally, you absolutely need to make your voice heard in Congress.

Click here to tell Congress: We want an up-or-down vote on health care reform, NOW.

Failure to heed to majority will and pass health care reform will let the insurance companies profiteer off of the status quo for at least another decade.

With costs continuing to explode, we can't afford to do nothing.

With more than 40 million people still without insurance, we can't put their lives at risk.

Congress needs to get the message. It's time to act.

Sincerely,


Roger Hickey, Co-Director
Campaign for America's Future