A ban on handmade clothing????

As of February 10, a new law will ban the resale of used clothing or toys for children aged 12 and under unless it is tested for content of lead and phthalates (phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable).

Um, whaaat????

Okay, I'm sure whoever wrote this ridiculous law (and the idiots that passed it) were filled with good intentions.
But at what cost?

In addition to thousands of thrift stores not knowing what to do with donations, this law would also impact small businesses who cannot afford the thousands of dollars required for testing, as well as crafty moms who make extra cash selling handmade clothing and toys on Etsy or eBay.

In dire economic times, what families need is an opportunity to save money on necessities like clothing, and to be able to purchase them on ebay, or Goodwill, or garage sales.

Too, the last thing our landfills need is a huge quantity of toys and clothing.
What about people who love and collect vintage items?
And isn't the source for most of the lead stuff from China anyway? How about fining the source instead?

Must the government moderate our every move?
If you feel you must, print a big frickin' label on something with a warning it might contain lead for goodness sake.
Funny how the generation before us seemed to survive perfectly well, thank you very much, with lead in everything from their dishes to the paint on their walls.
I am so tired of being 'protected' from everything.

read more here

It looks like some voices are being heard, and eBay may still be acceptable at this point
see exemptions that are being considered, here, and here.

Please write and call your local representatives and complain about this stupidity.

The South has pig candy, so why not?

Fun article as seen in the San Diego Union Tribune, August 11.

Bacon makes everything better – even chocolate?

By Michelle Locke
ASSOCIATED PRESS
4:02 p.m. August 8, 2008

SANTA CRUZ – Here are three little words that might give the staunchest snacker pause: Chocolate-covered bacon.
It sounds so wrong. But it tastes just right, says Joseph Marini III, a fourth-generation candy maker who is selling the bacon bonbons at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk seaside amusement park.

“It's not just for breakfast any more,” he says with a grin.

And this isn't just a wacky West Coast thing.

This year, Famous Dave's at the Minnesota State Fair is rolling out Pig Lickers – dark chocolate-covered bacon pieces sprinkled with sea salt.

“It's just like the most bizarre combination,” says fair spokeswoman Brienna Schuette. “I actually really liked it. It was a good combination of sweet and salty.”

The urge to create new flavor profiles is a natural for a field driven by creativity, says Karen Page, co-author with Andrew Dornenburg of the forthcoming “The Flavor Bible,” a sort of field guide to flavor pairings.

Chefs have two basic agents of change: using a different cooking method or mixing up flavors. So a classic such as tomatoes and basil might get turned into tomato sorbet with a basil sauce. Or you might find unorthodox couplings, such as salads of watermelon and feta or cotton candy with foie gras.

“There's a whole trend toward chefs pushing the boundaries,” says Page. “Chefs are trying to be more playful and incorporate new kinds of whimsy.”

It's hard to tell exactly where the dream of candy-coated breakfast meats started, but for Marini, the inspiration was a trip with some ski buddies a while back.

“One guy came up with, 'Who doesn't love bacon? Who doesn't love chocolate? Let's marry them together.'”

So Marini gave it a shot and after some trial and error – crispness is key, he says, noting that chewy bacon plus chocolate is undelicious – he came up with a product.

“It was kind of a joke to begin with,” he says. “We brought it down to the boardwalk and put it in a case just to see if people would react, and they reacted.”

Take boardwalk visitor Nathan Lopez, who on a recent foggy morning had a quizzical look on his face as he began eating a sample at Marini's at the Beach. But he finished with a smile.

“Interesting combination,” was the verdict. “I didn't think it would be very good but once I tried it; it was good.”

Of course, chocolate-coated bacon is just the latest incarnation of the wackier-the-better fair food philosophy.

Fair food has been shaking up the snack scene for some time, says Ron Whiting, of Whiting's Foods, whose family has been selling food at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk for decades.

“Years ago, I think food tended to be more traditional and less fun,” he says. Then came the corn dog and the era of quick and on-a-stick. “We all talk about the next corn dog,” he says.

Fry, fry again is a persistent theme. Current popular snacks include deep-fried Twinkies and Oreos.

Page, who admits to eating “more than my fair share of fried dough,” notes that gourmet chefs have taken to putting food – just about any food – on a stick, coming up with some posh Popsicles. Meanwhile, there's the foie gras-cotton candy matchup, not a stretch flavor-wise since foie gras usually is paired with something sweet, but certainly visually arresting.

“It's the melding of both these worlds, the high end and the low end,” said Page.

Never underestimate the appeal of battered-is-better.

By the way, I learned about pig candy from Cat Cora on Iron Chef.
Here's one recipe.

Wild horses deserve protection

Make your voice heard: save the wild mustangs in Nevada.
Ranchers are talking about euthanizing.
Story here.

In case you missed this hysterical news article...

NewsPrank Leaves Police Overrun by Gnomes
4 days ago

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) — A number of gnomes and other creatures have taken sanctuary at the Springfield police station.

As part of a prank, somebody stole 75 lawn ornaments from around town and placed them meticulously on and around the lawn of one house on Oct. 17, police said.

Among the figurines are plastic and porcelain geese, deer, frogs are gnomes.

Police took them back to the station to help find the rightful owners.

"We need to get them out of here," Capt. Richard Harrison said. "Every time I leave my office they're sitting in my chair, working on my computer. I can't seem to get rid of the darn things."

The figurines will be put out for public viewing on Tuesday.

"If they come here and they can identify it we're more than happy to let the gnome go home," Harrison said.

Figurines that aren't claimed will be sold at auction.

Oscar's sixth sense, etc (*revised)

Have you guys seen news about Oscar, the cat of death?
Fascinating stuff.
Oscar lives in a nursing home, and has a keen sense of who is within four hours of death.
Staff is able to notify family so they may be present, while Oscar offers his curled up body on the bed as comfort.
Read more here.

Other stuff:
I'm addicted to So You Think You Can Dance (go Lacey!).
Last week, Enrique Iglesias sang.
I think Enrique is one of the most gorgeous men on the planet.
But dude!
Did you really have to show up in jeans and a baseball cap?

I was talking to a guy at work about dating, and he said it really turned him off that women always seem to want to know what kind of car he drives.
But you know what? Our aim isn't gold digging.
Uh, note to guys: you car is akin to your shoes.
In other words, it says volumes about you.

For me, if you're driving an '80 Honda Civic, uh, maybe you're frickin' cheap.
If it's a Rolls or a Jaguar, you're probably pretentious.
See where I'm goin' here?
Ditto dirty sneakers or foo-foo Italian loafers.
Just sayin'.
Personally, I'm all about Land Rovers and boots.

Best tip on how to meet men, from Finny:
"Tip: For you women who feel you're not getting the proper amount of attention at the usual shopping holes, go to a fly fishing shop and tell them you want to try on waders. And then prepare yourself for the most ravishing level of attention received outside of a Maserati dealership".

Coyotes aren't ugly

I was packing up my bags last night, preparing for a new dog-sitting job, and happened to walk by the television. The news was reporting a 'ha ha' segment, about a coyote who wandered into a Chicago area Quiznos sandwich shop.
He just sat there, not bothering anyone, as people wildly snapped camera-phone pics through the windows.
I didn't find the report so funny.

Okay, obviously I have a fondness for coyotes.

If you've fallen for anti-predator propaganda like the Big Bad Wolf, go get yourself a copy of Barbara Kingsolver's
Prodigal Summer.
But I digress.

Were it my sandwich shop, and were the location remote (did he come out of the nearby hill or???), I would have just clapped my hands (made noise) and basically thereby asked him to go home. I do this all the time when the coyotes get too close to the house and outside kitties that my mom feeds or that live near houses where I work. I would not have called animal control.

Yeah, I know he's a wild animal. I know better than to even approach domesticated dogs in situations where they might react in an aggressive manner (guarding a car, for example). I would not, however, ever assault the poor animal with a freakin' neck noose.
I just find that appalling.
The reaction just really really bothers me.

I assumed they killed him, because I was told that is the course of action here, but the news reports say if he is healthy he may possibly be released.
I really hope that for him.

People really need to understand that nature is a beautiful balance.
We need to better learn to coexist with all creatures, not run and hide, or react with fear and paranoia, or cringe in our 'refined' city shells.