• Ignorance is Still Rampant
    Recently I had to read yet again that "it's wrong for a man to lust after a married woman.", which was immediately followed by "But it is NO LESS ADULTERY when a MARRIED man lusts after a SINGLE woman." (capitals are not mine). Sadly, capitalization doesn't make what is said any more true. If something is wrong, it remains wr […]
  • T'is the Season
    Yes yes, you read correctly - T'is the season to be jolly ! The month of Tishrei is almost upon us, and with it the three big biblical days/feasts than end the biblical feast year - Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles. Here are the dates for this year, in case you don't know:Feast of Trumpets: September 19th, 2009Day of A […]
  • What's so special about the family ?
    I recently talked to a lady who held that practically everything that I listed in my (random) 10 reasons for polygyny could very well be done in a monogamous marriage or even without being married since some social group or another was just as good in taking care of the elderly, supporting you in your home schooling efforts, etc., as long as people chose to […]
  • Dandelions
    As you might have noticed, I haven't blogged as regularly recently, and here is the reason: The gardening season has begun ! We have been eating our own spinach and green onions already, planted a lot of stuff and worked on our other garden beds to prepare them for what will soon be planted in them.Tomorrow we will harvest a particular crop that grows […]
  • The Feast Week
    After some days of busy preparation the Feast of Unleavened Bread is now upon us, dear sisters, and I hope you had a blessed and tasty Passover meal last night.Now let me say a few things about feasts.I know that many Christians know that what they usually celebrate - Christmas, Easter, probably Pentecost - are not biblical feasts, but feasts that were intro […]
  • Unleavened Bread
    Yesterday I mentioned Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, so today I would like to share a recipe for flatbread. This unleavened bread is great for sandwiches because it stays moist:Ingredients:3 eggs1/3 cup oilSalt to taste3 cups all purpose flourBeat eggs, mix with oil and salt (to taste), then add flour gradually, alternating with water until the […]
  • Christian Holidays or Biblical Feasts ?
    Christian holidays and how they should be celebrated has been a major bone of contention among Christians: Christmas tree or no Christmas tree ? Easter egg hunts or no Easter egg hunts ? But are you aware, dear sister, that neither Christmas nor Easter, nor Pentecost for that matter, are biblical feasts, feasts Yahweh TOLD us to keep ?The feasts we are to […]
  • Early Vegetables
    Yesterday I mentioned gardening, so let me continue with this topic today, because:It is time to get the early vegetables planted !Yes, I know, for many the last frost date is still a while off, but with a cold frame you can still start your salads, beets, radishes and even carrots already. The brassica family (broccoli, cauliflower, red and green cabbage, […]
  • A Well-Oiled Machine
    When people consider the large, multi generational and polygynous family, of course many wonder about how sharing the work day may look like practically speaking, with so many adults around who are all able and willing to participate in the work that needs done.Well, I guess I already used the most important word that keeps the running of the household smoot […]
  • On being a Contentious Woman
    Having strong, educated opinions about significant things is good, and is a valuable asset to the family, but to be bull headed about trivial matters is simply selfishness and contention... Any mature individual should be able to discern the difference. There is a line (that's not so fine) between strong opinion and contention. Don't mistake o […]
  • Opposition
    Let me say a word or two about where the opposition to biblical polygyny comes from.It might or might not surprise you, but I have never met anyone quite as rabidly opposed polygyny as so-called "good Christians". To the majority of modern day Christianity, polygyny is simply wrong, and they are as ashamed of the biblical accounts of polygyny as […]
  • Polygyny Only for the Brainwashed ?
    Over the years I have talked to many married women who all told me basically the same thing, using different words: That they were yearning for female companionship inside their marriage, for sister wives with whom to share the joy and the work and the inevitable burdens too. They told me it was getting "female-lonely" where they lived, they had […]
  • Defining Terms - "Holy" and such
    I was made aware of this problem this morning: That I need to tell you, esteemed reader, how we define our terms.When we at Joshuah's House, which is our main website, talk about anything referring to Scripture, we are careful to let Scripture define the terms used. Scripture explains itself, and we make use of bible software and bible dictionaries to […]
  • Why no TV ?
    I have ranted about TV elsewhere, but will repeat the short version here too. There is only one thing that you really NEED to do about TV, and that is: SHUT IF OFF.What's on TV is not called "program" for no reason - it is what is programming you to be the little goose-stepping Nazi the government wishes you to be. Television tells you what […]
  • Modesty Saves Money
    In difficult times when people are losing their jobs left and right and are short of money for any number of reasons, even those of you, dear sisters, who haven't taken modesty very seriously, might want to look at it again. I will give you a few reasons for modesty that you might have an ear for now:If you stop using make up, you can save the money yo […]
  • The Holiness Principle
    "Be holy, for I am holy", God says in Leviticus, and Peter repeats it in his first letter. Be holy, for I am holy. Now, what does that mean, "be holy" ?If you look at the respective Hebrew and Greek words for "holy", you will find that the concept expressed is that of separation. Being holy means to be set apart for God, basi […]
  • "Forced" Homemaking in the City
    One of my readers was so kind to share her current situation on the last post titled "Jobs, jobs, jobs", and I am sure that her experience is shared by many women recently: She lost her job and is home all day now, the children are grown up already, and living in the city her means of growing a garden are very limited too. It is a terrible situat […]
  • Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
    Recently I received a letter from a distant family member, updating us on how everybody is doing. The predominant word in her letter was "job". She told us about her job and that of her husband, about her children's jobs and their respective spouses' jobs, stating that they were all reasonably happy with their jobs although they all spe […]
  • A Word About Home Schooling
    Yes, I know this is a well discussed topic, but let me add a a few word from the plural marriage family perspective.It is well known that there is nothing natural about sticking a bunch of kids of the same age into a classroom for half the day every day and let them educate each other, basically. School has it wrong, and we all know it. Peer pressure aboun […]
  • Protection in Bad Times
    Another thing I mentioned in my list the other day was that, in a polygynous family, you would be protected in bad times.Now, if you look out the window - and I don't mean literally just yet, although things might very well turn bad enough that literally looking out the window will show you just how bad things have got - you can see that the economy is […]
  • Kitchen Floor Cleaner for Tough Jobs
    If you have a lot of grease to fight, try this vinegar formula: Ingredients: 1 gallon of hot water 2 tbsp liquid castile soap 1/4 cup washing soda 1 cup vinegar 20 drops essential oil, either peppermint, eucalyptus or tea tree Clean your floor as usual.  Rinsing is not necessary.  For extremely stubborn spots, drop essential oil directly on the spot, wait […]
  • Kitchen Floor Cleaner Lemon and Orange
    Citrus is great against grease, and makes the kitchen smell fresh too: Ingredients: 1 gallon of hot water 2 tbsp liquid castile soap 15 drops sweet orange essential oil 8 drops lemon essential oil (or 1/4 cup of lemon juice) Mix ingredients and mop or scrub your kitchen floor as usual.  No rinsing necessary. […]
  • Kitchen Floor Cleaner Pine
    To add a delightful light pine fragrance to your freshly scrubbed kitchen, try this solution: Ingredients 1 gallon hot water 2 tbsp liquid castile soap 10 drops pine essential oil 5 drops cypress essential oil In a large bucket, combine all ingredients.  Mop or scrub the floor as usual.  Rinsing is not needed.  If you have stubborn stains or scruff marks, […]
  • Keeping Your Fridge Fresh
    There are several ways of maintaining the freshness of your fridge - or freezer, for that matter. Place a bowl of coffee on one of the shelves, if you like the smell of coffee.  This will keep odors at bay for up to 7 weeks. Place a bowl with about 2 oz of vanilla extract on the [...] […]
  • Refrigerator and Freezer Cleaning
    If your fridge or freezer doesn’t smell as fresh as you would like it to, here is a simple fix: Refresh-Your-Fridge-or-Freezer Mix Ingredients 1/2 cup water 3 tbsp baking soda 6 drops of essential oil, peppermint or eucalyptus (for freezer) 10 drops of essential oil, peppermint or eucalyptus (for fridge) Mix a solution of these ingredients.  After emptying […]
  • Put green into your spring cleaning
    It’s worth checking this out, there are plenty of links to follow in the article itself.  I am only blogging their suggestions for household cleaners here: Via: Kentucky.com How-to: Making your own cleaning products It’s easy to make household cleaning products. And making your own is often a lot less expensive [...] […]
  • Microwave cleaner
    The inside of your microwave can trap food odors and grease which will spoil the flavor of the food you heat in it.  Here is a recipe for a paste that removes odors and grease easily and your microwave will be smell new. Ingredients 1/4 cup baking soda 1 tsp vinegar 5-6 drop essential oil, either lemon, lemongrass or [...] […]
  • A different story: Fighting Cockroaches Naturally
    Cockroaches are tough, as all of you who have to put up with them know. IF you do not have children or pets that walk around the house freely, you can mix borax and sugar and put it into all the dark spots, which is where cockroaches like to hide.  But even this it might not [...] […]
  • Fighting Critters Naturally 5 - Insects in General
    This is the last part of my mini series: Insects In general, you can get rid of any number of insects in your kitchen by placing loose bay leaves in your kitchen cabinets. […]
  • Fighting Critters Naturally 4 - Centipedes, earwigs and silverfish
    And the fourth part of my mini series deals with Centipedes, Earwigs and Silverfish Several drops of either of the following essential oils placed in all areas that collect moisture, like damp basements, garages or cabinets that house plumbing fixtures will deter any of these critters: peppermint eucalyptus wintergreen citronella […]
  • Fighting Critters Naturally 3 - Mites
    Here is the third part of my mini series: Mites and Weevils Place whole nutmegs in flour bins or bags, at the bottom.  This will deter both mites and weevils. […]
  • Fighting Critters Naturally 2 - Ants
    Here is the second part of my mini series: Ants Wipe your cabinets out with a damp sponge and 6-8 frops of peppermint essential oil, or citronella essential oil.  Use the same oil and put 3-5 drops on windowsills, edges between countertop and wall, and wherever you see the ants marching. […]
  • Manufacturers Flout Law, Refuse to Disclose Toxics in Household Cleaners
    Via: readme.readmedia.com Chemical Disclosure Could Protect Consumers, Advocates Fight for Transparency Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and other household cleaner manufacturing giants are refusing to follow a state law requiring them to disclose the chemical ingredients in their products and the health risks they pose. With mounting concern about […]
  • Fighting Critters Naturally 1 - Mice
    This is a little series I am starting today - I will post advice about how to evict critters from your kitchen without using chemicals Mice Mice do not like peppermint.  If you a few sprigs of fresh peppermint between your cabinets, and also where you suspect them to enter your kitchen, they will be [...] […]
  • Appliance Degreaser “Herbal Wonder”
    If you have a greasy film on your appliances, this solution will work wonders: Ingredients: 2 cups of water 1/4 cup oil based soap (Murphy’s will do just fine) 10 drops of either rosemary, lavender, or even citrus essential oil In a plastic spray bottle, combine all ingredients and shake well before you use the solution.  Then spray generously on [...] […]
  • Take ‘green’ to the cleaners with new products, old recipes
    Via: USATODAY.com Is it possible to clean green? Is it necessary to give up Mr. Clean to be green?If you’re not sure, that may explain the surge in books, magazine articles and websites explaining how you can clean and “detox” your home without chemicals found in familiar cleaning products such as Mr. Clean. But the [...] […]
  • Clean home, clean planet
    Three eco-friendly cleaner recipes to try out at your next “green party”:Furniture polish: Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice for fragrance (optional). Shake well. Dip a clean, dry cloth into the polish and rub wood in the direction of the grain. Refrigerate if you add [...] […]
  • This green party’s agenda: safe scrubbing
    Via: St. Petersburg Times The party favors are boxes of baking soda, recipe cards and spray bottles. The theme is green. Green cleaning parties have sprouted nationwide as a fun, easy way to rid homes of toxic chemicals found in common household cleaners. Women’s Voices for the Earth, an environmental group in Montana, started the parties in March [...] […]
  • Appliance Cleaner “Lemon Wonder”
    Works great for stove tops and refrigerators if s[prayed generously on the appliance and wiped off with a damp sponge or cloth, and then wiped dry with another cloth. Ingredients: 1 tsp liquid castile soap 1/8 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 cups water 6 drops citrus seed extract 4 drops lemon, lime, orange or eucalyptus essential oil 1 tsp borax C […]
  • Sink Rust Remover
    Ingredients: 1/4 cup baking soda 5 drops essential oil of your choice juice of half a lemon Sprinkle baking soda on the stain, then add drops of essential oil and sprinkle with lemon juice. Let sit over night or several hours. Wipe baking soda away and then rinse well. If the stain is on the side of the [...] […]
  • Employers Cut 20K Jobs in January, but Jobless Rate Drops to 9.7 Percent
    The unemployment rate dropped unexpectedly in January to 9.7 percent, while employers shed 20,000 jobs, according to a report that offered hope the economy will add jobs soon. The unemployment rate dropped from 10 percent because a survey of households found the number of employed Americans rose by 541,000, the Labor Department said Friday. The job losses ar […]
  • Food Insecure: New York’s Hungry Children
    One in eight Americans needed emergency food help in 2009—–one of five children in New York City are relying on emergency food. These sad statistics come from Feeding America and the Food Bank for New York City. “Food insecure” is the bureaucratic term for hungry people — and New York is, unfortunately, a textbook case in food [...] […]
  • Recession’s job losses likely to rise by nearly 1 million
    As bad as the government’s jobs readings numbers have been during the Great Recession, we’ll soon find out the real situation likely was worse. Much worse. Job losses during the recession may have been underestimated by close to a million jobs. So instead of employers cutting just over 7 million jobs from their payrolls since the economic [...] […]
  • Moody’s warns US of credit rating fears
    Moody’s Investors Service fired off a warning on Wednesday that the triple A sovereign credit rating of the US would come under pressure unless economic growth was more robust than expected or tougher actions were taken to tackle the country’s budget deficit. In a move that follows intensifying concern among investors over the US deficit, Moody’s [...] […]
  • Brutal attack of Vallejo city worker caught on camera
    Video available at abc7news.com Dozens of teenagers saw it happen in broad daylight, but no one has come forward to identify the mob of young people who beat up a Vallejo city worker. Police have released surveillance video to generate tips. The attack happened in front of two cameras on Feb. 1 at approximately 3:19 p.m. Surveillance video [...] […]
  • Bogota’s bulletproof tailor
    Colombian tailor Miguel Caballero specializes in making garments that enable the wearer to get shot at point-blank range with nary an injury besides, maybe, a bruised ego. At-high-risk-of-catching-a-bullet demographics, such as rappers and politicians all over the world, rely on Miguel’s handiwork. And, lucky me, when I was recently in Bogota for VBS.TV cove […]
  • Roubini Sees ‘Dismal’ Growth as Summers Rues ‘Human Recession’
    Nouriel Roubini, the New York University professor who anticipated the financial crisis, said the U.S. growth outlook remains “very dismal” and White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers said the economy is still mired in a “human recession.” Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, after the U.S. reported the fastest g […]
  • Wet summer, more demand could create seed shortage
    Dreaming of biting into a garden-fresh cucumber sandwich this summer? Better order your seeds now. A poor growing season last year and increased orders from Europe could make it difficult for home gardeners to get seeds for the most popular cucumber variety and some vegetables this spring. Farmers, who usually grow different varieties than home gardeners, [. […]
  • Pope urges ‘responsibility’ during tough times
    Oh, ok… Pope Benedict XVI has urged sense of responsibility from governments, employers and workers as they deal with job losses from the economic crisis. The pontiff mentioned Fiat’s decision to stop auto production at a plant in Sicily, and Alcoa’s move to idle a smelter in Sardinia. Workers have protested these decisions. Benedict said during his Angelus […]
  • Obama Offers Budget With Deficits as Far as Number-Crunchers Can See With a Record $1.6 Trillion Deficit
    As President Obama prepares to unveil his $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins Oct. 1, the White House is projecting the current fiscal year will end with a $1.6 trillion deficit, congressional sources confirmed to Fox News. Next year’s budget will have a nearly $1.3 trillion debt, according to those sources, dropping to [...] […]
  • Foreclosure plague: It’s spreading
    The new foreclosure plague is tied more to the economy than bad mortgages. Here are 10 cities where defaults grew the fastest in 2009. Boise, Provo, Portland OR, Green Bay WI, Brimingham Ala., Myrtle Beach, Honolulu, Roanoke, Sioux Falls, S.D., Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss. Source/Full Story: CNNMoney.com Related ItemsJanuary 19, 2010 -- One in 7 U.S. mortgages for […]
  • Secret Banking Cabal Emerges From AIG Shadows
    The idea of secret banking cabals that control the country and global economy are a given among conspiracy theorists who stockpile ammo, bottled water and peanut butter. After this week’s congressional hearing into the bailout of American International Group Inc., you have to wonder if those folks are crazy after all. Wednesday’s hearing described a secretiv […]
  • Las Vegas: Most foreclosures of any city in 2009
    Cities in the so-called Sand States dominated the foreclosure rankings in 2009, with the 20 worst-hit metro areas residing in Nevada, Florida, California and Arizona. Las Vegas had the largest number of foreclosure filings of any city last year, with 12% of its households receiving at least one during the year, according to RealtyTrac, the online [...] […]
  • Beware the 4 new asset bubbles
    Less than two years after the housing market collapsed, the U.S. economy is threatened by a new bubble in asset prices. This time, four billowing balloons are hovering: two commodities — gold and oil — stocks, and government bonds. Don’t be fooled into thinking that last week’s 5% drop in the S&P, and the recent sell-off [...] […]
  • Firms that broke law still get stimulus tax dollars
    The federal stimulus program is funding roadway construction in many Massachusetts towns. But more than half of the companies that have received taxpayer dollars to perform the work have a history of breaking the law. According to an investigation by Boston University’s New England Center for Investigative Reporting, more than half the companies given stimul […]

Hundreds of Mostly Tiny Quakes Are Rattling Yellowstone Park

In the last two weeks, more than 100 mostly tiny earthquakes a day, on average, have rattled a remote area of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, putting scientists who monitor the park’s strange and volatile geology on alert.
Researchers say that for now, the earthquake cluster, or swarm — the second-largest ever recorded in the park [...]

Wet summer, more demand could create seed shortage

Dreaming of biting into a garden-fresh cucumber sandwich this summer? Better order your seeds now.
A poor growing season last year and increased orders from Europe could make it difficult for home gardeners to get seeds for the most popular cucumber variety and some vegetables this spring. Farmers, who usually grow different varieties than home gardeners, [...]

Cold inflicted major toll on fish in Florida

Everywhere he steered his skiff last week, Pete Frezza saw dead fish.
From Ponce de Leon Bay on the Southwest Coast down across Florida Bay to Lower Matecumbe in the Florida Keys — day after day, dead fish. Floating in the marina at Flamingo in Everglades National Park alone he counted more than 400 snook and [...]

Another Strong quake hits Haiti, sends people into streets

A strong earthquake struck Haiti on Wednesday morning, shaking buildings and sending screaming people running into the streets only eight days after the country’s capital was devastated by a previous quake.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.1 magnitude quake hit at 6:03 a.m. (1103 GMT) about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of the capital of [...]

Another Strong quake hits Haiti, sends people into streets

A strong earthquake struck Haiti on Wednesday morning, shaking buildings and sending screaming people running into the streets only eight days after the country’s capital was devastated by a previous quake.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.1 magnitude quake hit at 6:03 a.m. (1103 GMT) about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of the capital of [...]

Desperation and Anger in Haiti as Aid Is Snarled

Something to consider…
Aid workers hoping to distribute food, water and other supplies to a shattered Port-au-Prince are warning their efforts may need more security Friday as Haitians grow increasingly desperate and impatient for help.
United Nations peacekeepers patrolling the capital said people’s anger is rising that aid hasn’t been distributed quickly, and the Brazilian military warned [...]

Desperation and Anger in Haiti as Aid Is Snarled

Something to consider…
Aid workers hoping to distribute food, water and other supplies to a shattered Port-au-Prince are warning their efforts may need more security Friday as Haitians grow increasingly desperate and impatient for help.
United Nations peacekeepers patrolling the capital said people’s anger is rising that aid hasn’t been distributed quickly, and the Brazilian military warned [...]

The Story Behind Earth’s Coldest Temperature Ever

During the southern hemisphere winter of 1983, temperatures at Russia’s Vostok research station in Antarctica plunged to a frighteningly cold minus 128.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 54 degrees colder than the winter average there and the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth.
Scientists have now figured out why it got so cold.
For comparison, the coldest temperature [...]

Polygamist Winston Blackmore sues B.C. for unlawful prosecution

A B.C. religious leader who was charged with polygamy last year is suing the provincial government for damages due to “unlawful” prosecution.
The charges against Winston Blackmore, one of two warring leaders of a fundamentalist Mormon sect in the Bountiful community of southeastern B.C., were quashed in September.
In his lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Mr. [...]

Fierce Quake Devastates Haitian Capital

A fierce earthquake struck Haiti late Tuesday afternoon, causing a crowded hospital to collapse, leveling countless shantytown dwellings and bringing even more suffering to a nation that was already the hemisphere’s poorest and most disaster-prone.
The earthquake, the worst in the region in more than 200 years, left the country in a shambles. As night fell [...]

Fierce Quake Devastates Haitian Capital

A fierce earthquake struck Haiti late Tuesday afternoon, causing a crowded hospital to collapse, leveling countless shantytown dwellings and bringing even more suffering to a nation that was already the hemisphere’s poorest and most disaster-prone.
The earthquake, the worst in the region in more than 200 years, left the country in a shambles. As night fell [...]

Power restored to some California homes after quake

Residents are cleaning up the damage caused by a 6.5-magnitude quake that struck Saturday off the coast of Eureka, California.
At the height of quake-related outages, nearly 28,000 customers, most of them in Humboldt County, were without power, said David Eisenhower, spokesman for Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
As of 11:30 p.m. (2:30 a.m. ET), power had [...]

Extreme Weather: Why Has Mother Nature Gone Bonkers?

Much of the Northern Hemisphere is in the grip of arctic air and record snowfalls that have been inflicting hardship and havoc from China to Russia to Western Europe and over to the American Plains.
Meanwhile, the Southern Hemisphere has been experiencing a warmer than average summer.
Planetwide, the weather has become remarkably unpredictable.
There are few [...]

Could the humble pomegranate be a secret weapon in the fight against MRSA?

The secret to beating the superbug MRSA could be found in the pomegranate.
Scientists have created an ointment that tackles drug-resistant infections by harnessing chemicals that are contained in the fruit’s rind.
They found that by combining pomegranate rind with other natural products they created a strong, infection-busting compound.
Secret weapon? The pomegranate has long been touted as [...]

Moderate quake jolts Mexican border city

A moderate strength earthquake rattled both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border on Wednesday, breaking windows and scaring residents but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
The 5.8-magnitude quake, which struck near the Mexican border city of Mexicali, was felt widely in the San Diego and Tijuana areas.
Buildings were evacuated on both sides of the border [...]

Floods leave 3,000 displaced in Argentina; at least 2 people dead

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Rain-fueled flooding in Argentina has killed at least two people and forced the evacuation of 3,000 residents, officials said Tuesday.
The city of San Antonio de Areco, in northern Buenos Aires Province, was hit particularly hard, with 90 blocks underwater, Gov. Daniel Scioli told the state-run Telam news agency. He said the flooding was [...]

Panasonic’s new home battery could store a week’s-worth of electricity

Panasonic is charging into the green space headlong — first with deals to supply batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles — and now announcing that it will launch a massive lithium-ion storage battery capable of powering an average home for up to a week, the company says.

Source/Full Story: VentureBeat

Panasonic’s new home battery could store a week’s-worth of electricity

Panasonic is charging into the green space headlong — first with deals to supply batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles — and now announcing that it will launch a massive lithium-ion storage battery capable of powering an average home for up to a week, the company says.

Source/Full Story: VentureBeat

Gun-friendly laws sweep South, West

It’s been the year of the gun in Tennessee. In a flurry of legislative action, handgun owners won the right to take their weapons onto sports fields and playgrounds and, at least briefly, into bars.
A change in leadership at the state Capitol helped open the doors to the gun-related bills and put Tennessee at the [...]

Canadians: Abortion, fornication, gambling morally acceptable, reject polygamy as immoral

If this isn’t screwed up I don’t know what is.  Polygyny is a form of marriage, people.
A large proportion of Canadians believe certain specific social behaviours are morally acceptable, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion published in Maclean’s. At least 79 per cent of respondents feel this way about contraception, sexual relations [...]

A paradox of plenty – hunger in America

Call it a paradox of plenty. In the world’s wealthiest country, home to more obese people than anywhere else on earth, almost 50 million Americans struggled to feed themselves and their children in 2008. That’s one in six of the population. Millions went hungry, at least some of the time. Things are bound to get [...]

Infection 4

thyme
Thyme is a “natural antibiotic” much like cinnamon or garlic.  With the flu season approaching fast, as well as the threat of swine flu, keeping a decent stock of dried thyme as well as the following recipes handy is well advised.
If fresh thyme is available, use it first.  If no fresh thyme is available, use [...]

Infection 3

potato
Infected sores, boils, abscesses, carbuncles as well as infected acne can be treated with slices of potato (for sores) or a potato plaster. The potato draws out purulent matter and infection. Thus, the sore, abscess or boil will heal faster.

For sores, just apply slices of potato to the infected area.
For boils, abscesses, carbuncles [...]

Far Fewer Americans Believe in ‘Global Warming’

Americans seem to be cooling toward global warming.
Just 57 percent think there is solid evidence the world is getting warmer, down 20 points in just three years, a new poll says. And the share of people who believe pollution caused by humans is causing temperatures to rise has also taken a dip, even as the [...]

Far Fewer Americans Believe in ‘Global Warming’

Americans seem to be cooling toward global warming.
Just 57 percent think there is solid evidence the world is getting warmer, down 20 points in just three years, a new poll says. And the share of people who believe pollution caused by humans is causing temperatures to rise has also taken a dip, even as the [...]

Ignorance is Still Rampant

Recently I had to read yet again that “it’s wrong for a man to lust after a married woman.”, which was immediately followed by “But it is NO LESS ADULTERY when a MARRIED man lusts after a SINGLE woman.” (capitals are not mine). Sadly, capitalization doesn’t make what is said any more true. If something is wrong, it remains wrong, no matter how much stress one might wish to put on it.Well, I am

Cleveland Volcano on Aleutians spews ash plum

Geologists are on alert after the Cleveland Volcano spewed an ash plume up to 20,000 feet.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory reports that the volcano on Alaska’s Aleutians Islands erupted late Friday, prompting the observatory to raise the mountain’s threat level to code orange.
The observatory says satellite views showed the ash cloud drift northeast about 375 miles [...]

Cleveland Volcano on Aleutians spews ash plum

Geologists are on alert after the Cleveland Volcano spewed an ash plume up to 20,000 feet.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory reports that the volcano on Alaska’s Aleutians Islands erupted late Friday, prompting the observatory to raise the mountain’s threat level to code orange.
The observatory says satellite views showed the ash cloud drift northeast about 375 miles [...]

Ammo rationing at Wal-Mart as panic buying sweeps US

The USA is suffering the most severe ammunition famine in living memory. Gun fanciers, fearing a Democrat crackdown on every American’s right to pack heat, are clearing shelves at ammo shops and hoarding cartridges.
AP reports that the Remington Arms Company’s factory in North Carolina is now working around the clock trying to supply insatiable demand [...]

Ammo rationing at Wal-Mart as panic buying sweeps US

The USA is suffering the most severe ammunition famine in living memory. Gun fanciers, fearing a Democrat crackdown on every American’s right to pack heat, are clearing shelves at ammo shops and hoarding cartridges.
AP reports that the Remington Arms Company’s factory in North Carolina is now working around the clock trying to supply insatiable demand [...]

T’is the Season

Yes yes, you read correctly – T’is the season to be jolly ! The month of Tishrei is almost upon us, and with it the three big biblical days/feasts than end the biblical feast year – Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles. Here are the dates for this year, in case you don’t know:Feast of Trumpets: September 19th, 2009Day of Atonement: September 28thFeast of Tabernacles:

T’is the Season

Yes yes, you read correctly – T’is the season to be jolly ! The month of Tishrei is almost upon us, and with it the three big biblical days/feasts than end the biblical feast year – Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles. Here are the dates for this year, in case you don’t know:Feast of Trumpets: September 19th, 2009Day of Atonement: September 28thFeast of Tabernacles:

Johns Hopkins student kills apparent burglar with sword

A Johns Hopkins University student killed an apparent burglar with a samurai sword after discovering the man in his garage, police said Tuesday.
Baltimore, Maryland, police received a phone call shortly before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday about a suspicious person, and an off-duty officer arrived at the scene with campus security, city police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
When [...]

Treat your Flu and Cold with Healing Herbs

Via: http://www.bellaonline.com
Treat your Flu and Cold with Healing Herbs
The summer is now waning and many people are dreading the fall and winter because of the usual flu and colds that accompany the turning leaves and drifting snow. Luckily these illnesses can be controlled and even avoided using herbs.
* Garlic: Is very effective in improving [...]

From a Porch in Montana, Low-Power Radio’s Voice Rises

Text of H.R. 1147: Local Community Radio Act of 2009
The floor of the broadcast booth at KXZI radio, which is, truth be told, really just Scott Johnston’s front porch, slopes gently down toward the yard, as 90-year-old farmhouse porches tend to do.
Mr. Johnston, once a folksinger, says that small stations like his, if royalty payments [...]

How broccoli can protect your arteries

Source/Full Story:  Reuters
Abstract:  Activation of Nrf2 in Endothelial Cells Protects Arteries From Exhibiting a Proinflammatory State
…Researchers at Imperial College London have found evidence a chemical in broccoli and other green leafy vegetables could boost a natural defense mechanism that protects arteries from the clogging that can cause heart attacks.
In a study funded by the [...]

Seller, beware: Feds Cracking Down On Garage Sales

If you’re planning a garage sale or organizing a church bazaar, you’d best beware: You could be breaking a new federal law. As part of a campaign called Resale Roundup, the federal government is cracking down on the secondhand sales of dangerous and defective products.
The initiative, which targets toys and other products for children, enforces [...]

County fairs’ cheap tickets lure big crowds

Find county fairs @ http://www.countyfairgrounds.net/master/masterhome.html
 
Families who want cheap, close-to-home fun this summer are heading in record numbers to a pastime that dates to the 1800s: the county fair.
"The economy worked in our favor, because so many people were staying home and looking for a lot of bang for their buck," says Linda Zweig, spokeswoman for [...]

County fairs’ cheap tickets lure big crowds

Find county fairs @ http://www.countyfairgrounds.net/master/masterhome.html
 
Families who want cheap, close-to-home fun this summer are heading in record numbers to a pastime that dates to the 1800s: the county fair.
"The economy worked in our favor, because so many people were staying home and looking for a lot of bang for their buck," says Linda Zweig, spokeswoman for [...]

Home Burials Offer an Intimate Alternative

When Nathaniel Roe, 92, died at his 18th-century farmhouse here the morning of June 6, his family did not call a funeral home to handle the arrangements.
Instead, Mr. Roe’s children, like a growing number of people nationwide, decided to care for their father in death as they had in the last months of his life. [...]

Saving Seeds: Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes DO cross pollinate with other “melons” like other cantaloupes, musk melons, snake melons and Armenian cucumbers.  Separate therefore from other “melons” by a quarter mile.
Choose early ripening, disease free fruits to save seed from.
Wash seeds from ripe melons in a strainer, dry on a paper plate or paper sheet. Seeds are ready to store [...]

Saving Seeds: Squash and Zucchini

Squash within the same species DOES cross pollinate, therefore species should be isolated by a quarter mile.  This will also reduce the danger of squash bugs spreading over all the crops if they pester one patch.
Seeds should be taken from fruits that have surpassed maturity by 3 weeks already.
Remove seed, wash, let dry on paper [...]

Saving Seeds: Cucumbers

Cucumbers DO cross pollinate, so if you want pure seed, separate cucumber varientes from each other by a quarter mile.
Seeds should be taken from fruit that has ripened past edible stage and begun to turn yellow and soften.  To get to the seeds, cut the cucumber lengthwise, scoop the seeds out, wash them and dry [...]

Saving Seeds: Carrots

Carrots are biennial, that means, you can harvest seeds only in the second year.
Carrots Do cross pollinate, so separate them 1/4 mile from other carrots in the first year.   In the second year, when they are goign to seed, separate them also from Queen Anne’s Lace (about 1/4 mile).
Dig carrots up before the hard frost [...]

Saving Seeds: Peppers

Peppers DO cross pollinate, so separate varieties by about 500 feet, unless you can plant them in insect proof cages that are covered with window screen.
Pick ripe, fully colored fruits that show no sign of disease to save seeds from.  Remove the seed core and place on a paper plate or thick paper sheet to [...]

Saving Seeds: Carrots

Carrots are biennial, that means, you can harvest seeds only in the second year.
Carrots Do cross pollinate, so separate them 1/4 mile from other carrots in the first year.   In the second year, when they are goign to seed, separate them also from Queen Anne’s Lace (about 1/4 mile).
Dig carrots up before the hard frost [...]

Saving Seeds: Peppers

Peppers DO cross pollinate, so separate varieties by about 500 feet, unless you can plant them in insect proof cages that are covered with window screen.
Pick ripe, fully colored fruits that show no sign of disease to save seeds from.  Remove the seed core and place on a paper plate or thick paper sheet to [...]

Saving Seeds: Tomatoes

Tomatoes usually do not cross-pollinate, at least not the modern varieties.  Potato leaf varieties should be separated by the garden’s length though.
Pick one ripe fruit of each plant (at least), squeeze the seeds and juice into a strainer.  Then wash the seeds, spread them on a paper plate or thick paper sheet, and dry them.
DO [...]

Saving Seeds: Beans

Bean flowers are self-pollinating, so the danger of cross pollination is comparatively small.  It’s is recommended to separate different kinds of beans by a garden length though to ensure absolute purity.
Save seeds from plants that ripen first and are disease free.  Harvest seed pods reserved for seed saving when they are dried completely.  Crush the [...]

Saving Seeds: Tomatoes

Tomatoes usually do not cross-pollinate, at least not the modern varieties.  Potato leaf varieties should be separated by the garden’s length though.
Pick one ripe fruit of each plant (at least), squeeze the seeds and juice into a strainer.  Then wash the seeds, spread them on a paper plate or thick paper sheet, and dry them.
DO [...]

Saving Seeds: Beans

Bean flowers are self-pollinating, so the danger of cross pollination is comparatively small.  It’s is recommended to separate different kinds of beans by a garden length though to ensure absolute purity.
Save seeds from plants that ripen first and are disease free.  Harvest seed pods reserved for seed saving when they are dried completely.  Crush the [...]

Saving Seeds

I know this might come a little early for many of you out there, but I will start a new “series” here, giving information about saving seeds of different plants.
I guess you all know that it is not much use to save seed from hybrid plants as you never know what you are getting, but [...]

Saving Seeds

I know this might come a little early for many of you out there, but I will start a new “series” here, giving information about saving seeds of different plants.
I guess you all know that it is not much use to save seed from hybrid plants as you never know what you are getting, but [...]

Potato famine disease striking home gardens in U.S.

Ok so I am paranoid, but that doesn’t mean that I’m wrong.  Think about this scenario, based on the highlighted text below:
The home gardener will be putting the entire food industry at risk by their alleged ignorance of things like late blight, and will therefore be need to be controlled and regulated by some government [...]

Infection 2

dandelion (both root and leaves, dried)

If your child, or grandchild, comes down with one of the typical childhood diseases, like mumps, measles or chickenpox, or any type of upper respiratory infection (from pneumonia to chronic bronchitis), dandelion tea will help break the fever and clear up lung congestion.
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil.  [...]

Infection

apple, berries

Apples actually have properties that resemble those of penicillin.  Fresh apple juice or fresh apple sauce can successfully fight infections such as stomach flu, and polio viruses.
Apples also help prevent cavities in your teeth: Eat a thin apple slice or two after every meal, or snack, and it will reduce the danger of cavities [...]

With Economy Down, Cities Are Growing

Reversing a decade-long trend, many of the largest U.S. cities are now growing more quickly than the rest of the nation, yet another sign of an economic crisis that is making it harder for people to move.
Census data released Wednesday highlight a city resurgence in coastal regions and areas of the Midwest and Northeast, due [...]

With Economy Down, Cities Are Growing

Reversing a decade-long trend, many of the largest U.S. cities are now growing more quickly than the rest of the nation, yet another sign of an economic crisis that is making it harder for people to move.
Census data released Wednesday highlight a city resurgence in coastal regions and areas of the Midwest and Northeast, due [...]

How to Grow 100 lbs. of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet.

 THE CAGE METHOD
Grow a few potato plants, each or in their own wooden box, crib, barrel or wire cage. The container should be about 18×18 inches at the base, about 24-30 inches tall, and able to be gradually filled with soft soil or mulch as the vines grow. Set each container atop a well-prepared fertile [...]

How to Grow 100 lbs. of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet.

 THE CAGE METHOD
Grow a few potato plants, each or in their own wooden box, crib, barrel or wire cage. The container should be about 18×18 inches at the base, about 24-30 inches tall, and able to be gradually filled with soft soil or mulch as the vines grow. Set each container atop a well-prepared fertile [...]