My Cousin William, a retired U.S. Coast Guardsman, often sends out health news for me and dozens of others to reveal and find them quite enlightening. The other day he sent out a published warning concerning the usage of different food dyes. It seems that although Europe has placed a ban on these selected dyes our own U.S. Food and Drug Administration still allows them to be used here in our own country. The report states that scientists have linker these particular food dyes to cancer, allergies and asthma, as well as ADHD in children. A list of these dyes include Red dye # 3 and #40, Yellow # 5 and # 6, Blue # 1 and # 2 and Green # 3 . I believe you should check the various processed foods and spices you use to see if these dyes are included. I know that certain stores use food dyes to color their meat before it goes out for sales and I've stopped buying meat at those locations. But the frozen meat packages can be a real culprit in the usage of these dyes, as well as some candies. Just take a brief moment to check out the ingredients listed on the back of the package and if possible, when affordable, go with organic This is your health warning for the week.
Some other headlines for you to peruse through, from the last few days: Humanitarian aide trucks headed for Venezuela forced to turn back, which has temporarily stalled the effort to bring food to the starving people of Venezuela, and hundreds of Venezuela troops have now deserted the army out of lack of support for the "tyrant" President.... More rioting breaks out along the Gaza Strip....Scammer steal $437,000 from Synagogue renovation project....Dubai flight forced to make emergency landing after attempted hijacking.... Toxic moonshine in New Deli, India kills 133 people and leaves hundreds in hospitals.... Mounting persecution of Christians in Iran, as Iran's Islamic forces threaten and intimidate entire Christian communities, with many of the Christians receiving prison sentences....Report that 35% of British citizens believe Islam is a threat to British life and anti-Semitism on the political left is a growing problem.... Report that 250,000 children being indoctrinated by Hamas ideology....Federal Judge rules "men-only" military draft is unconstitutional....Palestinians calling for the resignation of their President....UK Labor Party sees resurgence of anti-Semitism in their ranks....U.S. ramps up pressure on Venezuela's president with fresh new sanctions....Anti-Semitic hate wave has floods Poland, France, Spain and Greece.... U.N. Secretary General says "We're seeing a ground dwell of anti-Semitism."..... Iran successfully tested a submarine fired cruise missile during their naval exercises....Argentina's Chief Rabbi found beaten in his home and was hospitalized with serious injuries....Hamas leader accused of recruiting 17,000 children to partake in hostilities in Gaze against Israel. (Reminds me of the child warriors the African gangs recruited to fight their wars)....India launches airstrike on Pakistan. and Pakistan reports shooting down two Indian warplanes, as hostilities continue to rise. ( a reminder that both these countries do posses nuclear weapons)....Democrats in Washington D.C. block bill to keep newborns alive.... President Trump to delay extra tariffs on Chinese imports.... U.S. Finance Committee investigating meetings between officials from the former President Obama's "scandal free" Administration and Russian agents....West Virginia teacher's union shuts down their classrooms over issues of low pay and growing classroom size....U.S. Congresswoman liked U.S. Border Agents to Nazi collaborators.... (80) Jewish graves vandalized in France....Russia and Syria tell the United States to leave Syria....Oregon to become first U.S. State to impose statewide rent control.
Just recently the teachers in Seward and other teacher about the Kenai Peninsula, of which Seward is a part, has begun demonstrating over teacher's pay and the growing classroom size. A recent meeting between the teachers and Board of Education representatives is now asking the teachers to take a 25% drop in their pay. The teachers response was to walk out of the meeting, which seems to be happening around the country. Teachers say they need additional funds, not less due to the growing expenses of living on the U.S. economy, and how losing teachers and not replacing them would cause classes to greatly increase in size, leading to problems in the classrooms. Personally, I don't believe we can afford to lose our teachers and a 30-student teacher to student ratio should not be increased on. Classes can easily become war zones in some communities and it will be the students who suffer. Many of the students could lose their scholarship opportunities. Home owners already pay a sizeable tax to keep our schools running, so where is all the money going and how is it being spent. Maybe this is what needs investigation. True, some sporting programs are a drain on the school board's finances and this maybe be looked at seriously, but I will freely admit I was about to walk out of high-school when a coach got me interested in football and wrestling. I owe it to him and these programs for keeping me in school and my eventual years in the military and as a police officer. A middle ground needs to be found, but larger classroom size is not the answer and not a 25% cut in pay. If someone was to cut my retirement by 25%, I just might lose my home.
Book Report: I have completed my final editing of "A Badge and the Cross-'A Political Action' " and will now send it up to Susan to put on my list of books awaiting editing. Currently I am now working on "Revenge at Superstition", 4th book in the Arizona Ranger series. "Indian Wars" is in the hands of the Publisher and "Geronimo" is waiting to be edited by Susan. "Blake's War, the first book in the series is on the market and can be found on Amazon. I have found I really enjoy writing a western series and am considering writing another series concerning a family heading west along the Oregon Trail. Possibly sort of a "Little House on the Prairie" style....just thinking about it. Mona is currently doing the final proof editing for "Homeland Security" Book One. She is really doing a fine job, but it will probably be her only one. She is a bit nervous about squabbling with me over changes she wants made, but I trust her and her keen intelligence. She will often provide me with a better idea and that's a big help when you have mult-characters and I'm trying to keep their character traits in and even flow. Enough on that.
Oh, for those of you who do, I do not do Facebook. So, if you want me to see something, you'll have to send it to me by e-mail. I've been hacked in the past by using Facebook. Currently, my VISA card account is being hacked and I'm in the process of getting new numbers. I dearly hope these hackers brake their fingers on their keyboards. I know that one of these days my e-mails will be hacked for whatever reason. Not sure what I'll do then. Go back to using off the internet computing to write with or going back to a typewriter.
The clan's one vehicle is leaving for three of the group have appointments in Soldotna...or it might be Anchorage. We have to arrange our trips to get the best use out of the vehicle because of gas prices. In Seward gas has dropped to $3.17 a gallon. Cheap bread is $2.50 and our lowest price for good milk is $3.99 a gallon. Normal sized candy bars go for an average of $1,59 and I remember paying 10 cents for a Hershey bar nearly twice the size of the one now. Hostess Twinkies were 13 cents and now we pay $2.49 for a package of two. This will give some of you non-Alaskans what the cost of living up here is. But, really, you do get used to it. But now I understand what my mom used to day when she compared prices for when she was a kid back in the 1920's and 30's. She had lived through the Great Depression, when the only food they had to eat some nights was the fish my oldest brother caught in Morro Bay. He was known as the "Little Fisherman", which I never teased him about or he would've thumped me and he was 15-yrs old than me. Big thump! When World War II came my mom took a job as a "Rosie the Riveter", building aircraft for the U.S. Navy. She had some great stories from her early years, which my children have been told, over and over and over again.
Well, time to go. May the Lord bless you this day and the days to follow. Thanks for reading. BILL