Rat Poison In Pet Food!

Source of post: ABC NEWS & jhritz

Picture Source: http://www.tcnj.edu/

Pet Food Maker to Take Financial Responsibility for Pet Deaths From Poisoning

Investigators Trying to Determine Exactly Where the Rat Poison Came From

By DAVID KERLEY and DAN CHILDS

March 23, 2007 — The president of pet food maker Menu Foods, which last week issued a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food after a rash of animal sickness and death, said today that the company would reimburse pet owners who can trace their pets' illnesses to the company's products.

Earlier today, New York State veterinary health investigators announced that the pet food responsible for pet deaths around the country was contaminated with the rodent poison aminopterin.

Watch "World News With Charles Gibson" for full details on the extent of the poisoning.
"A pet is an important part of any family," Paul Henderson, the president and CEO of Menu Foods, said at a Toronto press conference. "We understand what pet ownership is."

While Henderson described himself as "angry" over the massive recall and the impact it has had on hundreds of pets, he also said the company has not stopped manufacturing at the two plants believed to have produced the contaminated pet food.

Instead, he said the company, which manufactures nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food, will immediately begin testing any "suspect raw materials" to identify any additional contaminated products.

"We have the support of our customers, we have the support of our employees," Henderson said. "We're confident in the future and we remain confident we can put this behind us."

Investigators, meanwhile, are looking into whether the rat poison came into the United States on an ingredient used in the recalled food. ABC News has learned that Menu Foods bought wheat gluten, the only ingredient changed in its plants, from China. That possibility raises questions about the safety of pet and other food products in the United States.

The chemical can cause kidney failure in dogs and cats, said Donald Smith, dean of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, during the conference.

Scientists at the state's food laboratory in Albany, N.Y., made the discovery a week after Menu Foods issued its recall.

"This is one step in a long process that will lead us to know what has happened and how it has happened," Smith said.

Aminopterin is not registered for use as a pesticide in the United States, and it has been known as a potential source of birth defects in humans.

Interestingly, trials are under way to test the chemical's effectiveness in the treatment of certain types of cancer.

ABC News first reported that the rodenticide may have been present in the wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods, according to a source close to the investigation.

Some Vets Remain Skeptical

Some veterinary experts say they are still skeptical as to whether the chemical is responsible for the kidney damage the pets endured.

"With the information that we have, none of us feel that this product fits the lesions we are seeing, but there may be information we don't know yet," said Lawrence McGill, a veterinary pathologist in Salt Lake City. "The feeling is that there are more questions than answers with this product."

"Renal failure is not the expected response to these drugs," said Susan Weinstein, executive director of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association. She added that most rodent poisons work as severe anticoagulants — meaning they cause the rats that ingest them to bleed to death.

"Whether this particular toxin in this case can create renal failure depends on how this drug works in the body, which may be an entirely different pathway than the anticoagulants," Weinstein said. "Because we aren't yet familiar with this toxin, we can't be confident of the causation link."

Investigators also have not yet determined whether aminopterin is the only contaminant in all the recalled food.

"If it is not the only culprit, as I suspect, the problem isn't over," McGill said, adding that it is also uncertain as to whether the finding will be much help to veterinarians.

According to McGill, even if the aminopterin is the culprit, "most veterinarians have never heard of this product. There will need to be more information put out to suggest therapeutic regimens."

Concerns May Spur Regulatory Response

With the widespread notoriety of the deaths associated with the contaminated pet food, some are beginning to speculate whether the result could be greater regulation of pet food safety.

"Certainly, finding something like this would have everyone step back and say, 'How do we make sure this never happens again?'" said Sandy Wellis, communications chair of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

"Knowing our public, they would probably like more regulation, and it may occur, but it hasn't happened with previous situations like this," McGill said. "There is a call for it, but will the public pay for it because it will make pet food more expensive."

PART 2

By: jhritz

Poison in Recalled Pet Food! -- plus Healthy (safe!) Pet Food links!

Breaking: MSNBC has just announced: N.Y. state says rodent poison found in pet food that killed several animals. [Update: The manufacturer, Menu Foods, has announced they will reimburse expenses for verified impacted pet owners - see below for more info].

The FDA says it appears to be rat poison that was on wheat gluten imported from China and made it into the pet food. That's the preliminary theory.

A broader question: Is wheat gluten imported from China dangerous?

And, since we're a large exporter of wheat, why is wheat gluten being IMPORTED from China???

Here's a link to the ABC Breaking news story:

ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.

A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.

It's time for healthy (and safe) alternatives.

More below the fold...

jhritz's diary :: ::

After watching the heartbreaking and infuriating news about this Pet Food recall scandal, the news it might be rat poison from wheat in China and, if not, that tainted wheat gluten could be the culprit, I think it's time to look at safer pet food alternatives.

(I would not normally endorse a product, but this is an emergency). I use a food called Life's Abundance for my animals. They have been in perfect health since I changed to it. I can't guarantee that will always be the case, but I am posting the link to the site I purchase it from:
http://www.healthypetnet.com/

That site also has a very interesting article about what goes into commercial pet food.

There are other healthy alternatives. I have heard of a product called Promise (though I have not used it) and others that are carried at health food stores and high end retailers like Whole Foods.

Here's the link with the recalled foods:
http://www.menufoods.com/...

[UPDATE #1] (thanks, acuppajo): Has your pet been affected? Report it here: http://www.PetConnection.com

[UPDATE #2] Important!! If your pet is sick, be sure to TELL your vet about the ingredient suspected in the poisoning, as reported here. The head vet at Cornell mentioned, during his press conference, that there are TREATMENTS for the poisons, as long as the treating vet knows about it.

[UPDATE #3] Menu Foods says they will reimburse expenses for pet owners who can verify their pets were impacted by the recalled food.

And I strongly encourage all pet owners to look at natural alternatives.

Again, here's the link I use (caveat - it works for my pets, not endorsing beyond that):
http://www.healthypetnet.com

They offer free samples, so you can try before you buy.

If you know of other healthy alternatives and/or have a pet story to tell, please post below.

Celebrity Mug Shots

I was surprised of how many of these I never seen before. Got some good laughs out of this as well.


Celebrity Mugshots 2 - Watch today’s top amazing videos here

Transformers Trailer

If you remember transformers from when you were a kid then you have got to see this MOVIE trailer.


Transformers Trailer - Celebrity bloopers here

SHOCKING!

This is a must see for everyone. Make sure you stare at the computer screen.


Shocking - The funniest home videos are here

Interview: Jimmy Wales - Artist of Web Community

Source of post and pictures: Phil Butler
http://www.profy.com/2007/03/12/wales-interview


Interview: Jimmy Wales - Artist of Web Community

March 11, 2007 - Profy got a rare opportunity today to talk with Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, Wikimedia (non-profit foundation), Co-Founder of Wikia Inc., and more recently innovator of Wikia-Search which we have covered on other occasions.

I caught up with Mr. Wales in Japan, where he is interviewing applicants for a position on the Wikia staff as Japan Community Manager. We talked briefly about some topics of interest to everyone and about a few that were either suggested by Profy, Web 2.0 innovators or my own personal inquiries.

The first thing I noticed about Wales was that he is a very friendly person. I paid him a compliment to which he said: "Many people tell me nice things, but I am only willing to accept that I am nice, I am always nice no matter what." This reveals a great deal about Wales' work and success I believe, he is a person first, and everything else second. I think this short Q and A will help our readers see another side of success.

Profy: We appreciate you devoting some of your valuable time to talk to us Mr. Wales.

Jimmy Wales: My pleasure.

Profy: I know you just arrived in Japan from India, will you tell us the purpose of your visit to India?

Jimmy Wales: Yes, of course. I went there to speak at our first WikiCamp in India at Chennai. From there we took a short vacation at the Holy City of Varanasi, a very special and fascinating place! Then we headed to Delhi to visit some of the squatter communities there. We were particularly interested in the schools and how we might be able to be of help there.

Profy: I understand that you are in Japan to interview applicants for the Wikia position you had posted on the site. How is that going?

Jimmy Wales: Very well thanks, and I am interviewing still more today.

Profy: Are job interview trips a common thing for you these days?

Jimmy Wales: Yes very, we do "lots" of them.

Profy: I read your biography at Wikipedia noting that your philosophy is very much in line with Ann Rand's. Given this , do you look on Wikia and your other ventures as works of art?

Jimmy Wales: Why yes, I like to think of creation as an artistic process and Wikia is a reflection or result of what I love to do. First and foremost what I do is interact with people, that is how Wikipedia started. I think that people should do what they love first and everything else will flow as it should, I love what I do. Money is great and I won't turn any down, but I believe you devote yourself to what you care about and money and other rewards follow.

Profy: I talked recently with Marty Wells of the startup community Tangler. I asked him what he would ask you if he had the chance and his reply was: "Since Wikia is for profit, do you think that the community spirit that powered Wikipedia will be effected?"

Jimmy Wales: I don't think Wikia is effected either positively or negatively by the profitability issue. The people at Wikipedia are all volunteers, while Wikia obviously has paid people doing a lot of work, but I don't see any change in commitment either. They are really completely separate communities.

Profy: Would you consider the viability of Wikia-Search in collaboration with other search engine developments in an effort to achieve essentially the "perfect search engine"?

Jimmy Wales: Definitely! In fact collaboration between second tier engines is the ideal way to develop a more perfect search engine. Once people realize that search is a commodity, revenue models can be formulated, vertical markets studied and etc. Unlike the way the big players approach search, this is more the way search (or news and information services) were intended to be. Take the local newspaper, a person buys this service to find out local news and information and then has to do other searches for global or national news etc. The perfect search engine gives people both these options in one place, and that is the way newspapers and networks were intended to be.

Profy: Thanks so much for your time Mr. Wales, I know you have appointments. We really appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Jimmy Wales: My pleasure.

I have a special interest in new search engine development, as I know we can do much better than what has been done. We are all familiar with Wikipedia, and I personally use it at least once a day. I knew the answer to the question about collaboration before I asked it, as collaboration is the only way to achieve near perfection. The piece of art I see when I think about a search engine is a human work, not just effective but beautiful in its logic, simplicity and results. Wikipedia, Wikia and even the fledgling Wikia-Search already look like that; simple, effective, elegant and human.

Jimmy Wales is one of those people that we have all seen in our lives, one who dislays confidence without a hint of concietedness. I had coaches and teachers like that, people willing to sacrifice anything to achieve something meaningful without losing their humanity. Like our parents used to say: "You can tell the nature of a tree by the fruit it bears." The next time you go to a web site think about what it is really saying to you. Jimmy Wales' sites say community and user generated effort in a way that exemplifies Web 2.0. What more can be said?

Video from Jimmy's India visit showing more of his personality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuevxiInEeg

Photo credit: Wikipedia

What is a Saint? Are You a Good Person?

Source of post and pictures: Enemy

http://cruelvirgin.blogspot.com/2006/07/what-is-saint-are-you-good-person.html

What is a Saint? Are You a Good Person?

I've been scattered in pieces,torn by conflict,mocked by laughter,washed down in drink....I am a house gutted by fire. Rilke

I never knew much about Mother Teresa, but last night I watched a movie about her. I was fascinated and even my son enjoyed it. So I began doing some reading today. As a medievalist and a strange Catholic, I am familiar with the term saint. In Catholic terms, saints are either martyrs or staunch confessors of the faith though word and deed. I am aware of how the various Protestant denominations quote Paul as saying that we are all God's saints. That term always troubled me, because people are flawed and some Christians have done more to taint Christ than help him. I think people, be they of any religion, agnostic or atheistic, would like to view themselves as good people. As the standards of society go lower and America especially grows more alienated and selfish, it doesn't take much to be good--we are dealing with a very low common denominator. But Mother Teresa, along with St.Francis, are among the few Christians worthy of the term saint. I cannot think of two people who exemplified true charity toward others.

If you have tried working the 12 step program, you were most likely taught the prayer of St. Francis. I won't repeat the whole thing, but here are some key elements: "Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled--as to console, to be understood--as to understand, to be loved--as to love." St.Francis was often called the most perfect Christian, second only to Christ himself. He knew the scripture and scrupulously practiced the law of poverty and service to others. Many of the fattened bishops and cardinals feared St. Francis: the people were dedicated to him, plus many of these churchmen were about as committed to Christ as my cat. Possibly St. Francis showed them for what they were, and no one likes that.

Enter Mother Teresa. She dedicated every day of her adult life caring for "The dying, the cripple, the mentally ill, the unwanted, the unloved" and she loved every minute of it because she was loving, she was cleaning, feeding "Jesus in disguise". She felt called to serve God by age 12, but it wasn't until she saw the state of abject poverty in Calcutta that she decided to leave her order and serve those who everyone had turned their back on--the lost sheep. This woman feared nothing: illness, disdain, useless documentation, backlash or poverty because she felt that Jesus himself had spoken to her and told her that this was her mission. She heard God when most of us cannot hear each other speak. Another saying of hers:"It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving." She exhorted her followers to always show kindness and a cheerful face as they performed their duties, as though it was from their deepest desire, not some law that had to be obeyed. I know that not everyone was a big fan of Mother Teresa, and I will get some negative comments here. I'm okay with that.

I think of these two saints because I too would like to hear the voice of God, and not like a schizophrenic, but as a genuine communication of mission. These two show me everything that is wrong in today's church: we have so many Pharisees, wanting to show their religiosity (choose your faith--it doesn't have to be Christian). They pray aloud with great eloquence, they make empty promises, they look so good in front of everyone else. That may get them through this life comfortably, but what good are they doing for anyone who needs it? Do they give to the homeless? Do they make a stand against bigotry in all forms? Do they comfort those who are desperately unhappy? My pastor preached about the 5 deaths in Philly that happened on Saturday alone--there is a gang war going on, and it has broken the 100 degree mark. So things are bad. He challenged us: "Are you going to enjoy the culture of Center City Philly while ignoring this other city that is ripping itself apart?" The big cliche is What Would Jesus Do? Let me take it a step further: What would Mother Teresa and St. Francis Do? What am I going to do? Religious or not, is it right to ignore those who need us the most? I hope I am equal to the challenge.

The Value of Laughter

Source for post and picture: Sam Chan

Laughter is the best exercise, the cheapest medicine, the cheapest vacation, the cheapest tonic, it stirs the blood, exercises the chest, stimulates the nerves, chases fear, prevents ulcers, cures the blues, relaxes strangers, wins friends and gives all a cleansing rehabilitation.

"The person who can bring the spirit of laughter into a room is indeed blessed." - Bennett Alfred Cerf

"Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects." - Arnold H. Glasgow

Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live. Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life

“An optimist laughs to forget, a pessimist forgets to laugh.”"Beware of those who laugh at nothing or everything." - Arnold H GlasgowPhoto by Yogi taken from this source

Newbie to Pro: By Method of Reading

Source of post and picture: Ms. Latina Renee

Transitioning from Newbie to Pro may become a series, for it may require hard work and efforts of great levels. Here we identify one method of this inevitable journey - Reading.

We all have to start from somewhere when we begin a project. Alot of us are holding our own-selves hostage from growing and advancing when we neglect to take time out to read. Reading is important when it comes to establishing a new thing rather it be looking into college, a cruise, or baking better chocolate cakes.

We can easily pick up quick new information by browsing websites on the internet. There is even more value in conducting full page reviews. For example, by thoroughly investigating (reading) avirtualexit we we able to find out about an alternative blogging platform. It has also been a bridge to other websites that may have contributed to the inspiration of this blog titled Ms. Latina Renee Enterprise, LLC.

"Got something to share? Leave a comment here because they will be Read.

Try not to make me blush, like the comment I received at Keep Up The Good Work." - Ms. Latina Renee

As a gift to you, we are tagging our reads for today:

Isaiah Washington Wins Award: When Blacks Stick Together

Working Together Makes A Difference

How to Make Blog Readers Read Your Entire Post

Simple Informations: Video Wallpaper or video in Image Editor©

Source of post and picture: Ajith

Most of us have tried to take a screen shot of a video window during playback at some time or other. But for our dismay we will see that the image have only a black box where the window was... If you discarded it then read on....

Today I was trying out two screen capture softwares Snippy and Quick Screen Shot Maker, so that I can put the review here. Then when I was trying out video capture with Snippy (I was previously able to do this) I found something really interesting. After the screen shot was made I was able to see the video being played on the BMP file. I dot know actually how this happened. So I decided to experiment. Here are the results.

I created a new image in Adobe Photoshop 7 and pasted the screen shot. Now I could see the Video being played in Winamp right in Photoshop. Also the small Image thumbnail at Navigator also showed the Video. Then I saved the Image in formats including JPEG ,BMP ,GIF etc and made them as my Desktop Background only to find that whenever I play a video the video is shown on the desktop. This happened even if I minimized the player window. The size of Video depended on the current size of Player window. Also we can see the Video in the thumbnail of saved image in Windows Explorer. Later I found out that the Video was shown only if it is played in Winamp. But you can make the screen shot of any Video Player and use it including VLC, WMP , DivX etc.

Actually this is not of much use but I still found it exciting enough to Blog. Do try it ,it's fun, Besides you don't need any extra software, press “Prt Scr“ Key take Paint (run mspaint ) and paste it then save as BMP or any other formats. Now make it the desktop background and enjoy Video on your Desktop from Winamp.

“By the way as I told you I am doing a review of two free screen capture softwares and they will be soon published along with screen shots. Do come back later for the review.”

One Amazingly Huge Hole

By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA,

Associated Press Writer

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala -

A 330-foot-deep sinkhole killed at least two teenagers as it swallowed about a dozen homes early Friday and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,000 people in a crowded Guatemala City neighborhood. Officials blamed the sinkhole on recent rains and an underground sewage flow from a ruptured main. The pit emitted foul odors, loud noises and tremors, shaking the surrounding ground. A rush of water could be heard from its depths, and authorities feared it could widen or others could open up.Rescue operations were on hold until a firefighter, suspended from a cable, could take video and photos above the hole and officials could use the documentation to decide how to proceed.The dead were identified as Irma and David Soyos, emergency spokesman Juan Carlos Bolanos said. Their bodies were found near the sinkhole, floating in a river of sewage. Their father, Domingo, was still missing, according to disaster coordinator Hugo Hernandez.

Glory to GOD,

Kerry Dale Hancock Jr
messenger in CHRIST

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

www.messengerinchrist.com