Kimkins Controversy - Kimkins Scam

Will DNA Testing Keep Us Honest ?

DNA testing isn’t just for things like paternity tests. Every living creature has DNA. Over a decade ago, I heard about a scientist who was doing contract work for the police and the department of wildlife confirming their suspicions about restaurants selling illegally obtained deer meat from poachers. This same biologist decided to test ground meats at grocery stores. He found out that many local stores were adding lots of meat from chickens and pigs into the ground beef. His findings were met with promises of stricter adherence to standards. I can imagine that people with allergies or religious dietary restrictions were put off by this report.

More recently, animal welfare groups took hair samples from faux fur trim on some of the coats in the boutiques. That seems silly doesn’t it? Faux fur doesn’t have any DNA. Well, they actually found quite a few samples of faux fur that DID have DNA. You may remember that Diddy got some embarrassing press when they found out that his parkas had fur from ‘raccoon dogs.’

Raccoon dogs are not domestic dogs, they are a wild animal that are raised in large number in captivity in Asia and they live and die under very inhumane conditions.

DNA testing has the potential to expose and hopefully prevent a lot of unethical business practices. I suspect that there are still all kinds of people out there who say ‘Who’s Gonna know?’ on a daily basis.

Outside the Box School Fundraising

Parents and teachers, are you looking for simple elementary school fundraisers? SchoolPop.com has a fresh approach to school fundraising. The site is set up so your supporters can go through to shop at many of their favorite online stores and have a portion of their spending go towards the school of their choosing. This is actually a very apt topic for a diet related site given the fact that the stereotypical school fundraiser used to be selling chocolate bars. Rather than buying empty calories to support the local school, you can pay for a day at a spa or a smaller set of clothes and have a portion of the money go to the school fundraiser. If you are planning a hotel stay anytime soon, you should check in to SchoolPop.com first, I noticed that the partners who were donating the biggest percentages were national hotel chains. Marriott gives 9% of your spending to the school of your choice.

Rural Poverty And Obesity

I just finished reading this depressing Newsweek article about how difficult it is for rural poor in America to eat healthy food. The accompanying photo shows the aisle of a typical small town convenience store. It looks exactly like a store that I used to live near. At that time, we avoided this potato chip store as much as possible. We had a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables because we belonged to a CSA. We were fortunate enough to have the monetary and transportation resources take advantage of something like that. Poor people eat unhealthy diets because that is what is available, and they often eat too many calories because of food insecurity. Sadly, the behavioral patterns set by this insecurity can last a lifetime even when someone is lucky enough to find a way out of poverty.

Audio Books, Get One For The Road

I haven’t been in a situation where I had to drive hundreds of miles to visit family recently, but I remember the experience well. My wife and I have a lot of common interests, but we get to find out where our tastes diverge when we are in a car together for hours. I enjoy listening to talk radio… she doesn’t.

Audio Books might be the solution to that dilemma. We do have similar taste in books. BooksOnBoard.com has a huge selection of eBooks and audio books and they don’t require any kind of membership. They have discounted prices, too. The eBooks are available in many popular formats. If you are getting someone a new eReader or palm pilot for Christmas, a few books from this site would be a nice added touch.

These Boots are Made for Walking

I was over 30 before I learned how to buy proper fitting hiking boots. I used to always buy size 11 boots and they would be just a little too loose on me after I had broken them in. Eventually I realized that I should put up with a week or two of slight discomfort and break in a pair of 10 1/2 boots. I have to say that a pair of boots that fit well are one of the greatest joys in life.

METBoots.com is an online source for quality brand name Hunting Boots, Safety Boots and Hiking Boots. If you make an order that totals over $100, you get free shipping on your order. I was obligated to wear safety boots for several jobs that I have held in government and industry. I have been through enough boots to know that by and large you get what you pay for. Back about five years ago, I would typically pay about $100 for a good pair of boots. I recently paid about $30 for a cheap pair of boots and I am kicking myself for it. I predict that they will only last until the end of the winter. I recommend TERRA boots as having good quality and value.

Christmas Gift Idea: Skis

One of my most memorable gifts from my parents was a set of Rossignol skis. We lived in the country on a farm. Our house was at the top of a fairly big hill. I had lots of chances to use those skis. One day I lost control and ended up on an icy patch that was going down towards the trees. I made the decision to fall. My binding broke on one of my skis. At least my leg didn’t break. They were Nordic skis.

I think my parents had to make a couple of trips to the town 30 miles away to order and pick up my skis back 20 years ago. These days you can order sports equipment online from stores like ChristySports.com. They have free shipping by UPS on orders over $75.

The also have link that you can use to check the snow conditions at hills all over North America.

Discount Shopping for Women

HerCoupon.com is discount shopping for women. The site features some great retailers like Just My Size. This particular retailer is offering 25% off on sleepwear and swimwear right now. A feature of HerCoupon.com that I really appreciate is the list of related sellers at the bottom of the page. You don’t find the actual retailers including links to their competition now, do you? This feature makes comparison shopping really fun and easy. I saw that another plus size retailer was also offering 25% of so I clicked the link to see the offers from Torrid.com.

While these two stores are related, one tends to veer towards practical while the other one is a bit racy. I think that a lot of us haven’t really made up our mind as far as which way we are going with that anyway.

I think that efficient comparison shopping and having coupon codes for all your favorite stores all in one place makes a site like HerCoupon.com really useful. We all know that shopping isn’t ALL about clothes…HerCoupon.com is a great place to do your holiday shopping for things like Flowers & Gifts, Holiday Decor, Technology, Toys & Games. You might also want to send your husband a coupon from Diamonds.com.