August is Agent Orange Awareness Month!

Our Vietnam Veterans are suffering from Agent Orange exposure and we need to raise awareness!


In August of 2009 the house passed the bill that would make the month of August Agent Orange Awareness Month. Below is the bill that was proposed and passed, it includes statistics on Veterans and the exposure.

S.RES.248 -- Designating the month of August 2009 as `Agent Orange Awareness Month'. (Agreed to Senate - ATS)

SRES 248 ATS

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 248

Designating the month of August 2009 as `Agent Orange Awareness Month'.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 6, 2009

Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. BEGICH, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. MURKOWSKI, and Mr. ROCKEFELLER) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

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RESOLUTION

Designating the month of August 2009 as `Agent Orange Awareness Month'.

Whereas between 1964 and 1973, 8,744,000 men and women bravely served our Nation in the Vietnam War;

Whereas an estimated 2,600,000 service men and women may have been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam;

Whereas Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used during the Vietnam War to kill unwanted plant life and remove leaves from trees that provided cover for the enemy;

Whereas the United States military sprayed more than 19,000,000 gallons of herbicide throughout South Vietnam, with Agent Orange accounting for approximately 11,000,000 gallons of this amount;

Whereas Agent Orange is an extremely toxic substance that contains dioxin;

Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized that certain cancers and other health problems are associated with exposure to Agent Orange;

Whereas John Baldacci, the Governor of the State of Maine, has proclaimed August 2009 as `Agent Orange Awareness Month' for that State;

Whereas the State of Alaska has 76,000 veterans, the highest population of veterans per capita, with 26,000 of these being veterans of the Vietnam War; and

Whereas, as a Nation, we are deeply grateful and thankful for those men and women who bravely served during the Vietnam War: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) designates the month of August 2009 as `Agent Orange Awareness Month';

(2) calls attention to those veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and the adverse effects that such exposure has had on their health;

(3) recognizes the sacrifices that our veterans and servicemembers have made and continue to make on behalf of our great Nation, especially those veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange;

(4) reaffirms its commitment to our Nation's veterans; and

(5) does not, by this resolution, authorize, support, or settle any claim against the United States.

Warning About Bottled Water Kept in the Car!

A Warning of leaving plasic drinks bottles in your hot car.

I have heard from many sources about the probem of increased cancer risk from drinking from plastic containers left in hot cars. 

On the Ellen show, Sheryl Crow said this is what caused her breast cancer.

It has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels of dioxin in breast cancer tissue.

Sheryl Crow’s oncologist told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.

The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the bottle which releases dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue.

So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.

This information is the kind we need to know that just might save us! Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle instead of plastic!

LET EVERYONE WHO HAS A WIFE / GIRLFRIEND / DAUGHTER KNOW PLEASE!

This information is also being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

No plastic containers in microwave.

No water bottles in freezer

No plastic wrap in microwave.

A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don’t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers… This especially applies to foods that contain fat.

He said that the combination of fat, high heat =2 0 and plastic releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body… Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food.. You get the same results, only without the dioxin.

So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn’t bad but you don’t know what is in the paper. It’s just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons…  Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran wrap, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high Heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.

Cover food with a paper towel instead.

http://firstaidinstructor.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/a-warning-of-leaving-plasic-drinks-bottles-in-your-hot-car/ 

Medal of Honor Created, July 12, 1862

On 12 July 1862, Pres. Lincoln signed into law the bill creating the army Medal of Honor.

Six months earlier, on 21 December 1861, the president had approved the creation of the same medal for the navy. The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest military decoration. It is awarded for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against any enemy of the United States . . .”

Did you know the following facts about the Medal of Honor?

• There are currently 3,459 recipients of the Medal of Honor, 81 of whom are still living.
• 19 men received the Medal of Honor twice; 5 of these received both the army and navy medal for the same action, and 14 received it for 2 separate actions.
• The president of the United States awards the Medal of Honor personally, on behalf of Congress.
• There are three Medals of Honor: one for the army, one for the air force, and one for the navy, marine corps, and coast guard.
• Although it is sometimes called the Congressional Medal of Honor, the actual name is simply the Medal of Honor.
• Almost half of the Medals of Honor (1,522) were awarded for actions during the Civil War.
• The first Medal of Honor was awarded to Jacob Parrott in March 1863; but in 1894 the medal was retroactively awarded  to Bernard Irwin for his heroism 33 years earlier (in 1861), making making his actions chronologically the first to deserve the Medal of Honor.
• Only one woman—Dr. Mary Walker—has received the Medal of Honor (in 1865).
• Upon investigation and review, in 1917, 911 names were removed from the Medal of Honor list; some were later reinstated.
• After 1918, recipients had to be serving in the U.S. armed forces to qualify for the Medal of Honor; after 1942, the medal had to be awarded for actions during combat.
• Over 60 percent of the Medals of Honor since World War II have been awarded posthumously.
• Dakota Meyer is the most recent living recipient (received the medal in 2011 for actions in 2008). He is the third living person to receive the medal since the Vietnam War.

For more information about the Medal of Honor and its recipients, visit the websites of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the U.S. Army. To watch or listen to interviews with Medal of Honor recipients, visit the Pritzker Military Library website. 

Today is National Chocolate Day!

July 7th is National Chocolate Day, a good reason to enjoy chocolate!

Chocolate — it’s one of the most popular sweets of all time.  But why do we love it so much?  Maybe it’s because it tastes so good.  Maybe it’s because it makes you feel happy.  Maybe it’s because there are so many different types.  Oh, who really cares why — we just love it!  July 7 is National Chocolate Day, and we’re celebrating a few things we love about chocolate!

Perfect Consistency Chocolate contains fat–that’s no surprise. The cocoa butter in chocolate gives it a rich, creamy consistency that also transmits the cocoa’s flavor perfectly. It also has a melting point that’s just a bit lower than the average human body temperature, which gives you that melt-in-your-mouth feeling every time you pop a piece of chocolate in your mouth.

Feel Good Food The cocoa beans from which chocolate is made are not, themselves, sweet. The Mayans and Aztecs in Central America and Mexico consumed chocolate as a bitter, frothy drink mixed with chilies. Among the more than 300 chemicals contained in chocolate are a number of ingredients that help explain why we crave it.

Chocolate triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, which make us feel good. And while no proof exists that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, it does contain the chemical phenylethylamine, a mild mood elevator that our brain produces when we feel happy or in love.

Chocolate contains the chemical  Theobromine which is what makes it toxic for dogs.  Caffeine is also present in chocolate and a toxic component, but in much smaller amounts than Theobromine.  Well, chocolate lovers, fear no more!  We now can with the delicious goodness that is carob.  Carob is a dog-friendly substitute to chocolate with the same great sweet richness that makes chocolate a delight to eat. Made from the pods of a Carob Tree, it is 100% natural and 100% healthy for dogs.

And it’s healthy too!  Carob contains as much vitamin B1 as asparagus or strawberries, the same amount of niacin as lima beans, lentils or peas, and more vitamin A than eggplant, asparagus and beets. It’s also high in vitamin B2, calcium, magnesium and iron.

On July 7^th, when treating yourself to some tasty chocolate don’t forget about your canine companion, throw a little Carob his way – you can indulge together.  Three Dog Bakery offers a grrreat selection of carob treats, such as our Pooch Smooches, Ulti”Mutt” Spots, and the carob dipped Dino Bone. Stock up today!  Your dog will thank you.

Chocolate 101:

• Cacao trees grow around the world in tropical areas.  They grow pods, which contain about 20 to 40 cacao beans.
• The beans are removed from the pods, and then fermented in piles for about one week.  This process allows for the beans to dry out and develop their color and flavor.
• The beans are then taken to the factory and roasted.  Next, they are “hulled” by removing the outside shell from the inside of the bean called the “nib.”
• The nibs are then ground into a chocolate liquor.  Then, the liquor (it’s not alcoholic) is pressed to remove the fat, called “cocoa butter,” and the residual powder is what is mixed in to create different kinds of chocolate.
• Depending on the kind of chocolate (milk, bittersweet, semisweet, etc.) cocoa butter, milk and sugar are added to the chocolate powder.
• White chocolate does not contain the chocolate powder that regular chocolate contains.  It just contains cocoa butter, milk and sugar.

http://threedogblog.com/news/july-7-is-national-chocolate-day/

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2011/10/its-national-chocolate-day/