"Lazy" Brownies In Your Grocery Isle -- Are They Safe?!

We've all heard of weed brownies....but "lazy" brownies in our grocery isle? From the looks of it, you may want to stay away.

The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on Lazy Larry Cakes, a special brownie marketed as a way to reduce stress and facilitate relaxation.

"Relaxing. It's what we're all about,"

the Lazy Larry website states.

"We think the secret to a long life is being laid back and Lazy Larry is the way to do it. Easing you down with natural ingredients to help you relax. All this magic is baked in to put a smile on your face."

Researchers say, the Melatonin ingredient in the brownies is what makes it not safe. The brownies contain more than double the normal amount of the recommended dosage of the ingredient. Melaton is usually used to help regulate the sleep cycle but in a warning letter issued late last week, the FDA calls attention to the product's use of melatonin, a neurohormone that has not been approved as a food additive.

Among other violations the letter describes, it states that the product is described on the Lazy Cakes website as having "the same ingredients your mother uses to make brownies." I guess that depends on who your mother is.

The FDA has threatened to seize the brownies, sold at convenience stores, unless corrections are made to the way they are marketed. The agency says Lazy Larry needs to be described as a dietary supplement, not a conventional food item.

"The sweet, chocolaty taste may encourage consumers to eat well over a recommended quantity of melatonin,"

Sen. Dick Durbin (R-Ill.) said in a written statement in May that mentions Lazy Larry (under its original name, Lazy Cakes) and similar products, Kush Cakes and Lulla Pies.

"Consumers eating these baked goods may not recognize they are consuming a neurohormone, that they should consult a doctor before eating it and that it may not be appropriate for children, people with auto-immune diseases, or women who are pregnant or breast-feeding."

Michael W. Roosevelt, acting director of the FDA's Office of Compliance, wrote in the missive.

Roosevelt also states in his letter that Lazy Larry products are sold alongside other snack foods and have the appearance and packaging consistent with other brownies not considered supplements.

"We are taking immediate steps to address the concerns expressed in the letter, all of which stem from the way the product is packaged, labeled and marketed,"

Terry Harris, CEO of HBB, told Main Street.

It is unclear whether melatonin actually poses any health risks, according to experts. There is currently no recommended dose for melatonin supplements, but according to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, the typical dose should be between 0.3 and 5 mg. Each Lazy Larry and his friends contain roughly 8 mg of melatonin -- almost double the upper limit of a typical dose.

Care for a "lazy" brownie? Experts say, better check with your doctor first.

Video Gaming Might Actually Be Rewiring Your Brain!

Before you start another game of Halo or Madden, you may want to read this....

The study, originally published in the Public Library of Science's One journal, used two groups of college-age subjects: 18 'addicted' individuals and 18 'healthy' individuals as a control group. Everyone in the study was put through an MRI machine which scanned two parts of their brains.

The result? Here's what Scientific America had to say:

The researchers discovered several small regions in online addicts' brains shrunk, in some cases as much as a 10 to 20 percent. The affected regions included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area and parts of the cerebellum.

What's more, the longer the addiction's duration, the more pronounced the tissue reduction. The study's authors suggest this shrinkage could lead to negative effects, such as reduced inhibition of inappropriate behavior and diminished goal orientation.

While some researchers believe it's just the brain naturally pruning neural networks to make the most stimulated areas function more efficiently, other scientists believe that such shrinkage of white and grey brain matter can have an effect on decision making.

How To Prepare For A Natural Disaster: Survival Tips

With the Earth having all these tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunami's going on we figured we would prepare our readers with some easy to do survival preparation tips.



After a major disaster the usual services we take for granted, such as running water, refrigeration, and telephones, may be unavailable. Experts recommend that you should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days. Store your household disaster kit in an easily accessible location. Put contents in a large, watertight container (e.g. a large plastic garbage can with a lid and wheels) that you can move easily.



Your basic emergency kit should include:

• Water – one gallon per person per day
• Food – ready to eat or requiring minimal water
• Manual can opener and other cooking supplies
• Plates, utensils and other feeding supplies
• First Aid kit & instructions
• Zip plastic waterproof bags for documents & phone numbers
  
  
• Warm clothes and rain gear for each family member.
• Heavy work gloves
• Unscented liquid household bleach and an eyedropper for water purification
• Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap
• Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows
• Tools such as a crowbar, hammer & nails, staple gun, adjustable wrench and bungee cords.
• Blanket or sleeping bag
• Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation
• Any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget water and supplies for your pets.

A main component of your disaster kit is your Go-bag. Put the following items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly. Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag. You may not be at home when an emergency strikes so keep some additional supplies in your car and at work, considering what you would need for your immediate safety.

• Flashlight
• Radio – battery operated
• Batteries
• Whistle
• Dust mask
• Pocket knife
• Emergency cash in small denominations and quarters for phone calls
• Sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, and a warm hat
• Some water and food
• Local map
• Permanent marker, paper and tape
• Photos of family members and pets for re-identification purposes
• List of emergency point-of -contact phone numbers
• List of allergies to any drug (especially antibiotics) or food
• Copy of health insurance and identification cards
• Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid or other vital personal items
• Prescription medications and first aid supplies
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Extra keys to your house and vehicle
• Any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget to make a Go-bag for your pets.

RELATED LINKS:

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Worst Tornado In 37 Years Hits The U.S.

Haiti Earthquake 1 Year Later: Where Has All the Money Gone?

Aftermath: 8.9M Earthquake/ Tsunami Hits Japan!

Chile's 8.8 Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami 2010

Police Raid Los Angeles Marijuana Shops on NATIONAL POT DAY!

What a buzz kill huh? Even though today is supposed to be a celebration for pot heads everywhere, that didn't stop police from ruining the party and raiding pot shops in L.A. today.

The government agency, the California Medical Board, raided two L.A. marijuana dispensaries and issued a search warrant for an alleged criminal narcotics investigation.

Pornstar Dies From Breast Botch Surgery!

Another plastic surgery horror story.

A German porn star -- who appeared on the German edition of "Big Brother" --died yesterday due to complications from a breast enhancement surgery gone terribly wrong.
Gorgeous, 23-year-old "Sexy Cora" was reportedly trying to enhance her bra size from an F to a G cup ... when she fell into a coma during the operation and died 9 days later.


According to published reports, the two doctors who performed the surgery have been charged with negligent manslaughter.
Cora's husband told a German newspaper,

'"The brain damage was too great. Her blood pressure dropped steadily, physiological functions gave out ... then she went to sleep quietly."

Did The BP Oil Spill Cause 100's of Thousands of Fish And Birds To Drop Dead On NYE? We Investigate...

As previously reported, officials are investigating what caused thousands of birds to fall out of the sky on New Year's Eve, while about 100 miles away thousands of fish were found dead in the Arkansas River.

On New Year's Eve night, thousands of blackbirds literally fell out of the sky, dead. Officials dressed in full HazMat gear cleaned up the mess, which caused locals to question whether the area is safe.

Officials said that the birds were killed from blunt force trauma from some event.




About 100 miles away as many as 100,000 fish were found dead floating in a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River.

Officials believe the fish were somehow poisoned because only one species was found dead.

They are saying that there is no danger to any humans in the area.

Officials said the birds usually don't fly at night, but on New Year's Eve there were some fireworks in the area. They believe the birds got spooked left their roosts and were struck by something, possible a wind gust or lightning.

But should we be worrying?

That depends on each person.

It gets weirder...

The nation of Saudi Arabia has reportedly placed a vulture under arrest on the grounds that the bird could be an Israeli spy.

Are these dead birds and fish linked to the BP Oil Spill??


Birds are the single most populous species on earth. There are literally billions of them inhabiting every inch of our world. Because of this, scientists call them an indicator species.

“Birds are excellent indicators because we know so much about their biology and life histories. Birds are found almost everywhere in the world and in almost every habitat. They eat a variety of foods and have a broad range of niche requirements,”

according to Dr. Roger Lederer, who is a retired professor of Biological Sciences at CSU, and has been studying birds for more than 40 years.

Since birds are fairly high up on the food chain, changes in the environment are rapidly reflected in birds.

The recent sudden death of 5,000 blackbirds in Beebe, Arkansas, and more than 500 dead birds of the same species a few days later in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, plus additional bird deaths in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, raise questions about what the areas have in common and why all the birds suddenly died within days of each other.

Beebe, Arkansas and Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana are just 381 miles apart; a virtual stone’s throw for most birds. A map of the Southeastern United States shows that you can draw almost a straight line between the two towns. If you add the Kentucky location, another 781 miles away, the line only takes only a slight turn to the Northeast.

Geographically, the areas have variations topography and temperature, but all are considered temperate with seasonal changes, and ample variations in habitat for bird life to thrive. What they also have is common is weather influence from the Gulf of Mexico. Many storms that originate in the Gulf make their way inland, as far north as New York on occasion.

While some may consider it an unfounded speculation, one must consider the long term effects of the massive about of chemicals used in the Gulf oil spill as a possible cause for the bird deaths. Enough time has elapsed since the April 20, 2010 disaster to allow the chemicals to work their way through the environment.

During the height of the oil spill disaster, nearly 2 million gallons of Corexit was poured into the Gulf of Mexico. Corexit goes through a molecular change when it comes into contact with warm water; it changes from a liquid to a gas and evaporates into clouds. Corexit is toxic at only 2.61 PPM.

“Corexit is one of the most environmentally enduring, toxic chemical dispersants ever created to battle an oil spill.”

Furthermore,

“A report prepared for President Medvedev by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources warned that the BP oil spill would be the worst environmental catastrophe in all of human history, threatening the entire eastern half of the North American continent.”

The Russian study warned of years of toxic oil rain, resulting in profound changes in the ecosystem.

...Wondering if whatever caused these Birds and Fish to die will eventually KILL US?

What do you think really happened here?

Are Naked Pics Being Stored of Airport Passengers?

Posted By : YBM

It has become a hot topic, body scanners now being used at the airports as a safety precaution of possible terrorist threats. Protest and other means have been planned to show individuals are against what they feel is this invasion of privacy. Others argue that flying is a privilege and "If you don't like the rules don't fly". Well, a new issue has come up now and I wonder what type of reaction it will get when the general public learns that "naked pics" of you may be stored on file?

After news hit that U.S. Marshals operating a body scanner machine in a courthouse had stored 35,000 images despite the fact that the machines were supposed to be incapable of saving them Gizmodo made a Freedom of Information Act request and received 100 of the shots.
The images, which arrived with identifying features already removed, depict the millimeter wave technique. This is considered to be the "less embarrassing" body scan, since, as you can see, it doesn't depict the body with much clarity. But Gizmodo's writer Joel Johnson makes a point of saying that the higher-fidelity x-ray backscatter systems, the "naked scanners," are also in use, and may very well have the same image retention capabilities. "That we can see these images today almost guarantees that others will be seeing similar images in the future," Writes Johnson, "If you're lucky, it might even be a picture of you or your family."

Passengers that opt to not submit to a body scanning will have to undergo a physical pat down and that is causing controversy as well. Many feel violated by being touched in private areas during this search by the same sex. It has already been reported at least one passenger threaten to call the police if touched in such a pat down. Where is the line between safety and privacy? I think we are soon about to find out just how far our government will go to keep us "safe".

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New Report Says Cancer Is A Man-Made Disease

Check out this new report...

Cancer is a modern, man-made disease caused by environmental factors such as pollution and diet, a study by University of Manchester scientists has strongly suggested.

The study of remains and literature from ancient Egypt and Greece and earlier periods – carried out at Manchester’s KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology and published in Nature – includes the first histological diagnosis of cancer in an Egyptian mummy.

Finding only one case of the disease in the investigation of hundreds of Egyptian mummies, with few references to cancer in literary evidence, proves that cancer was extremely rare in antiquity. The disease rate has risen massively since the Industrial Revolution, in particular childhood cancer – proving that the rise is not simply due to people living longer.

Professor Rosalie David, at the Faculty of Life Sciences, said:

“In industrialised societies, cancer is second only to cardiovascular disease as a cause of death. But in ancient times, it was extremely rare. There is nothing in the natural environment that can cause cancer. So it has to be a man-made disease, down to pollution and changes to our diet and lifestyle.”

She added:

"The important thing about our study is that it gives a historical perspective to this disease. We can make very clear statements on the cancer rates in societies because we have a full overview. We have looked at millennia, not one hundred years, and have masses of data.”

The data includes the first ever histological diagnosis of cancer in an Egyptian mummy by Professor Michael Zimmerman, a visiting Professor at the KNH Centre, who is based at the Villanova University in the US. He diagnosed rectal cancer in an unnamed mummy, an ‘ordinary’ person who had lived in the Dakhleh Oasis during the Ptolemaic period (200-400 CE).

Professor Zimmerman said: “In an ancient society lacking surgical intervention, evidence of cancer should remain in all cases. The virtual absence of malignancies in mummies must be interpreted as indicating their rarity in antiquity, indicating that cancer causing factors are limited to societies affected by modern industrialization”.

The team studied both mummified remains and literary evidence for ancient Egypt but only literary evidence for ancient Greece as there are no remains for this period, as well as medical studies of human and animal remains from earlier periods, going back to the age of the dinosaurs.

Evidence of cancer in animal fossils, non-human primates and early humans is scarce – a few dozen, mostly disputed, examples in animal fossils, although a metastatic cancer of unknown primary origin has been reported in an Edmontosaurus fossil while another study lists a number of possible neoplasms in fossil remains. Various malignancies have been reported in non-human primates but do not include many of the cancers most commonly identified in modern adult humans.

It has been suggested that the short life span of individuals in antiquity precluded the development of cancer. Although this statistical construct is true, individuals in ancient Egypt and Greece did live long enough to develop such diseases as atherosclerosis, Paget's disease of bone, and osteoporosis, and, in modern populations, bone tumours primarily affect the young.

Another explanation for the lack of tumours in ancient remains is that tumours might not be well preserved. Dr. Zimmerman has performed experimental studies indicating that mummification preserves the features of malignancy and that tumours should actually be better preserved than normal tissues. In spite of this finding, hundreds of mummies from all areas of the world have been examined and there are still only two publications showing microscopic confirmation of cancer. Radiological surveys of mummies from the Cairo Museum and museums in Europe have also failed to reveal evidence of cancer.

As the team moved through the ages, it was not until the 17th century that they found descriptions of operations for breast and other cancers and the first reports in scientific literature of distinctive tumours have only occurred in the past 200 years, such as scrotal cancer in chimney sweeps in 1775, nasal cancer in snuff users in 1761 and Hodgkin’s disease in 1832.

Professor David – who was invited to present her paper to UK Cancer Czar Professor Mike Richards and other oncologists at this year’s UK Association of Cancer Registries and National Cancer Intelligence Network conference – said: “Where there are cases of cancer in ancient Egyptian remains, we are not sure what caused them. They did heat their homes with fires, which gave off smoke, and temples burned incense, but sometimes illnesses are just thrown up.”

She added: “The ancient Egyptian data offers both physical and literary evidence, giving a unique opportunity to look at the diseases they had and the treatments they tried. They were the fathers of pharmacology so some treatments did work

“They were very inventive and some treatments thought of as magical were genuine therapeutic remedies. For example, celery was used to treat rheumatism back then and is being investigated today. Their surgery and the binding of fractures were excellent because they knew their anatomy: there was no taboo on working with human bodies because of mummification. They were very hands on and it gave them a different mindset to working with bodies than the Greeks, who had to come to Alexandria to study medicine.”

She concluded:

“Yet again extensive ancient Egyptian data, along with other data from across the millennia, has given modern society a clear message – cancer is man-made and something that we can and should address.”

Fisher Price Recall: 10 Million Toys! Take a look.....

Fisher Price Recall Tricycle Models and Number 2010 – On the height of Similac Formula Recall 2010, another big recall gave a full blast in the internet today that may affect the safety of your kids. Apparently, the Fisher-Price, Inc, with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health is now recalling a series of products that includes:

About 7 Million Fisher Price Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricycles

About 100,000 Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand ‘n Play Rampway toys

About 950,000 Healthy Care, Easy Clean and Close to Me High Chairs




About 2.8 million Infant Toys with Inflatable Balls, including the Baby Playzone Crawl & Cruise Playground, Baby Playzone Crawl & Slide Arcade, Baby Gymtastics Play Wall, Ocean Wonders Kick & Crawl Aquarium, 1-2-3 Tetherball, Bat & Score Goal.

Size 10 & 12 Plus Sized??? One Of Your Favorite Places To Shop Thinks So!! [GET THE 411]

AS FEATURED ON LADY T'S RADIO SHOW:

Do you think size 10 or 12 is PLUS SIZE??? Forever 21 seems to think so.

1st let me start by saying that the AVERAGE AMERICAN WOMAN IS A SIZE 14!


Forever 21 has a section for their "plus sized" clothing and it starts at 12 (on the website) or even size 10 in certain stores. Meaning that if your in Forever 21 and you wear a size 10 or 12 you better haul over to their "plus sized" section.

I know we love their clothes and a lot of 12-year-old girls shop at Forever 21 and they fit into a size-4 like butter. But grown women also shop there. For that reason, I'm thinking labeling anything over a size 10 “plus-size” and sticking it in a tiny section of the store is a terrible idea. Because it’s not plus size; it’s normal. The average American woman is 162 lbs and a size 14.

On the one hand, it’s great that Forever 21 has Faith 21, their line of “plus-size” clothes, it caters to everyone. But on the other hand, why the hell would a retailer want to alienate millions of average American women by saying “you’re too big to shop the majority of our clothes”?

What do YOU think??

World Water Day- Find Out How YOU Can Save Water In Your Own Home!

March 22nd marked World Water Day. The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. This is a time to create awareness to others about conserving and keeping our water clean!


WHAT CAN YOU DO?


There are many effective ways to conserve water in and around your home. Look through this list for ways that will work for you. Many of these tips were gleaned from materials published by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). Indoor savings are based on a family of two adults and one child.

In the Bathroom

1. Put a plastic bottle or a plastic bag weighted with pebbles and filled with water in your toilet tank. Displacing water in this manner allows you to use less water with each flush. Saves 5 to 10 gallons a day. That's up to 300 gallons a month, even more for large families. Better yet, for even greater savings, replace your water-guzzling five to seven gallon a flush toilet with a one and a half gallon, ultra-low flush model.

2. If you're taking a shower, don't waste cold water while waiting for hot water to reach the shower head. Catch that water in a container to use on your outside plants or to flush your toilet. Saves 200 to 300 gallons a month.

3. Check toilet for leaks. Put dye tablets or food coloring into the tank. If color appears in the bowl without flushing, there's a leak that should be repaired. Saves 400 gallons a month.


4. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Saves three gallons each day.

5. Turn off the water while shaving. Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of water to rinse your razor. Saves three gallons each day.

In the Kitchen

1. If you wash dishes by hand--and that's the best way--don't leave the water running for rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run. Saves 200 to 500 gallons a month.

2. When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible. This minimizes rinse water needed. Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.


3. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. This beats the wasteful habit of running tap water to cool it for drinking. Saves 200 to 300 gallons a month.

4. Don't defrost frozen foods with running water. Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave. Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.

5. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a filled sink or pan. Saves 150 to 250 gallons a month.

6. Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage more (even better--compost!). Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.

Outside

1. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slows down evaporation. Saves 750 to 1,500 gallons a month.

2. If you have a pool, use a pool cover to cut down on evaporation. It will also keep your pool cleaner and reduce the need to add chemicals. Saves 1,000 gallons a month.

3. Water during the cool parts of the day. Early morning is better than dusk since it helps prevent the growth of fungus. Saves 300 gallons.


4. Don't water the lawn on windy days. There's too much evaporation. Can waste up to 300 gallons in one watering.

5. Cut down watering on cool and overcast days and don't water in the rain. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers. Can save up to 300 gallons each time.

6. Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass means less evaporation. Saves 500 to 1,500 gallons each month.

7. Have an evaporative air conditioner? Direct the water drain line to a flower bed, tree base, or lawn.

8. Drive your car onto a lawn to wash it. Rinse water can help water the grass.

9. Tell your children not to play with the garden hose. Saves 10 gallons a minute.

10. If you allow your children to play in the sprinklers, make sure it's only when you're watering the yard--if it's not too cool at that time of day.

11. Xeriscape--replace your lawn and high-water-using trees and plants with less thirsty ones. But do this only in wet years. Even drought resistant plantings take extra water to get them going. That'll save 750 to 1,500 gallons a month.

12. When taking your car to a car wash--a good idea for saving water--be sure it's one of the many that recycles its wash water.

13. Dispose of hazardous materials properly! One quart of oil can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water, effectively eliminating that much water from our water supply. Contact your city or county for proper waste disposal options. And don't flush prescription medications!

While Shopping

(Information below from Last Oasis, by Sandra Postel, and
California Water Facts, by the Water Education Foundation)


Water is an essential ingredient in most manufacturing operations. Especially for those 1 billion of us in the high-consumption class, cutting down on our purchases of material things--from clothes and shoes to paper and appliances--conserves and protects water supplies as effectively as installing a low-flush toilet does. As with so many natural resources, as long as prices in the marketplace fail to reflect full social and ecological costs, voluntary changes in consumption patterns will play an important role in the quest for sustainability.

*We rarely think about water when we see an automobile, for example, but producing a typical U.S. car requires more than 50 times its weight in water (39,090 gallons)! Choosing a fuel-efficient model will help--it takes 44 gallons of water to refine one gallon of crude oil and 1,700 gallons of water to produce a gallon of ethanol.

*A kilogram (2.2 lbs) of hamburger or steak produced by a typical California beef cattle operation, for instance, uses some 20,500 liters (5,400 gal.) of water.

*Producing 1 lb of bread requires 500 gallons of water.

*Producing 1 serving (8 oz.) of chicken requires 330 gallons of water.

*Growing one cotton T-shirt requires 256 gallons of water (source: The King of California, by Arax and Wartzman)

*Producing 1 egg requires over 100 gallons of water.

*Producing 1 serving (8 fl. oz.) of milk requires 48 gallons of water.

*Producing 1 serving (2 oz.) of pasta requires 36 gallons of water.

*Producing 1 serving (4.6 oz.) of oranges requires 14 gallons of water.

*Producing 1 serving (4.3 oz.) of tomatoes requires 8 gallons of water.

*Producing a typical American Thanksgiving dinner for six people requires over 30,000 gallons of water.