KANGEN = MiracleWater 

 

Check it out!

 

One Billion Holiday Wishes

Washington, D.C.----The holidays are a time for putting others before ourselves. And with the recent news that the world's population has surpassed 7 billion, there are a lot more "others" to consider this year. Nearly 1 billion people in the world are hungry, for example, while almost the same number are illiterate, making it hard for them to earn a living or move out of poverty. And 1 billion people----many of them children----have micronutrient deficiencies, decreasing their ability to learn and to live productive lives.

 

"As our global community continues to grow, so does the need to consider----and act on----the challenges we all face," says Robert Engelman, President of the Worldwatch Institute. "Far too many women, children and men are living with less than they need and deserve."

 

Fortunately, there are thousands of organizations working tirelessly in communities at home and abroad to fix these problems.

 

One Billion Hungry

 

"Although the number of undernourished people worldwide has decreased since 2009, nearly 1 billion people go to bed hungry each night, a number that is unacceptably high," according to Danielle Nierenberg, director of Worldwatch's Nourishing the Planet project (www.NourishingthePlanet.org). Malnutrition contributes to the death of 500 million children under the age of five every year, and in Africa, a child dies every six seconds from hunger.

 

But more and more organizations, such as the United Nations' World Food Programme, are using homegrown school feeding (HGSF) initiatives to alleviate hunger and poverty. HGSF programs in Brazil, India, Thailand, Kenya, and elsewhere work to connect local producers with schools, helping to provide children with nutritious and fresh food while providing farmers with a stable source of income.

 

One Billion Tons of Food Wasted

 

Roughly 1.3 billion tons of food----a third of the total food produced for human consumption----is lost or wasted each year. Within the United States, food retailers, food services, and households waste approximately 40 million tons of food each year----about the same amount needed to feed the estimated 1 billion hungry people worldwide.

 

Organizations around the world are working to educate people on the importance of conserving food. In New York City, City Harvest collects surplus food from food providers and distributes it to more than 600 shelters and other agencies. And in West Africa, farmers are using the power of the sun to dehydrate fruits such as mangos and bananas. Experts estimate that, with nearly all of their moisture removed, the fruits' nutrients are retained for up to six months, allowing farmers to save the 100,000 tons of mangos that go to waste each year.

 

One Billion Micronutrient Deficient

 

Nearly 1 billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, including a lack of vitamin A, iron, and iodine. Each year, between 250 million and 500 million children with vitamin A deficiencies become blind, and half of these children die within 12 months of losing their sight.

 

These problems could be alleviated by improving access to nutritious foods. In sub-Saharan Africa, AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center works to expand vegetable farming across the region, boosting access to nutrient-rich crops. And Uganda's Developing Innovations in School Cultivation (Project DISC) educates youth about the importance of agriculture and nutritious diets. Students learn about vegetables and fruits indigenous to their communities, as well as how to process and prepare these foods for consumption. "If a person doesn't know how to cook or prepare food, they don't know how to eat," says Project DISC co-founder Edward Mukiibi.

 

One Billion Overweight

 

Lack of access to healthy food doesn't result only in hunger. More than 1 billion people around the world are overweight, and nearly half of this population is obese. Nearly 43 million children under the age of five were considered overweight in 2010. Surging international rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis are being attributed to unhealthy diets, and 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of overweight or obesity.

 

The UN's Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter, has urged countries around the world to make firm commitments to improving their food systems. In Mexico, where 19 million people are food insecure yet 70 percent of the country is overweight or obese, De Schutter has called for a "state of emergency" to tackle the problem. He attributes the hunger-obesity combination to the country's focus on individual crops and export-led agriculture, and argues that a change to agricultural policies could tackle these two problems simultaneously.

 

Nearly One Billion Illiterate

 

Over three-quarters of a billion people worldwide----793 million adults----are illiterate. Although the number of people unable to read has decreased from 1 billion in 1990, illiteracy continues to prevent millions of people from moving out of poverty. For farmers in particular, being illiterate can limit access to information such as market prices, weather predictions, and trainings to improve their production.

 

New communications technologies are providing part of the solution. A team of researchers known as Scientific Animations Without Borders is helping illiterate farmers around the world learn how to create natural pesticides or prevent crop damage using solar treatments, by producing short animated videos accessible on mobile phones. In India, farmers can receive daily updates via text or voicemail on weather and crop prices through subscription services set up by major telephone companies. Kheti, a system operated by the U.K.'s Sheffield Hallam University, even allows farmers to take pictures of problems they are having with their crops and to send them in for advice. With more than 4.6 billion mobile phone subscriptions globally, projects such as these have the potential to reach and improve the lives of many around the world.

 

As we gather together this holiday season to reflect on the things most important to us, let us also take the time to remember the billions of others who share our planet. Too many of the world's neediest people will start the new year without sufficient food, nutrition, or education. But by acknowledging and supporting those organizations around the world that are finding ways to nourish both people and the planet, we can all make a difference.

An Opinion On The Withdrawal Of U.S. Troops From Iraq By A Decorated Commander Who Fought There

Midway, GA, December 14, 2011
–The latest news from The White House that all troops will be pulled out of Iraq by the end of December 2011 makes understanding the history of events occurring in Iraq that brought us to this point seem more relevant than ever. Awakening Victory: How Iraqi Tribes and American Troops Reclaimed al Anbar Province and Defeated al Qaeda in Iraq (Casemate Publishing) by Lt. Col. Michael E. Silverman (ret), provides exactly that.

This book, that debuts next week, is a true account of how the partnership between Iraqi tribes and American troops reclaimed al Anbar and defeated al Qaeda in Iraq. Michael Silverman was Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment and he was right in the middle of the fight. His battalion contributed a great deal to the war in Iraq and was the only one to participate in the campaign to reclaim al Anbar Province from start to finish. Silverman offers an expert perspective on the surge in Iraq and the role of Iraqis in securing their country.

Awakening Victory reveals actions and incidents that were not released to the public before now and tells of this battalion’s actions in taking the war from one of bombs and bullets to one of partnership and ideas. Silverman’s book shows the contrast between why we were so successful in Iraq versus the failed campaign in Afghanistan, where this Administration’s heavy-handed approach to the Taliban ruined our relationship with Pakistan. 

Silverman explains how many senior U.S. officials thought we had lost the war in Iraq back in 2006 after being told by Marine Corps Intelligence that al Anbar Province, the seat of the raging Sunni insurgency, was lost to insurgents. Things looked very grim – with over 100 attacks a day against U.S. military and Iraqi forces in al Anbar that led to al Qaeda planting their flag in the provincial capital of Ramadi and declaring it the new ‘Islamic State of Iraq.’

Silverman’s battalion played a huge part in the ‘surge’ in Ramadi in early 2007 in a campaign that is hailed as the D-Day of the global war on terror, and was hugely successful in clearing out al Qaeda and replacing them with locally raised and trained Iraqi police. This reduced the attacks within Ramadi from twenty a day to one or two a week within just a couple of months, and a 90 percent reduction from the previous year in attacks in the entire province.

Michael Silverman was involved throughout the entire Iraqi insurgency. His book shows a deep insight not found in most Americans’ perceptions of the war, and offers a fresh perspective of the ‘surge’ and the role of Iraqis in securing their country. Being on the front lines, his book expertly describes the exact turning point where the U.S. turned a supposedly failed war into a possibly enduring success.  

Lt. Col. Michael E. Silverman, a 25 year veteran with the United States Army, is the recipient of numerous awards, medals and commendations. Retired in 2008, he spends his time writing about the war on terror and serving as a consultant to the U.S. Army on counterinsurgency. He is well-versed in international affairs and world religions and writes with the authority of someone who has both been blown-up by an IED and assisted in shaping U.S. strategic policy for the global war on terror.

Please visit
www.michaelesilverman.com or www.longwaranalysis.com for more information on this extremely knowledgeable writer.

____________________________________________
Reducing Food Waste During the Holiday Season

 10 simple steps we all can take to help make this season  less wasteful and more plentiful 

The holiday season is a time for gifts, decorations, and lots and lots of food. As a result, it's also a time of spectacular amounts of waste. In the United States, we generate an extra 5 million tons of household waste each year between Thanksgiving and New Year's, including three times as much food waste as at other times of the year. When our total food waste adds up to 34 million tons each year, that equals a lot of food. With the holidays now upon us, the Worldwatch Institute offers 10 simple steps we all can take to help make this season less wasteful and more plentiful.

 

"Family, community, love and gratitude are all unlimited resources," says Worldwatch President Robert Engelman. "Unfortunately, food and the energy, water and other natural resources that go into producing food are not. The logical strategy is to let ourselves go in enjoying the unlimited conviviality and communion of the holidays, but to avoid wasting the limited resources. Even simple shifts toward sustainability----and reducing food waste is an easy one----can have major impacts when multiplied by millions of people." 

 

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption----approximately 1.3 billion tons----is lost or wasted each year. Consumers in developed countries such as the United States are responsible for 222 million tons of this waste, or nearly the same quantity of food as is produced in all of sub-Saharan Africa.

 

"With nearly a billion people going hungry in the world, including 17.2 million households within the United States, reducing the amount of food being wasted is incredibly important," says Danielle Nierenberg, director of Worldwatch's Nourishing the Planet project. "We need to start focusing on diverting food from going into our trashcans and landfills and instead getting it into the hands of those who need it most."

 

The Nourishing the Planet (www.NourishingthePlanet.org) team recently traveled to 25 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, and soon will be traveling to Latin America, shining a spotlight on communities that serve as models for a more sustainable future. The project is unearthing innovations in agriculture that can help alleviate hunger and poverty while also protecting the environment. These innovations are elaborated in Worldwatch's annual flagship report, State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet.

 

As Americans prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, here are 10 tips to help reduce the amount of food we waste:

 

Before the meal: Plan your menu and exactly how much food you'll need.

 

1. Be realistic: The fear of not providing enough to eat often causes hosts to cook too much. Instead, plan out how much food you and your guests will realistically need, and stock up accordingly. The Love Food Hate Waste organization, which focuses on sharing convenient tips for reducing food waste, provides a handy "Perfect portions" planner to calculate meal sizes for parties as well as everyday meals.

 

2. Plan ahead: Create a shopping list before heading to the farmers' market or grocery store. Sticking to this list will reduce the risk of impulse buys or buying unnecessary quantities, particularly since stores typically use holiday sales to entice buyers into spending more.

 

During the meal: Control the amount on your plate to reduce the amount in the garbage.

 

3. Go small: The season of indulgence often promotes plates piled high with more food than can be eaten. Simple tricks of using smaller serving utensils or plates can encourage smaller portions, reducing the amount left on plates. Guests can always take second (or third!) servings if still hungry, and it is much easier (and hygienic) to use leftovers from serving platters for future meals.

 

4. Encourage self-serve: Allow guests to serve themselves, choosing what, and how much, they would like to eat. This helps to make meals feel more familiar and also reduces the amount of unwanted food left on guests' plates.

 

After the meal: Make the most out of leftovers.

 

5. Store leftovers safely: Properly storing our leftovers will preserve them safely for future meals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that hot foods be left out for no more than two hours. Store leftovers in smaller, individually sized containers, making them more convenient to grab for a quick meal rather than being passed over and eventually wasted.

 

6. Compost food scraps: Instead of throwing out the vegetable peels, eggshells, and other food scraps from making your meal, consider composting them. Individual composting systems can be relatively easy and inexpensive, and provide quality inputs for garden soils. In 2010, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to pass legislation encouraging city-wide composting, and similar broader-scale food composting approaches have been spreading since.

 

7. Create new meals: If composting is not an option for you, check out Love Food Hate Waste's creative recipes to see if your food scraps can be used for new meals. Vegetable scraps and turkey carcasses can be easily boiled down for stock and soups, and bread crusts and ends can be used to make tasty homemade croutons.

 

8. Donate excess: Food banks and shelters gladly welcome donations of canned and dried foods, especially during the holiday season and colder months. The charity group Feeding America partners with over 200 local food banks across the United States, supplying food to more than 37 million people each year. To find a food bank near you, visit the organization's Food Bank Locator.

 

9. Support food-recovery programs: In some cases, food-recovery systems will come to you to collect your excess. In New York City, City Harvest, the world's first food-rescue organization, collects approximately 28 million pounds of food each year that would otherwise go to waste, providing groceries and meals for over 300,000 people.

 

Throughout the holiday season: Consider what you're giving.

 

10. Give gifts with thought: When giving food as a gift, avoid highly perishable items and make an effort to select foods that you know the recipient will enjoy rather than waste. The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit, works with farmers and producers in tropical areas to ensure they are practicing environmentally sustainable and socially just methods. The group's certified chocolates, coffee, and teas are great gifts that have with long shelf-lives, and buying them helps support businesses and individuals across the world.

 

As we sit down this week to give thanks for the people and things around us, we must also recognize those who may not be so fortunate. The food wasted in the United States each year is enough to satisfy the hunger of the approximately 1 billion malnourished people worldwide, according to Tristram Stuart, a food waste expert and contributing author to State of the World 2011. As we prepare for upcoming holiday celebrations, the simple changes we make, such as using food responsibly and donating excess to the hungry, can help make the holiday season more plentiful and hunger-free for all.

Tough financial times call for smarter shopping measures
"8 Tips to Avoid Drowning in Deals"
 For some of us this means going to extremes and cutting up credit cards. For others, it just means clipping coupons and unplugging appliances.

No matter what your money-saving solution, merchants are catching on to these smart shopping tactics. Stores are constantly developing their own methods to make sure we keep buying. Many times, this comes in the form of a sale that looks great on the surface, but actually ends up saving next to nothing.

In fact, recent studies suggest that plenty of shoppers are overwhelmed with the flood of daily deals they receive. With so many special offers flying around, here are eight tips to help you avoid drowning in deals.

1. Unsubscribe from Newsletters
Signing up for email newsletters from favorite merchants will keep you informed about their special offers. However, these mailings are still promotional materials intended to make you spend money. If you find yourself exasperated by the breadth of deals and discounts, try following stores on Facebook and Twitter. You still get access to promotions, but they're not always being waved in your face. Instead, you can access the information only when you want to see it.

2. Set a Time to Review Deals
The urgency to get a bargain before time runs out can be a distraction. When you find yourself getting sidetracked checking each offer as it comes in, set aside a time where you can review them all at once. Sure, you might miss the occasional Groupon, but at the end of the day it's cash that's still in your pocket. Reviewing deals all at the same time lets you think out purchases more clearly, compare offers side by side, and prioritize those that best meet your needs.

3. Technology is Your Friend
Your smartphone is a surprising savings tool. Some apps like GasBuddy can help you track down the lowest gas prices, no matter where you are. The Coupon Sherpa mobile app lets you locate and scan coupons directly from your phone. Using your cell in this way allows you to find special offers specific to your shopping needs.

4. Weigh Credit Card Options
Cashiers frequently encourage you to open a store credit card, promising healthy savings if you do. While there may be a good initial offer or incentive, like a regular discount on all purchases, this is another tactic to keep you spending. It's best to just have one of these cards specifically for expenses like gas and food. You'll have to spend on those needs either way, so you might as well get a discount. At NerdWallet.com, they have a comparison of the top 18 store credit cards to help you make an informed decision.

5. Track Your Deals
Ah, the agony of a missed expiration date for a voucher. It gets in your head and makes you regret dollars down the drain. To avoid getting mixed up and missing deadlines, keep a calendar of when offers expire. This helps you track the good ones and keep an eye on how your spending matches up with your budget. You can even do it digitally at CityPockets.com. They organize all the deals you've already purchased, send you expiration reminders, and even allow you to sell unused deals.

6. Eating Out is a Trap
Restaurants are filled with drink specials and dollar menus to encourage buying. While a double cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's costs just over $2, the nutritional value is low and you'll soon be hungry again. It's surprising how much you can save buying groceries and making meals at home, instead of eating fast food. If your culinary muse has failed to inspire you, AllRecipes.com has plenty of Quick and Easy Recipes to consider.

7. Use Coupon Sites
Despite the sufferings of deal-of-the-day sites, coupon sites continue to grow, making it a good thing for shoppers. Sites like CouponSherpa.com have coupons organized by product category and retailer name, so finding a good discount is easy. The best part is, their services are offered for free; credit card information and personal details aren't required. The savings are there at your leisure with no strings attached.

8. Price Comparisons
Seeing a deal with numbers like 50-percent off can lead to an itchy mouse-clicking finger. Resist the urge to act now and shop around a little instead. Often, similar retailers are aware of their competitors' deals and will offer something comparable. Also, try to shop at stores with low-price guarantees. This way, if you find a better deal after you buy, you can still get reimbursed for the difference.

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. As a nationally recognized media source, Andrea has been featured on Good Morning America, NBC Today Show, FOX & Friends, MSNBC, ShopSmart Magazine, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. To view recent interviews or for more savings tips visit AndreaWoroch.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

25 Things You Don't Know About Me:  Steven Tyler ~ Aerosmith Lead Singer & American Idol Judge

 

  • Steven Tyler, 62, (catch Tyler on American Idol on Fox Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 P.M.) talks to UsMagazine.com.
  • 1. I have swum with dolphins.
  • 2. I've met the president and hugged the first lady.
  • 3. I sang four songs from Abbey Road to Paul McCartney.
  • 4. I danced with the devil on several occasions.
  • 5. I meditated with the Dalai Lama.
  • 6. I love to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef.
  • 7. I used to hunt and trap as a kid.
  • 8. I can live for two months on a good compliment.
  • 9. Love Maya Angelou and Yma Sumac.
  • 10. Hate leeches.
  • 11. I've hugged a koala bear in Australia.
  • 12. I have isms that were was-ems.
  • 13. I love to hang-glide and pick and eat the leaves off the tops of trees.
  • 14. Disney World is my idea of the ideal vacation.
  • 15. I can hold my breath for two minutes underwater.
  • 16. I make my own Dirico motorcycles.
  • 17. I'm married to four guys.
  • 18. My son Taj is a bigger lady killer than I was.
  • 19. I believe the best way to get into a lady's pants is to borrow her jeans.
  • 20. Somehow a wineglass makes my Kangen Water taste better.
  • 21. I had a pet raccoon named Bandit.
  • 22. Eating my words never gave me indigestion.
  • 23. My rock universe has a new center of gravity.
  • 24. I'm a fragrance cognoscente. Love my oils.
  • 25. I've got 25 fewer secrets now.

_______________________________________________________________________                           

 

High Tech Ways to Save at the Supermarket
Stephanie Nelson makes saving money easy with her Strategic Shopping Method and CouponMom.com  website

Have you seen the Coupon Mom, Stephanie Nelson, on the Today Show or Oprah or numerous other shows buying over $100 of groceries for less than $5 at checkout? CouponMom.com, her free website, continues to grow as shoppers learn to use web technology to save up to $6000 a year at the grocery store. CouponMom.com is the largest grocery savings website of its kind with over 2.4 million members, up from 200,000 in early 2008.

Consumers are taking advantage of the recession coupon craze, as over $800 million more dollars were saved with coupons in 2009 than in 2008, according to a Valassis marketing survey. Grocery coupon redemption increased by 27% in 2009 and continues to increase in 2010.

"Consumers are focusing more on planning their trips to the grocery store to save money," said Nelson, "Being able to go to the web to find the best grocery deals at their stores, print coupons, load electronic coupons on their store cards, and even use their cell phone to access their shopping list helps save money without taking a lot of time."

Printable grocery coupons are the fastest-growing source of coupons as busy shoppers seek "on-demand" savings. In 2009, internet distribution of coupons increased by 92% and consumer redemption of these coupons is up over 360%. CouponMom.com members alone printed over $40 million worth of free grocery coupons in 2009. "We will most certainly see an increase in the number of printable coupons available in 2010," said Nelson.

The website helps shoppers save by teaching "Strategic Shopping." CouponMom.com offers free membership and a tutorial, and the "Grocery Deals by State" section makes saving simple by listing the best grocery deals at thousands of supermarkets across the country. These lists combine sale prices with store promotions and coupons, helping any shopper achieve dramatic savings.

Shoppers can even use their cell phone in the store to find grocery deals and have coupons electronically loaded on their store loyalty card. CouponMom.com has a new mobile version to help shoppers create their shopping lists on the go.

Nelson’s new book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, (Published by Avery, a member of Penguin Group, USA), on the New York Times Bestseller List for four weeks is more proof that consumers are hungry for new ways to save. It is a relevant and timely resource for families nationwide.

"Saving money doesn’t have to be complicated," says Nelson. "We outline my Strategic Shopping Method and show consumers how easy it is to save at every type of store, in every department within the grocery store, and for every type of shopper."

Nelson realizes that not everyone who wants to save has the time to clip coupons before they shop. Her book tailors practical advice to different types of shoppers, and enables even the busiest consumers to save up to 30% by shopping strategically.

A new wave of couponing is taking the nation by storm, and Stephanie Nelson knows all the tricks of the trade. To learn more about new couponing trends and for an online tutorials, go to www.couponmom.com.

                  Home  •  About Us  •  Advertise    •  Anthem  •  Archives  •  Art  •  AZ  Echos  •   Auto  •   Books  •  Calendar  •  Carefree •  Cave Creek •  Cartoons & Quotes  •  Church  •  Cool Stuff  •  Contact Us  •  Dining  •  Events  •  Glendale  •   Inn Love  •  Movies  •  Music  •  Links  •  Local•   Notes of News  •  Photo Gallery  •  Weddings  •    Scottsdale  •  Seniors  •  Sports  •  Super Bowl  •  Links  •  Web  

                                   Copyright 2011 Arizona Panoramic Horizons Magazine Online // Hosted by aCrazyCowgirl.com