Friday, March 30, 2007

More pet food recalled

http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/Menu_Foods_03302007_en_US.htm

Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Single Product, Prescription Diet™ m/d™ Feline Dry Food, Only Product Containing Wheat GlutenTopeka, KS (March 30, 2007) - In accordance with its over-riding commitment to pet health and well-being, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is voluntarily recalling Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry food from the market. Hill's is taking this precautionary action because during a two-month period in early 2007, wheat gluten for this product was provided by a company that also supplied wheat gluten to Menu Foods. U.S. Food and Drug Administration tests of wheat gluten samples from this period show the presence of a small amount of melamine. Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry represents less than one half of one percent of all Hill's products.

Dobson vs. Thompson

Let me start this post by saying I like Dr. James Dobson. His books on marriage and raising kids are usually first rate. I remember buying "Parenting Isn't for Cowards" simply because I loved the title.

But Dr. Dobson was wrong, in my opinion, when he first implied that former Senator Fred Thompson wasn't a Christian, and on finding that he was a believer, then said pretty much he wasn't "evangelical" enough for most Christians.

Dobson's recent public remarks seem to show him leaning towards Newt Gingrich, though as far as I know Newt isn't an evangelical Christian either.

I understand that as head of Focus on the Family Dr. Dobson carries a lot of weight with people. And there are those who would say he has the pulse of the "evangelical Christians."

I have to disagree on this. I think Dr. Dobson stepped over a line when he publically suggested that the wrong kind of Christian (i.e., not a James Dobson kind of Christian) would fail to get Christian's votes.

I wish I could vote for someone who totally shared by beliefs. Sadly, no one like that ever seems to be running. So I try to vote for the person who I think will do the best job.

In my opinion, Dr. Dobson owes Fred Thompson a public apology. It would be the Christian thing to do.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Donatella Versace's daughter.

Donatella Versace is a fashion designer. She creates styles that women like me are supposed to want to wear (I say supposed to but I'm not a huge fashion maven - anyone who's seen my wardrobe will testify to this).

Anyway, it turns out that her daughter has been diagnosed is undergoing treatment for anorexia.

It gets my attention because so many fashion models that are used by designers like Versace are little more than skin and bones. I mean, people are talking about having to create sub-zero sizes now! And it is truly unrealistic to expect women to maintain their health and these terribly low weights.

Will the fashion industry take Versace's daughter's condition as a warning?

Monday, March 26, 2007

Writing - week 12

Total words for the week: 6,220

Total words for the year: 84,458

Still working on the novel I started in January. Started a short story last week, but it's longer than I expected so I didn't finish it yet. :-)

Thursday, March 22, 2007

John Edwards, his wife, cancer, and running for President

Today John Edwards announced that his wife Elizabeth's cancer had returned. (You may remember that Mrs. Edwards was diagnosed with cancer around the end of the 2004 presidential election). He also announced that he would continue his run for President.

I'm sure he's going to catch flak for this. He should make his wife the priority, etc. etc.. Some might even see his decision as cold.

I probably won't vote for Edwards. But I don't think he's a monster for continuing what he is doing.

What is he supposed to do? Bring his life to a screeching halt? I get the impression his wife doesn't want him to do that. She wants him to continue his avocation. And she will support him as much as he is able.

He stated that he will be with her when he needs to be. It seems to me he will put her before the campaign. That is right. But it doesn't mean he must abandon it entirely.

John Edwards will probably get criticized by me at some point. But not for this.

My prayers are with the Edwards family.

And you thought the interstate was dangerous!

Man gets run over while in bed

Monday, March 19, 2007

Catchup on the writing status...

It's been a while, but I've been really tired and trying to catch up on my sleep.

Anyway, while in Oregon I did write 30, 547 words. That was 2 short stories and a lot done on my current novel. All in all a successful time.

This past week I wrote only 2,425 words. But I was tired, in and out of town, and college kid came home for Spring Break, so it's understandable. I did make a massive push to get stuff out in the mail.

This week I need to get some more queries out on my novels and try to get caught up on paperwork.

And the blog. I promise.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Monday, March 12, 2007

Back in town...

Was out in Oregon from the third until today for a writers retreat. At the moment I'm exhausted, tired, jet-lagged, whatever you want to call it.

Will spend the next day or two catching up on the home front, including this blog.