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If they want to get out in front of the debate, farmers should know that not only is jostling over the next farm bill beginning early, so is the building of coalitions that hope to influence the legislation's direction.
Proof of this came during a May Environmental Working Group (EWG) press conference — with representatives of the Center for Rural Affairs and, somewhat oddly, the libertarian Cato Institute in tow — to announce an update of its controversial farm subsidy database.
Updated database
The EWG database now contains traditional crop subsidy and crop insurance information from 2009.
"The upshot is that taxpayers have sent $245 billion in payments to participants in subsidy and crop insurance programs … between 1995 and 2009," said Craig Cox, head of agricultural programs for EWG. "Of that total, $213 billion is for a combination of commodity subsidies, disaster payments and crop insurance subsidies."
The 2009 data "reaffirm the heavily skewed distribution of payments we've come to expect year after year. Over the 15-year period (1995 to 2009), the top 10 percent of recipients got 74 of the subsidies. In 2009 alone, the top 10 percent got 61 percent of the subsidies — about the percentage it's been at for the last few years."
Heaping praise on the EWG database, Sallie James, policy analyst for the Cato Institute, said she "can't think of anything in the last decade, or so, that has changed the terms of the debate as much as the information in the (EWG) databases. … It's fantastic."
James, speaking "from the point of view of a limited government/free market/individual liberty perspective" said that agricultural subsidies "are fiscally irresponsible. That's certainly always true. But, right now, when the federal government is bleeding red ink, there are simply no excuses for these programs to go unreformed. … There's been no excuse for a long time."
Farm subsidies "stifle innovation in entrepreneurship and encourage farmers to farm to the program rather than to what the market says is warranted," continued James. "I can't think of any program in Washington that makes less sense to me than this one. As a libertarian, there are plenty of them that fit that description."
Despite EWG calling for a shift of subsidy funds to conservation efforts — not doing away with government spending — James said "this is a really good area for EWG and the Cato Institute, which may not seem like natural partners, to come together. Those of us in favor of limited government see this as a great area for reform." The subsidy database helps "us with those efforts."
James also said the Tea Party might be welcomed into the mix. The vocal movement "sweeping the nation talks about 'limited government' and 'get the government out of my business.' I would really hope that so-called conservatives and Republican leaders that talk about the need for government to get out of people's lives would agree that (reaches) to farm programs, as well as other areas."
While the jury "is still out on it as a broader phenomenon" James said it may help reform efforts to tell the Tea Party movement "that 'smaller government' means 'smaller government in all areas, not just areas that don't affect (you), personally.'"
While its representatives didn't shoot down James' inclusive leanings during the conference, EWG later released a document skeptical of Tea Party leaders who have accepted agricultural subsidies.
Rural revival?
Picking up on a theme being pushed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Chuck Hassebrook, executive director of the Center for Rural Affairs, said federal farm policy hasn't been effective in revitalizing family farming or rural communities. One reason is "essentially, we have a farm program that says 'the bigger you get without limit, the more money you get from the federal government.'
"As long as that's true, three other things can be true."
First, said Hassebrook, "the program will do at least as much to help the largest farms bid land away from smaller operations and drive their neighbors out of business as it does to keep family-sized farms on the land."
Second, "the federal government says to big, expansion-oriented farms, 'every time you add an acre to get more money from the government it virtually guarantees that … farm program benefits get bid into higher land prices.' At the end of the day, it's really not farm operators who benefit, but landowners. And, increasingly, the landowners are landlords who benefit in the form of higher cash rents."
Third, "when we spend this much money on such perverse purposes as subsidizing the biggest farms to drive their neighbors out of business, we don't have the money left to invest in the things that will create a better future in rural America."
Crop Insurance
Crop insurance is also an EWG target.
"Any small decreases in subsidy payments experienced because of high crop prices have essentially been wiped out by increases in the cost of crop insurance," said Cox. Those "go up when crop prices rise."
Congress has made crop insurance more attractive to producers in a number of ways. "Mostly, that's by making it less expensive for producers to participate in comparison to the benefits they may receive."
The government cost is tied to three things, claimed Cox."First, it's tied to the crop insurance premium paid by taxpayers instead of the farmer. Second, administrative subsidies go directly to crop insurance companies. Third, whatever share of the ultimate crop losses are the responsibility of the taxpayer rather than the crop insurance company."
All three "are largely tied to the price of the underlying commodity, or commodities, being insured. So, the run-up in crop prices has also contributed to the run-up in the cost of the insurance program."
As currently designed, crop insurance "has many of the same flaws as countercyclical programs. … It needs a very hard look. How much risk are taxpayers picking up? What are the implications of that? What sort of incentives does that create? Is this really a level playing field or is the way these insurance programs are structured inordinately subsidizing a handful of crops? Clearly they do — four major commodity crops account for 80 percent of the crop insurance subsidies."
Safety net
Is there any form of agriculture safety net acceptable to EWG?
"EWG has argued for years that there is a need for a safety net to tide farmers through bad times that occur through no fault of their own," said Cox. "We all know that farming is a risky business because of weather and pest problems and the potential for serious crop losses, no matter how good a manager a farmer is. We increasingly know that modern-day markets are much more volatile than they used to be — in large part because we've connected the price of commodities to the price of oil through our biofuels policy."
For those reasons, "we think there's a need for a legitimate risk-management tool that helps farmers through a bad patch. Our current maze of programs couldn't be farther away from what we see as a legitimate safety net. We want a net that doesn't favor one crop over another. We want a net that doesn't favor one type of farming operation — or one scale of operation — over another."
In regards to revenue assurance, "in some ways we're already there. In the crop insurance program, here were more acres under the revenue assurance option than under the yield option."
"Needless to say," said James, "I wouldn't support revenue assurance, either. We've seen through finance what happens when you socialize losses but privatize gains. Farming is a risky business, but so is hedge fund ownership — and I don't support a safety net for them, either."
email: email@example.com


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Do all garments you sew fit perfectly, readers? Pockets are where you wanted them to be, the neckline is not gapping and is high enough, and there is no ugly pulling on the back of your pants?
I have to confess, my early sewing attempts had a rather low success rate. Whatever didn't end up in a UFO bin, was worn once at most. This is when I started this self-imposed couture challenge – I really wanted to wear every project I cut, with dresses that fit, trousers that don't pull, and jackets that have flattering proportions for my figure. Have I achieved it? Yes! With the help of a toile [twal], or trial garment.
What is a toile?
Toile, also known as muslin in the US, is the name for both, firmly-woven cotton fabric, and a trial garment. Susan Khalje, a couture instructor and contributing editor to the Threads magazine describes a toile in her article 'Muslin Refined' as "a fit and design laboratory" and "the essential first test or trial run for any finished couture garment."
"The toile is used to work out the proportions, the shoulders, the lengths, etc," Karl Lagerfeld explains in Episode 1 of my favorite couture documentary Signé Chanel. "If you use the real fabric right away you may not get a good fit. It's risky, so it's better to work from a basic structure or pattern that's discarded when the dress is cut. The toile gives you the proportions and an idea of the finished product, so you can avoid making mistakes."
Why bother making a toile?
-because those commercial patterns were not designed to fit YOUR body. Sizing helps, but you still need to fit them
-because you can afford mistakes in muslin
-because your precious fashion fabric remains intact until you perfected the fit
-because you can finally dare to make more complex projects without having the fear that you would ruin expensive fabric
-because you can experiment with design ideas directly on the muslin
-because it cuts down the sewing time to a minimum
This toile made for Susan Khalje's Little Black Dress Class showed several fitting problems. Photo courtesy of Frabjous Couture.
Believe me, once you have made your first muslin and got the garment you wanted, you will never look back!
The proof is the growing number of home seamstresses using muslins to test-run their sewing projects. Amy, a scientist and a blogger behind Sew Well said she learned about muslins during the creation of her wedding dress, "My dress was made for me back when I had relatively little sewing experience. At first I was uneasy about the muslin process. We were making my dress from an idea I had in my head, and it took many iterations to get to a fabulous dress. Over the whole process I slowly gained an appreciation for muslins."
What fabric to use for a toile?
A toile is usually made from an inexpensive unbleached plain-weave cotton fabric. It is easily available in many stores in the US, but if you have difficulties finding it elsewhere, it can be substituted with old sheets, or plain-weave firmly woven cotton. Just make sure the fabric is on grain, so there won't be any distortion when you cut the pattern. Also, choose the correct weight – your toile fabric should behave and drape like your fashion fabric.
A fashion designer and blogger Magda of MagdaMagda Design Studio suggests using light colors because they are easy to work with. "Also, using a shade close to the one your final garment can be is useful in predicting the visual effect," she said.
Do I need to make a toile every time I make a new garment?
IowaHoodlum, who blogs at Feather Petal Silk said "I would 'muslin' anything I would not be comfortable scrapping all the fashion fabric, but mostly when I makes the pattern for the first time, though. I disassemble the muslins and use them as the pattern and then keep them for future pattern use after the project is finished. If I've changed significantly in size, I can re-sew and refit the muslin the next time I make the project."
I always make a toile when I…
1. Need to match print, plaids, or any other pattern
2. Work with a pattern or style that has complex details
3. Anticipate fitting challenges
4. Want to make changes to proportions, such as length, or placement of pockets
These are just a few suggestions and, in fact, there are some situations when you don't need to make a full muslin. Think of a dress with a fitted bodice and a full skirt. If you are under tight deadline, you could make a partial toile for the bodice only. Or, you want to create a different collar for a blouse – attach a muslin mock up to the bodice.
Making a toile is for advanced seamstresses. – False!
Making a toile does require time and some fitting experience, and if you are a beginner the process may be challenging. However, this is your best learning experience! The good news is that there is a large online sewing community ready to help with fitting or sewing advice. "While participating in the Male Pattern Boldness Men's Shirt Sew-Along, I would post a photo to the Sew-Along Flickr group of a muslin that I thought looked fine, and almost instantaneously I'd get input on various fitting issues that I hadn't even seen due to my inexperience," Amy said. "The kind seamsters would point me in the right direction, say for a square shoulder adjustment, and after I made the corrections to my muslin, I could see a world of difference in the way the garment flattered my husband."
The initial muslin draft. Amy ended up adding a square-shoulder adjustment, narrowing the side seams, and adding a lot of length in the final shirt. Image courtesy of MBP-Amy.
She continues, "As someone relatively new to sewing, I'd suggest to other newbies to take advantage of their sewing community, whether that be local seamsters or the online community (particularly during Sew-Alongs). Other sets of eyes on your muslin, particularly fromthose with more experience, can make a world of difference on a final garment."
Here are some options for getting virtually instant feedback on your fitting and design
-Online forums, such as Patternreview.com and the Stitcher's Guild Sewing Forum
-Sew-Alongs hosted by many sewing blogs
-Couture Classes often incorporate the process of muslin making (check out Patternreview.com for available online options)
Label, store and re-use!
Labeled muslin.
One final word about a toile. A well-fitted toile is invaluable! You can re-use them, adding or removing design elements, making a few subtle changes in case you gained or lost weight.
Here are some of my favorites:
-A toile I made for a pencil skirt half a year ago has been re-used several times,
also for a dress
-My Chanel-inspired jacket toile is now going to be used to cut a red felt coat.
-What about a pair of fitted pants? I can make them in print, in wool, cotton, linen – I can use this pattern over and over again, raising waist, adding pockets…
My final tip is to label the toile with a permanent marker directly on the fabric. Write your name (if you are not the only one who you sew for), date, pattern name and size, add the name of the pattern piece and store it in a clear plastic bag.
Have you had experience working with a toile? What styles do you reuse more often?
Marina von Koenig blogs at Frabjous Couture, documenting the process of learning couture sewing techniques. Visit her blog for a step-by-step tutorial for making a toile.

subset: commoncrawl


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BMS going green with Danica Patrick & St. Patrick's Day
George "Norm" Wendt of Cheers Fame Lending A Hand With Festivities
Bristol Motor Speedway is "Going Green" in a big way with Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick during a special St. Patrick's Day celebration for the Nationwide Series event March 17.
Breaking a long-standing tradition of eschewing green, once a much-maligned hue in the NASCAR garage, the World's Fastest Half-Mile is embracing the color, right along with Patrick who will be driving a special St. Patrick's Day paint scheme in the 300-lapper that day.
Patrick pilots the shamrock covered GoDaddy.com ride for JR Motorsports and makes her second start at BMS. As part of the celebration, fans can purchase a special ticket package for the race which also gives them access to a question and answer session with Patrick at Bristol on the morning of March 17. Fans will also receive a limited edition Danica / St. Patrick's Day event t-shirt, featuring the shamrock-themed No. 7 GoDaddy.com car. In addition, one lucky fan who purchases the package wins two hot passes and the opportunity to view the race from Patrick's pit box.
Beginning today fans may visit a special website, www.DanicaGoesGreenAtBristol.com, which will keep them up to date with all the current news surrounding Patrick, tickets and the St. Patrick's Day celebration at BMS.
"It's going to be a lot of fun racing at Bristol on St. Patrick's Day," Patrick said. "But doing it with the Go Daddy car covered in a shamrock paint scheme makes it truly special. Obviously with my last name, I've always liked St. Patrick's Day. The car design was a collaboration between myself, Go Daddy and JR Motorsports. And we had a lot of fun with it. Who knows? Maybe it will bring us little extra luck during the race."
Go Daddy is the world's largest provider of Web hosting*, domain name registrations and net new SSL Certificates. "If you thought the Go Daddy No. 7 was bright green before, wait until you see our St. Patrick's Day No. 7," said Go Daddy Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Executive Vice President Barb Rechterman. "This is going to be a NASCAR style St. Patrick's Day at Bristol!"
The St. Patrick's Day celebration at BMS will be hosted by George Wendt, known for his 11-year role of the beer-drinking Norm Peterson on the television series Cheers.
A post-race pit party also is on tap in the hospitality area with live music. In addition, the creek that runs through the property at Bristol Motor Speedway will be dyed green for the race and the lights that illuminate the stadium at night all will be green.
BMS general manager Jerry Caldwell believes "Going Green with Danica" is the perfect way to celebrate not just St. Patrick's Day, but also one of the most successful Nationwide races in the sport.
"With the holiday falling on our race weekend, it's a no-brainer that we marry it with one of NASCAR's most popular drivers at one of the series' biggest races," he said. "We have all kinds of fun things happening that day and Danica has certainly embraced it with the special paint scheme and the ticket package for fans, which is pretty cool.
"Like everyone else, we've been going green environmentally for a while, but now we're taking it to another level with our St. Patrick's Day bash. The fans will definitely see plenty of green while they're here - and, as always, they'll have the time of their lives while watching some spectacular racing."
The Patrick ticket package is available for $67 and includes a limited edition t-shirt, a $10 coupon to the JR Nation retail store at JR Motorsports, admittance to the question and answer session and the opportunity to be upgraded with pit passes courtesy of Bristol Motor Speedway. Children's ticket packages also will be available for $37.50 and will include a child's sized t-shirt.
Included in the price of a Nationwide Series race day ticket at BMS also is the K&N Pro Series 125 which will take place after the Nationwide race.
BMS season tickets, which include the Food City 500 (March 18) and IRWIN Tools Night Race (Aug. 25) Sprint Cup races, as well as the Nationwide events and the K&N race, also are on sale. Pricing for all four races begins at just $175 in the Wallace Tower.
A March race weekend package also is available starting at $99 that includes the Food City 500 and the Nationwide/K&N Pro Series East events. A package in the Wallace Tower for both Sprint Cup races also is now available for $99, while packages for fans 15 and younger are available for the March races at half price. Lower row seating for the Food City 500 is available, with tickets starting at $65.
For more info, or to purchase tickets call BMS toll-free at 1.866.415.4158 or purchase online.


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Lawmakers are engaged in a number of actions in preparation for a referendum on the highly controversial Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao District (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市), which is likely to be held in the summer.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) has scheduled a negotiation meeting on Tuesday to discuss an amendment to the Referendum Act (公民投票法), which calls for an amendment to the threshold required for a referendum's proposal to be passed.
The amendment seeks to change rules that require turnout of at least half of the electorate for a national referendum to be valid, with an absolute majority of 51 percent of votes required for a proposal to be approved.
These rules have been criticized by the DPP and a number of civic groups as leading to "bird cage" referendums, meaning that the law's excessively high threshold means that referendums are designed to fail.
Yeh's amendment, supported by the DPP, proposes reducing the turnout requirement, meaning that referendum results would be more likely to be decided by majority voting.
Under Yeh's proposal, for a referendum to pass, the "yes" votes must outnumber the "no" votes and they must account for at least one-fourth of the electorate. A referendum would fail if less than one-fourth of eligible voters vote in favor of the proposal, or if the "no" votes exceed the "yes" votes.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Ling Hung-chih (林鴻池) said his party was willing to discuss the issue with the opposition, but was opposed to reducing current thresholds.
The KMT plans to submit its proposal for a referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant to the legislature this week, which, if approved, would lead to a referendum within six months.
Lin said that a proposal is being drafted by the party's Policy Committee to ask people: "Do you support halting construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant?"
The KMT has said that the proposal will not be submitted under the name of the caucus or caucus whips, apparently in order to avoid the awkwardness that the KMT caucus and the government might face in arguing different cases during referendum debates.
KMT legislative caucus whip Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) on Friday suggested that the proposal be submitted by KMT lawmakers who were of the view that construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant should be halted and it should not become operational.
KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中), the most vocal opponent of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in the party, disagreed with Lai's proposal and said it seemed "odd" that referendum debates could see lawmakers from the ruling party face off against the government.
If the referendum question was to be phrased in such a way as to ask people if they support halting construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, then the referendum proposal should be submitted by either the DPP or by anti-nuclear groups, Ting said.
Meanwhile, DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday said his party will confront the government face-to-face on the issue even though the KMT government is employing a variety of tactics to continue with its nuclear policy by manipulation of the proposed referendum.
Su added that the anti-nuclear campaign is not a fight between political parties, but one of mothers for their children and Taiwanese for a safe, non-nuclear homeland.


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A group of parents have sued the school board in Dover, PA, for requiring a statement be made to high school biology students that promotes Intelligent Design, and even goes so far as to refer students to an alternative textbook to the scientific discussion of the evolution of life.
Intelligent Design backers spend no shortage of time trying to portray what they believe as science, but an embarrassing fact has come to light about the book that Dover would have the kids read, Of Pandas and People. As it turns out, the book was originally a work of Christian apologetics, and it explicitly promoted creationism. Indeed, the version published now is the largely the same, save one minor fact: they more or less did a search and replace, substituting Intelligent Design where Creationism once sat in the text.
References to creationism in drafts of a student biology book were replaced with the term "intelligent design" by the time it was published, a witness testified Wednesday in a landmark trial over a school board's decision to include the concept in its curriculum.
So here we are, yet again, with more proof that Intelligent Design is crypto-theology done under the guise of science, largely by people who aren't scientists. And the worst part of it is that some of the book's backers are open about the fact that they made the swap to skirt the Supreme Courts ruling in 1987 that creationism could not be be used as a so-called balance to evolution. They are knowingly and intentionally duplicitous.
On a lighter note, I mildly enjoyed this Onion prod at the trial.
Defense appeals to jury's reason, fairness, and fear of eternal damnation.
Hey, it's never too late to go back to the Middle Ages.


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Few activities have more benefits for young girls than dance. Learning dance not only provides excellent exercise, it also teaches discipline. For your girl to get the most out of dance, the right girls' dance shoes are essential.
Payless provides girls' ballet shoes, girls' tap shoes, and girls' jazz dance shoes from American Ballet Theatre for Spotlights. They're expertly fashioned to both look good and perform, and they're endorsed by the National Ballet Company.
Ballet Shoes from Payless conform to the shape of your girl's feet and keep them aligned. This leads to proper muscle control. These ballet slippers are constructed with a quality leather upper, sock, and outsole. They feature a canvas lining and, for a secure fit, an elastic strap. For a look your girl will love, the shoes have a pretty elastic bow on the vamp.
Mary Jane Tap Shoes offer a durable upper decorated with cloth piping. The Mary Jane strap not only adds a cute touch, but also keeps the shoe firmly in place with a hook-and-loop closure. At just three-quarters of an inch, the heel is modest and doesn't present an injury risk. The soft cloth insole ensures comfortable wear, so your girl can put in plenty of practice without getting sore feet.
Perfect for recitals, the Tap Shoe from Payless features a feminine ribbon bow on an elegant, glossy patent upper with cloth piping. The ribbon also keeps the shoe securely on your girl's foot. She'll really shine, whether she wears these shoes for practice or when she performs. She'll feel good, look good, and make you proud.
If your girl prefers jazz dance, Payless has the right girls' dance shoes for her. The Twin Gore Jazz Shoe has a supple leather upper for a comfortable fit that the stretchy twin gores ensure is secure. These shoes are made to help your girl through hours of practice and to look her best when she takes the stage.
Find the girls' dance shoes that will allow your girl to perform at her best. Visit your local Payless store, or shop online.


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Food Safety for People with HIV/AIDS
Food Safety for People with HIV/AIDS (PDF - 2.87MB) - En español (Spanish) (PDF - 2.91MB)
A need-to-know guide for those who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
September 2006; Slightly revised September 2011
Food safety is important for everyone – but it's especially important for you. That's why the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration have prepared this booklet. It is designed to provide practical guidance on how to reduce your risk of foodborne illness. In addition to this guide, we encourage you to check with your physician or health care provider to identify foods and other products that you should avoid. You have a special need for this important information . . . so read on!
What's Inside:
Food Safety: It's Especially Important for You
Major Pathogens That Cause Foodborne Illness
Eating at Home: Making Wise Food Choices
Common Foods: Select the Lower Risk Options
Taking Care: Handling and Preparing Food Safely
In the Know: Becoming a Better Shopper
Foodborne Illness: Know the Symptoms
For More Information on Food Safety
Additional Food Safety Resources
Foodborne Illness in the United States
When certain disease-causing bacteria, viruses or parasites contaminate food, they can cause foodborne illness. Another word for such a bacteria, virus, or parasite is "pathogen." Foodborne illness, often called food poisoning, is an illness that comes from a food you eat.
- The food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world – but it can still be a source of infection for all persons.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million persons get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne infection and illness in the United States each year. Many of these people are children, older adults, or have weakened immune systems and may not be able to fight infection normally.
Since foodborne illness can be serious – or even fatal – it is important for you to know and practice safe food-handling behaviors to help reduce your risk of getting sick from contaminated food.
Food Safety: It's Especially Important for You
As a person with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), you are susceptible to many types of infection, like those that can be brought on by disease-causing bacteria and other pathogens that cause foodborne illness.
- A properly functioning immune system works to clear infection and other foreign agents from your body. When the HIV virus that causes AIDS damages or destroys the body's immune system, you become more vulnerable to developing and opportunistic infection, such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, or contracting an infection, such as foodborne illness.
- As with many types of infection, because you have HIV/AIDS, you are more likely to have a lengthier illness, undergo hospitalization, or even die, should you contract a foodborne illness.
- Because your immune system is weakened, you must be especially vigilant when handling, preparing, and consuming foods.
- To avoid contracting a foodborne illness, you must be vigilant when handling, preparing, and consuming foods.
Make safe handling a lifelong commitment to minimize your risk of foodborne illness. Be aware that as you age, your immunity to infection naturally is weakened.
Major Pathogens That Cause Foodborne Illness
|Associated Foods
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
|Associated Foods/Sources
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
|Clostridium perfringens
|Associated Foods/ Sources
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
|Listeria monocytogenes
Can grow slowly at refrigerator temperatures
|Associated Foods
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
|Escherichia coli O157:H7
One of several strains of E. coli that can cause human illness
|Associated Foods
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
|Noroviruses (and other caliciviruses)
|Associated Foods
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
|Salmonella (over 2,300 types)
|Associated Foods
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
|Toxoplasma gondii
|Associated Foods/Sources
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
|Vibrio vulnificus
|Associated Foods
|Symptoms and Potential Impact
Eating at Home: Making Wise Food Choices
Some foods are more risky for you than others. In general, the foods that are most likely to contain harmful bacteria or viruses fall in two categories:
- Uncooked fresh fruits and vegetables
- Some animal products, such as unpasteurized (raw) milk; soft cheeses made with raw milk; and raw or undercooked eggs, raw meat, raw poultry, raw fish, raw shellfish and their juices; luncheon meats and deli-type salads (without added preservatives) prepared on site in a deli-type establishment.
Interestingly, the risk these foods may actually pose depends on the origin or source of the food and how the food is processed, stored, and prepared. Follow these guidelines (see chart below) for safe selection and preparation of your favorite foods.
If You Have Questions ….… about Wise Food Choices:
Be sure to consult with your doctor or healthcare provider. He or she can answer any specific questions or help you in your choices.
…about Particular Foods:
If you are not sure about the safety of a food in your refrigerator, don't take the risk.
When in doubt, throw it out!
Wise choices in your food selections are important.
All consumers need to follow the Four Basic Steps to Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.
Common Foods: Select the Lower Risk Options
|Type of Food
|Higher Risk
|Lower Risk
|Meat and Poultry
|Tip: Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature on the "Is It Done Yet?" chart for specific safe minimum internal temperature.
|Foods that contain raw/undercooked eggs, such as:
|At home:
|*Tip: Most pre-made foods from grocery stores, such as Caesar dressing, pre-made cookie dough, or packaged eggnog are made with pasteurized eggs.
|Hot Dogs and Deli Meats
|Tip: You need to reheat hot dogs, deli meats and luncheon meats before eating them because the bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes grows at refrigerated temperatures (40 ºF or below). This bacteria may cause severe illness, hospitalization, or even death. Reheating these foods until they are steaming hot destroys these dangerous bacteria and makes these foods safe for you to eat.
Taking Care: Handling and Preparing Food Safely
Foodborne pathogens are sneaky. Food that appears completely fine can contain pathogens --disease-causing bacteria, viruses, or parasites -- that can make you sick. You should never taste a food to determine if it is safe to eat.
As a person with HIV/AIDS, it is especially important that you – or those preparing your food – are always careful with food handling and preparation. The easiest way to do this is to Check Your Steps -- clean, separate, cook, and chill – from the Food Safe Families Campaign.
Four Basic Steps to Food Safety
1. Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often
Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils, counter tops, and food.
To ensure that your hands and surfaces are clean, be sure to:
Wash hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets.
- Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot soapy water between the preparation of raw meat, poultry, and seafood products and preparation of any other food that will not be cooked. As an added precaution, sanitize cutting boards and counter tops by rinsing them in a solution made of one tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, or, as an alternative, you may run the plastic board through the wash cycle in your automatic dishwasher.
- Use paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If using cloth towels, you should wash them often in the hot cycle of the washing machine.
- Wash produce. Rinse fruits and vegetables, and rub firm-skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten.
- With canned goods: remember to clean lids before opening.
2. Separate: Don't cross-contaminate
Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria are spread from one food product to another. This is especially common when handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. The key is to keep these foods – and their juices – away from ready-to-eat foods.
To prevent cross-contamination, remember to:
- Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags, and in your refrigerator.
- Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs without first washing the plate with hot soapy water.
- Don't reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first.
- Consider using one cutting board only for raw foods and another only for ready-to-eat foods, such as bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooked meat.
3. Cook: Cook to safe temperatures
Foods are safely cooked when they are heated to the USDA-FDA recommended safe minimum internal temperatures, as shown on the "Is it Done Yet" chart.
To ensure that your foods are cooked safely, always:
- Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked foods. Check the internal temperature in several places to make sure that the meat, poultry, seafood, or egg product is cooked to safe minimum internal temperatures.
- Cook ground beef to at least 160 ºF and ground poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 ºF. Color of food is not a reliable indicator of safety or doneness.
- Reheat fully cooked hams packaged at a USDA-inspected plant to 140 ºF. For fully cooked ham that has been repackaged in any other location or for leftover fully cooked ham, heat to 165 ºF.
- Cook seafood to 145 F. Cook shrimp, lobster, and crab until they turn red and the flesh is pearly opaque. Cook clams, mussels, and oysters until the shells open. If the shells do not open, do not eat the seafood inside.
- Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm. Use only recipes in which the eggs are cooked or heated to 160 ºF.
- Cook all raw beef, lamb, pork, and veal steaks, roasts, and chops to 145 ºF with a 3-minute rest time after removal from the heat source.
- Bring sauces, soups, and gravy to a boil when reheating. Heat other leftovers to 165 ºF.
- Reheat hot dogs, luncheon meats, bologna, and other deli meats until steaming hot or 165 ºF.
- When cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking. Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer. Food is done when it reaches the USDA- FDA recommended safe minimum internal temperature.
Is It Done Yet?
Use a food thermometer to be most accurate. You can't always tell by looking.
USDA-FDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures
- Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb, Steaks, Roasts & Chops
145 ºF with 3-minute rest time
- Fish
145 ºF
- Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb Ground
160 ºF
- Egg Dishes
160 ºF
- Turkey, Chicken & Duck Whole, Pieces & Ground
165 ºF
4. Chill: Refrigerate promptly
Cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Keep-ing a constant refrigerator temperature of 40 °F or below is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk of foodborne illness. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the refrigera-tor temperature is consistently 40 °F or below and the freezertemperature is 0 °F or below.
To chill foods properly:
- Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing. Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90 °F.
- Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. It is safe to thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. If you thaw food in cold water or in the microwave, you should cook it immediately.
Divide large amounts of food into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
- Follow the recommendations in the abridged USDA-FDA Cold Storage Chart (below). The USDA-FDA Cold Storage Chart in its entirety may be found at Refrigeration and Food Safety.
These time limit guidelines will help keep refrigerated food safe to eat. Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended storage times for frozen foods are for quality only.
|Refrigerator (40 ºF
|Freezer (0 ºF)
|Fresh, in shell
|3 to 5 weeks
|Don't freeze
|Hard cooked
|1 week
|Don't freeze well
|Liquid Pasteurized Eggs, Egg Substitutes
|3 days
|Don't freeze well
|10 days
|1 year
|Deli and Vacuum-Packed Products
|Egg, chicken, ham, tuna,
& macaroni salads
|3 to 5 days
|Don't freeze well
|Hot Dogs
|Opened package
|1 week
|1 to 2 months
|Unopened package
|2 weeks
|1 to 2 months
|Luncheon Meat
|Opened package
|3 to 5 days
|1 to 2 months
|Unopened package
|2 weeks
|1 to 2 months
|Bacon & Sausage
|7 days
|1 month
|Sausage, raw – from
chicken, turkey, pork, beef
|1 to 2 days
|1 to 2 months
|Hamburger and Other Ground Meats
|Hamburger, ground beef,
turkey, veal, pork, lamb,
& mixtures of them
|1 to 2 days
|3 to 4 months
|Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork
|3 to 5 days
|6 to 12 months
|3 to 5 days
|4 to 6 months
|3 to 5 days
|4 to 12 months
|Fresh Poultry
|Chicken or turkey, whole
|1 to 2 days
|1 year
|Chicken or turkey, pieces
|1 to 2 days
|9 months
|Lean fish (flounder, haddock,
halibut, etc.)
|1 to 2 days
|6 to 8 months
|Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, etc.)
|1 to 2 days
|2 to 3 months
|Cooked meat or poultry
|3 to 4 days
|2 to 6 months
|Chicken nuggets, patties
|3 to 4 days
|1 to 3 months
|3 to 4 days
|1 to 2 months
In the Know: Becoming a Better Shopper
Follow these safe food-handling practices while you shop.
- Carefully read food labels while in the store to make sure food is not past its "sell by" date.
- Put raw packaged meat, poultry, or seafood into a plastic bag before placing it in the shopping cart so that its juices will not drip on – and contaminate – other foods. If the meat counter does not offer plastic bags, pick some up from the produce section before you select your meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Buy only pasteurized milk, cheese, and other dairy products from the refrigerated section. When buying fruit juice from the refrigerated section of the store, be sure that the juice label says it is pasteurized.
- Purchase eggs in the shell from the refrigerated section of the store. (Note: store the eggs in their original carton in the main part of your refrigerator once you are home.) For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served – homemade Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream are two examples – use either shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella by pasteurization or pasteurized egg products. When consuming raw eggs, using pasteurized eggs is the safer choice.
- Never buy food that is displayed in unsafe or unclean conditions.
- When purchasing canned goods, make sure that they are free of dents, cracks, or bulging lids. (Once you are home, remember to clean each lid before opening the can.)
- Purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged.
- Check Your Steps:
- Check "Sell-By" date.
- Put raw meat, poultry, or seafood in plastic bags
- Buy only pasteurized milk, soft cheeses made with pasteurized milk, and pasteurized or juices that have been otherwise treated to control harmful bacteria.
- When buying eggs, purchase refrigerated shell eggs. If your recipe calls for raw eggs, purchase pasteurized, refrigerated liquid eggs.
- Don't buy food displayed in unsafe or unclean conditions
Types of Open Dates:
Open dating is found primarily on perishable foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
- A"Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
- A "Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
- A "Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
"Closed or coded dates" are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer. "Closed" or "coded" dating might appear on shelf-stable products such as cans and boxes of food.
Follow these tips for safe transporting of your groceries:
- Pick up perishable foods last, and plan to go directly home from the grocery store.
- Always refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing.
- Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90 °F.
- In hot weather, take a cooler with ice or another cold source to transport foods safely.
Being Smart When Eating Out
Eating out can be lots of fun – so make it an enjoyable experience by following some simple guidelines to avoid foodborne illness. Remember to observe your food when it is served, and don't ever hesitate to ask questions before you order. Waiters and waitresses can be quite helpful if you ask how a food is prepared. Also, let them know you don't want any food item containing raw meat, poultry, seafood, sprouts, or eggs.
Basic Rules for Ordering
- Ask whether the food contains uncooked ingredients such as eggs, sprouts, meat, poultry, or seafood. If so, choose something else.
- Ask how these foods have been cooked. If the server does not know the answer, ask to speak to the chef to be sure your food has been cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature.
- If you plan to get a "doggy bag" or save leftovers to eat at a later time, refrigerate perishable foods as soon as possible – and always within 2 hours after purchase or delivery. If the leftover is in air temperatures above 90 °F, refrigerate within 1 hour.
If in doubt, make another selection!
Smart Menu Choices
|Higher Risk:
|Lower Risk:
Tips for Transporting Food
- Keep cold food cold, at 40 °F or below. To be safest, place cold food in cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Use plenty of ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be at 40 °F or below the entire time you are transporting it.
- Hot food should be kept at 140 °F or above. Wrap the food well and place in an insulated container.
Stay "Food Safe" When Traveling Internationally
Discuss your travel plans with your physician before traveling to other countries. Your physician may have specific recommendations for the places you are visiting, and may suggest extra precautions or medications to take on your travels.
For more information about safe food and water while traveling abroad, access the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Foodborne Illness: Know the Symptoms
Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself in a situation where you suspect you have a foodborne illness. Foodborne illness often presents itself with flu-like symptoms.
These symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
If you suspect that you could have a foodborne illness, there are four key steps that you should take. Follow the guidelines in the Foodborne Illness Action Plan (below), which begins with contacting your physician or healthcare provider right away.
When in doubt – contact your physician or healthcare provider!
Foodborne Illness Action Plan
If you suspect you have a foodborne illness, follow these general guidelines:
1. Consult your physician or healthcare provider, or seek medical treatment as appropriate.
As a person with HIV/AIDS, you are at increased risk for severe infection.
- Contact your physician immediately if you develop symptoms or think you may be at risk.
- If you develop signs of infection as discussed with your physician, seek out medical advice and/or treatment immediately.
2. Preserve the food.
- If a portion of the suspect food is available, wrap it securely, label it to say "DANGER," and freeze it.
- The remaining food may be used in diagnosing your illness and in preventing others from becoming ill.
3. Save all the packaging materials, such as cans or cartons.
- Write down the food type, the date and time consumed, and when the onset of symptoms occurred. Write down as many foods and beverages you can recall consuming in the past week (or longer), since the onset time for various foodborne illnesses differ.
- Save any identical unopened products.
- If the suspect food is a USDA-inspected meat, poultry, or egg product, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (188-674-6854). For all other foods, call the FDA office of Emergency Operations at 1-866-300-4374 or 301-796-8240.
4. Call your local health department …
… if you believe you became ill from food you ate in a restaurant or other food establishment.
- The health department staff will be able to assist you in determining whether any further investigation is warranted.
- To locate your local health department, visit Health Guide USA.
More Information on Food Safety
You may contact the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and HHS Food and Drug Administration to obtain additional food safety information in both English and Spanish.
Information can be accessed on the FSIS website or the FDA website.
"Ask Karen" - The FSIS Virtual Representative
An automated response system is available 24/7 at Askkaren.gov and PregunteleaKaren.gov .
Send e-mail inquiries to firstname.lastname@example.com or by completing the online form.
Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or call the FDA Food Information Line 1-888-SAFE-FOOD (1-888-723-3366). These year-round, toll-free Hotlines are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. An extensive selection of timely food safety messages is also available at these same numbers, 24 hours a day.
Additional Food Safety Resources
Gateway to Government Food Safety Information, including all recalls and alerts
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1-800-232-4636 (24-hour recorded information)
- Partnership for Food Safety Education (Fight BAC ®)
To order this and/or other At-risk booklets, go to: www.fda.gov/educationresourcelibrary
Apply the filters for Food Safety, Consumers/General Public, PDF Downloads and Orderable Hardcopies and scroll to the title of the booklet you want, then follow the prompts to order and/or download the PDF.
- Food Safety for Older Adults
- Food Safety for Pregnant Women
- Food Safety for People with Cancer
- Food Safety for People with Diabetes
- Food Safety for People with HIV/AIDS
- Food Safety for Transplant Recipients
For information about food safety, nutrition, dietary supplements, and cosmetic safety, contact:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's
Food and Cosmetic Information Center at 1-888-SAFEFOOD
Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
(Except Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET and
Federal holidays.)
Or, visit the FDA website at www.fda.gov/educationresourcelibrary
Thank you to Lydia Medeiros, Ph.D., R.D., Patricia A. Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., and Val Hillers, Ph.D., R.D., for their assistance and groundbreaking research and outreach to the at-risk community.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are equal opportunity providers and employers.


text:
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Product Highlights
The Middle Atlantic Contemporary Finishing Kit with Monitor Mount (Aged Cherry Finish) allows you to easily integrate and assemble the C5 Credenza Racks. Featuring solid doors, this easy-to-install contemporary style kit offers clean lines and a smooth finish to render a sleek appearance to your credenza rack. You can use the finishing kit for integrating the 120V and 220V Credenza frames. Also included in the kit is a VESA-compliant large format monitor mount for holding screens ranging from 32 to 50".
Note: The frame must also be ordered along with the finishing kit
Top: 1.125" (28.57 mm)
Sides: 1" (25.4 mm)
Kick plate: 0.5" (12.7 mm)
Door: 0.75" (19.05 mm)
|Dimensions (W x H x D)
|46.80 x 31.65 x 27.5" (1188 x 804 x 698.5 mm)
|Weight Capacity
|160 lb (72.57 kg)
|VESA Compatibility
|Fits VESA mounting patterns in 100 mm increments from 200 to 700 mm


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To most, the language appears all-too-familiar and not unlike the childhood story of the "boy who cried wolf". Indeed, it has all the hallmarks of the typical fear-mongering all have come to know all-too-well in recent years featuring a paranoid Zionist military commander working for a notoriously paranoid nation and warning of the next "holocaust" if everyone does not immediately stop what they are doing, pay strict attention and follow the prescribed course of action as laid down by the Jewish state.
Speaking recently at a conference at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, Israel's Minister of Defense Ehud Barak sternly warned his audience (and the world at large) that "If Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, it could try to attack the United States," specifying that if the Islamic Republic built "even a primitive nuclear weapon" similar to the one used in "destroying Hiroshima" that she would "not hesitate to load it on a ship, arm it with a detonator operated by GPS and sail it into a vital port on the east coast of North America."
The first thing in his statement sticking out like a sore thumb is his confidence, stating UNEQUIVICALLY that Iran "Would not hesitate" in detonating a nuclear weapon against the world's most powerful nation. This is the same United States by the way that presently has enough firepower parked off Iran's coast to destroy her 1,000 times over. This in itself begs the following question–Is this yet another case of the organically unstable Zionist mindset that has become all-too-familiar these days or is there something else? In other words–What does he know that others–including the most sophisticated intelligence agencies working for the US government–don't know?
It is understandable that some would shrug such rhetoric off, and particularly after the billion or so instances where every man, woman and child on the planet has had to endure the "He wants to wipe Israel off the map" shtick that got real old real fast after the first 500,000 times.
In this case however it would be unwise to assume this latest development involving the defense minister is just another case of bluff and bluster and of the Jewish state "crying wolf" with regards to some new Hitler or Haman. Barak is not just ANY defense minister, but the defense minister a theocratic/fascist enclave that is just DYING to get a war started with Iran. Judging by the news headlines, this is all there is these days within the one-track Zionist mindset. IRAN/IRAN/IRAN/IRAN….No, in this instance the smart money says that these dire predictions may very well take place in what is commonly referred to as a "self-fulfilling prophesy".
Therefore, what those familiar with Israel's history should conclude by Barak's statement is that this is not just another case of empty fear mongering on the part of the Jewish state, but rather a clear and present threat, namely that if America does not do the bidding of the Jewish state by attacking Iran that Israel–out of her black hat of magic tricks–will pull one of her made-to-order false flag attacks against America in order to "get the ball rolling" in the right direction.
In other words, with the full blessings of every person, place or thing of measurable political power in the Jewish state including Israel's intelligence service Mossad, Prime Minster Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister 'Tzippy" Livni, what Barak was saying in effect to all the various spies, analysts, intelligence officers and diplomats working in virtually every nation of the world was that–
"If Uncle Sam does not get busy with the business of opening up a new front in our war against the Islamic world, we, the Jewish people, will detonate one of our several hundred nuclear warheads in an east coast American city that will then be blamed on Iran…"
And just in case something might have been "lost in translation" and the thick-headed Gentiles towards whom the threat was being made did not "get it," Barak concluded his remarks with "We are not taking any option off the table, and we recommend the world not take any option off the table, and we mean what we say."
Obviously those "options" still "on the table" include Israel resorting to the kind of business in which she has dirtied herself in the past, which just so happens to include attacking (or allowing to be attacked) American interests in order to pin the blame on someone else.
Those who dismiss the possibility that such a threat was indeed made by Israel should understand that there is a language used in the criminal underworld–both at the street level and in the more "sophisticated" world of modern politics–that is almost imperceptible to all except the "initiated". To the average person phrases such as "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" sound like perfectly innocuous, simple tidbits of business parlance like "a deal too good to pass up" rather than death threats. Someone sending a personal clothing item along with two dead fishes seems more like a college fraternity prank rather than an announcement that a certain someone now rests peacefully at the bottom of a large body of water.
In truth though, the meaning they convey is one of life and death– "Give us what we want if you want to stay alive…"
And likewise with political language employed by states such as Israel, a nation founded by gangsters with gangster money and built on top of a gangster ideology that justifies any criminal behavior as long as it benefits "la famiglia". What appear to be harmless statements made by persons of noted importance such as Barak actually have a significance far deeper than what is superficially apparent to the average Joe, and even if this significance is lost on the average person merely trying to live an honest life and pay his/her bills, it most assuredly has not been lost on the spies, analysts, diplomats and others whose job is to read between the lines when threats are being made in pursuance of certain geo-political demands.
It is no secret Israel wants (demands) Iran's destruction and wants it done by non-Jews. Israel is a nation founded on 21st century BC ideas while at the same time trying to make these ideas work in a 21st century AD world. All the war, invasion, rape, conquest, plagues, smiting and bloodshed that are the meat and potatoes of the Old Testament are as much the principles upon which the Jewish state was founded as "We hold these truths to be self evident" are the bedrock of the American nation. The hysteria characterizing Israel's reaction to the National Intelligence Estimate released in December 2007 by the 16 most powerful intelligence agencies working for the US government that stated categorically and unequivocally that Iran had no nuclear weapons program since 2003 betrayed the irrational, bloodlust mindset driving Israel and her desire to see her ancient Persian enemies destroyed as recounted in the Old Testament story found in the Book of Esther.
Therefore, Iran MUST be attacked, no ifs, ands or buts about it. In a day and age when the Jewish state needs these periodic clashes in order to achieve an otherwise-impossible sense of cohesiveness within an organically fractured, irrational and self-devouring political creature such as Israel, a re-enactment of Persia's (Iran's) defeat by God's chosen people as occurred in the book of Esther does wonders in putting to rest any discussion concerning the "propriety" of the Jewish state's existence.
As far as a nuclear attack on an east coast American city itself, the results of such an attack–apart from the human cost–would be incalculable in terms of economics and political instability. At a time when–not just America, but indeed the entire world–is so precariously perched at the edge of an abyss that threatens economic, political and social chaos, an American city going up in a mushroom cloud would set in motion a chain reaction the results of which are not difficult to imagine. The resulting meltdown would take–not just years, but more than likely generations to recover.
And once again, just as in 9/11, Israel–through one or many of her carefully 'chosen' spokespersons–would then go before world media with barely contained smirks and giggles and say "Well, don't blame us, we warned you something like this was going to happen" . In the same flavor as the 5 dancing Israeli's seen filming the destruction of the Twin Towers or Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks following 9/11 that the attacks on America resulting in the deaths of over 3,000 were "good" in that they would generate "immediate sympathy" for Israel, so too would the Jewish state capitalize on the event and shake her finger in the world's face and say "tsk, tsk, tsk…should have paid better attention to the warnings we gave…" In the meantime, American leaders would be scrambling to deal with–not only the apocalyptic situation at hand, but as well the loss of public confidence in their ability to lead.
What is noteworthy about this latest threat is the fact that it is a follow-up to threats made directly to George Bush back in May when he visited the Jewish state to help celebrate Israel's 60-year orgy of uninterrupted violence and bloodshed against the Gentiles who have suffered the unfortunate "honor" of living in such close proximity to God's chosen people. Before the soles of his shoes had even gotten dirty after stepping on the hallowed ground of Israel he was met at the Ben Gurion airport by the "Men in Black"–meaning the Orthodox Rabbis–who then accosted him with a list of commandments and threats, all cryptic and apocalyptic in their nature, about what the leader of the free world would be facing if he was found slacking off with regards to his "duties" to the Jewish state. A partial list of their demands and threats included reminding him that "God ordained the nations of the world to strengthen the nation of Israel" while telling him to forget the idea of running away from his duty of making war against Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon, specifying that American troops be used to protect the "Divine rights of the nation of Israel, and remove from her any threat." The consequences of not doing these things were clear–"destruction" and "Certain doom" that would "endanger all life on earth" and capping off their threats with "Your fate and that of all those with you hangs in the balance of the destiny of our land…"
..and about 5 months later–BATTA-BOOM!!!-out of seemingly nowhere, the economy of the United States enters a storm not seen since 1929. Indeed, it seemed as if the rabbis had friends in "high places"–protégé's of Moses no doubt–who had the power to make such plagues happen. As a result of the economic turmoil that resulted in loss of jobs and a housing crisis without precedent since the great depression, George Bush, his party and his legacy found themselves swirling down the political sewer like a piece of used toilet paper.
Those who doubt Israel is capable (or willing) to go to such lengths need to better acquaint themselves with the USS Liberty, a US spy ship that–with complete foreknowledge of malice–was attacked by the air and naval forces of the Jewish state for 2 hours during the latter end of the 6 Day War. Israel's obvious intention was that the ship be sunk, Egypt be blamed (in the same way as planned with the previously-unsuccessful "Lavon Affair") resulting in a United States of America out for Arab blood, just as occurred following 9/11. As it was, F-4 Phantom jets–loaded for bear (meaning armed with nuclear weapons) were on their way to Cairo with orders to annihilate the capitol of Soviet-allied Egypt. It was only the miracle of Liberty's refusal to sink–despite thousands of armor-piercing rounds, a thousand rockets, hundreds of gallons of napalm and 5 torpedoes–that prevented what would most likely have been a nuclear war between the United States and (what was at that time) the Soviet Union.
Dozens of other such examples of Israeli treachery against America abound, the most recent and notorious being her foreknowledge and direct involvement with the events on 9/11. Those who would scoff at the notion that the Jewish state is capable of doing such things–including detonating a nuclear weapon within an American city–should keep in mind that (just as she has said on more occasions than can be counted) she is not like other nations. In the words of her former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan she is "a dangerous mad dog" on one hand and yet on the other she is the "embodiment of God," a "light among nations" and "joy of the entire earth" as her political/religious caretakers describe her. While the other nations of the earth operate under for-the-most-part rational plans for their existence, Israel does not. She is like any cult community like Jim Jones' Guyana or David Koresh's Waco, and in the event her little experiment begins to show signs of failure, her solution is simple–scrap the whole thing, meaning 6 billion souls on earth–so that Israel's God "Yahweh" can start over again with a clean slate and, hopefully, "do it right" the next time and make good on His promise to make "His" chosen people rulers of the earth.
And lest some think all of this is pure speculation on the part of anti-Semites with over-active imaginations and who read more into the language of gangsters than what is actually there, let Martin Van Creveld, one of Israel's most respected military historians speak on the matter at hand–
"We possess several hundred atomic warheads and rockets and can launch them at targets in all directions, perhaps even at Rome. Most European capitals are targets for our air force…. We have the capability to take the world down with us. And I can assure you that this will happen before Israel goes under."
(c) 2008 Mark Glenn
Correspondent, American Free Press Newspaper


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Cabbage and Mushroom Pierogi
For the filling
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
Kosher salt
1 2-lb. bag refrigerated sauerkraut
1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
Freshly ground black pepper
For the dough
2 lb. (7 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed
4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups warm water
Put the mushrooms in a small saucepan with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook the mushrooms until tender, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift the mushrooms out of the liquid, transfer to a cutting board, and chop them. Strain the liquid though a fine sieve lined with a damp paper towel set over a small bowl. Rinse and drain the sauerkraut in a colander, pressing on it to release as much liquid as possible.
Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, mushrooms, and the mushroom cooking liquid. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated and the sauerkraut is dry, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and cook, stirring often, until the flavors are blended, about 2 minutes more. Let cool to room temperature before using.
Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingers, work it into the flour until the mixture has the texture of coarse meal. Still using your fingers, add 1-3/4 cups of the warm water, stirring until the mixture begins to come together. If the mixture is dry, you can add up to 1/4 cup more warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until it forms a cohesive yet shaggy mass. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and then gently knead it just until soft and elastic; the dough will not be completely smooth, but it should be easy to shape, with a Play-Doh like consistency. Avoid overkneading, or the dough will become tough. (At this point you can proceed with the recipe or let the dough rest on a floured surface, covered with a clean dishtowel, for up to 1 hour.)
Divide the dough into 6 grapefruit-size balls (about 8 oz. each). Working with 1 piece of dough at a time on a floured work surface, and keeping the others covered so they don't dry out, roll the dough into a 10- to 11-inch wide, 1/8-inch-thick circle. Using a floured 3-inch round cookie cutter or inverted glass, cut out circles of dough. Transfer the dough circles to a large parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with flour. Dust with a little more flour and top with another sheet of parchment so they don't dry out. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking the circles between sheets of floured parchment and re-rolling the scraps until all of the dough is used.
Working with 1 dough circle at a time, brush off any excess flour and hold the circle in your palm. Spoon a scant 1 Tbs. of the filling into the center of the circle and fold it in half. Using your fingers, tightly pinch the edges together to seal and create a 1/2-inch border. Arrange the filled pierogi on a lightly floured surface or large rimmed baking sheet and dust very lightly with flour; loosely cover with plastic wrap or a clean dishtowel. Repeat with the remaining dough circles and filling.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 175°F. Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Working in batches of 10 to 12, drop the pierogi into the boiling water and give them a gentle stir so they don't stick together or to the sides of the pot. When they float to the top 5 (after 1 to 2 minutes for room temperature pierogi, 3 to 4 minutes for refrigerated, and 7 to 10 minutes for frozen), use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a platter and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining batches.
You can serve the pierogi either boiled or fried. For boiled pierogi, melt the butter in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan. Drizzle the pierogi with the melted butter. Serve hot with the sour cream on the side. For fried pierogi, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter in a 12-inch heavy-duty skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches of 10 to 12, cook the boiled pierogi, flipping once, until golden-brown and crusty on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to another platter and keep warm in the oven. Repeat, adding more butter as needed. Serve the pierogi with sour cream on the side.
The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate. Filled pierogi can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before cooking, or frozen for up to 6 months—freeze in one layer on a parchment-lined tray, then transfer to freezer bags.
Recipe from Fine Cooking.


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Jewish World Review August 12, 2010 / 2 Elul, 5770
Magical Thinking in Washington
By Paul Greenberg
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The calendar says this is 2010 -- I just looked -- but there are times when current events feel more like an historical re-enactment. It could be 1937 all over again:
A president has been ushered into office on the wings of Hope and Change after a sweeping electoral triumph, and the clouds have started to lift.
Vast new programs, however debatable or constitutional their merits, have been enacted.
An economic recovery is under way, however slowly and tentatively.
And just at this delicate moment, the president decides this would be the perfect time to launch a rhetorical attack on big business, "the rich," and capital in general. And not just a rhetorical attack. His administration has fashioned a whole new web of taxes and regulations to crack down on those evil plutocrats.
The president was
Increase the tax on the largest incomes -- up to a confiscatory level of 75 percent.
Raise estate taxes so the dead could do their share to aid the recovery -- and balance the federal budget, too. At least theoretically. And perhaps only theoretically. (As usual, the richest taxpayers also were proving the most skillful at tax avoidance, or at least their lawyers, accountants and trust officers were.)
Hike the corporate income tax on the biggest corporations, those with the most employees to lay off. Another brilliant move.
Raise the tax on "excess" profits.
Impose a new tax on any corporate profits that weren't being distributed to shareholders. To make sure the government would get its share before it was used to create jobs. Even while the administration was cutting back on its own public works projects.
And generally punish investment by those able to invest the most. That would show those whom FDR assailed as "economic royalists." We were going to tax our way to prosperity!
It would have been hard to design a tax structure surer to retard economic growth by suppressing private investment. Federal tax policy would take a redistributionist turn in the middle of the 1930s, just as it looked as if the country might be returning to some semblance of normal growth. Once again ideology had taken precedence over practicality, the satisfactions of class warfare over any consideration of how all this might work out in practice.
"These soak-the-rich efforts," to quote the economic historian
The results of FDR's newest New Deal were predictable: The following year, profits, excess or otherwise, did indeed decline. (The surest way to reduce something is to tax it more.) And so did employment. Unemployment leapt from 14.3 percent in 1937 to 19 percent in 1938. Within one two-month period, the ranks of the jobless jumped from 5 million to more than 9 million, reaching almost 12 million in the banner year 1938. Manufacturing output fell back to 1934 levels. Businesses and individuals hesitated, understandably enough, to invest when the only thing certain was uncertainty.
The shorthand for all this bad news in the history textbooks is the Roosevelt Recession of 1937, a recession within the Depression. It's also known as the Double Dip, a specter that haunts economic policymakers to this day.
Sound familiar? With the expiration of the Bush tax cuts at the end of this year, the economy is about to get hit with one of the largest, across-the-board tax increases since, well, 1937.
To quote one not very assuring summary of what could happen if
The results of such a soak-the-rich approach are as predictable today as they were in 1937: a Roosevelt Recession Redux.
Please, somebody stop them before they raise taxes more.
But the usual kneejerks will object: Hey, only The Rich will get their taxes raised -- just those making more than
Yet the higher taxes, increasing deficits and unsustainable entitlement programs may not be the worst thing about this administration's plans for us lucky subjects. What's worse is that no one knows just which plans of so many competing ones will actually become law, perhaps at a lame-duck session of
But even after all those bills are rushed into law, it may not be clear just how many jokers are hidden in the deck, which in this case could consist of thousands of pages of small print. (See Obamacare.)
In so uncertain an economic climate, why invest? Why not wait and see what policies are adopted next? No wonder banks, companies and investors in general are sitting on their hands. And their capital. By one estimate, American corporations now hold more cash (at least
To quote a forgotten voice from 1937, though the name was well known at the time, the industrialist and investor Lammot du Pont: "Uncertainty rules the tax situation, the labor situation, the monetary situation, and practically every legal condition under which industry must operate. Are taxes to go higher, lower or stay where they are? We don't know. Is labor to be union or non-union? … Are we to have inflation or deflation, more government spending or less? … Are new restrictions to be placed on capital, new limits on profits? … It is impossible even to guess the answers."
Does it all sound familiar? All too familiar?
No, history doesn't repeat itself, not exactly. But, as Mark Twain is supposed to have added, it rhymes.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Paul Greenberg, editorial page editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, has won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. Send your comments by clicking here.
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Fry Love
Famously seasoned and bursting at the potato seams with flavor, people just can't seem to get enough of our fries. In fact some might argue that they're the best on Earth, but that's for you to decide. Feeling wild? Top them off with ranch, chili, cheese or bacon. Mmm... fame has never tasted so good.


text:
If you live in London or are visiting, you can use the London Underground to get around. Here we have some information to help you on your journey.
All underground trains have audible announcements, which will tell you the destination of the train and announce each station as you arrive. There are also audible announcements at most stations. Most platforms have tactile paving along the edge of platforms to help you find your way. Most platforms also have yellow and white lines to indicate the edge of the platform.
Guide dog owners will need to do special training with Guide Dogs before they can use escalators on the London Underground. But if your guide dog has not had training, you can ask the station staff to stop an escalator for you.
London Underground produces large print maps and an audio tube guide to help you to plan your journey. Most guides and leaflets are available in braille on request. The Describe Online website offers text guides to London Underground stations.
For more information about travelling on the London Underground, visit Transport for London.


text:
Jeff Chastain needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 59 designs submitted by 13 freelance designers.
Affect4 Technology Solutions, Inc.
Affect4 Technology Solutions is a new breed of IT service provider. We partner with today's today business owners to match up their business objectives with the right technology and work with them to implement, support, and grow their business from a technology standpoint. We provide computer hardware and software solutions, end user support and training services, online marketing services, and data backup and recovery services to small and medium sized businesses who have the need for an internal IT department, but not the size or budget.
The full logo should contain all three words - 'Affect4 Technology Solutions' with Affect4 receiving the most prominence.
Concept: The concept for Affect4 was with the idea of enabling technology to have a positive affect for today's business.
Target Audience: The target audience is small and medium sized business owners, financial decision makers, and technology directors. These individuals are largely male and most likely over 40 years of age.
Logo Requirements: This is a new company and needs a new, bold branding for the company. The colors should be strong and the word "Affect4" should be the focus. The logo should be able to be readily identifiable on both light and dark backgrounds.
Contest Winner will need to provide:
1. Unlocked vector file in either .eps or .ai format
2. Font names and file location(s)
3. JPEG color palette showing all colors used in the logo and their corresponding PMS, CMYK, RGB and HEX #'s.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
The human aspect
There is a good reason for our success in attracting talent. We understand that it's all about the ecosystem of work: the company culture, the way you experience leadership, the quality of the projects you are working on, and the environment you are working in. We are trying to improve the experience our people have of working at BearingPoint by viewing them as what they are: our internal clients. In addition to our extensive training offerings, we match our people's lifestyles with the projects they are working on whenever business permits, and we push diversity as a great way to refresh our perspectives.
While a competitive salary must be a given, the factors determining your everyday work make all the difference – for example, the company culture, your interactions with leadership, the quality of the projects you are working on, and the environment you are working in. This is what counts day in, day out, and this is what we focused our people strategy on.
Diversity of staff is not only something our people expect, it is a prerequisite for an innovative culture. It's an opportunity to become better because diverse perspectives will lead to better results. In 2018, one of our priorities is to go beyond diversity of gender and push also for diversity of generations.
Diversity creates a positive working environment in which everybody feels included, which is a key lever in terms of motivation and commitment…
Muriel Monteiro Global Diversity Leader
Sustainability is a mind-set that our founders anchored in our corporate culture when they defined stewardship as a principle that guides us to grow and develop the firm over the long term. This mind-set has shaped our behavior, not only in economic terms, but also towards the environment and society as a whole. With this report, we bring this all together on an annual basis by revisiting our efforts, which allows for greater transparency and better results.
Sustainability is part of our corporate DNA. When we created this firm back in 2009, we were determined to build something to last for generations to come…
Peter Mockler Managing Partner
Market-leading consultancy services and solutions funded by BearingPoint are delivered by experienced consultants who volunteer to help charities to make a difference. As with any other client that hires us, we apply our full range of capabilities. We offer our business and technology consulting skills and solutions to help our charity partners make a greater impact. We also run surgeries on key operational challenges where a group of consultants solves problems and accelerates solutions.
The Shannon Trust transforms lives by inspiring prisoners who can read to teach prisoners who cannot. The Shannon Trust requested support to define the …Read more
CoderDojo is a global movement of free, volunteer-led, community-based programming clubs for 5-17-year-olds…Read more
Plan International is one of the world's largest children's rights organizations. Plan International Sweden set the target of increasing financial contributions to …Read more
TwentyTwenty provides training and development in Lifeskills Centres for young people who are not in education, training, or jobs…Read more


text:
Oil Kings win WHL Championship
Well it's been forever since I last posted. Sorry, but while the Oilers hockey world has not been busy, I sure as heck have been! I haven't had a lot of time to post, but this news from tonight deserves posting.
I got to witness some more history tonight at Rexall Place as the Edmonton Oil Kings won the Ed Chynoweth Cup (awarded to the winner of the WHL Playoffs), and will advanced to the 2012 Memorial Cup Final in Shawinigan. Rexall Place was crazy loud tonight. I had recorded a video of the final moments of the game, plus the trophy ceremonies but I goofed up. It didn't save. Booo. However, this game was absolutely spectacular. The Oil Kings got the early lead and never really took the foot off the gas. I'm pretty proud of how they played.
They will head to Shawinigan for the Memorial Cup, which will feature the host team (Shawinigan Cataractes), the OHL Champion London Knights, and the QMJHL Champions, the Saint John Sea Dogs. The tournament goes from May 18-27th, and is a round-robin format tournament. Each team will play each other once. The 2nd and 3rd place teams will face each other in a semi-final (with the possibility of a tie breaker game before that if necessary). The winner of that semi-final will go on to face the round robin's top team in the final on the 27th.
I know many of you probably skipped out on watching these Oil Kings games, but I can assure you it was the best hockey I've seen all year, even with all the excitement from the Nuge, Hall, and Eberle. Do yourself a favor and watch the Memorial Cup and cheer our junior team on!


text:
Wilori New Attractive Purple Pure Cotton Straight Fit Dress Material
Owing to the presence of our expert craftsmen, we have been able to manufacture, trade, and supply Heavy Salwar Suit. Our offered salwar suit is designed from the best quality fabric and latest stitching machines keeping in pace with ongoing fashion trends. Offered salwar suit is properly checked by our quality experts on well-defined parameters of quality, in order to offer only perfect range to customers. Moreover, customers can avail this Salwar Kameez from us in various customized options as per their demands. We are the reckoned manufacturer, trader and supplier of an excellent quality Heavy Dupatta Work Salwar Kameez that has full embroidery on top & dupatta season.A whole range of new designs in Anarkali Suit is now available online with us.


text:
Obama plea for military strikes against Syria forces potential GOP candidates to choose sides
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's plea to Congress for the go-ahead for military strikes against Syria is forcing ambitious Republicans weighing a White House bid to choose sides, as the party is bitterly divided over the U.S. role in foreign policy.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky remains unequivocal in his opposition, tangling with Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday over constitutional powers and the possibility that a U.S. attack will further destabilize the Mideast. The tea party favorite and leading anti-interventionist in the GOP sees only a downside to a U.S. attack.
"There's no sentiment in Kentucky, and the people up here are so out of touch," Paul told reporters on a conference call after a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing with Kerry and other national security officials. "These senators who are going to vote for this, they need to go home and talk to their people or look at what their people are saying because people do not want to get involved in Syria and, despite what the people want, their senators are going to vote the opposite way, I have a bad feeling."
Paul didn't rule out a Senate filibuster of a resolution authorizing the president to use military force.
"Whether there is an actual standing filibuster, I've got to check my shoes and see if I can hold my water," he said. "We'll see. I haven't made a decision on that."
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a fierce foe of Syrian President Bashar Assad, expressed frustration with the Obama administration's handling of Syria and skepticism about U.S. involvement.
"When America ignores these problems, these problems don't ignore us," Rubio told senior administration officials at the Senate hearing. "Yes, this is a horrible incident where perhaps 1,000 people died, but before this incident 100,000 people had died ... and nothing happened."
The administration says it has proof that the Assad regime used deadly chemical weapons in an attack on Damascus suburbs and must respond. It places the number killed at 1,429 people, including 426 children. However, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights puts the death toll at 502.
Potential Republican presidential candidates hardly want to appear weak on national security, an issue that traditionally has been a strength for the GOP. But no one knows whether the United States would be drawn into a protracted conflict or if limited military steps would prove unsuccessful in the 2-year-old civil war.
Any Republican who supports the use of force resolution essentially will be siding with Obama, who is despised in conservative circles, and a vote in favor could anger more isolationist Republicans who are wary of getting involved in another military conflict after more than a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The votes could dog Republican candidates with voters in early primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Even the most nuanced explanation for a vote could be undermined by events on the ground.
Yet if Republicans oppose the resolution, they could be accused of giving Assad a pass after his regime used chemical weapons.
Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, who managed Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, said a vote in favor of the resolution would be the equivalent of "a purchase of stock over the long term in Obama's decision-making on Syria."
"Any Republican may go into a vote thinking, 'I have given authority for a limited scope of action to the president,' but the reality is you're buying stock in the president's current decisions on Syria and also his future actions in any escalation that may occur," Schmidt said.
Polls show public opposition to U.S. military intervention in Syria, regardless of whether Syria's government used chemical weapons on its people, and doubts about airstrikes across party lines.
A war vote can make or break a candidate. Just ask Hillary Rodham Clinton.
In the 2008 Democratic primary, Obama used the October 2002 vote for the Iraq war as a cudgel against Clinton, who along with John Edwards voted to give President George W. Bush the broad authority to invade Iraq. Edwards said his vote was a mistake; Clinton stood by her decision — and never recovered with strong anti-war Democratic voters.
Clinton, a potential Democratic candidate in 2016, has not spoken publicly about Obama's attempt to win congressional support for a military strike against Syria. But an aide to Clinton said Tuesday that she supports the president's effort in Congress to pursue a targeted response to the Assad regime's alleged use of chemical weapons.
In 2004, the first presidential election since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Democratic primary voters rejected the anti-war candidate, Howard Dean, and nominated John Kerry, the decorated Vietnam War veteran who had backed the Iraq war. Kerry was perceived as the stronger candidate on national security against the incumbent president, but he stumbled in explaining his Iraq war votes, saying he voted for an $87 billion war supplemental "before I voted against it." Bush prevailed in the election.
For Republicans, the debate over Syria foreshadows a fierce argument in the party over the role of U.S. foreign policy and military involvement after Iraq and Afghanistan. The divisions have been simmering for months.
Paul conducted a lengthy Senate filibuster in March to raise concerns over the president's use of aerial drones to kill suspected terrorists, rallying libertarians within the party. Some establishment Republicans opposed the filibuster and pushed back against criticism of the National Security Agency's collection of hundreds of millions of U.S. phone records, saying it was needed to keep Americans safe.
In July, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called the libertarian strain within the GOP a "very dangerous thought" more than a decade after the Sept. 11 attacks. Paul responded, saying Christie was worried about the "dangers of freedom" instead of being concerned about losing those freedoms.
As Obama has pushed for the U.S. to intervene in Syria, the GOP divisions have emerged.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has expressed skepticism about possible intervention, saying the administration has yet to make a forceful case that it would protect U.S. national security interests.
The Syria question is easier to avoid outside Washington.
Christie, asked about the Syrian conflict Tuesday, told reporters the "use of chemical weapons is something that just is intolerable for civilized society," but he said he would "let the policymaking be done by the people who are getting the bulk of the briefing on this, which is our federal representatives."