Zoe - Recently Updated Pages

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Anonymous — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:29:55 CDT

Welcome to WetPaint!

May your time

* Here * There * and * Everywhere *

be watched, blessed & protected

by The Angels....

God Bless You

Touch this photo for GOOD LUCK!!!!

Touch Down!!!

Holmes, who overcame his gritty childhood in rural south Florida, made a brilliant touchdown catch with 35 seconds left to give the Pittsburgh Steelers their record sixth Super Bowl title, a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

"I dared the team," Holmes said. "Just give me the ball, give me the chance to make plays and I will do it for you."

He was true to his word on the 6-yard winner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meeting up with

Michele Smith!!!

To View Photos
Click Below
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=87391234196535794/l=463507149/g=114406079/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photos by Zoe

Check out my Latest

Photos from this years

Hurricane Season
Link it here

hurricaneseason2008.snapfish.com/snapfish

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=239496746/a=114406079_114406079/groupid=2931710/groupownerid=114406079/t_=114406079

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ann Arbor Gold

16U

Fastpitch Softball

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Tournament Photos

http://www2.snapfish.com/groupview/groupid=2656472/groupownerid=114406079/t_=114406079

Photos by Zoe

Full Post Hurricane Ike Moon

Sept. 14th, 2008

Photos by Zoe

Common yet Handsome Frog

Frog Invasion

caused by Hurricane Gustof,Hannah,Ike

Sept 2008

#11 Jessica Rives

The Athlete's Prayer

God, let me play well but fairly.
Let competition make me strong but never hostile.
In this and in all things, guide me to the virtuous path.
If I know victory, grant me happiness;
If I am denied, keep me from envy.
See me not when I am cheered, but when I bend to help my opponent up.
Seal it in my heart that everyone who takes the field with me becomes my sister.
Remind me that sports are just games.
Teach me something that will matter once the games are over.
And if through athletics I set an example – let it be a good one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rise to the occasion.

Strive to be the best. Win with integrity.

RSW

Short Practice Clips
from two years ago

Bare with me Im learning to use my camera

for movies lol

Varsity

http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w319/ZoeGirlfriend/?action=view&current=8943ca81.pbr

Jeff Metzger Floods PRHS Softball

Field

http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w319/ZoeGirlfriend/?action=view&current=MVI_7020.flv

JV to the right

Varsity to the left Practice Clip

http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w319/ZoeGirlfriend/?action=view&current=0d95177e.pbr

this was taken during varsity group practice

http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w319/ZoeGirlfriend/?action=view&current=ad5a4735.pbr

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Varsity

http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w319/ZoeGirlfriend/?action=view&current=bed38674.pbr

"Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you

try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never

grow."

--Ronald E. Osborn

"Why do we have to wait for special moments to say nice things or tell

people we care about them?"

--Randy K. Milholland, Something Positive Comic, 12-09-05

Music,Music,Music,Music,Music,Music

PRHS Drumline

"The Last of Atlas"

Be sure to check the navigation

bar for the band's playing schedule

to be posted very soon

Music,Music,Music,Music,Music,Music

"The Last of Atlas"

This page was created for Jessica Rives by her mom........

http://zoephotography.wetpaint.com/

PASS IT ON

Jessica's Fall Softball Fundraising Page

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:19:53 CDT

Jess & Two Time
Olympic Medalist
Michele Smith

Jess will be travelling this fall to Ohio and possibly Texas as well
to as other cities in Florida with her Travel Softball team so that
means she will have to raise funds for this. Below I have a few
items I am offering for certain donations made. My first suggestion
would be to pay through paypal which is the most secure or send
her a check or cash through the mail.
Thank you for your donations and
God Bless!

Level one Donation 15.00 - (you get) Naples,Fla T-shirt different styles according to
availability
Level Two Donation 20.00(you get) Naples,Fla Cap Beige,Pink & Blue
Level Three Donation 30.00 (you get) Extra Large Oversized Naples,Fla Beach Towel
very good quality Naples,Fla embroidered

please email
your request
to
ZOEOFNAPLES@aol.com

If you'd like to just send one dollar ,five dollars, whatever to
her in the form of a cash donation
send it to
Miss Jessica Rives
211 6th street ne
Naples,Fla 34120

Daily Fortune Cookie

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:33:51 CDT

Full Moon Names
and Their Meanings

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year. Here is the Farmers Almanac's list of the full Moon names

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This months moon
• Full Corn Moon - September
This full moon's name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Most often, the September full moon is actually the Harvest Moon.

August 2009 Lunar Guide Pacific Standard Time Daily Transits Graph google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);
The Lunar Living Astrology Moon Signs Guide for scheduling your daily activities is updated the first of each month. Two other factors to consider when planning your activities is whether Mercury is retrograde motion when planning travels, automobile transactions, contracts, new studies, mail, electronics, communications, publishing, health, activities with neighbors, co-workers & domestic pets, in addition checking on to your personal power days. Some people also check whether the Moon is Void of Course during the time of the event that they are planning. The Moon's Void of Course can minimize productivity or reduce effectiveness of events. Email us through the "Talk to Us" link near the top of the page to obtain information about ordering personalized Daily Activities Guides. Check out your "personal power" days for the month. Mercury's Retrograde is: Not active this month.
Agriculture Activities
Purchasing Animals	Best days are: 21, 22, 23, 24, 27
Castrating Animals (Neuter & Spay)	Best days are: 27
Weaning Animals (and Children)	Best days are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 27, 28, 29, 30
Irrigate Crops & Water Lawns	Best days are: 8, 9, 17, 18, 25, 26
Set Fence Posts	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
Canning & Preserves	Best days are: 12, 13, 14, 17, 18
Drying/smoking Meat & Produce	Best days are: 10, 11
Brewing Drinks	Best days are: 8, 9, 17, 18
Weed/Pest Control	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16
Prune Shrubs & Trees	Best days are: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 To Promote Fruit: No Dates for this Month. For Healing: 10, 11, 17, 18 For Beauty: No Dates for this Month.
Hunting Large Game	Best days are: 1, 2, 27, 28, 29
Hunting Birds	Best days are: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24
Fishing	Best days are: 6, 7
Household google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);
Baking	Best days are: No Dates for this Month.
Sewing	Best days are: 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 23, 24
Paint	Best days are: 6, 7
Pour Cement	Best days are: 6, 7, 12, 13
Repair Electronics	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26
Repair Autos & Appliances	Best days are: 21, 22
Purchase Electronics & Cell Phones	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 23, 24
Purchase Automobiles	Best days are: 3, 4, 15, 16, 30
Purchase Appliances	Best days are: 6, 7
Purchase a Home	Best days are: 19, 20
Sell a Home Use the dates that match your solar sign if active this month.	Best days are: 6-AQ, 7-AQ, 8-PI, 9-PI, 10-AR, 11-AR, 12-TA, 13-TA, 14-TA, 15-GE, 16-GE, 17-CN, 18-CN
Occasions
Plan & Have a Party	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, 24
Wedding	Best days are: 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24
Shop for Clothing	Best days are: 12, 13, 14, 23, 24
Travel & Vacation	Best days are: 1, 2, 27, 28, 29 Short Travel Dates are: No Dates for this Month.
Begin/Change Activities
Break Habits	Best days are: 15, 16, 19
Rehab to Break Addiction	Best days are:No Dates for this Month.
Housebreak Pets or Potty Train Child	Best days are: 3, 23, 24, 30
New Job	Best days are: 3, 4, 21, 22, 30
New Studies	Best days are: 1, 2, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29
Write a Will	Best days are: 25, 26
Join Club or Group	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 23, 24
Home Repair or Decorating	Best days are: 23, 24
Move	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26
Start Savings	Best days are:No Dates for this Month.
Lose Weight	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 10, 11
Gain Weight	Best days are: No Dates for this Month.
End a Relationship	Best days are: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18
Business Activity google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);
Reinvest - Change Savings	Best days are: 3, 4, 25, 26, 30
Invest in Real Property for Financial Gain	Best days are: 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24, 30
Borrow Money	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Collect Outstanding Debts	Best days are: 3, 4, 23, 24, 30
Medical Care
Visit Doctor	Best days are: 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24, 30
Test Eyes (When Moon is in your Solar Sign)	Best days are: 1-SA, 2-SA, 3-CP, 4-CP, 21-VI, 22-VI, 23-LI, 24-LI, 25-SC, 26-SC, 27-SA, 28-SA, 29-SA, 30-CP
Visit Dentist	Best days are: 21, 22
Fill Teeth	Best days are: 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
Extract Teeth	Best days are: 15, 16, 21, 22, 27
Purchase Medications	Best days are: 21, 22, 25, 26
Purchase Herbs & Health Foods/Medications	Best days are: 21, 22
Beauty Care
Beauty Treatments	Best days are: 23, 24
Hair Perm, Straighten or Color	Best days are:No Dates for this Month.
Cut Hair to Increase Growth	Best days are: 21
Cut Hair to Decrease Growth	Best days are: 10, 11, 15, 16
Cut Hair to Thicken	Best days are: No Dates for this Month.
Hair Removal Treatment	Best days are: 8, 9, 17, 18, 25, 26
Massage Therapy	Best days are: 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19
Spa Treatments	Best days are: 8, 9, 23, 24
Purchase Beauty Products	Best days are: 8, 9, 12, 13
The Moon's placement for this chart is based on Pacific Standard Time (PST). The sign of the Moon plus the phase of the Moon at midnight for the listed date/s is considered the primary placement for the day in this time zone. This is a general list of lunar phase activity dates.

God Bless You

The Consequences of TEXTING & DRIVING

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:12:29 CDT

Here is the PSA on the Dangers of TEXTING & DRIVING - This was created for drivers to watch to turn them away from using their cell phones while driving. PLEASE BE WARNED this video is VERY GRAPHIC!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32551351/ns/today-today_technology_and_money/

Help Your Teen Realize They are in an abusive relationship

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:53:27 CDT

Ask your Teenager

Watch this....

EXPECT

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:46:41 CST

a miracle

pass it on

a miracle
pass it on

another miracle
pass it on

One More Miracle
pass it on

PussyCat Dolls

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:22:37 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Palmetto Ridge HighSchool Softball 2009 Schedule

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:48:30 CST

Girls Varsity
Wed	02/04/09	@ Preseason Classic	Naples High School	TBA
Thu	02/05/09	@ Preseason Classic	Naples High School	TBA
Tue	02/10/09	@ Barron Collier High School		7:00PM
Thu	02/12/09	@ Estero High School		7:00PM
Wed	02/18/09	@ Mariner High School		7:00PM
Fri	02/20/09	@ Ida S. Baker		7:00PM
Tue	02/24/09	Naples High School	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM
Thu	02/26/09	North Port High School	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM
Wed	03/04/09	Gulf Coast High School		7:00PM
Sat	03/07/09	Gulliver Prep	FGCU Softball Field	TBA
Tue	03/10/09	@ Immokalee High School		7:00PM
Fri	03/13/09	Lely High School	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM
Wed	03/18/09	Golden Gate High School	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM
Fri	03/20/09	@ Gulliver Prep Slam		TBA
Sat	03/21/09	@ Gulliver Prep Slam		TBA
Fri	03/27/09	@ Jupiter Tournament		TBA
Sat	03/28/09	@ Jupiter Tournament		TBA
Tue	03/31/09	@ Naples High School		7:00PM
Thu	04/02/09	Estero High School	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM
Mon	04/13/09	Barron Collier High School	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM
Fri	04/17/09	@ Longshore Tournament	Naples High School	TBA
Sat	04/18/09	@ Longshore Tournament		TBA
Tue	04/21/09	District Quarter Finals	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM
Wed	04/22/09	District Semifinals	PRHS Softball Field	5:00PM
Wed	04/22/09	District Semifinals	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM
Thu	04/23/09	District Final	PRHS Softball Field	7:00PM

Your Dryer & Fire Safety

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:02:05 CDT

Clean Your Dryer, Wall & Roof Dryer Vents

15,000 house fires per year in the U.S. are caused by clothes dryers, you will learn the dangers. Clean out your lint hoses regularily and keep your lint screen clean - clean after every load - Its also best not to leave your dryer running if youre not home and run it during the day ONLY when you are able to supervise.

watch this video

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/516077/house_fire_caused_by_dryer/

SouthWest Florida Dryer Vent Cleaning
239-462-8141

approximate charge 90.00

Naples Heat Wave Photos

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:57:23 CDT

Naples Heat Wave
Photos
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZOWzFs2cs2LXLg

Ann Arbor Gold 2008 Season Photos

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:05:30 CDT

Ann Arbor Gold

16u 2008

photos

http://www2.snapfish.com/groupview/groupid=2656472/groupownerid=114406079/t_=114406079

Your Teen & Bullying

Anonymous — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:03:10 CDT

Bullying is very real and alive these days......on and off the internet.
.

Article......
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/woman-indicted-in-myspace-suicide-case/20080515152309990001?icid=1615988631x1202437624x1200305619

A Missouri woman was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.Lori Drew, 49, of suburban St. Louis, who allegedly helped create a MySpace account in the name of someone who didn't exist to convince Megan Meier she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans, was charged with conspiracy and fraudulently gaining access to someone else's computer.

Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006, allegedly after receiving a dozen or more cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her.

Salvador Hernandez, assistant agent in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office, called the case heart-rending.

"The Internet is a world unto itself. People must know how far they can go before they must stop. They exploited a young girl's weaknesses," Hernandez said. "Whether the defendant could have foreseen the results, she's responsible for her actions."

Drew was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress on the girl.

Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Megan.

Dean Steward, a lawyer representing Drew in the federal case, said a legal challenge to the charges was being planned. He characterized them as unusual and puzzling.

"We thought when prosecutors in St. Louis looked at the case and all the facts, it was clear no criminal acts occurred," Steward said.

A man who opened the door at the Drew family home in Dardenne Prairie, Mo., on Thursday said the family had no comment.

Megan's mother, Tina Meier, told The Associated Press she believed media reports and public outrage helped move the case forward for prosecution.

"I'm thrilled that this woman is going to face charges that she has needed to face since the day we found out what was going on, and since the day she decided to be a part of this entire ridiculous stunt," she said.

Megan's father, Ron Meier, 38, said he began to cry "tears of joy" when he heard of the indictment. The parents are now separated, which Tina Meier has said stemmed in part from the circumstances of their daughter's death.

Tina Meier has acknowledged Megan was too young to have a MySpace account under the Web site's guidelines, but she said she had been able to closely monitor the account. Meier's family has also acknowledged that Megan was also sending mean messages before her death.

Megan was being treated for attention deficit disorder and depression, her family has said. Meier has said Drew knew Megan was on medication.

MySpace issued a statement saying it "does not tolerate cyberbullying" and was cooperating fully with the U.S. attorney.

U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said this was the first time the federal statute on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking case. It has been used in the past to address hacking.

"This was a tragedy that did not have to happen," O'Brien said at a Los Angeles press conference.

Both the girl and MySpace are named as victims in the case, he said.

Rebecca Lonergan, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Southern California, said use of the federal cyber crime statute may be open to challenge.

Lonergan, who used the statute in the past to file charges in computer hacking and trademark theft cases, said the crimes covered by the law involve obtaining information from a computer, not sending messages out to harrass someone.

"Here it is the flow of information away from the computer," she said. "It's a very creative, aggressive use of the statute. But they may have a legally tough time meeting the elements."

She said, however, that because "a very bad harm was done," the courts may grant some latitude.

MySpace is a subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Fox Interactive Media Inc., which is owned by News Corp. The indictment noted that MySpace computer servers are located in Los Angeles County.

Due to juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the indictment refers to the girl as M.T.M.

FBI agents in St. Louis and Los Angeles investigated the case, Hernandez said.

Each of the four counts carries a maximum possible penalty of five years in prison.

Federal officials said Drew will be arraigned in St. Louis and moved to Los Angeles for trial. Her lawyer, however, said Drew did not have to surrender in Missouri but would be arraigned in early June in Los Angeles.

The indictment says MySpace members agree to abide by terms of service that include, among other things, not promoting information they know to be false or misleading; soliciting personal information from anyone under age 18 and not using information gathered from the Web site to "harass, abuse or harm other people."

Drew and others who were not named conspired to violate the service terms from about September 2006 to mid-October that year, according to the indictment. It alleges they registered as a MySpace member under a phony name and used the account to obtain information on the girl.

Drew and her coconspirators "used the information obtained over the MySpace computer system to torment, harass, humiliate, and embarrass the juvenile MySpace member," the indictment charged.

The indictment contends they committed or aided in a dozen "overt acts" that were illegal, including using a photograph of a boy that was posted without his knowledge or permission.

They used "Josh" to flirt with Megan, telling her she was "sexi," the indictment charged.

Around Oct. 7, 2006, Megan was told "Josh" was moving away, prompting the girl to write: "aww sexi josh ur so sweet if u moved back u could see me up close and personal lol."

Several days later, "Josh" urged the girl to call and added: "i love you so much."

But on or about Oct. 16, "Josh" wrote to the girl and told her "in substance, that the world would be a better place without M.T.M. in it," according to the indictment.

The girl hanged herself the same day, and Drew and the others deleted the information in the account, the indictment said.

Last month, an employee of Drew, 19-year-old Ashley Grills, told ABC's "Good Morning America" she created the false MySpace profile but Drew wrote some of the messages to Megan.

Grills said Drew suggested talking to Megan via the Internet to find out what Megan was saying about Drew's daughter, who was a former friend.

Grills also said she wrote the message to Megan about the world being a better place without her. The message was supposed to end the online relationship with "Josh" because Grills felt the joke had gone too far.

"I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I could get rid of the whole MySpace," Grills told the morning show.

Megan's death was investigated by Missouri authorities, but no state charges were filed because no laws appeared to apply to the case.

Associated Press Writers Greg Risling in Los Angeles, Betsy Taylor in St. Louis and Lara Jakes Jordan in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

T-Shirts by Zoe

Anonymous — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:17:22 CDT

For Sale
Please inquire from
within

Zoe Cleaning of Naples

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:43:43 CDT

ZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoe

~***~ Zoe Cleaning of Naples, Inc.~***~

~***~ 239-572-4199~***~

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Detail Cleanings

Saturday Availability

We are backed by

some of Naples most exclusive realtors and realtor

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Honesty - Integrity

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Residential/Condominium Cleaning

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Affordable Window Cleaning

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pre/Post Sale Cleaning

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Errands & Shopping Services

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We LUV Office Cleaning!!!

PERSONALIZED SERVICE

We strive to deliver personalized service to our customers as our clients are very important to us and we are very proud of our long list of realtor references which you will find below!!

Thank you for taking the time to read this email and please do forward it to anyone you might know that might need us.

**We now accept Visa and Master Card.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I come to the edge of all the light,

I know, and am about to step off into the

darkness of the unknown,

FAITH is knowing

one of two things will happen ...

Either there will be something solid to

stand on or I will be taught how to fly.

karen tucker

****

See with your heart not with your
eyes, for beauty lies everywhere.

The mind reasons, the heart knows.

****

written by my mother

Karen Tucker

1943-2003

Pray a Cure For Pulmonary Fibrosis will be found

What symptoms are linked to
and what causes Pulmonary Fibrosis?

http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/ipf.htm

What is respitory Disease?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_disease

Never ignore
symptoms that may be linked
to Pulmonary Fibrosis
or Respitory Disease...
Cat Scans
are your best
protection
against Misdiagnosis.

************************************************

ZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoeZoe

************************************************

((((Because it's Sold!))))

love, Zoe

internet search reference
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Important Softball Links

ZoeGurl — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:39:26 CDT

Combat Softball Bats!

Best Damn Bats!
Jack One Virus Style!
Don't Touch My Combat!
http://www.combatbaseball.com/dealers/dealercom.aspx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rising Stars: http://www.risingstarsevents.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

USA Softball: http://www.usasoftball.com/news.asp?uid=2262

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
National Pro Fastpitch: http://www.profastpitch.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pitch2fast: http://pitch2fast.com/fastpitch/index.php

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get Softball back in the Olympics Petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/olysoftb/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michelle Smith's Oficial Website: http://www.michelesmith.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jennie Finch's Official website: http://www.jenniefinch.net/

http://www.fastpitching.com/index.html

"Faith" by Karen Tucker

ZoeGurl — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:56:46 CDT

FAITH

When I come to the edge of all the light,

I know, and am about to step off into the

darkness of the unknown,

FAITH is knowing

one of two things will happen ...

Either there will be something solid to

stand on or I will be taught how to fly.

karen tucker

****

See with your heart not with your
eyes, for beauty lies everywhere.

The mind reasons, the heart knows.

****

written by my mother

Karen Tucker

who died completely unexpected

from undiagnosed Pulmonary Fibrosis

1943-2003

Pray a Cure For Pulmonary Fibrosis will be found

What symptoms are linked to
and what causes Pulmonary Fibrosis?

http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/ipf.htm

What is respitory Disease?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_disease

Never ignore
symptoms
that just wont go away.
Include a lung/chest x-ray
in your annual physical.
Cat Scans
& Xrays
aid
in
protection
against Undiagnosis/Misdiagnosis.
Undiagnosis/Misdiagnosis KILLS.

Money Angel

ZoeGurl — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:44:29 CDT

Money Angel

This is a money angel.

Paste/Copy & Pass it to 6 of your good friends or family and be rich in 4 Days.

Paste/Copy & Pass it to 12 of your good friends or family and be rich in 2 Days.

I am not joking. You will find an unexpected windfall If you delete it, you will lose out on on that MONEY!!
. Trust me!!!

PLEASE SAVE DARFUR!!!!

ZoeGurl — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:09:24 CDT

Did you know that 2.5 million people have been driven from their
homes in Darfur, Sudan? Each day, they face threats that are
hard for us to even imagine, including rape, disease, and
starvation.

These people need our help to put an end to the genocide and
they need it NOW.

Please join me in taking the first step to stopping the
violence.

Visit the link below to sign the Save Darfur Coalition's
petition urging President Bush and UN Secretary-General Ban to
take immediate steps to stop the killing.
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/savedarfurcoalition

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of millions of
people in the region who desperately need outside help.

The Save Darfur Coalition is urging the international community
to prevent further killings, displacement, and rape by deploying
the UN peacekeeping force that has already been authorized,
strengthening the understaffed African Union force that is
already in Darfur, establishing a no-fly zone, increasing
humanitarian aid, and ensuring access for delivery of food,
medication and other essential supplies.

Please do not stand by while the violence continues - you can
make a difference. Visit the link below to get involved.
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/savedarfurcoalition

Then please forward this message to your friends and family and
ask them to join you.

If you'd like to make a donation to support the campaign, visit
the link below now.
http://www.SaveDarfur.org/Donate

Thank you for your help.
Jullian Rives

--------------------------------------------

The Save Darfur Coalition is an alliance of over 180
faith-based, advocacy and humanitarian organizations whose
mission is to raise public awareness about the ongoing genocide
in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response to the atrocities
that threaten the lives of more than two million people in the
Darfur region. To learn more, please visit
http://www.SaveDarfur.org

http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/savedarfurcoalition?rk=A1spFcK1e48jW

Can drinking water cause illness or even cancer?

ZoeGurl — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:39:04 CDT

Zoe Note:

It is my opinion that cancer

can be linked to drinking and cooking

with
improperly
filtered
&
unfiltered
TAP WATER.

Even your choice

in bottled water demands

discernment but its a heck of
a lot better than the
improperly
filtered
even
unfiltered
TAP
if you read the label.
Do you know how many
fill baby bottles & cook with
improperly
filtered
even unfiltered
tap water?

Live Forever
&
Be Blessed

Zoe
_____________

Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water

AP
Posted: 2008-03-10 06:49:46
Filed Under: Health News, Nation News, Science News
(March 9) - A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.

Matt Rourke, AP

What's in the Water?

To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.

But the presence of so many prescription drugs — and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.

In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.

Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed.

How do the drugs get into the water?

People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.

And while researchers do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals, recent studies — which have gone virtually unnoticed by the general public — have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife.

"We recognize it is a growing concern and we're taking it very seriously," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Most Toxic
Cities in U.S.

1 of 10

Last year, Environmental Data Resources ranked America's most toxic cities, defined by the amount of man-made chemical in each area's soil. Click through the photos to see the top 10.
10. Cincinnati | Contaminated Sites: 22,992
Leaking storage tanks: 1,719 | Corrective action reports: 44

Members of the AP National Investigative Team reviewed hundreds of scientific reports, analyzed federal drinking water databases, visited environmental study sites and treatment plants and interviewed more than 230 officials, academics and scientists. They also surveyed the nation's 50 largest cities and a dozen other major water providers, as well as smaller community water providers in all 50 states.

Here are some of the key test results obtained by the AP:

--Officials in Philadelphia said testing there discovered 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water, including medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems. Sixty-three pharmaceuticals or byproducts were found in the city's watersheds.

--Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications were detected in a portion of the treated drinking water for 18.5 million people in Southern California.

--Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed a Passaic Valley Water Commission drinking water treatment plant, which serves 850,000 people in Northern New Jersey, and found a metabolized angina medicine and the mood-stabilizing carbamazepine in drinking water.

--A sex hormone was detected in San Francisco's drinking water.

--The drinking water for Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas tested positive for six pharmaceuticals.

--Three medications, including an antibiotic, were found in drinking water supplied to Tucson, Ariz.

The situation is undoubtedly worse than suggested by the positive test results in the major population centers documented by the AP.

The federal government doesn't require any testing and hasn't set safety limits for drugs in water. Of the 62 major water providers contacted, the drinking water for only 28 was tested. Among the 34 that haven't: Houston, Chicago, Miami, Baltimore, Phoenix, Boston and New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, which delivers water to 9 million people.

Some providers screen only for one or two pharmaceuticals, leaving open the possibility that others are present.

The AP's investigation also indicates that watersheds, the natural sources of most of the nation's water supply, also are contaminated. Tests were conducted in the watersheds of 35 of the 62 major providers surveyed by the AP, and pharmaceuticals were detected in 28.

Yet officials in six of those 28 metropolitan areas said they did not go on to test their drinking water — Fairfax, Va.; Montgomery County in Maryland; Omaha, Neb.; Oklahoma City; Santa Clara, Calif., and New York City.

The New York state health department and the USGS tested the source of the city's water, upstate. They found trace concentrations of heart medicine, infection fighters, estrogen, anti-convulsants, a mood stabilizer and a tranquilizer.

City water officials declined repeated requests for an interview. In a statement, they insisted that "New York City's drinking water continues to meet all federal and state regulations regarding drinking water quality in the watershed and the distribution system" — regulations that do not address trace pharmaceuticals.

In several cases, officials at municipal or regional water providers told the AP that pharmaceuticals had not been detected, but the AP obtained the results of tests conducted by independent researchers that showed otherwise. For example, water department officials in New Orleans said their water had not been tested for pharmaceuticals, but a Tulane University researcher and his students have published a study that found the pain reliever naproxen, the sex hormone estrone and the anti-cholesterol drug byproduct clofibric acid in treated drinking water.

Of the 28 major metropolitan areas where tests were performed on drinking water supplies, only Albuquerque; Austin, Texas; and Virginia Beach, Va.; said tests were negative. The drinking water in Dallas has been tested, but officials are awaiting results. Arlington, Texas, acknowledged that traces of a pharmaceutical were detected in its drinking water but cited post-9/11 security concerns in refusing to identify the drug.

The AP also contacted 52 small water providers — one in each state, and two each in Missouri and Texas — that serve communities with populations around 25,000. All but one said their drinking water had not been screened for pharmaceuticals; officials in Emporia, Kan., refused to answer AP's questions, also citing post-9/11 issues.

Rural consumers who draw water from their own wells aren't in the clear either, experts say.

The Stroud Water Research Center, in Avondale, Pa., has measured water samples from New York City's upstate watershed for caffeine, a common contaminant that scientists often look for as a possible signal for the presence of other pharmaceuticals. Though more caffeine was detected at suburban sites, researcher Anthony Aufdenkampe was struck by the relatively high levels even in less populated areas.

He suspects it escapes from failed septic tanks, maybe with other drugs. "Septic systems are essentially small treatment plants that are essentially unmanaged and therefore tend to fail," Aufdenkampe said.

Even users of bottled water and home filtration systems don't necessarily avoid exposure. Bottlers, some of which simply repackage tap water, do not typically treat or test for pharmaceuticals, according to the industry's main trade group. The same goes for the makers of home filtration systems.

Contamination is not confined to the United States. More than 100 different pharmaceuticals have been detected in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and streams throughout the world. Studies have detected pharmaceuticals in waters throughout Asia, Australia, Canada and Europe — even in Swiss lakes and the North Sea.

For example, in Canada, a study of 20 Ontario drinking water treatment plants by a national research institute found nine different drugs in water samples. Japanese health officials in December called for human health impact studies after detecting prescription drugs in drinking water at seven different sites.

In the United States, the problem isn't confined to surface waters. Pharmaceuticals also permeate aquifers deep underground, source of 40 percent of the nation's water supply. Federal scientists who drew water in 24 states from aquifers near contaminant sources such as landfills and animal feed lots found minuscule levels of hormones, antibiotics and other drugs.

Perhaps it's because Americans have been taking drugs — and flushing them unmetabolized or unused — in growing amounts. Over the past five years, the number of U.S. prescriptions rose 12 percent to a record 3.7 billion, while nonprescription drug purchases held steady around 3.3 billion, according to IMS Health and The Nielsen Co.

"People think that if they take a medication, their body absorbs it and it disappears, but of course that's not the case," said EPA scientist Christian Daughton, one of the first to draw attention to the issue of pharmaceuticals in water in the United States.

Some drugs, including widely used cholesterol fighters, tranquilizers and anti-epileptic medications, resist modern drinking water and wastewater treatment processes. Plus, the EPA says there are no sewage treatment systems specifically engineered to remove pharmaceuticals.

One technology, reverse osmosis, removes virtually all pharmaceutical contaminants but is very expensive for large-scale use and leaves several gallons of polluted water for every one that is made drinkable.

Another issue: There's evidence that adding chlorine, a common process in conventional drinking water treatment plants, makes some pharmaceuticals more toxic.

Human waste isn't the only source of contamination. Cattle, for example, are given ear implants that provide a slow release of trenbolone, an anabolic steroid used by some bodybuilders, which causes cattle to bulk up. But not all the trenbolone circulating in a steer is metabolized. A German study showed 10 percent of the steroid passed right through the animals.

Water sampled downstream of a Nebraska feedlot had steroid levels four times as high as the water taken upstream. Male fathead minnows living in that downstream area had low testosterone levels and small heads.

Other veterinary drugs also play a role. Pets are now treated for arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, allergies, dementia, and even obesity — sometimes with the same drugs as humans. The inflation-adjusted value of veterinary drugs rose by 8 percent, to $5.2 billion, over the past five years, according to an analysis of data from the Animal Health Institute.

Ask the pharmaceutical industry whether the contamination of water supplies is a problem, and officials will tell you no. "Based on what we now know, I would say we find there's little or no risk from pharmaceuticals in the environment to human health," said microbiologist Thomas White, a consultant for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

But at a conference last summer, Mary Buzby — director of environmental technology for drug maker Merck & Co. Inc. — said: "There's no doubt about it, pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment and there is genuine concern that these compounds, in the small concentrations that they're at, could be causing impacts to human health or to aquatic organisms."

Recent laboratory research has found that small amounts of medication have affected human embryonic kidney cells, human blood cells and human breast cancer cells. The cancer cells proliferated too quickly; the kidney cells grew too slowly; and the blood cells showed biological activity associated with inflammation.

Also, pharmaceuticals in waterways are damaging wildlife across the nation and around the globe, research shows. Notably, male fish are being feminized, creating egg yolk proteins, a process usually restricted to females. Pharmaceuticals also are affecting sentinel species at the foundation of the pyramid of life — such as earth worms in the wild and zooplankton in the laboratory, studies show.

Some scientists stress that the research is extremely limited, and there are too many unknowns. They say, though, that the documented health problems in wildlife are disconcerting.

"It brings a question to people's minds that if the fish were affected ... might there be a potential problem for humans?" EPA research biologist Vickie Wilson told the AP. "It could be that the fish are just exquisitely sensitive because of their physiology or something. We haven't gotten far enough along."

With limited research funds, said Shane Snyder, research and development project manager at the Southern Nevada Water Authority, a greater emphasis should be put on studying the effects of drugs in water.

"I think it's a shame that so much money is going into monitoring to figure out if these things are out there, and so little is being spent on human health," said Snyder. "They need to just accept that these things are everywhere — every chemical and pharmaceutical could be there. It's time for the EPA to step up to the plate and make a statement about the need to study effects, both human and environmental."

To the degree that the EPA is focused on the issue, it appears to be looking at detection. Grumbles acknowledged that just late last year the agency developed three new methods to "detect and quantify pharmaceuticals" in wastewater. "We realize that we have a limited amount of data on the concentrations," he said. "We're going to be able to learn a lot more."

While Grumbles said the EPA had analyzed 287 pharmaceuticals for possible inclusion on a draft list of candidates for regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, he said only one, nitroglycerin, was on the list. Nitroglycerin can be used as a drug for heart problems, but the key reason it's being considered is its widespread use in making explosives.

So much is unknown. Many independent scientists are skeptical that trace concentrations will ultimately prove to be harmful to humans. Confidence about human safety is based largely on studies that poison lab animals with much higher amounts.

There's growing concern in the scientific community, meanwhile, that certain drugs — or combinations of drugs — may harm humans over decades because water, unlike most specific foods, is consumed in sizable amounts every day.

Our bodies may shrug off a relatively big one-time dose, yet suffer from a smaller amount delivered continuously over a half century, perhaps subtly stirring allergies or nerve damage. Pregnant women, the elderly and the very ill might be more sensitive.

Many concerns about chronic low-level exposure focus on certain drug classes: chemotherapy that can act as a powerful poison; hormones that can hamper reproduction or development; medicines for depression and epilepsy that can damage the brain or change behavior; antibiotics that can allow human germs to mutate into more dangerous forms; pain relievers and blood-pressure diuretics.

For several decades, federal environmental officials and nonprofit watchdog environmental groups have focused on regulated contaminants — pesticides, lead, PCBs — which are present in higher concentrations and clearly pose a health risk.

However, some experts say medications may pose a unique danger because, unlike most pollutants, they were crafted to act on the human body.

"These are chemicals that are designed to have very specific effects at very low concentrations. That's what pharmaceuticals do. So when they get out to the environment, it should not be a shock to people that they have effects," says zoologist John Sumpter at Brunel University in London, who has studied trace hormones, heart medicine and other drugs.

And while drugs are tested to be safe for humans, the timeframe is usually over a matter of months, not a lifetime. Pharmaceuticals also can produce side effects and interact with other drugs at normal medical doses. That's why — aside from therapeutic doses of fluoride injected into potable water supplies — pharmaceuticals are prescribed to people who need them, not delivered to everyone in their drinking water.

"We know we are being exposed to other people's drugs through our drinking water, and that can't be good," says Dr. David Carpenter, who directs the Institute for Health and the Environment of the State University of New York at Albany.

2008-03-09 18:50:12

Bottled Water
Pure Drink or Pure Hype? Top of Report

Chapter 5

MISLEADING BOTTLED WATER LABELING AND MARKETING

In 1995, FDA issued "standards of identity" -- essentially labeling rules, in response to a petition from the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). [230] These rules were widely acclaimed as a breakthrough that would prohibit misleading claims by unscrupulous water bottlers. While the rules do prohibit some of the most egregiously deceptive labeling practices by bottlers, they have by no means eliminated the problem.

Some Bottled Water Labels Remain Misleading to Consumers

The Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, found in a 1992 study that deceptive bottled water labeling was a widespread practice, with state authorities exasperated about FDA inaction in the face of frequent statements and vignettes indicating or implying that the bottled water was far purer than tap water or came from specific sources or had purity levels that may not have been justified. [231]
Many of these practices continue. For example, FDA rules allow bottlers to call their product "spring water" -- which seems to carry cachet with consumers as being especially natural and pure -- even though it may be brought to the surface using a pumped well, and even though it may be treated with chemicals. FDA merely requires that the geologic formation that is tapped by the well must come to the surface somewhere, sometimes, to allow the water pumped to the surface in a well to be called spring water. [232] Among the more interesting labels we have run across:

"Spring water" (with mountains and a lake on the label) actually from an industrial parking lot next to a hazardous waste site, ruled not misleading. A well located in the middle of an industrial warehouse facility and next to a state-designated industrial waste site in Millis, Massachusetts, produced this water, contaminated with industrial solvents including trichloroethylene at levels above EPA and FDA standards. The label gracing at least one of the many brands that used this water depicted a beautiful mountain in a reflection off a lake and was called "spring water." In response to a request from the state of Massachusetts, FDA opined that this label was acceptable so long as the water does come to the surface sometimes (it sometimes does in an unpaved area near the parking lot), and as long as "there is no claim to the effect that the location pictured in the vignette is the actual spring, we would not consider the label vignette to be in violation of our requirements." [233] Apparently, after public disclosure of the true source of the water and contamination problems, this well is no longer being used for bottled water.
"Alasika™ - Alaska Premium Glacier Drinking Water: Pure Glacier Water From The Last Unpolluted Frontier, Bacteria Free" apparently from a public water supply. This water actually came from "Public Water System #111241" (a public water system in Juneau, Alaska), according to documents in Washington State files. The bottler evidently was told that when it reordered its labels, it had to state that the water is "from a municipal source" or "from a community water system," in keeping with FDA rules; the phrase "pure glacier water" was, per documents in state files, "considered false and misleading." The bottler was required to drop the "bacteria free" claim, as this was "considered synonymous with sterile and false." This water no longer claims to be "glacier water" or "bacteria free." However, NRDC has found several other brands sold as "glacier" water even though they apparently come from groundwater nowhere near any current glacier.[234]
Vals Water "Known to Generations in France for its Purity and Agreeable Contribution to Health...Reputed to Help Restore Energy, Vitality, and Combat Fatigue." While the IBWA voluntary code prohibits health claims, some bottlers still make such claims.

In addition to these instances of bottled water labels, far more common -- in fact exceptionally widespread -- is the use of descriptive terminology that suggests bottled water is extraordinarily pure and uncontaminated. As an example, our review of the labels and Web site vignettes and advertising of about 50 IBWA members found the following terms used:

"Pure" -- eight bottlers.
"Purest" or "Purity" -- three bottlers.
"Pristine" -- five bottlers.
"Glacial" -- two bottlers.
"Natural" or "Prepared by Nature" -- eight bottlers.
"Naturally Purified" or "Naturally Occurring" -- three bottlers.
"Premium" -- five bottlers.
"Mountain Water" -- seven bottlers.
"Clean" -- two bottlers.
"Good Health" or "Healthy" -- two bottlers
"For Health Conscious" -- two bottlers

Thus, representations about bottled water purity, premium and natural sources, and healthfulness remain extremely widespread. The FDA rules seem to have little effect on bottlers' claims of water purity and cleanliness.

Bottled Water Marketing is Often False or Misleading

Bottled water marketing seeks to emphasize the supposed purity of bottled water, in many cases contrasting "pure" and "protected" bottled water with "inconsistent" or unpredictable tap water quality. In the words of a leading industry consultant, "Water bottlers are selling a market perception that water is 'pure and good for you'...." [235]
This effort to create a "market perception" of purity is an advertising mandate for the industry, notwithstanding the fact that just because water comes from a bottle does not mean that it is any purer than tap water, as we have seen in previous chapters. Among the common industry claims about bottled water that are of questionable veracity or that are clearly incorrect are:

Bottled water contains "no" chlorine or harmful chemicals. This claim is boldly featured on IBWA fact sheets and its Web site. [236] It clearly is false, as previous chapters have shown.
Bottled water is always high quality, whereas tap water is of inconsistent quality. IBWA often points out that "unfortunately, tap water can be inconsistent -- sometimes it might be okay and other times it is not." On the other hand, IBWA says, "quality is in every container of bottled water. It's consistent and it is inspected and monitored by governmental and private laboratories." [237] What IBWA neglects to point out, however, is that in many cases bottled water does contain contaminants, that most tap water is required to be monitored more often than bottled water (and testing must be done by government-certified labs, which is not the case for bottled water), and that about one fourth or more of the bottled water sold in the United States is derived from the same tap water IBWA says is of inconsistent quality.
No waterborne illness has been traced to bottled water. IBWA claims that "According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bottled water has never been responsible for an outbreak of waterborne illness." [238] In fact, as discussed in the Technical Report (print report only) and Appendix B, there have been waterborne-disease outbreaks traced to bottled water. For example, a bottled water-related cholera outbreak in U.S. territory in the Pacific was written up in 1996 in CDC's flagship journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and other outbreaks traced to bottled water in Portugal and elsewhere have been documented. [239]
Cryptosporidium cannot get into bottled water. The IBWA's fact sheets and Web site make the repeated claim that FDA rules "ensure that surface water contaminants such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia are not present" in bottled water derived from groundwater, and that all IBWA members using municipal water "reprocess this water [and] employ methods such as reverse osmosis, deionization, distillation, and filtration," implying this eliminates any risk. IBWA also implies that bottled water is safe for the immunocompromised. [240] There is no evidence that bottled water is truly immune from Cryptosporidium or Giardia unless it is fully protected and treated with EPA-CDC recognized best available technologies, and much bottled water does not receive this treatment. Indeed, internal industry communications highlight that IBWA is well aware that some bottlers do not use these treatment technologies. [241]
Imported bottled water must meet all U.S. rules. IBWA states that "any bottled water sold in the United States must meet all of the same regulations as domestically produced water." [242] But what is not mentioned is that FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices, source approval, and source-water-testing requirements apply at the source or bottling facility and are impossible for FDA to enforce when such facilities are outside of the United States. FDA does not conduct any foreign inspections of bottlers, so the degree to which foreign bottlers comply with these FDA rules is not known. What is clear, however, is that these FDA rules do not apply equally to foreign bottlers.

Although these claims may not be the most exaggerated of those made by the industry, they are troubling in that all of them are made by the leading industry trade association.
Also of concern is a major IBWA public relations campaign intended to persuade the public to drink more bottled water. The campaign, funded by IBWA members, is aimed to be "a comprehensive campaign to educate third-party groups and the media about the safety and quality of bottled water." The campaign includes slick advertising and fact sheets. Also central are briefings of the media, nonprofit health organizations, and groups representing the immunocompromised and retired persons. The campaign has also taken other steps, such as the sponsorship of an American Dietetic Association meeting. Mailings have been made to thousands of advocacy groups, members of the media, environmental and health groups. Several news stories have been placed, and expanded briefings in more cities were planned.
Thus, in a well-orchestrated effort, the bottled water industry has made major inroads into the public psyche, reinforcing perceptions about the purity of bottled water. While this clearly is within the industry's rights, it is important that bottlers not overstate their case or mislead the public into believing that bottled water is safer or better protected than is the case.

Everything Rachel Ray

ZoeGurl — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:24:50 CST

Rachel Ray's
Infamous

Chicken Mug Pie

http://rachaelrayblog.blogspot.com/

It's a Keeper!

Rachels

Strawberry Short Cake

Rachel's Recipe Box

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/hamburger-recipes/see-all-recipes?sort=date