Providing Quick Links to News Stories of Local Interest. Feel FREE to come back and leave comments on any story. Yes, even anonymously.... No Subscription Fees--No Registration!!! Enjoy!!! http://HermannMoNews.blogspot.com/
HERMANN MISSOURI OKTOBERFEST 2010
HERMANN MISSOURI OKTOBERFEST 2010 - CLICK ON PHOTO FOR THIS YEARS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
THOUSANDS of British women are so desperate for a bigger bottom they are risking their lives by taking pills designed to fatten up chickens.
The poultry tablets are packed with hormones that have been linked to breast cancer and liver problems in humans. Originally they were used by farmers to bulk up chickens - but it was discovered that when taken by women they enhance the size of thighs, hips and bottom. Now scores of online sites are also offering "herbal" versions of the tablets with names like Star Curves, Big Beautiful Butt Formula, and Brand New Booty pills. They are featured on sites including Amazon, eBay and Facebook and are also advertised on reality TV star Kim Kardashian's blog. Makers of the herbal pills claim the capsules only contain exotic plant extracts which mimic the effect of fat-building hormones. But medical experts have warned many of the pills are unregulated and those who take them cannot be sure what they contain.
SUTTER CREEK, Calif. -- Standing in a cramped, slanted and slippery crevice some 500 feet below the earth's surface, David Cochrane turned his eyes to a ribbon of marbled quartz - mainly gray, amber and white - and found the one hue he was actually looking for. "Right there, see? It's small, but it's very colorful," Cochrane said, pointing at a shiny speck no bigger than a seed. "It's got that nice yellow color." It was gold, and if people like Cochrane have their way, gold will soon be big business again in California's Mother Lode, in the same area of the Sierra - and occasionally the same mines - where the old-time prospectors once used pickaxes, ore carts and burros to chase their riches. "People say the Mother Lode's mined out," said Cochrane, a vice president with Sutter Gold Mining Inc., based in Colorado. "But that's not the case." Sutter Gold is just one of several companies seeking to reignite a stagnant industry in California, a state whose early history and growth were intertwined with gold's discovery, excavation and exploitation. Mining largely dried up in California after World War II as price controls made the business model unappealing. But with controls gone, and gold now selling at more than $1,300 an ounce, the math makes sense again. "The price is there," said James Hesketh, president and chief executive of Atna Resources, which reopened the Briggs Mine on the western border of Death Valley National Park in 2009. "It's still a very well-endowed resource state." Sutter Gold estimates that there could be $800 million or more in ore under the 3.6 mile stretch it owns in the Mother Lode. And with most of about three dozen local, state and federal permits already in hand, its new Lincoln Mine could be producing gold as early as next year. But Sutter Gold will not be the first to get back in the game in California. In addition to the Briggs Mine, which last year produced some 25,000 ounces of gold - or about $30 million worth - there is the Mesquite Mine, in Imperial County on the Mexican border, which reopened in 2008. In 2010, that mine outstripped company estimates to produce nearly 170,000 ounces of gold. Both the Briggs and Mesquite projects are open-pit mines. But here in the Sierra foothills, where the discovery of nuggets in 1848 set off the global rush of prospectors to California, miners are headed back underground. In addition to the Lincoln Mine, plans are afoot to reopen the Idaho-Maryland mine in Grass Valley, a family friendly area 50 miles northeast of Sacramento. That mine - now flooded - has not had hard hats in it since 1956, but a Canadian company is convinced that more than one million ounces of gold were left behind. "This was a world-class ore body," said David Watkinson, chief executive of the Emgold Mining Corp., which is spearheading the project. The Idaho-Maryland project is further from being shovel-ready than the Lincoln Mine: Pumping out more than 50 years of water will take time, after all, as does completing a variety of environmental impact reports and permitting processes. And the prospect of a newly opened mine has also been met with opposition from some local activists, whose worries are rooted in both the legacy of the first Gold Rush - including contaminated and sediment-filled rivers and hillsides denuded by hydraulic cannons - and by more modern quality-of-life concerns like traffic, noise and water rights. "We'd be looking at reopening a mine in the middle of a city," said Ralph Silberstein, president of a grass-roots group called Citizens Looking at the Impacts of Mining in Grass Valley (or Claim-GV). "Which is not a good idea." Like many of the other towns in the Mother Lode, Grass Valley has long since moved its economy away from mining toward things like software and tourism. The Gold Rush itself peaked in 1852, according to the state's Department of Conservation, when nearly 4 million ounces were discovered in California. By 1971, when the nation went off the gold standard, less than 2,000 ounces were produced in California. But the rebound in price has led to a rebound in production. Domestic gold mine production in 2010 increased for the first time in a decade, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Nevada is by far the largest gold-producing state, producing roughly four times that of all other states combined. Early California prospectors used pans and their hands to find nuggets in freezing cold streams. Methods soon became more intrusive, however, with machinery and dynamite being used to dig into hard rock and lethal chemicals like mercury and cyanide used to help process the crushed ore.
By TOM KRISHER | AP Business Writerwww.STLtoday.com Sunday, February 13, 2011
_________________________________________________________________________
The online coupon site Groupon.com and flower company FTD Group Inc. are offering refunds after getting complaints that a Valentine's Day flower deal wasn't so sweet. Both companies said they didn't do anything wrong, but they responded to Internet complaints that FTD inflated prices for some Groupon customers who used a coupon for $20 off an FTD flower purchase of $40 or more. The problem surfaced when several Groupon customers found the flowers they bought were priced lower as sale items on FTD's own website. They complained on the Groupon site and the Internet that FTD was making up for the Groupon discount by jacking up the prices. But FTD Group Inc. President Rob Apatoff said in an interview on Sunday that wasn't the case. He said it was clear on the sites that the coupon didn't apply to sale items. Still, Apatoff said the Downers Grove, Ill., company will credit the customers' accounts to give them the sale price, even if they don't ask for it. Both companies also say they will make full refunds if people aren't satisfied. "At no time did we inflate any prices. Absolutely not," Apatoff said. "Because there was some confusion with a few, we decided to step up and do the right thing to make sure everybody was happy." Even with the higher price on the Groupon site, Groupon customers always got a better deal with the $20 coupon than buying from the FTD site, Apatoff said. Discounts on the FTD site were $5 to $10 lower than the price on the Groupon site, he said. Groupon Inc. officials started seeing the complaints on Thursday and contacted FTD about the problem, Groupon.com President Rob Solomon said on Sunday. Together, they decided to credit the accounts of people who bought the sale items through Groupon, giving them the difference between the sale price and the price that was on the Groupon site, he said. The companies also put the FTD sale prices on the Groupon site, he said.
_________________________________________________________________________ WATCH: Christina Aguilera Screws Up The National Anthem At The Super Bowl
Dashiell Bennett | Feb. 6, 2011
_________________________________________________________________________
www.businessinsider.com The biggest moment any singer can ask for: "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl. And Christina Aguilera messed up the lyrics. At about 51 seconds in, as she was about to sing the fourth line ("O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming"), she accidentally sang a hybrid of the second line: "What so proudly we watched, at the twilight's last streaming." Like a professional, she seemed to know that she messed up, but kept going to the end. . Click Here to Read More.
__________________________________________________________________________
.
BigHeadRon ushers in the death of the SnowMonster on his suburban driveway with his reliable Honda HS35 Snowblower.
The never ending January snows drove several Midwesterners insane and they resorted to crazy tactics to stop the snow. BigHeadRon begins to believe that a SnowMonster given to him by his wife is to blame for the snow. He crafts a plan to kill the SnowMonster and executes it flawlessy on his driveway.
_________________________________________________________________________
.
A rare sighting of two small brown bears in a Saint Louis suburb. A sleepy Sunday afternoon was interrupted by a pair of brown bears in this typical Midwestern suburb. Seeing the first bear was a real treat, but then we noticed another in a tree.
Brown bears have not been known to inhabit this part of the Midwest since the late 18th century. Typically aggressive toward humans, this pair showed an unusual softness and simply desired to be hugged.
_________________________________________________________________________ .
.
Allen West closes CPAC promising 'new dawn in America'
By Shane D'Aprile - 02/12/11
_________________________________________________________________________ thehill.com
Freshman Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) gave a speech to close this year's Conservative Political Action Conference that earned a more enthusiastic reaction from conservative activists than those given by most rumored 2012 presidential hopefuls over the past three days.
The first-term congressman brought the audience to its feet several times late Saturday, repudiating President Obama's social and economic policies and promising "a new dawn in America."
West took the coveted speaking slot that was rejected by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who declined to attend CPAC for the fourth straight year.
West, who represents a district that voted for President Obama in 2008 and Sen. John Kerry in 2004, will be a top Democratic target next year and opened his speech by noting the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already run a radio ad in his district.
West told the crowd that despite what the "liberal media" might say about his electoral vulnerability in 2012, "standing here before each and every one of you, I don't feel so vulnerable, do I."
West, who touted efforts by House Republicans to push for some $100 billion in spending cuts, offered a closing keynote that was chock full of red meat for the base.
West said now is the time to reform the tax code, lower taxes on business, eliminate the capital gains tax and fight for the adoption of a Constitutional balanced budget amendment.
"I say we start looking at every government agency and program that's been created in the last ten years, and let's start making some hard choices," said West, who received a loud cheer when he singled out the Environmental Protection Agency.
He said "liberal progressivism" has failed all over the world and he devoted a sizable portion of his speech to social issues, emphasizing his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.
"If you break down the American family, that leads to government dependency," said West.
By BRUCE SCHREINER, Associated Press Bruce Schreiner, Associated Press – Sat Feb 12
___________________________________________________________________________________
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declared Saturday that President Barack Obama's legislative agenda is "over," but said GOP lawmakers are willing to work with the White House to do what they "think is right for America."
In a speech Saturday night to a GOP crowd in his hometown, the Kentucky Republican derided Obama for performing "Clintonian back flips" to portray himself as a moderate, but said it's yet to be seen whether the new tone is "rhetoric or reality." McConnell, who in the past has touted his ability to bring federal spending to Kentucky, took a hard line on cutting federal spending. He said the Democratic president's credentials on spending and debt "are horrible, and he earned it." But McConnell said that congressional Republicans — who took control of the House and increased their numbers in the Senate following last year's election — are "prepared to do business" with Obama. "And to the extent that the president wants to do what we think is right for America, we won't say 'no' simply because there's an election coming along," said McConnell. After the fall elections, McConnell was criticized for saying his No. 1 goal was to make Obama a one-term president. But he later worked with the president to push through an extension of Bush administration tax cuts, including for top-earners. Still, McConnell drew cheers from the partisan crowd when he declared: "The legislative agenda of Barack Obama is over." McConnell also laid out the strategy of Senate Republicans, saying, "Whatever the House can get out of the House with a majority vote is the goal of the Senate." While Republicans remain in the minority in the Senate, McConnell said Democratic senators facing re-election next year have a political motivation to join GOP lawmakers in pushing for spending cuts.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, former Arizona governor and state attorney general, has made calls over the past few weeks to gauge support for a Senate bid. She could emerge as the early frontrunner. Wealthy businessman Jim Pederson, who challenged Kyl in 2006, isn’t saying no, and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon could run. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords — currently recovering from an attempted assassination — could enter the race as late as April 2012 and still raise enough money to be competitive.
Democrats in the state have told reporters that Giffords should have the “right of first refusal” to run for the seat.
“Things are moving fast,” the Arizona Republican strategist said.
Roll Call Politics rates this race Leans Republican.
(NaturalNews) Mexican officials seem to have more common sense than American officials, with their continued denouncement of Monsanto's genetically-modified (GM) corn. Mexico has kept in effect a moratorium on Monsanto's GM corn since 2005, citing a lack of safety studies and evidence showing the "Frankencorn" is safe, and that it will not cross-contaminate non-GM crops. The Mexican government recently denied Monsanto's request to expand a pilot program for its crops in Northern Mexico as well.
In 2009, Mexico decided to allow Monsanto to plant small GM corn test sites on the condition that the company could both prove that its crops were resistant to pests and pesticides, and that they could provide economic benefits to Mexico. Monsanto has yet to show that the crops actually benefit people rather than its own pocketbook, and of course the multinational biotechnology company has yet to submit a single legitimate safety study for its crops.
The Mexican govenment seems to have had enough of the games, it seems, having recently denied any further expansions of the Monsanto test sites. With its many varieties of heritage corn, Mexico has a lot to lose if its corn stocks become contaminated with Monsanto's patented corn varieties. So it is pressing for more safety studies before any further plantings take place.
To date, there has never been a single, verifiable safety study proving that any GMO is safe for people or for the environment. GMO residues, however, are known to travel to nearby fields and contaminate conventional and organic crop varieties. In fact, most of North Dakota is now blanketed in GMO canola, as the mutant crop now infests fields and meadows, and grows by roadside all across the midwestern plain state (http://www.naturalnews.com/030810_G...).
Federal regulators announced Friday that farmers can plant a corn genetically engineered for ethanol production as early as this spring. But as the corn and ethanol industries celebrated the decision, critics of genetically modified crops sounded warnings, saying the corn could contaminate food supplies.The corn, which is designed to make ethanol processing more efficient, was developed by Monsanto competitor Syngenta AG, based in Switzerland. Monsanto, based in Creve Couer, does not market a corn specifically modified for ethanol growth or production, but does sell a hybrid variety geared to ethanol. For Midwestern corn growers, the announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service came as good news. "What it means for producers is that there's a new specialty market that's being developed," said Nathan Fields, a spokesman for the Chesterfield-based National Corn Growers Association. "This gives them a chance to diversify." Last year, 86 percent of American corn was grown with genetically modified seed. About 40 percent of the nation's corn is converted to ethanol. But the Syngenta corn will be the first on the market that is engineered specifically for ethanol and processing improvements. The corn, while it will not be marketed for food, was deemed safe as food or feed by regulators in 2007. But the food industry, particularly corn millers, have said that any cross-contamination into the food supply could be ruinous to their businesses, because it could diminish the quality of corn products, and could be damaging to export markets that don't allow genetically modified foods. Syngenta has said that farmers who grow the corn will enter into "closed loop" agreements that require them to sell the corn only to certain ethanol processors, thereby minimizing the risk of contamination. The Canadian government has also approved the cultivation of the Syngenta corn. The company plans to work with small groups of growers and plants in western Nebraska and Kansas, and will broaden production next year. Advocacy groups point to previous control problems. From 2001 to 2004, Syngenta accidentally sold a corn variety, called StarLink, to American farmers without approval to do so.
_________________________________________________________________________ 10 Part Documentary on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO Crops) exposes lack of scientific study by the FDA. Everything the U.S. Government and Bio-Engineering Industry doesn't want the general public to know about GMO's.
Wife and I were out and about, checking PO Box and then had to head out of town. Poor Richard and his wife were heading to Washington, Missouri at 1:20 pm, February 2, 2011 and Poor Richard shot this video, driving thru Hermann. Ran the video until the SD Disk was filled, and it stopped, my apologies, would have liked to have shown road conditions the entire trip! Hope you enjoy it.
__________________________________________________________________________
.
