Kenyan Ministers Give It Up

In Kenya, elected government officials are turning in the keys to their Mercedes and replacing them with keys to cars that are more fuel-efficient. The finance minister, Uhuru Kenyatta, says Kenyan ministers driving a car with an engine capacity of more than 1,800 cc will have the car taken away if they don't voluntarily give it up. "No vehicle is exempt," he says, adding he has the support of the country's prime minister and president. Ministers will also be given a month fuel allowance. The money saved will be used to help people who have been displaced from their homes.

Good for Kenya. Let's hope this downsizing trend continues in other countries as well.

Creating Storage on Your Walls

Photo courtesy: TreeHugger

Storage space seems to be an issue with many of us. I live in a small condo because I believe in doing more with less. I think we all demand too much personal space; and, have altogether too many possessions. But what to do with the possessions we do have?

PSFK shows us Pocket Wall, a storage system from Polish Designer Maja Ganszyniec. She describes it:

Look at the house as if it were a package: the room is like a package and the wallpaper is like wrapping paper. The project turns the purely decorative layer of wallpaper into storage.

Thoughts, anyone?

Via TreeHugger

Is Global Warming Responsible For Increased Lightning Strikes?

Photo courtesy: TreeHugger

In the past decade, Brazil has emerged as the forerunner in a race for most unusual side effects of global warming. Brazil has set a world record for being the recipient of the most lightning strikes in the past ten years - an estimated 57 million strikes.

Sadly, this astounding natural record is not without a human cost. During this time frame, 1,321 people have been struck by lightning in Brazil alone; and, scientists fear the numbers will only increase. New research reveals that global warming may increase the frequency of lightning strikes; and, therefore, loss of life from being struck.

According to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), global warming may dramatically increase the occurrence of lightning. A recently-released hypothesis postulates that each degree of increase in global mean temperature will result in a 10 to 20 percent increase in the amount of lightning.

Casualties from lightning strikes were not the motivating factor behind the research; but, rather, the force behind the research was the resultant fires that often accompany lightning.

Osmar Pinto explains in a report from Globo:

At the meeting, it was hypothesized that the rays would increase the greenhouse effect by causing more forest fires, which in turn release more carbon dioxide, fueling a continuous cycle.

INPE will be working with NASA and other USA agencies in order to test this theory of the correlation between global warming and lightning events.

While the main thrust of the research will be to study and analyze this climate change phenomena, the sun's behaviour will be examined as a possible culprit for the increase in lightning.

According to Pinto, sun-spots may play a role in the creation of thunderstorms that is not fully understood as yet.

[Sun spots] can facilitate the formation of ice in the clouds and the rays only occur when there is ice inside the clouds.

Scientists intend to closely follow the next increase of sun-spots in 2012.

Via TreeHugger and Globo

Natural Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep

Photo courtesy: About.com

Many parents, myself included, have lost more than one night's sleep due to a cranky baby. In fact, it is only the luckiest of parents who have babies that do not fuss quite a few nights away before they get older. For approximately 30% - 40% are blessed with babies that are not only high energy babies; but, they have colic as well making them very high maintenance especially at night.

Colicy babies have a great deal of difficulty passing gas. For some reason, their tiny, little bodies hang on to it like grim death. This gives them intense stomach pain; and, being unable to express themselves in any other way, they cry and cry and cry...

The baby usually becomes fussier toward the late afternoon or evening for several reasons. Colic is helped by the warmth and closenss of the skin to skin contact they receive during the day and the motion of being carried and/or rocked. At bedtime, they are left alone to sleep and the colic gets worse and worse.

Young children should never be given any kind of medication or over-the-counter remedy without a doctor's approval. There are many things that can be done naturally to help the baby feel better without resorting to medicinal intervention which many times only masks the symptoms and does not alleviate the problem.

So...what can a weary parent do?

Photo courtesy: Safekids.co.uk

1. Put your child in a carry cot beside the bed at night. A carry cot is like a crib without legs that can lie on the floor right next to the bed on the floor. Have everything ready before hand and when the baby requires feeding or just consoling, just reach down, bring the child into bed and feed. After feeding, place the baby on your tummy (the skin contact; and, the warmth from your body will help relax the baby making the passage of gas easier) and burp. Roll over and return the baby to the cot. Not having to get out of bed at night makes the experience calmer and gentler for both of you.

2. Forget about keeping up with the housework. Do NOT use any precious time your baby is asleep doing housework!!! They'll wake up refreshed and you will still be exhausted. Your new cardinal rule: If the baby sleeps - so do I! If he falls asleep at 4:00 pm - hit the couch for a few quick winks. The housework will still be there when you get up - I promise.

3. Catnip tea is a mother's friend. While catnip excites a cat, it has the opposite effect on a human. Catnip tea not only calms a child; but, it can help with tummy troubles. Some children have a hard time expelling gas and it gives them an upset stomach. Catnip tea calms the child and makes it easier for him/her to pass the gas. If you are breastfeeding, don't worry about giving the tea in a bottle (1/2 bottle of tea, 1/2 bottle of milk), they will soon drink from either a bottle or a breast. Chamomille and fennel tea work equally well.

4. Prepare simple, easy-to-prepare dinners or order in. The family will survive eating very simple, one pot meals; TV dinners; open a can and heat meals; or something ordered in. The time saved can be spent with the baby or sleeping.

5. Try a nice, warm bath for your baby before bedtime. Warm baths are very soothing and can help prepare her for sleep. Try a drop of lavender oil in the water - very relaxing.

6. Occasionally, prevail on a friend to take the baby for a couple of hours so you can sleep. Have the friend take the baby to their house because chances are if you hear the baby cry you'll wake up. Very refreshing for an exhausted mom!!

7. Set up a bedtime routine for your baby. Children respond positively to routines and they can help prepare your child for what is to come next. In the case of bedtime, a ritual will help your baby sleep because it provides continuity making the child feel safe and loved.

8. Motion soothes a colicky baby. Use a sling or cuddli-type carrier to carry baby close to your body during the day.

9. If your baby is small enough, use the "colic carry". Place the baby face down along your arm, with the chin in the palm of your hand and the legs straddling your inner elbow. Carry your baby around the house like this. The warmth, skin-to-skin contact, motion and slight pressure on the tummy all work to help the child expel any intestinal gas.

10. If the child is too big for the colic carry, try laying the baby across your lap and patting his back.

11. Make sure the baby is hydrated. Babies need plain water just like adults do. Milk and diluted juice are essential for the babies health and continued growth; but, plain water is just as essential.

12. Gentle massage may help to relax the child enough to pass any unexpelled gas.

13. If you are breastfeeding, check out your diet with a doctor. You could be eating something that the baby objects to.

14. If you are using any kind of "grippe water", read the label and use only those that contain organic ingredients.

Good sleep to you both!

The Odd Blog (I warned you about)

This from Owenboro, KY (AP) — A woman in jail for public intoxication was accused of assaulting a jailer by squirting breast milk at her. WYMT-TV reported that a 31-year-old woman was arrested Thursday on a misdemeanor charge of public intoxication. But as she was changing into an inmate uniform, she squirted breast milk into the face of a female deputy who was with her.

The woman now faces a felony charge of third degree assault on a police officer. Her bond was set at $10,000.

Via SunSentinel

World's Rarest Plant Blooms in the UK

All photos courtesy: BBC News

Camellias, one of my favourite flowers - fragrant, beautiful, totally bewitching in my mind. There is an extremely endangered variety of camellia named Middlemist's Red. It is so rare there are only two known shrub locations: a greenhouse in the UK and a garden in New Zealand. In 1804, the previously-unknown camellia was imported to Britain by John Middlemist from its native China. These were the days when rare flowers were a valued cargo to be imported and sold to the affluent.

Meanwhile, Middlemist's Red became extinct in its original homeland of China; and, many of the imported plants disappeared or died.

The flower is in bloom for the next week or so, and will be the star attraction at the reopening of the Chiswick House, the BBC reports.


That the Middlemist's Red survives today is a conservation success story. "It's the importance of getting as many people as possible to ensure they stay with us on this Earth," Fiona Crumley, the head gardener at the Chiswick House told the BBC.


Even though there are only known locations of Middlemist's Red, it's widely believed (and fervently hoped) that there are still some shrubs living out quiet, unassuming lives in gardens all over the UK; and, perhaps beyond.


Hard to believe that these shrubs were once widely sold to the public.

If you think you may have a Middlemist's Red in your garden, I'm sure the Chiswick House would love to hear from you. Click here to go to their "contact us" page.

Via TreeHugger and BBC Today

Chickens: Half-Cock, Half-Hen

The medical term is gynandromorphism and about one in every 10,000 chickens suffers from it. The chicks hatch out half-cock and half-hen - literally one half (right or left) is one sex while the other side is the opposite sex.

Researchers now claim they have solved this mystery. As the photo below shows, if you are looking casually at a group of them (or even just one) you may not notice the differences if you are not looking at them straight on.

Three half-and-half chickens.

Now, look at the photo below. The differences in the right and left sides of the chicken are not trick photography - this chicken really is much more developed on the left or white side of the bird than on the right or brown side. This is because the cells on left side are all male; while the cells on the left side are all female.

The left, white, side of this bird is male. The right, brown, side is female.

Half-and-half chickens give a unique insight into how birds; and, perhaps reptiles develop. It used to be thought that hormones instructed cells to develop in either male- or female-specific ways.

That's what happens in mammals, including humans and it's what causes the secondary sexual characteristics like facial hair for men or breasts for women.

But scientists at the Roslin Institute and the University of Edinburgh say they now know that bird cells are not programmed by hormones; but, rather are inherently male or female remaining true to their sexual designation even when mixed-up in the same chicken.

It means a half-and-half chicken will have different plumage, body shape, muscle structure, wattle structures and even leg spurs on the two halves of its body.

Dr. Michael Clinton of the Roslin Institute led the research.

Dr. Michael Clinton of the Roslin Institute, leader of the research, has published his findings in the scientific journal Nature.

He said the findings were a surprise.

Dr. Clinton explained: "We looked at these birds initially expecting them not to be half-male and half-female. We thought there'd be a mutation on one side of the body. But we found that they were half-male and half-female and that's what actually showed us that the system was different in birds and mammals."

"If you put female cells into a male body they'll develop into the normal tissues, but they'll behave as female cells," Dr. Clinton said.

Researchers hope that this knowledge will help them in the poultry industry.

Dr. Clinton said: "If we can understand what the differences between the male and female identities are, then we can imagine making female birds with the same growth characteristics as males. That would increase productivity and food security." (Why does the word "Frankenfood" come to mind?)

Via BBC News

Parsley: A Skin Care Product

Photo courtesy: encyclopedia.com

Parsley is one of those multi-faceted herbs that doesn't "get any respect" as Rodney Dangerfield would say. Most people think of it as simply an edible garnish, flavouring herb and breath freshener which has been adapted by the restaurant industry almost globally. In fact, it is so highly thought of in culinary circles that it is no wonder the classic French "garnished bouquet" used to flavour soups, stocks and stews is:

- two parts parsley
- one part bay leaf
- one part thyme

These herbs are either tied together, wrapped in cheesecloth or placed inside a tea ball before adding to the pot. When added this way, removal is easy. Personally, when I make vegetable soup, I chop the parsley finely and add it right to the pot.

(Don't forget bay leaves are indigestible, have sharp edges, and are tough to chew; so, be sure not to lose any bay leaves in the pot.)

No matter how familiar people are with cooking with parsley, most people don't think of using parsley in the bathroom. For a refreshing "tea" for those who like the taste or a mouth-freshening rinse for those who don't, pour a cup of boiling water over 2 tsp of dried parsley or a handful of fresh or frozen parsley and steep for 10 mins. Strain. (Parsley freezes extremely well and maintains its wonderful green color when frozen.)

Another way to use your "tea" is to add it to your bathwater for relaxing bath experience. Parsley is also a good way to treat minor skin irritations or to soothe dry, sensitive skin.

So, next time you see a sprig of parsley - remember it's not just a garnish.

Saving Money While Eating Better

Photo courtesy: Care2

Feeding a family (or just yourself) can be an expensive proposition. There is usually some food wasted every week; and, prices seem to just keep climbing. How to save money in the kitchen while still fixing nutritious, healthy meals the entire family (or just yourself) will enjoy for the lowest possible price? Read on, intrepid shopper.

1. Stop eating prepared meals: Consumers have been led to believe that they don’t have the time to cook and it simply isn’t true. You can have a healthy meal on the table within half an hour. Prepared meals have more fat, more sugar, more salt, more preservatives, and more garbage waste than anything you can cook yourself.

Not to mention the fact that you pay premium prices for sub-standard product. Someone has to pay for executive salaries and television advertising, why should it be you? There are many ways to prepare wholesome meals for your family in a minimum amount of time.

My mother did it, I did it; and, now, my children do it. What is it? We put many of our evening meals on to cook before we went to work. There is nothing more user-friendly or useful in a kitchen than a slow cooker. I would put our dinner (a stew, cabbage rolls, or whatever) into the slow cooker, season it, stir it, and put it on low. When I arrived home approx. 10 hours later, there was dinner beautifully cooked, tasty, hot and ready to serve. Of course, with 10 hours of simmering, I could get away with cheap cuts of meat. Cooked this way, even the toughest cuts could be cut with your tongue.

2. Plan ahead: Yes, this is going to take a bit of effort, but once you get going it will be easy. Make sure you have a well-stocked pantry. Dry legumes, rice, pasta, sun-dried tomatoes should all be on hand to make quick, nutritious meals. Everything I use is either dry or fresh, I avoid canned goods and frozen foods for health reasons.

3. Plan your week: Take the time to work out a menu plan for the week. Most people grocery shop once a week and they toss things into their carts without considering what they are actually going to use it for. If you know what you are going to eat ahead of time; and, you have the right ingredients, you’ll be less likely to resort to take-out or the nearest greasy spoon.

4. Cook more meatless meals: Meat will consistently be the most expensive food item in your grocery cart. The ready availability of other protein sources allows you to expand your food repertoire and have a healthier diet. There are many vegetable sources that give you a chewy, meatlike texture - porcini mushrooms, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (one of my personal favourites), portobello mushrooms, tofu products, eggplant...

5. If you do use meat, use less: No one NEEDS the massive amounts of meat we eat today. In fact, it has been proven that diets heavy in animal protein and fats are not good for our health. Try cutting your meat portions by a third while adding a third more vegetables. Your body will love you and so will the environment. Consider going vegetarian for health and financial reasons.

6. If you do use meat, use a cheaper cut: This is where a slow cooker really comes in handy; or, prepare the meat beforehand and place it in the oven. Set the timer, temperature, etc. for the oven to come on at a preset time and temperature. When you come home the meat is ready; so, all you have to prepare are the veggies.

Alternately, you can prepare a stew on the weekend so everyone can enjoy the inticing, homey aroma. Make extra for a future meal.

7. Use your leftovers: If you are cooking instead of eating prepared foods, you are going to encounter leftovers. There are many different ways to use them up - add them to that vegetable soup you're having for lunch, toss them in the stew at the end or add them to a rice dish. One of my favourites was to save everything (veggies, that spoon of leftover spagetti sauce, mac & cheese, whatever) in a container in my freezer. When the container was full, it was defrosted and used in a from-scratch soup. All those different flavours, textures, spices, colours made my soups extremely rich-tasting and delicious.

8. Plan meals that will stretch through the week: If you make a spaghetti sauce one night, make enough to use in another meal. Use it as a soup base or make an eggplant parmigiana.

9. Make friends with your freezer: When I make something like spagetti sauce, stew or soup, I usually make enough for at least two meals; sometimes three. The other portions I freeze and drag out when I'm in a hurry - defrost, heat, eat. Again, this stops me from resorting to take-out or the local greasy spoon.

10. Brown bag it for lunch: Take your own lunch to school or work. Not only is it cheaper than going out for every lunch, it is much healthier for you as well. While there is nothing wrong with most restaurant food, there is nothing right with it either. Invest in a good thermos and enjoy hot meals at work or school.

11. Forget the pineapple: Unless you live in Hawaii, of course. Buy local vegetables, in season. Support your local farm economy by going to your local farmer’s market.

Via Care2

Pothole Gardening - A Creative Way to Complain

Photo courtesy: Pete Dungey

As I have repeatedly stated, I just adore creativity; and, Pete Dungey has proved himself to be a man of vision. His solution for bringing attention to the potholes in his home town of Oxford, England is nothing short of attention-grabbing while being totally non-aggressive. Everyone should protest in such a manner.

We have had match stick gardening, upside down plant holders; and, who can forget guerrilla gardening; but, this is unique - pothole gardening.

Pete Dungey has been patiently planting flowers in potholes to highlight "the problem of surface imperfections on Britain's roads." He says "If we planted one of those in every hole, it would be like a forest in the road". What a wonderfully environmentally-friendly to draw attention to a problem.


He relies heavily on common, every-day garden variety primulas. Despite the cold weather in Britain, primulas are out now. So far, Dungey is the only known pothole gardener; but, he hopes to have fellow gardeners join him in his protest.

With any luck, pothole gardening; and, the concept of creative, non-aggressive, environmentally-friendly protest will spread around the world.

Via TreeHugger