Violet, LA

Old Our Lady of Lourdes Church Building, Violet

Violet is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,555 at the 2000 census. Violet is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) southeast of New Orleans and is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area now known as Violet was originally part of the Livaudais Plantation. Violet sprang up after the development of the Violet Canal. It was named by Albert C. Janin, after his wife Violet Blair Janin, a Washington, D.C. socialite and part of the influential Blair family for whom the Blair House in Washington D.C. is named.

Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, the community was devastated by storm surge and wind associated with Hurricane Katrina which topped the Hurricane Protection Levee and destroyed the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal (MRGO) levee.
Camp Hope housed volunteers assisting residents of St. Bernard Parish in their recovery from Hurricane Katrina. It was located at the W. Smith Elementary School, 6701 E. St. Bernard Highway.

Notable people

• Elmer R. Tapper, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives

External Links

Violet, Louisiana detailed profile

Source: Internet

Meraux, LA

Meraux is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. The population was 10,192 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The District 103 state representative, Ray Garofalo, resides in Meraux.

History

Cars tossed by Katrina storm surge, Archbishop Hannon Avenue, Meraux

In 2005, the town was devastated by storm surge and wind associated with Hurricane Katrina which destroyed the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal (MRGO) levee.

Education

Residents are zoned to schools in the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools.
As of 2007 Chalmette High School serves the population.

Source: Internet

Chalmette, LA

View of Chalmette residential area

Chalmette is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the parish seat of St. Bernard Parish, in southeast Louisiana, United States. The 2010 census reported that Chalmette had 16,751 people and is 76 percent white. The 2011 population is listed as 17,119; however, the pre-Katrina population was 32,069 at the 2000 census. The population hence declined by 46 percent between 2000 and 2010. Chalmette is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. Chalmette is located east of downtown New Orleans and south of Arabi, Louisiana, towards Lake Borgne.
The community was named after plantation owner Louis-Xavier Martin de Lino de Chalmette (1720-1755), whose surname is, in turn, derived from the French word "chalmette" (meaning "pasture land, fallow land") and has been traced to the Proto-Celtic word "*kalm".

History

Chalmette was founded by plantation owner Louis-Xavier Martin de Lino de Chalmette (1720-1755), a native of Quebec and grandson of René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière of Maison Lotbinière. His eldest son, Louis Xavier Martin de Lino de Chalmette (1753-1814) was born there and later married the sister of Antoine Philippe de Marigny, grandfather of Bernard de Marigny.

Chalmette Battlefield, with house and monument along the Mississippi River.

 

In January 1815, the Battle of New Orleans was fought at Chalmette on the founder's plantation, now owned by his second son, Ignace Martin de Lino de Chalmette (1755-1815), a first cousin of Major-General Pierre Denys de La Ronde (1762-1824), the founder of Versailles, who commanded the Louisiana militia during the battle. The United States forces under Major General Andrew Jackson defeated the British, led by brevet Lieutenant General Sir Edward Pakenham. The battlefield is preserved as a national monument, and the military Chalmette National Cemetery is adjacent.

Hurricane Katrina

On 29 August 2005, the 25-foot (7.6 m) storm surge from Hurricane Katrina overflowed through the Mississippi River – Gulf Outlet Canal (also commonly known as MRGO) - a commercial channel dug by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960's - and flooded most of the town, with waters as high as 14 to 15 feet (4.9 m) in some places. As a result, Chalmette was extensively swamped and nearly destroyed. A majority of the population evacuated shortly before the storm hit, but there was still significant loss of life.
As of 25 October 2005, most of the buildings were deemed unsaveable. Despite findings published by the U.S. EPA, the toxic chemicals in the water from local oil refineries have been postulated to be an ongoing health hazard by several civilian ecological groups. Especially notable was the large oil spill originating in Chalmette's large Murphy Oil facility, where the storm surge knocked over a huge oil tank (see photo below).

Hurricane Katrina: cars in Chalmette, Louisiana post-hurricane.

 

The parish administrative headquarters served as the site for a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer park for numerous civil servants who were laboring in the rebuilding effort. A year later, parish employees were still working shifts around the clock to bring the community back to life.
Another center in the rebuilding effort was centered at the church of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, which served the congregations of the seven other Roman Catholic parishes as well as the main office of Catholic Relief Services. It also served as the only place to hold funerals for the first 12 months after Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina aerial photo of oil spill in Chalmette, Louisiana, showing oil slick on streets (September 2005).

 

Deputies working for the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff stated in early December 2005 that the oil tank floated in the flood. When the water receded, the tank settled on uneven ground. Its structural integrity was compromised, and then the oil spill occurred. By late November, the Murphy facility was functional, as was a small cluster of businesses around the intersection of Paris Road and St. Bernard Highway, on the least damaged River side of Chalmette. The devastated residential areas further away from the River were open during daylight hours for residents to salvage belongings from their damaged residences. The majority of people staying in Chalmette full-time were living in trailers, that started to be supplied by FEMA or private enterprise on October 12; although many who had been promised FEMA trailer housing were still waiting as late as March 2006, 7 months after the hurricane.

A vacant apartment complex in October 2009, over 4 years after Katrina.

 

"Camp Premier", renamed "Camp Hope", was established as a base camp for the community rebuilding efforts, facilitating the work of relief organizations, the National Guard and private individuals. As of August 2007, the camp is located to P.G.T. Beauregard Middle School and is operated by Habitat for Humanity to provide for relief volunteers in St. Bernard Parish. Other relief organizations, such as the St. Bernard Project, have also participated in the rebuilding of Chalmette, from distributing supplies, to clearing debris, to preparing damaged houses for homeowners to return.
The Chalmette Battlefield was also partially flooded in low-lying areas, destroying the Visitor's Center, which was removed for rebuilding, and temporarily replaced with a house trailer to attempt re-opening the park for visitors in 2007.

Mardi Gras 2006 in Chalmette: float #10 "The FEMA Ship" (click to enlarge)

Gradual recovery

St. Bernard Parish has celebrated Mardi Gras with parades in Chalmette. In February 2006, the krewe of the Knights of Nemesis held a parade, past many buildings still in ruins, along the streets of Chalmette.
As of early 2008, many businesses have returned to the area, schools have reopened, although the population remains significantly below pre-Katrina levels.
Due to Hurricane Katrina, the St. Bernard Parish School Board succeeded in getting a school open despite considerable difficulties, including telling FEMA that it would not wait for the agency. The parish opened the St. Bernard Unified School as a K-12 school in late 2005.
With the opening of the 2006-2007 school year, the Unified school reverted to Chalmette High School and now houses grades 8-12. The former Andrew Jackson High School has been repaired and now houses grades PK3-5. Trist Middle School houses grades 6 through 7.
The Catholic and private school sector was lost to Katrina. The archdiocese of New Orleans has consolidated all local schools into one, on the Our Lady of Prompt Succor campus. It has grades PK-8.

Education

Chalmette is served by the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools district. As of 2007, Chalmette is served by schools in unincorporated areas:

• Andrew Jackson Elementary School (in Chalmette)
• Trist Middle School (in the community of Meraux)
• Chalmette High School (in Chalmette)

Chalmette High School

Private schools include:

• Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic School (K-8)

Before Katrina, Chalmette was served by other public schools including:

• C.F. Rowley Elementary School
• Joseph J. Davies Elementary School
• Lacoste Elementary School
• Lynn Oaks (K-7)
• Trist Middle School
• Chalmette Middle School
• Chalmette Senior High School
• Andrew Jackson Fundamental Magnet High School (now the site of Andrew Jackson Elementary School, soon to be Andrew Jackson Middle School)
• St. Bernard High School
• Carolyn Park Elementary
• Arabi Elementary
• Arabi Park Middle
• Saint Mark Elementary
• Saint Louise de Marilac Elementary
• Sebastion Roy Elementary
• Millaudon Elementary
• P.G.T Beauregard

Private schools:

• One In Christ Academy (Pre-K-8)
• Archbishop Hannan High School
• Saint Robert Bellarmine Catholic School (Pre-K- 8)

Notable residents

• Norris Weese, quarterback for Ole Miss and the Denver Broncos
• Tommy Wiseau, director of the cult classic The Room, often described as one of the worst movies ever made

 External Links

• Andrew Jackson Fundamental Magnet High School
• Chalmette High School
• Chalmette National Cemetery
• Nita Rusich Hutter
• Samuel B. Nunez, Jr.
• Leander Perez
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
• The Colony U.S. TV series
• Chalmette Battlefield - Visitor Information: from National Park Service, nps.gov.
• Chalmette photos after Hurricane Katrina, photos of Katrina damage in Wikimedia Commons.
• Chalmette photos after Hurricane Katrina on KatrinaDestruction.com, from late September 2005.

Source: Internet

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Poydras, LA

Poydras is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,886 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. Poydras is on the East Bank of the Mississippi River, just upriver from the Plaquemines Parish line.

Historic Canary Islanders Home, Poydras

History

Poydras was first settled in the 18th century by Isleños when Louisiana was a Spanish colony.
Albert Estopinal, Jr., a St. Bernard Parish district attorney, judge, and sheriff, was born in Poydras in 1869 to later U.S. Representative Albert Estopinal, Sr.
In 1922 the Mississippi River levee was purposefully breached by members of the Citizens Flood Relief Committee at this place to relieve levee damage and flood fears in New Orleans.
Poydras was severely damaged upon the impact of Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005.

Education

Residents are zoned to schools in the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools.
As of 2009 Chalmette High School serves the population.

Source: Internet

 

 

Arabi, LA

Arabi, Louisiana. Old plantation house is now within grounds of the sugar refinery complex.

Arabi is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, between the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans and Chalmette within the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area. The population was 8,093 at the 2000 census.

History

Arabi was established in the 19th century as a suburb of New Orleans, along the east bank of the Mississippi River. Arabi was part of Orleans Parish, however, a law passed in the 1880s stated that slaughterhouses could not be located within the City of New Orleans. An 1851 map calls the area Jacksonburgh, a name believe to be derived from Andrew Jackson.
Arabi began as the community known as Stockyard Landing, because of the many stockyards and slaughterhouses located there. In the rear yards of some of houses in Old Arabi, there are remnants of blood traps from the area. When excavation for swimming pools was done, residents found dishes from New Orleans hotels and restaurants whose table scraps were once used to feed animals.
Business interests of the stockyards wanted to be free from control of New Orleans and persuaded the state of Louisiana to transfer dominion of the area to downriver St. Bernard parish.
The area was apparently named after the residents of the area who burned the courthouse down in the 1890's, according to an account published by the FWP in 1941, "reputedly because the incendiary activities of an Arabian sheik were at that time much in the news." The New York times makes mention of the media frenzy in 1882 with a note that "The New Orleans Picayune has discovered that Arabi Pasha once sold confectionery in that city. But the Picayune has a habit of occasionally discovering things that are not so."
It is speculated by the publication, the town is named after Arabi Pasha (a mis-transliteration of his actual name Ahmed 'Urabi) who torched Alexandria, Egypt in 1882 while fighting for independence from the British. The community felt that the revolt he was leading was a kindred spirit to their own revolt from New Orleans.

Gambling era (1907-1952)

In 1907 Friscoville Avenue was developed in Arabi. Because of a ban on gambling in the city limits of Orleans Parish, the area gambling center with around 5 gambling halls along the 100 block of Friscoville Avenue. Being just outside of the Orleans Parish line, Friscoville was at the time easily accessible by the Canal Street Car Line.
The clubs were frequently raided by the authorities. One such raid was noted by the Associated Press in 1928 when the governor was Huey P. Long. Upon learning of the re-opening of two clubs in Arabi, he delivered the request to have the clubs raided by the National Guard in person:

Illegal gambling crackdown in 1952.

Names of 225 persons found in the two places, the Jai-Alai Fronton and the Arabi Club, located just outside of the New Orleans city limits, were taken for future reference. The patrons, many of whom were women, were released after being questioned.

Neil Simmes, staff photographer for the Time Picayune, was attacked and beaten by about fifty men as he attempted to take a picture. Guardsmen rescued him. He was unconscious when found. Three officers and five men went to the Jai-Alai Club and two officers and five men to the Arabi Club. The establishments face each other on the same street.

Heavily armed, the soldiers entered the clubs, women screamed and several fainted. A shot rang out, believed to have been fired by a sentry on guard to warn the gamblers of what was taking place. There was a quick grab for money on the gaming tables. Order was restored in a few moments. In a bonfire this afternoon the gambling paraphernalia that was flammable was burned. The remainder was hacked to bits with axes....

These establishments continued to operate until 1952, when they were shut down after a statewide crackdown on illegal gambling after the appointment of United States Army Colonel Francis Grevemberg (1914–2008) as superintendent of the Louisiana State Police. (The film, Damn Citizen, co-starring Keith Andes and Gene Evans, was made about Grevemberg in 1958.) ,

Historic areas

"Le Beau" began as a plantation house in 1854, and was later a hotel and gambling venue.

The St. Bernard Voice, a local paper, began publishing in the late 19th century, and still is produced from a small building on Mehle Street, near the Mississippi river in what was the original settlement.
Most of the area was declared a historic district in the 1970's, including the original St. Bernard Jail, and the remains of the Le Beau Plantation (destroyed by arson November 22, 2013).

Hurricane Betsy

Hurricane Betsy swept over the New Orleans area on the evening of September 9, 1965. Betsy caused a strong storm surge in the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a deep-water shipping channel to the east and south of New Orleans. Arabi and Chalmette are in St. Bernard Parish east and below New Orleans on the east bank of the Mississippi River. All of St. Bernard parish is sandwiched between the MRGO and the Mississippi River.
The storm surge over topped levees along the channel and on both sides of its terminus at the Industrial Canal in the Ninth Ward. There may have also been a breach of the Back Protection levee along Florida Avenue. The flooding covered areas of Gentilly and both the upper and lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The flooding spread to the east and inundated most of Arabi (except for areas of high ground near the river.) In Arabi, Betsy began to die down around 3am. Many residents, thinking the worst had passed, went to sleep around this time. The flooding reached Arabi Park around 4am waking the exhausted survivors to another phase of the disaster. Between 4am and 6am, the water rose between six and eight feet. By dawn, the water was making its way across the railroad grade between Arabi Park and Carolyn Park and flowing into Chalmette.
For days the survivors huddled in a few two-story buildings surrounded by water, with little or no supplies, power, running water or communications. There was no search and rescue or military presence. Eventually, they evacuated themselves by using their own fishing boats. They headed for higher ground which meant St. Claude Avenue (closer to the Mississippi River) in Arabi and the Kaiser Aluminum plant in Chalmette.

Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused an even more massive storm surge which inundated all of Arabi, with water reaching higher than 20 feet (6.1 m) in some areas.
Much as occurred in Hurricane Betsy, locals who had elected to remain had noticed the winds had begun dying, this time shortly after dawn. Several stories have been noted of locals talking on cell phones with evacuated relatives as late as 8:30-9:00 AM, stating they felt the worst was over. The first wave of water struck shortly after 9:00 and quickly surged all the way to the levee of the Mississippi River. Areas that had suffered less than 3–4 feet of water after Betsy were submerged as much as 10 feet (3.0 m).
In the Arabi Park area, the surge crossed over elevated railroad tracks and the resultant wave washed many homes off of their foundations, and completely destroyed others. Again, as in Hurricane Betsy the locals immediately began evacuating themselves and their neighbors using private boats. They brought them to the Mississippi river levee, which for several days was the only dry ground on the east side of the river for many miles. Local officials including U.S. Wildlife and Fisheries agents stationed in the parish moved quickly to seal off the area and supply food and water to the survivors. A makeshift evacuation was begun by confiscating small ferry boats, and moving the people to the west bank of the river at Algiers Point, where buses were used to move them out of the area. Most of this activity was not covered by the media due to the greater coverage of nearby New Orleans.
Even in the higher areas close to the river, many of the homes were not savable and will have to be destroyed and re-built. There is speculation that entire neighborhoods are to be completely removed and replaced with wetlands. However, many houses in that area are already being refurbished as of February 2006, and some people have already moved back into their homes.

Education

Residents are zoned to schools in the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools.
As of 2007 Chalmette High School serves the population.

Notable natives and residents

• Patrick Scheuermann Director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
• Christina Cuenca, Miss Louisiana USA 2006
• Ronnie Lamarque Owner Lamarque Ford Motor Company

Source: Internet

20 Ways To Tell You’re Really From Louisiana

facebook

I saw this on Facebook earlier today and loved it! It’s 20 ways to tell if you’re really from Louisiana. Think of it as ‘You might be a Louisianan if…’ Enjoy!
1. You can properly pronounce Lafayette, Bossier, Natchitoches,
Opelousas, Shongaloo, Pontchartrain, Ouachita, and you know
that New Orleans doesn’t have a long “e” sound anywhere in it.
2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states
are pansies.
3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard
and look for a funnel.
4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not
determined by the distance to the door, but by the
availability of shade.
5. Stores don’t have bags, they have sacks.
6. You’ve seen people wear bib overalls at funerals.
7. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
8. You measure distance in minutes.
9. Little Smokies are something you serve only for special
occasions.
10. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to
the ocean.
11. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an
outfit.
12. You know cowpatties are not made of beef.
13. Someone you know has used a LSU football schedule to
plan their wedding date.
14. You have known someone who has a belt buckle bigger
than your fist.
15. You aren’t surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, and
bait all in the same store.
16. A Mercedes Benz isn’t a status symbol. A Ford F-250
Extended Bed Crew Cab Powerstroke is a status symbol.
17. You know everything goes better with ‘Tony’s’.
18. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how
to multiply.
19. You actually get these jokes and are “fixin” to send them
to your friends.
20. You’re not offended by the term “coonass.” If anything,
it’s a compliment.
Finally, you are 100% Louisianian if you have ever had this
conversation:
“You wanna coke?”
“Yeah.”
“What kind?”
“Dr Pepper.”

Source:  965kvki.com

What The Government Got You This Year (In Pictures)

Today, the Senate is set to pass the new U.S. budget deal in all its spend-tastic glory. Lawmakers have hemmed and hawed about making any cuts to spending, despite countless examples of ridiculous decisions that have wasted taxpayers’ money.

So it’s timely that the office of Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) released its 2013 “Wastebook” yesterday, listing 100 examples it deems wasteful spending this year. In our infographic below, we’ve picked just a few of the highlights of your tax dollars at work.


Source:  blog.heritage.org

They Released The 100 Most Dangerous Cities In America!

Click Here to see if your city is on this list.

Source: cdn.mediatakeout.com

How To Open A Can Without Can Opener

You may get mauled by a blood-thirsty zombie during the apocalypse, but you’ll never have to go hungry with this clever trick.

Click Here to see the video.

Source: interestingfunfacts.com

7 Worst Ingredients In Food

By Dr. Mercola

More than 3,000 food additives -- preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients -- are added to US foods, and this is one of the key reasons why I recommend avoiding most of the processed foods that contain them.
While many well-meaning nutritionists will teach you the importance of reading food labels, the easiest way to eat healthy is to stick with foods that need no food label at all… When was the last time you saw an ingredients list on a grass-fed steak or a bunch or broccoli?
There’s a good chance, though, that you do eat some processed foods, and if this is the case reading the label is invaluable. There are literally thousands of ‘red flags’ to watch out for in the foods you eat, but a handful take the proverbial cake for worst of the worst.

The Seven Worst Ingredients in Processed Foods

Andrea Donsky, founder of NaturallySavvy.com, did a wonderful job of highlighting seven ingredients you should avoid eating in the infographic above. She refers to them as the "Scary Seven." If you see any of these on a food label, promptly put it back on the shelf; if you value your health, you don’t want to be putting these in your body. Let’s take a look at each in detail:
1. Artificial Sweeteners

Experiments have found that sweet taste, regardless of its caloric content, enhances your appetite, and consuming artificial sweeteners has been shown to lead to even greater weight gain than consuming sugar. Aspartame has been found to have the most pronounced effect, but the same applies for other artificial sweeteners, such as acesulfame potassium, sucralose and saccharin.
Yet, weight gain is only the beginning of why artificial sweeteners should generally be avoided. Aspartame, for instance, is a sweet-tasting neurotoxin. As a result of its unnatural structure, your body processes the amino acids found in aspartame very differently from a steak or a piece of fish.
The amino acids in aspartame literally attack your cells, even crossing the blood-brain barrier to attack your brain cells, creating a toxic cellular overstimulation, called excitotoxicity, similar to MSG.
Further, inflammatory bowel disease may be caused or exacerbated by the regular consumption of the popular artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose), as it inactivates digestive enzymes and alters gut barrier function.
Previous research also found that sucralose can destroy up to 50 percent of your beneficial gut flora. While you certainly don’t want to overdo it on sugar, there's little doubt in my mind that artificial sweeteners can be even worse for your health than sugar and even fructose.

2. Synthetic Trans Fats

These are common in foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, such as crackers, chips, most store-bought baked goods, and any fried foods, just to name a few examples. Synthetic trans fats are known to promote inflammation, which is a hallmark of most chronic and/or serious diseases.
For instance, in one 2010 study, post-menopausal women who consumed the most daily synthetic trans fat had a 30 percent higher incidence of ischemic strokes. Synthetic trans fats have also been linked to:

• Cancer: They interfere with enzymes your body uses to fight cancer.
• Diabetes: They interfere with the insulin receptors in your cell membranes.
• Decreased immune function: They reduce your immune response.
• Problems with reproduction: They interfere with enzymes needed to produce sex hormones.
• Heart disease

Your intake of trans fats should be as low as possible; no “safe upper limit” has even been established because, quite simply, there is none.

3. Artificial Flavors

What’s particularly alarming when you see a word like “artificial flavor” on an ingredients label is that there’s no way to know what it actually means. It could mean that one unnatural additive is included, or it could be a blend of hundreds of additives. Strawberry artificial flavor can contain nearly 50 chemical ingredients, for example.
Or take the artificial flavoring called diacetyl, which is often used as a butter flavoring in microwave popcorn. Research shows diacetyl has several concerning properties for brain health and may trigger Alzheimer’s disease. Genetically engineered flavor enhancers can also be listed under the artificial flavor (or natural flavor) label.

4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

This flavor enhancer is most often associated with Chinese food, but it's actually in countless processed food products ranging from frozen dinners and salad dressing to snack chips and meats. MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain dysfunction and damage to varying degrees -- and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and more.
Part of the problem is that free glutamic acid (MSG is approximately 78 percent free glutamic acid) is the same neurotransmitter that your brain, nervous system, eyes, pancreas and other organs use to initiate certain processes in your body. Although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to claim that consuming MSG in food does not cause these ill effects, many other experts say otherwise.

5. Artificial Colors

Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into U.S. foods -- and that amount only factors in eight different varieties. As of July 2010, most foods in the European Union that contain artificial food dyes were labeled with warning labels stating the food "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." The British government also asked that food manufacturers remove most artificial colors from foods back in 2009 due to health concerns.
Nine of the food dyes currently approved for use in the US are linked to health issues ranging from cancer and hyperactivity to allergy-like reactions -- and these results were from studies conducted by the chemical industry itself. For instance, Red # 40, which is the most widely used dye, may accelerate the appearance of immune system tumors in mice, while also triggering hyperactivity in children.
Blue # 2, used in candies, beverages, pet foods and more, was linked to brain tumors. And Yellow 5, used in baked goods, candies, cereal and more, may not only be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals, but it's also linked to hyperactivity, hypersensitivity and other behavioral effects in children.

6. High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

It’s often claimed that HFCS is no worse for you than sugar, but this is not the case. Because high-fructose corn syrup contains free-form monosaccharides of fructose and glucose, it cannot be considered biologically equivalent to sucrose (sugar), which has a glycosidic bond that links the fructose and glucose together, and which slows its break down in the body.
Fructose is primarily metabolized by your liver, because your liver is the only organ that has the transporter for it. Since all fructose gets shuttled to your liver, and, if you eat a typical Western-style diet, you consume high amounts of it, fructose ends up taxing and damaging your liver in the same way alcohol and other toxins do. And just like alcohol, fructose is metabolized directly into fat – it just gets stored in your fat cells, which leads to mitochondrial malfunction, obesity and obesity-related diseases.
The more fructose or HFCS a food contains, and the more total fructose you consume, the worse it is for your health. As a standard recommendation, I advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. For most people it would also be wise to limit your fructose from fruit to 15 grams or less, as you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of fructose if you drink beverages other than water and eat processed food.
Fifteen grams of fructose is not much -- it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or two Medjool dates. Remember, the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, so one can of soda alone would exceed your daily allotment.

7. Preservatives

Preservatives lengthen the shelf-life of foods, increasing manufacturers’ profits – at your expense, since most are linked to health problems such as cancer, allergic reactions and more. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are preservatives that affect the neurological system of your brain, alter behavior and have the potential to cause cancer. Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is a chemical preservative so deadly that just five grams can kill you.
The preservative sodium benzoate -- found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings – has been found to cause children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible. Sodium nitrite, a commonly used preservative in hot dogs, deli meats and bacon, has been linked to higher rates of colorectal, stomach and pancreatic cancers. And the list goes on and on…

US Processed Foods May Be Even Worse Than Those in Other Countries

Many of the food additives that are perfectly legal to use in US foods are banned in other countries. The banned ingredients include various food dyes, the fat substitute Olestra, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate (aka brominanted flour), Azodicarbonamide, BHA, BHT, rBGH, rBST and arsenic.
When foods are processed, not only are valuable nutrients lost and fibers removed, but the textures and natural variation and flavors are also lost. After processing, what's left behind is a bland, uninteresting "pseudo-food" that most people wouldn’t want to eat. So at this point, food manufacturers must add back in the nutrients, flavor, color and texture to processed foods in order to make them palatable, and this is why they become loaded with food additives. If you live in Europe, you may have more options than Americans, as you may be able to find some processed foods that do not contain any synthetic additives.
Still, swapping your processed food diet for one that focuses on fresh whole foods is a necessity if you value your health. Remember, people have thrived on vegetables, meats, eggs, fruits and other whole foods for centuries, while processed foods were only recently invented.
If you want to eat (and be) healthy, I suggest you follow the 1950's (and before) model and spend quality time in the kitchen preparing high-quality meals for yourself and your family. If you rely on processed inexpensive foods, you exchange convenience for long-term health problems and mounting medical bills. For a step-by-step guide to make this a reality in your own life, simply follow the advice in my optimized nutrition plan along with these seven steps to wean yourself off processed foods.

 Source:  articles.mercola.com

Camouflaging Your Gift

Wrapping Christmas gifts is an art form. Some people never quite get the hang of it and others get so anal-retentive about their process that you actually feel bad about unwrapping their gifts (sorry, mom). However, this creative Reddit user took wrapping gifts to a whole new, trickster level. May we present to you, How to Wrap an iPhone.

First, try to think of something that doesn’t look at ALL like an iPhone.

thattonydanza

HMMMM…

thattonydanza

Got it! A chair. Now, to cut out the different pieces from a large cardboard box.

thattonydanza

Boom. Cardboard chair.

thattonydanza

Note the slot left in the middle of the “seat” that is iPhone-shaped.

thattonydanza

It’s a perfect fit.

thattonydanzahttp://www.reddit.com/user/thattonydanza

It would be impossible to know that there was an iPhone somewhere inside of this.

thattonydanza

Now, to place it under the tree…

thattonydanza

We really hope the recipient wasn’t excited to get a chair for Christmas.

thattonydanza

And that’s how you wrap an iPhone for Christmas.

thattonydanza

Camouflaging your gifts is a wonderful idea, but always remember to make it seem like the present is worse than it actually is. Many tears would be shed if a little boy thought he was getting an iPhone and ended up getting a chair (although, that wrapping job would be magical).

Source: reddit.com

100 Things We Didn't Know Last Year

Interesting and unexpected facts can emerge from daily news stories and the Magazine picks out such snippets for its weekly feature, 10 things we didn't know last week. Here's an almanac of the best of 2013.

1. It would have taken 2.5 million seagulls to lift James's giant peach into the air, not the 501 that Roald Dahl suggested.

2. Hot drinks taste different according to the cup colour.

3. It's easier to pick wet things up with wrinkled fingers - suggesting an evolutionary reason for getting "prune fingers" in the bath.

4. There are two firms in the world cloning polo ponies.

5. Two per cent of Europeans lack the genes for smelly armpits

6. Horse-eating is called Hippophagy.

7. "Russian flu" got its name because of the Cold War rather than because it originated in Russia.

8. Women look their oldest every Wednesday at 3.30pm.

9. Prince Charles did not use the London Underground between 1986 and 2013.

10. The House of Lords has a rifle range.

11. Wines with animals on the label are known as "critter wines" in the US.

12. Female hawksbill turtles can store sperm for 75 days.

13. Fidgeting is good for men's concentration but bad for women's.

14. Workers at Amazon's warehouse in Rugeley walk past a life-sized cardboard image of a blonde woman who says: "This is the best job I have ever had!"

15. William is the surname that has decreased the most since 1901.

16. 1980's pop star Glenn Medeiros is the vice principal of a high school in Hawaii.

17. Haribos are so-named because of founder Hans Riegel and his hometown Bonn.

18. Drone operators experience post-traumatic stress at the same rate as combat pilots.

19. Nigel Farage writes a column for Total Sea Fishing magazine.

20. Monkeys avoid selfish people.

21. "Aunt" is the most popular pornographic search term in Syria.

22. Plants lace their nectar with caffeine to keep pollinators loyal.

23. South Korean media often refer to national politicians using only their initials.

24. Sarah Greene used to bite Peter Duncan's ankles to distract him during Blue Peter cookery demos.

25. South Africa was included in the BRICS as it made for a better acronym than Nigeria.

26. There are more deer in the UK now than at any time since the last Ice Age.

27. Some Norwegians feel strongly about whether firewood is stacked bark up or bark down.

28. Tears do not fall in space.

29. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak belonged to a group of hackers and hobbyists called the Homebrew Computer Club.

30. At a Swedish dinner party you should never fold your napkin and put it on the table before the hostess has done so.

31. Bill Bailey bought a live owl in a Chinese restaurant to take it off the menu.

32. Women really are satisfied by deep, husky voices.

33. Midsomer Murders is massive in Denmark.

34. "Lucifer" and "." (full stop) are banned baby names in New Zealand.

35. Birmingham City Council blocks the word "commie" from incoming email.

36. Using "don't" and "won't" correctly in online dating messages boosts response rates by more than a third.

37. The French call a walkie-talkie a talkie-walkie.

38. Philip Hammond used to be a Guardian-reading goth.

39. 6x8 is the multiplication children get wrong most while 9x12 takes longest.

40. Time doesn't fly when you're having fun (we just remember a lot more detail than normal after enjoying something so think it went quickly).

41. Babies learn to grimace in the womb so they can show they are unhappy after birth.

42. Sleep deprived men think women are more amorous than they actually are.

43. Until recently the US Navy had a requirement that all official messages be sent in capital letters.

44. "God's bones" was the sweariest expression in medieval times.

45. Qantas' Sydney to Dallas service is the world's longest commercial flight at 8,568 miles (13,790 km).

46. The pigment gene SLC45A2 causes tigers to be white.

47. It's not the "Spending Review", it's the "Spending Round".

48. The French had no official word for French kissing… until now. It's "galocher".

49. The film Life of Brian remains banned in parts of Germany, but only on Good Friday.

50. Ampersand was once an actual letter which followed the letter Z in the Latin alphabet.

51. There are only two escalators in the entire state of Wyoming. Elevators are more commonly used.

52. The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams is the most frequently misquoted song in the UK.

53. McDonald's drive-thru staff won't serve people on horseback.

54. You could drive on the left or right in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

55. The least common PIN code is 8068.

56. Bookshop customers are six times more likely to buy romance or cookery titles when they can smell chocolate.

57. Scientists still don't really know how bicycles work.

58. Women who fear being forced to marry abroad are advised to hide a spoon in their underwear.

59. There's a Kenyan tradition of running naked at night.

60. The first recorded incorrect use of the word "literally" was in 1769.

61. Chimpanzees and orangutans swim a form of the breast stroke.

62. Polyamorous people have invented a word to indicate the opposite feeling of jealousy - compersion.

63. Wearing camouflage clothing is an offence in Barbados.

64. You need an 8ft-high table to ensure toast lands butter side up when dropped.

65. Justin Bieber and Will.i.am used to live next door to each other.

66. Glaswegians are starting to sound like Cockneys because of EastEnders.

67. Men with wide faces make people around them more selfish.

68. Shy male birds build closer friendships than bolder birds.

69. Bill Clinton was taught a jujitsu move by his aides to prevent Yassar Arafat hugging him for the cameras.

70. Cuban rescue workers use sniffer rabbits to find people in collapsed buildings.

71. People pour more white wine into a glass than red.

72. The Soviet Union published a children's book of Stalin's five-year plan.

73. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall won't eat the brown bits in bananas.

74. Some species of marsupials mate with such vigour and intensity that it kills them.

75. Medieval French cookery book Le Viandier de Taillevent contains a recipe for plucking and basting a live chicken, which is then rocked to sleep and placed on a platter beside two roasted chickens.

76. Morrissey was asked to perform Smelly Cat on Friends.

77. A universal law of urination means that elephants, cows, goats and dogs all take roughly 21 seconds to empty their bladders.

78. In Scrabble, a Benjamin is a three-letter extension to the front of a five-letter word.

79. A man's walking pace slows by 7% for wives and girlfriends but not for other women, and increases if walking with another man.

80. The word "get" went out of fashion in books between 1940 and the 1960's.

81. Red underwear is popular in Wales, while those in North-West England buy a lot of thongs.

82. Amazon's original name was to be Relentless - and the URL relentless.com still redirects to the company website.

83. Nervous dogs wag their tails to the left, and happy dogs to the right (from the dog's point of view) - and fellow canines pick up on this lop-sided tail language.

84. The most effective time to drink coffee is between 09:30 and 11:30.

85. Lee Harvey Oswald still has an overdue library book from Dallas public library.

86. Wayne Rooney's voicemail password was Stella Artois.

87. There's only one sneeze in the bible.

88. John Wayne coined the phrase "the Big C" to avoid naming cancer.

89. There's a twins-only military unit in Russia.

90. The pope used to work as a bouncer.

91. A hummingbird's brain accounts for 4.2% of its bodyweight, the highest of any bird.

92. Americans pronounce gifs as "jifs".

93. Victorian students put crocodile skins on their walls.

94. The mathematical chance of meeting your soul mate is one in 10,000.

95. A long-term lover is known as a "small house" in Zimbabwe.

96. In Brazil barbecuing is a form of public protest.

97. Urban blackbirds grow up faster than their country cousins.

98. Hemingway never used a Moleskine notebook.

99. Mothers think the youngest child is shorter than they really are despite correctly estimating the height of their other children.

100. Until May 2013, "being an incorrigible rogue" was a criminal offence.

Source: bbcNews

Hey, What’s All That Stuff In The Water. Let’s Look Closer…A Little Closer… WHAT?!

If you were flying over a body of water, looked down, and saw this, you probably wouldn’t know what to think. Until you either flew a little lower or got out some binoculars.
That’s exactly what happened over Lake Nakura in Kenya. When looking closer and closer, the reality of what was being seen was revealed. And it’s AWESOME.

It looks like a bubblegum-pink oil spill.

Skot Leopold

But, no, it doesn’t look quite right.

Skot Leopold

Wait…

Skot Leopold

Are those…?

Skot Leopold

It can’t be.

Skot Leopold

Skot Leopold

Skot Leopold

YEP. They are.

Skot Leopold

What you see is a colony of flamingos.

Skot Leopold

Granted, an overwhelmingly large colony.

Skot Leopold

And today I learned flamingos could probably take over the world.

Skot Leopold

What you might not know about flamingos is that sometimes they gather in colonies to sift for their favorite type of algae together in water. And sometimes there can be thousands or millions of these birds. Their sheer numbers will blow your mind.

Source: viralnova