Luxurious lifesyles take a hit

I think this article is very interesting and appropriate for the current situation our economy is facing. November 4, 2008 is election day in America and our economies economic status is going to play a large role in who is elected president.

What this article focuses on is how Americans are, for the most part, cutting down on their normal everyday expenses. Couples who are getting married are substituting more elaborate purchases for less elaborate ones.

F. Scott Fitzgerald writes "in the current financial meltdown, the rich are cutting back like the rest of us. Not to say their suffering is quite the same."

I have to agree with the majority of what this article discusses. As a full-time college student, I personally have cut down immensely on the purchases I have been making. For example, on mornings when I would normally purchase a coffee on campus, I now make at home before going to school.

The article discusses how people from all different economic backgrounds are cutting back on their expenses, not just those that are not categorized as "wealthy."

"Those who usually rent Christmas villas are more likely to stay in hotels instead," wrote David Arnold.

Economic ebb tide hits Hawaii's tourism industry hard

Election day is right around the corner and for this reason politics is the topic of every one's conversation.

USA Today posted an article discussing Hawaii's fall in tourism rates, which goes hand-in-hand with the nation's economic downfall. The article states that before the economic crisis even hit, Hawaii estimated a decrease in the number of visitors and the money they would contribute to the state. This decline did in face occur, and it was worse than expected.

"The decline was the largest year-over-year drop ever," said Marsha Wienert, Hawaii's tourism liaison.

The article interviews both Democrats and Republicans on their viewpoints. There are pros and cons mentioned for both Barack Obama and John McCain. The two presidential candidates both posses ties to Hawaii.

Personally I feel as though just about every person is currently being affected by our economic recession. The fact that this recession goes hand-in-hand with the presidential election is both fortunate and unfortunate at the same time for Obama and McCain.

I do think that we are going to recover from this economic recession, but it will not be any time soon. For this reason, Hawaii is going to face, personally, a harder economic downfall than perhaps any other state.

New salmonella warning over microwaving raw frozen chicken entrees

This article, posted by USAToday.com, caught my attention because it focuses around a topic that involves the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This article discusses how there have been 34 cases this year, in at least 12 different states, dealing with salmonella food poisoning due to people eating undercooked chicken. The misconception is that consumers believe that breaded or pre-browned frozen chicken is cooked when it is actually raw.

"In March, the USDA issued a public health alert to remind consumers that the 'instructions on the package need to be followed for safety,'" spokeswoman Laura Reiser said.

Salmonella can cause anywhere from mild to serious food poisoning and in this case it has been found in the raw, or undercooked chicken. The best solution that has been devised to fix this problem is to electronically pasteurize the chicken, which would kill the salmonella while still leaving the chicken raw.

I personally picked this article because I am very conscious about the different foods I eat and how they are cooked. The article believes that people contracting the salmonella are younger, and perhaps are contracting it due to the fact that they are "in a hurry," and therefore do not read the cooking directions on the chicken.

Although I do feel that a bigger text stating: "WARNING: THIS MEAT IS RAW" is necessary to be placed on the package of chicken, I do not feel that the USDA is responsible for this situation because the salmonella outbreak is occurring due to people's ignorance.

I think if people took just one minute (if that) out of their day to read the cooking directions on the package of chicken the salmonella problem will decrease dramatically.

Heating bills expected to be 15% higher

The "Heating bills expected to be 15% higher" article posted in USA Today talks about the high bills heat consumers should expect to pay this coming winter. The article claims that consumers who warm their homes this winter should expect to pay 15% more than usual.

"The increase reflects higher oil and natural gas prices and a forecast for colder weather than last winter," the Enery Department stated.

Consumers have already seen a higher price in gasoline and electricity due to our slowly deteriorating economy. Congress has already boosted their funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program from $2.57 billion last year to $5.1 billion this year.

Due to the fact that our economy is currently, and will continue to be for some time, in a "slump," it is not surprising in the least bit to learn this news regarding heating bills this coming winter. Perhaps this article will make people more aware and open their eyes to other options such as solar energy or going green. To prepare for the jump in expenses in the months to come i think it would be wise to utilize the weather we currently have by perhaps turning off the air conditioning during the day and opening a window instead. Personally, I try everything I possibly can to keep my GRU bill down as low as possible. Everything from keeping the air off during the daytime (and only turning it on when I go to sleep), to keeping lights off as much as possible really helps to cut down on bills. I am glad I read this article because it made me aware of potential troubles to come.

Melamine found in candy in Conn.

This article has been posted in USA Today to make consumers aware of the possible dangers of melamine in certain candy, coffee and milk products. Four infants have already died from contaminated milk products. Anyone who consumes a product containing melamine is particularly vulnerable to kidney failure.
After reading this article it upsets me to hear of all the hospitalizations and deaths of young children being affected by the melamine contamination. It appears that the only reason melamine is being placed in milk products in China is to “fool” tests verifying protein content. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently recalling all of the candy and coffee products containing the melamine.
For further information on this topic the article can be viewed at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-01-candy-melamine_N.htm.

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MyPyramid Blog

This past Tuesday afternoon I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Linda Bobroff on the MyPyramid project. During the interview Dr. Bobroff informed me of the details that make up MyPyramid for older adults.