Blogcritics Author: MaryAnna Clemons

Book Review: The China Study - Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health by Dr. Colin Campbell, PhD

MaryAnna Clemons — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:44:39 EDT

The most important study of nutrition ever conducted studies more than 8,000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease.
The China Study is a ground-breaking analysis of more than 8,000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease. The author is Dr. Colin Campbell, PhD, (with Thomas M. Campbell II) who started his work more than 20 years ago, looking for correlations between disease (heart disease, cancer and diabetes) and what...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Gateway Tablet PC rocks

MaryAnna Clemons — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:33:52 EDT

After having a 17" laptop, I thought it would be hard to use a 12" tablet PC, but I was wrong. It's light, it's handy and it's tough.The Gateway E155C combines top-of-the-line technology with its touch screen, its digitized pen, it's fingerprint security option, and its swivel screen, for a computer experience that is close to perfect.Since I've gotten the tablet PC, I've had to install and uninstall several programs, and I've done so without any issues. In addition, I've taken it with me while out of town for two weeks, where it got jostled, sucked up more dust than a computer should, utilized by my 13-year-old, was charged in a 21-foot camper trailer, was left in a hot truck, hauled around in a purse and more. It's a trooper. I couldn't ask it to do anymore. The wireless option isn't new to hard core computer users, but it was new to me, and I'll never be without a wireless computer again. In fact, to hard core computer users, the digitized pen wouldn't be that "new" either, but to me it was something right out of a movie. I love being able to draw on the computer. I love being able to write my notes out and brainstorm in different colors. The option to highlight while reading text is handy. The usefulness of this PC for students/teenagers is enormous. It's functional, but a fun size and good looking. Meaning, a student can actually have fun while learning. I plan to get my own teenager one for her first laptop computer (no, I'm not sharing). The digitized pen allows the user to write right on the screen, creating graphs, handwriting notes, or simply cruising Email, it's as easy as pointing the pen. The screen also has touch ability, which I've not really used yet, as I don't have any software that utilizes a touch the screen. Being able to swivel the screen 180 degrees is beyond handy. I can literally sit on the couch with the family and the tablet isn't any bigger than a standard paper notebook on my lap. This is a handy feature for a writer who might find themselves anywhere in the world, and where adding a mouse or an external keyboard would not be an option. If I had a complaint, it would be that the tablet comes loaded with Microsoft Works. I didn't realize Works was even still around. I hate it, but I can't find my copy of Word to uninstall the one and install the other, but it will take time. In addition, the Symantec security software shorted out somehow and I couldn't get to my Yahoo mail page. It took awhile to uninstall Symantec, but I finally got it done and the problem was gone. I've also tried to use the system restore (due to the Yahoo mail problem, before I realized it was a Symantec issue) and it did not work. I'm still not sure why.On to Gateway Tech Support: Wow. I got through after a ten minute wait. Which, as most of you know, is not a long time to be "holding." I got a person who was helpful, not sarcastic in the least bit, and best of all, an American. I personally detest getting tech support of any kind from people in another country when our own country has such high unemployment. To me, having techs in North America is a huge selling point. The guy actually helped me - on the first and only phone call -- (Symantec issue) and I was off and running again.I give this tablet PC five stars, or ten stars, or whatever type of star system you want to think of when you think "Maybe I should look into this."

MaryAnna Clemons is a freelance journalist based out of Colorado Springs, Colo., with three children, five horses, five cats, five dogs and one husband. Writing about removing chemicals from our daily lives, the dangers of aspartame and vaccines, as well as book reviews, she is continually trying to cram as much writing into her day as she can.

DVD Game Review: Jurassic Park Explorer

MaryAnna Clemons — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:59:39 EDT

Assistant Reviewers:CheyAnne -- 13-years-old Casey -- 7-years-oldAs a mom, I love that this game is played on the TV and not on the computer. I spend enough of my time trying to wrangle the computer away from the kids. I like that I didn't have to download anything to my computer. I like that by simply putting a DVD in the TV and utilizing the remote control, the kids can play a game. The age on the package says 8-12 year olds, but my second daughter is 7 and she loved the game and it was plenty easy for her to play. And my other daughter is 13, and while she probably wouldn't run into the house to play it, on a long summer day she popped it in the TV and cruised through the scenes.Both kids loved the game and the 17-month-old just stares at the dinosaurs roaring. The "easy" choice didn't keep the 13-year-old as involved, as it did for the 7-year-old, but I caught her playing with it just the same. If you have a dinosaur lover in the family, this is a must have.It's easy enough that my 7-year-old can do it by herself, and again, that's another huge selling point. I love it when she gets engrossed in something and doesn't need me to help her through something. This game actually gives many levels of play and many different scenarios, which add to her problem solving skills, in my opinion. She is making the choices and she is the one in charge. She loved it.It's a fun way to get educational dinosaur information into a child without books. Casey loves dinosaurs already, but this just adds to her knowledge. She's doing a really good job with it too. We loved the movie (Jurassic Park - which we still have on VHS) and now we get to play the game. If I had anything negative to say, it would have to be that between "scenes" the lag time is a little long. Kids today are a bit faster on the uptake and going from one scene to the next is a little slow. Other than that, it's a great game to have in the house!!

Book Review: Hide, Here Comes the Insurance Guy

MaryAnna Clemons — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:56:35 EDT

Rick Vassar has found a niche subject (business risk insurance) that was lacking in coverage, so he wrote the book on it. And he did a great job doing it. The book, Hide, Here Comes the Insurance Guy; A Practical Guide to Understanding Business Insurance and Risk Management, is a job well done. We all have to buy insurance for our cars, our homes, even our lives. But business insurance is a totally different animal. If you run a business, you have to have insurance. It's that simple.Rick spells out what that insurance is, why you need it and why you'll be sorry if you don't have it. He has demystified more than a few insurance terms, opened up the world of risk (and the risk is all yours without insurance) and given compelling case scenarios to show what can happen without insurance.If I had to pick on something to critique, I'd say that some of his headlines don't seem to match his later words, for example "Why people hate insurance" is the headline and then the anecdote that follows is about algebra. I would argue that people hate insurance because they pay and pay and pay and pay, and then finally, they submit a claim and they get hassled and hassled and hassled, until they finally settle for less than they should be getting from an insurance company. To me, that's why people hate insurance. I think, though, that Rick was tying Algebra -- the subject everyone thinks they'll never need --- into insurance, because at some point in life you'll need both. That is a pretty picky critique on my part, because nothing is perfect. Back to the good stuff, I really like the way Rick has broken it down for you on the ins and outs of the insurance game. For one, he tells you to get more than one quote - at first that seems like common sense, but when was the last time you got a quote?I had to think about it and for my car insurance, it's been at least four years. How would I know if I'm getting the best rate if I haven't bothered to shop around in four years? Nice reminder to me. The same applies for business insurance and going through a broker. The broker is in business for himself or his company, not you. You are the payee and if you aren't paying, they don't make money, which is just part of the reason your insurance rates tend to go up every year, instead of down. The book breaks down the claims process, defines your risk criteria, gives you the difference between self-insurance and no-insurance (personal alternative risk financing), brokers, lawyers and more. When you are done reading this book you are going to understand: The language of insurance The insurance players who want your money How to develop a sound insurance strategy How to invest your time and efforts regarding insurance And whether you are properly insured or notPart two of the book is worth the cover price alone: Insurance 101. In this section Rick breaks down the different insurance policies, from cars to homes to worker's compensation: what is covered, what isn't, what you can expect from your insurance, time periods, and more.Worker's Compensation 101: worker's compensation is mandatory in all states, but Rick explains that small businesses, based on the number of employees, can file for exemptions. He then goes on to explain why you may not want to do that. After all, even if you have two employees, if both of those employees get hurt, you aren't covered (let the lawsuits begin). Even if you think that your cousin Fred would never sue you, or that he won't get hurt because he's super-athletic, think again. Accidents (and fraud) do happen, even with friends and family. Rick's enduring message through the whole book (174 pages, including Index) is to protect yourself and your business with insurance, while protecting your pocketbook from the insurance man. It's a great book and I'm glad I have it on my business reference shelf.Since the book is published by iUniverse, I'll take moment to point out that it's very well edited. The book has a great binding that I've been bending, pulling and adjusting on and it's stuck together wonderfully. I would not be surprised to find this book as required reading in future business courses in colleges throughout the U.S. and for new insurance agents to give to their clients (smart marketing in action: educate the customer). The layout is professional and easy on the eyes. As an avid book reader and buyer, I tend to shy away from self-published work - I'm glad I did not in this case. It's a well done book that hands you information to make your life easier.

DVD Review: Daniel Tosh - Completely Serious

MaryAnna Clemons — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:58:34 EDT

Holy cow -- don't try to drink beer and watch Daniel Tosh at the same time! Either you'll singe your nose hairs by spewing carbonated drink through your nostrils, or you just won't get the jokes. Where did this guy come from anyway? I hadn't heard of Daniel Tosh before Comedy Central or this DVD (yes, I'm ancient and not a college student, that could account for my density).I caught a snippet of Tosh on Comedy Central before receiving Completely Serious, but that was nothing compared to the hour-long comedy on this disc. First, he's much more crude on the DVD, and there was a lot left out of the Comedy Central airing (with reason). Tosh has a dry sense of humor that digs on everyone -- which I love. There seemed to be a time in comedy when making jokes of anyone other than a carbon copy of yourself (whites can only make fun of whites) seemed to rule the day. Those days are gone with the likes of Tosh and other comedians like Carlos Mencia (whose third season debut wasn't all that impressive - and last season I loved him - but I'll watch more and give him another chance). But when did rednecks become the red-headed stepchildren of the comedy world? It seems like when comics are short on material they resort to bashing "rednecks" and it's getting kinda old. I mean really, now many redneck jokes can be out there? People in Nebraska don't really eat fried mayonnaise balls (do they?). Tosh is clearly rural-phobic and has issues with people who can survive outside the city limits. But other than his bias toward the country folk, the jokes were just downright good.I loved that Tosh didn't use his standup time to beat some political dead horse, these were real jokes: this was no Next Comic Standing. This man has his hour-long shtick down pat. Although, I can fully see Tosh as the kid that was tortured and came home to cry on his mother's shoulder only to be told to suck it up and move on -- so he put her in his act and slammed her.Tosh takes a huge random joke and claims that he whittles that joke down till it only applies to about six people in the room -- and the funny thing is, it's true. And he didn't shy away from anything: from abortion, Demi Moore, Bush (only one joke), wave runners, to Superman. But it's not for kids -- don't even go there. He clearly has sexual issues with overtones of fearing God -- and apparently a fat dick. Adults only.Completely Serious is a must-have addition to your comedy shelf. His dry wit and sharp tongue are original and – best of all – funny!

Fear Everything

MaryAnna Clemons — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 17:20:11 EDT

I'm tired of being scared. Scared of microwave emissions through our cell phones, scared of additives through our foods, scared of the mercury in my cavity fillings, and scared of the government listening in on my phone calls. In all these "fears" are nuggets of truth, and one of those truths is that we are surrounded by toxins that are getting into our bodies more and more everyday. My fridge boasts some of the same old foods I've always eaten, and a lot of new foods I've taken to eating since I've been spending time "Getting Back to Natural." I am truly scared of the foods I was eating and have fed my kids. I am truly scared that our waterways are nothing but toxic chemical-laden rivers of death, to us and to the wildlife that tries to live in the river, not to mention that the water has to go somewhere and it's usually to our oceans, also totally polluted. I am scared of my fillings and if I weren't breastfeeding right now I'd have them replaced with something less toxic. But considering that the cavities in my back teeth are enormous, I wonder if it would be safer to leave them as is, or just be toothless.Back to my fridge. I have strawberries, apples, cherries, peaches, grapes, pickled asparagus (that I pickled), and watermelon. On the counter I have homemade bread and bananas. Two children from my extended family came to visit recently, and I kid you not -- the kids said they could not recall ever having eaten a strawberry before. I wasn't as shocked as you might think since one of those children also tried to peel her grapes years ago when I fed them to her. They didn't like banana bread, or watermelon, and it was a chore trying to make a meal that they would eat. It makes me sad, but also fearful that their only food intake is Dr. Pepper, Coke, Doritos, fried chicken, and Oreos. They look healthy, but how functional can you be on sugar, sugar, partially hydrogenated oils, antibiotic laden chicken, and more sugar?One of the books that has started me down this "natural" road is The End of Food: How the food industry is destroying our food supply -- and what you can do about it.I don't want to instill a constant fear into my children about their food, but at the same time I want them to be aware that Aspartame is a cancer causing agent, that preservatives aren't health foods, that partially hydrogenated oils are bad for you, and that processed MSG isn't "natural" and never was. I want them to be aware that the marketers of food products are selling us something. They aren't concerned with what happens to us after we ingest their products. They don't care what health ills we might have in the futures thanks to their chemically produced product. They want to sell us and they do that through "convenience." It's convenient to buy a box, add water, toss it into a microwave, and eat.But let me tell you, you may as well go outside and eat dirt, it's more nutritious. The box usually has a three-inch listing on the side of ingredients, and almost none that you can pronounce. The microwave changes the chemical composition of your foods into nothing, stealing every bit of nutrition that might have been in it to start with. Since "changing" into this highly-obsessed healthful mother, I've gotten rid of our microwave. I've started buying a boxed (some things in a box are worth buying) bread mix for my bread maker (can't get past the non-stick coating on the bread pan unless I make it by hand), stopped most dairy products, and try to buy organic milk and cheese and the best meat I can afford, although I've cut meat down to a once or twice a week meal also. I peel apples if they aren't organic, but I've failed to find non-conventional grapes on a regular basis, and I can't afford the organic cherries. They get soaked (a lot) before eating and I count on country sunshine to help create Vitamin D and de-tox our systems. And I've started my own garden.As I ate my instant oatmeal (Maple and Brown Sugar) I wondered if the "artificial flavoring" was really code for MSG. I called Quaker Oatmeal and actually got a real live human, who knew what I was referring to, and she told me that their product does not contain MSG, and that there was a law that required all MSG to be labeled as such. I had read that if the ingredient was less than 2% of the total that MSG didn't need to be on the label. Apparently this has changed, and it does have to be claimed now. That makes me feel a ton better about the Quaker brand food, although I did forget to ask where the flavoring came from and if they made it themselves or if it were bought from another source.I guess I can always call them back.