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Cookie or killer?
When my daughter was first diagnosed with a severe food allergy to nuts, I was very strict. I threw out half the pantry the day she suffered an anaphylactic reaction. I baked A LOT. Slowly over time, I baked less and bought more. I carefully brought in foods that although contained the 'may contain traces' disclaimer, seemed to have a low risk. And things went fine. After a while, we had crackers, cookies and snacks in the cupboard without incidence.
Unfortunately my good luck ran out. My daughter, Am, ate a 'rice cookie' that she'd eaten a bunch of times before. I thought it would be safer than most because it's made out of rice flour and is good for those with other food intolerances. Not so, we had the packet open for a few days and were half way through the packet, most of them eaten by Am. One day, she had a bite of one and immediately said she didn't want any more. I should have tweaked at that, but instead I thought nothing of it. A couple minutes later she was whining and complaining that her lip was hurting her. I couldn't see anything and assumed she'd bitten her lip when eating the biscuit. It wasn't until five minutes later when her lip had tripled in size that I realised what was happening.
I gave her some antihistimine and waited for other symptoms, trying not to panic. I called the doc who was helpful and calm. Things never progressed and she was fine. I was so relieved. The doctor said about the biscuit "well, if you play the odds sometimes the odds will work against you."
So, I guess I'm going to back to doing A LOT of baking.
I was looking at the Sydney Morning Herald's business section online just now and glancing at the 'Breaking News' box this is what I saw:
Latest Breaking News
2:40PM Toll books FY08 loss of $695m
2:36PM AMEC CEO resigns after four yrs
1:59PM Air New Zealand profit falls 1%
1:50PM Suncorp cut staff
1:31PM AOFM offers $150m bonds at switch tender
1:09PM APA predict further growth
12:59PM RBA should give families a break: Fraser
12:46PM Prime TV's annual profit down
11:18AM B&B Infrastructure profit plummets 145%
Geez... that's a lot of bad news to occur in under two hours.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's inflation rate has soared in the past three months and is now at 11.2 million percent, the highest in the world, according to the country's Central Statistical Office.
Zimbabwe's inflation rate has soared to a world high.
If only it was a euro....
Official figures dated Monday show inflation has surged from the rate of 2.2 million percent recorded in May, despite the government's price controls.
The country's finance minister confirmed the new figure in an interview but said the rising inflation rate was not confined to Zimbabwe alone.
"While our case has been aggravated by the illegal sanctions imposed by the Western powers, rising food prices are a world phenomenon because of the use of bio-fuel," said Samuel Mumbengegwi. "But we will continue to fight inflation by making sure that prices charged are realistic."
Analysts have said the Zimbabwean government's official inflation rate figures are conservative. Last week, one of Zimbabwe's leading banks, Kingdom Bank, said the country's inflation rate was now more than 20 million percent.
The locally-owned bank predicted tougher times ahead for Zimbabwe in the absence of donor support and foreign investment in an economy that has been in freefall for almost a decade.
Once considered the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe has been in the throes of an economic meltdown ever since the country embarked on a chaotic land reform program that has decimated commercial agriculture.
Analysts say the crisis has worsened following President Robert Mugabe's disputed reelection in the June 27 presidential run-off. His challenger Morgan Tsvangirai boycotted the race over widespread allegations of violence and voter intimidation.
The economic crisis has destroyed Zimbabwe's currency and made it difficult for Zimbabweans to buy basic commodities, electricity, fuel, and medicines. Many Zimbabweans have left the country amid rising unemployment and deepening poverty.
Last week a summit in South Africa of regional African leaders failed to persuade Zimbabwe's political parties to agree to form a government of national unity, which observers view as the best way to end Zimbabwe's record recession.
As a parent you are pretty much always rating and comparing yourself. Some parents think they are doing a perfect job, however most question themself and whether or not they are doing things 'the right way'.
One parent's evil is another parent's saviour
Whether it's issues regarding behaviour, diet, TV or discipline, everyone has a different viewpoint and a different way of doing things. The same goes for handling your child's severe food allergies
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National news carriers in Australia optimised the Obama in Berlin event by overplaying footage of the orator in front of a massive crowd in Berlin. Everyone is comparing him to Kennedy. Everyone is saying how amazing his speech was. But what does it all really mean? Is he really the "new, black Kennedy"?
The crowd for Obama in Berlin
It all wreaks of spin to me. Everything in the Obama compaign has veered toward the Kennedy-era: New hope, opportunity and a time for change. The true test of a candidate is what he DOES, not what he SAYS. Obama is fighting his lack of experience with a message that spurs hope in a disillusioned population. It's like Primary Colours all over again. The trouble with presidential campaigns is there's very little talk about the issues, and more talk about what's wrong with competing candidates. In an age where a candidate is afraid to do any policy that isolates it's voters, lobbyists and popular opinion, the result is a depressing 'no action is action' policy
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Australia's network of childcare protection services has faced a constant barrage of bad press over the past few years. Living in Sydney, regular news stories appear -- tragic stories -- highlighting abuse, neglect and death of children who were "known to DoCS" (the NSW government's Dept of Community Services). In the past week alone Austrlian's have witnessed a number of sad and tragic stories. The worse being the murder suicide of a father and his three young children. Earlier last week there were two cases of children being removed from their mothers due to neglect and malnourishment. Finally, there's the 13 year old who DoCS lost.
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That's the $64,000 question, and no one has come out with a confident answer. Researchers have pointed to two likely theories behind the rise in severe peanut allergies in children:
1. Genetic predilection
2. Increasing exposure to processed foods
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Article originally from news.com.au "Days are numbered for peanut allergyz' By Will Dunham
appeared: May 03, 2008 04:04am
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ZAM ZAM DISPLACEMENT CAMP, Sudan (CNN) -- Sudan's Darfur crisis has exploded on many fronts -- violence, hunger, displacement and looting -- but United Nations peacekeepers say the biggest issue now affecting the region is the systematic rape of women and children.
Thousands of women as young as 4 caught in the middle of the struggle between rebel forces and government-backed militias have become victims of rape, they say, with some aid groups claiming that it is being used as a weapon of ethnic cleansing
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Comment by Mishpish
on The Butterfly Effect 2: Five Things I Hate About It.
Allergy Window