SPLIFF Magazine - August 2010

Issue 3 Volume 2

the green alternative AUGUST 2010

Save Our Planet:

Tax Credit To Stimulate Green Economy

Gulf Oil Spill 10 Summer Favorites Made Lighter Legalize It!

Research Shows Medical Marijuana Has Merit www.SpliffMagazine.com

$4.20

+ Gadgets Erika Anowa & more!

News

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SPLIFF MAGAZINE STAFF EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Malik Akbar ART & DESIGN ART DIRECTOR

Alim Akbar PRODUCTON MANAGER

Amanda Turner ADVERTISING SALES & MARKETING MANAGER

Charlotte Jones PR COORDINATOR

Michelle M. BUSINESS PUBLISHER

Malik Akbar CONTRIBUTORS

Atlanta Journal Conststution TheHottestGadgets.com Green Energy News Treehugger.com Nellie Lide LA Times WebMd Norml

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august contents...

Greetings!

Well, saving our planet and ourselves is not, and will never be a “fad”. The movement is here to stay and the question is do you have what it takes to stay on for the duration of the ride! There are so many things we can do individually and collectively to start change.

For example, you can share all the superb information and truth from SPLIFF Magazine with your coworkers or even your annoying next door neighbor.

In every issue of our magazine, you can see many Non-Profit Organizations displayed all throughout our pages. It’s important that we’re all aware of these organizations as well as their mission - and it’s important we all support their movement, and maybe even start our own.

Peace and Blessings,

Letter From The Editor

12 News San Deigo DEA Raids...

18 Save Our Planet Tax Credit To Stimulate Green Economy..

24 Helping Hands Water For Life; Project Rwanda

26 Legalize It! Medical Marijuana Has Merit...

32 Erika Summer Time!!!

36 Life Style Organic Fashions

44 Feature: Gulf Oil Spill

Malik A. Editor

So how big was the BP oil spill?

52 Tech Spot Hot Solar Powered Gadgets...

56 Fantasy Dolls Patricia International Fire Goddesss

64 Business Green Business opportunuties...

Disclaimer SPLIFF Magazine would like to remind readers to be aware that the sale, possession and transport of viable cannabis seeds are ILLEGAL in many countries, including in the USA. We do not wish to induce anyone to act in conflict or disobedience with the law. We don not promote the germination, cultivation or growth of these seeds where prohibited by law. SPLIFF Magazine and its employees assume no responsibility for any claims or representations contained in this publication or in any advertisement. ALL material is for entertainment and educational purposes only! SPLIFF Magazine does not encourage the illegal use of any of the products or advertisements within. All opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of SPLIFF Magazine. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part without the expressed written consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. All advertised products and offers void where prohibited. Occasionally we may use materials we believed to be placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible to identify or contact the copyright holder. If you claim ownership of something we have published we will be pleased to make a proper acknowledgement. All letters and pictures sent are assumed to be for publication unless stated otherwise. SPLIFF Magazine cannot be held responsible for unsolicited contributions. No portion of this publication can be reproduced for profit without the written consent of the publisher.

71 Health & Fitness 10 summer favorites made lighter.

78 Entertainment Movies & Music News

84 Anowa The Nigerian Powerhouse

88 Sports What should be done about sports agents?

97 Did You Know?

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News

Patient Advocates Condemn Federal DEA Raids in San Diego on 7/9...

Aggressive raids belie new federal policy & undermine local efforts to regulate San Diego, CA -- Federal agents raided at least four San Diego-area medical marijuana dispensaries today in the early morning hours. Sources say that Green Kross, Unified Collective, SDOC and Kush Lounge were all served federal search warrants and were subjected to aggressive SWAT-style raids which resulted in the arrest of as many as 8 people and the seizure of money, medical marijuana and patient records. These raids come as the City of San Diego is deliberating an ordinance to regulate the local distribution of medical marijuana.

"The patient community is outraged by these actions and demands answers," said Eugene Davidovich of the local San Diego chapter of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the country's leading medical marijuana advocacy group. "Why is the federal government attempting to undermine our local efforts to regulate?" A recent San Diego Gran Jury encouraged local governments to follow through on implementing state law by regulating medical marijuana distribution facilities that provide needed medicine to patients throughout the county. Both the City and County of San Diego are on the verge of approving regulatory ordinances.

Several federal raids have occurred in San Diego over the past few years, typically with the cooperation of local law enforcement and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. The latest raids happened in September 2009 under the multi-agency effort called "Operation Endless Summer." Despite the confidence of Dumanis in prosecuting state cases against local dispensary operators, one of them being Davidovich, they have only resulted in jury acquittals. "Despite a failure to win convictions in state court, Dumanis continues to aggressively enforce and prosecute groundless medical marijuana cases," continued Davidovich.

In October 2009, one month after raids were conducted on more than a dozen medical marijuana dispensaries in San Diego, the Justice Department issued a new policy aimed at deemphasizing federal enforcement in medical marijuana states. Nonetheless, the Justice Department has continued to take action in California and other medical marijuana states, with San Diego dispensaries being the latest targets. In addition, the first federal trial of a medical marijuana provider under the Obama Administration is due to take place in the next few weeks. San Diego dispensary operator James Stacy was raided in the same September 2009 raid, but is being federally prosecuted. He is currently trying to mount an entrapment and medical use defense, something routinely denied federal medical marijuana defendants due to court rules that favor the prosecution.

"These raids underscore the importance of developing a comprehensive federal policy on medical marijuana, which will also allow states to care for the health and welfare of their people without unnecessary federal interference," said ASA Government Affairs Director Caren Woodson. "It is not the purview of the federal government to enforce local or state laws."

Further Information: October 2009 Justice Department policy directive on medical marijuana: http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/192

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San Diego Medical Marijuana Provider Denied a Defense in Federal Court Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) calls for new trial rules concerning medical marijuana San Diego, CA -- U.S. District Court Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz denied a defense today for James Stacy, a San Diego-area medical marijuana provider raided in September 2009 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Stacy was raided by the DEA a month before the Justice Department issued a new policy on medical marijuana in October, deemphasizing federal enforcement in medical marijuana states. Despite the new policy, the Obama Administration is continuing its prosecution against Stacy, who will be tried on August 30th as the first such trial under under the new DOJ policy.

"It's unconscionable for the federal government to continue prosecuting these cases and ruining people's lives," said Caren Woodson, Director of Government Affairs at Americans for Safe Access, the leading medical mari juana advocacy group in the U.S. "It's far worse to then deny the accused a defense in federal court, all but guaranteeing a conviction in spite of the defendant's compliance with state law." Because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the federal government can effectively exclude any evidence of medical use or compliance with state medical marijuana laws.

The denial of Stacy's medical marijuana defense in federal court has attracted the attention of some Members of Congress who are working to end this unfair practice. "Despite a new Justice Department policy on medical marijuana enforcement, James Stacy was still denied a defense in federal court," said Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA), author of the Truth in Trials Act, legislation that would allow defendants like Stacy to use evidence of state law compliance in federal court. "The Truth in Trials Act would correct this aberration of justice and ensure that no one else will needlessly face years in prison without the means to defend themselves."

Eugene Davidovich, head of the San Diego chapter of ASA and another provider who was raided last September in the multi-agency operation said that, "If the federal government's going to obstruct evidence that would exonerate Stacy and others like him, then these cases should be tried in state court where medical marijuana can be used as a defense." Davidovich was tried and acquitted by jury in state court, indicating that authorities do not have sufficient evidence to gain convictions. This has not deterred local officials such as San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to authorize aggressive SWAT-style multi-agency raids like those that happened at three dispensaries last Friday, resulting in the arrest of 12 people.

The Stacy trial and recent DEA raids come as the City and County of San Diego are both deliberating local reg ulations on distribution of medical marijuana. Advocates argue that federal actions in collaboration with local law enforcement aim to undermine efforts to regulate the same activity that's being criminalized. San Diego has historically been hostile to medical marijuana, filing a lawsuit against local advocates and the State of California to avoid implementing the state-mandated ID card system and conducting more than 50 DEA raids during the Bush Administration. Yet, patients and advocates have been supported by two San Diego Grand Juries that have issued strong recommendations to fully implement state law at the local level.

"Stacy's prosecution and denial of a defense underscores the importance of developing a comprehensive fed eral policy on medical marijuana, which will also allow states to care for the health and welfare of their people without unnecessary federal interference," continued Woodson. "It's not the purview of the federal government to enforce local or state laws."

Further Information: Ruling by federal judge denying Stacy's defense: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/downloads/Stacy_Rul ing.pdf October 2009 Justice Department policy directive on medical marijuana: http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/192 SPLIFF August 2010 15

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Save Our Planet

JUICE UP TAX CREDITS TO STIMULATE A GREEN ECONOMY.

by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News Coincidentally, as Obama’s economic stimulus package runs out the US economy shows signs of los ing steam. Job creation is feeble. The economy can’t be allowed to fall off a cliff again. Action should be taken now.

In an election season a deficit-concerned Congress won’t be in the mood to pass a mega-spending bill, but tax cuts are always popular.

Obama wants to build a clean energy economy. Why not expand and extend existing tax breaks for clean, renewable and efficient energy to continue efforts already underway to do so?

Let’s take a look at a few Federal tax incentives for efficient and renewable energy now on the books: The Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit is a personal tax credit that covers the installation of certain energy efficient water heaters, furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, central air conditioners, building insulation, windows, doors, roofs, some circulating fans used in qualifying home furnaces, as well as some biomass fuel stoves.

The credit, taken off the bottom line of a homeowner’s tax return, is for 30 percent of the cost of the energy efficiency improvements. But the total amount of the credit is a miserly $1500 for all improvements combined.

That cost may include labor costs or just the cost of the qualified equipment.

This credit is set to expire at the end of 2010. Why not extend it another few years and double (or more) the amount of the credit to at least $3000?

The Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit is another personal tax credit (again off the bottom line of taxes due for a given year) that covers solar water heating, solar photovoltaics, wind energy, fuel cells, geothermal heat pumps and other solar electric technologies.

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Like the energy efficiency tax credit, it’s for 30 percent of the installation, but for qualifying solar, wind or geo thermal for systems installed beginning in 2009 there is no maximum amount of the credit. If the system cost is, for example, $20,000, the credit, the amount off your tax bill, would be $6000. If the credit brings your tax bill below zero the excess credit may be carried forward to the succeeding tax year.

This fairly generous credit is set to expire at the end of 2016. Still, why not increase the amount of the credit to 40 or even 50 percent?

For vehicles, there are a number of tax credits for alternative fuels including diesels, natural gas, propane, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles. The credits are specific to certain models and the expiration date varies depending on the number of vehicles sold.

The biggest tax break available – up to $7500 – is for upcoming electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Yet that tax break isn’t forever and will phase out at the beginning of the second calendar quarter after the manufacturer produces 200,000 eligible vehicles. That could be quite a while, since these vehicles are expected to sell relatively small numbers. Still, why not be more generous with the tax credit and increase it to say $10,000?

There are other energy efficiency and renewable energy tax credits, of course, that are aimed at business an industry. There are probably extensions and expansions possible within those provisions.

Many states also have additional tax incentives such as sales tax relief for renewable energies. The states often follow the lead on what Washington does.

Overall, energy tax credits are a plus all-around for the economy.

Those making the energy efficiency or renewable energy investment will likely see a reduction in fuel and/or electric bills. Money not spent on energy can be spent elsewhere in the economy, or perhaps saved.

The equipment purchased for homes, such as solar panels, solar water heaters, high efficiency air conditioners, for example, may be entirely US made (great for those US factories), may be imported or be some combination of the two. In any case, some jobs will be created in manufacturing. However, all of the equipment has to be installed by professionals, definitely creating jobs and new business.

As for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, there is already considerable investment in manufacturing vehicles and components here in the US, in part because of the first stimulus package and in part because of legislation enacted under President Bush. Being more generous with those tax breaks should draw in more buyers, increase production rates creating jobs in US factories and perhaps even encouraging the development of more models.

There is a down side, of course. Tax breaks mean taxes not entering the US Treasury, and it’s possible that these enhanced incentives would increase the deficit. However, that possibility would have to weigh against the creation of new jobs which would send income tax dollars to the government. Further, in saving money on energy people will have more disposable income which could be spent, with some of that eventually finding its way into the Treasury. Finally, cutting energy is the gift that keeps on giving. As long as the energy technology keeps functioning the savings in dollars and cents will be like a newfound source of income year after year.

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There is a down side, of course. Tax breaks mean taxes not entering the US Treasury, and it’s possible that these enhanced incentives would in crease the deficit However, that possibility would have to weigh against the creation of new jobs which would send income tax dollars to the government. Further, in saving money on energy people will have more disposable income which could be spent, with some of that eventually finding its way into the Treasury. Finally, cutting energy is the gift that keeps on giving. As long as the energy technology keeps functioning the savings in dollars and cents will be like a newfound source of income year after year.

The President and Democrats in Congress are still thinking of a climate and energy bill this year. The oil disater in the Gulf of Mexico will make passage of that bill easier but not guaranteed. So, instead of fighting for a new energy and climate policy, why not continue efforts for new economic stimulus using energy at its core? Stim ulating the economy, cutting conventional energy consumption, adopting cleaner energy with the side-benefit of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, would all be part of the same package.

Links: Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency http://www.energystar.gov/taxcredits Fuel Efficient Vehicle Tax Credits http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxcenter.shtml

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Helping Hands

Safe Water for the World

Organization: Water For Life Location: Kigali, Rwanda Project: Rain Harvesting, Bio-Sand Filtration, Well drilling Status: Ongoing With its stunning beauty and rich natural resources, Africa is still ravaged by its limited access to safe water supplies. 750,000 children die each year from diarrheal diseases alone in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Specifically, Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, has over 80,000 children attending primary schools without safe water.

With help from partners around the world, we can meet the needs of the children of Kigali. In December 2008 we began work on a project that will, when complete, ensure that all primary-school students in the city will have access to safe drinking water.

The long-term success of our work is dependent upon the local community taking ownership of their own water resources. As with nearly all our projects, we begin by training staff from local churches, schools, and community groups. These teams will work with our Water for Life staff on a daily basis to complete more than 300 water systems at roughly 80 school campuses. A typical campus in Kigali will have three or four school buildings for children from kindergarten through sixth grade.

The total cost is about $15 per student, including instruction of both students and teachers in sanitation and hygiene education by community health workers.

www.WaterForLife.org

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Project Report Project Costs: $1,200,000 Lives Improved: 80,000+ Time-Span: Dec 2008 - Dec 2012

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Legalize It!

Medical Marijuana Has Merit, Research Shows Although Research Shows Medical Mariuana Works, Critics Say Research Is Flawed.

By Kathleen Doheny WebMD Health News Marijuana can be a promising treatment for some specific, pain-related medical conditions, according to California researchers who presented an update of their findings Wednesday to the California Legislature and also released them to the public. ''I think the evidence is getting better and better that marijuana, or the constituents of cannabis, are useful at least in the adjunctive treatment of neuropathy," Igor Grant, MD, executive vice-chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California, tells WebMD. ''We don't know if it's a front-line treatment. I'm hoping the results of our studies will prompt larger-scale studies that involve a much more varied population." ''This [report given to the Legislature] sets the stage of larger-scale studies,'' he says.

Some experts who reviewed the report say some of the studies are flawed and that they worry about the long term health effects of marijuana smoke.

Perspective: Medical Marijuana Research Some observers speculated that the researchers presented their report to the Legislature to call attention to marijuana research because an initiative to legalize marijuana for general use is expected to be on the California ballot in November 2010.

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But Grant says that's not the case. "We sent it to the Legislature because our report was due," he says.

The program Grant directs was launched in 1999, when the California Legislature passed (and the governor signed) SB 847. Since then, the center has completed five scientific trials, with more in progress.

Medical Marijuana: The Research Scorecard Five studies, published in peer-reviewed medical journals, show the value of marijuana for pain-related conditions, theresearchers say in the report.

Smoked cannabis reduced pain in HIV patients. In one study, 50 patients assigned either to cannabis or placebo finished the study. Although 52% of those who smoked marijuana had a 30% or more re duction in pain intensity, just 24% of those in the placebo group did. The study is published in the journal Neurology. In another study, 28 HIV pa tients were assigned toeither marijuana or placebo -- and 46% of pot smokers compared to 18% of the placebo group reported 30% or more painrelief. That study is in Neuropsychopharmacology.

Marijuana helped reduce pain in people suffering spinal cord injury and other conditions. In this study, 38 patients smokedeither high-dose or low-dose marijuana; 32 finished all three sessions. Both doses reducedneuropathic pain from different causes. Results appear in the Journal of Pain.

Medium doses of marijuana can reduce pain perception, another study found. Fifteen healthy volun teers smoked a low, medium, or high dose of marijuana to see if it could counteract the pain produced by an injection of capsaicin, the ''hot'' ingredient in chili peppers. The higher the dose, the greater the pain relief. The study was published in Anesthesiology.

Vaporized marijuana can be safe, other research found. In this study, 14 volunteers were assigned to get low, medium, or high doses of pot, either smoked or by vaporization delivery, on six different occa sions. The vaporized method was found safe; patients preferred it to smoking. The study is in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

A sixth study, as yet unpublished, found marijuana better than placebo cigarettes in reducing the spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis and the pain associated with the spasticity.

Medical Marijuana Research: What's Next?

Grant's researchers will finish two more studies, with results expected by 2011, he says. What happens then, when the initial allocation of nearly $8.7 million, awarded back in 2000, runs out?

"We're going to act as a kind of shell or organizational structure to help investigators apply for funding with the NIH [and others]," he says. Grant says he is expecting no more funding from cash-strapped California.

Although 14 states have legalized medical marijuana, he says, California is the only state that has ''stepped up to the plate'' to do research.

Medical Marijuana Research: Other Opinions The California center's studies are flawed, says Joel Hay, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical economics and policy at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and a vocal critic of medical marijuana.

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"It's not medicine," he says of marijuana. "It would never be approved by the FDA. ''I certainly concede that cannabinoids may have a very valuable medical role," he says. But the danger is in the smoking of marijuana, he says, citing health effects.

Isolating the active ingredient is a better approach, he says, and has actually already been done. "If you want a cannabionoid, it's here," he says, referring to Marinol, available and FDA approved. The active ingredient is THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, the same as found in marijuana. ''Marijuana contains a huge variety of compounds, some of which have not even been thoroughly identified," Hay tells WebMD. The studies, he says, are all short-term, with small groups.

Another flaw, he says, is that it's difficult to have a true placebo when studying marijuana. "People know when they are consuming a psychoactive product," he says .

Another flaw is that patients were allowed to continue on their pain medicine, says Kevin Weissman, PharmD, director of drug information services at Los Angeles County+University of Southern California Medical Center.

That may have affected the results.

Grant counters that it was not humane to take patients off pain medicines that were providing any degree of relief.

Like Hay, Weissman says marijuana does have an analgesic effect. But he worries about the long-term effect of marijuana smoke and says research is needed to find a safer delivery system that works, such as vaporization.

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Erika

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Lifestyle

It's fast becoming easier to dress head-to-toe in ethical threads. More conventional brands are adding green materials or practices by using organic-cotton and experimenting with other sustainable textiles, while already eco-designers are exploring how to make textiles such as Tencel, recycled polyester, and vintage fabrics more sophisticated. And green fashion weeks in cities including New York and Portland have blossomed into must-show-at extravaganzas for ethical and green designers creating beautifully crafted seasonal collections.

And where fashion goes, beauty follows. From haircare to beardwash, eco-savvy guys and gals have a bigger universe than ever of beauty products to choose from. So strap on a pair of vegan stilettos and pull out your best organic denim -- our Best of Green Fashion & Beauty winners highlight the best of the best when it comes to skincare, footwear, nail care, haircare, and much, much more.

Produced by Mairi Beautyman

Best Haircare Brand: John Masters Organics

Image credit: John Masters Organics

For the second year in a row, John Masters Organics scoops up TreeHugger's Best of Green Award in the haircare category for proving that shiny, luscious locks are possible without the use of harsh synthetic ingredients - even for the most unruly hair. Notable favorites from the haircare line include Zinc and Sage Shampoo with Conditioner, Herbal Cider Hair Clarifier & Color Sealer, and the Lavender & Avocado Intensive Conditioner, made from certified organic ingredients. "I like John's Sea Mist. Because I never have time to go to the beach but this always gives me beach swept tresses. No one knows the difference!" says Planet Green host and sustainable fashion expert Summer Rayne Oakes.

John Masters's "clean air" salon in New York offers only treatments that are free of harsh of synthetic chemical -- such as ammonia-free and herbal-based color -- plus, it's powered by wind energy.

Best Casual Shoes: Simple Shoes This season, Simple Shoes introduced BIO-D, their first collection of biodegradable footwear. Outsoles and midsoles break down to dirt in a landfill environment in 20 years with the help of EcoPure, which is added to plastic, rubber, and EVA mixtures. Because these microbes are only activated under conditions of moisture and warmth that are specific to landfills, there is no threat of shoes breaking down on your feet.

Like their ecoSneaks, BIO-D footwear is made with sustainable materials; hemp uppers, recycled car tire bottoms, organic cotton linings, recycled plastic bottles (PET) shoe laces and foot beds, recycled carpet padding, and water-based glues.

Image credit: Simple Shoes

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Best Casual Brand (U.S.-based): Loomstate Loomstate's Rogan Gregory and Scott Mackinlay Hahn have been providing cool, comfortable organic denim and casual wear since they started the brand in 2004. The New York-based label manages all stages of manufacturing -- from fabric mills to cut-and-sew facilities to denim laundries -- in order to ensure fair labor, responsible processes, and high environmental standards. Loomstate also holds factory partners responsible by requiring them to adhere to a code of conduct and Terms of Engagement. Their on-trend denim is made with 100-percent certified-organic cotton, and Loomstate has increasingly been able to bring sustainable fashion to a mainstream audience via collaborations with Target, Vans, Keds, and Barneys. ★ Reader's Choice Winner: American Apparel Read more: Readers' Choice Winners for TreeHugger's Best of Green Awards - Fashion and Beauty Image credit: Loomstate Organic

Best Online Fashion Shop: The Green Loop The Green Loop is a one-stop, online shop that offers fashionable clothing, bags, belts, footwear, and jewelry from some of our favorite eco-fashion labels and designers; Linda Loudermilk, Edun, Deux FM, Lara Miller, Loyale, Popomomo, Loomstate, and many more. The Oregon-based company offsets carbon emissions from all its deliveries, uses recyclable shipping envelopes, and is a member of 1% For the Planet. "Is there another online shop for sustainable style?" asks Summer Rayne Oaks. ★ Reader's Choice Winner: The Green Loop Read more: Readers' Choice Winners for TreeHugger's Best of Green Awards - Fashion and Beauty Image credit: Suburban Riot; The Green Loop 38 August 2010 SPLIFF

Best Personal Care or Skin Care Line: Eminence Organics Eminence Organics offers a complete line of organic beauty essentials, containing all-natural organically grown herbs, fruits, and vegetables. As the brand boasts, ingredients are hand-selected and "hand-mixed with pure waters drawn from a thermal hot spring lake containing minerals and trace elements found nowhere else on earth; products are handmade in Hungary--no mass production--without any heating or hydrogenating processes."

Additionally, Eminence's paper packaging is made from 30 percent post-consumer recycled material; wooden boxes are made from 50 percent post consumer recycled material; their plastic containers are made out of non-toxic, recycled material, and their farm in Hungary is powered by wind and is heated with geothermal. But above all, their products work well and are simply luxurious. Our favorite: Sun Defense Minerals, which provides SPF 30 sun protection and a bronze glow in the form of a breakout-free make-up powder. ★ Reader's Choice Winner: Burt's Bees Read more: Readers' Choice Winners for TreeHugger's Best of Green Awards - Fashion and Beauty Image credit: Eminence Organic Skin Care

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Best Mass-Produced Conventional Brand Doing Green: Levi's Levi Strauss & Co., creator of the world's first pair of blue jeans back in 1873, introduced a new brand called Levi's Eco back in fall 2006. These organic cotton jeans are made with recycled buttons, rivets and zippers, and some are dyed with natural indigo.

In 2009, the global brand ran a campaign encouraging customers to trade-in their pre-loved jeans in return for 25 percent off a new pair; partnered with Goodwill to create special care tags that inform consumers how to wash garments, and where to take them when they're done; and created a Reused Jean Shoe for the Red Tab footwear collection, made with--you guessed it--recycled Levi's jeans.

Image credit: Levi Strauss & Co. via WWD

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Feature

So How Big Was the BP Oil Spill?

With the gusher stopped, hopefully for good, after 85 days, just how big was the BP oil spill?

By Dan Shapley More than 180 million gallons.

That is the leading estimate for how much BP oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon, over the course of 85 days of environmental catastrophe. It ranks as one of the worst oil spills in world history and is more than five-times the size of the next biggest oil spill in U.S. history, the Exxon Valdez spill's 30-35 million gallons of oil. (Yes, that's more than the 11 million gallons typically quoted, and even the enormous 180 million gallons quoted above should be taken with a big grain of salt; if history is any guide, it's most likely a low-end estimate.)

Hundreds of miles of shoreline are oiled; tens of thousands of square miles of Gulf waters remain closed to fishing; thousands of birds, fish, turtles and marine mammals have died, and the ecosystem could remain contaminated in unpredictable ways for years or decades to come.

If 180 million gallons proves to be the right figure, the BP oil spill ranks as the second-worst in world history, behind just Saddam Hussein's Kuwait oil fires, which released as much as 336 million gallons in the Persian Gulf. In the last month, it exceeded the Ixtoc 1 offshore oil spill in Mexico's Bay of Campeche, which released an estimated 140 million gallons.

There's no assurance that the cap BP placed on its well will hold permanently. It looks good, according to press reports and government statements, and that's encouraging. But a hurricane, a real possibility, could still disrupt the recovery effort before BP attempts the "bottom kill" procedure by connecting one or more relief wells to the leaking well.

The (hopefully) final total spilled is all the more striking because BP and the government initially claimed just 1,000 barrels a day were leaking from its ruptured oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, 50 miles off shore, where the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded spectacularly April 20, starting the historic BP oil spill.

Later, with Obama Administration officials concurring, the estimate was upped to 5,000 barrels a day, though soon independent experts would say that that figure was 5-10 times short of the true rate. It appears that it was nearly 10 times shy of the actual rate, and that the initial estimate was as much as 60 times shy of the actual rate. There's so much oil leaking that the standard reference in these situations no longer applies: It only takes 640,000 gallons to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, but there's as much as 2.5 million gallons leaking every day (or as few as 1.5 million gallons).

Part of the reason the spill's size was so badly underestimated was that much of the oil will never reach the surface; it billowed out in huge plumes hundreds of miles long, but deep underwater. Another reason is that BP, with the federal okay, sprayed dispersant deep underwater, diluting the oil at its source and reducing its apparent size (but not its actual size). Finally, BP refused for weeks to release video footage of the spill, and then refused for more weeks to release high-definition footage that helped scientists estimate the flow more 44 August 2010 SPLIFF

Imagine the Oil Spill in Your Own Backyard

Paul Rademacher, a Google employee, built this Google Earth Plug-In to get a better idea of the relative size of the Gulf Oil Spill. "It's hard to get a sense of the true size when it's over the ocean floor," his Website reads. You can place an oil spill-sized image over your hometown or a major city. Here's a shot of the New York City and Los Angeles areas compared to the size of the oil spill.

accurately. The volume of the spill likely increased, too, when BP severed the pipe to make a cleaner fit for its latest, partially successful containment scheme.

Size matters. BP, one of the world's richest companies, will be charged penalties per barrel. The Exxon Valdez still hasn't been fully "cleaned up" nor have affected fishermen and residents of Alaska been fully compensated. And the Gulf of Mexico is only slightly less ecologically sensitive (warmer waters will help break up the oil faster) and equally if not more environmentally important: seafood, fish, marine mammals, sea turtles and birds, by the millions are threatened.

Repeated BP efforts to staunch the flow failed before now. Yet, as Elizabeth Kolbert pointed out recently in the New Yorker, it's curious that this Earth Day spill didn't seem to catalyze the level of political will for environmental protection that the much smaller Santa Barbara Spill did in 1968. Together with the burning of the Cuyahoga River, it helped to spark the first Earth Day, and usher in fundamental laws like the Clean Air and Clean Water acts.

Obama has used the spill to make a case for revamping the nation's energy policy to de-emphasize oil and other fossil fuels, and instead emphasize renewable fuels and nuclear power. It remains to be seen whether the Senate has the appetite for that kind of overhaul, particularly since expanding offshore oil drilling had been the carrot to get some Republicans to the table.

Today, environmental groups and their political allies are trying to generate enough outrage to seriously slow or stop offshore oil development, but even the supposed Gulf of Mexico offshore oil moratorium was a myth, so it's hard to know how much appetite even presumed allies of renewable energy have for real change. Unless citizens write letters and sign petitions in enough numbers, the biggest oil spill in U.S. history won't change that equation.

The Gulf Oil Spill: 7 Ways to Help Whether you volunteer, report oil-slicked wildlife, write to Congress, donate money or boycott BP, there are several actions you can take in response to the unprecedented BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Also: Get the latest on the Gulf oil spill The Gulf oil spill, caused by the explosion of the Transocean Deepwater Horizon rig drilling a BP oil well in mile-deep water is the largest U.S. oil spill in history, bigger than the Exxon Valdez by far. Eleven workers were killed by the blast on the rig April 20, and the open well is gushing as many as 25,000 barrels of oil every day (though BP now says it is capturing 10,000 or more daily with its latest stopgap fix).

The oil slick has closed fishing grounds in federal or state waters off of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida; threatened birds and sea creatures; and led to federal restraints – at least temporarily – on new offshore oil drilling.

It's easy to feel hopeless in the face of such disaster. Taking action is one of the best antidotes for that feeling.

What can individuals do to help?

1. Report Injured Wildlife and Oiled Beaches If you live along the Gulf Coast and spot oil damage or wildlife in need of help, the government has set up these hotlines (along with a Website): * To report oiled wildlife: 1-866-557-1401 (Leave a message; they will be checked hourly.) * To report oil spill related damage: 1-800-440-0858 * To report oiled shoreline: 1-866-448-5816 Don't attempt to help oiled wildlife without the help of professionals or trained volunteers.

2. Volunteer Volunteers must be trained to be effective, and to avoid health problems that can result from handling oil and oiled wildlife. BP is paying many people to respond to the oil spill, and those workers typically include locals put out of work by the spill. So think twice before you "volunteer" because you don't want to take work away from a shrimper or a fishermen put out of work – possibly for years – by the spill. That said, the task of cleaning up, laying booms and cleansing what wildlife can be found is enormous.

Tristate Bird Rescue & Research is coordinating on-the-ground volunteer efforts. Several other groups are helping to organize volunteers to help cleanse birds and otherwise protect both wildlife and human populations along the Gulf Coast. Our favorite (since we just handed its president John Flicker a 2010 Heart of Green Award) is The National Audubon Society, which is helping connect volunteers with the best government or non-profit agency doing work related to the oil spill response.

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(But there are many many many others.) The government also has a volunteer hotline at 1-866-448-5816.

Most organizations are referring volunteers to each state for detailed volunteer opportunities, which can change over time: * Louisiana * Alabama * Mississippi * Florida In general, organizations are urging people not to travel to volunteer.

Stay tuned, though. Organizations like the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences will need experienced bird-watchers this fall and for several years to monitor the health of shorebird populations. Volunteer opportunities like this will become available as needed.

3. Donate While BP has pledged to pay all legitimate claims made in relation to the oil spill, the groups working in the area need immediate support (and there's no guarantee BP will pay every claim victims feel is worthy, especially since U.S. law caps some expenses at $75 million). Here's a list of some of the groups working on the oil spill that get three- and four-star ratings from charitynavigator.com. * National Audubon Society, is working to aid birds and habitat affected by the spill. * National Wildlife Federation, is responding to the spill and The Daily Green's own Gloria Reuben has created a video urging you to take action (below). * Greater New Orleans Foundation, is assisting locally. * Matter of Trust is accepting donations of hair, fur and nylons, which are used to aid in the oil response. * Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, which protects important shorebird habitat in the Gulf and throughout the Americas, will be documenting damage to birds and striving to restore them.

4. Buy Gulf Seafood You have to be careful that you can trust the source is uncontaminated, but remember that the western Gulf of Mexico remains open to fishing, as do some state waters that haven't been threatened by oil. In all about one-third of the Gulf remains open to commercial fishermen, and since certain species – shrimp, oysters, crabs – are hard to come by, some are turning to crawfish (that's "crayfish" to those of us living outside the region) and other freshwater species that haven't been contaminated. Seafood prices, particularly for Gulf staples like shrimp, oysters, red snapper and shark, are rising across the country, while Gulf fishermen are, largely, out of work. "There's a bit of an irony in that gulf seafood is less highly desired because people are worried about contamination – even unfairly," said Douglas N. Rader, chief ocean scientist for Environmental Defense Fund. "The fishermen that remain in the Gulf aren't benefiting the way they could and should because of higher seafood prices."

5. Write to Elected Leaders There's nothing like a crisis to focus political will on environmental issues. At issue currently is a proposed expansion of offshore oil drilling in U.S. waters. President Obama made good on a campaign process and proposed the expansion, which is also believed to be a central compromise in the Senate energy bill developed by Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman. The BP oil spill shows how dire the consequences can be from a spill, and Obama has temporarily halted new offshore oil exploration. If you think offshore oil drilling is a bad idea, it's a good time to tell leaders what you think. Here's how:

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* Oceana (whose board member Ted Danson won a Heart of Green Award) has created a simple Web too l that allows you to tell your Senator to oppose President Obama's proposed expansion of offshore oil drilling. * The National Audubon Society has a similarly simple Web tool you can use to tell the Department of the Interior what you think about President Obama's proposal to expand offshore oil drilling. * The Sierra Club has one addressed to President Obama (though he has presumably already made his decision). * National Wildlife Federation has another similar appeal, focused on passing comprehensive clean energy legislation. * Earthjustice and Greenpeace are among those to point out that now's a good time to tell leaders that Arctic oil drilling is dangerous, even more dangerous than Gulf oil drilling, when you consider how remote the rigs are, how treacherous the waters (and ice), and how long it would take to mobilize a response to any spill. * Friends of Earth points out, as have several media outlets, that the U.S. government response to the oil spill was slow and inadequate to the task, so you might add a few words about federal disaster mobilization as well. * Environmental Defense has a five-point plan for government to better to respond to oil spills, clean them up, restore damaged natural resources and compensate fishermen and other victims. (Since those affected by oil spills haven't always been compensated and certainly not quickly.) * If you live in Alaska (that's the Arctic oil drilling mentioned above), Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia or Florida, where Obama has proposed opening new offshore oil exploration (map), you can also write to your governor and state legislators expressing concerns. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have pre-existing offshore oil areas.

6. Stop Using So Much Oil While the oil spill has captured the attention of the American people, the most meaningful action one can take to address the long-term consequences of our dependency on oil (consequences that don't just include spills, but everything from global warming to political instability) is to stop using so much oil. You can use public transportation, carpool or bike more often than you drive. You can make your next car a fuel efficient car or even an electric vehicle. You can be mindful of the surprising products made from oil and strive to reduce gas consumption no matter what car you drive. If you live in the Northeast, particularly, and heat your home with oil, learn how to save energy at home. Learn where your electricity comes from, and urge industry and leaders to clean up old oil-fired power plants. And, of course, you can support comprehensive energy legislation that will move the nation from a dependence on fossil fuels like oil and coal to more renewable energy technologies, like wind, solar and geothermal.

7. Boycott BP While not many no major national organizations are calling for it, there's at least one Facebook page with more than 440,000 supporters suggesting that people boycott of BP, the oil company responsible not only for the Gulf oil spill, but also, in the last decade, a Texas refinery explosion and an Alaskan oil spill. Its safety procedures have been criticized, as have its response to this disaster and its lobbying efforts against stronger offshore oil safety and environmental rules. You'd have to boycott not only BP gas stations but also Arco gas stations, Castrol auto oils and lubricants, am/pm convenience stores and Wild Bean Cafes, Aral gas stations (in Germany), as well as countless products that BP oil is likely used to make, from plastics to pharmaceuticals. If you do boycott BP gas stations, be aware that you may be hurting local station owners more than the company itself.

For many people, an active boycott may not be a goal... but choosing which gas station to use when your tank is dry might inspire a boycott-like action.

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H S Tech Spot

OT

OLAR

With the advancement of technology, we have become more dependent on using several gadgets in our daily activities and routines. Usage of these gadgets require a lot of energy, which is most likely in the form of electricity, for them to work. The Paris-based International Energy Agency estimates new electronic gadgets will triple their energy consumption by 2030.

To address these growing demands for electric consumption, we will cover three innovative gadgets that are not just useful and practical but have less impact on the environment with their use of sunlight as the main power source. For more solar powered and other green gadgets, visit our friends at TheHottestGadgets.com

Samsung Blue Earth Eco-Phone

A touchscreen solar-powered phone called “Blue Earth” has been unveiled by Samsung Electronics.

Slated to be released in the latter part of this year, this mobile phone is made from a recycled plastic called PCM, which is recycled from plastic water bottles. The phone is designed to symbolize a flat and well rounded shiny pebble. It is the first such phone to the market and charges up via the solar panel on the back of the phone, which is designed to generate enough power to make a call anytime.

Adding to those green credentials, both the handset and its charger are free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardants, Beryllium and Phthalate. Its phone features like Bluetooth settings, screen brightness, and backlight duration can be adjusted in an energy-saving mode called “Eco mode”. Other eco-friendly phone features include a built-in-pedometer which calculates how much CO2 emissions have been reduced by walking as opposed to taking the car. Detailed specifications and pricing information of this new mobile green advocate are due to be released prior to its market availability in the next few months.

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P

OWE R ED Gadgets Suntrica Solar Strap Suntrica Solar Strap is a charging solution that gathers solar energy by the highefficiency and flexible solar panel and store the energy into an internal lightweight battery, with a capacity of storing 3.7 Wh, for instant or later usage. It is a lightweight, flexible and wearable solar panel that can be integrated with any clothing designed for harsh outdoor use.

When folded it only measures 144 x 97 x 25 mm and weighs only 60 grams.

Q-Sound headphones is one gadget that definitely makes the most of days when the sun is beating down on your head. Its silicon solar cells are placed directly on the user’s crown, making it efficiently absorb valuable rays for powers. It also incorporates Bluetooth technology Q-Sound Solar-powered which allows the user to sync their Bluetooth enabled device, such as digital media player or mobile phone, for some wireless sound action. Headphones Not only the user can listen to the music but he or she can also take phone calls. A 3.5 mm jack is also included so the user can use a wired connection if Bluetooth is not available.

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www.TheFantasyDolls.com

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PATRICIA Courtesy, International Fire Goddess Images by: Sonero Photography Where do you live?

WOODBRIDGE, NJ

Measurements 38DDD 30 40 Nationality DOMINICAN BABY Website you can find me www.InternationalFireGoddess.com How did you first get started in modeling? I started in my country doing photo shoots, then I met the owner of International Fire Goddess What are your biggest assets as a model? Friendly & down to earth Tell me what makes you sexy Getting dress all pretty What are some projects you've had a chance to be a part of? Being part of International Fire Goddess is the biggest thing for me right now. I’m so happy to be part of the family With all the shoots you've done, which ones have been the most memorable? The one I just did with International Fire Goddess. They run thing really professional and are up top of there game What part of your body are you most complimented on?

My lips What part do I need to compliment you on to have a chance? My Brain What's the easiest thing a guy (or a girl...wink wink!) can do to get your attention? And keep it? Smell good and now how to keep a conversation going. I hate juice head, they just talk about the gym and how much they can bench press Tell me the sexiest date I can take you on for under $50... because of the recession lol? Get me some ice cream and walk around the park If there's one piece of advice you could give a guy before he makes a move, what would it be? Be a gentleman don’t force things. It will happen on its own

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Tell us something about you your mom probably doesn't want to know... That I’m doing this hahahaha For 2010 to be a perfect year, what goals would you need to accomplish? To be on the cover of your magazine wink wink What other projects will we be seeing you in coming soon? Fantasy Dolls 2011 Calendar.

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www.savedarfur.org

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Business

The Green Umbrella: Green Business Opportunities

By Nellie Lide

Dr. Karel J. Samsom, a specialist in environmental and sustainable entrepreneurship and author of Spirit of Entrepreneurship told Entrepreneur magazine that green business is “… a highly underrated opportunity for small business.”

What are the opportunities for small businesses that want to “go green”? Every industry, every hobby, every action can have a shade of green. Broadly, green means either improving the planet or improving its people or both. Any process, product or service that saves natural resources or re-uses these resources is considered green. Any effort to help people live healthier lives is green. The green umbrella also includes the growing field of social entrepreneurship] — a businesswhich sets out to solve a social problem while at the same time making money.

Are people really buying green? The answer is yes — although many green businesses find it helps to sell quality and price first, and green bona fides second.  Some 63 million American consumers are classified as LOHAS (those with “lifestyles of health and sustainability.”) According to the Natural Marketing Institute, this means that they “have a profound sense of environmental and social responsibility … these consumers are also the most likely of the segments to buy environmentally and socially responsible products.” These are the customers who, according to Fast Company magazine, “… have proven themselves willing to spend up to an astounding 20% premium on clean, green products ….”

Add to that another 38% of consumers who “are less resolute in their LOHAS attitudes, though still show moderate levels of related concern and select LOHAS behaviors (such as recycling, among others), and you have an incredible consumer base which at the very least open to green ideas and products.

So where are the best opportunities for entrepreneurs? Here are four:Â 1. Organic Products — We’ve all read about the exploding organics industry – there are organic cosmetics, toiletries, vodka, pasta, tea, waffles, peanut butter – but there is still tons of room for growth here particularly since, as Andrew Zolli wrote in Fast Company, “With two huge generations dominating American society — the baby boomers, who created the first draft of contemporary environmentalism, and the millennials, the most globally connected cohort in history — principles of conscious consumption will come to dominate the brandscape.”

About 75% of shoppers buy organic products at least occasionally, up from 55% in 2000; 23% buy them at least once a week. Organics are here to stay – Goldman Sacks snalyst Steven T. Kron said, “We believe that the recent surge that organic foods have experienced is not transient, but rather a sustainable shift in food consumption with ramifacations up and down the food chain.” (Associated Press)

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U.S. organic food and beverage sales totaled nearly $17 billion in 2006, representing 3 percent of all retail sales of food, up from 2.5 percent in 2005 and 1.9 percent in 2003. So though organic retail sales have grown between 20% and 24% each year since 1990, that’s still only 3% of the category.

One example of an organic company is Eco Lips, which makes organic lip balm. From Entrepreneur magazine: Placed “anyplace that has a cash register,” the product, which is made using solar energy, is an easy sell to consumers who not only want to buy green, but also want a quality product. “It’s so inexpensive, and it’s a gateway organic product — people will try Eco Lips and maybe have such a good experience that they’ll want to try organic orange juice or organic cotton sheets,” says [Eco Lips co-founder Steve] Shriver.

For more information, the Organic Trade Association runs HowToGoOrganic.com, a site “for anyone exploring how to transition to organic.”

2. Trash — Thar’s gold in them there rubbish hills. According to the EPA, Americans generated some 245.7 million tons of garbage in 2005 (latest figures available.) That’s 4.54 pounds of trash per person per day.

Here are some of the things we throw away: Americans currently dispose of 128 million cell phones a year, only 1% of which are diverted from landfills. This does not include the 2 million tons of used electronics we also discard annually.

A typical baby goes through around 5000 disposables during its diaper days; across the U.S., this adds up to an astonishing 20 billion each year, enough to cover a football field with a three-mile high pile.

Each year, 3.5 billion wire hangers end up in U.S. landfills. (Reader’s Digest) Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. (Illiinois Times) You get the picture. If you can figure out new uses for a specific garbage item, you’ve got yourself a business.

Terracycle makes plant food from worm poop and packages it in recycled soda bottles. One company, EVCO Research in Atlanta, Georgia uses scrap plastic beverage and water bottles to make water repellent coatings for cardboard boxes used for shipping fruit and meats. Chicago Cargo Bike and Trailer Co. makes bike trailers out of reclaimed materials. ReCellular, Inc. collects, recycles and resells cell phones. They process around 300,000 phones a month – which still leaves over 120 million phones in the trash.

3. Government — including Federal, State, County, and City levels. How are governments an opportunity for small business? Three ways: Find out what your local government is doing re “green” – and craft a service to meet their needs. A good place to start is The SustainLane Government Knowledge Base where, according to Shirl Kennedy at Resource Shelf, “You can read full documents submitted by urban planners and sustainability managers from across the country. Findout what cities, counties, and states are doing to improve their carbon footprints, quality of life and resource efficiency. Find the latest programs in urban ecology.”

Create a service or a product that helps other local businesses comply with environmental regulation/laws/ordinances that apply to them. For instance, San Francisco recently banned plastic bags. Can you supply a biodegradable or recycled or reusable alternative to retailers?

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Take advantage of government grants and loans encouraging green practices. From the Wall Street Journal: “The government is also giving small businesses a spur to go green. Just as large companies receive government breaks for environmentalfriendliness, the Department of Agriculture offers a Small Business Innovation Research Program that offers awards of $80,000 to $250,000 for using certain environmentally friendly practices in selling or processing wares.

The Environmental Protection Agency gives grants to small businesses involved in environmental industries and initiatives. On a state level, New York awards funds to small businesses that are involved in projects such as pollution prevention and recycling.”

RubberForm Recycled Products LLC, in New York, recycles old rubber, such as tires, and turns it into new products. The owners use federal, state and local funds (and private investments) to launch their business last year.

4. The Green Lifestyle — As I said earlier, just about anything we do in our regular lives can be transformed or altered into a green state. So if you examine your own life, you might come up with something you do everyday that could use a green element. Do you use a lot of paper — how about making recycled paper? It’s only left to your imagination. Here are some of the small businesses created around the green lifestyle that may spur your thinking: Green Singles] — find your perfect match in the environmental, vegetarian, or animal rights community.

Vivavi — eco-friendly furniture and home design.

Stay at a green hotel.

Save your money at a green bank — ShoreBank Pacific is the first commercial bank in the United States with a commitment to environmentally sustainable community development.

Working Assets Funding Service issues a “socially responsible credit card.”

Build and live in a green home] Memorial Ecosystems – Bury your loved one in a green cemetery. From their website: “Our main focus is to develop multi-functional memorial nature preserves that we create with the cooperation and assistance of non-profit organizations. Through becoming members of the preserve during life, and choosing burial in the preserve after, our clients leave a permanent legacy for their families, their communities and the natural world. We are committed to being the leaders in environmentally and socially responsible death care.”

***** About the Author: Nellie Lide is Senior Creative Director at The McGinn Group in Arlington, Virginia, USA. She spent 20 years in television as a writer and producer for news, sports and children’s programming. At The McGinn Group, Nellie uses her creative insight and love of entertainment programming to identify and analyze cultural trends that are relevant to corporate clients. She also writes a blog called New Persuasion: Under Currents.

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RECYCLE

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Health & Fitness

We all have favorite dishes that we associate with summer.

Yours might be strawberry shortcake (when the berry season is in full swing), or maybe it's peach pie a la mode (toward the end of summer).

There are regional favorites too. On my end of the country, deepfried artichoke hearts symbolize summer fun at the carnival or beach boardwalk. In the New England area, I'm betting anything with blueberries is big in summer. Peach pie, fried green tomatoes, and fried okra are seasonal treats in the Southern states.

I'm guessing barbecued hot dogs, ribs, and chicken are big just about everywhere.

The people I surveyed mentioned these 10 foods as their summer favorites:

10 Summer Favorites Made Lighter

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD WebMD

We all have favorite dishes that we associate with summer.

Yours might be strawberry shortcake (when the berry season is in full swing), or maybe it's peach pie a la mode (toward the end of summer).

There are regional favorites too. On my end of the country, deep -fried artichoke hearts symbolize summer fun at the carnival or beach boardwalk. In the New England area, I'm betting anything with blueberries is big in summer. Peach pie, fried green tomatoes, and fried okra are seasonal treats in the Southern states.

I'm guessing barbecued hot dogs, ribs, and chicken are big just about everywhere.

The people I surveyed mentioned these 10 foods as their summer favorites: * macaroni salad * pasta salad * barbecued ribs * chocolate covered strawberries * strawberry shortcake * peach anything * ice cream everything * hamburgers and hot dogs * barbecued chicken * Belgian waffles with fresh fruit and whipped cream Can you relate to a few of them? I've already lightened strawberry shortcake and hamburgers.

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Here are some tips (and recipes) for the rest of the summer lineup.

Macaroni Salad Journal as: 1/2 cup vegetables without added fat + 1/2 cup "starchy foods with 1 tsp fat" Here's a lighter version of the macaroni salad recipe featured on Martha Stewart's web site. I used half light mayonnaise and half fat-free sour cream for the dressing instead of 1 cup real mayo and 1/2 cup real sour cream. From there, you have several options. You can use either petite peas or green soybeans (edamame).

You can use whole-grain-blend macaroni, or you can cook the white kind al dente. You can add diced ham, or leave it out and keep the dish lacto-vegetarian.

1 pound elbow macaroni (use whole-grain blend pasta to boost the fiber and phytonutrients, if desired) 1 1/4 cups partially thawed frozen petite peas or lightly cooked, shelled edamame (green soybeans) 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced 4 scallions or green onions, white and part of green, thinly sliced diagonally 6 ounces lean ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice (optional) 3/4 cup light mayonnaise 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream (or use light sour cream) 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (or use rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar) 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground salt (optional) Freshly ground pepper to taste * Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente (7-8 minutes). Drain in colander and rinse with cold water. Transfer noodles to a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate until completely cool. * Add peas or edamame, sliced celery, scallions, and ham (if desired) and toss to blend. * In small bowl or 4-cup measure, whisk together light mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt (if desired). Spoon over macaroni mixture and stir to blend. Season with pepper to taste.

Cover bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 10 servings Per serving: 254 calories, 10 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0.4 g monounsaturated fat, 3 g polyunsaturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 2.5 g fiber, 132 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 17%.

Pasta Salad The trick here is dressing your salad with a light vinaigrette or a light creamy dressing. You can easily get away with using a light bottled dressing from the supermarket.

You can also perk up your pasta salad with nutritious veggies like broccoli florets, baby carrots, fresh spinach or basil, artichoke hearts, fresh tomatoes, etc., instead of high fat-foods like sausage or regular cheese.

Check out our recipes for Mediterranean pasta salad, seafood pasta salad, insalata caprese, and pesto pasta salad.

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Barbecued Ribs The bad news is that ribs can be pretty fatty pieces of meat. The good news is that you have to work hard to eat a small amount of meat.

The key is to eat a small portion of ribs, and balance it by serving a healthy portion of fruit and green salad alongside. Avoid eating any visible fat, and use a sauce or rub that doesn't pile on any additional fat. One recipe I saw called for 4 tablespoons of butter in the sauce, to serve 8. That's an extra 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter to an already fatty meat!

Check out our spicy grilling rub and peachy tomato grilling sauce recipes for some inspiration.

If you want to go the extra mile, buy "boneless ribs" (this might be called something else at your local butcher shop). Whatever the name, it's a leaner cut of meat that is cut into strips and can be prepared much like beef ribs.

Peach Anything There's nothing wrong with peaches -- bring 'em on! It's what we do to these naturally sweet tree fruits that can be a problem. Instead of peach pie or peach crisp a la mode, serve your peaches over a small scoop of light ice cream with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon. That will save you tons of calories and fat grams.

Ice Cream Everything Choices abound in the frozen dairy aisle these days. My advice is to find a "light" flavor you like with no more than 4 to 5 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving. Compare the calories per serving among different types to make sure your treat isn't higher in sugar to compensate for having less fat.

A good-tasting light ice cream that isn't excessively high in sugar will usually have around 100 calories per 1/2 cup serving. One of my favorites is Breyer's Light Vanilla, which I use in smoothies and serve with fresh fruit. It has 3.5 grams of fat and 100 calories per half-cup serving.

The other part of enjoying ice cream the healthy way is to keep your serving to 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup. Use your 1/2 or 3/4 cup measure to scoop out the ice cream. You're more likely to be happy with that amount if you serve your ice cream with some fresh fruit!

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Hotdogs Light hot dogs are available in just about every supermarket. Some taste better than others, I'll tell you that right now.

My family likes Ball Park Light Franks, and Reduced Fat Hebrew Nationals. I don't mind Louis Rich franks, either, if they're on the barbecue. I'm so used to light hot dogs that the idea of a regular hot dog just isn't appealing. But then that's just me.

Barbecued Chicken I'm used to working with skinless chicken breasts and thighs. And I've found if you marinate or sauce your skinless chicken, it tends to do well on the grill. It will stay moist on the inside.

It doesn't make sense to me to take such care to flavor the skin, and then peeling the skin off before you eat it. Better to flavor the actual meat and grill it the way you are going to eat it!

Many people grill their chicken over indirect heat (off to the side on the barbecue) so it doesn't get that hot flame and the flare-ups that can ensue when the chicken is directly above the coals or flame.

One great option to grilling chicken is to use the skewer. When you use bite-size pieces of skinless, boneless chicken, it spends less time over the coals -- and more of the surface area gets coated with the lovely (and, we hope, not high-fat) marinade or sauce.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Journal as: 1 teaspoon chocolate spread + 1 portion fresh fruit OR 1 portion medium dessert You've basically got two ingredients to work with here: chocolate and strawberries. The only way to lighten this is to use a little less chocolate per strawberry, and use a little canola oil (higher in preferable monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids) instead of shortening. I like to use semisweet chocolate because its strong flavor means you can get by with less chocolate.

About 40 fresh strawberries with leaves (dry, not wet), about 2 pounds 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces) 2 teaspoons canola oil * Add chocolate chips and canola oil to a 4-cup glass measure and heat on HIGH in microwave for about 1 minute. Stir, and microwave another 30 seconds or so, if needed, until mixture is smooth. * Holding strawberries by the green tops, dip them halfway into the chocolate mixture. Place them on a plate or pan lined with wax or parchment paper. Put in the refrigerator or a cool part of your kitchen to help chocolate cool. Serve.

Yield: 10 servings (about 4 strawberries each) Per serving (about 4 strawberries): 164 calories, 2 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 8.5 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.2 g fiber, 4 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 44%.

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Belgian Waffles with Fruit and Whipped Cream To lighten waffles, use less fat in the batter, and turn to a flavorful substitute (like low-fat buttermilk). Use a nonstick waffle iron, so you can get away with just a little canola cooking spray. You can make these with reduced-fat Bisquick and substitute low-fat buttermilk for the milk called for in the package directions (you may have to add a bit more because buttermilk is thicker than regular milk). Or make your batter from scratch, as here.

I like to serve waffles with fruit (fresh, or unsweetened frozen), a quick dusting of powdered sugar, and a small dollop of Lite Cool Whip or light whipping cream. The Lite Cool Whip will only cost you about 40 calories and 2 grams of fat, and it adds a fun touch.

2 large egg whites 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons egg substitute 5 tablespoons granulated sugar (or use 3 tablespoons sugar plus 2 tablespoons Splenda) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream (or use light sour cream) 1 teaspoon salt 2 3/4 cup self-rising flour (or 2 2/3 cup regular flour plus 4 teaspoons baking powder) 2 1/8 cups low-fat buttermilk * In mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.

Spoon into a small bowl and set aside. * In same mixing bowl, beat together egg yolk, egg substitute, and sugar. Then beat in the vanilla extract, canola oil, sour cream, and salt until smooth. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, in small batches, until both are incorporated into the batter. * Fold the egg whites into the batter in mixing bowl. Let the batter stand for about 40 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight. * Coat preheated nonstick waffle iron with canola cooking spray.

Pour batter onto the waffle iron in amounts suggested by the waffle iron manufacturer (around 1/3 to 1/2 cup, depending on your waffle iron). Cook until waffles are golden brown on the outside.

Yield: 6 servings (about 2 square Belgian Waffles each) Per serving: 350 calories, 12 g protein, 58 g carbohydrate, 7.8 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat, 2.2 g polyunsaturated fat, 38 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 810 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 20%. (NOTE: You can use 1 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour + 1 1/3 cup white flour to give each serving 4 grams of fiber.)

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Music

Bun B ~ August 3, 2010

Los Lobos ~ August 3, 2010 78 August 2010 SPLIFF

Kem - Augus

Herbie Hancock ~

st 17, 2010

~ August 13, 2010

Fantasia ~ August 13, 2010

he t f o a few

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Movies

AUGUST MOViE NEW MOVIE RELEASES

preview

Lottery Ticket Kevin Carson (Bow Wow), a young man living in the projects, wins $370 million in a nationwide lottery. When his opportunistic neighbors discover he has the winning ticket in his possession, Kevin must survive their greedy and sometimes even threatening actions over a three-day holiday weekend before he can claim his prize.

Director: Erick White Cast: Bow Wow, Ice Cube, Brandon T. Jackson, Keith David, Loretta Devine In Movie Theaters: August 20, 2010

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Middle Men Businessman Jack Harris (Luke Wilson) had the perfect life – a beautiful family and a successful career fixing problem companies.

And then he met Wayne Beering (Giovanni Ribisi) and Buck Dolby (Gabriel Macht), two genius but troubled men, who had invented the way adult entertainment is sold over the internet. When Jack agrees to help steer their business, he soon finds hisself caught between a 23 year-old porn star and the FBI all the while becoming one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs of his time.

Director: Erick White Cast: Luke Wilson, James Caan, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht, Peter Stormare, Rachael Taylor In Movie Theaters: August 6, 2010

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Sports

We need a whole new way of thinking on the agent issue

by Tony Barnhar- AJC Hoover, Ala.—Here is how fast the sport of college football now moves. A few days ago Mike Slive was working on a first draft of his annual opening remarks for SEC Football Media Days. Slive uses the opportunity to talk about the accomplishments of the conference in the past academic year and to lay out the challenges that are still before it.

There wasn’t a word about agents included in that draft.

By the time he actually delivered that message on Wednesday at the Wynfrey Hotel, the SEC commissioner had a lot to say about the current relationship between elite athletes and agents who do not play by the rules.

When Slive spoke at about 1:30 p.m. the SEC schools who were being questioned by the NCAA had grown to three: Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. Before dinner time Georgia revealed that it had heard from the NCAA which wants to come on campus and ask questions. Three of the four schools face the possibility that key players could miss games this season. A fourth, Florida, is investigating whether or not a former player, Maurkice Pouncey, took cash from an agent before his last game. If true, Florida could see its Sugar Bowl win over Cincinnati vacated.

“The world moves pretty fast, doesn’t it?” Slive told me when we talked late in the day.

Keep in mind that there is a process at work and that the players could be cleared and miss no games.

They could pay the money back and miss some games. They could be neck deep in this and be banned for the season. At this point nobody knows.

Florida coach Urban Meyer was not happy about the reports that Pouncey, a first-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers, may have received $100,000 from an agent before the Sugar Bowl. He called such agents “predators who take eligibility away from kids and that’s not right.”

Alabama coach Nick Saban was even stronger in his assessment of bad agents. A story surfaced that defensive end Marcel Dareus, perhaps the best NFL Draft prospect in Tuscaloosa, had attended a now famous party given by an agent or someone representing an agent down in South Florida. If Dareus received his travel expenses and other gifts from an agent to attend that party, that is a violation of NCAA rules.

“I believe that athletes should be held accountable because they know what the rules are,” Saban said. “ But the agents who do this have to be accountable as well. And it’s time that we got some help from the NFL to hold them accountable.”

Saban implied that he would not be beyond cutting back or cutting off access to NFL scouts if the league won’t help. Meyer said he would have to study it but was inclined to listen to Saban’s idea.

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They want the NFL Players Association to determine that if an agent breaks the rules and it costs a player some eligibility, that agent must be held accountable in some way.

Now it’s easy to bring out the age-old argument: “The coaches make a lot of money, the school makes a lot of money, the kids see this and want their share now because they don’t think it’s fair.” The statements in that argument are all accurate but it doesn’t get us anywhere because college athletes are not going to get paid. You know it and I know it.

We can rail about the hypocrisy of the system, which has been going on for several generations, or we can try to find a 21st accommodation. Notice that I didn’t say solution. There is not a solution to this problem but there are better, more innovative ways of dealing with it.

The coaches give us the righteous indignation, which is the red meat for an angry fan base. And that’s fine.

But I would listen to Slive, a former attorney and district court judge. Slive told me he has looked the issue, which has been with us for a long time in many different forms. He’s decided that the time has come to quit working on the margins of the issue. It’s time, he said, for a complete paradigm shift of how schools handle elite athletes who want a future playing professional sports.

Slive believes that when faced with this kind of problem, the solution is not to try and lock down the athletes and prohibit any kind of contact with agents or NFL scouts. He believes the exact opposite should be true.

“If we had a student who was a great violinist and wanted to join a symphony and become a professional musician, there are all kinds of things the school could do to help make that happen,” said Slive. “I think the NCAA rules on this issue are as much as part of the problem as they are the solution. Instead of shutting things down for these student-athletes, we need to open up the system and give them greater access to it.

We need to take the mystery out of it.”

The current rules, which limit how much contact athletes can have with agents, essentially sets up a secondary market for agents who will break the rules hoping to get a competitive edge over the more established agents.

“What we need to do is get out of the model that based on enforcement and adopt a model that’s based on assistance,” he said. “We’re supposed to be helping these kids.”

Slive can’t say this publicly but I will. The current NCAA model on agents and athletes is like prohibition was to people and booze. It created a black market for the stuff where all kinds of mischief would inevitably take place. Prohibition didn’t work so the rules had to change. We have the same set of issues with the agent problem.

There is another facet to this issue that people don’t like to talk about.

At the end of the day, the athletes really don’t trust the adults who are running the system. The adults say they working with the best interests of the athletes involved. I think most athletes believe that the adults are looking out for their employer first. So when somebody comes along and points out that you, young football star, are putting money in all of these people’s pockets and you aren’t getting squat, it becomes a pretty compelling argument. I’m not sure I could resist it at the age of 19 or 20.

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The answer is to give the legitimate agents—and there are so many good ones out there—GREATER access and to give the student-athlete with pro potential a clearly defined road map on how to get there and also get the most out of his college experience.

It’s one thing for somebody who works for the university to tell an athlete he shouldn’t break the rules. The athlete can look at that adult and say to himself: “You just want me on the field to help you win.”

But it is another thing entirely to hear an established agent tell a player over and over: “Don’t break the rules because it makes the NFL question your character and that will cost you money. Here is how you handle it.”

All I know is that at Wednesday’s SEC Media Days, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Mike Slive all said they wanted change and were willing to work at it. That probably means that something will get done.

So what’s the next step? Should schools respond to this by locking down their players and giving no access to the NFL or agents? Or should they go in the totally opposite direction: Throw open the system and take the mystery out of it? Give these kids all the information and access they need?

Would there still be problems? Of course. As long as there is a poor kid and somebody flashing cash, women, cars, parties, etc., this is going to happen. What we’re discussing here is a new way of thinking to manage the issue because what college football is doing now, in the 21st Century, is clearly not working.

Read more http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-college-football

How can the NFL help with college scandals?

By Sam Farmer

The league cares about its future players dealing with unscrupulous agents and marketers, but it's not easy to come up with a workable solution to the problem.

Every so often, when a pay-for-play scandal jolts college football, it prompts the question: What can or should the NFL do to help rectify the system?

Can the league root out unscrupulous agents?

Can it somehow punish current pros who took money when they were in college?

Should the NFL even care?

The last question is easy: Absolutely. College footballis essentially a free farm system for the NFL, and it's even better than that. It's a multibillion-dollar publicity machine that makes it possible for a rookie such as Denver's Tim Tebow, who has yet to take a snap in the pros, to already lead the league in jersey sales. Reggie Bush, the player at the center of the latest scandal, was a coast-to-coast celebrity long before the New Orleans Saints made him the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft.

So, yes, the NFL cares about how college football is perceived, even though the latest dustup barely moves the needle for a league focused on a hundred more pressing issues, chief among them its unresolved labor dispute.

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Still, the irony this week of Alabama Coach Nick Saban equating NFL agents to "pimps" was not lost on people around the league who remember vividly how that coach lied his way out of Miami, vowing he wouldn't leave the Dolphins for the Crimson Tide, and how he and other college coaches now make millions on the backs of essentially unpaid players.

Coaches are as culpable as anyone in this mess.

That said, it's clear there needs to be more effective regulation of agents including the currently unregulated so-called marketing agents, financial advisors and publicists — by the NFL Players Assn.

"They should be doing something to the agents," Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana said. "Everybody goes after the players when it's the agents who are putting them in those situations. Thesekids don't know anything. They're just trying to get into the NFL. The agents are the ones out there making these kids have to make a decision that they're not sure about."

(Agents counter that these players and their families aren't wide-eyed innocents who have had piles of money thrust upon them, but savvy negotiators with their hands out the whole time.)

The pot of gold at the end of every paid-player scandal is the NFL, the promise of riches that a pro career brings. If the right people were to agree that the current system is in need of a major overhaul, the NFL — and, more directly, its players union — could play a significant role in reducing the number of future infractions.

A look at some possible remedies, and why they would and wouldn't work: FIX: If a college player is caught accepting money, he is automatically suspended for the first eight games of his rookie season.

Why it would work: If a player (and his family) know that kind of hammer hangs over his head, one that could seriously affect his draft status, it could scare him straight. You would have to be pretty desperate and/or dumb to, say, take $50,000 now, knowing you could lose millions in the near future.

Why it wouldn't work: The inevitable legal challenges of punishing a player who isn't even in the league yet aside, the NFLPA would have to check off on this. And why would it? The union is dedicated to protecting the rights and money of its players, not taking them away. Would never happen.

FIX: Give college players a reasonable stipend, maybe $2,000 per month, to cover their expenses.

Why it would work: A guy like Bush made millions for his school, so why shouldn't he get a fraction of a percent of that back? Yes, he's getting a free education, and that's no small consideration, but he isn't allowed to have a job during the season. If he had enough money to, say, take his girlfriend out to dinner, he might be less motivated to take cash.

"I remember when I was in school, my rent was $640 a month, and my scholarship check was $726, "said Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, who went to California. "So I hadthe rest of that money to eat, pay all my bills, car, gas, all that stuff. I was lucky I had parents who could help me out."

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Why it wouldn't work: So much for amateur athletics. And if you pay the football players, do you pay all the athletes at the school? If it applies only to revenue sports, do, say, women's basketball players at a big money-making program such as Connecticut's get paid, whereas women in lesser programs do not? Where do you draw the line? Besides, whatever the stipend, it will never be enough for those intent on cheating.

FIX: Have the NFLPA certify and regulate all marketing agents, financial representatives, publicists, etc.

Why it would work: It would send a stronger message of accountability and allow the union to build a database to better monitor the people who could affect the assets of a future or current NFL player.

Why it wouldn't work: Dream on. Microsoft can't build a database that big. The reason certified agents can be regulated is they are paid by one of 32 entities, the teams. The guy who helps you get a deal on that Escalade could call himself your "marketing agent." How could the NFLPA possibly plug all those leaks?

FIX: Increase the monitoring of college athletes by having them provide copies of all their rent and phone bills, car registration, plane tickets, whatever, on a monthly basis.

Why it would work: It could deter people from doing wrong because they know they're being watched more closely. Compliance officers could spot irregularities and catch cheaters more easily.

Why it wouldn't work: Can't have police states, and — even if schools had the resources to monitor things this closely — people still have a right to privacy. Besides, people who want to cheat the system will always find a way.

A.J. Smith, general manager of the San Diego Chargers, said he thinks NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would try to help in any way possible if the NCAA were to approach him about ways the league could help in avoiding the next scandal.

"The vast majority of agents are good, hard-working people," Smith said. "We are talking about a small group of renegades. And it will be cleaned up …

"Until the unfortunate next time." sam.farmer@latimes.com twitter.com/LATimesfarmer

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