JUST SAY NO 2 PEANUT BUTTER

Peanut butter fiasco reveals problems in U.S. food policies
Peanut Corp. of America plant in GeorgiaBy Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
One of my brothers once worked for the Food and Drug Administration, which is charged with trying to make sure harmful products don't make it to America's store shelves.
But the latest news shows the system broke down when it came to the Peanut Corporation of America.
As FDA employees know, companies routinely try everything they can to get their products on the shelves of grocery stores or, in the case of drugs, in the hands of doctors and consumers.
Sometimes the FDA catches problems and stops the process. Many other times, the company itself will step forward and reveal a problem product, voluntarily withdrawing it or not allowing it to get in consumers' hands in the first place.
That was not, however, the case with the Peanut Corp., it appears.
The FDA now says the business shipped some peanut butter product that it knew had tested positive for salmonella -- which has led to a poisoning scare that has forced the recall of hundreds of peanut butter-based products and caused a reported eight deaths so far.
The problems are two-fold.
The company made a huge error by not self-reporting its problems, if the FDA accusations are true.
And where were the FDA inspectors? Why didn't they hear about or find the potential problems at the company's Georgia plant?
The company had denied shipping product it knew might be dangerous. It said reports had come back saying the products were "clean." However, that was only after initial reports showed bacteria in the products.
Here's an update from the FDA:
"Through its investigation, FDA has determined that PCA distributed potentially contaminated product to more than 70 consignee firms, for use as an ingredient in hundreds of different products, such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream.
"FDA's report on its inspection of the PCA facility is available at this link: http://www.fda.gov/ora/frequent/default.htm. Companies all over the country that received product from PCA have issued voluntary recalls of their products.
"FDA has created a searchable database for these products, which can be found at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm, Identification of products subject to recall is continuing and this list is updated frequently."

LOLLIPOP OR MY CAREER?

Lil Wayne's Candy Addictionby Staff
Rap superstar Lil Wayne has had a grill fitted on his teeth, after rotting them away eating too much candy.
The Lollipop hitmaker confesses he has a serious addiction to anything sweet, so much so he has had to hide his badly mangled molars.
Wayne says, "I like Skittles and Starburst, but I have bad teeth due to too much candy, so I got them covered with a grill. It doesn't come out." (c) WENN

IRAQ SHOWS OFF ART WORK!!!!!!!!!

Bush shoe attack spawns artwork

The unveiling of the sculpture took place on Thursday
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A sculpture of an enormous bronze-coloured shoe has been erected in Iraq to honour the journalist who threw his shoes at ex-US President George W Bush.
The sofa-sized artwork was formally unveiled in Tikrit, hometown of late Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein.
Artist Laith al-Amari insisted it was not a political work, but a "source of pride for all Iraqis".
Mr Bush managed to dodge the shoes but the man who threw them, Muntadar al-Zeidi, was arrested and awaits trial.
As he pulled off his shoes, Mr Zeidi, now 30, shouted: "This is from the widows, the orphans, and those who were killed in Iraq."
He also told Mr Bush, who launched the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and was paying a final visit to Iraq last month: "This is a farewell kiss, you dog".
Significant tree?
Mr Zeidi shot to fame as a result of his actions, which signalled extreme contempt in the Arab world, and inspired rallies across the Middle East and beyond.

Profile: Shoe-throwing journalist
Bush shoe-ing worst Arab insult
About 400 people gathered on Thursday to see the monument unveiled - a shoe on a white pedestal, about 3m (10ft) high, with a poem praising Mr Zaidi at its base, AFP said. There is also a tree sticking out of the shoe.
The sculpture stands in the gardens of an Iraqi foundation that looks after children whose parents died in the violence following the US-led invasion.
The foundation's president, Shaha al-Juburi, said the sculpture was not backed by any political party or organisation.
Since his arrest, Mr Zeidi, a TV journalist, has reportedly been beaten in custody, suffering a broken arm, broken ribs and internal bleeding.
He has been charged with aggression against a foreign head of state, and faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted. His family denies he has done anything wrong.

THE PRESIDENT IS AMERICAN