My issues with food from China or any other country is more concerned with trade deficits, fuel used for transporting goods we can produce locally, and putting the local farmers out of work to save a few cents and lining a few other pockets. As to food safety and USA produced goods, yes there are violations or perhaps not so much violations as we are still learning what we can and can't do to make foods safe and sometimes find out after the fact that what we think is a safe method......isn't. We still have regulations (laxer than some countries, and stiffer than others) and inspection. I do disagree that country of origin hasn't much to do with it. I work with the aphis laws in my trade and know we have tighter pesticide laws and inspections than many, many other places except perhaps Western Europe. I also know that not all countries allow our inspectors in at ports of departure or in production facilities from which we buy on foreign soil. We depend on them for self-monitoring. That's sort of like letting the wolf shepherd the flock. So, that means we pick up on violations by spot checking goods after arrival. You can't think that everything coming in gets inspected. Not with the amount of material we are now importing. The budgets to provide these inspections at the same time are shrinking. So, the consumer should empower themselves to making informed choices and sit on their legislators to demand adequate safeguards. I think the most bizarre case of produce causing an E.Coli outbreak is from apples. Soft ciders and juices now are required in my state to be pasteurized or irradiated because of it. How do you get fecal contamination of a fruit on a tree?

Hi, I had a talk with my sister again. What she wants is a place where she can relax after work, block out the neighbors, and grow herbs. Actually, she like to grow herbs that are in thai food like thai basil, lime, etc. Because of the sun, she would also like some sort of foldable roof or umbrella that she can adjust to shelter her from the sun. The garden should incorporate a grill. We went out to a garden when she visited and was interested in a lot of the vertical gardening stuff. An irrigation system is already in place apparently to water the existing citrus trees. I am thinking may be some wooden planter as Renee suggested and combine it with some sort of hanging vines to block out the neighbors. The issue is to find a selection of plants that will bloom may at different times of the year so that it's colorful all the time and is also low in maintenance. I'll start checking out the catalog suggested by Carla and also talked to the extension services. Has anyone grown thai basil in California near the Bay area? Thanks! Paul

I love garlic scapes stir-fried, my chinese neighbor has also introduced me to a dish made from over the hill lettuce, once they start to elongate and before they set seed he cuts all the leaves off, does a dish using just the stalks, another dish he does is with over ripe pickling cucumbers. He grew up in northern China nothing was wasted. The dish he makes with a potato is really good, the potato is cut into very fine julianne (sp) soaked and then stir-fried with other things (can't remember what), really delicious and crispy. I think we might be missing the boat by composting some of our veggies too soon. Annette

This is a subject so terribly fraught with spectres of greed, avarice, controversy that it's often difficult to be really honest when discussing it. I tip my hat to Nancy in Mich. for stepping up to the mike and asking me WHY my brother and I arrived at the decision we did. It's important that those questions be asked and that they be answered. I worry a lot about this. I worry that Mum will deteriorate to such an extent that she cannot remain with me or my brother, in a setting that is familiar to her, surrounded with things and pets that she "remembers". I have seen the interior of nursing homes and "rehabilitation" facilities 3 times. Only one of the 3 was "acceptable", the other two were so pathetically inadequate I wouldn't send a hated enemy there. And it wasn't for lack of funding... (heaven knows Mum was a "cash cow"! spry, pleasant, and cooperative)it was for lack of QUALIFIED staffing. Those workers "in the trenches", were largely immigrant, working for minimum wage (probably without any benefit package, too), and barely able, with their broken English, to communicate with wards barely able to comprehend the spoken word, let alone that spoken with a thick accent, no matter how affectionately! THEY were the real treasures! they were attentive, affectionate, and virtually ignored by more "educated" staff. The most PATHETIC employees were the vaunted RNs, PTs... no kidding! I have, NEVER, in my life met a more arrogant, selfish, unwilling cadre of "caregivers". I was embarrassed for THEM; they were nearly universally unwilling to do ANYTHING that remotely required "hands on" work. "I'll call an aid"; "I have other duties to attend to...". "Could you call me later?" (needless to say they didn't "do" e-mail). Oh, I've heard it all. And that's why Mum is with me and my brother and NOT in one of those hell-holes. $60-80K/yr. for THAT? I rather think not. But families willing to do the work to keep them at home can't be compensated? HUH?! Welcome to life, corporate America runs this country, make no mistake about it. But consider this: you wouldn't have wanted to be the RN on "duty" (eating her doughnut behind the counter at "reception"!) when my brother arrived at 11:30 AM on Saturday morning, the day after Mum was transferred. She was lying in bed, soaked in urine (failed urostomy appliance), unfed. He coolly told the RN to get her ass in the room and take care of it. He went next to the administrator's office. From that day on, he and I went to visit Mum EVERY SINGLE DAY for 5 weeks to "check up" on her care. I HAD TO TEACH THOSE RNs HOW TO CHANGE AN UROSTOMY APPLIANCE. (Wingate) There is one level of employee I hold in greater contempt, though. And that's the SOCIAL WORKER. Never, in my life, have I seen a greater waste of payroll than they. I have had the (dis)pleasure to deal with 7 in the past 3 years. ONLY ONE of them was helpful in any meaningful way. Frankly, the other 6 could have been nicely replaced with a WEBSITE. The one that was helpful is someone with whom I still maintain contact. She has remained a tried, true, and good friend. When you find a good one, stick with them! Am I angry? You bet. Why? because the whole system is set up to milk families of their assets even as they "tell" families they can't possibly "take adequate care" of much loved elders. The entire system is stacked against those of us who are willing to care for our families. Mark my words, this is the coming battleground and I'll be well finished with it in a few short years. Me? I've joined the Hemlock Society!