Archive for August, 2009

By Brad Dorfman and Jonathan Stempel

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – A group including some top U.S. tobacco companies filed a federal lawsuit on Monday to block provisions of a new tobacco law, arguing it violated their free speech rights under the U.S. constitution.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co, a unit of Reynolds American Inc that makes Camel and Winston cigarettes, and Lorillard Inc, which sells the Newport menthol brand, were among those seeking to void parts of the law.

Altria Group Inc, which makes Marlboro cigarettes and is the largest U.S. tobacco company, is not involved in the case after breaking with rivals to support the law.

The legislation signed on June 22 gives the Food and Drug Administration broad powers for the first time over cigarettes and other tobacco products.

It calls for larger warnings on cigarette packages, restricts vending machine sales, bans most flavored products and curbs print advertisements targeting children. The FDA also has final say over new products and marketing claims such as “light” and “low tar.”

While not challenging the FDA’s authority to regulate tobacco products, tobacco companies say the law goes too far in limiting their commercial speech rights in light of existing bans on television and radio advertisements.

“Even prior to the act, plaintiffs had few avenues of communication for speaking to their adult consumers,” the companies said in the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Kentucky. “The act imposes sweeping and unprecedented restrictions that effectively foreclose those avenues of communication that remain.”

The companies are asking the court to overturn bans on the warning labels, using color and graphics in labels and advertising, some outdoor advertising and sponsorships of sporting and other events.

While commercial speech has less constitutional protection than other speech, the government still faces a high hurdle in trying to restrict it, legal experts said.

“The Supreme Court has rejected the rationale that it is okay to ban tobacco advertising to protect children,” Eugene Volokh, a professor at UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles.

“It has generally held that for advertising of products not legal for children, such as alcohol and tobacco, we cannot just say, ‘children may see an ad and therefore try to get the product illegally.’”

GOOD CASE?

Proponents said the FDA legislation would help curb youth smoking, but legal experts have questioned whether that would make the restrictions legal.

Even one opponent of the tobacco industry said the companies could have a good case.

“The tobacco companies have a very legitimate claim based on the Supreme Court’s own rulings,” Michael Siegel, professor of community health sciences at Boston University’s School of Public Health.

“I question why the crafters of the legislation did not deal with the First Amendment issue appropriately,” he added. “A ruling for the companies would negate a good portion of this legislation.”

Edward Sweda, chief attorney for the Tobacco Products Liability Project at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, said the tobacco companies already agreed to some advertising restrictions as part of a landmark legal settlement with U.S. states in 1998.

“I am highly doubtful that the Reynolds, Lorillard lawsuit will be ultimately successful,” he said.

Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include cigarette maker Commonwealth Brands Inc; tobacco retailer Discount Tobacco city & Lottery Inc and National Tobacco Co.

A representative for the FDA said the agency does not comment on pending lawsuits.

The case is Commonwealth Brands Inc vs. United States, U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky (Bowling Green), No. 09-117.

(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington, D.C.; editing by John Wallace and Andre Grenon)

Finally had some time today to instruct Cody on how to remove his starter. He did all of the work, with the exception of one bolt he could not break loose. I broke the bolt loose for him and fixed the wiring mess with the fan relay.

Eric Giler wants to untangle our wired lives with cable-free electric power. Here, he covers what this sci-fi tech offers, and demos MIT’s breakthrough version, WiTricity — a near-to-market invention that may soon recharge your cell phone, car, pacemaker.

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What the Carey Bros. & Rebecca Cole are Talking About:
On the this week’s episode of On The House, we had news for gardeners and do-it-yourselfers alike. Regular household products for other uses around the house, these are money saving tips that you can only get right here. Its always live, always entertaining, and always On The House!

Also:
75 Uses for Baking Soda

Baking soda is a chemical compound that appears as a fine powder. It releases bubbles of carbon dioxide when it interacts with an acid and a liquid. It’s most commonly used in baking, where it acts as a leavening agent. The following are 75 other uses for baking soda aside from making muffins soft and fluffy.

HEALTH USES
1. Use it as an antacid.

2. Use it as underarm deodorant by applying it with a powder puff.

3. Mix half a teaspoon with peroxide paste and use it as toothpaste.

4. Use it as a face and body scrub.

5. Add a cup to bathwater to soften your skin.

6. Relieve skin itch from insect bites and pain from sunburn.

7. Remove strong odors from your hands by rubbing them with baking soda and water.

8. Put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash.

9. Apply it on rashes, insect bites, and poison ivy irritations.

10. Take a baking soda bath to relieve skin irritations.

11. Heartburn? Take a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one-half glass of water.

12. Freshen your mouth by gargling half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed water.

13. Relieve canker sore pain by using it as mouthwash.

14. Use it to relieve bee stings.

15. Use it to relieve windburns.

16. Apply it on jellyfish sting to draw out the venom.

17. Unblock stuffy nose by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer.

IN THE HOME
18. Keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon to the water in the vase.

19. Put out small fires on rugs, upholstery, clothing, and wood.

20. Put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors.

21. Sprinkle it on your ashtrays to reduce bad odor and prevent smoldering.

22. Sprinkle it on your slippers, boots, shoes, and socks to eliminate foul odor.

23. Turn baking soda into modeling clay by combining it with one and 1/4 cups of
water and one cup of cornstarch.

24. After feeding your baby, wipe his shirt with a moist cloth sprinkled with baking
soda to remove the odor.

25. Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain.

26. Improve the smell of dishrags by soaking them in baking soda and water.

27. Suck it in with your vacuum cleaner to remove the odor.

28. Freshen the air by mixing baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put
the mixture in small sachet bags.

29. Restore stiff brushes by boiling them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water, 1/4 cup
of vinegar, and a cup of baking soda.

30. Put it under sinks and along basement windows to repel cockroaches and ants.

31. Scatter baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from eating your
veggies.

32. Sweeten your tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on the soil around your tomato
plants.

33. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor.

34. Sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin.

IN COOKING
35. Use it as a substitute for baking powder by mixing with it with cream of tartar or
vinegar.

36. Wash fruits and vegetables with it.

37. When boiling a chicken, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Feathers will
come off easier, and the flesh will be clean and white.

38. Soak dried beans to a baking soda solution to make them more digestible.

39. Remove the distinctive taste of wild game by soaking it in a baking soda solution.

40. Make a sports drink by mixing it with boiled water, salt, and Kool-Aid.

41. Remove the fishy smell from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda
solution for an hour inside the fridge.

42. Make fluffier omelets by adding half a teaspoon of baking soda for every three
eggs used.

43. Reduce the acid content of your tomato-based recipes by sprinkling them with a
pinch of baking soda.

CLEANING PURPOSES
44. Add a cup to the toilet, leave it for an hour, and then flush. It will clean the toilet
and absorb the odor.

45. Use it to scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs

46. Spray it on walls, mirrors, and countertops.

47. Add a spoonful to your dishwasher to make scrubbing dishes easier.

48. Remove grease from pots and pans.

49. Dry clean carpets and upholstered furniture by sprinkling baking soda over the
fabric and gently brushing it. Leave it for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.

50. Boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by sprinkling a handful on dirty
clothes.

51. Combine it with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome.

52. Remove scratches and crayon marks from vinyl floors and walls.

53. Clean your shoes with it.

54. Clean garbage cans with it.

55. Use it to wash diapers.

56. Clean the fridge with it.

57. Soak brushes and combs in a baking soda solution.

58. Mix it with water to wash food and drink containers.

59. Put three tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water, then use the
mixture to wash marble-topped furniture.

60. Absorb it with a damp sponge, then clean Formica countertops with the sponge.

61. Use it to get rid of stale odors from cooling containers and thermos bottles.

62. Run your coffee maker with a baking soda solution, then rinse.

63. Combine with hot water to clean baby bottles.

64. Sprinkle it on barbecue grills, then rinse it off.

65. Scatter it on your greasy garage floor, scrub the floor, and rinse.

66. Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10
minutes before washing.

67. Clean your ashtrays with a baking soda solution.

68. Keep your drains clean by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them each
week. Flush it down with hot water.

69. Clean your shower curtains by soaking them in baking soda and water.

70. Put it on a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.

71. Use it to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from a toaster. Sprinkle baking
soda on a damp rug, then use the rug to clean the toaster.

72. Use it to clean your retainers and dentures.

73. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, and used it to scrub enameled cast
iron and stainless steel.

74. Mix four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water, and use it to clean the inside part of an oven.

75. Use it to unclog gas stoves.

The most amazing thing about baking soda is that it’s very cheap. You can do all these things for a very small cost. Baking soda is truly a miracle product, whether it’s used for baking or not.

More Information:
• Tahoe Creamery – Tahoe Creamery produces all natural, gourmet ice cream equal to the fresh purity of Lake Tahoe.

• Traeger Wood Pellet Grills – No backyard is complete without a Traeger Grill, the best BBQ from a grill!

• Stainhandler – clean your roof & deck easily with the environmentally friendly cleaner.

• Polyseamseal – the best silicone sealant on the market, check out their “Speed Seal” and “Ever Bright” lines.

• W∙H∙Y Trap – captures 21 species of wasps, hornets and yellowjackets. RESCUE! Makes pest control smarter.

• Chef Jamie Gwen – Check out Chef Jamie’s website for great recipe ideas.

• Gardeners urged to leave out energy drinks for bees – From the Daily Mail, United Kingdom.

• Recall of the Week – DVD Players Recalled by Wal-Mart Due to Fire Hazard.

If you need any more information about today’s program, please contact us or post on our new Home Improvement Forum and we’ll try to help you find what you need. Thanks for listening to On The House with the Carey Brothers!

The Southeast Iowa Astronomy Club will host an observing weekend on Friday, September 18th and Saturday, September 19th at the Big Hollow Recreation Area Witte Observatory Complex near Sperry, Iowa. The Observatory will be open for public viewing from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The complex houses the Witte Observatory, the Prugh-Carver Observatory, and the Stone-Kelly Observatory.

The observing weekend commemorates the fifth anniversary of the Stone-Kelly Observatory. The Observatory is named for two Burlington space pioneers, Dr. Ed Stone, former Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Voyager Fame, and Astronaut Jim Kelly, Pilot on STS-114 Discovery and Return to Flight missions. The Stone-Kelly Observatory houses a 16 inch Ealing Cassegrain telescope. Besides the Ealing, there are two other telescopes in the bservatory Complex. Witte houses a 12 inch aperture refractor manufactured in 1937 by Alvan Clark & Sons. It is doublet achomate design with a brass tube approximately 15 feet long, resting on a German Equatorial mount. Depending on the eyepiece used, it can magnify celestial objects up to nearly 400 times. The telescope is believed to be the largest refractor in Iowa. John H. Witte, Jr. gave the telescope to the Burlington Community School District housed at Apollo School. When light pollution became a problem, the Southeastern Iowa Astronomy Club constructed a building to accommodate the large telescope. The project was complete in May of 1987. The Prugh Carver Observatory, with its unique roll-off roof, houses John H. Witte’s personal 8-inch refractor manufactured in 1931 and donated in 1996.

The Astronomy Club will be offering a Continuing Adult Education Course this Fall through Southeastern Community College entitled Backyard Astronomy for Beginners. Four evening sessions are planned relating to observing: the Evening Sky, Tools and Techniques, Solar System Observations, and Constellation Legends and Mythology. The course will be taught by Astronomy Club members. Both the observation weekend and the astronomy course are part of the national activity celebrating 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, a world-wide effort to involve people in everyday astronomy, not just big news astronomy.

The Witte Observatory is open to public viewing every 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. To get to the viewing complex, take Highway 61 North from Burlington. After approximately 12 miles, turn West onto Pleasant Grove Road (note the Big Hollow sign). Continue 2.8 miles and then turn South onto 152nd Avenue. Proceed 1 mile to the Observatory.

For more information, contact Starr’s Cave Nature Center at (319) 753-5808 or e-mail, starcave@co.desmoines.ia.us. For a map, visit the Des Moines County Conservation website: www.dmcconservation.com.