Ever heard of Celiac disease?  People with the condition can't eat wheat, barley, rye, or most oats.  As worldwide rice prices skyrocket, most folks can shift their diet away from rice, but for a person with Celiac, wheat, rye, and barley are not among the choices.

What about people with life-threatening food allergies to soy?  Corn?  Or the millions with food intolerances? Not life-threatening, as a food allergy is, but life-altering, triggering gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, skin disorders, and a host of other medical problems.

What happens when food allergies, medical conditions, and skyrocketing food prices converge?

Most of us had parents or grandparents who could fix anything--and I do mean ANYTHING.  My grandmother could (and did) make a broken slip strap last another 10 years with a needle, thread, and later safety pins.  My grandfather used jelly jars instead of a tool kit to hold his small tools, screws, washers, and tidbits necessary for the  maintenance and repair of machines that we now consider disposable, but that he made last 20, 30, even 40 years.

From roof repairs to small motor fixes, do-it-yourself or DIY isn't just a lifestyle choice, or a marketing trend, or hot topic in the media.  DIY means learning, empowering ourselves with skills and approaches to problem-solving that serve us not only in our wallets, but also help us to set examples for future generations, neighbors, and our community.  

DIY itself is apolitical, but the effects ripple out to reach back and pull into the 21st century key philosophical concepts such as self-sufficiency, efficient use of resources, and community aiding community.

Note: I am guest-blogging for sarahnity

Our house sale closed yesterday.  We've moved from homeowners to renters, and moved approximately 70 miles from a less dense area of Massachusetts to metroWest Boston.

Our house sold for 3.5% below appraisal, and a 16% gain over the home purchase price that we paid in April 2004.  We had a 3-year ARM, which reset in June and increased 2%.

All in this soft market, with record foreclosures nationwide, an 11.4 month inventory of homes in Massachusetts, and the latest news from the New York Times that new home sales have reached a 12-year low.  

Washington D.C. (AP)
December 14, 2006

Administration officials have proposed a new measure in improving children's health nationwide.  Effective January 1, 2007, all children in public and private schools will be required to lick walls painted with lead paint.  In addition, 270 questionable Superfund sites--toxic waste facilities that failed to meet minimum safety standards--will be converted into day care centers.

Most likely ABC will show "The Path to 9/11" with few, if any changes.

I've sent my emails, made phone calls, sold 90% of my Disney stock (which sucked, because I bought at $43 and sold at $29, but that stock has performed horribly for years...) and let investor.relations@disneyonline.com know why, and so forth.

But what can we do AFTER they show this piece of partisan propaganda?

Jump over for some thoughts.

The House of Representatives committee report on the Elementary and Secondary Education Access and Opportunity Bill shows how deeply flawed the Bush Administration's priorities are, and demonstrates an agenda in line with cuts for EPA libraries, diaried here.

The bill ELIMINATES entirely Education Technology State Grants, cuts NCLB, special education, civic education, and so much more.  Read on...

Given South Dakota's new abortion law, more men in South Dakota will be paying child support for unplanned pregnancies (ah, good old DNA tests...).  Where abortion provides women a choice, it also provides men with the opportunity to end an obligation to support an unwanted or unplanned child.

Enter The National Center for Men and their "Roe v. Wade for Men."