Philippine ex-militiamen hold 57 hostages

Washington PostMANILA, Philippines — Officials negotiated for a second day Friday with government-armed former militiamen who took 57 villagers hostage in the southern Philippines to press their demands that murder and banditry charges against them be dropped.The abductions Thursday by 15 gunmen raised fresh questions over the government’s long-standing policy of arming civilian volunteers to… Read more

calf born with cross-shaped marking to be spared from slaughter

Los Angeles TimesA calf born last week in Connecticut is getting a lot of attention for his unusual forehead marking: a cross that's been immortalized in "holy cow!" and "sacred calf" headlines from news organizations all over the world. (You'll notice, if you please, that we've spared you that cutesy headline-writing here.)The calf, a Jersey-Holstein cross whom… Read more

Concerned About What’s in your Commercial Pet Food? Try These Homemade Cat Food and Treats

Every day lately, it seems there is another pet food recall, warning dog and cat owners not to feed their pets different brands of foods. This is getting scary. Who knows which pet food will be recalled next. Though I am still using the kibble my cats normally eat, I am now supplementing my pets with a few homemade recipes. These are not meant for feeding your pets forever, since I”m not a vet… Read more

Beef Recall: Fear When you Hear These Words?

You get home from an exhausting day at work, feed the family, then settle down for a little bit of relaxation time. You open the newspaper, click on the television, or fire up the computer. What are the first words you see? Beef recall. Your first thoughts are “I hope I haven’t just fed that tainted meat to my children” as you scan the news for details of the company in question and the… Read more