Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar - there are entire sites devoted to its miriad of uses. I posted about some of its household uses last year -- but that didn't begin to cover everything that is great about basic, common vinegar ....

Medicinally, apple cidar vinegar is a folk remedy that garners thousands of testimonials, and has been used for centuries for everything from arthritis to depression.

Helping pets: from fleas to hot spots, vinegar has lots of testimonials to being a Godsend.

In gardening: spray it, undiluted, between the bricks on the patio to get rid of the weeds popping thru (yep, no more toxic stuff). I could go on and on and on.

Here's some sites to check out if you'd like to learn more:

Vinegar uses in the garden

1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar

131 Uses for Vinegar

Uses for Vinegar - Pet Care

Apple Cider Vinegar Cures

And the cost? Amazon.com sells a huge bottle (128 oz.) of Heinz White Vinegar for $3.99.

Overseas Surgery: Same Quality, Less Cost

Here in Texas, stories of folk going across the border for medical care and prescription drugs is very old news. The savings has always been striking, and while there have been occasional horror stories of bad drugs or marred nose jobs, the bad reports have been few and far between.

Now, it appears that the idea of going overseas for medical care is a growing national trend, fueled by rising health care costs and an escalating population that is uninsured. The trend already has a name: "medical tourism."

PlanetHospital.Com is one of the services filling this market niche. Others are WorldMedAssist.com , MedRetreat.Com and MedJourneys.Com.

Not only are your medical needs coordinated to the appropriate surgeon or specialist, the companies also provide comforts like a concierge service, an English-speaking guide, and all act as travel agent. "All you have to do is show up," PlanetHospital assures.

Furthermore, the health care itself is high quality. You can find health care providers overseas that are U.S. board certified, and many facilities that are affiliated with prestigious American institutions. WorldMedAssist provides the Anadolu Medical Center as an example; it is a facility in Istanbul, Turkey, that is affiliated with the elite Johns Hopkins.

The savings are huge. Angioplasty costs $11,000 overseas; it is $36,000 here. The difference: $25,000. Carpal tunnel surgery is $9000 overseas and $22,000 here. Savings: $13,000.00.

For an online listing of medical tourism sites, check out OpenDirectory. For more information, read an University of Delaware article on the topic, as well as the ever-expanding Wikipedia entry.

Free Movie - Walmart: the High Cost of Low Pricing

WalMart: the High Cost of Low Pricing can be seen, for free, via Google Video. Just click and watch: it's 1.5 hours long.

This movie is actually a documentary made by Robert Greenwald which has been shown nationwide by various non-profit groups. It's controversial.

Dr. Joseph Mercola recommends taking the time to watch it:

"It might take awhile to watch it, but I can strongly assure that it will be time far better invested than watching most anything on commercial TV.

"While many consider Wal-Mart a bargain, Penn State University researchers estimate some 20,000 American families have dropped below the poverty level due to the astounding growth of Wal-Mart between 1987 and 1998. What's more, in counties where Wal-Mart stores are located, more than 15 percent of families depend on food stamps, compared to the national norm of 8 percent. The true costs of Wal-Mart aren't worth the apparent savings."

Not everyone believes the film is accurate. Here is Brit Hume's take on things: a transcript of his November 2005 Special Report.

What is the truth here? You decide. Cost: money, $0.00; time, 1.5 hours.