Mamamontezz's Mental Rumpus Room

Read The Labels

We should all be aware by now of the most recent of Chinese food adulteration scares, melamine in powdered milk product. It has caused thousands of illnesses, at least four infant deaths, and was thought to be only in infant formulas.

How amazingly uninformed was that? This contamination was not just something done at the point of manufacture for the formula. It was done at the point of bulk packaging, quite possibly at the initial milk processor. And infant formula is not the only thing containing this poison.

According to this article, "Chinese milk suppliers were found to be adding melamine to watered-down milk to boost its apparent protein content".

Watered down milk doctored with melamine has been found in a huge variety of products, including biscuits (crackers), candies, protien or snack bars, cookies, and others. There is no doubt in my mind that given that it was used to adulterate what was considered a "safe" ingredient, it is probably also in pet foods, cheese flavored products, sauces and sauce mixes... the potential reach of this staggers the mind.

How do you protect yourself from this? What can you do to make sure you and those for whom you are responsible don't end up affected by this?

Simply stop buying imported products, even the ones with domestic labels, and purchase local products. There are local dairies with excellent product in most vicinities. It is not difficult to find local bakeries which use locally produced milk, local creameries which use that same milk, and local grocers who sell locally produced foods. Make use of these vendors and producers and you not only make your own household safer, you also keep your dollars in the community and support your community's economy.

Here in the Indianapolis area, we have Trader's Point Creamery which sells through several local grocers, Good Earth Foods and Whole Earth Foods if you like grocers dedicated specifically to organic and natural foods. Even the more mainstream and locally owned Marsh chain of grocers gives you a fighting chance when trying to keep your purchases safe and your money local.

So resign yourself to the fact that you are going to have to be increasingly diligent when purchasing any consumables. Read every label, and if you see "Product of China" on any packaging, think long and hard before making that purchase. Do you really want that imported knock-off Twinkie-esque snack cake bad enough to take the risk? Is the adorable packaging on that candy your children want so bad for their lunches worth what the contents could potentially do to them?

Do what's right. By doing that, you make it harder for these products to enter your household and injure those you love.

Oh, Lovely!

After months of absence, the serial killer with the most delicious intellect and a truly cane-able derrier returns to television tonight to both delight and confound us.

Dexter, on Showtime if you have cable or satellite, is disturbing and compelling at the same time. A serial killer driven by a seriously twisted sense of social ethics, and schooled by his policeman adoptive father out of frustation with the system and a duty to protect his damaged son, Dexter rids Miami of those human predators who manage to slip through the cracks. He achieves this all while maintaining an appearance of relative normalcy, working in the forensics department for the police, dating a widowed mother of two, and supporting his detective sister. Such a busy life!

Last year the cast included Keith Carridine as an FBI agent assigned to catch whomever was killing the skag and slag of Miami. This year yet another recognized dramatic actor will join the cast as a counterpoint to Dexter and to whom Dex will find himself "finds himself inexorably drawn". Well, around my household, it has been long thought that Dex was denying a big part of his sexuality, so this might make the season even more interesting.

Want a peek? Well, please, avail yourself.

So I'm certain you know exactly where I will be tonight, dog in my lap, boy at my feet, hand in the popcorn bowl.

Life is good.

A smidgen of housekeeping

To begin with, a heartfelt "thank you" to pixy for being so kind about reactivating this little bit of digital real estate. It lay about empty for so long, it will take weeks to get the weeds pulled, the shrubs trimmed, and the rodents routed.

And the size of those rodents! Not to mention the sheer numbers of them. Sadly, they have gotten so bad that I have been forced to turn of comments for the time being. Not that any of you will find yourselves compelled to comment, but it would have been nice to have left them available and unmolested. Damned ratus spammicus.

Well, if they refuse to cease and desist, I may be forced to send a few roller babes after them. The visual of tough, fish-net wearing, wheeled warriors scattering the vermin hordes is so very satisfying on levels most can barely comprehend. If it works for you like it works for me, you may want to find some time in your busy schedule to indulge in such Female-Dominant Mayhem by taking in a bout with the Naptown Rollers here in Indianapolis.

Where else can you enjoy hot, sweaty, voluptuous and violent vixens in scanty clothes and wheeled leather boots whipping asses, taking names and leaving long lasting marks, all in a fun-filled family event? Most places require valid photo ID, a two drink minimum, a wad of singles for tipping and a steep cover charge for this much fun.

I think it's time for an outing. Pack up all of Lillith-Indy and go see a game as part of the munch. Get everyone all worked-up. Make a party out of it.

Lillith? You ask "Who is Lillith" and want to know what a munch is?

Ah, that is for another time, little one.

Ms Lila

One must be careful of for what one wishes.

Yes, in spite of a prolonged absence from Munu and the blogosphere I have made the decision to make an attempt at maintaining some manner of blog if for no other reason then to open a few minds, a few hearts, and most certainly a few eyes.

It may be a sporadic thing at first, as at the moment the plate is pretty full. Work, setting up photo shoots, manipulating the negatives, submitting to shows, all of this in addition to maintaining a household, growing as a Mistress, developing and promoting an on-line/real time local BDSM group, and living with one foot in the Lifestyle while maintaining one foot in 'Nilla-land can be a daunting and exhausting task. There will be times, however, when a moment here and there will present themselves, kneel at my feet and beg to be used. It is my intent to wrest those moments into position and beat a post out of them.

I hope I manage to succeed.

Oh, and by the way, if you would like to see the product of my efforts, you most certainly may.

I took each of the photos in that gallery with a Yashica medium format film camera at least as old as I am. I use Kodak T-Max 400asa 120 film, which my submissive and model, pleasure, develops for me. Each negative is scanned on an epson photo scanner into my drive where I clean and crop using Corel. These are the finished results.

I hope you enjoyed them.

Mistress Lila
aka, Mamamontezz