With Spring almost here, I decided to bring the grill out of the garage and clean it up. As soon as it is warm enough to be outside without a jacket, I will be using the grill to cook dinner. I love food cooked on the grill – it adds a special flavor to the meats that you just can’t duplicate on the stove or in the oven. I also like to use marinades on the meats if i am going to be grilling. So I will have a much larger variety of flavors for all the different meats very soon.

This morning I saw on the TV news that there was a devastating earthquake in Chile early this morning. Sadly, the earthquake happened about 3:30 in the morning, so obviously most people were sound asleep by then. This is too soon to know how many injuries and fatalities are the result. I hope that the numbers are low and that we can send humanitarian help right away.

I’ve been reading a few articles lately about how one of the things that is going to “save” the planet, and the economy, is “green jobs.” “Green jobs” are jobs that are jobs related to work that are going to have a positive impact on our environment. Yet none of the articles are specific as to exactly WHAT those green jobs are going to be – they are very vague.

The last article that I read indicated that they don’t have to be manual labor jobs, but “green collar jobs” are being considered manual labor jobs. And the article indicated that people would be making at least $15 an hour to start. Well, that’s not the BEST money in the world, but it is pretty good starting pay for someone who is just starting out, so I’d like more information on that! It would be really nice if we could start to see more information about these “green jobs” and how people might get “into” a “green job” whether it is manual labor or otherwise.

I was reading an article on the LATimes website that a recent study of bottled water has shown that in many cases the bottled water is no safer than regular tap water. The article did not say what brands of water was tested (and I sure wish it HAD said that) but it indicated that in the ten brands tested there were contaminants such as bacteria and 38 chemicals. The chemicals include caffeine, acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic ingredients and strontium (which are radioactive.)

That freaks me out! Bottled water with strontium in it? I’m not sure I’ll ever buy bottled water again! I think I’m better off buying soda if I’m “out and about” and thirsty and without my own refreshment!

I was reading on the Forbes.com news website that the “hottest” job trends are in the “green” market.  The article indicates that Washington DC, Boston MA, Houston TX, San Fransisco, San Diego and Las Angelas are all going to be huge markets for “green” industries.

I sure hope that’s true.  We could use some job growth around here!  Lately it seems to have been all “doom and gloom” news about the economy and people losing jobs.  We sure need more jobs, and better jobs right here in the area!