Popcorn Cleans Up

Fear and greed play into life in both negative and positive ways. They are also the reason for this book. I have written about the fear and greed I faced in trying to bring my discovery to light. What follows is an account of events that resulted in the decision to write this book. When I made my surprising discovery that popcorn can remove trace contaminants from water and air, I was overwhelmed. I was discreet when speaking with my trusted colleagues, who were senior professors and administrators at my home university. We all thought it would be a good idea to arrange a meeting with the president of the school. In the fall of 1996, we saw this discovery as an opportunity for the university to develop a research program to explore new frontiers on popcorn's ability to clean water and air. Meanwhile, the college could raise funds to support research work based on my discovery. For many reasons, not least of which popcorn is perhaps the most famous American snack, my colleagues and I thought the discovery would generate interest from environmental and industrial communities, as well as from the public. The invention turned out to be a novel discovery. After years of research work and help from individuals and small companies, I had enough data to apply for United States and Canadian patents. During these years, I contacted a few popcorn-processing companies in the USA and Canada to interest them in this discovery. The outcome was one of enthusiastic reinforcement. These companies conducted tests that validated this genuine discovery. At a meeting with senior officers from one of these companies, I was asked "how is it that we who are in the popcorn business did not make this discovery, and you did"? My answer was simply, "I was inspired." As time went by I was granted two US patents based on my breakthrough, in addition to a few patent pending applications. Over the last number of years I have come to feel that the "David and Goliath" story was becoming my own. This struggle is one shared by many independent individual inventors with limited financial resources when their inventions are disclosed to big corporations. Once revealed the great danger becomes infringement, which requires large financial resources and a great amount of time to fight. The big corporations know it, and can afford the resources required to endure litigation. My family and I discussed the merits of continuing negotiations with interested companies, or making my discovery public. My joy of publishing this book are thrice. First, by placing this knowledge in the public domain I hope to preempt any malicious corporate efforts to develop this work. Second, I hope to generate interest by those who would work with me to develop and exploit this breakthrough for the good of our environment. Finally, I wish for my readers to remember the potential health and environmental benefits of popcorn even when it is enjoyed in its popular form as America's favorite snack. It is my personal hope that this book will encourage environmental and health conscious researchers to look deeper into new frontiers and wonders of the great American snack, Popcorn.

Popcorn was not known to the world until the discovery of the Americas. Nowhere in history can one suggest that corn and popped corn were ever planted by or known to any people of the globe before America was discovered. Popcorn enjoys the privilege of being the subject of more books and literature than any other single snack, anywhere. Almost all these books have been authored and published in the USA. The books range over recipes, stories, novels, as well as business, sociological, psychological, and technical issues. There is no place or country in the world that has developed and made so much and many memorabilia of popcorn as America and the Americans. Memorabilia has been associated with so many events, functions, and personalities. A short list includes movies, festivals, birthrates, celebrations, parks, restaurants, buildings, children games, toys, books and more. Popcorn is one of the healthiest snacks available and is, by far, the most popular snack in the USA. It is appropriate in almost all social settings and available during most sports events. The United States is credited for the vast majority of agronomic research conducted to develop new breeds, traits, and types of popcorn. The same can be said about popcorn processing, development and packaging. The United States of America is credited for being the country that has been the biggest grower, developer, processor, promoter, consumer, and exporter of popcorn. Popcorn is the American Snack.

One Thursday morning, August 1892, in the safe and sleepy mill town of Fall River, Massachusetts, Andrew and Abby Borden were savagely hacked to death in their home. Their upstanding and respectable younger daughter, Lizzie, was suspected and tried for their murders but was acquitted of the crime. Fall River, Massachusetts, is a port town on Mount Hope Bay, at the mouth of the Taunton River. The city has numerous historical buildings and tourists come to see the famous battleship USS Massachusetts from World War 2. The ancient Indian name for the area is Quequechan, which means "falling water." In 1656 the community was established by settlers hailing from Plymouth Colony. In 1811, the first cotton mill was established, and in time the city became well-known for its textile mills, which brought it prosperity well into the 1920s. It was these mills in large part that made Lizzie Borden's father, Andrew, a rich man by 1892. David Rehak spent eight years (four years of study, two years of research, and two more years of writing and revision) in the production of this book. He became intrigued with Lizzie Borden after viewing an A&E television biography on her in 1996. According to Mr. Rehak, Lizzie was an average, unremarkable woman, and the most extraordinary, criminal or criminal suspect in history. She was a tiny grain of sand, an absolute nobody who no one took much notice of, and if she had not been accused of murder, she would have lived a low profile life and vanished from the world's memory like the flame of a candle. But after she was accused of murder, she became an unforgettable symbol and legend, an absolute somebody. The debate on whether Lizzie Borden was innocent or guiltybrings out passionate feelings and disagreements in every sort of person. In fact, during the trial, according to the New York Times, it was estimated that about nineteen hundred marriages ended in divorce because of the intense difference of opinion between husbands and wives that the controversy created. Included in this book are strikingly rare, new and unpublished revelations about Lizzie's private life. The book also contains photographs, cartoons, original artwork, quotes, and poetry, most of which are rare and never before seen. Did Lizzie Borden take an "axe" and kill her parents? The divide between those who believe she did the crime and those who don't, sometimes runs deep. This book reveals certain probabilities that should not be suppressed or ignored, probabilities that deserves scholarly and thoughtful consideration.

First-time puppy owners and dog lovers will rejoice at this veterinarian-approved dog handbook! Training Your Labrador Retriever provides advice on physical and behavioral characteristics to look for when choosing a puppy, along with recommended training. Good-natured and affectionate, Labrador Retrievers make wonderful pet companions. As part of the Training Your Dog series, Training Your Labrador Retriever focuses on this unique breed, describing its physical traits, history, and behavior. Best of all, Training Your Labrador Retriever provides essential training methods for owners! Important topics covered include: What to look for when choosing a puppy Living with a dog and understanding breed-specific traits Everyday care, grooming, and exercise Nutrition, health maintenance, and potential breed-specific health problems Puppy and dog training, tricks, and play activities All books in this dog training series are spiral bound and contain full-color photos. Informative sidebars are full of breed facts, helpful hints, and quick tips on training. Plus, every book comes with an instructional DVD with a dog training course for new owners! Want to learn about even more dog breeds? The Training Your Dog series is a wonderful collection of titles focused on pairing owners with the best breed for their family and training each breed in accordance with their characteristics. Other books in the series include, Boxers, Great Danes, Pugs, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Australian Shepherds, Pit Bulls, and more!

Sixteen-year-old star wrestler Rowan Harper’s biggest fan is her father. But he has ALS, and his symptoms are getting worse. Saving his life will cost more money than the family has, but Rowan finds a solution. Will she risk her chances at a scholarship by competing in a lucrative, but illegal, underground MMA fight? Takedown is a high-intensity coming-of-age story about family illness and competitive combat, with lots of heart, hope, and headlocks.

The school holidays have started and EDDY POPCORN is about to turn twelve. Then disaster strikes—Eddy is GROUNDED for not doing his homework. Parents suck! Faced with not seeing the beach, or his mates, for the WHOLE holidays, Eddy puts all of his frustration into a helpful book for kids: EDDY POPCORN’S GUIDE TO PARENT TRAINING. Chock FULL of laughs and mushrooms, this guide is sure to be a HIT!

One of Uncle John’s all-time biggest sellers, Great Big is overflowing with everything our fans have come to expect: urban legends, forgotten history, myth-conceptions, business blunders, strange lawsuits, weird politics, amazing origins, dumb crooks, celebrity gossip, brain teasers, short facts, and more! Divided by length into short, medium, and long articles, Great Big is sure to be a hit with readers of all ages. A few standouts from these 460 pages: * The first computer programmers * Weird medical conditions * Brits Vs. Americans: a word quiz * Strange tourist attractions * The origin of the White House * The world’s second-dumbest outlaw * The Tonight Show story * The forgotten hero of flagpole sitting * Why popcorn pops And much, much more!

So what's on your plate? Have you piled more on your plate than you can possibly handle? Do you have healthy portions of love, compassion, loyalty, vision and encouragement or, have you allowed unhealthy servings of negativity, broken promises, unforgiveness, and disappointment to fill your plate? Life is a buffet because it offers a wide variety of new choices every day. You have to make sure to exercise wisdom in your choices, taking great care in what you allow onto your plate. You also serve out of what you take in. That means family, friends, neighbors, co-workers or even strangers are impacted by the choices you make. In this second book in the "Life is a Buffet" series, "So What's On Your Plate," Polly Boyette uses inspirational humor and real life experiences to illustrate the importance of the choices you make every day. If you put God first, He will help you to make the best choices to ensure a healthy and balanced life. Remember, the choices you make today will impact your life and the lives of others for years to come.