Appropriate servings include five mini brown rice cakes, a cereal or granola bar, three graham cracker squares or a 3-ounce pouch of water-packed tuna. Lunch box friendly snacks can be healthy with the right combination of carbs, proteins and good fats like in a Whole-grain Cereal and Peanut Bar, shown in this July 26, 2007 photo. On the other hand, snacks that are mostly simple carbohydrates (sugars), such as candy and soda, may give you an instant energy boost but soon will leave you...

The microchip, which is the size of a grain of rice, is inserted between the animal s shoulder blades and is no different to the animal than receiving a shot. They provide two clinics yearly, but pet owners can get their pets the same permanent identification by their veterinarian for $20 to $35, Gambrel said. Now if Allie winds up lost at the pound, all someone there would have to do is scan the dog to find her owner. If someone suspects that a person stole his or her pet, all they would...

Just a few years ago, Nikia Wigfall needed only to drive to the nearby marshes to harvest the sweetgrass that she and other descendants of slaves weave into the beautiful baskets sold to tourists in and around this antebellum port city. They are sold in the city s open-air market and on the stone steps of the federal building in the heart of the historic district. WARES: Coastal development and out of area transplants have made finding clumps of long, swaying sweetgrass harder for weavers....

Japan's agriculture minister has apologized for double booking expense claims, news reports said Saturday, marking the latest embarrassment for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government ahead of an expected tight upper house election race. Norihiko Akagi, whose predecessor committed suicide in May hours before he was to face legislative questioning over other financial scandals, apologized for administrative errors. Reports: Japan agriculture minister apologizes over fund scandal. Reports:...

Tuesday, July 31, 2007 La Union placed under state of calamity MANILA -- A state of calamity has been declared in La Union following a prolonged dry spell that affected farmlands in the province planted mostly with rice and corn, said National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) executive director Glen Rabonza on Monday. Tuesday, July 31, 2007 La Union placed under state of calamity MANILA -- A state of calamity has been declared in La Union following a prolonged dry spell that affected...