Georgia is running a controversial ad campaign about childhood obesity. It features black and white photos of fat, unhappy looking kids with messages about the dangers of being seriously overweight. Some people object to the campaign, saying it stigmatizes obesity and poses risks to the psyches of overweight children. Others contend that the ads amount [...]
Archive for the ‘America’ Category
Following The Kidney Chain
Posted in America, Reflections, tagged America, Good People, Kidneys, Organ Donations, Reflections on February 21, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are wonderful people living in the world. It’s great when you are reminded that the world is filled with decent, kind people who will help you if they possibly can. Consider the story of the longest recorded organ donation chain, which just ended. It began when a Good [...]
It’s Their Loss
Posted in America, Politics, World, tagged America, Greece, Politics, Rights, U.S. Constitution, United States Constitution, World on February 21, 2012 | 1 Comment »
A recent study reported that fewer nations are modeling their constitutions on the U.S. Constitution. In the ’60s and ’70s, new constitutions were patterned on the American version, but that apparently is no longer the case. The explanation for this trend is that our Constitution is miserly when it comes to guaranteeing “rights.” Popular “rights” [...]
Crow Woe
Posted in America, tagged America, birds, California, Crows, Pennsylvania, Plagues, superstition, The Birds on February 14, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Once, life was pleasant in the college town of California, Pennsylvania. Then, the crows came, and kept coming, until the town was home to thousands of the large black birds. Now, residents wake up in the morning, look out the window, and see crows everywhere. They hear the harsh caws of crows all night long. [...]
Provocative Lawsuits, And The Constitutional Rights Of Killer Whales (II)
Posted in America, tagged America, Killer Whales, law, Lawsuits, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, Slavery, United States Constitution on February 9, 2012 | 1 Comment »
I’m happy to report that sanity reigns in San Diego — in the federal court, at least. Only two days after hearing argument, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller dismissed a silly lawsuit brought by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that argued that five killer whales are subject to the 13th Amendment of [...]
On A Romantic, Court-Ordered Date At Red Lobster
Posted in America, Humor, tagged America, bowling, Florida, Humor, law, Marriage, News, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster on February 9, 2012 | 1 Comment »
In Florida, a judge hearing a domestic violence charge has ordered the husband accused of the misconduct to take his wife to dinner at Red Lobster and then bowling. The case arose when the man failed to wish his wife a happy birthday. They got into a fight, and she says he pushed her against [...]
Provocative Lawsuits, And The Constitutional Rights Of Killer Whales
Posted in America, tagged America, Killer Whales, law, Lawsuits, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, Slavery, United States Constitution on February 7, 2012 | 2 Comments »
The BBC reports on a lawsuit by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against Sea World. The case argues that killer whales have rights just as humans do and that keeping such whales in captivity violates the constitutional prohibition against slavery. The lawsuit is pending in federal court in San Diego and purportedly was brought [...]
Halftime In America? (II)
Posted in America, Politics, TV, tagged America, Chrysler, Clint Eastwood, Detroit, Politics, President Obama, TV on February 6, 2012 | 2 Comments »
As I suspected, the Clint Eastwood “Halftime in America” commercial for Chrysler that aired during last night’s Super Bowl turned out to be quite controversial. This AP article discusses some of the reaction to the ad from various points on the political spectrum and quotes Eastwood as saying the ad was not intended to be [...]
Halftime In America?
Posted in America, TV, tagged America, Chrysler, Clint Eastwood, Detroit, Super Bowl commercials, TV on February 6, 2012 | 1 Comment »
I expect that the most talked-about commercial from the Super Bowl is the Chrysler ad featuring Clint Eastwood. In the commercial, the gravelly voiced Eastwood says that just as it is halftime in the Super Bowl, it’s halftime in America, too. Times are tough, he says. We’re down and out of work, we don’t understand [...]
A Glimmer On The Horizon
Posted in America, Politics, The Economy, tagged America, Jobs, Politics, President Obama, Republicans, The Economy, Unemployment on February 4, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Yesterday’s unemployment report contained some good news, for a change. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released data stating that 243,000 new jobs were created, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent. Both results are better than what economists and analysts — who never seem to be right — were expecting. There are some curious [...]
From Grandpa’s Bookshelf: The Masters of Achievement
Posted in America, tagged America, American culture, Family, Grandma and Grandpa Neal, Masters of Achievement on January 31, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
One of the largest — and most tattered — books on Grandpa’s bookshelf is a volume called Masters of Achievement. From its condition, it obviously was a favorite, read over and over again. What kind of book was so well-thumbed? Masters of Achievement was published by the Frontier Press Company of Buffalo, N.Y. in 1913. [...]
