I suppose it should be no surprise that Mississippi wants to protect its post as the USA's obesity capital. What strikes me most in the statements by politicians and lobbyists about the issue is that they are using exactly the same language and positions as opponents of such things as indoor air regulations, workplace safety and workers rights measures, and a long list of consumer protections. They are using a script perfected by the tobacco industry, which worked behind the scenes state by state to pass "pre-emption" laws like this that block individual communities from enacting reasonable measures through the democratic process. Once again, business interests and campaign donors defeat the public welfare. http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE92I15O20130319?irpc=932
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
NowThis News: Aspen Smells!
Definitely worth keeping an eye on NowThis News... A professionally run digital news organization aimed at today's media consumers, who are mobile and social. This report on a sewage problem in Aspen shows how a blend of MTV and CNN production elements might make news fun again.
Go to this link - http://nowth.is/Z5HrJ7 to see a video from NowThis News.Want more like this? Download our app: NowThis News app
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Transit rolls for sale: nice idea, but not authentic enough for me
As a transportation buff, I was ready to jump at this deal until I looked at the actual city-specific "subway rolls" on the site. San Francisco would never have had a transit sign that said, "Haight-Ashbury"; Portland wouldn't have put the "Ace Hotel" on one of its buses; and, not even the craziest route in New York City could be the "Upper East Side via TriBeCa."
Alas, these are mere artistic interpretations -- cleverly arranged neighborhood or street names printed onto black canvas in the style of the transit destination signs that were used until electronic signs replaced them.
For anyone who wants the real thing: New York's Metropolitan Transportation Administration has several retired roll signs available - visit the MTA's surplus website for those or any of the other "collectibles" available. You can even buy your own subway seat for $500.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Newtown Tragedy: 10 Tips for Coping
In this time of crisis
If you cannot read the information below, please click here.Dear Supporter of Save the Children,
Following yesterday's tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, the thoughts of all of us at Save the Children are with our neighbors in this community that is only about 20 miles from our headquarters.Even as adults try to come to terms with this unspeakable tragedy, we know many parents, teachers, grandparents and caregivers are concerned about how the media's dramatic images and heartbreaking stories might affect the emotional well-being of the children in their lives. To help you know what to say and do to support children at this difficult time, we want to share 10 tips for helping children cope, suggestions based on our extensive experience working with children in times of crises.Our suggestions below are more fully explained on our website HERE.
- Limit television time.
- Listen to your children carefully.
- Give reassurance.
- Be alert for significant changes in behavior.
- Understand children's unique needs.
- Give your children extra time and attention.
- Be a model for your children -- they will learn from your behavior.
- Watch your own behavior and make a point of being sensitive to the crisis.
- Help children return to a normal routine.
- Encourage volunteer work -- doing something for others.
If you know anyone who might be helped by these tips, I urge you to please share the link www.savethechildren.org/cope.
As for our own efforts to be of service, we have already established a Child Friendly Space in a Newtown middle school -- a safe haven where children can play, socialize with their peers and regain a sense of normalcy. We will, of course, offer any help we can in the weeks to come.As I hugged my own 11-year-old daughter last night, I realized that the most important thing for all of us right now is to remember that children of any age can be affected by a disaster -- and that they look to us to provide them with love, understanding and support.Carolyn Miles
President & CEO
In fiscal year 2011, 89.1% of all expenditures, including donated media, went to program services. Without donated media, program expenditures would average 90.7%. Percentages are an average of our programs worldwide; the percentage spent in any particular program may vary.
© 2012 Save the Children | 1-800-728-3843 | 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880
Save the Children Federation, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) organization.
Gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations.To ensure delivery of Save the Children emails to your inbox, add twebster@savechildren.org to your contact list.More Information | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use |
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Jon Stewart gets serious about Romney and Fox News | Mediaite
Jon Stewart Blasts Fox News Over Romney Video: ‘Chaos On Bullsh*t Mountain’ | Mediaite
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jon-stewart-blasts-fox-news-over-romney-video-chao... Sent from HootSuite for iPhone
http://ow.ly/7trFE
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jon-stewart-blasts-fox-news-over-romney-video-chao... Sent from HootSuite for iPhone
http://ow.ly/7trFE
Monday, September 17, 2012
Most of Romney's "moochers" are elderly; many earn less than $20k/year
The paragraph below comes from the New York Times' report on Romney's recorded comments in which he said he did not care about the 47 percent of the people” who pay no income tax, are dependent on government programs, and unwilling to take personal responsibility.
Mr. Romney’s figure of 47 percent may come from the Tax Policy Center, which found that 46.4 percent of households paid no federal income tax in 2011. But most households did pay payroll taxes. Of the 18.1 percent of households that paid neither income taxes nor payroll taxes, the center found that more than half were elderly and more than a third were not elderly but had incomes under $20,000. Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the center, wrote in a blog post last summer that about half of those were off the rolls
because they had low incomes.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
NYTimes: Republican Platform Opposes Agenda 21
This stuff is actually getting scary. I hope people pay attention and VOTE in November.
From the New York Times Election 2012 App: Republican Platform Opposes Agenda 21The Republican Party platform, approved this week, includes a resolution condemning a 40-year-old United Nations resolution the encourages sustainable development.Read more:
http://nyti.ms/PO5IktGet the New York Times Election 2012 app for iPhone and Android:
nytimes.com/electionapp
http://nyti.ms/PO5IktGet the New York Times Election 2012 app for iPhone and Android:
nytimes.com/electionapp
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Another ground beef recall - more reason to grind your own!
Bulk packages of ground beef are once again being recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination, which the USDA classifies as a high health risk. Tracing where this meat ended up is no small task, because stores that bought it most likely repackaged it into smaller packages for retail consumers. Commercial meat processing has some benefits and efficiency, but that same efficiency also makes it an extremely fertile system for spreading contamination. It only takes a little bacteria in one batch to find its way into many more. Here's a link to more information at the USDA website: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_045_2012_Release/index.asp
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
RECALL: Organic Baby Spinach Because Of Possible Salmonella
Here we go again:
Begin forwarded message:
Begin forwarded message:
Having trouble viewing this email? http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USHHSFS-419754">View it as a Web page.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm305203.htm">Salinas Firm Initiates A Voluntary Recall Because Of Possible Health Risk05/22/2012 08:58 PM EDT
Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of Organic Baby Spinach with the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella following a random test conducted on a finished package of spinach by USDA.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Putting the Romney "bullying" story into the right perspective
A couple of days ago I puzzled over how much people were paying attention to the Washington Post story about Mitt Romney's high school hijinks. Now, the excellent op-ed columnist for the New York Times, Charles M. Blow, sets me straight. He points out that how Romney responded to the story makes it yet another revelation of Romney's personality, and Romney's lack of perspective on how things are seen by different people. As Blow puts it, Romney blew not only an opportunity to act human but also to plainly declare that bullying is bad. Blow's commentary is worth a read.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Website Heartland Pulls Billboard on Global Warming - NYTimes.com (via HootSuite for iPhone)
Heartland Pulls Billboard on Global Warming - NYTimes.com
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/a-new-tactic-for-climate-skeptics/
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/a-new-tactic-for-climate-skeptics/
Thursday, May 3, 2012
GOP definition of "small business" includes many that don't create jobs
Republican Mythology: Small Business Facts and Fantasies | Desert Beacon
http://desertbeacon.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/republican-mythology-small-busin...
http://desertbeacon.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/republican-mythology-small-busin...
Monday, April 16, 2012
RECALL: Frozen raw yellowfin tuna product associated with Salmonella
Looks like the source of salmonella associated with grocery store salmonella may have been identified.
Begin forwarded message:
Begin forwarded message:
From: "FoodSafety.gov" <subscriptions@hhs.gov>
Date: April 16, 2012 9:12:10 AM EDT
To:
Subject: RECALL: Frozen raw yellowfin tuna product associated with Salmonella
Reply-To: "FoodSafety.gov" <subscriptions@hhs.gov>
Having trouble viewing this email? http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USHHSFS-3b53b9">View it as a Web page.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm300412.htm">Moon Marine USA Corporation voluntarily recalls frozen raw yellowfin tuna product “Nakaochi Scrape” associated with a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly infections04/13/2012 11:59 PM EDT
Moon Marine USA Corporation (also known as MMI) of Cupertino, Calif. is voluntarily recalling 58,828 lbs of a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, labeled as Nakaochi Scrape AA or AAA. Nakaochi Scrape is tuna backmeat, which is specifically scraped off from the bones, and looks like a ground product. The product is not available for sale to individual consumers, but may have been used to make sushi, sashimi, ceviche and similar dishes available in restaurants and grocery stores.
Friday, February 10, 2012
DNAInfo.com reports on Columbia's "clean construction" techniques
HARLEM — One day, Columbia University hopes its 17-acre Manhattanville campus expansion site will become the place where scientists unlock the secrets of Alzheimer's.
But for now, the most important scientific protocol taking place at the future site of Jerome L. Greene Science Center, involves keeping dust levels down to prevent adding construction debris to the list of pollutants in an area with higher-than-average rates of asthma.
Each truck rolling out of the construction site and onto the streets of West Harlem, has to stop at a wheel cleaning station where a massive spray of recycled water blasts up from the ground, knocking off excess dust and wet concrete stuck to the wheels and undercarriage.
It's part of Columbia's clean construction program designed to limit the amount of air pollution, dust, noise and even rodent issues facing the surrounding neighborhood.
"Five years ago we got some peculiar looks before bidding this project out," said Ramesh Raman, executive director of environmental field compliance for Manhattanville development, slated to open in 2016. "Now good contractors realize this is the wave of the future."
An Environmental Protection Agency grant was used to retrofit almost every diesel engine used on the site with a particulate filter to prevent the black smoke usually seen spewing from the top of the gigantic trucks. Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel is required and much of the site has been electrified to prevent the use of machines running on diesel fuel where possible.
The construction fences are 11 feet tall with angled banana tops and noise blankets to baffle the racket that emanates from construction sites.
A mesh cover is used to smother the dust that could leak from every load of dirt or rubble that leaves the site, while more than 90 percent of the wood, metal, brick and concrete used in the 33 one and two story buildings that were taken down to clear the site were recycled.
"You don't smell any odors or have that diesel taste in your mouth," said Philip Pitruzzello, vice president Manhattanville Construction for Columbia University. "For dense, urban projects we are proving that you can construct responsibly."
With the potential for more than three new university campuses to be built in the city, including Cornell's $2 billion, 2.1 million-square-foot engineering and applied science school on Roosevelt Island, and New York University's expansion in the Village and their Center for Urban Science and Progress program in downtown Brooklyn, Columbia University officials are hoping that the construction of their new campus can be seen as a role model.
"Columbia's clean construction project should serve as a model for other construction projects. I hope when NYU does their expansion they will use the same strategies and methods and make the same efforts to keep the air as cleans as possible," said Isabelle Silverman, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund which helped develop the clean construction plan.
In Harlem, where children already suffer from disproportionately high asthma rates, a massive construction project without such environmental abatement tactics could pose a threat to neighborhood health, said Patrick Kinney, professor of environmental health sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Some estimates say one in four children in Central Harlem suffer from asthma.
"You have such a high concentration of people that would be vulnerable to air pollution. And West Harlem, with their prevalence of asthma, doesn't need another trigger," said Kinney. "This sets a standard that other construction projects could follow."
Kinney credited group's such as WE ACT for Environmental Justice, which has 30 years of experience of fighting for cleaner air for Northern Manhattan, for pushing for the higher standards.
"They were mobilized to act about air quality because it's not a new problem or an issue. When Columbia announced their plans the community was ready to engage. There was no learning curve. They got the issue on the table so Columbia took it really seriously and was able to plan community engagement and pressure that helped to guide Columbia in that direction," said Kinney.
The university's efforts still have their critics.
Alicia Barksdale, president of the 3333 Tenants Association, a complex of five buildings ranging from 10 to 35 stories on Broadway between 133rd and 135th streets, said residents believe there is evidence of more air pollution than normal, as a result of the construction.
Some still blame Columbia for higher rodent infestation and fault a plan to give out air conditioners to some tenants to muffle construction noise as not going far enough.
""Our buildings are filthy, you can see the grit on the window sill," said Barksdale.
Silverman said there are other factors for pollution in the area such as the type of heating oil burned by buildings and the nearby North River Wastewater Treatment Plant. The university also says it has taken steps to exterminate buildings before demolition as well as installing sealable trash cans with lids on the site to prevent an influx of rodents.
"They've gone far in the direction of ensuring the impact on the community is as minimal as possible," added Kinney.
Pitruzzello said the university is proud of its environmental efforts which may evolve even further as the full campus construction project evolves over the next three decades. There is a plan to collect and examine air quality data to see if the construction methods made a difference, said Kinney.
When it's finished, the new Manhattanville campus will stretch from 125th to 133rd streets and be completely open to the surrounding neighborhood. It will bring useful stores to the area and even have hidden environmental perks such as a new combined sewer overflow system that should help reduce the amount of untreated sewage that flows into the Hudson RIver, Pitruzzello added.
"Hopefully, this is something that can be replicated," said Silverman.
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via dnainfo.com
Disclosure: I work for Columbia University.
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