| FCAT frenzy: Is it subsiding?
In your brain,'' answered seventh-grader Nashae Moore. Ramblewood's emphasis on teaching students to think for themselves -- rather than bombarding them with a collection of facts that they might need on the FCAT -- however, remains the exception in most South Florida classrooms, not the rule. Last fall, the Broward School Board asked that the frenzy of preparation surrounding the annual state tests in reading, math, writing and science be reined in. Miami-Dade board members haven't taken the same step, but did inquire about Broward's action. It was a tall order, considering the tests determine school letter grades and the penalties or rewards that come along with them. Poor grades mean extra scrutiny and can lead to an entire school staff being reassigned.
SFGate: Daily Dish
The "Laguna Beach" regular had been due to start a 60-day jail sentence for a September 2006 assault case last week, but a Los Angeles judge has delayed that to allow Wahler to go to rehab. An unnamed relative tells People.com, "Jason's in rehab, and he's getting help. He's doing well, and he's going to be a new man. "There was a deal made (with prosecutors)." Wahler is in more trouble after reportedly hurling racial and homophobic abuse at police when he was arrested for punching a hotel security guard in Seattle last month. Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan says, "His jail sentence has been suspended for now. But we'll be informing the court of Wahler's latest arrest in Seattle at his next progress report hearing on June 8." The Seattle arrest was Wahler's fourth run-in with the law in nine months, after being accused of beating up a truck driver in Los Angeles in March.
Solae to Demonstrate On-Trend Culinary Solutions at International ...
ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - January 23, 2008) - With key trends signaling rising consumer demand for healthier foods, increasing ethnic variety and affordability, Solae will showcase insightful, innovative solutions from its platform of poultry and soy-based applications through a cooking demonstration to attendees at the International Poultry Expo (IPE) in Atlanta today. Presented at the Poultry and Plate magazines' booth, the experiential demonstration highlights how processors can deliver on these trends with items containing a combination of high-quality proteins from soy and chicken. Recipe samples will include: a Southwest Chipotle Chicken Burger; Mini Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs; and Thai Lettuce Wraps. "Trends continue to emphasize consumers' desire to improve the nutrition of their daily diet," said Charlie Ross, Solae director of North America Marketing.
Is plastic making us fat?
Is plastic making us fat? Researchers are exploring whether exposure to common chemicals during early development could set us up for a lifetime battle with the bulge. By Beth DaleyTHE BOSTON GLOBE Sunday, January 20, 2008 Being fat has long been seen as a personal problem, fixed only by struggling against the proliferation of fast-food restaurants, unlucky genes and a sedentary life. But could something in the environment also be making Americans fat in epidemic numbers? .
'My Favorite Dog': Dueling Rhymers
I grew up on the prairie just northeast of Post Falls, graduated from PFHS, taught science and math in both Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, raised Kentucky bluegrass seed for 13 years on the prairie while I was teaching (8 years in double shifts between my stints at PF and CDA), served as Exec. Director of the Intermountain Grass Growwers Assn. from 1976 - 1990 through some of the contentious, early field burning years (and have some great stories about Duane H's influence in structuring field burning decisions). I left CDA in 1990 to pursue school administration and am now the superintendent of the Lynden School District in far northwestern Washington. I spent three years as principal/superintendent in Skykomish, WA where the Great Northern RR (now BNSF) had a refueling depot (until the mid-1970s) to refuel their locomotives and to switch to electric locomotives for hauling over Steven's Pass and through the 7 mile tunnel.
Pooch Walkers sniffs out niche in pet care
Jennifer Moore and her canine companions recently walked and sniffed their way around Whitney Park in sub-zero temperatures for their daily walk. Moore is a pet caregiver for about 30 clients around Central Minnesota. Her business, Pooch Walkers, has boomed since opening last year, she said. She'll walk dogs, bathe them, take them to the vet, take their pictures and even throw pooch birthday parties — complete with dog treats, party hats and photos. "I try to make the owner's life as easy as possible and spoil the dogs as much as possible," said Moore, a St. Cloud resident. Pet owners such as Vi Bergquist are more than willing to pay for a $10 backyard waste cleanup or $15 for a bath. Bergquist of St. Cloud has two dogs, Pucci, 18, and Minnie, 10, who she sometimes leaves in Moore's care while at long meetings or if she has to go out of town because of work.
March Madness, or The Chuck Hagel Show
And then came the magical moment. Chuck Hagel on March 12, 2007: "I'm here today to announce that my family and I will make a decision on my political future later this year." Talk about flashbacks! It reminded many of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, or President Reagan's demand that Mikhail Gorbachev "tear down that wall." Dramatic stuff. OK, so maybe I'm just having fun with Hagel's speech, but given what everyone was led to believe, it was really a surreal event that left more questions than it answered. Chuck Hagel has become the conservative Republican Washington loves to love, like Arizona Sen. John McCain was in 2000 (Hagel supported him back then), because he breaks from GOP orthodoxy from time-to-time. And by "time-to-time," it's really about a single issue: the war in Iraq.
Low-Calorie Sweeteners Are Helpful In Weight Control, Confirmed By ...
A recent review of the scientific literature concluded that low-calorie (or no-calorie) sweeteners may be of help in resolving the obesity problem. Although they are not magic bullets, low-calorie sweeteners in beverages and foods can help people reduce their calorie (energy) intakes. "Low-calorie sweeteners reduce the energy of most beverages to zero and lower the energy density of many foods," said study co-author, Dr. Adam Drewnowski, Director, Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington. "Every dietary guideline these days tells us to bulk up, hydrate, and consume foods with fewer calories but more volume."
The study by Bellisle and Drewnowski, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, evaluated a variety of laboratory, clinical and epidemiological studies on low-calorie sweeteners, energy density and satiety.
EPA Loses Federal Court Battle Over Mercury
The Environmental Protection agency must require power plants, the leading source of mercury pollution in the U.S, to better control their emissions of the dangerous toxin, a federal court ruled today. The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that EPA violated the Clean Air Act when it removed oil and coal fired power plants from the list of sources that are subject to the Act's most stringent air pollution controls. The agency must now develop tougher standards to control mercury and other toxic pollutants from new and existing power plants.
"Today's decision is a huge victory as it requires EPA to get back to the business of protecting people's health rather than higher profits for electric utilities," said John Suttles, attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. "As a result of this ruling, EPA will have to go back to the drawing board and follow the Clean Air Act and the advice of the nation's leading health experts to adequately protect the public from this harmful neurotoxin." SELC represents the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, the American Nurses Association and Physicians for Social Responsibility in the legal challenge.
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