It's the giving time of year... local artists are giving, too!

Thought you might like to see a few of the chairs that will be auctioned at the Children's Chair-ity Event to benefit the Children's Village at Christian City. The event is December 2nd, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Dolce in Peachtree City.

I have tickets! Give me a call at 404-290-3638 and I'll be happy to deliver them (or send via snail-mail). The cost of the ticket equals the amount it takes to take care of one child for one month at Christian City. It's not as much as you'd think, it's only $30.

They're always in need of sponsors for the children so think hard about taking care of a child for the entire year by giving $30 per month. These kids have sometimes suffered horrific circumstances before coming to Christian City. I've been out there many times and met the kids, seen the love they receive... and met some of the grown-up kiddos who went on to live happy, productive lives as a result of the care they received at Christian City.

This is a favorite event of mine! It combines the talents of many local artists who donate their talents to paint the chairs with the big hearts of many in our community who volunteer, donate or attend the event.

I don't give to "big" charities any more. I worked with them for years, then realized how much of my efforts went into paying salaries and big taj-mahal type office buildings... I read the percentages they actually gave to the cause I was supporting, saw horror tales on the tube about problems, and finally decided my giving efforts would only go to local charities that I could visit, look into, get to know.

The people at Christian City are fabulous. They give, and give, and give... I hope you'll consider giving.

Just a footnote - while Southwest Christian Care (hospice, etc.) was started by the same folks that started Christian City, they are two completely different organizations. When you give to one, you're not helping the other. They work together, support each other, but have different functions. I support both.

Archivist of the United States Announces Establishment of the National Declassification Center

/PRNewswire/ -- Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero announced today the establishment of the National Declassification Center (NDC) within the National Archives and Records Administration.

The creation of the NDC is specified in the new Executive Order on Classified National Security Information signed by President Obama on December 29, 2009. Specifically, the NDC is charged with streamlining declassification processes, facilitating quality assurance measures, and implementing standard training for declassification reviewers.

In making the announcement, Mr. Ferriero said, "The Federal government has reached a watershed moment in records declassification. The current backlog is so huge that Americans are being denied the ability to hold government officials accountable for their actions. By streamlining the declassification process, the NDC will usher in a new day in the world of access, allowing the National Archives to make more records available for public scrutiny much more quickly."

Initially, the NDC will be located at the National Archives College Park, MD facility and focus on clearing the backlog of referrals in reviewed documents both in Federal records and in Presidential materials. Dr. Michael Kurtz, Assistant Archivist for the Office of Records Services, Washington will serve as Acting Director of the NDC pending the selection of a permanent director. The NDC will be advised by an inter-agency Policy Planning Group made up of senior managers from the Departments of State, Defense, and Energy as well as the Central Intelligence Agency, Director of National Intelligence, the Information Security Oversight Office, and the National Archives.

"The establishment of the NDC provides a unique opportunity for the National Archives and its agency colleagues to create new strategies to protect essential national security and release hundreds of millions of pages to researchers and the public," said Dr. Kurtz

In anticipation of the establishment of the NDC, an inter-agency Program Management Team that has begun examining current declassification review processes throughout the government. The National Archives is working with the Defense Change Management Organization to conduct a study to determine how processes can be improved by reducing process cycle time, defects and costs. The recommendations from this effort will be incorporated into the new NDC processes.

Public input, questions and comments may be sent to NDC@nara.gov . Information about upcoming forums and NDC initiatives may be found at the NDC website: http://www.archives.gov/declassification.

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In Fayette County? Rumors of Strange Sightings?

Gotta tell ya that this caught my eye. I know the area of Lee's Mill Rd and I even know some fine people who live on that road. Lee's Mill Rd has a bunch of homes along its route, and there are even more trees and woods along it than homes. Bigfoot sighting? In Fayette County? Gee, I guess I must have missed that one. Interesting, but then I've always loved a good mystery......

On the Trail of the Georgia Bigfoot...Latest Sighting-Fayette County

The Georgia Bigfoot, other than being the title of my next book, is also an ongoing mystery in the Peach State. With sightings dating back to the early 1800s in Georgia, and ranging from the mountains to the coast, there is much to be said for the possible existence of the elusive creature in Georgia....http://georgiamysteries.blogspot.com/2009/12/on-trail-of-georgia-bigfootlatest.html


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Legion to Support WWII Veteran's Fight for Flagpole

/PRNewswire/ -- The American Legion has joined the fight being waged by a Medal of Honor recipient against a Virginia homeowner association's demands to remove a flagpole.

Col. Van Barfoot, 90, a World War II and Vietnam veteran, was ordered by the Sussex Square Homeowner's Association to remove the flag pole from his front lawn after he flew the U.S. Flag on Labor Day and Veterans Day. The association is claiming that the flag pole is not "aesthetically appropriate."

"The association underestimated the fight left in this elderly veteran and now they have to contend with the determination and persistence of Col. Barfoot's 2.5 million friends in The American Legion," said National Commander Clarence E. Hill. "Col. Barfoot has hired legal counsel. The American Legion is prepared to help with the expenses and fight these disgraceful actions by the association. Where is the common sense here? Is this anyway to treat any American, much less a true hero like Col. Barfoot?"

Fighting for the flag is not new to The American Legion, the nation's leading authority on flag etiquette. Since 1989, The Legion has been fighting for a constitutional amendment that would grant Congress the authority to protect Old Glory from desecration.

"The flag is a symbol of our country," Hill said. "People should fly it proudly. That's all Col. Barfoot wants to do. If he were desecrating the flag, instead, the association couldn't do a thing to stop him. We proudly stand with Col. Barfoot and say 'enough already!' Let him keep the flagpole and fly the flag as often as he wants. He certainly earned that right."

"What the association is doing is especially disgraceful given the fact that our president has ordered another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in defense of our freedom," added Joseph Caouette, The American Legion's Chairman of Americanism. "I wonder what they think of all of this."

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

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Apocalypse Time Again

The end of time as we know it is certainly food for thought, and for some, it's a way of life. As the new movie about the alleged apoclypse in a couple of years comes out, it's time to revisit some of the great apocalyses that, well, didn't happen.

Read more...

Ten Notable Apocalypses That (Obviously) Didn’t Happen
Apocalyptic predictions, such as those warning of global destruction in 2012, are nothing new – they have been around for millenia
By Mark Strauss

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Veteran-led Peer Support Combats Suicide

/PRNewswire/ -- Last month in Washington, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki made a staggering announcement: more veterans have committed suicide since 2001 than have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Coming within weeks of the release of the US Army's suicide prevention guidebook, the VA Secretary's statement underscores the commitment to teaching service members and veterans the methods for overcoming combat stress.

While for many the manual will be an important tool, veteran-to-veteran peer support is often the best way to stay mentally healthy during and after wartime service.

For more than a decade, Survivor Corps has helped thousands of military and civilian survivors of war to recover and move beyond their combat trauma. Now, thanks to a committed group of American veterans, the organization is implementing their international expertise here at home.

In 2006, US Army Captain (Ret.) Scott Quilty lost his right arm and right leg to an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Iraq. Today, he is the US Program Manager for Survivor Corps.

"I quickly learned at Walter Reed that isolation will kill me," says Quilty. "After months of rehabilitation I started to sleep more and interact less. The only thing that motivated me to get out of bed for the first time in days was the news that my friend just arrived and lost both his feet."

Survivor Corps partners with the Massachusetts Statewide Advocacy for Veterans Empowerment (SAVE) to implement a pioneering veteran peer support program.

Earlier this year, outreach workers from SAVE attended Survivor Corps' peer support training program, where they learned advanced techniques to identify mental health issues and reduce rates of suicide. Since the training, SAVE has reached over 7,000 veterans and service members.

Cameron Macauley, Survivor Corps' Health Education Specialist, conducted the peer support training in Massachusetts. "From our experience in post conflict countries around the world, it is clear that peer support is key to combating the social isolation felt by survivors. When we adapted our program to help veterans here in the United States we provided special training to our outreach workers in order to properly recognize the signs most commonly associated with suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI)."

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JADA Study Proves Fluoridation is Money down the Drain

RJ Note: This study raised my eyebrows. Fluoridated water doesn't reduce cavities? I wonder if the children studied in this research brushed and/or flossed their teeth. Was fluoridation the only variable? Hmmm. At any rate, it seems like fluoridated water has been the norm for something like 40 years or so.

/PRNewswire/ -- Children's cavity rates are similar whether water is fluoridated or not, according to data published in the July 2009 Journal of the American Dental Association by dentist J.V. Kumar of the NY State Health Department(1), reports NYSCOF.

In 2008, New York City spent approximately $24 million on water fluoridation ($5 million on fluoride chemicals)(1a). In 2010, NYC's fluoride chemicals will cost $9 million(1b).

Fluoride in water at "optimal" levels (0.7 - 1.2 mg/L) is supposed to reduce tooth decay without creating excessive fluorosis (fluoride-discolored and/or damaged teeth). Yet cavities are rampant in NY's fluoridated populations(1c).

Attempting to prove that fluorosed teeth have fewer cavities, Kumar uses 1986-1987 National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) data which, upon analysis, shows that 7- to 17-year-olds have similar cavity rates in their permanent teeth whether their water supply is fluoridated or not (Table 1).

In 1990, using the same NIDR data, Dr. John Yiamouyiannis published equally surprising results in a peer-reviewed journal. He concluded, "No statistically significant differences were found in the decay rates of permanent teeth or the percentages of decay-free children in the F [fluoridated], NF [non-fluoridated], and PF [partially fluoridated] areas."(2).

Kumar divided children into four groups based on their community's water fluoride levels:

Less than 0.3 mg/L where 55.5% had cavities
From 0.3 to 0.7 mg/L where 54.6% had cavities
Optimal 0.7 to 1.2 mg/L where 54.4% had cavities
Over 1.2 mg/L where 56.4% had cavities


"Dr. Kumar's published data exposes more evidence that fluoridation doesn't reduce tooth decay," says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation.

"It's criminal to waste taxpayers' money on fluoridation, while exposing entire populations unnecessarily to fluoride's health risks, especially when local and state governments are attempting to balance budgets by cutting essential services," says Beeber.

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Reading Not a Lost Art for Travelers Stuck at Airports

RJ Note: Reading a great book while twiddling my thumbs at an airport or a doctor's office ranks high on my list. I've certainly ready my share of them while I've been a captive audience at both venues. Reading. It does a body good.

/PRNewswire/ -- Despite a measurable decline in reading among the general population, travelers overwhelmingly prefer to read when killing time at the nation's airports, according to a recent survey.

Conducted by GO Group, LLC, the nation's largest airport and ground transportation provider, the survey asked travelers to identify which activities they engaged in while waiting at the airport. Some 83 percent cited reading a book, newspaper or magazine as the No. 1 choice on a list of several options available.

The poll of more than 200 travelers also shows that doing crossword puzzles, Sudoku or other thinking games is the second-most popular method for entertaining oneself while waiting for take off, cited by 29 percent of respondents. Listening to music on an MP3 player was the third-most popular activity at 21 percent, in a survey that allowed for multiple responses.

About 45 percent of the respondents said they found other diversions, such as grabbing a bite to eat, accessing the Internet or buying gifts at airport shops. Other activities included playing handheld video games or watching DVD movies on laptop computers or other devices. Respondents were able to check all of the methods that applied to their time traveling, but reading was the clear favorite activity.

"These results imply that travelers primarily use their downtime at the airport to become either better informed or entertained as they deal with the delays often encountered at the nation's air hubs," says John McCarthy, president of GO Airport Express.

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Dreamin' of th' Scurvy Pirate Again

Th' the seven seas outside be all wet 'n gloomy, so we might as well find a way to put a smile on our faces.

Bin always adored th' image 'o th' handsome scurvy pirate wit' his white billowin' shirt open exposin' his wonderfully bronzed muscular chest. But somehow, all th' accounts 'o Blackbeard just don't jive wit' th' scurvy pirate 'o me imagination. Nope, I suspect th' scurvy pirates were probably much, much worse.

Heartly enjoy speak Like a scurvy pirate Day, me buckos.

Just in case ye're not up on ye scurvy pirate shout, here's th' link to fix that gross lack 'o education fer ye.

Book Review: Other Places - A Family's World War II Experience in Germany and the US

Author Ria Veeren takes readers back to World War II and the struggles of one Dutch family in Other Places. The story is her story as she tells of her immigration to America in 1948 and also of the events which led to her immigration.

Of interest in the book are parts of her family's life in Holland and in Germany during World War II and her father's role in providing for his family during a time of war. Excerpts from her father's, Jack Veeren, diary will appeal to those who have an avid interest in history. The elder Veeren, a photographer, served as in interpreter for the Americans immediately after the war.

Those of who have never lived through a war or have the memories shared by the greatest generation will benefit from learning about the effects of a war on everyday people. Other Places is this experience for one family and worth reading.

Staff Report

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Book Review: defining Twilight; Enticing Teens to Learn

"Quick," I said to my teenager. "Define futilely." The eyes that bore back into mine were blank, almost oblivious to my question. "Are you woolgathering?"

"What is this?", asked the teenager who was now experiencing grave misgivings over the decision to walk in to the room with me as I sat reading.

So began my excursion into defining Twilight by Brian Leaf, a delightful book chock full of vocabulary words. What's the deal?

The Twilight book series by Stephenie Meyer has been the latest rage among teens and young adults for a couple of years now. The movie is seen on a regular basis at my house as others descend in droves. The books are so popular that I've walked in and found the teens playing Twilight Trivia or reciting favorite lines of the movie. The books are kept close as a reference so the kids can be sure of their facts.

I admit I had seen the movie, but had not taken time to actually read the book. When asked to review defining Twilight, I knew I had to bite the bullet and jump head first into the land of chaste vampires. The Twilight book was fun to read, and it was full of wonderful words not commonly used by teens today. Do they understand the meanings?

Enter Leaf's defining Twilight, and it's a match made perfect for any student studying to take one of the college entrance exams. Leaf has provided an entertaining way to use the Twilight book as an aid to learning vocabulary. It's a great concept. Read the page in the book, and define the word. There are also quick exercises to use to complement learning the definitions.

It sure beats digging out the old Digests I had to use when I was studying for the SAT. Perhaps I would have scored better on the standardized tests of my day if someone had made learning the vocabulary more pertinent to the times.

Leaf will release his second book in the Defining series in October. I can't wait to see the words he defines and introduce them to my teen.

Staff Report

National Partnership to Meet, Evaluate Addiction Treatment as Component of New Justice Programs

/PRNewswire / -- Representatives from more than 50 federal agencies, corporations, nonprofits and academic institutions are meeting today in Washington, D.C., as part of a multi-phase process aimed at mitigating what they call the crippling effects of alcohol misuse and crime in the United States.

The third meeting for the National Partnership on Alcohol Misuse and Crime (NPAMC) will feature keynote speaker Dr. Robert DuPont, president of the Institute for Behavior and Health and former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The one-day conference will focus on what NPAMC president and founder Stephen Talpins calls the vital role of addiction treatment in the management of alcohol-involved offenders. "The justice system has been trying for decades to mitigate both the economic and public safety impact of alcohol misuse," says Talpins, a former national policy director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and a former DUI prosecutor for the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office. "Research is showing, time and again, that treatment-based programs for addicted offenders are, dollar for dollar, the most effective way to reduce the extraordinary burdens placed in justice agencies and to reduce the cycle of recidivism," says Talpins. The Century Council, a NPAMC Participating Organization, is sponsoring the conference.

In addition to Dr. DuPont, the conference includes presentations on the latest clinical research on addiction treatment and its application to criminal offenders. Speakers include Dr. Rick Rosenthal, professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University; Dr. Mark Publicker, president of the Maine Society of Addiction Medicine and medical director of Addiction Treatment Services at Mercy Recovery Center; Dr. Westley Clark, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment with SAMHSA; and Judge William Dressel (retired), president of the National Judicial College.

NPAMC was founded in September 2008 with the goal of bringing together the vast expertise, research and resources dedicated to tackling the issues related to epidemic rates of alcohol misuse and crime. NPAMC is comprised of more than 50 Participating Organizations, and the aim is to provide criminal justice agencies across the U.S. with proven, evidence-based program models that will reduce the exorbitant financial burden taxpayers bare managing alcohol offenders by reducing the rate of alcohol-related recidivism.

In 2008, the Pew Center on the States (a NPAMC Participating Organization) released a study titled "One in 100: Behind Bars in America," highlighting the epidemic rates and costs of incarceration in the U.S., where one in every 100 adults is now behind bars. In 2009, Pew released "One in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections," which shows that a staggering one in every 31 U.S. adults is under correctional supervision. "Alcohol-involved offenders are literally paralyzing the criminal justice system, clogging court dockets, caseloads and our jails and prisons. We can no longer afford to simply debate the issue," says Talpins.

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Great American Cookies Launches Nationwide Search for the 'Great American Dad'

RJ Note: Dads are so very important to our lives. I just know Fayette County is the perfect place to find a great American dad. Why, I bet we have tons of them. Why not take a moment and let the world know about your special hero? I better put my pen where my mouth is and get to work on this!

/PRNewswire/ -- Great American Cookies announced today that the company has launched its first-ever search for the "Great American Dad." The Great American Dad Contest began Wednesday, May 13 and runs through Friday, July 31. During the contest, participants will be asked to tell the world, in 200 words or less, what makes their dad a "Great American Dad." The contest will be conducted completely online, with submissions accepted through the entry form available at www.greatamericancookies.com.

Prizes for the contest will be awarded in September and include:

-- Grand Prize: The "Ultimate Dad Den" courtesy of Great American
Cookies. Essential "ingredients" for creating a great in-home getaway
for Dad include a Sony BRAVIA(R) 52" Flat-Panel LCD HDTV, Sony Blu-ray
Disc Player and Sony BRAVIA(R) Home Theater System.
-- First Prize: Sony BRAVIA(R) 52" Flat-Panel LCD HDTV.

-- Runner Ups: (5) $50.00 gift certificates to Great American Cookies.


The contest opens during Great American Cookies Celebrating Everyday Heroes promotion and is supported by NexCen Franchise Management, Inc., a subsidiary of NexCen Brands, Inc.

"Customers tell our franchisees every day how much they appreciate the heroes in their lives when they order Cookie Cakes and gift tins," said Jenn Johnston, senior vice president of brand marketing for NexCen Franchise Management, Inc. "During this contest we expect to hear some wonderful, funny, touching and even quirky stories about some of the most unsung heroes...dads."

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America's Top Young Scientists to Receive Scholarships for Winning Eggs-Periments

RJ Note: Fayette County Middle School Science Olympiad Teams have a great record of winning and placing at tournaments. Kudos to all the great teachers who inspire our young minds. Will we have any egg-cellent wins this year?

/PRNewswire/ -- Where can you find America's brightest young minds launching rockets, crashing vehicles and cracking eggs? These activities and many more are part of the 25th annual Science Olympiad National Tournament in Augusta, GA, on May 16. For the first time, the incredible edible egg, on behalf of America's egg farmers, will celebrate the incredible achievements of science-minded students by awarding four $1,000 college scholarships. The tournament is the culmination of what began with 200,000 students across the nation competing in local tournaments, and has been narrowed to a group of 2,500 who will compete in a series of scientific challenges that require a unique level of focus, precision and skill.

As part of the incredible edible egg's partnership with Science Olympiad, two of the 46 events will be "egg-centric." In the "Scrambler" competition, students are challenged to design and build mechanical devices to transport eggs, while at the "Egg-O-Naut" event, students design and launch rockets that deploy parachutes to carry a raw egg without breaking. Each member of the gold medal winning teams will receive a $1,000 scholarship towards college.

"I co-founded Science Olympiad to bring science to life for students through hands-on, minds-on learning challenges," said Dr. Gerard Putz, co-founder and president of Science Olympiad. "We are excited for this first-time partnership with the incredible edible egg. It's a natural and important educational component of this year's competition - encouraging kids to learn more about science while emphasizing the importance of eating a balanced breakfast, including eggs, for sustaining mental and physical energy."

Fuel Energy for Mind and Body

Coaches and parents of Science Olympians know that it's important for students to have a healthy, balanced breakfast. In fact, research shows that there are cognitive benefits to eating breakfast, such as improved memory recall time, improved grades and higher test scores.(1,2)

"Serving kids eggs for breakfast is important because the high-quality protein in eggs provides the energy for the body and mind they need to stay alert and active throughout busy days," said Keith Ayoob, EdD, RD, FADA, pediatric nutritionist and associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "For 70 calories and an average cost of 14 cents apiece, eggs are one of the most affordable breakfast options and can be combined with almost anything already in the fridge or pantry."

Help encourage your kids to eat incredible and be incredible on competition day, and every day, with these tips from Ayoob:

-- Pack a hard-cooked egg as a snack for kids so they can avoid the
afternoon slump. Pack it in an insulated bag with a cold pack for
freshness.
-- Get your kids involved in planning and preparing meals to help instill
good eating habits. Kids love to eat what they help prepare!
-- Have a one-pan meal like a frittata or strata for dinner once a week.
It's easy, affordable and kids love it.



You can also try your hand at these nutritious breakfast recipes that offer an easy solution to a hectic morning, take less than 10 minutes to prepare and cost less than $2.00 a serving(3):

-- Cereal Bowl Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito ($0.50/serving)
-- Easy Egg Breakfast Quesadillas ($1.91/serving)

-- Mini Breakfast Pizzas ($0.59/serving)



Visit www.eatincredible.com for quick and easy egg breakfast recipes, official Science Olympiad experiments to try at home and to share videos of incredible science experiments.

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Churchill Downs and Mattel Team Up to Create Kentucky Derby® Barbie® Doll to Commemorate 135th Run for the Roses®

(BUSINESS WIRE)--With Kentucky Derby® 135 on May 2, 2009, quickly approaching, Churchill Downs, the legendary racetrack that hosts the annual “Run for the Roses®,” and Mattel are pleased to announce that they have teamed up to create the Kentucky Derby® Barbie® doll.

From the celebrities and socialites who attend to the awe-inspiring hats, the Kentucky Derby is more than just a horse race – it is a famed fashion event. This year, Barbie®, the ultimate fashion icon, showcases legendary Derby fashion with the launch of the Kentucky Derby® Barbie® doll, dressed in a playful floral sun dress, faux pearl necklace and sassy spring sandals. True to Kentucky Derby fashion, Barbie doll’s look is topped off with a stylish, oversized white hat with blossoming flower accents.

In addition to the Kentucky Derby® Barbie® doll, Churchill Downs and Mattel will give Barbie® enthusiasts and collectors a chance to own their very own life-sized Kentucky Derby® BarbieTM replica hat. Renowned milliner Christine A. Moore will create up to 135 replica hats to commemorate the 135th Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky® Derby Barbie®. The first hat will be auctioned off through the Clothes® Off Our Back Foundation. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Clothes® Off Our Back’s charities, including Feeding America (formerly named America’s Second Harvest), The Art of Elysium, Hope North and H.E.L.P. Malawi. The remaining 134 hats will be available on a made-to-order basis on www.thederbystore.com.

“This is a great project that brings together two iconic American brands in a very special way,” said Casey Cook, senior director of marketing and licensing for Churchill Downs Incorporated. “We are so pleased to work with Mattel to create the Kentucky Derby Barbie as part of the Pink Label Collection and even happier that we were able to extend the project to include the replica hats that Barbie collectors and enthusiasts can proudly own and wear.”

“Barbie and the Kentucky Derby have come together to celebrate a legendary American sporting and fashion event,” said Stephanie Cota, senior vice president, Barbie. “As a fashion icon, this gorgeous collector doll and replica hat pays tribute to Derby fashion and is sure to excite Barbie collectors, Kentucky Derby fans and fashionistas alike.”

The Kentucky Derby® Barbie® doll is available for purchase through Walmart, Walmart.com, Barbie® Collector Dealers, Barbie Collector Catalog, www.barbiecollector.com and www.thederbystore.com.

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San Francisco Passes First 'Do Not Mail' Resolution in Nation

RJ Note: Junk mail is certainly a subject which brings to mind every trip I make to open my mail box. Loads and loads of unwanted mail fall over the ground as I trek to the trashcan to throw it away. I like the idea of reducing the mountains of it. I like the idea of conserving trees. Though I wonder who decides the definition of junk mail. After all, one man's trash is another's treasure.

/PRNewswire / -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today passed a resolution calling on California to create a Do Not Mail Registry giving its citizens the choice to stop receiving unwanted junk mail.

Though non-binding, the resolution represents the first time American lawmakers have withstood pressure from the direct mail industry and the U.S. Postal Service to side with the majority of Americans.

Sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, the board approved the resolution by a 9-2 vote.

"Until now, junk mailers have stifled all efforts to give Americans what they want: an enforceable, comprehensive solution to junk mail's waste and annoyance" said ForestEthics Executive Director Todd Paglia. "San Francisco is the first city in the United States to take political action against junk mail, marking the beginning of a long-awaited government intervention to protect citizens from relentless and predatory junk mailers."

Bills calling for Do Not Mail Registries have failed in more than 20 states, despite widespread frustration with junk mail. A 2007 Zogby poll revealed that 89% of Americans support the creation of a national registry.

"Reducing junk mail is in keeping with our nation's efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and lead more sustainable lifestyles," said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, upon passage of his Do Not Mail Resolution. "Just as Do Not Call overcame industry opposition to become the most popular consumer rights bill in history, I hope that this resolution will empower our representatives on the state and federal level to represent their constituents on this issue."

Supervisor Mirkarimi has a record of trailblazing leadership on a variety of issues and policies, including the nation's first municipal ban on plastic bags, and commuter benefits requirements for San Francisco businesses.

More than 93,000 Americans have signed ForestEthics' petition at donotmail.org calling for the creation of a national Do Not Mail Registry.

Every year 100 million trees are logged to produce the 100 billion pieces of junk mail Americans receive. Junk mail's production generates the carbon emissions of over 9 million cars. U.S. junk mail accounts for 30% of all the mail delivered in the world, though 44% of it goes to landfills unopened.

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World War II Combat Flying Reenactment Online

(BUSINESS WIRE)--iEntertainment Network, (PINK SHEETS: IENT.pk), the award-winning developer of the world famous WarBirds TotalSims series, today announced that “Pillars of Smoke”, a reenactment of the massive Allied bombing campaign over Germany 1944-1945, will be held online starting Sunday, March 22, 2009, at 0030 GMT (2030 EDT), in the online arenas of iEntertainment Network. The online event will run for five Sundays.

Hundreds of online players are expected to participate in this longest running online World War II reenactment series, the Squadron Select Series (S3). These players will fly on both sides of the reenactment for the Allies (in B-24s, B-17s, P-51 Mustangs, and P-47 D Thunderbolts), against the Axis Luftwaffe (in Messerschmitt, Me-109s, Focke-Wulf 190s, and in the German jets, the ME-262). The Allies will be trying to bomb German industry and the Luftwaffe will try to prevent the bombers from getting to their targets.

Players will participate as member of their online Squadrons. Some of those Squadrons include the =4th= Fighter Group, the 31st Fighter Group, JG-27, JG-51, the 332nd Fighter Group, Menacing Ferrets, 100th FBG, Knights of Ni!, and over 15 other online Squadrons.

Virtual aviators, who want to participate in this reenactment, can download the simulation software from www.TotalSims.com for FREE and fly with assignment to one of the current online Squadrons.

Email custserv@ient.com to get assigned to an online Squadron for this event. The description of this online event can be found here: Pillars of Smoke.

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Georgia Tech Student-Designed Device Provides New Way to Track Calorie Burning

Counting calories that burn through activity is a constant quandary.

One can only run on a treadmill so long, watching intently as the pedometer reads out the number of calories melted during a session of exercise. Not to mention the question of how many calories are burned through basic daily movements and even during sleep.

But technology – and youthful ambition – is presenting a round-the-clock solution for those consumed with this calculation.

A group of Georgia Tech students has crafted a device that allows individuals to constantly compute the amount of calories they burn – even as they sleep.

“It’s a completely converged device,” said Garrett Langley, 21, a senior in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) who spearheaded the project. “It’s a single unit that provides complete fitness monitoring and management.”

Dubbed HappyHR, the instrument is a personal monitor that allows users to measure and compare day-to-day physical and caloric activity. The name is a reference to the euphoric feeling that follows an intense round of exercise – the “happy hour.”

The small, rectangular-shaped instrument straps to the wrist or ankle, gathering data related to heart rate and exercise. The information is then transferred via Bluetooth to a PC, where the statistics can be analyzed through Web-based software.

Although the device focuses on calorie counting, Langley envisions more thorough health applications including respiratory and glucose monitoring.

This tool began as a senior design project for Langley, who viewed a marketplace that was lacking such technology coupled with a results-hungry populace eager for more health information. An aspiring entrepreneur, he also found that it provided an organic way for him to develop a business.

An avid runner, Langley himself was frustrated at the challenge of quantifying fitness results.

“I saw that there was a huge gap in the market,” he said. “There are simple $30 pedometers, and there’s nothing in between that and $400 health monitors.”

Comparatively, HappyHR should carry a $100 price tag if it becomes commercially available.

Shortly after conceiving the idea, the development process became an interdisciplinary endeavor incorporating several colleges at Georgia Tech.

Fellow electrical engineering student John Hamilton, biomedical engineering students Stephen Mann and Nathan Kumar and industrial design student Stuart Lawder all contributed their expertise to actualizing Langley’s concept.

The result: a deft and subtle device that resembles a compact MP3 player more than fitness monitoring technology.

The project, and the fortitude behind it, has impressed Steve Chaddick, Tech alumnus and chairman of the ECE Advisory Board. Chaddick has served as a mentor to Langley and his team, lending his advice to both the design and business plan process.

“It’s a terrific opportunity to promote what I believe in engineering education,”
Chaddick said. “We should be teaching the ‘why’ before the ‘what,’ so to speak. It’s been very satisfying for me personally.”

Langley is finalizing the HappyHR prototype and beginning discussions with manufacturers. His goal is to make HappyHR commercially available some time this fall.

“Ideally, this could change the way America stays in shape,” Langley said. “ ’Stay fit and be happy’ is the slogan. This is going to motivate people to exercise more and be happier.”

Does He or Doesn't He? Scottish Kilt Cleaners Sort Out the Mess

I just love a man in his kilt! Guess it's my Scottish blood showing, but I love the look. Guess I never really thought about the condition of some kilts when they have to be cleaned by others. The debate continues, "Does he or doesn't he?" Some people think the debate would be better if it is "Should he or shouldn't he?"

True Scotsmen are Told to Cover Up

Published Date: 16 February 2009
By SUSAN SMITH

IT MAY be a tradition, but Scottish men's habit of "going commando" in a kilt is increasingly disgusting firms hiring Highland dress.

Several companies are now requesting that customers keep their pants on when they hire a kilt to protect staff and future customers from unhygienic tartan......
http://living.scotsman.com/topstories/True-Scotsmen-are-told-to.4982596.jp

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Spelling Bee Minus: Over Half of Americans are 'Embarased'(sic) by Spelling

/PRNewswire/ -- Independent survey of spelling out today shows that more than half the adult population of the USA had problems with one or more spellings in a test of ten everyday words. One in three admitted being reliant on spell checkers for tasks such as completing job application forms or writing important letters and men performed less well than women.

An independent survey conducted by Ipsos MORI in January 2009, on behalf of the Spelling Society, shows that adults in the USA, consistently performed badly in a spelling test using ten everyday words.

Results were compared with a similar survey undertaken in the UK in 2008 by ID Factor. 'Embarrassed' topped the incorrect list with 62% miss-spelling this word in the USA compared to 54% in the UK. Adults in the USA consistently performed less well on all the ten words tested. Interestingly, in both surveys men performed less well than women. Women may celebrate here, but should also know that the only word that men spelled better than women in the USA was 'liaison'!

Spelling Society Chairman, Jack Bovill said: "When asked, only a quarter of adults thought they had a problem with spelling. The results show - this is far from the case. This lack of awareness is pertinent to the Spelling Society whose aim is to raise awareness of the problems caused by the irregularity of English spelling."

Professor Edward Baranowski, of California State University pointed to the 'fossilized system' in place as part of the problem. "We have different spellings for the same sound (especially for vowels), silent letters, missing letters, and a system which reflects how English was spoken in the 13th-15th centuries, not how it is spoken today. So many sound changes have occurred in the language, which are not reflected in modern spelling, that we are left with a 'fossilized' system. Perhaps if English had had an effective language academy, such as those in France or Spain, this would have been mitigated over time."

The Spelling Society is calling for greater awareness of the problem, including looking at modernizing a system which affects people across all social grades. Chairman Jack Bovill says: "After all we rarely complain about how people speak - what is holding the UK and the USA back is the irregular spelling system?"

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