Most People Make Only One Trip Down the Aisle, But First Marriages Shorter, Census Bureau Reports

In 2004, most people in the United States had married only once, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Marriage and Divorce: 2004 said 58 percent of women and 54 percent of men 15 and older had made only one trip down the aisle.

The Census Bureau also reported first marriages for women during the peak of the baby boom lasted longer than recent marriages. Of the first marriages for women from 1955 to 1959, about 79 percent marked their 15th anniversary, compared with only 57 percent for women who married for the first time from 1985 to 1989.

People born in the leading edge of the baby boom experienced high divorce rates in the 1970s and 1980s. About 38 percent of men born from 1945 to 1954 and 41 percent of women in the same age group had been divorced by 2004.

Other highlights:

-- On average, first marriages that end in divorce last about eight years.

-- The median time between divorce and a second marriage was about three and a half years.

-- In 2004, 12 percent of men and 13 percent of women had married twice, and 3 percent each had married three or more times.

-- Among adults 25 and older who had ever divorced, 52 percent of men and 44 percent of women were currently married.

-- Just over half of currently married women in 2004 had been married for at least 15 years,and 6 percent had been married at least 50 years.

Paul Potts: Male Cinderella Story

It's not a male Cinderella story exactly, but it's close! This shy, unassuming cell-phone salesman floored Simon (American Idol fame) and the other judges with his astonishing voice. Now Paul Potts is living every aspiring singer and actor's dream. So well-dererving it seems, too. Bullied as a child, not someone who could get by solely on his looks, crooked teeth to boot... When he sings, you forget everything but his music. Watch the video and see for yourself. I had tears streaming down my face... I don't see how anyone can listen and not be touched by the beauty he brings to this world.

Live

Live, as in live your life to its fullest every day. You never know what kind of curve ball life is going to throw. I remember years and years ago hearing my parents talking about some older friends of theirs. This couple had everything planned out. They scrimped and saved so they could live their dream when they retired. They saved every spare penny in order to buy one of those big motor homes. They planned the trips they would take and managed their money so they could live their perfect life. Nothing wrong with having a dream, but “today” didn’t exist for this couple. It was all about the day they retired.

I know you’re expecting to read that one of them died, or one came down with a debilitating illness. Nope, nothing that tragic. But the gas shortage did hit. They couldn’t afford, or find, enough gas to fuel their dream. I don’t know if they ever did get to go tooling around the country as they’d planned. I know they were pretty miserable for at least that period of time.

That conversation I overheard stuck with me. It sparked many thoughts about the balance that’s needed in life to live today fully yet plan for a future. Yes, it’s important to plan for the future ‘cause hopefully you’ll have one. But life doesn’t always let you live out your plans.

I could tell tale after tale of people who were hit with the unexpected. Some were living their life to the fullest and while they may have had some regrets when life dumped on them, they generally accepted the rock thrown through the window of their plans. Others had focused completely on their future leaving behind a long line of “if only’s”.

I remember the young woman I met at a concert whose goal throughout her 30 year life was to be married. She finally found Mr. Right after years and years of searching only to find out within weeks of being married that she had an inoperable brain tumor and had less than six months to live. How much life slipped by her as she focused on a future that had to include a husband? Who knows, we didn’t get that far into her life.

I know way too many people who lived their life for retirement only to die within a few months or come down with some catastrophic illness that sapped their savings or otherwise prevented the attainment of their dream.

It’s important to find the right balance and oft times it’s impossible to find the right balance.

I’ve learned that it’s more important to spend a day with the kids than to update a website. Sure I want to accomplish things. However, when everyone is standing around my coffin someday I seriously doubt they’ll be remembering the times I completed a video or finished a work product… unless it kept me from doing something with them. I don’t want to be remembered for the things I missed.

Likewise, when I’m on my deathbed (yes, the blog has taken on a rather morbid tone hasn’t it?) I doubt I’ll be regretting an unfinished load of clothes that didn’t get washed or a yard that wasn’t mowed or a garage that wasn’t swept or the television program unwatched. Nope, if I’m regretting anything it’ll be the times I didn’t spend with my family and friends.

Again, balance. You have to pay the bills, you have to keep a clean house and neat yard… but not at the expense of a life with real meaning. Life is short and it gets shorter as you’re getting older and looking back on the life you’ve lived.

The older I get the more I realize how fleeting life truly is. Planning ahead is still important to me, but more and more I see just how important it is to build good memories, too. Memories are built on todays, not on tomorrows.

Wild life...

Two kinds of wild life... the kind you live and the kind you see. Could be that others think of something different than those two, but they're all that come to my mind when I hear the term.

It's funny how life changes which type pops into someone's mind first!

Used to be I probably wouldn't have thought first of deer, wild turkeys and birds... I'd have thought about someone's wild life.

What spurred this short blog this fairly early Saturday morning was the little blur of motion I caught out of the corner of my eye as I worked on the computer. My office has windows that reach from the top of the desk to the ceiling on three sides. I have a huge custom-built "desk" that wraps around the entire outer walls of the office.

The view out those many windows is spectacular and distracting at times! Hummingbird feeders keep the little birds fighting to defend their territory. An occasional rabbit zips across the yard. A week or so ago a huge hawk sailed across the window front to land on the side yard just long enough for me to run get the cameras... he took off when I moved to take the photo.

More frequently the deer distract me from my work. This morning's eye-catching movement was a family (I assume) of deer. It looked like mom, pop and baby. They moved around the edge of the woods that enclose our yard, nipping at the bushes, helping to keep our grass short.

We have three sets of wild turkeys that migrate around the house. They'll wander through for days, then vanish for a while. I understand they can travel up to ten miles in one day. If that's true it's quite a feat for those usually plodding creatures. I have seen them move -- fast. Most of the time they seem to be used to my intrusion with the camera. They'll slowly move off into the nearest cover they find when the see me.

It's a tough life out here in the middle of the county! You'd think we were out in the boonies, but we're in the middle of a fairly large county. The elected officials in this county have done a phenomenal job keeping oasis like ours intact. The county has a one-acre minimum for homes, and they do a step up and down of two-acres, to three-acres, etc. We're in a five acre minimum area at the moment that steps down to smaller land lots until it reaches the cities on either side of us.

So much for a short blog! I start rambling and pretty soon I have the beginnings of a book no one would buy! I've been writing a lot in one of my other blogs lately, Politics: Fayette County Georgia and Beyond. The current county commission seems determined to toss away what so many of our past commissioners have built. I think they may be tagged with the ruin of the county in years to come and it's worrying me. Hence, I've been writing... I'll try to do better with this blog, my favorite!

Minority Population Tops 100 Million

The nation’s minority population reached 100.7 million, according to
the national and state estimates by race, Hispanic origin, sex and age
released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. A year ago, the minority
population totaled 98.3 million.

"About one in three U.S. residents is a minority," said Census Bureau
Director Louis Kincannon. "To put this into perspective, there are more
minorities in this country today than there were people in the United
States in 1910. In fact, the minority population in the U.S. is larger than
the total population of all but 11 countries."

The population in 1910 was 92.2 million. On Oct. 17, 2006, the Census
Bureau reported that the overall population had topped 300 million.

California had a minority population of 20.7 million -- 21 percent of
the nation’s total. Texas had a minority population of 12.2 million -- 12
percent of the U.S. total.

There were other milestones reached as well during the July 1, 2005, to
July 1, 2006, period: The nation’s black population surpassed 40 million,
while the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander group reached the 1
million mark.

Hispanic remained the largest minority group, with 44.3 million on July
1, 2006 --14.8 percent of the total population. Black was the
second-largest minority group, totaling 40.2 million in 2006. They were
followed by Asian (14.9 million), American Indian and Alaska Native (4.5
million), and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (1 million). The
population of non-Hispanic whites who indicated no other race totaled 198..7
million in 2006.

With a 3.4 percent increase between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006,
Hispanic was the fastest-growing minority group. Asian was the second
fastest-growing minority group, with a 3.2 percent population increase
during the 2005-2006 period. The population of non-Hispanic whites who
indicated no other race grew by 0.3 percent during the one-year period.
(See Table 1.)

Four states and the District of Columbia are "majority-minority."
Hawaii led the nation with a population that was 75 percent minority in
2006, followed by the District of Columbia (68 percent), New Mexico (57
percent), California (57 percent) and Texas (52 percent). No other state
had a minority population exceeding 42 percent of the total. (See Table 2..)

Highlights for the various groups:

Hispanic

-- Hispanics accounted for almost half (1.4 million) of the national
population growth of 2.9 million between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006.

-- California had the largest Hispanic population of any state as of
July 1, 2006 (13.1 million), followed by Texas (8.4 million) and Florida
(3.6 million). Texas had the largest numerical increase between
2005 and 2006 (305,000), with California (283,000) and Florida (161,000)
following. In New Mexico, Hispanics comprised the highest proportion
of the total population (44 percent), with California and Texas
(36 percent each) next in line.

-- The Hispanic population in 2006 was much younger, with a median age
of 27.4 compared with the population as a whole at 36.4. About a third
of the Hispanic population was younger than 18, compared with one-fourth of
the total population.

Black

-- The black population increased by 1.3 percent, or 522,000, between
2005 and 2006.

-- New York had the largest black population in 2006 (3.5 million),
followed by Florida (3 million) and Texas (2.9 million). Texas had the
largest numerical increase between 2005 and 2006 (135,000), with
Georgia (101,000) and Florida (86,000) next. In the District of Columbia,
the black population comprised the highest percentage (57 percent);
Mississippi (37 percent) and Louisiana (32 percent) were next.

-- The black population in 2006 was younger, with a median age of 30.1,
compared with the population as a whole at 36.4. About 31 percent of the
black population was younger than 18, compared with 25 percent of the total
population.

Asian

-- The Asian population rose by 3.2 percent, or 460,000, between 2005
and 2006.

-- California had the largest Asian population on July 1, 2006 (5
million), as well as the largest numerical increase during the 2005 to 2006
period 114,000). New York (1.4 million) and Texas (882,000)
followed in population; Texas (43,000) and New York (34,000) followed in
numerical increase. In Hawaii, Asians made up the highest proportion of
the total population (56 percent), with California (14 percent) and New
Jersey and Washington (8 percent each) next.

-- The Asian population in 2006 was younger with a median age of 33.5,
compared with the population as a whole at 36.4.

American Indian and Alaska Native

-- The American Indian and Alaska Native population rose by 1 percent or
45,000, from 2005 to 2006.

-- California had the largest population of American Indians and Alaska
Natives (689,000) on July 1, 2006, with Oklahoma (397,000) and Arizona
(331,000) next. Arizona had the largest numerical increase (8,000) since
July 1, 2005, followed by Texas (7,000) and Florida (4,000). In Alaska,
American Indians and Alaska Natives made up the highest proportion of the
total population (18 percent), with Oklahoma and New Mexico, at 11
percent each, next.

-- The American Indian and Alaska Native population in 2006 was younger,
with a median age of 31, compared with the population as a whole at
36.4. About 28 percent of the American Indian and Alaska Native population
was younger than 18, compared with 25 percent of the total population.

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

-- The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population rose by 1..7
percent, or 17,000, from 2005 to 2006.

-- Hawaii had the largest population (275,000), followed by California
(260,000) and Washington (49,000); California had the largest numerical
increase (3,400) of people of this group, with Texas (2,000) and
Florida (1,500) next. In Hawaii, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific
Islanders comprised the largest proportion (21 percent) of the total
population, followed by Utah (1 percent) and Alaska (0.9 percent).

-- The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population in 2006 was
younger, with a median age of 28.6, compared with the population as a
whole at 36.4. About 30 percent of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific
Islander population was younger than 18, compared with 25 percent of the
total population.

Non-Hispanic White

-- The non-Hispanic, single-race white population, which represented 66
percent of the total population, accounted for less than a fifth
(18 percent) of the nation’s total population growth.

-- California, New York and Texas had the largest population of this
group (15.7 million, 11.7 million and 11.4 million, respectively), but
Texas experienced the largest numerical increase (104,000),
followed by North Carolina (91,000) and Arizona (78,000). Maine and Vermont
had the highest proportion of single-race non-Hispanic whites (96
percent each), followed by West Virginia (94 percent).

-- The non-Hispanic, single-race white population in 2006 was older than
the population as a whole: The respective median ages were 40.5 and
36.4. About 21 percent of the population of this group was younger than 18,
compared with 25 percent of the total population.

Also released today were tabulations by age, which showed:

-- There were 37.3 million people 65 and older in 2006, accounting for
12 percent of the total population. In 2005, this group numbered an
estimated 36.8 million.


-- The number of people 85 and older reached 5.3 million, up from 5.1
million in 2005.

-- In 2006, working-age adults (18 to 64) totaled 188.4 million, which
was 63 percent of the population. A year earlier, the total was 186.2
million.

-- The number of preschoolers (younger than 5) in the United States in
2006 was estimated at 20.4 million, up slightly from 20.3 million.

-- The number of elementary school-age (5 through 13) children was 36.1
million, with high-school age (14 through 17) children numbering 17.2
million.

-- States with the highest percentages of older people (65 and older)
include Florida(16.8 percent), West Virginia (15.3 percent) and
Pennsylvania(15.2 percent). States with the lowest percentages were
Alaska (6.8 percent), Utah (8.8 percent) and Georgia (9.7 percent).

-- States with the highest percentages of preschoolers include Utah (9..7
percent), Texas (8.2 percent) and Arizona (7.8 percent). States with the
lowest percentages were Vermont (5.3 percent), Maine (5.3 percent)
and New Hampshire (5.6 percent).

Riverdale, GA Fire Kills 5 (Clayton County)

Yesterday, Thursday June 7th, five people lost their lives in a tragic fire in Riverdale, Georgia. We missed the first press conference but were there for the second. At that point we knew that at least five had died and that there might possibly be others who had been trapped in the Budget Inn.

I couldn’t help but think about the tragedy, the lives lost, the sadness that was already there for the families of those lost. Later as we found out more about what happened in the hotel room where that family died, it became even more horrific.

The fire started early in the morning and, from all reports, spread quickly. It was an older hotel, built before current sprinkler ordinances were in place, composed of wood and stucco. According to articles I’ve read in other publications it seems that people would cover the smoke alarms so they could smoke in their rooms. Some cooked in their rooms. Many lived in the hotel for extended periods of time. In fact, the family that died had been living in the hotel for about six months.

Skakita Jones, 32, her three children, daughter Shavon Butler, 14, son Devon Butler, 11, and daughter Desha Butler, 10, lived in the hotel with fiancé Freddie Lee Colston, Jr., 26. Shakita and Freddie Lee were to be married shortly. He was planning to be fitted for his tuxedo the day he died. Shakita’s uncle, Melvin Jones, 43, was staying with the family in order to help them move into their new home in Riverdale. They were moving out Thursday. Instead all but Shavon lost their lives in the fire.

Shavon was rescued by Riverdale and Clayton County Fire Fighters and flown to Grady Hospital with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on approximately 18% of her body.

As I edited our film and read other stories to check facts, my imagination took me into that small bathroom with Shakita, Freddie Lee, Melvin and the children. They retreated to the bathroom, unable to get out. They knew to put a towel across the bottom of the door to keep out smoke. Shakita used her cell phone to call for help. Unfortunately, the fire had spread across the roof and ultimately the roof collapsed.

Fire fighters were only able to rescue Shavon.

The family probably went to bed the night before the fire looking forward to what the future held. They had a new home they were moving into on Thursday. They had a wedding to plan. The children were probably excited about moving and being a complete family. They may have been thinking about their friends, what they planned to do for the weekend or the rest of the summer.

Thursday morning they lost their future.

I don’t know how long they huddled in the tub before they were overcome. I can’t begin to imagine what the mother of two suffered knowing she couldn’t save her young children. Her uncle loved and cared enough about her to travel to be with her and help her embark on a better future. Freddie Lee had embraced the entire family as his own yet he was helpless to save them. Did they hold out hope right to the last minute, knowing the fire was racing toward them? Did the cell phone connection allow them to share last minute endearments with family? What would these young children have done had they lived?

How did it happen that the fire was able to take hold and trap the family at a time when they were possibly already up and getting ready for their day? Why didn’t they hear smoke alarms going off, if they did? How did the fire start? If an ordinance were in place requiring that older hotels and multi-family dwellings upgrade their sprinkler system would these five still be alive?

There are a lot of questions to be answered and in the days to come we’ll probably get the answers to some. Unfortunately, by the time many of the answers are disclosed the media will have moved on to another story. The lessons that could be learned from the tragedy may never bear fruit simply because this fire might be an old memory by the time all the investigations are completed.

We talked with Fire Chief Alex Cohilas, Clayton County Fire Department, after the official press conference. It’s obvious from his comments that he is passionate about fire prevention, increased standards and he cares deeply about stopping the unnecessary loss of life. Although the press may move on to another story, it seems Cohilas will not move on until he wins the battle to enact the strongest possible building codes with proper enforcement in place.

My prayers go out to the families of those who lost their lives and in support of Shavon, who still has many battles of her own to overcome.

“Fixing” Hollywood, One Script at a Time

How Mainstream America is Influencing the Film Industry

(ARA) - For several years now, attendance has been in decline at movie theaters all over the country. While ticket prices are up, overall receipts are down. A recent Zogby survey found that 45 percent of American moviegoers had decreased their attendance over the last five years, with the highest percentage of that decrease in the 18- to 24-year-old demographic; at the same time, 21 percent of respondents said they never went to the movies. One of the main reasons listed for this trend was the quality of the films.

What can Americans do to bring back the “golden age” of Hollywood, when films were designed to appeal to the whole family, and were based on good stories that inspired and uplifted? The answer, according to many industry insiders, is not to simply stay at home and save your money, but to get involved in the process. Good films begin with good stories, and where are the majority of these to be found? in the hearts and minds of everyday people all over the country.

People like R. Wyatt Scott, Daniel S. Elliott and Stan Himes, who recently split a $50,000 award given for writing “spiritually uplifting screenplays.” The contest is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation and presented by “Movieguide: A Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment.”

From communities as diverse as Jacksonville, Fla., Rochester, Minn., and West Des Moines, Iowa, and with careers as far removed from the entertainment field as a surgeon and an ad copywriter, these winners represent the broad-based outcry from across the nation, for films that both entertain and uplift, and that whole families can enjoy together.

Just how quickly, really, can winning a script contest effect real change? Try less than a year. Two of last year’s contest winners, David Anthony and Heather Hughes, have had offers made on their scripts from major film companies. Anthony has even been hired by the production company PureFlix, to direct his film. PureFlix is new film company based in Hollywood whose goal is to create more of these types of films, and having a choice of these kinds of scripts in the pipeline helps make this possible.

So, the message to Americans out there everywhere, who want to see more films they can support at the box office, is do your part. If you have a great idea for a movie, or know someone who does, send it in. Information on the script contest can be found at www.kairosprize.com. Entries from first-time screenwriters are sought to keep the ideas fresh and creative.

Secondly, check out new companies like PureFlix, that may not get wide support as they often have to distribute their films independently. And when you know of a film releasing soon that you want to see in your local theater, call you theater managers and tell them about it. If enough public support for a film is generated, they will be more likely to try and bring it to their theater.

Some of these new films to be on the look-out for include Scott’s “Cheers & Laughter,” a drama focusing on a professional athlete whose career is cut short by injury -- a story line that appeals across the board, and, while not being “preachy,” shows the value of redemption and grace in bringing hope out of tragedy and despair. “Movies are a great medium for reaching people in need of this kind of comfort and encouragement,” says Scott.

Himes’ “Sarah’s Gift” is a comedy -- a genre that seems an unlikely winner for a spiritual competition. However, writer Stan Himes captures well the struggle of a teen trying to fit in, in a light and humorous way, as the only non-musical member of her family. Sarah learns about the power of prayer, as hers are answered with the gift of singing -- but only in church. She then becomes prideful of her new gift, but comes to understand the importance of humility, family commitment and sense of community as she is faced with the loss of more than just her singing talent. “It’s more than a faith-based film; it’s a fun, family movie,” says Himes. He believes Hollywood needs more of these “good movies with spiritual values rather than preachy movies that people don’t want to see.”

Elliott’s “By Might & Power” is an adventure story chronicling Captain Robert Scott’s ill-fated 1911 expedition to the South Pole. While not inherently spiritual, the script deals with the issues of purpose and meaning in life, and is very inspirational to others as Captain Scott comes to realize the true legacy he must leave for his son. “There is something far more grand in producing something that edifies, motivates and changes peoples’ lives,” Elliott summarizes, in comparison to writing a film or script that merely entertains.

While none of these winners plans to “quit his day job,” they are each open to what the future might hold. As part of winning the competition, their scripts are being reviewed by top Hollywood producers and studio executives, and any one of these films could be optioned and made into a real Hollywood blockbuster.

Stan Himes, especially, is hopeful for the future -- not for him alone but for the industry as a whole. He believes his script is an example of what most people are looking for in a movie -- a positive energy that taps into many emotions, with an eyes-watering, feel-good ending.

And that’s just what Hollywood needs more of.

More information is available at www.kairosprize.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Stanford Study Finds No Conclusive Benefit from Treating Kleptomania with Medication

Somehow we missed this release. Well worth a read & some thought on the way some minds work!

3-14-07 A small clinical trial of a medication to treat kleptomania has failed to find any conclusive benefit for patients with the impulsive stealing disorder, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. But the results leave open the possibility that some medications, including the one in the trial, may still be an effective treatment for certain patients.

More than 1.2 million people in the United States are thought to suffer from kleptomania, the guilt-ridden, impulsive stealing of inexpensive and unneeded items. The condition differs from shoplifting, in which the action is usually planned and motivated by need or monetary gain. People suffering from kleptomania often fail to seek treatment for fear of legal repercussions.

The medication in the trial was escitalopram, marketed as Lexapro. The drug belongs to a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and earlier studies have suggested that SSRIs can be effective in treating some impulse control disorders, such as skin picking.

In an earlier, non-blinded open-label phase of the kleptomania study, when trial participants were aware that they were taking escitalopram and not a placebo, 78 percent of the patients responded to the drug. In the second phase of the study, conducted as a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the benefit was not seen.

"When we randomized people to drug vs. placebo, the same proportion of people relapsed on drug as relapsed on placebo, suggesting that it was really a placebo response in the initial phase of the study," said Lorrin Koran, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and first author of the study, which will be published in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

In the double-blind trial, 15 subjects were assigned to receive either a placebo or escitalopram. For both groups, the relapse rates were effectively the same, with three of seven patients on the drug relapsing, compared with four of eight on the placebo.

Koran says that the small number of subjects in the study makes it impossible to know with certainty whether the results of the trial are really indicative of the effectiveness of escitalopram. "For some people, I think these drugs really do work. And for others, maybe not, but until you have large studies you can't tease that out," he said.

Koran emphasized that the results of the clinical trial are not definitive, and some people may be helped by therapy involving medication. For others, receiving psychological treatment, perhaps in combination with medication, may prove most effective. But regardless, he said, "People with this disorder should definitely seek treatment."

This study was funded by Forest Laboratories, which makes and markets Lexapro. Koran has served as a paid speaker for Forest Laboratories, as has second author Elais Aboujaoude, MD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of Stanford's Impulse Control Clinic. Nona Gamel, clinical research manager, was also a co-author on the study.

The Coca-Cola Company: Retooling Its Atlanta Headquarters to Conserve Natural Resources, Combat Climate Change

Collaboration with Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute is good for the environment and good for business
Actions to eliminate over 10,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year, save in excess of $1 million in annual operating costs

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Coca-Cola Company today announced that it was implementing measures to reduce energy consumption at its two million square foot world headquarters by 23 percent and reduce its water consumption by nearly 15 percent. These efforts are expected to eliminate more than 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, which is the equivalent of removing 2,000 cars from the road.

“By taking bold measures to conserve natural resources in our own backyard, we want to send a message to companies and individuals that combating a leading global environmental problem demands local action,” said Bryan Jacob, The Coca-Cola Company’s energy and climate protection manager. “We all have a role to play, from using energy-efficient lighting where we can, to repairing leaky faucets and watering our lawns only in the morning and the evening. Each leaky faucet in our homes or offices could be wasting 180 gallons of water per week.”
The Coca-Cola Company’s efforts to protect the Earth’s climate at its Atlanta headquarters include an approximate $3 million investment in energy-efficient lighting and air conditioning equipment, rainwater harvesting techniques and advanced irrigation control systems. Furthermore, Coca-Cola will continue to enhance its state-of-the-art building automation system to increase the effectiveness of these improvements.

“As the number one ingredient in our beverages and an essential component to life on Earth, water is important to our Company,” Jacob continued. “Since climate change will have a profound impact on freshwater resources, we are making water conservation – in our plants around the world and at our headquarters – a priority. The irrigation improvement projects at our Atlanta Office Complex will reduce the water used for landscaping by an estimated 75 percent.”

The Coca-Cola Company is collaborating with Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute in these efforts to reduce water and energy consumption. “Companies have long embraced innovation to improve their products, services and operating practices, but we’ve entered a new era in which new technologies can help us become even better stewards of the natural resources that sustain our businesses,” said Bill Meffert, group manager of the Environmental and Energy Management Services Division with the Enterprise Innovation Institute. “Companies like Coca-Cola have the ability to make a tremendous impact in their operations and through the example they set for others.”

Currently, The Coca-Cola Company’s Atlanta Office Complex spends over $6 million annually on utilities, and substantial efforts to improve efficiency have been phased in gradually over the last ten years. For example, a recent project converted the North Avenue Tower’s famous marquee from neon to more energy efficient LED lighting that is expected to produce over $10,000 a year in energy savings.

The initiative being announced today represents a significant increase in the Company’s efforts to deliver even better results faster. Many of these planned upgrades are already underway and all are expected to be finished within the next twelve to eighteen months.

The Coca-Cola Company’s environmental protection efforts – global water stewardship, sustainable packaging and energy and climate protection – address areas that are most important to its business and are where the company can make the biggest impact. Each of these initiatives helps reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

The Company’s announcement comes ahead of Earth Day, which is commemorated in the United States and around the world on April 22. Since it was first celebrated in 1970, Earth Day has helped focus national attention on the progress that businesses, individuals, communities, governments and other organizations are making to protect the environment.

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta® and Sprite®, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding 1.4 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our website at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/.

How Grocers are Helping Fight Childhood Obesity

ARA) – These days, too many children are growing up snacking on candy and cookies rather than foods that are good for them like fruits, vegetables and grains. But if America’s grocery stores have anything to do with it, that’s about to change! Area grocers throughout the U.S, from Massachusetts to Idaho, from Minneapolis to San Antonio, from the suburbs of Chicago to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, are encouraging healthy eating habits in their communities.

Realizing they have the ability to make a difference, local grocery stores are partnering with Field Trip Factory to offer free field trips that teach kids how to make smart food choices. It’s good for our communities and our kids.

“The field trips reach a wide cross-section of the youth in our area. These children go home and influence their parents to adopt healthy habits,” says Bob Gumbleton, manager of the Shaw’s Supermarket in Lynn, Mass.

“When we reach the kids and schools in our community, they bring their parents back to buy the healthy products they try during the field trip,” adds Dale Watson, manager of the Albertsons store in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho.

On these hands-on field trips kids get to sample healthy foods, and come away with an understanding of the essential concepts about nutrition and diet, as well as the importance of staying physically active. A little math is worked into it too as kids learn about pricing. The trip is designed with the goal in mind of producing not only healthy kids, but smart kids.

Meijer stores in suburban Chicago, kids learn fundamental concepts about how exercise, balanced meals, and healthy living will positively affect them. Jan Olszowski, store director of the chain’s store in Rolling Meadows, Ill., says the kids always leave smiling.

“In essence, the trips show kids that shopping for groceries at a Meijer store is fun. A lot of the chaperones have commented they have never been here before, and they will now return to shop here for healthier foods in the future,” he says.

Down in Texas, H-E-B stores are also finding that their trip helps build a partnership with kids in the community that goes beyond food. The Be A Healthy Buddy program focuses on making healthy decisions as well as teaching students about careers in the grocery retail business. “It’s important to us to have a positive impact on kids and their health. They are our future shoppers as well as our future employees,” points out Keith Jackson, who manages one of the chain’s San Antonio, Texas store.

At Rainbow Foods stores in Minnesota, stores see the benefit to both students and their families. Carole Fust, store manager for Rainbow Foods in Plymouth says, “We expose students to information that will help them make better nutrition decisions. They go home and share what they’ve learned with their parents and siblings.”

Over 2,000 local grocery stores are now offering this important real-life health lesson. These grocers are making a difference in their communities by encouraging kids to eat healthy today so they can make a difference tomorrow. Rommel Morrison, manager of the Lowes Foods store in Jamestown, N.C., adds, “This program is a valuable asset to the community.”

To learn more about these free, experience-based field trips, log on to www.fieldtripfactory.com and type in your zip code to find out which programs are available in your community. If you don’t have Internet access, call (800) 987-6409 for more information.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Karl Rove, Christianity, Nastiness and Historical Cycles...

As I handle a number of on-line newspapers I get tons of press releases. I'm seeing more and more releases like the one below. We are becoming more and more polarized. Christians are complaining more and more about being denied basic free-speech. Double standards abound. There's more and more nastiness.

I'm a so-so student of history, read a bit, loved it in school... we're in a cycle and it isn't a good one. Who knows whether we're going to repeat a historical cycle, be a blip in the history books someday (written in spanish? chinese? arabic?).

Not only am I seeing more of the ugliness, the attacks, the stories like the one below, but I'm also hearing more and more folks talking about the U.S. going down the tubes. There's an old saying that if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything. Is the U.S. heading for a fall? We're certainly sending the world a mixed message about what we stand for in this great country.

Here's the release that sparked this blog:

"Students Attack Karl Rove with No Arrests Made"

Law enforcement officials are now responding to events bases on the political beliefs and viewpoint of demonstrators rather than their actions," states Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition

WASHINGTON, Apr. 4 /Standard Newswire/ -- Lawlessness and discrimination reign in Washington, D.C. Students violently attack White House Advisor Karl Rove with no arrests made. See today's news coverage: USA Today -- Karl Rove heckled and pelted on college campus (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6rqql5bab.0.idirl5bab.hl94yxbab.13633&ts=S0235&p=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.usatoday.com%2Fondeadline%2F2007%2F04%2Fkarl_rove_heckl.html) and NBC TV-4 video -- Students Pelt Karl Rove In Protest (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6rqql5bab.0.jdirl5bab.hl94yxbab.13633&ts=S0235&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbc4.com%2Fnews%2F11516096%2Fdetail.html)

Meanwhile peaceful Christians are threatened with arrest and ordered to stop praying on a Capitol Hill public sidewalk during a Stations of the Cross Celebration last week (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6rqql5bab.0.kdirl5bab.hl94yxbab.13633&ts=S0235&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiannewswire.com%2Fnews%2F821612645.html).

The Christian Defense Coalition has written a letter to the Library of Congress seeking a public apology and clarification concerning the unconstitutional disruption of public prayer.

The Coalition is being representing by the American Center for Law and Justice and will seek further federal legal action if the matter cannot be resolved. See the letter online at www.earnedmedia.org/libraryletter.htm (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6rqql5bab.0.ldirl5bab.hl94yxbab.13633&ts=S0235&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.earnedmedia.org%2Flibraryletter.htm)

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, comments:"There is now a new standard in Washington, D.C. concerning public demonstrations and political gatherings. If you are involved in an anti-war protest, you can violently attack White House officials with no arrests. You can spray-paint the United States Capitol with no arrests or consequences. You can disrupt news conferences with no arrests. And, you can take over congressional offices with no arrests. Meanwhile, if you peacefully chose to exercise your First Amendment rights by praying in the public square you are ordered to stop, are harassed and threatened with arrest."

Law enforcement officials are now responding to events based on the beliefs and political views of demonstrators, rather than their actions. This kind of discrimination is both unconstitutional and dangerous and brings us back to a tragic time when people were arrested simply because of their skin color.

"Is there any person out there who believes, that Christians or conservatives would not have been immediately arrested if they had violently attacked Speaker Pelosi or spray painted the United States Capitol Building? Could you imagine the response of law enforcement officers if pro-life demonstrators had shouted down a news conference by Senator Hillary Clinton?"

The Improving State of the World Explains Why We're Living Longer, Healthier, More Comfortable Lives on a Cleaner Planet

From the Cato Institute: After a few minutes of viewing the evening news, it might be very difficult to believe that anything is getting better. Indur M. Goklany is anything but pessimistic in his enormously compelling new book, The Improving State of the World: Why We're Living Longer, Healthier, More Comfortable Lives On A Cleaner Planet.

Many people believe that globalization and its key components -- economic growth, technological change and free trade -- have made matters worse for humanity and the environment. As Goklany powerfully illustrates, that is a complete myth and we ought to consider how much worse the world would be like without these components.

Goklany confronts foes of globalization and demonstrates that economic growth, technological change and free trade helped power a "cycle of progress" that in the last two centuries enabled unprecedented improvements in every objective measurement of human well-being.

Poverty, hunger, malnutrition, child labor, illiteracy and unsafe water ceased to be global norms; infant mortality has never been lower; and we live longer and healthier lives. Further, Goklany's research demonstrates that global agricultural productivity is up, food prices are down, hunger and malnutrition have dropped worldwide, public health has improved, mortality rates are down, and life expectancies are up.

"The Improving State of the World" is an important contribution to the environment versus development debate, collecting in one volume the long-term trends in a broad array of the most significant indicators of human and environmental well-being, and their dependence on economic development and technological change.

Noting that the environmental record is more complex, the author shows how innovation, increased affluence and key institutions have combined to address environmental degradation. The early stages of development can indeed cause environmental problems, Goklany acknowledges, but additional development creates greater wealth allowing societies to create and afford cleaner technologies.

He maintains that restricting globalization would therefore hamper further progress in improving human and environmental well-being, and in surmounting future environmental or natural resource limits to growth.