Bariatric Surgery for Kids?
The Wall Street Journal ran an article this week entitled “As World’s Kids Get Fatter, Doctors Turn to the Knife” by Shirley S. Wang who reported that children as young as 3 years old are being considered for weight-loss surgery in Saudi Arabia. Seems that the rates of overweight and obese children age 5 and under are rising in much of the world but rising faster in developed countries, including Saudi Arabia. Why? That’s the million dollar question with the answer alarmingly apparent. Read more 
Blackfish
I used to be one of those mothers who took her kids to SeaWorld but I won’t be a grandmother who takes her grandchildren to SeaWorld, the Miami Seaquarium, or any park that holds orca whales in captivity. Years ago, I would watch the seal, dolphin, and whale shows at the SeaWorld in Orlando, laughing at the big tail splash and the human-like learned behaviors but never gave a thought to what the lives of those animals were really like, especially the orca whales. The audience sees crystal blue water, healthy looking animals, and trainers who appear to love them, so not much thought is given to what life is like for a 20-foot 12,000 pound animal who is meant to swim a hundred miles a day in vast open waters but, instead swims in a tank day after day, year after year. Read more
“No Cheer in Amazon’s Holiday” – Are You Kidding Me?
Last Friday (January 31, 2014), the top headline on page 1 of Marketplace in the Wall Street Journal read:
No Cheer in Amazon’s Holiday
Online Retailer’s Revenue Rises 20% but Profit Disappoints: Shares Tumble Read more
“The Problem with Teenagers is Their Parents”
In my mailbox this week was the current issue of New York Magazine (Jan 20, 2014) which displays the upfront and in-your-face shot of a raging mother and a calm teenage son with the words “The Problem with Teenagers is Their Parents“ emblazoned across the cover. My first reaction was to read the cover story (The Collateral Damage of a Teenager, an excerpt from All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior, to be published later this month), and then either tear the cover off or hide the issue from my teenage daughter thinking this would be another article about over zealous helicopter parents pushing their kids to the brink of insanity. But, after reading the article, my opinion completely changed. I e-mailed the link to both my daughter and husband with the by-line: “you have to read this.” Read more
Remembering Colleen Ann Meehan Barkow
My prayer for today is that you will remember Colleen’s smile, that it will dry our tears and ease the eternal pain and anguish we are feeling … We hope you are in a better place, and we will love forever in our hearts, which remain broken.
Thomas J. Meehan III, father Read more
Can You Imagine?
More than 40 years ago, John Lennon released a song entitled Imagine which asked the listener to imagine a world of peace without borders, religions and nationalities that divide us. Imagine offered us an ideal but one which most of us would find unobtainable. Still, the song can be recited word for word by many generations who loved and admired the message Lennon was trying to convey to his listeners. But, what if we took a few steps backwards and tried to imagine small changes in the world in which we live. Can you imagine…… Read more
Kinky Boots
Years ago I remember hearing the difference between a man and a woman is best exemplified by looking at Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Both extraordinary dancers but Ginger did everything he did backwards and in high heels. So, when a new Broadway show – Kinky Boots – features seven men who dance in high heels as if they were born with stillettos on their man-sized feet, people take notice. But, Kinky Boots which recently opened on Broadway (April 4, 2013) is more than a dance performance; it’s a true story with spectacular music by Cyndi Lauper and a message for all of us about individual discovery, the love between a father and a son, and universal acceptance.
Will Ferrell and Diane Savino on Equal Rights
Over the past week the country has been preoccupied with two cases before the Supreme Court regarding the equal rights of gays and lesbians to wed. In the first case, the Court is considering a challenge to Proposition 8, the California Constitutional Amendment which eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry; and in the second case, the court is hearing a challenge to DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) that authorized states not to recognize same-sex marriages. Read more
Don’t Blame CVS For Mandatory Health Screening
This past week, Rhode Island based CVS announced its 200,000 employees will be required to participate in a health screening or pay $600 more in annual health insurance premiums. The health screening will be paid by CVS and will assess employee weight, height, BMI (body mass index), cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels. This information will be submitted to a third-party administrator (not CVS affiliated) who will review the data and assess healthcare risks. Read more
Ted Cruz on the Second Amendment
Junior Republican US Senator Ted Cruz from Texas made quite the scene a few days ago when he decided to enlighten Senior Democratic US Senator Dianne Feinstein on his grasp of constitution law during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on a bill to ban assault weapons. If you happened to miss this explosive exchange, click here to see and listen to the 6-minute cross-examination, of sorts.
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Paddock Post 