Where does your $1 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Go?
If you’ve participated in any of the thousands of fund-raising activities for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or shopped at CVS, Target, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Brooks Brothers, GNC, Claire’s, or Kmart, then you’ve probably been asked at the cash register to make a donation to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. More than likely, you’ve said yes, as evidenced by the $976 million (nearly $1 billion) collected by the ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities) – the fundraising organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – for the year ending June 30, 2013. Read more 
Sunday Newspaper Inserts Hit a New Low
One of life’s little pleasures is the all-encompassing Sunday newspaper that contains all the news of the week and, of course the Sunday inserts from Target, Walmart, Best Buy, CVS, Walgreen’s, and this week’s special sales brochure from Shoot Straight which not only advertises the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-T, a tactical semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round detachable magazine for $949 but also the Smith & Wesson 15-22 Rife with a 25 round magazine for $399 for those who want to spend less. That the M&P 15-T is “designed specifically for the needs of military and police around the world” according to Impact Guns, is obviously besides the point. Read more
Who Are the Mass Shooters?
The FBI released a study on mass shootings this week that indicates mass shooters in our country are primarily male and young (no surprise there). The study looked at mass shootings between 2000 – 2013 and found there were 160 mass shootings where “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” The study does not include gang or drug related violence or shootings where the shooter’s primary purpose was to commit suicide publicly. Read more
How NPR’s Science Friday Goofed
On NPR‘s Science Friday program (“your trusted source for news and entertaining stories about science”) yesterday, Ira Flatow, the show’s host, aired a segment entitled “The People’s March Against Climate Change.” The two guests on the show were Bill McKibben (author of Eaarth, co-founder of 350.org and distinguished scholar at Middlebury College) and Peter deMenocal (an environmental scientist and professor at Columbia University) who both spoke about the importance of the People’s Climate March to be held this Sunday in New York City to bring a public voice to the climate change discussion. McKibben is one of the organizers of the march and deMenocal was on the show to explain why he, as a scientist has decided to participate in the march. Read more
Bring Back Home Economics
Why is so much classroom time spent on Math, Science, English, and History and so little on Health and Nutrition?
Kids and teenagers are overwhelmed with homework, standardized tests, AP courses, sports, and extracurricular activities – all of which require the brain and the body to perform at an optimum level for success. Yet, time is rarely allocated to learning about what it takes to properly nourish the body because parents, schools, and outside sources (i.e. McDonald’s, Five Guys, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin Donuts, Chipotle) provide the finished product (food) to our kids. Read more
Remembering John Patrick Salamone
…his most significant contributions were the type of person he was, the way he cared for his fellow man, and the love, devotion, and loyalty he exhibited to family and friends. ~John P Salamone Memorial Foundation
COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret
Why doesn’t The Sierra Club, Oceana, Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rainforest Action Network, and Amazon Watch loudly communicate about the number one environmental problem in the world?
News outlets recently reported that Bill Gates, Peter Thiel, Jerry Yang, and Jessica Powell are investing in Hampton Creek – a small company based in San Francisco focused on developing new ways of utilizing plants to replace eggs and animal products in a variety of different foods. Why would the co-founders of Microsoft, PayPal, Yahoo, and Google invest in a company promoting plant-based foods? The answer is surprisingly simple: there is one single industry that is destroying the planet more than any other: animal agriculture (which includes animal livestock and fishing). Hard to believe? It’s true but it’s one of the best kept secrets on this planet because no one wants to talk about it. Why? That’s a good question. Read more
ThanksLiving 2014: Woodstock, NY
Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is all about showing thanks for what we have been given but what about celebrating a day where we give thanks for the living?
If you happen to be in the northeast (NY, NJ, CT, MA, VT, or NH) and are looking to see the Fall foliage leaves, enjoy a delicious meal, and spend an afternoon with family, friends, and 300 very sociable animals, consider driving to Woodstock, New York on Sunday, October 12, 2014 when the 9th annual ThanksLiving will take place at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Read more
Ten Books Not to Buy For Kids
Freedom of speech in the United States is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution and is a right we take very seriously in this country. It’s why the NRA can heckle the parents of slain 5 and 6-year olds from Sandy Hook Elementary School when they speak out for gun control or why members of the Westboro Baptist Church are allowed to protest at funerals for serviceman and servicewomen who gave their lives protecting our country. Distasteful, disrespectful, self-righteous, and judgmental but allowed. Read more
What’s In That Sugar or Waffle Cone/Cup?
Nearly 100 years ago, a Lebanese immigrant named Albert George purchased second-hand cone baking machines and founded the George and Thomas Cone Company. Today, that company is now named the Joy Ice Cream Cone Company and is the largest ice cream cone producer in the world, manufacturing more than 1.5 billion cones a year for retail consumers and food service companies. Based in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, the company is still owned and operated by the George family along with the employees. Read more
Paddock Post 