Spotlight
Many years ago, there was a postal carrier who delivered mail to our home nearly every day. A quiet guy who rarely spoke, the mailman often looked at the ground as he walked from house to house delivering letters, bills, catalogs, and packages. One day, the local newspaper carried a story about a group of adults who came forward claiming they were sexually abused by priests in the Catholic parishes they attended as children. Filled with shame and often told to be quiet, many of these children grew up deeply disturbed and troubled, unable to reconcile the sexual assault or the way their families and the leaders of the church treated them. Our mailman was one of those children and it was heartbreaking to be a bystander and read about the personal violation of a person we both knew and didn’t know in the local paper. Read more 
The “Absolutes” of Florida
There are no absolutes….
This is the time of year when many snowbirds come down to Florida, leaving the cold, icy, grey weather of the northern and western states for a winter of sunshine and warm temperatures. Many of these travelers drive south on I-75, the Florida Turnpike, or I-95, all of which are lined with billboards that may lead them to think that Florida is full of people living in gated communities who shop at a Ron Jon Surf Shop, and need Disney tickets. And, judging by the sheer volume of billboards advertising the services of Alex Shunnarah and The National Life Center, they may also come to believe that visitors or residents need a personal injury lawyer and that Roe vs. Wade was a nuisance judgement set down by the Supreme Court more than 40 years ago that is best ignored. But, billboards don’t tell the full story. Read more
Turkey Time
The Thanksgiving meal is about as American and traditional as it gets with nearly every family in the United States celebrating this national holiday – most with a roasted turkey on the table. Although many dishes have changed little in the past hundred years – bread stuffing, cornbread, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans – the turkey has changed dramatically. Before I tell you how the turkey has changed, I want to say this is not about shaming those who choose to eat turkey. The purpose is to inform the reader of what many turkey farmers, cooperatives, processors, and food companies don’t want consumers to know about the turkey on your table. Read more
Alice Childress and the Wedding Band
The Negro woman has almost been omitted as important subject matter in the general popular American drama, television, motion pictures and radio. ~Alice Childress
When I first heard the name Alice Childress while visiting Oberlin College in Ohio, my curiosity was piqued. Who exactly was Alice Childress and why have I never heard of her? The answer to the first question is that Alice Childress (1916-1994) was an American actress, activist, union organizer, playwright, director, and author. She was also a black woman fighting for her voice to be heard and her talent recognized in industries dominated by white men. Read more
Medical School and Nutrition Education
Doctors…..cannot be expected to properly treat patients or guide the prevention of cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome if they are not trained to identify and modify the contributing lifestyle factors. ~Kathaleen Briggs Early, Kelly M Adams, and Martin Kohlmeier
Recently, my friend (a doctor) told me her son graduated from University of Virginia’s medical school and had no more than a few hours of nutrition education throughout the four-year program. Although I heard that medical students are rarely required to take a course on nutrition, I didn’t know the specifics which led me to do some research which revealed the following information: Read more
Remembering Sharon Balkcom
Sharon Balkcom was 43 years old when she died on September 11, 2001 after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 am. The plane hit the building between the 93rd and 99th floors, rendering all stairwells and elevators above the 92nd floor impassable. Balkcom worked as an Assistance Vice President of Technology at Marsh & McLennan, an insurance and brokerage firm that occupied eight floors of offices between the 93rd and 100th floors. All 294 employees of Marsh & McLennan present that day, including Sharon Balkcom perished. Read more
Potato Burger Buns (Dairy and Egg-Free)
Finding great tasting whole grain burger buns made without additives, preservatives, dairy, and eggs is a challenge which is why I make my own. Sounds daunting but it isn’t because of two secret ingredients: mashed potatoes, which make bread products moist and delicious, and Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer (a natural leavening agent made from whole soy flour, wheat gluten, corn syrup solids, and algin (from algae)) which helps the dough rise and binds the ingredients together to make a light flavorful bun. Read more
McDonald’s and the Mercy Medical Center
From the start, we’ve been committed to doing the right thing. And we’ve got the policies, programs and practices in place that allow us to use our size and scope to help make a difference. Because what’s good for us, is good for us all. ~McDonald’s
Mercy. Excellence every day in every way. ~Mercy Medical Center
Have you ever wondered why a McDonald’s would ever be located within a medical center or hospital? I have and can only guess that the answer must be related to money, job security, or incompetence. Why else would a facility dedicated to health and saving lives ever allow a fast food chain known for the Big Mac (540 calories, 28 grams of fat, 970 grams of sodium), French Fries* (510 calories, 24 grams of fat, 290 grams of sodium), and Coca Cola* (280 calories, 76 grams of sugar) – which coincidently is also known as the “Extra Value Meal” – on their premises? Read more
10 Reasons to Love Vancouver
There are many reasons to love Vancouver and I suspect the longer one stays in Vancouver, the more there is to love but from an outsider who recently spent four days in a city that strikes me as a cross between Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Portland, Oregon, there are ten very strong reasons to love this west coast seaport in British Columbia: Read more
Ziploc Bags – Who Changed the Formula?
Get more out of it! ~Ziploc®
There are 5 products I always buy from Costco: Bounty Paper Towels, Vanity Fair Elegant Dinner Napkins, Kleenex Tissues, Charmin Toilet Paper and Ziploc® Plastic Freezer and Storage Bags. The harmony of my home relies on the availability of these products (well, not really but they help) and although I try to reduce our reliance on paper and plastic, I still count these products as essential…up until recently. Over the past few weeks, I’ve thrown away dozens of quart and gallon freezer and storage bags by Ziploc® because the bags split down the side no matter how gentle I am. Read more
Paddock Post 