Thursday, May 17, 2012
If your kids like to snack, you may be wondering how to get some nutrients into all those mini-meals they eat. Here's some advice.
Are your kids asking for snacks as often as mine? Do you ever wonder, since so many of their calories are coming from snacking, if there’s a way to make snacks more nutritious? If so, you’ll want to see the list below of five suggestions to make your children’s snack-life healthier. Remember to choose organic whenever possible because children's bodies are developing and still immature, so babies and young children are more susceptible to the negative effects of pesticides and unnatural ingredients. This is also important because children eat more food per pound of body weight. In addition, most kids want an easy snack they can just grab and go. Try keeping fresh cut fruits and vegetables in the fridge. Kids can take what they want without…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Gov. Jerry Brown again calls for support of November initiatives to ease California budget deficit.
Gov. Jerry Brown says K-12 schools and both state university systems will suffer even more cuts and force tuition increases if California voters don’t approve a quarter-cent bump in the state’s sales tax rate to 7.5 percent and boost the income tax rate for people making more than $250,000 a year. His critics say the projected $16 billion state budget deficit can be erased without voter-approved tax hikes in November. Whose arguments do you buy?
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The “stages of change” model can help you tackle a target behavior.
Behavioral change can be hard no matter what it is. Whether it’s eating better, getting more exercise, quitting smoking, or anything else, change can be difficult. The Transtheoretical Model of Change presents a systematic approach to behavioral change and outlines six phases which, if completed, can result in successfully transforming the undesirable behavior into a desirable one. As an example, let’s look at the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TMC) through the eyes of “Sarah” who is overweight, but wants to become healthier though diet and exercise. Phase 1 – Precontemplation: Sarah is overweight and not eating healthy. She is not thinking or acting on changing her behavior. She may be unaware of the dangers of being overweight, may …
Some on Wall Street think Facebook’s initial public offering of stock is latest dot-com hysteria.
No doubt Facebook has changed lives—more than 900 million, in fact. But with its initial public offering of stock on Friday, the social network founded by Mark Zuckerberg in his Harvard dorm room has raised stratospheric expectations. The 8-year-old company’s valuation would top $100 billion, according to Wall Street. Is this an omen of wild profits to come or the latest Sign of the Apocalypse? Remember the dot-com bust?
Need a pick-me-up? The Coronado Farmers Market flower selection is just as impressive as its food and here's a colorful gallery to prove it.
The Coronado Farmers Market doesn't just boast food, it flaunts plenty of flower options, too. Four different vendors have flowers for sale each Tuesday at the market, including Casa Blanca nursery, whose choices are for those who like to garden, Venegas Roses, Maciel Family Farms and Rancho Chico Farms. Flower choices range from roses, to sunflowers, to sunpatiens, to lilies and everything in between. Need to make up for a forgotten Mother's Day gift? Pick up a bouquet of wildflowers. Need to say you're sorry? Grab some daisies. All flowers vary in price. Click here for some tips on how to take care of your flowers and happy picking!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Time magazine cover photo of boy nearly 4 feeding on his mother has sparked debate and outcry.
Mothers, we hope you got the rest and recognition your deserved Sunday. Now back to work—deciding whether the latest media-sparked debate is worth your attention. We refer, of course, to extreme breast-feeding, the “attachment parenting” practice pictured on the cover of Time magazine. That’s the one where a boy nearly 4 is standing on a small chair, feeding on his mother’s left breast. Advocates like Dr. Bill Sears say moms should breast-feed as late as age 7. What’s your age of weaning? (And see what Valerie Brown has to say in her column Confessions of the Evil Mother Lady on Rancho Bernardo Patch.)
Friday, May 11, 2012
Funeral procession for Coronado-based Navy officer raises hard questions about American role.
Coronado is home to many military families—including about 75 percent of students at Strand Elementary. So Thursday’s funeral procession for Lt. Christopher Mosko was especially meaningful. A charter plane brought Mosko, who was killed last month in Afghanistan, to North Island Naval Air Station. But a larger question looms: What does Mosko’s ultimate sacrifice mean? One poll says only 27 percent of Americans back the Afghanistan war. Osama bin Laden once launched attacks from that country. Now he is gone. Should U.S. troops be, too?
Medical professionals, faith leaders and policy makers are helping put plans in place so communities can reduce childhood obesity.
I’ve had the opportunity in the past few weeks to talk with advocates and supporters of The Campaign for Healthy Kids. The campaign was created as part of a partnership between the Save the Children and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help fight the disturbing statistic that nearly one in three children or adolescents in our country are being classified as overweight or obese. The Campaign for Healthy Kids is working to find the best practices and programs and get them into the communities. There are two main issues when trying to implement policy regarding childhood obesity. One is a lack of consistency and coordinating efforts amongst federal, state and local policy makers. The second problem is that what works for one school district …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
In 2008, Californians backed amendment to ban same-sex marriages. Have you changed?
President Barack Obama came out of his “evolving” views closet Wednesday by concluding, in an ABC News interview, that “for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.” San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, who has a lesbian daughter, said he applauded the president: “I know it’s a difficult political position, but he’s on the right side—and history will judge him that way.” Yet California voters—along with a 4-0 vote by the Grossmont Union High School District board—turned thumbs down on gay marriage via Proposition 8 in 2008. Have your views evolved?
A survey reveals that expenses for the milestone are skyrocketing. Is it a case of keeping up appearances? Or just trying to please your child? Our parents contemplate what to do.
It is no coincidence that prom has been referred to as a mini-wedding, and not because it's held in the same month as many walks down the aisle. According to a survey conducted by Visa, families will spend an average of $1,078 for their child to go to prom this year. The costs associated with the festivity shot up considerably from 2011 when parents spent about $800. The limo, dress, tuxedo, shoes, flowers, hair, makeup, nails, spray tans, accessories – not to mention the cost of the ticket or bid – make up the high tab footed by parents so their child can feel and look like a million bucks. And the investment isn't just for prom either. The milestones are coming earlier and earlier. Experts say there are a number of reasons parents allow …
Doug Curlee
9:12 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
as often happens on these boards, most of you are yelling at the wrong target.. jerry brown is NOT the cause of all this.. the cause of all this is a legislature that insists on hanging onto overfunded social programs at the expense of a balanced budget.. that insists on spending billions on those programs to please local constituents, and on passing laws that essentially run businesses out of … more ›