For The Children

Dodgeball now banned in public schools as nanny state goes insane

"The nanny state mentality is becoming more institutionalized in America as evidenced by the recent decision to ban the age-old gym class game of 'Dodgeball' in one New Hampshire school - though trust me, others will follow suit. In an incredible four to one decision, the five-member school board panel at Windham School voted to ban the 'classic gym class game' which 'has been a rite of passage for years' for kids - not to mention a whole lot of fun - according to CBSBoston." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDodgeball now banned in public schools as nanny state goes insane

First Lady Michelle Obama launches new campaign against childhood obesity

"First Lady Michelle Obama took her campaign against childhood obesity to a new level Thursday with a $150 million program to encourage more physical activity in American schools. Let’s Move! Active Schools builds upon the Let’s Move! initiative that the mother-of-two and wife of Barack Obama unveiled three years ago during the president’s first term in the White House. Funded by a public-private partnership, Let’s Move! Active Schools aims within five years to get 50,000 schools across the United States to provide at least one hour of physical activity per day to their youngsters." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFirst Lady Michelle Obama launches new campaign against childhood obesity

1 in 5 American teenage boys diagnosed with ADHD

"Nearly one in five American teenage boys is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, marking a dramatic rise in the past decade. The condition, for which potent stimulant drugs like Adderal or Ritalin are often prescribed, has been previously estimated to affect three to seven percent of children. The newspaper compiled the data from raw figures provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which took a phone survey of 76,000 parents from 2011 to 2012. The report said that 15 percent of school-age boys in the United States have received an ADHD diagnosis, compared to seven percent among girls." Continue reading →

Continue Reading1 in 5 American teenage boys diagnosed with ADHD

Chicago trauma center age-restriction protesters accuse cops of roughing them up

"Protesters accused University of Chicago police of excessive force during a demonstration against the school’s medical center on Sunday. Authorities arrested four protesters but also allegedly attacked others, including the woman whose family tragedy inspired the campaign against the University of Chicago’s youth trauma center. Sheila Rush said campus police shoved her to the ground during the protest, an attempt to stage a sit-in at a $700 million addition to the facility, which only serves patients 16 years of age or younger. She said the age restriction leaves the city’s south side without a similar treatment option for adults." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChicago trauma center age-restriction protesters accuse cops of roughing them up

NATO airstrike kills two Afghan children

"A NATO helicopter strike killed two children in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said, in the latest civilian casualties to beset the coalition’s war against Taliban militants. The operation close to Ghazni city was conducted after local people complained of a Taliban post targeting traffic convoys in the area, Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Ghazni province, said. 'It was a joint (Afghan and coalition) operation conducted this morning that killed nine Taliban. Unfortunately, two school children were also killed and seven other civilians were wounded,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNATO airstrike kills two Afghan children

Homeland Security Using Video Games to Recruit Top Students as Cyber Warriors

"Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is seeking up to 600 new student hackers to combat what they claim is the increasing danger of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure throughout the country. Rather than the normal propaganda techniques used to lure young Americans into other branches of the government, Homeland Security is taking a different route which includes the use of sophisticated video games to essentially promote job opportunities within their agency to young impressionable high school students." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHomeland Security Using Video Games to Recruit Top Students as Cyber Warriors

War Without End

"There has been much in the news over the past two weeks commemorating the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the pre-emptive Iraq War. The above YouTube video commemorates the ending of an even greater conflict, World War I, which began in 1914 and ended in 1918. This is one of the most powerful and heart-wrenching documentaries you will ever watch, especially the never-to-be-forgotten recitation of the Siegfried Sassoon poem, Aftermath, by actor Jeremy Irons at the end of the program (which garnered an Emmy Award)." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWar Without End

Essex school bans triangular flapjacks after injury

"A school has banned triangular flapjacks after a pupil was injured by one. Dinner staff at Castle View school in Canvey Island, Essex, were told to cut the treat into squares or rectangles following the incident. It is understood that the triangular version was banned after one was thrown, hitting a boy in the face." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEssex school bans triangular flapjacks after injury

Iraq War Anniversary: Birth Defects And Cancer Rates At Devastating High In Basra And Fallujah

"Ten years after the start of the U.S. invasion in Iraq, doctors in some of the Middle Eastern nation's cities are witnessing an abnormally high number of cases of cancer and birth defects. Scientists suspect the rise is tied to the use of depleted uranium and white phosphorus in military assaults. Dr. Jamail says that the current rate of birth defects for the city of Fallujah has surpassed those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the nuclear attacks at the end of World War II. A September 2012 study recorded a devastating number of birth defects in the past decade. The study also indicated that childhood leukemia and other types of cancers are on the rise." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq War Anniversary: Birth Defects And Cancer Rates At Devastating High In Basra And Fallujah

Maryland cop probed for installing camera in boys’ school bathroom

"A police officer in Maryland has had his 'police powers' suspended after he was accused of installing a camera in the boy’s restroom at Glen Burnie High School. A spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police on Thursday confirmed that the 14-year veteran had installed the camera, according to WJZ. Details of what had been recorded and why were being investigated. Police said that a boy discovered the hand-held camera in the top corner of the restroom and reported it to school officials on Wednesday morning. 'We do not know that the officer’s intentions were,' Lt. T.J. Smith explained." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMaryland cop probed for installing camera in boys’ school bathroom