McDonald's Caves In To Critics: Happy Now?

Fast food chain changes 'Happy Meal' Contents Under Pressure

By A. Scott Walton
Thanks to years of harsh cajoling by some of America's leading dietary experts, there will be far fewer McDonald's french fries parents can swipe from their kids'Happy Meals.
McDonald's announced Tuesday that it will quickly begin reducing the salt, sugar and fat content of its Happy Meals in response to pressure from health advocates who argue that they contribute to childhood obesity.
You go, nutritionists!
No, really: scram before you spoil any more of our fun!
Sad news for those of us who relish scavenging the remnants of those little cardboard boxes: McDonald's pledge to reduce the size of its Happy Meal french fry portions (from 2.4 ounces to 1.1) in every one of its 14,000 U.S. stores by early 2012.
In reaction to research showing that only 11 percent of parents "request" apple slices as an alternative to fries, all Happy Meals will include them henceforth. A range of other drink options and marketing ploys will be a part of the Golden Arches' new initiative.
Whoop-dee-do!
What's next? A new-and-improved McRib sandwich made (health-consciously, of course) out of tofu?

Study: Fewer Kids Injured with Grandparents Driving

RESEARCH SHOWS SENIOR CITIZENS DRIVE SAFER

BY A. SCOTT WALTON
Quick: Hide “the internet”!
Shhhh. Don’t let Grandma see.
Just when you thought it was safe to start suggesting that the significant senior(s) in your life put away the car keys, here comes some expert spouting off about the fact kids emerge from car crashes with fewer scrapes when their grandparents are driving than when they’re in wrecks with their parents.
The news is spreading like free samples of Fixodent on the web.
Note to self: Seek and destroy Paw-Paws Twitter account. ASAP.
According to a study led by Dr. Fred Henretig of Philadelphia’s Childrens’s Hospital, kids are one-third less likely to be hurt in a crash involving grandparents at the wheel, as compared to crashes where their parents were driving.
Can’t you just hear the ‘I told you so’ coming?

After crunching numbers compiled by insurers in 15 states and Washington, D.C. over a five-year period (2003-’07) researches concluded that seniors may have difficulties navigating between Points A and B and strapping car seats in properly, but they were only to blame for seven percent of the collisions that caused injury to passengers aged 16-and-under.
The number of grandparents who are living “independently” longer and/or serving as primary care-givers for their grandchildren makes the car safety survey more relevant than ever. It’s no long a laughing matter refer to the elderly as “Sunday” drivers. They’re out their merging into traffic with us 24/7 these days.
Everybody, buckle up.

Imagine A World Without Charter Schools?

WEALTHY SUBURBS PREFER PUBLIC FUNDING OVER PERSONAL INSTRUCTION

By A. Scott Walton

Antagonists against charter schools are idiots.
Why, because opposition to any form of enhanced education in America – which we all know lags in performance – is idiotic.
A recent New York Times report spells out how parents in suburban communities are resisting the creep of charter school ethos into their affluent school systems because they’re performing well enough as is.
C’mon people: these are teaching techniques, not zombie invasions. Shouldn’t you be more concerned with spending by the military industrial complex, the penal system or the “War on Drugs”?
What’s wrong, really, with targeting the main lessons kids receive according to their parents’ preferences, as long as other families are free to take advantage of mainstream public school teaching if they so choose?
Charter schools exist to provide an alternative; not to drain municipal coffers as their detractors suggest. They personalize the education process to a greater degree than mainstream do, and they put administrators, teachers, parents and students to more stringent tests.
Trust me: I’m living “the experiment”, so I’m familiar with its challenges and rewards.
Even though there’s a public elementary school a half-mile away from this household – where the kids do wear uniforms, and do receive language instruction in Spanish, and do have the benefit of those high-tech plasma screens to view – we chose the charter route.


It’s a few miles drive away threw heavy traffic. It enforces parent participation so strictly that everyone knows who’s worthy of censure for not pitching in. It enrolls students from far-flung districts and unfortunate household circumstances.
There are two other established charter elementary schools within walking distance of this blog’s headquarters. The new one we chose and lobbied strongly to gain entrance to - inconveniences and growing pains be-damned – just happens to be the only K-through-8 school we know of that happens to teach Mandarin Chinese.
That, according to the Times’ article, is a sticking point for the lead protestor against Mandarin-oriented schools seeking approval in a rich New Jersey enclave. His argument is that public school funds will be ‘siphoned’ off for a select few if the charters gain a foothold.
But in a world where specialization of all types grows increasingly crucial, what’s wrong with steering America’s kids toward skills where they can excel?