| Anti-obesity campaign in Britain goes big
The British government last month outlined a new strategy, including a £75 million, or $145 million, three-year advertising campaign, to try to get Britons to slim down. Almost two-thirds of adults and about a third of children in Britain are overweight or obese, health officials say. Some people in the advertising industry are calling for the campaign to resemble the recent anti-poverty initiative that went under the name "ONE" in the United States and "Make Poverty History" in other countries. Millions of people bought white wristbands to signal their commitment to the movement. To be effective, advertising executives say, the anti-obesity initiative needs to be similarly broad-based. "We're saying, if you just run some advertising and then forget about it, it's going to have zero effect," said Hamish Pringle, director general of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, which represents British advertising agencies.
Oda rejects poll suggesting Afghan support for NATO plummets
Canada's international development minister took issue with a new poll Monday that suggests Afghans are increasingly critical of the war in their country. Bev Oda, the minister responsible for the Canadian International Development Agency, dismissed the findings of the survey, which suggested support for NATO has plummeted the last year and the Taliban is growing in strength. .
N.Y. official wants gays in St Patrick's Day parade
The truth is, the parade is stuck, and it's stuck and mired in a controversy that takes away from what the parade has been and what the parade could be," Quinn told New York public radio's "Brian Lehrer Show" on Tuesday. Representatives of the order could not be reached for comment. Quinn, an Irish-American, is the city's top-ranking openly gay official and may run for mayor in 2009. Last year she refused to march, instead participating in Dublin's parade. The New York parade, which will be held on March 17, is a private event, so Quinn has no authority as a city official to decide who can attend. Paisley and McGuinness brokered a power-sharing agreement that brought together Northern Ireland's Protestants and Roman Catholics into the same provincial government in May, helping bring stability to the British province.
Blog: Science Reseacher: Arctic Temperatures "Not Especially Warm"
Every time I see this I wonder where the bears keep their soda to keep it from freezing in those temperatures. Forget chapped lips too, since those bottles needed bottle openers I always picture them walking funny from storing and opening all those Cokes. .
Keep it simple on Egg Harbor Rd.
Business owners on Egg Harbor Road want to see the city of Sturgeon Bay keep any reconstruction of the high traffic road as simple as possible. The city sent a letter out to Egg Harbor Road business and property owners Jan. 31 informing them of a public meeting scheduled for Feb. 5.
On the docket were staff recommended road surface improvements and a two way left turn lane in the center of the road for the 3,000 foot stretch between the Georgia Street/8th Avenue intersection and the 14th Avenue intersection.
Estimated project cost for reconstructing the road surface and creating the TWLTL was $575,000.
In addition to discussing options for improving the road surface were such infrastructure options as constructing pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths/lanes, traffic flow improvement and storm water management.
Spray-Painted Swastikas Mar Pfluger Bridge
Vandals spray-painted swastikas on the seats, rails and sidewalks of the Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge for all to see. The bridge is just more than six years old and a popular spot for those who visit the hike and bike trail along Lady Bird Lake. Workers for the city's graffiti abatement program have their hands full. This past weekend they found more than 20 new cases of graffiti damage, including this latest case in Downtown Austin. "It's a mess," said Tony Casarez, coordinator of the program. "That's gonna be the real tough one is getting the sidewalks cleaned up." Casarez's crews were busy Monday, cleaning what they could. In many cases, they'll use a pressure washer and chemicals, but the damage above Lady Bird Lake will need special treatment.
2 little sisters mourned in W. Deptford
The family in the slate blue house on Red Bank Avenue was quiet, neighbors said, but everyone seemed to know the little girls. Aaliah, 10, and her sister, India, 6, rode their bicycles, waved hello and loved to play with the dog next door. "They were sweet little girls. It's just a tragedy that something like this happened," said neighbor John Randolph, 74. Aaliah Scott and India Duncan were found strangled Thursday night in their West Deptford home after a 90-minute standoff between police and their half-brother Marqueese Lee, 20. Yesterday, Lee was charged in the murders of the girls and aggravated assault on their mother, Lucille Bevans, 38, who fled the home around 8:30 p.m. after Lee allegedly hit her on the head with a hammer, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.
Ultrafit: Icy beards, numb digits and derring-do
What: A self-supported 135-mile endurance race through Minnesota's Kabetogama and Sturgeon River state forests. When: This year's event begins Monday and runs through next Wednesday. About 60 people have registered. From the beginning ... : The event, first run four years ago, is organized by Pierre and Cheryl Ostor of White Bear Lake. ... to the end: Racers can bike, ski or run the course, which follows the Arrowhead State Trail from a parking lot near International Falls south to a lodge on Lake Vermilion near Tower, carrying all their own food, water and survival gear. Bikers have won the first three races, but with deep snow, skis could prove superior. Info: www.arrowheadultra.com. .
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