Mississippi ranked fattest state in nation

I don’t think this means the PHATTEST state…

Mississippi ranked fattest state in nation

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS,

Associated Press Writer

Tue Aug 28, 9:04 AM ET

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippians need to skip the gravy, say no to the fried pickles and start taking brisk walks to fight an epidemic of obesity, experts say. According to a new study, this Deep South state is the fattest in the nation.

It also became the first state to crack the 30 percent barrier for adults considered obese, with West Virginia and Alabama just behind, according to the Trust for America's Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.

Aside from being a butt of late-night talk show jokes, the obesity epidemic has serious implications for public policy.

If current trends hold, these states could face enormous increases in the already significant costs of treating diabetes, heart disease and other ailments related to extra weight. The leanest state in the rankings was Colorado, with an obesity rate projected at a much lower 17.6 percent.

"We've got a long way to go. We love fried chicken and fried anything and all the grease and fatback we can get in Mississippi," said Democratic state Rep. Steve Holland, chairman of the Public Health Committee.

Poverty and obesity often go hand in hand, doctors say, because poor families stretch their budgets by buying cheaper, processed foods that have higher fat content and lower nutritional value.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee — a self-described "recovering foodaholic" who lost 110 pounds and tried to put his entire state on a wellness plan — explained during a Southern Governors' Association meeting last weekend that there are historical reasons poor people often fry their foods: It's an inexpensive way to increase the calories and feed a family.

Lack of exercise is a huge factor in obesity rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found last year that more than 22 percent of Americans did not engage in any physical activity in the past month. The percentage is greater than 30 percent in four states: Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Mississippi's public schools already are taking steps to try to turn the trend around.

A new law requires at least 150 minutes of physical activity instruction and 45 minutes of health education instruction each week for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Until now, gym class had been optional.

The state Department of Education also is phasing in restrictions on soft drinks and snacks.

All public schools are currently banned from selling full-calorie soft drinks to students. Next academic year, elementary and middle schools will allow only water, juice and milk, while high schools will allow only water, juice, sports drinks and diet soft drinks.

The state Department of Education publishes lists of snacks that are approved or banned for sale in school vending machines. Last school year, at least 50 percent of the vending offerings had to be from the approved list. That jumped to 75 percent this year and will reach 100 percent next year.

Among the approved snacks are yogurt, sliced fruit and granola bars, while fried pork rinds and marshmallow treats are banned. One middle school favorite — Flamin' Hot Cheetos — are on the approved list if they're baked but banned if they're not.

State Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds said he hopes students will take home the healthful habits.

"We only have students 180 days out of the year for seven hours in a school day. The important thing is that we model what good behavior looks like," he said Monday after finishing a lunch of baked chicken.

Bounds ate at a Jackson buffet that's popular with state legislators. The buffet included traditional, stick-to-your-ribs Southern fare: fried chicken, grits, fried okra, turnip greens.

Dr. William Rowley, who worked 30 years as a vascular surgeon and now works at the Institute for Alternative Futures, said if current trends continue, more than 50 percent of adult Mississippians will be obese in 2015.

Holland, who helps set the state Medicaid budget, said he worries about the taxpayers' cost of treating obesity.

"If we don't change our ways," he said, "we're going to be in the funeral parlors ... because we're going to be all fat and dead."

Here is the state-by-state breakdown of obesity rates, ranked from highest to lowest, released by Trust for America's Health:

Mississippi — 30.6

West Virginia — 29.8

Alabama — 29.4

Louisiana — 28.2

South Carolina — 27.8

Tennessee — 27.8

Kentucky — 27.5

Arkansas — 27.0

Indiana — 26.8

Michigan — 26.8

Oklahoma — 26.8

Missouri — 26.3

Texas — 26.3

Georgia — 26.1

Ohio — 26.0

Alaska — 25.8

North Carolina — 25.6

Nebraska — 25.4

North Dakota — 25.1

Iowa — 24.9

South Dakota — 24.9

Wisconsin — 24.8

Pennsylvania — 24.5

Virginia — 24.5

Illinois — 24.4

Maryland — 24.4

Kansas — 24.3

Minnesota — 23.7

Delaware — 23.6

Oregon — 23.3

Idaho — 23.2

Washington — 23.2

Maine — 23.0

Florida — 22.9

Wyoming — 22.8

California — 22.7

Nevada — 22.5

New Hampshire — 22.4

New York — 22.4

New Jersey — 22.2

New Mexico — 22.0

Arizona — 21.7

Utah — 21.1

Montana — 20.7

Rhode Island — 20.5

Connecticut — 20.1

Hawaii — 20.1

Vermont — 20.0

Massachusetts — 19.8

Colorado — 17.6

30 years after Voyager launch, time to again ask who we are

30 years after Voyager launch, time to again ask who we are

By Barbara Kerley

From the Christian Science Monitor

Mon Aug 20, 4:00 AM ET

McKinleyville, Calif. (CSM) - Thirty years ago, on Aug. 20, 1977, NASA launched a Golden Record into space: a 12-inch, gold-plated disc of music, pictures, sounds, and greetings from planet Earth, bolted to the side of a Voyager space probe.

The idea behind the record was simple. Once Voyager 1 and 2 studied the outer planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune – they would become the first man-made objects to leave our solar system for interstellar space. Why not include an introduction to Earth on the slim hope that the probes might one day be found by another life-form? We could reach across the galaxy and shake hands.

Carl Sagan, the noted astronomer from Cornell University, led the team creating the record. For months they consulted far and wide to come up with something that would truly reflect the great diversity and potential of life on Earth.

So what's on the Golden Record?

The team chose 116 pictures, everything from the Great Wall of China to Greek fishing boats to Jane Goodall studying chimpanzees. They added 12 minutes of Earth sounds, including rain, a train whistle, and a human heartbeat. They chose 87-1/2 minutes of music as varied as Peruvian panpipes and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." Finally, they included greetings in 55 languages and a message from then-president Jimmy Carter: "We human beings are still divided into nation-states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization.

"We cast this message into the cosmos ... a token of … our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours…. This record represents our hope and our determination and our goodwill in a vast and awesome universe."

When Carter wrote his message in 1977, Americans were dealing with the betrayal of Watergate and the wounds of the Vietnam War. The country was divided; Americans' faith in themselves was shaken; their place in the world uncertain. Still, they asked the question – Who are we? – and sent the answer into the vast expanse of space.

If you focus on the details, the Golden Record has already begun to feel out of date. It does not include, for example, the Human Genome Project, completed in 2003 – a cooperative, international effort to discover, at least on the genetic level, who we are. There is also no mention of the Internet, which allows more than a billion people around the world to communicate in ways that we couldn't have imagined 30 years ago. In the thousands of years it will take the record to reach some other life-form, we will have changed in ways we can't even imagine now.

The real value of the Golden Record, then, may not be what it tells other life-forms about us, thousands of years from now, but what it can remind us of here on Earth today.

We are closer to becoming, as Carter wrote in 1977, "a single global civilization." But while the Internet has allowed for an unprecedented ability to exchange cultural values and ideas, recent news stories illustrate that we also face ever-widening challenges: Polluted dust plumes from China now dirty the air over Los Angeles and San Francisco; Russia has planted its flag on the seabed of the North Pole; and Sara Lee Corporation has disclosed, in the wake of food safety concerns, that ingredients from more than a dozen countries may go into a loaf of its bread – a practice followed by many large food companies.

Counteracting climate change, reducing the threat of terrorist acts, and ensuring that all people have access to adequate water supplies are the kinds of problems that countries cannot solve in isolation. Our new global civilization will need to draw on insights, innovation, and cooperation from around the world.

The Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to limit greenhouse-gas emissions, is the kind of cooperative effort needed to address a host of challenges. More than 160 countries have ratified the accord, although the United States is notably absent from this list.

In our new global civilization, countries will need to look beyond their own borders. Now, more than ever, whether we will be able to "survive our time" will depend on our ability to work together.

Thirty years ago, we asked the question – Who are we? – and found an answer in humanity's rich diversity, common goals, and great potential. The anniversary of the Voyager launch is a reminder that it's time to ask the question again.

Barbara Kerley is an award-winning children's book author and a former Peace Corps volunteer. Her latest book is a young adult novel about the Golden Record, called "Greetings from Planet Earth."

8 top traffic ticket myths

8 top traffic ticket myths

Wednesday August 15, 6:00 am ET

By Craig Guillot of Bankrate.com

Drivers of red cars get more tickets. Don't sign a ticket and the case will be dropped.

If the officer gets your hair color wrong on the ticket, you'll win.

Urban myths relating to traffic tickets abound, but drivers and defendants will find that few of them are true. The best advice is to simply obey the law, know that rules and procedures vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and don't count on these myths when you're hoping to escape a ticket -- or the consequences.

8 common ticket myths

1. If the officer makes a single mistake on your ticket, the case is dropped.

2. If the officer doesn't show up in court, you automatically win.

3. Red cars get more tickets.

4. You need a lawyer to beat a ticket.

5. If you get a ticket in another state, your home state won't find out about it.

6. You can make up an excuse to get out of the ticket.

7. A radar detector will ensure that you never get pulled over.

8. If you don't sign the ticket, it will be dismissed.

Myth No. 1: If the officer makes a single mistake on your ticket, the case will be dropped.

A ticket should be seen as an accusatory instrument and a basis for prosecution that must be factually valid, says Matisyahu Wolfberg, an attorney from Spring Valley, N.Y., who represents defendants in traffic cases and lists tips on his Web site www.notspeeding.com. Clerical mistakes, such as a wrong number or wrong order of a person's name, are usually overlooked. Material mistakes, like the identity of the driver, the direction of travel, the street where the citation occurred or the description of the vehicle, can usually help a driver win the case.

"Any mistakes that involve who, where and how, usually can be used to beat the case in a trial. If the description of the vehicle is inaccurate, the officer will usually lose," says Wolfberg. He recalls one recent case in which the officer cited a white Mercedes when the defendant was actually driving a black Porsche.

Myth No. 2: If the officer doesn't show up in court, you automatically win.

While this may happen in many cases, there's nothing "automatic" about it. Most judges will drop a case if the officer does not appear in court because defendants have the constitutional right to question their accusers. However, in some jurisdictions, a case is scheduled at a time to help ensure the officer is present, or a judge will reschedule the case altogether. Wolfberg says that in most cases an officer not showing up will result in a dismissal, but there is no guarantee.

"It all depends on the jurisdiction, the court, the judge, the law," says Wolfberg. "Most judges feel the pain of people taking time off work and out of their lives to come to court and will dismiss if the officer doesn't show."

Myth No. 3: Red cars get more tickets.

Forum posters on www.colormatters.com, a Web site that focuses on color theory and everything that color affects, say drivers of red cars get more tickets. There are no official studies to confirm that red cars do get more tickets, but some suggest the bold color tends to attract more attention from everyone -- including police officers. There is also a theory that red cars can create an optical illusion that makes them appear to be going faster than they really are. A similar myth says that insurance companies charge higher premiums for red cars. Allstate and Progressive have both reported that a car's color has no bearing on the premiums they charge.

Myth No. 4: You need a lawyer to beat a ticket.

You might expect most traffic ticket attorneys to say you can't beat your own ticket. With a little time and homework, however, many people successfully fight their own traffic tickets. At the very least, first-time offenders for minor offenses can usually strike a plea bargain in most jurisdictions. An attorney's fee will often outweigh the fines and impact of a first violation, but in states such as Texas and Florida, some law firms have entire practices dedicated to fighting tickets and can often do so at reasonable rates.

Myth No. 5: If you get a ticket in another state, your home state won't find out about it.

The Interstate Driver's License Compact is an agreement between participating states that share information regarding certain types of traffic convictions. Reports on traffic violations and suspensions are forwarded to the home state of the nonresident. There are only a handful of states -- Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Michigan and Wisconsin -- that are not members of the DLC. There is also the National Driver Register, or NDR, a database of information about drivers who have had their licenses revoked and suspended due to serious traffic violations. States provide the NDR with information about these serious offenses, and those in the database can be denied licenses in other states.

Myth No. 6: You can make up an excuse to get out of the ticket.

Most police officers aren't interested in excuses. When an officer pulls you over, he already suspects you of an infraction. You'll have your day in court and many ways to fight the ticket. Remember: Any explanation you give about why you were speeding is an admission that you were speeding. If an officer logs those explanations in his notes, the statements could later be used against you in court. That's why, whenever an officer asks if you know why you've been pulled over, always answer "no" and just take the ticket.

"Never admit to speeding in the process of talking," says Aaron Quinn, communications director for the National Motorists Association. "I would say just to be polite with the officer. Reasoning with the officer is something that might help you out if you actually are on your way to the hospital. You can try talking, just don't admit guilt."

Myth No. 7: A radar detector will ensure that you never get pulled over.

"Radar detectors give drivers a false sense of security that they can speed as much as they want without facing the consequences of breaking the law," says Ken Underwood, president of the National Safety Commission, an organization that promotes safe driving. But speeding drivers are also more likely to commit other infractions, and a radar detector can't tell you when a cop is watching you run that red light or make an illegal turn. In Virginia and Washington, D.C., both ban the use of radar detectors, and it looks like Florida may do the same in the near future. Radar detector users often find themselves chasing new technology as law enforcement upgrades its speed-detection devices.

Myth No. 8: If you don't sign the ticket, it will be dismissed.

Signing a ticket is not an admission of guilt. The signature is merely an acknowledgement you received the ticket and a promise to appear in court. Refusing to sign the ticket -- there are drivers who think that if they don't sign, they can lie in court and say they weren't there -- will do nothing but agitate the officer and invite more scrutiny.

In some states, such as Texas, refusal to sign a ticket can mean a trip to jail. Houston attorney Robert Eutsler says that if you don't sign the ticket, the officer has the choice to either take you to jail or write on the ticket "refused to sign."

"It's a promise to appear in court on a certain day, that's all it is,'' says Eutsler. "It's certainly a myth that if you don't sign it, it's going to get dismissed. You're more likely to get arrested and the officer is going to get very upset."

just in case someone wanted to...

FREE High School Musical Wake-up Call

Get a FREE back to school wake-up call from one of your child's favorite High School Musical stars! By logging on to http://www.hsm2wakeupcall.com/, parents can select the date, time and theme of their child's wake-up call. They'll be able to select to have calls received from Sharpay or Chad and breathe easier knowing that the High School Musical characters will have them energized and excited to head back to class. There are a total of five wake-up call themes, which range from "big fan of school" to "sports fan."

Wake-up calls begin 8/15/07 and run through 9/15/07. There's no cost associated with the wake-up calls and parents can schedule a wake-up call every day of the week if they'd like. (Standard mobile phone charges may apply.) With the click of a mouse, parents can register their child for a wake-up call up to three hours in advance. An e-mail will immediately be sent to the parent for confirmation of the wake-up call and must be returned for acceptance.

same time next year

Two hunters hired a pilot to fly them to Canada to hunt moose. They bagged six. As they started loading the plane for the return trip home, the pilot tells them he can take only three moose. The two objected strongly, stating; "Last year we shot six moose and the guys told him that the last bush pilot let them put all six on board and he had the same size plane as his.”
Reluctantly, the pilot gave in and all six were loaded. Unfortunately, even on full power, the little plane couldn't handle the load and went down a few minutes after takeoff.
Climbing out of the wreck, one asked the other, "Any idea where we are?" And his dazed partner replied, "I think we're pretty close to where we crashed last year."

FIVE RULES FOR MEN

1.) It's important to have a woman who helps at home, cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.

2.) It's important to have a woman who can make you laugh.

3.) It's important to have a woman you can trust and who doesn't lie to you.

4.) It's important to have a woman who’s good in bed and likes to be with you.

5.) It's very, very important - that these four women do not know each other…

and I didnt bring my harmonica, damn!

Yeah, I got thrown in freakin JAIL last night lads and
lasses, I had a bench warrant out for my stupid butt
from Maplewood because I forgot to go to court for a
traffic violation I protested about almost a year ago
and it landed me in the pokey for about 4 hours before
my dear wife and brother posted bond for me (thank you
both for that!) Stupidity triumphs! Those that know
where I work know that I dont make enough to freakin'
post bond immediately! Who carries $500 in cash?
Freakin cop SEARCHED MY WALLET FOR THE MONEY before he
handed it back to me. Didnt read me my rights or
nothing. Wonderous things abound! I am so pissed but
mostly at myself for all the stupidity. I'm in the
federal fingerprint database now, so, I cant do SHIT
now! There goes all them nefarious plans I had - oh
well. Its all about the BENJAMINS, peeps! Hope
everyone's doing smashingly well out there in 360
country. I'm signing off for now...

I know I know...enough of these...

A man was driving down the road and ran out of gas. Just at that moment, a bee flew in his window. The bee said, "What seems to be the problem?"

"I'm out of gas," the man replied.

The bee told the man to wait right there and flew away. Minutes later, the man watched as an entire swarm of bees flew to his car and into his gas tank. After a few minutes, the bees flew out.

"Try it now," said one bee.

The man turned the ignition key and the car started right up. "Wow!" the man exclaimed, "what did you put in my gas tank"?

The bee answered,"BP..."

get it? Bee Pee??? BP (or British Petroleum, formerly Amoco)?

Har har hardy har har...

another one going...not many are left...

At least my son, Charlie, got to see a show there before it left…

Last show for Skyview Drive-In?

Subdivision could replace longtime outdoor cinema

BY WILL BUSS

Belleville, IL News-Democrat/www.bnd.com

BELLEVILLE (bnd.com) -- It may be closing credits for the area's last drive-in theater.

The Skyview Drive-In at 5700 N. Belt West in Belleville is for sale, and a couple of potential buyers are looking into converting the 17.5-acre twin-screened lot and adjacent -- and long-shuttered --Quad Cinema into housing.

Wayne Barber, of the Swansea real estate firm Barber-Murphy Group, which is listing the property, said two parties are conducting separate feasibility studies on the site. Barber said he expects results from both studies in the next 30 days. He also believes the land could be ideal for retail development, too.

"We believe the front part of the property on North Belt West is ideal for commercial retail development, and there is a possibility for some kind of mixed-use to the entire property that could be used for commercial and residential," Barber said.

The drive-in theater, with its iconic neon sign of a blue, red and white, soaring, rocketlike plane has been in Steven Bloomer's family for years. Bloomer inherited the drive-in in 1992 after his father died. His grandfather and two great uncles built Skyview and opened it with a 60-foot screen in 1949. Bloomer said the property has been on the auction block for the past five years, while business has been "very good." However, he said the land has become more valuable for development.

"It's a six-month business, and it sits there doing nothing for six months out of the year," Bloomer said. "And while it generates good money, certainly, with the right person with the right offer on the land, it would make more sense. This is what happens to a lot of drive-in theaters. The land becomes more valuable."

Bloomer also said that a new owner may still keep the drive-in up and running because the property could be sold in outlots.

"Selling outlots are part of the equation as well as several different possibilities there that we're pursuing," he said. "We're looking at different possibilities."

Barber said the property is listed for $2.2 million, but it may also be sold on a square-foot basis for between $1.15 and $4.50 per square foot. He also sees several redevelopment possibilities.

"There was a focus before on the larger retail development, anticipating what we would call big-box users like Kmart or something of that nature, but with the change of traffic and development on (Illinois) Route 15, now at Frank Scott Parkway, we don't see that," he said. "We see smaller retail potential with residential or some other mixed use."

The drive-in opened when Bloomer was 1 1/2 years old. He said his is the last in the St. Louis area since the North Twin Drive-In in North St. Louis closed about five years ago.

Although he is pursuing a sale, Bloomer said it would be sad to see the Skyview go.

"Sure it would," he said. "I like to go there. I'm usually there on Friday and Saturday night, and if I'm not busy working, I like to visit with the crowds."

Life-long Belleville resident and entrepreneur John Bigalke, whose Beatnik's in downtown Belleville is known for selling T-shirts screen-printed with witticisms and hometown pride, said he wouldn't like to see the drive-in close, but isn't against the sale, either.

"I'd think it would be a shame to see the drive-in close, but if that's what happens, that's what happens," Bigalke said. "I used to go there a lot and hang out there all of the time with my friends in high school. I suppose I would miss it, but the times must change."