I guess I come down on the "be honest" side. You can't persuade people to change unless you make them understand what the problem is:
Is it OK for doctors and parents to tell children and teens they're fat?
That seems to be at the heart of a debate over whether to replace the fuzzy language favored by the U.S. government with the painful truth -- if kids are obese or overweight, telling them.
Well, I guess not all border issues are insurmountable:
Wildlife officials in Mexico, the United States and Canada have agreed to work together to protect the Monarch butterfly, which makes a spectacular migration every year from Canada to Mexico.
I hope you don't lose too much sleep over this, but the Brits don't like us much these days:
The YouGov poll found that 77 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement that the US is "a beacon of hope for the world".
[. . .]
A massive 83 percent of those questioned said that the United States doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks.
New Jersey has shut down. Did you notice? Do you suppose many people there did?
The dice stopped rolling, dealers quit shuffling and slot machines fell silent Wednesday as New Jersey's casinos closed for the first time, the latest victims of a five-day state government shutdown that showed no signs of ending soon.
Am I being insenstive if I wish Cindy Sheehan the greatest success, if you know what I mean, with her peace diet?
About 150 protesters sat in front of the White House on Monday to savor their last meal before starting a hunger strike that some said will continue until American troops return from Iraq.
Japan seems to be in a really retro mood these days. The populace is trying to relive the 1960s:
The Beatles visited Japan only once as a band, but the country is commemorating the 40th anniversary of their concerts as if the Fab Four had never left the stage.
I am reminded of an old quip, which I have heard attributed to various people but will credit to Minnie Pearl, since I heard her say it first: "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.":
Another silly survey, this one trying to spread the myth that money doesn't buy happiness:
Although most people imagine that if they had more money they could do more fun things and perhaps be happier, the reality seems to be that those with higher incomes tend to be tenser, and spend less time on simple leisurely activities.
Well, for a start, she might want to keep them away from Woody Allen:
Mia Farrow shocked audiences a generation ago in "Rosemary's Baby." Now, the actress is trying to save children . . .
But she probably already knew that.
We can agree or disagree with some of the assessments in this story about the true extent of the damage caused by the continuous publication of leaked secrets. But I think it gets one thing exactly right:
