In Praise of Cultural Arts
Arranging the performance of the Florida Youth Orchestra at Frank McDonough Park on Sunday, February 26th, as one of her first duties in her newly-elected position as commissioner in Lighthouse Point, Becky Lysengen has shown us that the residents certainly have made the right choice.
Music is no longer a part of many school programs, or at least not to the extent it was years back. This blatant disrespect and neglect goes back to the Ronald Reagan years when support for the National Endowment for the Arts were stripped of funds.
Although Scientific research, as described in the book, “The Mozart Effect” by Don Campbell, has shown that by tapping into the power of music, one can heal the body, strengthen the mind, and unlock the creative spirit, little effort is made by parents and educators to embrace this concept.
We highly commend Commissioner Lysengen for her vision and courage in this sincere effort to bring a most worthwhile cultural event to our community.
People Getting Fatter is Not a Laughing Matter
My father was a fat man and died at 63. Like many, he could not resist eating foods containing all those ingredients known to be deleterious to living a long life. All things in moderation, unfortunately, was not his credo.
Disney recently had to pull the plug at Epcot’s new Habit Heroes attraction that addresses childhood obesity.
Shortly after opening, the interactive exhibit was blasted by critics for stigmatizing fat kids. What?
“We’re appalled to learn that Disney, a traditional hallmark of childhood happiness and joy, has fallen under the shadow of negativity and discrimination, “ was the heated response from the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.
“How Americans Became the fattest People in the World” by Lesley Garner describes the way fast food operators such as Wendy’s, Burger King and McDonald’s have been stuffing Americans with fat and sugar with wild abandon for the past 20 years.
Obesity is wreaking havoc in America. Obesity is draining Medicare of its funds. Diabetes is running in epidemic proportions among young adults, and young children.
If “fat acceptance” becomes the choice of many more Americans, our earth may soon spin out of its orbit!
