Archive for July, 2008
« Previous EntriesFuzzy Math
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
I am not super-great at math. I’m certainly not bad at math either. I took calculus in high school and college, and I understood it. Mostly. (It was about curving graphs and stuff, right?) And I got decent, if not spectacular grades in it. And my standardized tests for math [...]
Sanity Check: Aren’t all skin things cosmetic?
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
When I read this article by the NYT titled “The Price of Beauty: As Doctors Cater to Looks, Skin Patients Wait”, I was stunned on many levels. The article described a “typical” dermatologists office that almost seemed so surreal it could have been a scene from a movie or a [...]
Toy Law Aimed to Make Toys Safer
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
This is good news after all the recalls and concerns of the past year with so many toys.
The proposed law would ban the use of the chemicals in toys we have been most concerned about recently: lead and phthalates. Assuming the law doesn’t get vetoed by President Bush, it would [...]
One Word: Plastics
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
As frequent readers know, I can occasionally be a bit of a pain about certain scientific studies–especially the correlate-the-everyday-substance/behavior-with-the-horrifying-result studies. (Of course, I prefer to use the word “skeptic” to describe this tendency. And my husband has his own set of highly descriptive words for it when employed in family [...]
The Last Lecture Professor’s Legacy: Embrace Life!
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
Professor Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon Professor we all got to know for his famous “Last Lecture”,died last Friday, leaving the world a bit emptier in some ways but much fuller in others. He left a gift behind that is truly remarkable - a road map of how we should [...]
Try Baby Massage to Calm Your Infant
Submitted by Childn’Parent
It may seem that massage is a technique used only for adults who lead stressful and demanding lives. With so many ailments that strain both our minds and bodies, it is no wonder that parents benefit so much from the comforting and healing power of massage.
What about babies and even infants? It may [...]
So What’s the Deal with these Videos?
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
Over the last few weeks, I have the chance to preview a few videos from our You Tube site. These videos are actually the start of a new public service campaign we’re doing called,”Let Boys be Boys.” The purpose of the campaign is to offer some information and insights into [...]
Where food is concerned, everything in moderation is best for kids
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
At the movies the other day, I saw an odd sight. A mom and her two young kids sat down near us before the movies. The mom was carrying one large popcorn and a very large drink which I learned from the kids’ clamoring was lemonade. The mom was barely [...]
We Have a Newsletter! (Also, Thoughts on HPV)
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
Before I begin, I wanted to let you know that we will be starting a regular e-newsletter very soon. While our resident internet geniuses work on creating an easy way to sign-up, however, I am forced to resort to sadly low-tech methods. So, if you want to make sure that [...]
College Campus Cultural Change; also, Musical Fluff
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
We’re going to take a break from the serious today, but for some interesting commentary on the gender gap in college, be sure to check out Richard Whitmire’s blog. Whitmire speculates on the possible social consequences of the growing lopsided gender balance on college campuses–especially related to how it might [...]
Wear Baggy Pants or Pay the Fine!
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
I was at the movies with my family the other day when a teen walked by wearing overly baggy pants. Not only was he showing off the top of his his undies but his back pocket was ripped so deeply you could see a more of his undies than any [...]
Basic Reproductive Facts Can’t Be Altered Despite What the Governement Says
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
Some biological facts are irrefutable. One such fact is that conception occurs when an egg and sperm join together. Without that biological fact occurring to form an embryo, there has been no creation of life. We can argue for days about what point after that true life has begun but [...]
Measles On The Rise Because People are Not Immunized
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
Measles is again on the rise - 127 people in 15 states have been confirmed to have measles. And, all of them were unimmunized against measles. Foreign travel was the initiator of the outbreak - people acquired the measles in other countries and brought it back into the US, according [...]
Good Parent, Good School, Good Kid (Duh)
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
How exactly does one measure parenting skills, I wonder? I mean, I have taken three children under the age of 5 to the grocery store and am simultaneously able to fend off requests for cookies while protecting the well-being of the eggs and chips. Don’t tell me that doesn’t take [...]
Drug Companies and The AAP: The Real Truth
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
Last week’s American Academy of Pediatrics‘ (AAP) recommendation over Statin drug use in kids is still creating a firestorm. Over the weekend, Tara Parker-Pope at the NYT posted about her thoughts on why the AAP came up with such an extreme recommendation and wrote this:
“The new guidelines have raised questions [...]
