(follow the link below for the video)

Critics call Blast, a new malt beverage, “binge in a can”. Pabst Brewing Company manufacturers Blast, a 23.5 ounce can which contains 12 percent alcohol.
“I’m on the set right now of the photo shoot for the Colt 45 Blast,” rapper Snoop Dogg said in a YouTube video promoting the adult beverage.
Blast is sold across the country. Gino’s Drive-Thru in Youngstown said the drink is popular. The cans are colorful and come in a variety of fruity flavors.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said the drink’s marketing is designed to entice young drinkers.
“This is just instant intoxication,” DeWine said. “One can for the average person would make them legally drunk in the state of Ohio.”
Officials said the amount of alcohol in one can is like drinking 5 cans beers.
“In one drink, that’s not really healthy for anyone to drink,” said Michael Fraczek, a local college student.
“They’re aiming it toward younger kids because they’re the ones partying,” said Ida-Mari Anderson, another local college student.
Blast isn’t the first drink to spark debate. Phusion Projects recently re-formulated its caffeinated malt beverage Four Loko under pressure from states and the Food and Drug Administration. In the end, the company removed the caffeine from Four Loko, but the drink is still 12 percent alcohol.
“(It) wasn’t a good experience,” said Vince Malz, a local college student. “I was really drunk.” That’s how Malz described his experience with Four Loko. He hasn’t tried Blast.
On April 21, DeWine and other attorneys general wrote Pabst Brewing Company calling for Blast to undergo a makeover.
“We’ve called on them to reformulate this,” DeWine said. “There’s no reason for any drink to have that much alcohol.”
Malz said it’s the right move, but he has a warning.
“It doesn’t matter how controlled it is, people are still going to drink massive amounts of it because that’s what people do to get drunk,” Malz said.
Other students argue companies share a bigger stake in the game of responsibility.
“From a business standpoint, I think what (Pabst Brewing Company) is doing is ethically wrong.”
The company said it supports and promotes the responsible use of its product by customers who are of the legal drinking age.

Does anyone else think this just might be a lil’ over the top? At first blush the can looks like a sports drink / energy drink that a teenager might buy. But then again if they are marketing to the 20-something population (legal drinking age) it sure looks harmless and quite appealing.

Wow.

I’m really, just speechless here.

Blast Alcoholic Drink Under Fire

Apparently a mother is using public embarrassment as a last resort to teach her teenage son a lesson about the value of an education. I guess this mother has tried everything to get her son motivate in the classroom, and felt she needed to take some extreme measures.

Video embed didn’t work – follow the link:

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=7885

Corner punishment is working, Mom says: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Corner punishment is working, Mom says

Updated: Friday, 18 Feb 2011, 10:44 PM EST
Published : Friday, 18 Feb 2011, 10:44 PM EST

 

TAMPA – A Tampa teenager has sparked an important discussion about tough love and where to draw the line.

“Until he straightens up his grades and gets his education on track, he’s going to work this corner,” said James Mond’s mother Ronda Holder.

Holder made him hold a sign that says he answered four questions on the FCAT and has a 1.222 GPA. The sign also read “honk if I need an education.”

James’ mother say all else failed, so embarrassment was the only way to convince her son that grades do matter. Many criticize, but others are less quick to judge.

“If a parent has to go that far, that means she’s crying out for help. She needs assistance,” said Glenton Gilzean, Regional Director of A Quantum Leap, a tutoring and education program for at risk students and their parents.

After hearing James’ story, Gilzean reached out to the family. Monday, he’ll start a free intensive tutoring and mentorship program with James, five days a week.

“To be honest with you, I saw myself in him,” said Gilzean.

Gilzean says at James’ age, he was a difficult student. Now, Gilzean holds a Master’s degree. He says the education system is an uphill battle for parents who have not been part of it themselves. He says his goal is to make the process less overwhelming.

“How can we help families navigate this whole education maize from birth through adulthood,” he said.

Gilzean plans to turn things around for James.

Meanwhile, his mother still has her critics.

“I got five kids. You don’t help your kid by tearing them down, you build them up,” said Bay Area man Gordie Nygard.

Psychologists do say the punishment could make the situation worse. The Department of Children and Families visited James’ home. But, Holder is standing her ground.

“He’ll be okay. In the long run, he’ll thank me for it,” she said.

Holder says her punishment is working.

Corner punishment is working, Mom says

What do you think? Put yourself in her situation. She’s desperate to get her son in a better place. To improve his future. I know, it’s extreme. But, don’t extreme situations call for extreme measures?

I’m on the fence with this one.

At least this mother cared enough about her son and his education to do something about it.

Police: Mo. teen dug grave anticipating murder – Yahoo! News.

I don’t know about you but this world gets a lil’ scarier each day, and I feel a lil’ more sad each time I read a news article like this?

What happened to us?

I’m speechless.

Posted in opinion Tagged: murder, teenager ]]> http://mystrongmedicine.com/2009/11/19/what-kind-of-world-do-we-live-in/feed/ 4 bethenextstep http://mystrongmedicine.com/2009/04/06/the-new-snellen-eye-exam/ http://mystrongmedicine.com/2009/04/06/the-new-snellen-eye-exam/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:29:40 +0000 Sean http://mystrongmedicine.com/2009/04/06/the-new-snellen-eye-exam/ ]]>

Courtesy of Impactednurse.com
I think this is not only geared to our teenagers, but ANYONE who text messages or uses any sort of instant messenger program via the internet.
So, basically over half the current population.

Boy, 14, dupes police, patrols Chicago for 5 hours – Yahoo! News

I guess that’s the best a police department in Chicago could do. They couldn’t complete the quote,’ To PROTECT and Serve’. Not a whole lot of security goin’ on when a youngster (14 years old) can pose as an officer and actually get an assignment, before he’s discovered??

How safe would you feel?

Carpe Diem