Fourth of July Barbecue!

Where Memorial Day marks the beginning, and Labor Day marks the end, the Fourth of July sits at the pinnacle of all outdoor grilling holidays. It's getting hot... Not hot enough for you to want to strangle your neighbor for his air conditioner, but definitely hot enough to justify doing absolutely nothing while the sweat starts to pool in the crevices of your body.

So what are you going to do for the Fourth of July?

Why don't you come over to our lovely rooftop, where it's shady by mid-afternoon, and the elevation guarantees a nice breeze as you look out over the fabulous view of downtown Manhattan. Stay through the evening and watch all four of the fireworks shows visible from the heights of our abode, while we grill for you and entertain. There will be prizes and refreshments, not to mention the company of four very enthusiastic, very determined young women who are just trying to do some good in this world.

Not enough to entice you? We've also got central air and cold beer.

So, I guess we'll be seeing you on the Fourth of July, right?

As always, please RSVP at nini.wienie@gmail.com to let us know how many animal carcasses to butcher and booze to buy (and veggie burgers!), or you can just let your favorite Turtle know you're coming! Talk to us, we give you the details.

Kazaam!

Seems like childhood obesity is a cause worthy of everyone's support nowadays. Shaquille O'Neal and his team of wellness pros are going to change the lives of six school children in Florida on his show, "Shaq's Big Challenge." He's got the expert on childhood obesity on the show, as well as a nutritionist, a chef, his doctor and personal trainers, and his old coach from LSU to provide motivation for the kids. They've adopted a whole school, and are implementing stretching and exercise for five minutes at the beginning of every class to insure that everyone gets at least an hour of physical activity a day, and the six lucky kids are going to get more exercise after school. Watch it on ABC on Tuesday night, June 26th, at 9pm.

Unrelated, but deserves to be shared

I just have to say

THANK YOU SO MUCH

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART

to the man who just came by our house to return my wallet.

I had somehow dropped it on the platform as I was getting on the subway to go to work this morning. Upon arriving at work, and discovering it's absence from my person, I called my roomies, a couple financial institutions, and the lost-and-found, in between searching through my bag just in case I missed it the last ten times I looked. I quickly accepted it's fate, and realized that, though holding some sentimental value, it was all just stuff in the end.

At least that's what I told myself, but I was still kind of sort of hoping that I would somehow get it back.

I spent the rest of the day thinking about how the majority of people in the world must be good and honest and decent and kind and thoughtful and caring, otherwise we would all be out for each other 24/7, and life wouldn't be so fun.

I imagined coming home to my train stop, where my friendly station agent who sees me every night, would welcome me home with my wallet in his kiosk and a smile on his face. I got off the train tonight and saw the same old smile, but alas, there was no wallet to be had.

I imagined checking the mail, and finding my wallet stuffed in an envelope in the mailbox - albeit with the cash inside missing, but ID cards and all else surviving the separation (I didn't expect complete honesty) I went to look in the mailbox, and there was no wallet in sight.

I imagined a stranger stepping off the train, picking up my wallet off the ground, looking at the contents, and realizing from my driver's license that I lived right across the street from the station. Lo and behold, this is exactly what happened!!!

Thank you, Mister with the Bucket Hat and Friendly Smile, for making my day a lot brighter, and reinforcing my belief that the world is indeed a wonderful place full of wonderful people. I hope that you will always be taken care of, and that the universe gives to you what you give ten-fold.

Is Childhood Obesity a form of neglect?

(Big-ups to Paulie for sending us this article!)

Obesity has been a factor in at least 20 child protection cases in the last year, the BBC has learned.

Some doctors now believe in extreme cases overfeeding a young child should be seen as a form of abuse or neglect.

The BBC contacted almost 50 consultant paediatricians around the UK to ask if they believe childhood obesity can ever be a child protection issue.

The British Medical Association is due to debate a motion on this issue at its annual conference at the end of June.

Earlier this year the case of one obese child hit the headlines when social workers became involved.

Dr Tabitha Randell, a consultant paediatrician from Nottingham, is one doctor who believes some parents are killing their children with kindness.

In her clinic it has become more common to see children entering puberty before the age of 10 because of their obesity.

Obesity is a public health problem, not a child protection issue Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

In one extreme case Dr Randell saw a child aged two and a half who weighed more than four stone (25.4 kg).

"They said she was big-boned and they were too. I think the perception of parents is a very real problem.

"If you see every other child in the playground with their belly hanging over their trousers you think that's normal."

Some health professionals think it is unhelpful to see childhood obesity as potential neglect.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said: "Obesity is a public health problem, not a child protection issue.

"There may be a few families that give cause for concern where there are other matters of neglect or emotional harm and this is where a paediatrician might have discussions with social services."

Diet advice

Some parents feel they face an uphill struggle to convince their children to eat healthily in a society where there are many high fat choices on offer.

At the children's centre in the deprived Meadows area of Nottingham parents are offered support to improve their children's diet.

I've seen a 10-year-old who could only walk a few yards with a walking stick Doctor's quote

A group of mothers has just signed up for a six-week course, learning how to prepare healthy food from scratch.

The mothers say it is too easy to blame parents.

Vikki Sansom, who has two young children, said: "I think there is a big difference between not feeding and overfeeding.

"It's really hard for parents and it's wrong to say that's neglect".

But at the end of June the BMA will be asked to consider the motion: "The government should consider childhood obesity in under-12s as neglect by the parents and encourage legal protection for the child and action against those parents."

Doctors' concern

Dr Matt Capehorn is the Rotherham GP who put forward the motion as a result of his own experience of running an obesity clinic.

Obesity can be a psychological problem

He told the BBC: "My colleagues and I were concerned because we noticed a discrepancy in the way society, the medical profession and the courts treat an obese child compared with a malnourished child.

"There is outrage if a child is skin and bone but it only happens in extreme cases with obese children."

Doctors speaking anonymously to the BBC said overfeeding a child should be considered neglect in extreme cases:

"We're very lily-livered about this as a society. I have seen an obese child taken away from parents return to a normal body weight in a few months"

"I've seen a 10-year-old who could only walk a few yards with a walking stick. Her diet of chips and high fat food could firmly be laid at the parents' door. I believe they were killing her slowly"

"Seeing a 10-year-old with diabetes and high blood pressure. He is at risk of heart disease in his 20s - the family will not make changes"

"One 12-year-old boy came into hospital to be put on a diet. His family were caught smuggling in 1lb bars of chocolate for him"

A message from our Mascot

Hello Friends! My name is the Killer, and I am here to tell you about how important it is that my girlfriends here are running the marathon for those little overweight children. It is no good to be overweight with the obesity. No no no. Look at meeeee! I know.

Little overweight children need help. They need someone to throw a ball for them so that they can run after it down the hallway. Otherwise they don't get no exercise, and then they get the obesity and then they have no fun. Heart disease, is no fun. Breathing problems, is no fun. When your belly so fat your fur touch the ground when you walk, is no fun. I know.

Sometimes I get hungry and I like to bite on their toes, and then I bite on their legs, and I scratch at the door with the food inside until they give me more food. HaHaHa! They cannot resist the Killer!

Then I talk at them until they throw the ball. If they don't throw the ball, I will be like 500 pounds!! No joke. I keep my figure because I have a ball that I like to take to them, to make them throw it for me. I run after the ball and catch it before it gets away, and then I make them throw it again. My girlfriends do what I want. Then they rub me. It is nice.

All little overweight children need a ball, and at least one girlfriend. I have five, but they only need one. They can borrow four of my girlfriends if they want, but I want them back when they are done. They can't have my ball. That is mine.

Updates, updates!

Ahhhhhhhh!! So many posts, so little time....

Hope you all are finding yourselves in good health and in good spirits as the summer season starts winding up here! We've got lots of fun things planned, so keep your calendars open, and we'll be sure to keep you posted on all the happenings. Here are just a couple of things currently in the works:

We are holding a raffle! Tickets will be on sale through the Fourth of July, when we will be drawing the winners at our party (time TBA). They are priced at $5 a ticket, or 5 tickets for $20. Prizes include:

• Gourmet dinner for two, fully served with a fabulous view of lower Manhattan
• A One-Hour therapeutic massage
• A night on the town with the Turtle of your choice!

Tickets are on sale now! Contact your favorite Turtle!
Get 'em while you can!!
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For those of you in town this week, we are having another barbecue this Thursday night. If you don't have any dinner plans, why not join us on our roof? We got burgers, we got booze, we got good people. What more can you ask for? Please RSVP if you plan on stopping by!!
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I think that's all I got for you right now. Tune in next time for some more notes and anecdotes from Bed-Stuy.

Official Training Starts!

Saturday marked the beginning of our official training season. The directions were to meet with our coaches and the rest of the Team for Kids team at the 72nd street entrance of Central Park, at 7:30 am, for a quick warm-up and a five-mile timed run.

We roused from our beds at the break of dawn, shook off the booze from the night before, rubbed the sleep from our eyes, and ventured forth into the city to meet up with our team. We traveled far and wide through New York's underground public transportation network. Two transfers and three trains later we were at the park... 30 minutes late.

So, we attempted to find the group, which undoubtedly had took off already, and after walking for a while through and around the park, we resigned to running without them. We ran a loop around the bridle path, and then had to quickly depart for the BREATH NYC: Asthma Walk 2007. Two trains and a half-mile walk later (due to the construction downtown) we arrived at Battery Park.

It was really nice to see so many people come out on a Saturday morning to support the cause. There were all kinds of people there, and it was especially pleasing to see the amount of youth representing. My favorite part of the morning was walking behind a group of girls singing: "This why I'm HOT! This is why I'm HOT! This is why, this is why, this is why I'm HOT! I'm hot cuz I'm FLY, you ain't cuz you NOT. This is why, this is why, this is why I'm HOT!" Good times.

One of the speakers gave the statistic that one out of every eight New Yorkers suffers from asthma, and that lung disease is the third leading cause of death in America. Do you know what the first is? Heart disease, most commonly in the form of heart attacks. Do you know what the best way to prevent heart disease is? To exercise regularly, like going for a run!

After walking the three mile loop with the crowd, and eating the healthy snackies provided by the walk's organizers, we began our trek home. All of the train stations below Brooklyn Bridge were closed due to the construction, so once we got to the bridge we decided to just go ahead and walk across, enjoying the lovely day outside. There was a Mr. Softee conveniently parked at the bridge entrance, and I spent the first part of the walk frantically licking vanilla flavored ice creamy matter and gobs of dripping chocolate sprinkles before it melted all over my arms. I was successful for the most part, but my shoe did get a taste of it every now and then. (Whoever said that Mr. Softee never melts, you lie!)

The plan was to take the bus on the other side back home, but that didn't happen. Instead of waiting for the bus, which would have NEVER come on a Saturday, we opted to walk home from the bridge, passing by a store that sold Moo-Moo's for $1.99!!! I was so excited!! I think we're going to have to have a Moo-Moo party.

We finally arrived at the Myrtle Turtle palatial abode, where we kicked off our shoes, washed off my arms, and ate leftovers from last week's barbecue.

All in all, we clocked a good 12 miles on foot that day. Not too bad for day one of our training season.