Dean of Harvard Business School May Join Citigroup’s Board
Jay O. Light, an expert in asset and risk management who has led the business school for the last three years, is one of at least three candidates being recruited as directors by the embattled bank.



When weight-loss camp is too expensive

Filed under: Teens & tweens, Money & work, Places to go, Health & safety, Eating & nutrition, Medical conditions, Environment, Education, Mealtime, Resources

Being overweight is tough for a kid. There are many options toward weight loss, but some are more (or less) appealing than others. For many, over the years, the weight-loss camp has been a dream. But, while "fat camp" is almost as American as apple pie, it's now going the way of many other American dreams--it's too darned expensive to attend. Like any other camp, weight-loss camp costs money to run and maintain. With more than nine million children who are considered obese in this country, such camp can seem like a knight in shining armor for families struggling to get their kids' weight under control. The weight-loss camps, while they can be affective, are far from free. Few to none accept insurance.

The government generally offers no more assistance than insurance companies. Instead the children rely on their essay writing skills and other means to win scholarships to attend. Yes, even weight loss camp is something only possible for the rich. Corporate sponsorship is one way to help get kids who can't afford the often more than $1,000-a-week pricetag what they need. Advocacy groups are being formed, such as the Childhood Obesity Treatment in Action. Some tax deductions are coming into play, and some insurance is starting to cover a portion of the cost--mostly in the cognitive behavior area.

But is it enough? Rarely. And financial cost is to say nothing of the emotional cost to the children, who are often left with either feeling exploited by their situation--their essays and their experiences become the property of the camp, who share that information freely with the media in hopes of growing the industry--and/or have to deal with life after camp, which can be even harder than before they found their salvation. While most children lose some portion of their body weight at the camps, few manage to keep it off after returning to the real world.

Pic by skampy.

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Forced Off Duke’s Varsity Golf Team, Giuliani’s Son Files a Lawsuit
Andrew Giuliani, 22, accuses the university of bad faith by aggressively recruiting him to play golf for Duke and then dashing his dreams by taking steps to remove him from the team.



Need a lift to the bar? Just ask your kids.

Filed under: Teens & tweens, Behaving badly, Alcohol & drugs

Returning home from my company picnic yesterday, with my two thirteen-year-old nieces with me, I jokingly asked if either of them had their driver's license so that they could drive at least some of the way home and I could take a nap. (Neither one did, of course, and, really, I was just kidding.) In Texas, though, that's not something they kid about.

Police officers in the East Texas town of Longview noticed a minivan turn into a driveway and bump into the house.

Baby born 15x over legal limit DARE program increases drug and alcohol use Man consumes liter of vodka in the airport Teen buys booze, mom sells his car 'Cindy Brady' teaches son about hangovers, nearly barfs during radio interview

Investigating, they found a twelve-year-old girl behind the wheel. She told the officers that she had just driven her mother to a bar. Upon checking at the pub, they indeed found thirty-five-year-old Jennifer Lynn Rosenberg who admitted to having her daughter drive her there.

On the one hand, you have to give Rosenberg credit for not wanting to risk drinking and driving, but on the other hand... Perhaps it would be best if she just stayed away from the bars altogether. In the meantime, Child Protective Services is looking into the situation.

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Harlem Area Is Blighted, State Agency Declares
The finding is a step toward forcing property owners to sell their land as part of eminent domain proceedings to make way for the expansion of Columbia University.



Head of Office Was Fired Before Payroll Problems
The District fired the head of the Office of Youth Programs because of problems with the city's summer jobs effort, days before human error and computer glitches led to thousands of students coming up short on payday.

Fairfax Schools Plug Gap With Summer Reading
Early afternoon is a quiet time in Ervin Salazar's Fairfax County townhouse. His little brother naps upstairs, and the toddlers his mother babysits for curl up on cots in the living room. That's when 11-year-old Ervin likes to relax on the couch with a book.

Va. DNA Project Is In Uncharted Territory
After Eva King Jones, 88, was raped and killed in her small-town Virginia home, a local man was accused and convicted. Now, 33 years later, police say newly discovered DNA evidence has led to the arrest of someone else.

Skepticism Greets Big Gains
State reading and math tests taken by Maryland students were shortened and tweaked this year, leading some critics to question whether the shifts contributed to surprisingly strong gains in achievement.

House Acts to Overhaul College Loan Regulations
The House overwhelmingly approved an overhaul of the nation’s higher education law, adding dozens of provisions and programs to help families with soaring college costs.