One town in Massachusetts is changing everything about how they treat weight problems. They have decided to treat the issue of child obesity very seriously. The menu at the local schools has changed dramatically, with more whole grains and fresh fruits. Their program is called “Shape Up” and also includes more exercise for the youngsters and easier ways to walk to school. The amazing thing is that the serious approach to this problem is producing results. Kids in this town weigh less than kids in nearby towns. Our society has become more sedentary with all of our amazing inventions that make our lives easier. This makes it more difficult though, to stay fit as well. It is an amazing thing that the effort of this community is making a huge change in the lives of their youth.

Certified used cars have become overwhelmingly popular these days. With everything that the dealer’s say about their “certified used cars,” you would believe that they are a safe bet. Don’t count on it. In a recent story, one lady bought a GM certified pre-owned car that turned out to be two cars welded together! And GM has said absolutely nothing about it. The average extra price paid for a “certified used car” as opposed to one that isn’t certified is $2,000. When you are paying “certified” price but aren’t really getting a “certified” product, it is just wrong. So avoid some of the pains you can have and pay an ASE certified mechanic to take a look before you buy. It might cost a little up front, but save you a lot in the long run.

With the newspaper industry on the decline, there is a need for more creative ways to attract readers and make money at the same time. There are now 26 daily newspapers all over Europe that you can get for nothing. The internet has really made it necessary to charge less to nothing for papers because of all the free information online. Price wars are even happening here in the states. Newspapers have to cut their price in order to get readers. There are still some specialized papers like the Wall Street Journal that have continued to have lots of success with charging people to browse online as well as charging for their actual paper. However, watch for most papers to drop their prices substantially, and maybe even give them away.

Some companies, instead of taking their employees to a resort, are taking them to volunteer. Doing something together as employees like building a house for Habitat for Humanity really helps build relationships. Getting out and doing things in the community is a great all around thing. So if you are an employer and want to try something different, get your hands dirty in your own community. You won’t regret it.