Monday, February 7th, 2011

Global News
App Can Not Replace Confession
The New York Times

From gaming, social networking, business, to religion, the iPhone application store has it all. Not long ago, the application "Confession: a Roman Catholic App" was developed by two priests, American entrepreneurs, and the blessing of a Bishop. Its purpose was to "both to revive interest in confession and to help Catholics prepare for the sacrament." This 'virtual priest' does not do the job of a 'real' priest because as Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman says, "“One cannot speak in any way of ‘confession by the iPhone." 

(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/technology/10vatican.html?ref=world)

National News
White House Goes Healthy
The New York Times

First Lady Michelle Obama is working with the National Restaurant Association to, according to White House officials, "get restaurants to adopt her goals of smaller portions and children’s meals that include healthy offerings like carrots, apple slices and milk instead of French fries and soda." Although the NRA is not budging with changing their approach to service, since January 31, 2010 Michelle's "Let's Move!" campaign to stop child obesity has made much progress. Other efforts such as when her team worked with beverage makers to reveal the calories in each soda have succeeded as well. Although this one hurdle might take a little more effort to overcome, "“At the end of the day, this is about changing how we as a country look at food, the food industry will change when consumers change what they want, and she’s worked hard to help us look at food differently. Long term, that’s what’s important.”"


(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/us/politics/07michelle.html?ref=todayspaper)

Local News
Wayne Disabled Students Exposed to Opportunities
The Bergen Record

In Wayne, New Jersey Disability Awareness Dat at the pre-l-5 schools shined a light of opportunity on youngsters. It was designed in ways that would create empathy and understanding of what it is like to try to accomplish tasks that are perceived as simple in a way that is challenging. Last year, a 12 year old student confided to his classmates that they were experiancing the kind of challenges he went through each day. The purpose of this day was not to make the disabled stand out from the non-disablesm but to let students understand one and other because, "if you can see why somebody is the way they are, you are much less likely to target them becuase of the way they are," said Karen Stack, a SPA leader.

(http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/115622209_Program_builds_empathy_for_the_differently_abled.html)