| What's the best way to improve developing world health?
Ensure two square meals a day," suggests Mushtaque Chowdhury, director of the research and evaluation commission of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee. "I believe for the poorest food is the most effective first intervention for health improvement." Ugandan television reporter Rosebell Kagumire suggests educating women is key. "An educated woman will know what a child needs to eat for nutritional purposes, and their income level is mostly higher than that of illiterate mothers," he says. Others are more political, calling for free trade to enhance household incomes in poor countries or even outright revolution to bring in governments with greater commitment to uplifting the poor. Liberian health minister Walter Gwenigale says he knows what would make a real difference in his country -- and it is the one thing Western donors will not fund.
797 new area jobs predicted
The lowlights: the fallout from a loss of airline flights and last year's 30 percent downturn in the real estate hot spot of the past several years -- Padre Island. Roland Mower, CEO of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation; Keith Arnold, president and CEO of the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Gene Guernsey, real estate agent with Remax Metro Properties, met with members of the Corpus Christi Rotary Club on Thursday to discuss their forecasts. "I really think we are setting up 2009, 2010 and other years for a really good housing market," Guernsey said. "I think the housing market will remain a buyer's market, and we will have about an eight-month inventory. It will continue to be strong compared with national figures." Month-supply inventories ranging from six to nine months -- meaning the houses take that long to sell -- are considered balanced markets.
Charlie Trotter takes 2nd gamble on Vegas
Chicago's own Charlie Trotter is throwing his toque into Las Vegas' fine-dining ring with Restaurant Charlie, slated to open at the Palazzo next month. The 85-seat main dining room will serve seafood-centric dishes a la carte, while the intimate Bar Charlie will dish up sushi, sashimi and other surprises at a long counter seating 18. "We're not trying to do what we do in Chicago -- the 3.5-hour, 12-course experience," Trotter said at the Palazzo's grand opening over the weekend. While seafood is the focus of the new restaurant, Trotter has a treat for high-rolling carnivores. He plans to serve a richly marbled cut of Wagyu beef from an exclusive Japanese purveyor. The 4- to 5-ounce steak will cost about $250. "We'll probably just give people a spoon to eat it," Trotter said.
Bus Owner says Driver Suffered From a Blood Clot Before Accident
BALDWIN--The owner of a bus that veered off Interstate 94 last week and plowed into a snow-covered ditch says the 39-year-old bus driver suffered from a blood clot. Dave Ebertowski, the owner of Turco Travel in Minneapolis, says Curtis Prindiville came very close to passing out and was able to steer the bus but not apply the brakes. Ebertowski says his driver did a miraculous job in reacting to his sudden medical problem. The Wisconsin State Patrol says Prindiville was driving for Tourco's Northern Tours of Eau Claire when the crash happened near Baldwin last Thursday. Ebertowski says the bus, with 49 passengers, was a charter from Minneapolis to Chicago. Some passengers suffered minor injuries.
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No more weekends off: P’s & C’s reporting
The great L.A. Times scribe Jim Murray once said, "Spring is the time of year when the ground thaws, trees bud, the income tax falls due — and everybody wins the pennant." And so it is that your correspondent, memorably dubbed as the faux "crusading everyman" by one of our angrier blog participants, has already done his taxes, an annual end-of-January ritual before heading to spring training and being immersed in a six-week world where normal life is put on hold and baseball takes precedence over all else. We'll be headed down Wednesday, a day before pitchers and catchers are officially required to report. Need some time to stock the fridge of the rental house and get a lay of the land in our new neighborhood, plus stop by the ballpark at Dark Star to see how many eager Braves arrived early.
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