The last time I professed my love for a blogger other than the one to whom I am married, it was the Parenting With Duct Tape lady who said "Curse the pansy parent who decided to make everyone a winner. In their misguided attempt to boost the self esteem of the children, they have stripped away the self worth of a whole up and coming generation. Created whiners the likes we have not seen before. Made it impossible to tell your kid, "Know what kid, you really aren't the best at EVERYTHING...We are not all winners in everything we do. We need to know that. Our kids need to know that. Mostly we are average and so are our goddamn kids. ... Stop with the false hopes. Stop with the making of kids who do nothing but whine when confronted with the fact that they may actually have to put effort in their lives once in while."
As we begin 2011, I have turned my affections to the good folks at Sense About Science, who examined some of the nonsense health advice endorsed by celebrities. There are some real winners in there. Even if you don't bother to click through to the link with the detailed listing of mythical mumbo-jumbo, remember the following words of wisdom.
Two old chestnuts:
- Nothing is chemical free: everything is made of chemicals, it’s just a case of which ones.
- Detox is a marketing myth: our body does it without pricey potions and detox diets.
Two new lessons from 2010:
- There’s no need to boost: bodily functions occur without ‘boosting’.
- Energy and fitness come from food and exercise: there are no shortcuts.
