glimmerings of hope?

Interesting news snippet; teen sex (at least what's being reported) is down, condom use is up, teen pregnancy is down.

Education campaigns that started years ago are having a significant effect, said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a Washington-based nonprofit group that focuses on prevention of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

"I think the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the efforts in the '80s and '90s had a lot to do with that," Wagoner said of the improved numbers on teen sex, condoms and adolescent births.

This is that guy's opinion, of course, but I think we can all agree that popular culture hasn't gotten any less sexual. So the change must be coming from somewhere, and why not education programs? If it's true it can be a good argument that for long-term change initiatives to actually work, you need to actually give them a long term.

Yeah, yeah, obvious. I know. But don't expect obvious from your politicians. They're thinking in four year increments only.

Sand

So I'm hanging out with my pals Stephen and Val the other night, and we get dinner at this clam shack-style beach restaurant near where they live. The food is good and it's nice to sit by the beach. This time, however, there was sand sculpture, too!



Now I know that's not pro-level sculpture there, but it was still cool and unexpected. So then my friends tell me there's a big competition this weekend at Revere Beach, where all the real pros will be. Cool! This is a PSA for those of you who live in the Boston area and like that kind of thing. I am hoping to go, just to get some more pix!