Training with Mom and Dad
Health experts say everyone benefits when the family exercises together.
"Whether it's racing in a triathlon, lifting weights at the gym or playing tag in the back yard, health experts are preaching the benefits of being active as a family, especially now that more adults and children are becoming obese. In 2003, 62 percent of North Carolinians did not meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for moderate activity -- 30 minutes a day, five days a week."
U.S. Searches Computers, Trying to Disrupt Piracy By SAUL HANSELL
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?tntget=2004/08/26/technology/26share.html&;tntemail1 Federal authorities searched computers in six locations yesterday in an attempt to disrupt a network used to trade copies of movies, software, games and music. The Justice Department said the searches represented the first time that so-called peer-to-peer networks had been singled out for a criminal enforcement action under copyright law. The department has stepped up enforcement of copyright law this year, but until now it has focused on organizations known as warez groups, which steal copies of movies and other materials to make them available to downloaders. In a peer-to-peer network, like the widely used Kazaa system, the computers of individual users trade files without going through a central computer. The people whose computers were searched, the government said, operated hubs that coordinated the sharing of files. John Malcolm, a senior vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America, praised the move as a sign that the government takes online piracy seriously. The F.B.I. conducted a covert investigation by loading two computers with copyrighted material and joining the Underground Network, a move that let it identify five hub computers that coordinated the file sharing. An F.B.I. agent then downloaded 84 movies, 40 software programs, 13 games and 178 songs from the network. The Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group representing the major record labels, said yesterday that it had sued more than 700 users of peer-to-peer file sharing networks.
The following is the Cover The Uninsured Week News Digest for the week of August 23, 2004.
We invite you to visit CoverTheUninsuredWeek.org where you will find news and information about Cover the Uninsured Week and other ongoing efforts to help get America covered. The site offers facts about the uninsured, personal stories, links to the participating organizations and resources for those seeking health care coverage. Log on to learn how you can get involved in the Covering Kids & Families 2004 Back-to-School national campaign to help enroll eligible children in SCHIP and Medicaid. News Summaries
A Weekly Digest of News on the Uninsured News & Opinion Employment Slump Linked to High Health Insurance Costs
Businesses cannot afford to hire workers and pay benefits
Source(s): Eduardo Porter, The New York Times (Aug. 19) Young and Entrepreneurial Are Opting out of Health Insurance in a Dangerous Gamble
54.8 million working Americans lacked coverage for at least part of 2002 and 2003
Source(s): Daffodil J. Altan, The Los Angeles Times (Aug. 16); Jim Hopkins, USA Today (Aug. 22) ER Closures in Los Angeles County Portend Graver Problems
Influx of uninsured blamed for expected chain reaction of closures
Source(s): Jason Felch, The Los Angeles Times (Aug. 20); Jason Felch, The Los Angeles Times (Aug. 24) Increasingly Popular Consumer-Directed Medical Plans Have Both Pros and Cons
Patients may ignore chronic conditions and preventive care to save money
Source(s): Shari Roan, The Los Angeles Times (Aug. 16); Diane Stafford, Kansas City Star (Aug. 20) McDonald's Leads Fight Against California Insurance Mandate
Measure has broad voter support despite business opposition
Source(s): Rob Kaiser, Chicago Tribune (Aug. 19) Maryland County Strives for Universal Coverage
County clinics already serve ten percent of uninsured adults
Source(s): Cameron W. Barr, The Washington Post (Aug. 24) Texas Governor Boosts CHIP Funding
Also delays cutting off families behind in payment
Source(s): Associated Press (Aug. 12); Janet Elliott, The Houston Chronicle (Aug. 17) OPINION: Editorial Commends Easing of Texas CHIP Rules
Getting more kids enrolled will save money and should be the goal
Source(s): San Antonio Express-News (Aug. 20) 2004 Election Coverage
This section of the Covering the Uninsured News provides updates on the uninsured as a campaign issue for 2004. Health Care Ranks Fourth in Voter Concern, Poll Shows
Voters call it an important issue
Source(s): Michelle Ahn, Newsday (Aug. 19) Washington Post Article Finds Flaws in Bush's Plan to Cover 10 Million Uninsured
Proposals are more likely to lead to coverage for 2 to 6 million
Source(s): Ceci Connolly, The Washington Post (Aug. 22)
After this year's political campaigns, quite a few people will be saying: Gosh, I wish I hadn't said that! By Marilyn Gardner | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0825/p14s01-ussc.htm
Summary: Gosh, I wish I hadn't said that!
In public and at home, Americans are boldly speaking their minds - and sometimes regretting it later.
As a self-proclaimed "loudmouth of long standing," Judith Newman of New York likes to speak out.
So does Bryan Freeman of Atlanta, who calls himself "a very forthright person." Victoria Moran, another New Yorker, says she is "prone to speak first and regret shortly thereafter." And John Baldoni of Ann Arbor, Mich., laughs when he says that he is "famous in my family for shooting my mouth off." It's a question that looms large for many people - at home, at work, with friends, and in public.
Whatever the subject or circumstance, those with opinions to offer must decide whether to zip their lips or let words and emotions tumble out.
The question has also been floating through the summer air after Teresa Heinz Kerry's widely publicized rebuke of a reporter - an act that generated both criticism and praise. Alluding to the incident in a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, she said, "My right to speak my mind, to have a voice, to be what some have called 'opinionated,' is a right I deeply and profoundly cherish."
That right isn't always appreciated by others. One person's idea of candor may be another's definition of thoughtlessness. "Honesty without compassion is cruelty," says Jonathan Bernstein of Monrovia, Calif.
Some observers see a double standard based on gender. "We are more forgiving, or more enthusiastic for men to speak their minds," says Mr. Baldoni, a leadership communications consultant. "We say, 'Oh, he really told them off.' That's an accepted part of our society. But I don't think we're comfortable seeing women do that.
Teresa Heinz Kerry tell off a reporter, some people see that as a negative. If her husband had done it, it probably wouldn't have been a story."
Other differences in approach take a regional twist.
A native Southerner, Schuyler Brown found that Southern politeness and reticence did not serve her well when she moved to New York. "I literally was talked over, interrupted, ignored, and not taken seriously until I began to speak my mind loudly and forcefully," says Ms. Brown, an associate director at Euro RSCG Worldwide, a marketing agency. But that approach can cause problems on a personal level, Brown says.
For many women, the lightning-rod subject is motherhood. "We give advice where nobody's asking," says Newman, the mother of 3-year-old twins. "Motherhood - other people's ways of doing whatever it is they do - is one area where we should all shut up." So sensitive is the topic that she and a relative are not speaking because of a rift over a childrearing issue. I should have shut my mouth a long time ago, and so should she."
"We should think twice about speaking up if we are only saying something out of defensiveness or anger," says James Houran of Irving, Texas, a clinical psychologist specializing in communication.
"And think twice about speaking up if you are participating in a power struggle, just to assert your authority."
Summarized by Copernic Summarizer Can everyone say Zell Miller !
New Therapy on Depression Finds Phone Is Effective By BENEDICT CAREY
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?tntget=2004/08/25/health/25therapy.html&;tntemail1 In a large-scale, 18-month study, doctors in Seattle found that they could significantly increase recovery rates for patients taking antidepressants by providing several 30- to 40-minute counseling sessions over the phone. The Seattle study is the first to test the effect of a standardized form of counseling, cognitive behavior therapy, delivered entirely over the phone. "It's thrilling to see these kinds of results," said Dr. Jeanne Miranda, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study. The Seattle researchers focused on patients who sought treatment and were motivated enough to begin taking drugs. Dr. Jürgen Unützer, a psychiatrist at the University of Washington who was not involved in the study, said that only about a quarter of all Americans suffering from the illness try drug therapy each year. The rest do not, because of lack of awareness, access or interest, psychiatrists say, and many people with depression are wary of taking mood-altering drugs. But because 40 percent of the people who begin antidepressant therapy quit within the first month, doctors should consider the telephone a powerful ally, said the study's lead author, Dr. Gregory E. Simon, a psychiatrist at the Group Health Cooperative, a 500,000-member health plan in Washington. The researchers followed 600 men and women receiving antidepressant treatment at Group Health clinics.
New Therapy on Depression Finds Phone Is Effective By BENEDICT CAREY
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?tntget=2004/08/25/health/25therapy.html&;tntemail1 In a large-scale, 18-month study, doctors in Seattle found that they could significantly increase recovery rates for patients taking antidepressants by providing several 30- to 40-minute counseling sessions over the phone. The Seattle study is the first to test the effect of a standardized form of counseling, cognitive behavior therapy, delivered entirely over the phone. "It's thrilling to see these kinds of results," said Dr. Jeanne Miranda, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study. The Seattle researchers focused on patients who sought treatment and were motivated enough to begin taking drugs. Dr. Jürgen Unützer, a psychiatrist at the University of Washington who was not involved in the study, said that only about a quarter of all Americans suffering from the illness try drug therapy each year. The rest do not, because of lack of awareness, access or interest, psychiatrists say, and many people with depression are wary of taking mood-altering drugs. But because 40 percent of the people who begin antidepressant therapy quit within the first month, doctors should consider the telephone a powerful ally, said the study's lead author, Dr. Gregory E. Simon, a psychiatrist at the Group Health Cooperative, a 500,000-member health plan in Washington. The researchers followed 600 men and women receiving antidepressant treatment at Group Health clinics.
Come hither ye knaves & mathematicians. Graydon Carter gives us Bush by the numbers that matter. Enlightening. Between the Big Lie and the Big Unmentionables, it's amazing the Mad Golfboy pulls it off without anyone seeing Karl Rove's lips move. (Link via A Level Gaze)... [the american street] We have all heard the saying that a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Well, these numbers are worth more than a thousand speeches. Of course, don't take the writer's word for it, research this information for yourself . Then if you think it's important, share it with a friend. plk.
Strange Bedfellows in E-Mail Case. Civil liberties groups join the Department of Justice to protest a ruling that said ISPs can freely monitor e-mail. By Ryan Singel. [Wired News] "The friend of the court brief (PDF) argues the 1st Court of Appeal ruling 'rewrites the field of internet surveillance law in ways that no one in Congress ever imagined'"
Strange Bedfellows in E-Mail Case. Civil liberties groups join the Department of Justice to protest a ruling that said ISPs can freely monitor e-mail. By Ryan Singel. [Wired News] "The friend of the court brief (PDF) argues the 1st Court of Appeal ruling 'rewrites the field of internet surveillance law in ways that no one in Congress ever imagined'"
The Potus Always Rings Twice. There were two distinct parts of the President's convention speech. The domestic section and the war on terrorism section. W performed well in the first half (although I disagree with most of the policies mentioned) and even better in the second. There is [ electablog]
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905
US (Spanish-born) philosopher (1863 - 1952) In my April post Time to Smell the Coffee I mentioned that as a child I watched the coverage of the Viet Nam war on the nightly news and hoped that as an adult I would never see this country torn apart like that again. Sadly that dream did not come true. After weeks of hearing the ads by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the rant by Senator Zell Miller at the Republican National Convention, it is clear that this country is just as divided as it was then. And even more sadly, much of the division is over the same issue, Vietnam. A topic of recent discussion has been Senator John Kerrys 1971 testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on behalf of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. I encourage anyone evaluating John Kerry to read the transcript of his testimony and judge his statements for themselves. During his testimony Senator Kerry summarized the recollections of a specific group of American soldiers he had heard at an antiwar conference in Detroit a few weeks earlier. As Jan Barry stated in article for Veterans Against the Iraq War: What the national news media has not reported in the current controversyjust as was not widely reported in 1971are the crimes of war that Kerry summarized in his antiwar speech to Congress. At no time, did Senator Kerry claim that ALL or MOST Vietnam Vets were guilty of war atrocities. Just as now no sensible person in 2004 would ever claim that ALL or MOST Iraqi Vets are guilty of the types of crimes that occurred at Abu Ghraib prison. But the truth be told, war crimes did occur in Vietnam just as they have at Abu Ghraib. For those who are too young to remember here is a documented fact. On March 16, 1968 the angry and frustrated men of Charlie Company, 11th Brigade, Americal Division entered the village of My Lai.This is what you've been waiting for -- search and destroy -- and you've got it," said their superior officers. A short time later the killing began. When news of the atrocities surfaced, it sent shockwaves through the US political establishment, the military's chain of command, and an already divided American public. My Lai lay in the South Vietnamese district of Son My, a heavily mined area of Vietcong entrenchment. Numerous members of Charlie Company had been maimed or killed in the area during the preceding weeks. The agitated troops, under the command of Lt. William Calley, entered the village poised for engagement with the elusive Vietcong. As the "search and destroy" mission unfolded it soon degenerated into the massacre of over 300 apparently unarmed civilians including women, children, and the elderly. Calley ordered his men to enter the village firing, though there had been no report of opposing fire. According to eyewitness reports offered after the event, several old men were bayoneted, praying women and children were shot in the back of the head, and at least one girl was raped, and then killed. For his part, Calley was said to have rounded up a group of the villagers, ordered them into a ditch, and mowed them down in a fury of machine gun fire. Word of the massacre did not reach the American public until November of 1969, when journalist Seymour Hersh published a story detailing his conversations with ex-GI and Vietnam veteran, Ron Ridenhour. Ridenhour learned of the events at My Lai from members of Charlie Company who had been there. Before speaking with Hersh, he had appealed to Congress, the White House, and the Pentagon to investigate the matter. The military investigation resulted in Calley being charged with murder in September 1969 -- a full two months before the Hersh story hit the streets. As the gruesome details of the massacre reached the American public serious questions arose concerning the conduct of American soldiers in Vietnam. A military commission investigating the My Lai massacre found widespread failures of leadership, discipline, and morale among the Army's fighting units. As the war progressed, many "career" soldiers had either been rotated out or retired. Many more had died. In their place were scores of draftees whose fitness for leadership in the field of battle was questionable at best. Military officials blamed inequities in the draft policy for the often slim talent pool from which they were forced to choose leaders. Many maintained that if the educated middle class ("the Harvards," as they were called) had joined in the fight, a man of Lt. William Calley's emotional and intellectual stature would never have been issuing orders. From the American Experience http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/mylai.html Therefore, the events of My Lai were known prior to Senator Kerrys testimony before Congress. So for anyone to now target Senator Kerry as betraying his fellow vets is an effort in revisionist history based in pure partisan politics. What we should all learn from this seemingly never ending domestic battle about the Vietnam War is that every wars impact is more far reaching than can be imagined. Thirty years after Vietnam mens actions and integrity are still be questioned. The real persons of questionable character are those who use one of the most divisive issues in history to once against drive a wedge to separate Americas people. For those that believe in the concepts of Good & Evil, know this. The spirits of fear, divisiveness and self-righteousness are not good. Fear only should never be a justification for war. Wars should only be entered when the facts indicate that military intervention is unavoidable. War is not glamorous and even when it is waged for the most noble of reasons cannot be sanitized to make it more acceptable to the general public. The stresses of war can bring out the darkness in every human soul. A wise men will consider all of these things before rushing to war. No amount of revisionist history will change the facts. Put on all of Gods armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:11-12 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
Ok, I admit it. In the world according to Arnold I'm a Republican. A Compassionate Republican. (LOL) . Now let's see if I'm still a Republican after tonight. plk <><><><><><>< "If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then you are a Republican! If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a Republican! If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does, then you are a Republican! If you believe our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children, then you are a Republican! If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope of democracy in the world, then you are a Republican! And, ladies and gentlemen, if you believe we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism, then you are a Republican!" excerpt of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech as prepared for delivery Tuesday 08/31 at the Republican National Convention.
REASSEMBLED
Broken and disassembled, My body is scattered in parts and pieces all over the world. Even when in a crowd, they are suffering the coldness of isolation. Broken, alone, and separated, the comfort of fellowship has become a rarity. How it grieves My heart to see My loved ones in such disarray!
Although the enemy has desired to plunder My people through isolation, I have used the wilderness seasons to raise My eagles to search for food and train them to climb higher. Birds fly in flocks and eagles fly alone. This is the way for training leaders. I have raised a generation of leaders, who will nurture the great harvest of newborns. And how they will love their children! The chatter, the activity, the questions, the hungry hearts will be like a balm to My isolated ones who have suffered years of detachment. The shame of those years will melt away within the deep pools of My children's hugs. Lost confidence and joy shall return as I reassemble My body back together again. United in kindred hearts of loving appreciation, I shall remove the stumbling blocks and bring My own into one big family.
Heb 10:24-25 NKJV
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Click here for specific rhema behind this Word to Ponder:
http://www.injesus.com/Groups/ViewMessage.cfm?MessageId=8A008GVC&;GroupID=EB005Z4Z
~~~~~~~~~~~
Words to Ponder are summaries of prophetic revelation, punched with the word of wisdom and written under inspiration. [Sandy Warner: swauthor@usa.net / website: www.thequickenedword.com ] Permission given to forward or post.
New FactCheck.org Document:: Update on Kerry's "Shrinking Middle Class" -- Still Shrinking in 2003
Update on Kerry's "Shrinking Middle Class" -- Still Shrinking in 2003
We said his claim was based on stale numbers. Now some fresh statistics support what he said.
09.01.2004
Summary
In our Aug. 3 article , "Kerry's Dubious Economics," we said Kerry based his claim that "our great middle class is shrinking" on some pretty stale numbers. We said his statement "may well be untrue" because it was based on 2002 figures and didn't account for recent economic growth. Now fresh numbers are available -- and Kerry's statement is looking a lot better. Kerry's other economic statements remain at least as dubious as we reported. Recent figures show inflation-adjusted hourly earnings actually went up in July just as Kerry was announcing that "wages are falling," for example. However, Kerry's description of a declining middle class is supported by new Census Bureau figures showing median household income failed to grow in 2003. And a look at income-distribution tables shows the decline that took place in middle-income households in 2001 and 2002, which we previously reported, may well have continued in 2003. AnalysisOn Aug. 26 the Census Bureau released its annual survey of income in the US. These more up-to-date figures show that Kerry may well have been correct when he said the middle class is shrinking, using present tense. There's no standard definition of "middle class," so we looked at households with pre-tax income of between $25,000 and $75,000 -- a group occupying roughly the middle half of the Census income distribution tables. As we noted before, that group grew smaller during the economic recession of 2001 and the initially slow recovery of 2002. Now the new Census figures indicate it continued to decline in 2003, and while this time some of the middle group were moving up , a larger portion were moving down. Moving on Down The table shown here is updated to reflect the latest Census figures, and shows both the one-year change for 2003, and also the three-year change from 2000 to 2003 (covering the period since Bush took office.) The income figures are adjusted for inflation, and shown in 2003 dollars. Since Bush took office, the middle-income group has declined by 1.2 percentage points , and now constitutes less than 45% of all households. At the same time, households with less than $25,000 in income have grown by 1.5 percentage points, and now make up 29% of all households. So a large number of households have slipped out of the middle group and into the lower-income range over the past three years. Furthermore, that process did not stop in 2003 despite the resumption of job growth in September and 4.4% growth in the economy as measured by Gross Domestic Product. The middle-income group lost 0.4 percentage points in 2003. The upper-income group -- those with income over $75,000 a year -- has also suffered since Bush took office, declining by 0.4 percentage points over three years. However, upper-income households bounced back a bit last year, by two-tenths of a percentage point, and now are back at just over 26% of all households. So by this measure, the "middle class" continued to shrink in 2003 , and while some "middle class" households moved to the upper-income group, a larger proportion moved down. (Note: These figures are subject to some rounding error that could make any one of them off by a tenth of a percentage point or so.) Shrunken, Stagnant Income Another indicator: the Census Bureau reported that median household income declined by $63 from 2002 to 2003 , to $43,318. "Median" means that half of all households had more income than that, and half less. Census officials characterized the median income figure as "unchanged" in 2003 because the decline was so small as to be well within the margin of error.
Median Household Income |
2000 |
$44,853 |
2003 |
$43,318 |
Change Under Bush |
-$1,535 |
-3.4% |
But even so, median income has declined by $1,535 since Bush took office , or 3.4 percent. And while the decline leveled off last year and may even be climbing again in 2004, most households are clearly worse off economically now than they were when the President was sworn in.
Persons in Poverty
(thousands) |
2000 |
31,581 |
2003 |
35,861 |
Change Under Bush |
+4,280 |
+13.6% |
Falling Into Poverty Another indication that the middle class continued to shrink in 2003 is the increase in the number and percentage of persons living in poverty. According to the Census Bureau, the number of people living below the official poverty line grew by 1.3 million in 2003, to 35.9 million. That's nearly 4.3 million more poor persons than when Bush took office , an increase of nearly 14%. Is It Still Shrinking? We of course can't say what the Census Bureau figures will say next year about what is happening to income and poverty rates in 2004. We do know that employment has been growing all year, so more people have jobs. Average wages are rising, too. But prices have been rising even faster -- especially for food, health care and fuel. We also don't know what happened to after-tax income in 2003, because the Census Bureau was unable to complete its annual release of "alternative measures" of income in time for release with the poverty and household income figures. The 2003 figures might look better once the Bush tax cuts are factored in and take-home pay is considered. On the other hand, we do know that another 1 million persons were without health insurance in 2003. Since Bush took office, the number without health insurance has grown by 5.2 million, to 45 million. Still Dubious Some of Kerry's other claims remain as dubious as before, or even more so.
Average Hourly Earnings |
Since Bush Took Office |
|
|
Change |
|
|
Before Inflation |
After Inflation |
Jan-01 |
$14.27 |
|
|
Jul-04 |
$15.70 |
10.0% |
2.5% |
|
|
|
|
Since July 2003 |
Jul-03 |
$15.40 |
|
|
Jul-04 |
$15.70 |
1.9% |
-1.0% |
Source: BLS Average Hourly Earnings & Average Hourly Earnings in 1982 Dollars |
Kerry's statement that "wages are falling" turns out to be untrue for the month in which he uttered it. On Aug. 17 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that average weekly earnings for rank-and-file production workers in the private sector rose in July even after adjusting for inflation. The increase was 0.7%. This table -- updated from the one we posted in our original article -- shows that wages as measured by the average hourly earnings of rank-and-file production workers have grown 10% since Bush took office, and 1.9% in the past year alone. It is true that over the past year those hourly earnings have not kept pace with inflation, so "real" wages (adjusted for higher prices) have indeed fallen over the past 12 months. In that sense Kerry was correct. However, the 1.4% decrease that we originally reported has now been reduced to 1% because of the July improvement. And since Bush took office, inflation-adjusted hourly wages are up 2.5% despite the drop in the past year. So whether wages are falling or rising depends on what time period is chosen. Wages Up But Income Down? A final note: Readers may wonder how household incomes can be down 3.4% under Bush if wages are up 2.5%. That seems contradictory, but it isn't. The wage figures (hourly earnings) cover only about 80% of the private-sector workforce, excluding supervisors, managers and all government employees, self-employed persons and business owners. And even more importantly, the Census figures on household income include not only wages but income from many other sources, including interest and dividends, bonuses, and earnings from self-employment and owner-operated businesses. SourcesDeNavas-Walt, Carmen, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Robert J. Mills, U.S. Census Bureau, "Current Population Reports, P60-226, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2003," U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 26 Aug 2004. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Real Earnings in July 2004," news release 17 Aug 2004.
Please visit http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docid=249 to view this FactCheck article in full.
As I was cleaning today, I came across the following message a friend sent to me some time ago. I received this during one of the darkest hours of my life and it blessed me beyond imagine. Now I liked to share it with you. If you've already read this, may it bless you again. YOU HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO THE EDGE I have allowed you to come to the edge of defeat and failure. I have allowed you to be tested beyond what you thought you could bear. I have taken you to the limits of your- faith and beliefthat you can see just how much that you need me. It is in those times that you have found that I have never forsaken you or left you. That I was always there and was always near. What you feared was not there at all. What you thought was going to take you under -- you were able to rise above. What had kept you back -- now is not there. What controlled you -- was broken and cast away from you. This is what the Lord says, I have been preparing you and building you up for such a time. I have positioned you and called you forth. What has taken place within has been me at work. At times, you thought: I cannot make it -- this is too bad -- God is unfair but you have weathered it all and have stood. You have stood. You have learned resistance and how to endure. You have learned what is of me and what was of the flesh. It has not been easy -- but hard. And, you did doubt at times if you would survive. But you more than survived you came through and have stood! The testing is not easy at the time-your whole being is pressed. Your very movements are restricted. Your being felt boxed in and everything around you seems to be closed off to you. You have found others did not understand you -- much less did you understand yourself. Confusion covered you and you felt alone. You wanted to hide and cover yourself. You said, It is too much -- God is too unfair. This is what the Lord says, You found that was not true --but that you have come forth -- refined as pure gold. You are not the same person that you were. You are becoming more like me. Now is the time -- to recognize what I have done. Now is the timeto look at yourself and say, I see what the Lord has done -- I am not the same--I have been changing-Christ dwells in me and He is mine and I am His. Look forward -- no longer hang on to the past -- There is nothing there for you to look to. Look forward to what I have said and am about ready to do. All is before younothing is behind you. Hold to my words and reject the lies of the past. The false conclusions that you have come to -- are not of truth. All the words that you have spoken over yourself are now removed. The word curses of others are voided and have lost their power over you. My words are what is to operate in your life now. Those are the only words that you are to accept and be governed by. It has not been easy -- there is more to comebut you are learning more and more how to discern what is going on. You are learning to separate the good from the evil. You are not easily moved by things, people, or circumstances -- you are now learning- how to be moved by my Spirit. You are truly my sons and daughters---because you are lead by my Spirit. It is His voice that you are longing to hear. You have come to depend on Him. You have found He will lead you into truth and through Him you find My ways. What you were -- you are not now. What you have become is Mine. You are not as you were. You are not wandering in fear and confusion. But, you see and hear clearly because I have trained you. You do not understand all that lies before you -- great things are to come but at the same time great resistance is before you. Hell has enlarged itself to resist what I am about to do. But, do not fear or even pull back -- but set your face -- face the conflict. Victory will come. Battles will be fought-- fierce will be the battle great will be the forces that will come against my army, but you have been well prepared. You have been trained and set in place. I have placed you within the ranks -- stand strong. You are ready because I have prepared you. I have seasoned you with testing- and trials -- you are well ready. My anointing and power is yours -- you will lack nothing. Nothing will be with held from you. All that I have is yours. You will always have more than what the enemy has. Your weapons are more powerful and they are outnumbered. I have trained your hands to war. You are more prepared than you think. You do not realize what a threat you are to darkness. Because My light is great around you -- you shine so brightly. My glory is over you and it covers you. You are clothed with my presence and my brightness shines out from you. All that has been done to you --I have taken and used it. All the past that was meant to destroy you and even kill you -- I have taken and formed you into a strong warrior. There are scars and disappointments -- but they are marks of your testing. They are medals .of your battles -- look upon them and. say The. Lord has prevailed in my life. Hear what the Lord is saying, You are ready-you are prepared-stand ready-listen to my voice-I am calling forth-this one and that .one. I have positioned you -- you are ready! If one day you feel like crying -- Call me. I dont promise that I will make you laugh, but I can cry with you. If one day you want to run away- Dont be afraid to call me. I dont promise to ask you to stop... But I can run with you. If .one day you dont want to listen to anyone -- Call me... I promise to be there for you. And I promise to be very quiet. But if one day you call and there is no answer... Come fast to see me. Maybe I need you. BLESSINGS to YOU!! Author Unknown If you know the author of this encouraging, please let me know so I can give proper credit. Thanks
Thoughts from Around the Globe ************************************************ An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of
lions led by a sheep. Arab proverb ************************************************* Chinese Proverb: If you keep a green bough in your heart
the singing bird will come. ************************************************* He who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger. -- Japanese proverb ************************************************* The "Tao Te Ching" says "Muddy water, let stand, becomes
clear." When your thinking is muddled, sit still. Your
mind will automatically settle down. ************************************************** Life is not holding a good hand; Life is playing a poor
hand well. -- Danish proverb ************************************************** "Ahuwale ka nane huna" That which was hidden shall be revealed
- Hawaiian Proverb ************************************************** There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man.
The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. -- Hindu proverb ************************************************** "If you can walk you can dance. If you can talk you can
sing." - Zimbabwe Proverb ************************************************** I wept because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no
feet. -- Ancient Persian saying ************************************************** "When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot
hurt you." -African proverb ************************************************** The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away
small stones. -- Chinese proverb ************************************************** What was hard to bear is sweet to remember. -- Portuguese proverb
Summary: LYON, France - Despite heightened terror alerts around the world, people traveling on stolen passports continue to slip across international borders because few countries check to see if incoming passports are among those known to be missing, says Interpol, the international police organization based here.
For example, Milorad Ulemek, believed to have ordered the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindic of Serbia in March 2003, traveled in the previous two years using a stolen passport that border control officers in six countries stamped 26 times, including 6 times in Switzerland and 14 times in Greece.
"What's most shocking for me is how few countries are checking to see what passports coming in are stolen," Ronald K. Noble, the secretary general of Interpol, said in a recent interview.
He said that if European border controls had been tighter, Mr. Djindic might not have been killed.
The lack of vigilance in screening for stolen passports is one of most disturbing lapses in an evolving international antiterrorism regime that remains frighteningly lax, Interpol officials say.
Any review of the many terrorism investigations around the world shows the extent to which Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations rely on falsified travel documents to move operatives.
Often such documents are traded among associates in a terrorist network, but more frequently they are stolen or bought on the black market and changed with a photograph.
Mr. Noble is leading an effort to stop that by linking Interpol's 181 member countries to a stolen travel documents database that will let immigration officials at any border post screen incoming passports and ensure that they are not among the thousands of such documents reported stolen each year.
The database, which includes information for 1.7 million stolen passports and other travel documents, is available to all member states, though participation has been sluggish.
Two months after the database was ready to receive information in June 2002, only two countries had sent Interpol lists of their stolen passports.
Even today, only 49 countries have done so.
Mr. Noble has since won support from the European Union to encourage its member states to take part.
By Dec. 31, Interpol expects to have several million stolen documents registered from dozens of countries.
Interpol would like to be the repository for such information, Mr. Noble said, but privacy protection laws bar many countries from disclosing data from travel documents, even if the documents have been stolen.
For such data, Interpol is developing a system that will send searches to databases in its member countries: if there were hits, the requesting party would receive a notice reporting which country had the corresponding record and the two countries could then exchange information.
Interpol is developing similar systems to allow countries to check fingerprints and DNA samples against those on file in other member countries.
Mr. Noble said the systems were intended to protect the privacy of individuals while allowing the police to check whether people implicated in one country had been involved in crimes in another.
"In the future, we hope that if a country sends a fingerprint, for example, we can relay the request to all our member countries and get a reply, yes or no," Mr. Noble said.
Blanks present a particular problem because once a photo and personal information have been added, there is no way to see that the document is false unless the border police check the passport number, which normally exists in no database outside the home country.
Interpol's database, available via a secure Internet connection, is only useful if it is used at border control points around the world, but few countries have made it available to their immigration services.
The stolen documents on file are a small fraction of those circulating around the world, but still, Interpol says member countries should check all issued visas against the database to see which ones were obtained with a false document.
Summarized by Copernic Summarizer
Being defeated is often only a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. Marilyn vos Savant
Religion Feeds Sudan's FireBy MARC LACEY
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?tntget=2004/08/22/international/africa/22sudan.html&;tntemail0 Summary FURBURANGA, Sudan - In the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan, the killers pray toward Mecca. The million displaced people do as well. Marauding men on horseback, the women raped by them, the rebels who incited the fighting and the politicians, soldiers and police officers who have failed to control it, nearly all are Muslim. There was the man from one of Darfur's African tribes who walked into an empty field near the refugee camp he now calls home and prayed - for life to return to normal, for his family's suffering to end, for his fear to dissipate. He stood, then knelt, then touched his forehead to a small mat, and the despair around him faded, he said, if only for a moment. But at some of the burned-out villages that now scar Darfur's landscape there are signs of disregard for religion - charred pages from Korans scattered in the rubble, makeshift mosques leveled. Sudan has a history of Christian-Muslim frictions and war. A rebel movement in the south, dominated by Christians, has fought the Islamic government in Khartoum for decades, largely over religious freedom. That conflict now appears to be petering out, partly because of involvement of the United States. But instead of peace, Sudan is now mired in a grievous conflict in Darfur. Political rivalries, ethnic strife and poverty have fueled the clashes - but that has not stopped combatants from invoking religion and challenging the devotion of their rivals. In the long history of the Muslims, "it is not uncommon for people to question each other's version of Islam," said Arif Shaikh, a representative of Islamic Relief U.S.A. who visited Darfur in April. "But this is really a political, not a religious, dispute. So much animosity has built up, and that's why it's gotten to this level." While the Muslims fight, many Sudanese revert to their historic grudges, directed against Christians, the United States and foreigners in general. Inside the mosques of Khartoum, which follow the Sunni branch of Islam, there has been plenty of discussion about Darfur but little success at finding a way to end the bloodshed. No religious leader has yet publicly chastised the combatants, either Arab or African. But America-bashing, long a theme at Friday Prayer, is as fierce as ever. "We caution our people in Sudan and our people in western Sudan against trusting the U.S.A., that it wants to help them," an imam, Abd-al-Jalil al-Nathir al-Karuri, said in a sermon broadcast on television in early August. "What is being done now is for the interests of one country - Israel." Another imam, Isam Ahmad al-Bashir, in a sermon translated from Arabic by the BBC, urged his followers at another Friday Prayer service to resist foreign intervention. "We must all say, irrespective of our different affiliations and leanings, races and groups, a resounding 'no' to foreign intervention, which is lying in wait for our people," he said. "This is an issue that requires no bargaining. Divinity, morality and humanity is required in denouncing all forms of foreign intervention or we will be committing treason against God, religion and country." The continuing conflict with the Christians began in 1983 after the president at the time, Gaafar al-Nimeiry, began a campaign to make the country adhere more closely to Islamic law; his effort included amputations as punishments for theft and public lashings for alcohol consumption. He replaced non-Muslim judges in the south with Muslims and applied Shariah penalties to many non-Muslims in Khartoum and parts of the north.
BUSINESS/FINANCIAL DESK | August 21, 2004, Saturday
WIDE U.S. INQUIRY INTO PURCHASING FOR HEALTH CARE
By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH (NYT) words
Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 1 , Column 6
Summary: The Justice Department has opened a broad criminal investigation of the medical-supply industry, apparently to determine whether hospitals and other medical care providers are fraudulently overcharging Medicare and other federal and state health programs for a wide array of goods -- from rubber gloves to drugs to X-ray machines.
More than a dozen medical-supply companies recently received federal subpoenas in what appears to be a wide-ranging investigation into the way suppliers market products to clinics, hospitals and nursing homes that serve Medicare and Medicaid patients, and whether those institutions properly account for the purchases.
Industry executives expect many hospitals to receive similar requests in coming weeks.
The central issue, according to current and former industry executives, is whether the industry's use of rebates, discounts, barter arrangements and refunds to hospitals and other medical centers means that Medicare and Medicaid are being charged higher prices for products than the hospitals are actually spending.
The investigation appears to be centered on the medical-supply industry's dealings with Novation, a company in Irving, Tex., that is an industry leader in negotiating the contracts that thousands of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other facilities use to buy drugs and other supplies.
About $20 billion a year in medical products and services are sold under contracts arranged by Novation, which is owned by about 2,200 of the hospitals and care centers that use its services.
They include well-known medical centers like New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Yale-New Haven Health Services and Baylor Health Care System in Dallas.
Because Novation is the link between thousands of health facilities on one side, and hundreds of medical goods and services companies on the other, the scope of the federal investigation appears to be broad.
A Novation official confirmed this week that the company was recently served with a federal subpoena demanding that it produce documents.
''This matter is in the very early stages,'' Novation's senior vice president, Jody Hatcher, said in an e-mail reply to a reporter's questions.
''Novation will fully cooperate with the U.S. attorney's office to provide the requested documents.'' Mr. Hatcher did not characterize the type of documents sought.
Mr. Hatcher also cautioned against drawing any inferences from the subpoena's references to various sections of the United States Code that deal with health care offenses.
''These subpoenas can be issued without any finding of misconduct,'' he said.
''It would be misleading to state or imply that Novation, or any of its constituents or vendors, has violated any of the statutes you referenced.''
Hospitals and clinics are financed with public money to a great degree, through programs like Medicare that reimburse many of the costs they incur in treating patients.
If a hospital submits an erroneous cost report to Medicare, it can receive a larger reimbursement than it is due.
If this is done knowingly, it can constitute Medicare fraud, which can carry fines and a 10-year prison sentence.
The federal investigation came to light after one medical products company, Becton, Dickinson, disclosed last week in its quarterly financial report that it had been served with a subpoena.
Becton, Dickinson, the world's largest maker of medical needles and syringes, said in the report that it believed its transactions with Novation had ''fully complied with the law,'' that it would cooperate and that it was not currently a target of the investigation.
Some of the other big companies to be served with subpoenas are the drug makers Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Genentech; the G.E. Healthcare medical equipment unit of General Electric, and Cardinal Health, a big manufacturer and distributor of drugs and medical supplies.
Based on the federal codes cited in a copy of one of the subpoenas, investigators are seeking evidence of health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft or bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, obstruction of investigations and other possible violations.
The subpoena was signed by Shannon Ross, criminal chief of the United States attorney's office in Dallas.
A spokeswoman for that office declined to discuss the subpoenas or to confirm that an investigation was in progress, citing longstanding policy.
Most of the companies also declined to discuss the matter, other than to say that they would cooperate with investigators.
Novation's primary business is to pool the purchasing volume of about 2,200 hospitals, as well as thousands of nursing homes, clinics and physicians' practices, and to use their collective power to negotiate contracts with suppliers at a discount.
In many cases, the contracts offer special rebates to hospitals that meet certain purchasing targets.
Although Novation is not well known outside the industry, it wields formidable power because it can open, or impede, access to a vast institutional market for health products.
Novation's business practices, which were the subject of an investigation in 2002 by The New York Times, have drawn criticism from several parties, including the antitrust subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The practices under scrutiny include questionable payments in the awarding of contracts and incomplete accounting of the rebates paid to hospitals and other medical centers.
The chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee, Mike DeWine, Republican of Ohio, and Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat, have been monitoring Novation and other companies involved in the group purchasing of health products.
In hearings, they have expressed concerns about possible abuses and have publicly called on companies in the industry to adopt heightened ethics policies or risk tighter regulation.
The subcommittee is expected to hold another hearing on the issue next month.
Novation has also been attacked by other companies, in past testimony to the subcommittee and through civil suits brought by small medical suppliers that accused it of freezing them out of a big share of the market for medical products.
Novation was created in 1998 as a joint venture of two networks of nonprofit hospitals, VHA Inc. of Irving, Tex., and University HealthSystem Consortium of Oak Brook, Ill.
VHA, the larger of the two networks, holds the larger stake in Novation.
Those yearly distributions, as well as the rebates to hospitals that meet their purchasing contract targets and certain in-kind contributions, effectively lower the hospitals' purchasing costs.
Summarized by Copernic Summarizer
A Car Accident.then came Success
Have you ever wondered how some of the worst things that happen in your life turn out to be some of the best experiences you've ever had? Well, a fellow member of my church once told a story about one such experience that changed his life. For years, he had difficulty saving to buy a house because something would always occur and consume more money than he had expected to spend. Despite his efforts he simply could not go long before spending the extra cash that he had saved. Then one day a car accident badly damaged the car his wife was driving. Their mechanic estimated the cost of repairs at five thousand dollars. Unfortunately, they were presently in a financial bind and so the car would have to wait. After contemplating the situation he realized that they needed a solution to their financial problems. To remedy the situation he worked long and hard for weeks, saving and managing his money in a way he had never done previously. In a few months he had saved enough funds to have his wife's car repaired. Once the car was repaired he discussed with his wife how quickly they had put aside the money they needed. During their discussion his wife encouraged him to open a second account so they could continue to put away the same amount of money that we were saving every week for the car repair. This money would go towards the house they had always wanted to purchase. He was convinced that if he could save thousand of dollars in a few months he could eventually save enough to buy a house. For many years they had both wanted to buy their dream house but could not seem to come up with the down payment. However, in a little over a year he had saved more than twenty thousand dollars and was able to make the down payment. He had done something in a short while that he had failed to accomplish in his previous attempts to properly handle his finances. Consequently, this man's experiences gave him a different feeling about money. He and his wife have continued to maintain their second account. This time they have decided to start saving for their retirement, putting away just a little less every week than they did for their house. One man embraced a new set of traits because he had a goal that was imperative for him to achieve-he made a plan to achieve it and followed through. The experience of a single misfortune taught him a valuable lesson and challenged him to reprogram his saving, and spending habits. In the process he also changed his family's life. He now enjoys the material benefits along with a sense of accomplishment and pride. The value of making the most of our experiences is that they teach us lessons about life - about failures, successes, and everything in between. In the midst of our challenges always remember success often comes in disguise.
© 2003 Dean Pennicott. Dean is the author of a very inspiring new ebook MAKE SUCCESS HAPPEN which received a great review from a CBS 60 Minutes II correspondent.
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