Friday the 13th Special: Debunking the Myths of Bad Luck

The writer with her black cat, Shadow.

July 13, 2012 12:00 PM Text Size: A . A . A
References to Friday as an unlucky day
first appeared in Western literature in the 17th Century?any business conducted or jobs, journeys and harvests begun were ill-fated. And it is believed that the number came to represent bad luck because that?s how many people sat at the table of the Last Supper?and the first to leave died soon afterward. Combine the two, say the superstitious, and something very bad is bound to happen.

Today is Friday the 13th?that irregular holiday of superstitions?and, to celebrate, we?re taking a closer look at those everyday household happenings turned supernatural that the old wives blame for bad luck. It?s hardly 9/11 or Katrina, but this is Popular Mechanics, and we like to debunk things. Plus, it?s still Friday, and we like to have a little fun. So I asked some of PM?s expert editors?and drew on my own experience?to prove, once and for all, that the myths of Friday the 13th are pure poppycock.

Walking Under a Ladder


Many believe that because ladders form the shape of a triangle, they are representative of the Holy Trinity?and that walking through it, which is equal to breaking the Holy Trinity, puts you in league with Beelzebub. But according to Senior Home Editor Roy Berendsohn, walking under a ladder is nothing more than a physical danger. ?If someone is high up on an extension ladder and you walk between it and the house, you might get a tool dropped on your head,? he says, ?but you won?t be cursed for life.? And since people know there?s a risk of injury by falling wrench, it seems silly to blame fate, luck or lack thereof. Try stupidity instead.

Crossing Paths with a Black Cat


Cats may be aloof, snooty and bad-tempered, but they certainly aren?t evil. Long ago, cats were associated in Egypt with religion and elsewhere with witchcraft but why black cats in particular are assumed to be bad luck remains somewhat of a mystery. ?It's really just a genetic quirk,? says Senior Science Editor Jennifer Bogo. "Cats are black because they carry two recessive genes?not because they're from the dark side. In fact, black cats can actually be lucky, because by mapping the cat genome we can learn about human disease." In my own experience, black cats are a joy to own, and while the felines themselves seem to have misfortune aplenty (They?re tough to see at night, and I grew up in a house next to a major road. Capeesh?), they haven?t brought me any.

Not Leaving the Embers Burning


It?s been said that if you completely put out a fire before you go to bed, you?ll hit an unfortunate streak. But Berendsohn begs to differ: ?That comes from an era before matches and other means of rapidly re-lighting a fire.? While it?s okay to leave embers smoldering, he says, ?You don't want to have live embers in a fireplace and turn in for the night without thoroughly protecting the hearth area using a fire screen. That way, if an ember pops and shoots some sparks, it's intercepted by the screen.? When camping, Berendsohn insists, even the superstitious need to take a walk on the wild side. ?You never leave a[n outdoor] fire with live embers?ever. The fire is doused, raked around to be sure there are no active glowing members. Ideally, the ashes and coals are covered with dirt before departing.? Ironically or not, Friday the 13th this year also falls in the middle of Fire Prevention Week.

Breaking a Mirror


The first mirror-makers were the ancient Romans, who believed that glass reflected a person?s soul. They also believed that life renewed itself every seven years, so breaking a mirror?and, thus, your soul?meant seven long years of misery. But a more likely culprit for any ill health following a shattering is mercury, which was used in mirrors until the 1800s. ?Mercury is a neurotoxin?it affects the nervous system,? Bogo says. ?Mercury poisoning can lead to madness; that?s the big one. It can also damage the nerves and the kidneys, cause gingivitis and affect the development of infants and children.? Thankfully, the element is no longer used to make mirrors, rendering this myth moot.

Spotting a Bat at Home


While some might consider having a bat perched peacefully somewhere in your house bad luck in and of itself, superstition would have us believe that having the creepy creatures flying around brings on even more misfortune. It?s a good thing I didn?t know that when I was 13 and woke up to a bat winging its way around my room, disoriented because of the daylight but otherwise nonconfrontational. As I huddled under the covers with my (black) cat, Shadow, I might have been helplessly frightened, but I wasn?t unlucky?then, or in the days following, or at all.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/natural-disasters/4199622?src=rss

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Early video shows CyanogenMod 10 progress on Optimus 4X HD

With the Android 4.1 source code having recently dropped on AOSP, custom ROM makers are quickly making progress in getting the new version ported to a variety of devices. One of those is the much-anticipated CyanogenMod 10, and this morning one of CM's leading devs has posted a short teaser video showing the Jelly Bean-powered CM10 in action.

Ricardo Cerquiera released the above video on YouTube and Google+, demonstrating a surprisingly functional ROM on the LG Optimus 4X HD. Zipping around the UI, we see that the camera, multitasking and phone calls are all working, though this early build seems to have a couple of issues with the new Google Search app. In any case, it's an impressive amount of progress considering how short a time the Jelly Bean source has been available.

As always, the first rule of CyanogenMod applies here, and the team isn't giving any ETAs for CM10 nightly builds.  We'll be waiting to try this on our devices just as soon as it's ready.

Source: +Ricardo Cerquiera

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/pK8DaUDnp3w/story01.htm

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Ins?lito informe: ?Gran Breta?a vendi? 2,3 millones de libras en material militar a Argentina en los ?ltimos dos a?os?

13 de julio de 2012: Gran Breta?a vendi? 2,3 millones de libras en? material militar a Argentina en los ?ltimos dos a?os a pesar de las crecientes tensiones sobre la soberan?a de las Malvinas.

Los Ministros aprobaron? la exportaci?n de materiales? para helic?pteros, buques de guerra, aviones y radares, as? como equipos de comunicaciones y escopetas.

Las remesas fueron enviadas a Buenos Aires cuando la presidenta argentina Cristina Fern?ndez de Kirchner, le demandaba a? Gran Breta?a a entregar las islas.

Las cifras publicadas en un informe elaborado por los diputados se?alan: al menos ?700.000 de las armas fueron vendidas entre octubre y diciembre del a?o pasado. Las empresas no fueron nombradas? en el informe.

Los Comit?s de los? Controles de Exportaci?n de Armas expresaron? su inquietud de que los env?os hab?an sido entregados a la Argentina? cuando amenazaban por las? islas.

En abril, el secretario de Negocios Vince Cable anunci? que ?la pol?tica de control de exportaciones a Buenos Aires se est? apretando a ra?z de una serie de conflictos, entre ellos la Argentina y la intensificaci?n de su pol?tica oficial de bloquear el territorio brit?nico?.

El Comit? inst? al Gobierno a que presione a los EE.UU., la UE y otros pa?ses para detener la exportaci?n de productos militares y de tecnolog?a a la Argentina.

En el informe tambi?n acusan a los ministros de no tomar suficientemente en cuenta los derechos humanos en la adjudicaci?n de licencias para la exportaci?n de armas a los reg?menes, como Bahrein y Siria, donde partidarios de la democracia est?n siendo reprimidos.

Sir John Stanley, presidente conservador de la comisi?n, dijo: ?El Gobierno debe aplicar juicios mucho m?s cautelosos teniendo en cuenta las solicitudes de licencias de exportaci?n para las mercanc?as a los reg?menes autoritarios que podr?an utilizarse para facilitar la represi?n interna?.

En el informe tambi?n acusan? a los ministros de no tomar suficientemente en cuenta las preocupaciones de derechos humanos en la adjudicaci?n de licencias para la exportaci?n de armas a reg?menes autoritarios.

Source: http://m24digital.com/2012/07/13/insolito-informe-gran-bretana-vendio-23-millones-de-libras-en-material-militar-a-argentina-en-los-ultimos-dos-anos/

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After Facebook freeze, IPO market starts to thaw

NEW YORK (AP) ? With new public stock offerings for guitar maker Fender and travel booking website Kayak on deck next week, there are signs demand is starting to grow for IPOs after a five-week freeze triggered by a steep decline in financial markets and exacerbated by Facebook's rocky May 18 debut.

Five companies are scheduled to go public next week alone, including Fender, Kayak and Palo Alto Networks, a maker of computer network security products. After Facebook, just four deals made it to market by the end of June, marking the longest stretch without an initial public offering of stock since August-October 2011. Stocks sank then in the wake of the U.S. debt limit showdown and a deepening European financial crisis.

The resurgence now is a welcome indication that dealmakers are regaining confidence about raising money through IPOs.

But the situation is far from rosy.

There are 68 companies expected to raise $14.4 billion through IPOs later this year, according to research firm Dealogic, Last year at this time there were almost double that amount of companies ? 135, looking to raise $23.6 billion.

"If the market stays healthy ? the overall market ? I think we will see a lot of IPO activity in the second half," said Nick Einhorn, an analyst with Renaissance Capital. But another plunge in stock markets could make it difficult for companies to raise money by selling shares.

The types of companies that try to raise money will also affect the IPO market. Mutual funds and the other big investors who tend to buy IPO shares are less likely now to be attracted to technology companies like social networks and games maker Zynga Inc. They've shifted to business technology companies such as Palo Alto Networks, which they consider more stable.

Stocks of several of these kinds of companies have performed well since their IPOs. ServiceNow Inc., a provider of so-called "cloud" technology services to companies, went public in late June, pricing at $18, above its expected range of $15 to $17. The stock has risen 34 percent from its debut. Jive Software Inc., which makes internal social networks for corporations, started trading in December and has climbed 56 percent from its IPO price.

Well-known consumer brands also help drum up excitement for IPOs among retail investors, the "regular" people who buy and sell stocks. There are high hopes for Fender Musical Instruments Corp., the company behind the famous Fender Stratocaster electric guitars. It's looking to raise up to $160.5 million in its IPO next week.

Several other consumer-oriented deals could ignite excitement later this year, said Morningstar analyst James Krapfel, citing Bloomin' Brands Inc., the owner of Outback Steakhouse; English professional soccer club Manchester United; and Coty Inc., maker of OPI nail polish and Jennifer Lopez perfume. Krapfel doesn't expect much demand for deals in industries sensitive to economic concerns and weak commodity prices such as industrial and energy companies.

But even companies in industries considered appealing will have a hard time if the broader markets don't cooperate. Fears about the faltering global economy stalled the IPO market in May, when economic worries drove the Standard & Poor's 500 index down 6.3 percent. In June, the index rallied 4 percent, but the IPO market tends to lag the broader market and reacts to the prior month's decline.

That's one reason experts like Einhorn remain wary. The S&P 500 is down 2 percent in July and a sluggish U.S. economy, signs of slowing growth in China and financial crises in Europe may douse enthusiasm. Also, summer is traditionally a slow time for making deals since many bank executives take vacation in July and August.

And then there's the memory of Facebook's disappointing debut. The stock was expected to take off and ignite investor demand for other IPOs. Instead, it closed up just 23 cents from its IPO price of $38 on its first day of trading. The stock has fallen about 19 percent since then and now trades around $31.

Facebook's decline after its long-awaited, highly anticipated IPO of the social network was "no question" a big negative for the IPO market, so the more time passes, the better, said Sam Hamadeh, the CEO of PrivCo, a research firm that follows privately held companies.

On the plus side, investors may take heart from a spurt of IPO activity at the end of last quarter. The stocks of all four companies that went public in the last week of June are trading at or above their IPO price.

Next week's scheduled IPOs include Fender, the travel website Kayak Software Corp., which expects to raise as much as $87.5 million; network security company Palo Alto Networks Inc., hoping to fetch as much as $229.4 million; Five Below Inc., a discount teen retailer, seeking to raise up to $134.4 million, and biotech company Durata Therapeutics Inc., which could raise up to $81.9 million.

Source: http://feeds.sfgate.com/click.phdo?i=ca4f200010357985bb29c8bebe4fdcad

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Bottom Line: Ocean Floor Sediments May Be Window on World's Warmer Future

Image: IFE, URI-IAO, UW, Lost City Science Party; NOAA/OAR/OER; The Lost City 2005 Expedition

Digging into our planet's past could help us prepare for a hot future. One dramatic spike in historical temperatures, the Paleocene?Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), occurred around 55.9 million years ago. That time was marked by changes in ocean productivity, the water cycle, ocean acidification and land animal migrations. Now a new study by researchers in the U.K. confirms the ocean held less dissolved oxygen.

Similarly, low oxygen zones caused by modern climate change threaten marine life and humans who depend on the ocean for food. Deoxygenated zones in the North Pacific and tropical oceans have expanded in the last 50 years, according to a 2009 review from researchers in Europe and the U.S.

To peek into ancient climate for a possible clue to our future, Alex Dickson, a paleoceanographer, and his colleagues at The Open University in England analyzed sediment samples gathered by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, an ongoing international marine research project. The sediment cores were pulled from the Lomonosov Ridge in the Arctic Ocean. The team estimated the extent of low-oxygen seawater in global oceans by measuring the ratio of molybdenum isotopes in the sediment samples. The ratios "imply a small but significantly higher level of low-oxygen marine environments compared with the present day," the team wrote in the July issue of Geology.

The marine sediment Dickson's team analyzed is "black, gritty" and sulfur-rich, oxygen poor. The proportion of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor seafloor sediments regulates the balance of molybdenum isotopes. In well-oxygenated environments, light molybdenum isotopes adhere to the surface of manganese oxides, Dickson explains. But that process, called adsorption, happens slowly. A single molybdenum atom can hang around in the ocean for several hundreds of thousands of years on average before it is adsorbed. In low-oxygen but high-sulfide marine sediments, however, all molybdenum isotopes are taken up quickly, regardless of weight. As a result, sulfur-rich, oxygen-poor sediments reflect the composition of molybdenum isotopes in seawater during the time the sediment was deposited. Once the seawater ratio has been estimated, it gives researchers a way to calculate the extent of differently oxygenated regions in the ancient ocean.

An intriguing secondary finding is a number of samples with isotope ratios outside the range typically observed. The extremely low values may reflect a period of hydrothermal volcanism, Dickson speculates, or unusual chemical conditions such as an altered seawater pH. His team would need to analyze other isotope signatures to find the answer. Dickson also hopes to analyze other sediment samples similar to the one studied. Drifting ice floes make drilling in the Arctic Ocean tricky, and the core the team analyzed was missing a section near the onset of the PETM.

Tim Lyons, a biogeochemistry professor at the University of California, Riverside, commends the researchers for the study's thoroughness and calls it one of the first studies to experimentally validate the idea that warming during the PETM led to low oxygen levels in the ocean. Lyons, who was not involved in the study, specifies that the study does not prove that low oxygen levels were causing massive marine organism death, but it does indicate something in the ocean environment was "potentially quite different. And the missing part of the record could be even more dramatic." (Lyons co-wrote a commentary on the Dickson team's work.)

The findings are important in the face of today's changing climate, Lyons says. "We hope it resonates," he adds, this kind of broad-scale phenomenon could potentially have a big effect on the ocean and our relationship with the ocean."

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=ec32cfa1945f79f5b4b51c04a8bec726

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Apple Has been Involved in 3 of Every 5 Mobile Tech Patent Suits Over the Last 2 Years

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US-Russian adoption pact met with caution, hope - KansasCity.com

When they adopted their son from a Russian orphanage in 2007, veterinarian Dan Genatiempo and his wife, Nancy, endured a year filled with red tape, tens of thousands of dollars in travel costs and months of anxious waiting.

The suburban Indianapolis couple recently began the process of adopting a Russian sister for their now 6-year-old son, Max. But they aren't overly optimistic that their second adoption will be any easier, despite the Russian parliament's approval of a long-awaited agreement to simplify the adoptions by Americans."I think it's going to be a beneficial thing, but as far as changing the process real drastically, I honestly don't expect it to," Dan Genatiempo said Wednesday.The adoption climate between the two nations soured in April 2010, when a Tennessee woman put her 7-year-old son alone on a plane with a one-way ticket back to Russia. She said the boy had emotional problems and claimed she had been misled by a Russian orphanage about his condition.Russian officials responded by threatening to halt all adoptions by Americans.Adoption agencies and prospective parents hope the agreement ratified on Tuesday will ease tensions between the two countries over the abuse and deaths of Russian children adopted by U.S. parents. Russian officials say at least 19 adopted children have died at the hands of their American parents.Opportunities for international adoptions have declined dramatically in recent years as countries such as China have tightened restrictions and begun promoting domestic adoption and foster care to keep more children in their native countries.Russia was the third-most popular country for international adoptions in 2011. Only China and Ethiopia had more. Many American families turn to international adoption after being frustrated by a shortage of healthy U.S. infants or long wait times for private adoptions. Others are drawn by interest in foreign cultures or a desire for a child of a specific gender.Although a total shutdown of American adoptions of Russian children never happened, the Russian adoption process has slowed dramatically over the past several years. The State Department says 970 Russian children were adopted by U.S. families in 2011, down from 5,862 in 2004.Part of that decline can be attributed to Russia's recent embrace of a foster system allowing Russian families to care for orphans in exchange for compensation, said Inna Pecar, president and CEO of KidsFirst International Adoption Inc., an Indianapolis-based adoption agency. The high cost of traveling - Russia now requires adoptive parents to make three trips to Russia - also has been a factor, Pecar said.In the wake of the incident involving the Tennessee woman, about a quarter of the nearly 25 American agencies that handle Russian adoptions stopped taking applications from parents seeking Russian children, said Tom DiFilipo, president and CEO of the Joint Council on International Children's Services.The 2010 episode rattled adoption agencies, the Russian government and adoptive parents, he said."It was an isolated incident, but it was definitely something that shook the adoption community," DiFilipo said.He hopes those agencies will resume taking applications now that an agreement between the two nations is nearly in place.The agreement, which advocates said still needs the signature of Russian President Vladimir Putin, stipulates that Russia will only work with U.S.-accredited adoption agencies - those recommended by the State Department. In addition, it establishes a central adoption authority in Russia, according to Chuck Johnson, president and CEO of the National Council for Adoption, a nonprofit adoption advocacy group based in Alexandria, Va.Both he and DiFilipo acknowledged that it will take time for Russia to implement the new regulations, but they said the rules create a solid framework for international adoptions."It's a huge step in the right direction," Johnson said.Many agencies and parents say they'll wait and see how the changes proceed.Jennifer Doane, clinical manager of the Russian adoption program at Wide Horizons for Children in Waltham, Mass., said people are pleased the agreement has been ratified and hope "it will make adoptions go more smoothly and quickly."But Lowell Highby of Nevada, Iowa, doubts that will happen.Highby adopted a 10-year-old boy from Russia in January 2010 but said his attempt to adopt a girl in July 2011 ended in heartbreak. When he traveled to Russia on one of the three required trips, he said it quickly became apparent that there was political pressure to avoid sending children home with Americans."They were going after the orphanage director and social services agency about not doing enough to find a home for her in Russia," Highby said.The Russian government is focusing on the small percentage of adoptions that don't turn out well instead of the thousands that do, Highby said. Lost in the mix are children in orphanages longing for a home, he said."What's happening to Russian kids in Russia? Let's focus on that."Highby said he would still like to adopt another child but doubts there will be much of an increase in Russian adoptions as a result of the agreement."With the process becoming more difficult and convoluted and more expensive, I don't see that happening," Highby said.Keith Wallace, CEO of the Evansville, Ind.-based Families Thru International Adoption, said he isn't rushing to resume accepting applications for his agency's Russian adoption program.He said his organization, which has helped Americans adopt about 1,000 Russian children in the last two decades, first wants to see how the adoption system is implemented before accepting new applications from hopeful adoptive parents."In my opinion, it's not a good decision to sit there and think everything's fixed just because the law has been passed," he said. "The implementation of laws is different than the passage of laws.""I want to know exactly what path they're going down before I start walking down the path with them."

Associated Press writers Carson Walker in Phoenix and Denise Lavoie in Boston contributed to this story.

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/11/3701126/us-russian-adoption-pact-met-with.html

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Manager to oversee Georgia tycoon's seized assets

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/manager-oversee-georgia-tycoons-seized-assets-183440277--sector.html

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Wells Fargo pays $175M to settle discrimination probe

By msnbc.com staff and news services

The Justice Department says Wells Fargo & Co. will pay at least $175 million to settle accusations that it violated fair-lending laws.

Wells Fargo allegedly engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers in its mortgage lending from 2004 through 2009.

The settlement, which needs approval from a judge, would end the investigation into whether the fourth largest U.S. bank between 2004 and 2009 knowingly targeted minorities for risky mortgages that came with higher costs, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

"The Department of Justice today filed the second largest fair lending settlement in the department?s history to resolve allegations that Wells Fargo Bank, the largest residential home mortgage originator in the United States, engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers in its mortgage lending from 2004 through 2009," said a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The settlement will provide $125 million in compensation?for minority borrowers the DOJ said were steered into subprime mortgages, which?usually carry higher fees. Wells Fargo will pay?$50 million more in?direct down payment assistance to borrowers?in parts of the country?where the DOJ identified large numbers of discrimination victims.???

At a news conference, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the government will ensure that borrowers hit hard by the housing crisis will have an opportunity to access homeownership.

Cole said the bank's discriminatory lending practices resulted in more than 34,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers in 36 states and the District of Columbia paying higher rates for loans solely because of the color of their skin.

Wells Fargo in May said it could face civil charges under laws that prohibit discrimination against minority homebuyers. At the time, the lender said in a securities filing it believed the charges should not be brought and said it was seeking to show the department that it is in compliance with fair lending laws.

The government investigation found that loans submitted to Wells Fargo by mortgage brokers had varied interest rates, fees, and costs based only on race and not correlated to the borrowers' creditworthiness, according to the court document.

The bank had no immediate comment on Thursday.

The disclosure came after Bank of America Corp's Countrywide Financial unit agreed in December to pay a record $335 million to settle similar charges.

Last year, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo received an $85 million penalty from the Federal Reserve Board over charges it steered borrowers into high-cost loans. The Fed ordered Wells to compensate certain borrowers between $1,000 and $20,000.

The cities of Baltimore and Memphis filed suits alleging Wells Fargo engaged in "reverse redlining," or intentionally targeting minority communities for predatory mortgage loans, leading to high foreclosures in minority neighborhoods.

In May, Memphis agreed to drop its suit after Wells Fargo agreed to contribute $7.5 million toward local homeowner and economic development initiatives. The bank also set a $425 million mortgage lending goal in the Memphis area, including $125 million in loans for low- and moderate-income borrowers.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/12/12703799-wells-fargo-pays-175m-to-settle-race-discrimination-probe?lite

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The Lu Lac Political Letter: THe LuLac Edition #2121, July 11th, 2012

Our "Write On Wednesday" logo.

Dr. Joe Leonardi and Wil Toole.?


WRITE ON WEDNESDAY?

HEALTH CARE/TWO VIEWS?

With the Health Care bill still being debated, this week?s ?Write On Wednesday? has two points of view. Both are friends of this site, Dr. Joe Leonardi and Wil Toole. First up, Doctor Leonardi.?
I know my good friend Dave has been going on and on and on about the recent health care reform bill. I think he has probably written more about it than he has about the tearing down of St. John the Baptist, However, it is time to realize that the battle concerning the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), informally referred to as Obamacare, is officially over. Yes it is. If you are for it celebrate. If you oppose it --- get over it. Any person with even a passing knowledge of U.S. politics understands that once a bill is passed, signed into law and then upheld by the Supreme Court there is nothing left to do. I know there are republicans who are vowing to repeal the law --- please, get real. There isn?t a spine in the U.S. Congress, especially on the republican side. This is a big financial boon to large insurance companies who contribute wads of cash to both parties, not a single politician on either side is going to rock that boat. Additionally, if Governor Romney wins, does anyone really think that he is going to drop the plan for which he drew up the blueprint? The most disturbing fact is that whether this reform stands, is unlikely repealed, or is replaced with a national universal plan, the cost of health care will continue to escalate exponentially and eventually bankrupting any system. Because, what gets lost in all of the debate is the reality that today?s medical doctor spends relatively little time curing disease. Most of the conditions that are crippling the American system are not caused by infectious agents. The bulk of what the modern medicine man and woman takes care of are the result of poor lifestyle choices, and until that is addressed, the cost will continue to rise, no matter the yarn any politician or pundit attempts to spin. Most chronic diseases in this country can be attributed to tobacco, alcohol or obesity. Either alone or combined, these three controllable variables are primary factors driving up the cost of health care. No matter what rhetoric anyone uses to pretty it up, until these three issues are given their due consideration, the costs will continue to climb. When it comes to controlling spending, the Affordable Care Act is as stupid as, and even less effective than, placing a bandage on a gunshot wound to the heart. The information on smoking has been out there for decades and for some reason beyond any explanation, people continue the activity. I discuss alcohol from time to time, because it can go hand in hand the topic with which I am very familiar --- obesity. Obesity is the big one. It is a growing problem, not only in the United States, but worldwide, my last interview was for a website based out of France. I write for an international website on the topics of obesity, health, wellness and fitness and I am often asked to give interviews on the same topics. The problem is not complex, but it is difficult for many people because: - The U.S. government has had a food policy that for decades has encouraged the production and consumption of the very foods that make us obese. - Dr. Ancel Keys? silly conclusions influenced Senator George McGovern's panel which eventually led to the starch-laden food pyramid, that in turn gave rise to numerous low fat, fake food substances, which instead of lowering heart disease has increased it. - The U.S. government has given erroneous information about obesity management. - It is not all government, the media has helped; everyone from the pudgy purveyors of food pornography at the food network to local beer hawkers at WILK, promote the purchase and consumption of waist widening and health destroying products. There is much more, but perhaps the most important is the shunning of self-responsibility. No matter what the influences are, the fact is that we control the type and amount of food we shove down are gullets and the amount of exercise we put out. Unless there is an underlying medical condition, obesity should not be having the impact it is on today?s population. We live in a country were children as young as eleven are now type II diabetics. That is not only unbelievable, it should be unacceptable. Obesity and obesity related issues will cost upwards of 300 BILLION dollars and that figure is only going to grow larger. Unless the epidemic of obesity is addressed and conquered, all the reform in the world is not going to do a damn thing. As it stands now, doctors are being transformed from professionals who treat disease into nannies who simply give a spoonful of medicine in an attempt to manage the self-inflicted chronic diseases that ail their patients. Is there some fantasy world where a government reform act is going to stop this? Not likely. Even Mayor Bloomberg's silly soda size ban, if put into effect, will have zero impact. It is up to us to educate and be responsible for ourselves. All of this effort has been applied to the wrong portion of health care. It is time to stop focusing solely on care, and put the emphasis on health if we want to do anything meaningful for our fellow citizens.??

Dr. Joe Leonardi, D.C. is the president and CEO of Leonardi Chiropractic Wellness Office, PC and BetterLife Seminars by Fat Then Fit Now, INC. He is the author of the life changing book Fat Then Fit Now; A Life Beyond Weight Loss. He is a contributor to NaturallySavvy.com, has a B.S. from University of the State of New York and his Doctor of Chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College. He is an adjunct faculty at Luzerne County Community College teaching Anatomy and Physiology. He has acted as the team chiropractor for the Arena Football League 2?s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, the semi-professional football teams the Scranton Eagles and the NEPA Miners, the women?s roller derby Coal City Rollers and has provided chiropractic care at powerlifting and strong man events. He has made numerous television, radio and internet appearances to discuss the topics of fitness, wellness, obesity, childhood obesity and how childhood obesity relates to bullying.?

NOW, MR. TOOLE?S VIEW?

And the truth be known. There is much being said about the Affordable Health Care Act, (Obama Care) and there is much fist waving and chest thumping by Republican leadership and conservative talk show hosts. It seems that the FOX organization has devoted itself to overturning the Health Care Act. The fact that 30 million Americans will be thrown out of health care at the very same minute they succeed plays no part in their effort. The fact that the pharmaceutical written Medicare "donut hole" is being eliminated and we as individuals are saving hundreds is not even considered. Babies born with birth defects are no longer considered to have "preexisting" conditions and there are no maximums that actually kill people with catastrophic illness are not considered. So what then is the driving force behind killing this Health Care reform? The answer is simple but never mentioned by the Republicans or FOX news. It is the 80/20 rule. Insurance companies are now required to spend 80 cents of every premium dollar on health care. The remaining 20 cents is for administrative costs. That means there will be a strong decline in CEO million dollar pays and company bonus programs for top management. It means that executive memberships in fancy private clubs and country clubs will not be paid for with our premium dollars, corporate jets will be a thing of the past. Any part of that 80 cents not spent on health care must be refunded to plan holders. This my friends is the true reason why the Affordable Health Care Act is under attack. Just ask yourself why anyone would want to eliminate the preexisting clause? Why would anyone want to eliminate the maximum lifetime coverage on any policy and why would anyone want to stop insurance companies from refusing coverage and dropping people from coverage?? It is time for the 99% to wake up and show Speaker Boehner, House R Leader Erik Cantor and Senate R Leader Mitch McConnell the door. It is time to send Congress members such as Lou Barletta back to his private business and out of public business. It is time for Americans to wake up to the fact that the Republican led Congress which voted two years in a row to eliminate Medicare as we know it that we are mad as hell and not taking it any more. Tell the Republicans that we the people have rights and expectations and regardless of how they twist what they are doing, we know what we need and deserve. Take note, The World Health Report 2000, Health Systems: Improving Performance, ranked the U.S. health care system 37th in the world. Google it for yourself and then ask why? Please keep in mind this is not about the health care that is available, it is about the health care that is available to all citizens.? You have two choices, you can sit and wait like sheep about to be slaughtered or you can stand up and make Congress aware that they have kicked a sleeping dog and we will remember them on election day.?

Wil Toole is a former City official in Pittston, ran for the Luzerne County Council and has contributed various ideas on public policy in person and through the media. He is a resident of Dupont and is retired as his personality and energy will allow.

Source: http://lulacpoliticaletter.blogspot.com/2012/07/lulac-edition-2121-july-11th-2012.html

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