Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273945901?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Monday, December 31, 2012
Intel Next Unit of Computing Kit DC3217BY
Earlier this year we reviewed the Raspberry Pi, a $35, credit-card-sized PC system board kit targeting educators and the do-it-yourself crowd. The whole idea behind the Pi is to teach kids how to program PCs while having fun participating in a fun and extremely inexpensive build your own PC project. The innovative Intel Next Unit of Computing (NUC) also comes as a kit, but that?s where any similarities to the Raspberry Pi end. ?Ideal for digital signage applications or as a small but powerful home theater PC, the NUC, a unique little desktop PC, comes as a do-it-yourself barebones kit that is easy to assemble (well, if you've had some experience tinkering with PCs). The kit contains an Intel desktop board, a power adapter, an uber-small form factor chassis, and a VESA mounting bracket and screws.? The NUC has a street price of around $320 but you?ll have to shell out another $200 or so if you want to actually use it as a PC.
Currently, the NUC kit comes in two versions, the DC3217BY, which is being reviewed here, and the DC3217IYE. The two kits differ in that the DC3217BY has a single HDMI port and a Thunderbolt port and has a maroon case cover, while the DC3217IYE has two HDMI ports and a LAN port and has a black case cover.
Design and Features
The DC3217BY comes with Intel?s D33217CK motherboard, which measures just 4-by-4 inches and includes a non-removable ultra low voltage 1.8GHz Core i3-3217U processor and the QS77 Express chipset. The board is small, so there?s not much room for expansion but Intel managed to squeeze in two mini-PCIe slots (one half length and one full length) and two SODIMM memory slots. The NUC supports up to 16GB of dual channel DDR3 1066/1333 MHz RAM but you have to supply your own memory as it is not included in the kit.
Optional components include an mSATA solid state drive and a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth radio, neither of which are included in the kit. However, Intel was kind enough to send along one of their 180GB SSD 520 Series drives and a Centrino Advanced N-6235 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card for testing purposes. The recommended list price for the drive is $189 and the Wi-Fi card will run you around $25, so you?re looking at a cost of over $500 for a fully configured NUC. Additionally, you?ll have to supply your own power cord as one does not ship with the kit for some reason.
The NUC chassis measures 4.4 x 4.6 x 1.5 inches (HWD) and weighs around 17 ounces. It sports a glossy maroon cover with a maroon power switch on top. The front of the matte black base holds one of three available USB 2.0 ports. The other two are around back, nestled between a power jack an HDMI port, and a Thunderbolt port. Oddly, neither version of the NUC supports USB 3.0, and only the DC 3217IYE offers an integrated LAN port. Graphics power comes by way of Intel?s integrated Graphics HD 4000 solution, and there?s a built-in wireless antenna.
Assembly and Performance
There?s not much assembly required with this kit other than installing RAM, the Wi-Fi card, and the mSATA drive. All you?ll need is a regular Philips screwdriver to remove the four screws that hold the cover in place and a smaller jeweler?s Philips screwdriver to install the internal components. Once the cover is removed you have to remove two small screws located near the mini PCIe slots. Install the Wi-Fi card first in the half-height slot on the bottom, attach the two antenna leads, and secure it with one of the screws. Next, install the mSATA drive in the full-height slot, above the Wi-Fi card, and secure it with the remaining screw. Then, install the memory modules. I used one 4GB DIMM, which snaps into place just as a notebook module does (in fact, the 4GB of RAM came from a notebook).
After replacing the cover it was time to fire up the NUC. I used an external USB DVD drive to install Windows 7, which went off without a hitch. The NUC also supports Windows 8 as well as Linux based operating systems such as Fedora, Ubuntu, and OpenSUSE. Once the OS was installed I went to Intel?s NUC website?and downloaded the chipset and wireless drivers. The entire process took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
The NUC?s Core i3 CPU, mSATA drive, and 4GB of RAM produced an impressive PCMark 7 score of 3704, surpassing the HP Pavilion P7-1235 and the Acer Aspire AM3470-UC30P. It?s important to note that this particular test favors solid state drives, which accounts for the NUC?s high score.
On the Cinebench R11.5 test, which gauges raw CPU power, the NUC couldn?t keep pace with the Core i5 powered Giada i53 Mini PC or the AMD A8-5500 powered HP P7-1235. Its Handbrake encoding score of 2:32 was relatively slow but still managed to beat the Aspire by one second. ?
The NUC?s HD Graphics 4000 GPU is more than capable of delivering smooth HD video but it?s not geared for gaming. Although its entry level 3DMark 11 score of 855 was higher than the Acer Aspire M3970G-UW10P (709) it paled in comparison to HP P7-1235 (1,732) and the Aspire AM3470 (1,567). Furthermore, the NUC managed a paltry 19 fps on the Crysis DX10 medium quality test and an even worse 4 fps on the high quality test.
Conclusion
For home user?s, the Intel Next Unit of Computing is an ideal home theater PC solution that delivers third generation Core i3 processing and wireless connectivity to media storage and DLNA enabled devices. Moreover, its tiny form factor and VESA mounting capabilities are tailor made for businesses that rely on digital signage for things like hospitality kiosks and big screen advertising. Granted, it?s not going to replace the desktop as your everyday workhorse, but it?s not designed for that purpose, at least not yet. The lack of USB 3.0 support is odd considering the NUC is all about advanced technology, and it is relatively expensive given its performance and expansion limitations. That said, the NUC is neat little box with loads of potential. It?ll be interesting to see how it evolves and if it will indeed become the future of computing.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:
More Desktop Reviews:
??? Intel Next Unit of Computing Kit DC3217BY
??? AVADirect X79 Gaming PC
??? Acer Aspire AME600-UR378
??? HP Spectre One 23-e010se
??? HP Envy 23-d060qd TouchSmart
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/_mI7BJh36yQ/0,2817,2413649,00.asp
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Microsoft Patents Internet Hugs
Sending hugs long distances sounds like the sort of thing wished for in soppy songs, but Microsoft has just taken out a patent for an Internet-enabled pillow that will give you a hug sent across the Web.
US patent application number 8,332,755 filed by Zhengyon Zhang and six other inventors on behalf of Microsoft Corporation is for ?Force-feedback within telepresence?, which doesn?t sound quite so cuddly, but the idea is that two people can use devices connected to the Internet to add a physical interaction such as a hug or a handshake to long-distance communications.
Who says Steve Ballmer hasn?t got a romantic side?
The patent isn?t just about hugs, though. The application discusses ways you could shake hands over the Web, and the feedback goes further than vibrations. The feedback could include ?friction, haptic, tactile, electric feedback, electrical stimulation, three-dimensional feedback, vibration, shaking, physical resistance, temperature change, motion, noise, pressure, texture, a motion, a replication of touching, any combination thereof, and/or any other suitable feedback communicated via a device.?
?
That seems to leave quite a lot of long-distance money-making options open, but we leave the details of quite what app you might develop open.
In practical terms, Microsoft might well look to its recent acquisition Skype, and add elements of physical presence to that. The patent also talks about whiteboards and handing over documents, which suggests SharePoint might be another candidate for the technology. On the whole, internet hugs sounds a lot more fun.
The idea is an interesting one with lots of practical potential but is it unique? It reminded us of the Like-A-Hug vest invented by researchers at MIT earlier this year that delivers a hug when its wearers gets a like on Facebook.
However it seems to be yet another software/system patent that aims to grab some obvious ideas just because they can be grabbed. Does anyone really think that this patent is going to stand if another company takes it on? The problem is that it is going to put a lot of smaller companies off trying out similar ideas.? This is clearly another nonsense patent in more ways than one.
Source: http://www.i-programmer.info/news/81-web-general/5260-microsoft-patents-internet-hugs.html
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UFC 155 Video: Watch Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez Highlights on GRACIEMAG.com
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Ebony editor dies with cancer
EBONY MAGAZINE EDITOR TERRY GLOVER DIED OF COLON CANCER. By MSN.com
CHICAGO ? Terry Glover, the managing editor of Ebony magazine, has died of colon cancer at her Chicago home. She was 57. Ebony announced on its website that Glover died on Monday. Her husband, Kendall Glover, told the Chicago Tribune that his wife had been fighting cancer for about two years.
Jill Scott Ebony Magazine Photoshoot from Wonderbox Studios on Vimeo.
Terry Glover joined Ebony in 2006 and was appointed managing editor in 2009 after serving as a senior editor for the website for three years. Editor-in-Chief Amy DuBois Barnett said Glover was ?the heart and soul? of the magazine?s team and will be missed. Ebony is published by Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Co.
Johnson Publishing Co. Chairwoman Linda Johnson Rice said Glover was passionate about her work and made innumerable contributions to Ebony.
Source: http://www.massappealnews.com/2012/12/29/ebony-editor-dies-of-cancer/
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The best and most effective online marketing techniques. | Marketing ...
I have been in internet marketing for over three years and have seen marketing techniques come and go. Some are still around and some are new and innovative. Below you will find what I believe to be the best and most effective online marketing techniques.
Article Marketing ? Article marketing was and is one of the most powerful online marketing methods available. Not only does it do wonders for you and your business, it is free as well!
Article marketing consists of writing helpful, informative, easy to understand articles that actually help your readers, not try to sell them something. Then you submit them to article banks, directories and ezine publishers. When your article runs in a popular ezine, it can do great things for your business. Writing articles is not as hard as you might think so give it a try. You will be delightfully surprised at how much it can affect your business.
Remember:
Don?t worry about fancy words. People are looking for help, not big words.
Advertise in your resource box, not your article.
Provide real, helpful info and resources, hot hype!
Write from the heart! Let your personality shine through in your articles.
Blogging ? Blogging is a newer form of online marketing that just started becoming popular in the late 90?s. Blog is short for weblog and means an online publication in the form of a log or journal. Blogs can increase your customer base, your traffic and your search engine ranking, thus increasing your sales.
Blogging can be done for free through such sites as:
blogger.com
wordpress.com
and livejournal.com
Be sure and update your blog regularly; everyday would be best as people like fresh content, ideas and information.
Ezine Publishing ? Ezine publishing has been around much longer than blogging and is far more effective, in my opinion. Your ezine needs to contain helpful resources and information, not just sales pitches. Develop a relationship with your readers. Let them know they can trust you and rely on you when they need your help.
Things to remember when putting together your ezine:
Keep it clean and easy to read.
Limit your advertising and be selective.
Always provide quality content and information.
Add your personality so your readers can get to know you.
Always provide contact info and be accessible.
Be consistent; send your ezine regularly as scheduled.
Be sure and proofread before sending it out.
Online Networking ? Online networking, as with offline networking, is very important to your business. This is when you connect with as many people as possible to learn more and share more about your business. Many leads can come from networking. There are several ways to do this online.
Email Discussion Groups: Go to yahoogroups.com and search for appropriate groups.
Message Boards: Be sure and follow the rules for posting and offer your help as much as possible.
Social Sites: Such as MySpace.com, Ryze, Merchant Circle, etc. These can be great ways to make more contacts and get leads.
Joint Ventures ? This is when you enter into an agreement with another online marketer that will benefit both sides.
Examples of joint ventures:
Ezine Ad Swaps
eBook Ad Swaps
Subscription Page Ad Swaps
Affiliate Programs
Exchange Advertising for % of Sales
and the list goes on and on. Be creative and come up with new ways you and your associates can help each other.
Podcasting ? Podcasting is using digital media files which are distributed all over the internet via syndication feeds. Podcasting is still a fairly new way of online marketing and has great potential. Podcasting can be powerful because it uses voice not written words to get the message across. Offer your articles, do voice interviews, offer a chapter in your ebook via podcast, etc. Again, use your imagination to create new ways to spread the word about your business.
Ezine Advertising ? Advertising your business, product, service, etc. in quality ezines can be well worth the money spent. There are a few things you can to to help you choose which ezines to advertise in.
Do a search to find ezines that cater to your target market. For example: if you are advertising kids? books, you don?t want to advertise in an ezine about cars.
Once you find several targeted ezines, subscribe to them so you can look them over and see if the publisher is reliable in sending them out. You can also look over the other ads and make sure the publisher is selective in their advertising. You can possibly learn what the other readers think of the ezine as well.
Try contacting the publisher to see if they respond to your email. Ask about testimonials from other advertisers. Find out how many ads they run per issue and what the costs are.
You could also ask the publisher to do an ad swap to get an idea of what the response is like. Be selective in your choices and always code your ads so you know which ezines actually deliver.
I hope this article has given you some insight as to how to market your home/online business. I use several of these methods (and should be using the rest) and know from experience that they work!
The possibilities with the internet are endless and we need to keep up with new and innovative ways of marketing ourselves and our business. And we need to keep using tried and true methods as well.
Source: http://marketing-trade.com/the-best-and-most-effective-online-marketing-techniques/
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Fantasy College Basketball Game of the Week: Washington at Connecticut
It has been my longstanding belief that there should be no more than one team with each mascot in college basketball. The brightest young minds in the country should have the creativity to come up with interesting and appropriate names for their schools' sports teams. I give Lipscomb credit for coming up with a new name, but minus points for the lack of grammatical knowledge (Bisons?). The SEC is particularly egregious with a set of Tigers and Wildcats. One year there should be tournament between teams of the same name to determine who gets to keep it. Wouldn't you like to see Arizona and Kentucky play for the right to remain Wildcats? What if Villanova upset both of them to keep the name? On Saturday, the two Tier 1 teams named the Huskies faced off with Washington visiting Connecticut
My overall impression of the two teams was not overly hopeful. Things will have to change to see either team in the NCAA tournament. Connecticut did open the season with a nice win over Michigan State, but has not beaten anyone of note since. They lost to New Mexico and North Carolina State. The main problem is the same as the start of the season. The Huskies East have two high usage, 6-0 guards in Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright. This makes for a good situation for fantasy owners as the two players will get their numbers in most games. As such, Napier had 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Boatright contributed 12 points and three assists. The two combined to shoot 8-of-21 from the field, which is slightly below their combined 45.8 percent. Napier seems to be willing to defer to Boatright and the other UConn players in the first 30 minutes, but the last 10 minutes of the game are Shabazz time.
For the first time in the last few years, Washington doesn't look like it has any NBA-level players. Coach Lorenzo Romar has had a steady stream on drafted players: Terrence Ross, Tony Wroten, Isiah Thomas, Quincy Pondexter, Spencer Hawes, Brandon Roy, Nate Robinson, and even Jon Brockman since 2005. At one point, point guard Abdul Gaddy was a high profile recruit, but he was stuck behind Thomas then Wroten with the Huskies West. He looked like a competent backup point guard at this point after tearing his ACL two year ago. Against UConn's quick guards, Gaddy was unable to penetrate the defense and the UW offense looked ugly. Offenses will tend to do that when they hit less than 30 percent of their shots. C.J. Wilcox had a rough time from the perimeter and scored a season-low five points. He is one of the most consistent scorers in the Pac 12, but just couldn't find any opening versus the Killer Bees.
I thought the Washington bigs would be able to take advantage of Connecticut's relative lack of size, but Desmond Simmons and Aziz N'Diaye combined for six points. Simmons did have 10 rebounds. Perhaps having a slight advantage isn't as the big factor (pun intended) that I have thought. As long as a team has functional and willing low post defenders - which UConn does in Tyler Olander and Enosch Wolf. Other teams, such as Illinois, seem to be doing ok without much offense from their bigs. This may be a trend to watch.
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
The New Energy Future in Sierra Leone
The most daunting and critical challenges our nation faces today is the energy sector, which is the engine of economic growth for any modern society. The government of President Koroma, almost five ...
As guard-killer suspect still at large ? relatives escape death many eyemarked
Residents of the Freetown municipality were awakened by the euphoria last week when the still desperate and uncompromising relatives of the deceased guard in the August 2012 murder incident in which ...
President Koroma?s war on illegal street trading starts on 1 January 2013
If the latest press statement from State House Communications Unitreleased today is anything to go by, then the people of Freetown and tourists alike are in for a New Year's treat. The ...
Message from PV Management
Dear Readers, Compatriots and Friends, PV is taking a short break to energize ourselves for the upcoming new year (2013). We shall be back January 7, 2013. Meanwhile, enjoy yourselves, you deserve ...
Pepe Kalles Mama Leki Ndaya for Presidnet Ernest Koroma
This week?s Musician of the Week is again the great Congolese musician Pepe Kalle, also known as The Elephant. The clip we have selected is specially dedicated to President Ernest Koroma of ...
British National Awarded MBE for Outstanding Work in Sierra Leone
Miriam Mason ?Sesay, the Country Director of EducAid Sierra Leone and a UK national has been awarded an MBE for her exceptional services to education and to charitable work in Sierra Leone ...
Public Notice on Waste Management and Disposal
Following the re-election of His Excellency the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, specific issues have been identified as a national concern that need to be addressed immediately. These issues ...
Provided Youths are Prepared
His Excellency the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma has pronounced his commitment to provide job opportunities for youths. This commitment stood prominently in his recent ...
EducAid Sierra Leone Director ? awarded by Queen Elizabeth
Miriam Mason-Sesay, the Country Director of EducAid Sierra Leone and a UK national, has been awarded an MBE for her exceptional services to education and charitable work in Sierra Leone. For over a ...
Time for work and no time for politics ? part one
The popular nomination of Dr. Kelfala Mara as minister of financeis a vivid example.The resultsof good governanceof president Koroma?s first term in officeare showing with the country being ...
?We will do more in our Agenda for Prosperity?? President Koroma assures Local Councils
His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma has reiterated his commitment to continue to strengthen local councils all across the nation, irrespective of which political party controls them. He made this ...
Alim Kamara ? ?Reciting Live? Hip-hop event
On the night you canexpect an array of tracks from an artist described as conscious, sincere and rivet. His style has been compared to the likes ofrapmoguls Common, Nas and Talib Kweli. ...
Source: http://www.sierraleonenews.net/index.php/sid/211669110/scat/8fcd2bb0346b8627
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I love how Twitter viruses use random cash amounts to make you think, "That's go...
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.facebook.com/authorjonacuff/posts/10150268135649950
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China cracks down further on control of internet..truth bad ...
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/china-cracks-down-further-on-control-of-internet-20121228-2byeu.html
China?s new communist leaders are increasing already tight controls on internet use and electronic publishing following a spate of embarrassing online reports about official abuses.
The measures suggest China?s new leader, Xi Jinping, and others who took power in November share their predecessors? anxiety about the internet?s potential to spread opposition to one-party rule and their insistence on controlling information despite promises of more economic reforms.
?They are still very paranoid about the potentially destabilising effect of the internet,? said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. ?They are on the point of losing a monopoly on information, but they still are very eager to control the dissemination of views.?
This week, China?s legislature took up a measure to require internet users to register their real names, a move that would curtail the web?s status as a freewheeling forum to complain, often anonymously, about corruption and official abuses. The legislature scheduled a news conference on Friday to discuss the measure, suggesting it was expected to be approved.
That comes amid reports Beijing might be disrupting use of software that allows web surfers to see sites abroad that are blocked by its extensive internet filters. At the same time, regulators have proposed rules that would bar foreign companies from distributing books, news, music and other material online in China.
Beijing promotes internet use for business and education but bans material deemed subversive or obscene and blocks access to foreign websites run by human rights and Tibet activists and some news outlets. Controls were tightened after social media played a role in protests that brought down governments in Egypt and Tunisia.
In a reminder of the web?s role as a political forum, a group of 70 prominent Chinese scholars and lawyers circulated an online petition this week appealing for free speech, independent courts and for the ruling party to encourage private enterprise.
Xi and others on the party?s ruling seven-member Standing Committee have tried to promote an image of themselves as men of the people who care about China?s poor majority. They have promised to press ahead with market-oriented reforms and to support entrepreneurs but have given no sign of support for political reform.
Communist leaders who see the internet as a source of economic growth and better-paid jobs were slow to enforce the same level of control they impose on movies, books and other media, apparently for fear of hurting fledgling entertainment, shopping and other online businesses.
Until recently, web surfers could post comments online or on microblog services without leaving their names.
That gave ordinary Chinese a unique opportunity to express themselves to a public audience in a society where newspapers, television and other media are state-controlled. The most popular microblog services say they have more than 300 million users and some users have millions of followers reading their comments.
????
pays to watch china?because?its like an elites blueprint for all of us..in many ways..there will be no anonymity on the net in china..this way when you say?something?they dont like you can be found and re-educated..
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GOP governors waver on Obamacare
Republican governors like Rick Scott in Florida, and Chris Christie in New Jersey, are struggling on how to handle President Barack Obama's remake of the health insurance market. While some have said they won't set up state-run exchanges, others say they're open to having a 'conversation.'
Florida Gov. Rick Scott speaks in Fort Lauderdale in May. Scott, long opposed President Barack Obama's remake of the health insurance market. After President Obama won re-election, the Republican governor softened his tone. He said he wanted to "have a conversation" with the administration about implementing the 2010 law.
J. Pat Carter/AP/File
EnlargeFlorida Gov. Rick Scott, who made a fortune as a health care executive, long opposed President Barack Obama's remake of the health insurance market. After the Democratic president won re-election, the Republican governor softened his tone. He said he wanted to "have a conversation" with the administration about implementing the 2010 law. With a federal deadline approaching, he also said while Florida won't set up the exchange for individuals to buy private insurance policies, the feds can do it.
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In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie held his cards before saying he won't set up his own exchange, but he's avoided absolute language and says he could change his mind. He's also leaving his options open to accept federal money to expand Medicaid insurance for people who aren't covered. The caveat, Christie says, is whether Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius can "answer my questions" about its operations and expense.
Both Republican governors face re-election in states that Obama won twice, Christie in 2013 and Scott in 2014. And both will encounter well-financed Democrats.
Their apparent struggles on the issue, along with other postures by their GOP colleagues elsewhere, suggest political uncertainty for Republicans as the Affordable Care Act starts to go into effect two years after clearing Congress without a single Republican vote. The risks also are acute for governors in Democratic-leaning or swing-voting states or who know their records will be parsed should they seek the presidency in 2016 or beyond.
"It's a tough call for many Republican governors who want to do the best thing for their state but don't want to be seen as advancing an overhaul that many Republicans continue to detest," said Whit Ayers, a consultant in Virginia whose clients include Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee, a Republican who didn't announce his rejection of a state exchange until days before Sebelius's Dec. 14 deadline.
Indeed, cracks keep growing in the near-unanimous Republican rejection of Obama's health care law that characterized the GOP's political messaging for the last two years. Five GOP-led states ? Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah ? are pressing ahead with state insurance exchanges. Ongoing monitoring by The Associated Press shows that another five Republican-led states are pursuing or seriously a partnership with Washington to help run the new markets.
Democrats, meanwhile, hope to use the law and Republican inflexibility to their advantage, betting that more Americans will embrace the law once it expands coverage. The calculus for voters, Democrats assume, will become more about the policy and less about a polarizing president.
"It shouldn't be complicated at all," said John Anzalone, an Obama pollster who assists Democrats in federal races across the country. Anzalone said Republicans could use their own states-rights argument to justify running exchanges. Instead, he said, "They are blinded by Obama-hatred rather than seeing what's good for their citizens."
Governors can set up their own exchanges, partner with Sebelius' agency or let the federal government do it. The exchanges are set to open Jan. 1, 2014, allowing individuals and businesses to shop online for individual policies from private insurers. Low- and middle-income individuals will get federal premium subsidies calculated on a sliding income scale. Nineteen states plus Washington, DC, most led by Democrats, have committed to opening their own exchanges.
The law also calls for raising the income threshold for Medicaid eligibility to cover people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, or about $15,400 a year for an individual. That could add more than 10 million people, most of them childless adults, to the joint state-federal insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans. Together, the exchanges and the Medicaid expansion are expected to reduce the number of uninsured by about 30 million people within the next decade.
A Supreme Court ruling last summer made the Medicaid expansion voluntary, rather than mandatory for states. At least eight governors, all of them Republicans, have already said they have no plans to expand Medicaid.
The complexity is obvious.
National exit polls from last month's election showed that 49 percent of voters wanted some or all of Obama's signature legislative achievement rolled back. Among self-identified independents, that number was 58 percent. Among Republicans, it spiked to 81 percent. When asked about the role of government, half of respondents said the notion that government is doing too much fits their views more closely than the idea that government should do more.
Before the election, a national AP-GfK poll suggested that 63 percent of respondents preferred their states to run insurance exchanges, almost double the 32 percent who wanted the federal government to take that role. And the same electorate that tilts toward repealing some or all of the new law clearly re-elected its champion.
That's not the most important consideration for governors who face re-election in Republican states. Georgia's Nathan Deal and Alabama's Robert Bentley, who also face 2014 campaigns, initially set up advisory commissions to consider how to carry out the health care law, but they've since jumped ship. But, unlike others, Deal and Bentley aren't eyeing national office.
Three Republicans who are viewed as potential national candidates ? Rick Perry of Texas, Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana ? were full-throated opponents. Jindal, the only one of the three who is term-limited, is the incoming chairman of the Republican Governors Association. In that role, he has co-signed more conciliatory letters to Sebelius asking questions to flesh out how the designs might work.
Republican governors also are feeling quiet pressure from hospitals and other providers.
Deal, the Georgia governor, offers the typical argument for saying no: "We can't afford it." But the law envisions the new Medicaid coverage more or less as a replacement of an existing financing situation that pays hospitals to treat the uninsured. The law contemplates cuts in that program, which already requires state seed money. The idea was that expanding Medicaid coverage would reduce "uncompensated care" costs.
"Some of those cuts were made with the expectation that Medicaid would be expanded and that hospitals would be paid for portions of business that we are not being paid for now," said Don Dalton of the North Carolina Hospital Association.
Dalton's Governor-elect, Republican Pat McCrory, said as a candidate that he opposed Medicaid expansion. Dalton said his industry is leaning on McCrory and legislative leaders, though he commended "their deliberate approach." Similar efforts are underway in South Carolina, Georgia, Missouri and elsewhere.
For Democrats, Anzalone said the framing will be simpler: "You don't want to take a 9-to-1 match? That's a pretty easy investment. These governors who aren't expanding Medicaid, they're basically giving taxpayer money to the states that do."
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/usa/~3/KbuYjM2cUUc/GOP-governors-waver-on-Obamacare
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'Do something!' Americans fed up with D.C. over 'cliff'
Americans from across the country express their frustration with lawmakers in Washington who have yet to reach an agreement on averting looming tax increases.
By Tracy Connor, NBC News
Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker said Friday that ?the American people should be disgusted? the nation?s leaders haven?t been able to avert the fiscal cliff.
Well, mission accomplished.
John Makely / NBC News
Abigail Holt, 17, (right), of Hartford, Conn., says Washington's inability to avert the fiscal cliff is "annoying."
Across the country, people are shaking their heads about negotiations that go nowhere and fingers that point everywhere while the nation hurtles toward the precipice of a new economic crisis.
?They should make a plan, make up their minds and do something!? Abigail Holt of Hartford, Conn., told NBC News.
She?s 17 years old and admits she?s just learning about the federal government and the fiscal cliff. But she knows this much: ?It?s annoying.?
And that's being polite.
Writing in the Daily Beast, Howard Kurtz called the nation's capital "the country?s biggest day-care center." The famous sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer hit below the belt, noting on Twitter that "Members of Congress who can't compromise probably aren't good lovers."
Californian Pat Marshall said the politicians "appear to be very self-centered on making sure that they?re taken care of and the American public comes second."
After an hourlong meeting Friday with congressional leaders that he described as "constructive," President Obama acknowledged that people outside Washington were bewildered by D.C. "dysfunction" and that time -- and patience -- were running out.
Lawmakers have 'lost touch'
Indeed, with higher taxes and deep spending cuts looming without a deal, Americans? faith in Washington is dissipating by the day.
A Dec. 9 Gallup poll found that 59 percent thought it was likely the White House and Congress could hammer out a deal to avoid a slide down the cliff; by this week, that had sunk to 50 percent.
Skeptics were gaining ground, meanwhile: 48 percent think an agreement before the year-end deadline is unlikely, up 10 points from two weeks earlier.
John Makely / NBC News
Rich Dodds, 49, of Houston, Texas, says the elected officials in Washington have "lost touch" with Americans who will be affected by the fiscal cliff.
?It doesn?t feel like they?re doing much,? said Rich Dodds, 49, an energy product manager from Houston, Texas. ?I think they?ve lost touch with who the American people are. It?s a pretty elite group in Washington.?
The fact that both houses of Congress went into recess -- the Senate took a nearly week-long break, and the House is still on vacation until Sunday -- bothered some.
?This is one of the most important issues and they are not even working,? said Bill Prosser, 49, a telecommunications salesman from Clifton, Va. ?I?m very disappointed in them.?
Nicole Hayward, 28, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was so angered by the congressional recess that she posted a petition on Change.org demanding lawmakers get back to business.
?I turn on the news every day while I?m getting ready for work and I saw coverage about how Congress was going to break for the holidays and we might not have a resolution,? the marketing director said. ?I thought, who cares about their holiday vacation? It really got me going.?
Hayward got only 101 signatures on her petition. She attributed the lack of interest to cynicism.
?The reason why the average American doesn?t pay attention to this issue and the details is they think Congress will come together and pass something that just kicks the can down the road and things won?t change in [their] life,? she said.
John Makely / NBC News
Bill Prosser, 49, of Clifton, Va., says members of Congress should be locked in a room until they can make a deal.
Bipartisan blame
Inside the Beltway, Democrats are condemning Republicans and vice versa for the stalemate. But the nation?s voters are more bipartisan in their blame, with neither Republicans nor Democrats obtaining majority support.
?Essentially, right now, 25 percent of the public approves of the job the GOP congressional leaders are doing and 40 percent approves of the job the Democratic leaders are doing,? said Jocelyn Kiley, a senior researcher for the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Prosser thinks there?s a time-tested way to bring the two sides together before Jan. 1 -- something akin to the old papal conclaves in which cardinals were locked in a room until they chose a new pontiff.
?Just say you?re not going to leave until you have a deal,? Prosser said.? ?Get in a room -- and get it done!?
Who do you blame for the nation teetering on the edge of the fiscal cliff?
?
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Va. Tech ends tough season with Russell Bowl win
Virginia Tech players take the stage with their trophy after defeating Rutgers 13-10 in overtime of an NCAA college football Russell Athletic Bowl game on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
Virginia Tech players take the stage with their trophy after defeating Rutgers 13-10 in overtime of an NCAA college football Russell Athletic Bowl game on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
Virginia Tech kicker Cody Journell (89) gets the hold from quarterback Trey Gresh (12) while booting the go-ahead field goal in overtime in front of Rutgers defensive back Logan Ryan (11) during an NCAA college football Russell Athletic Bowl game on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer looks on from the sidelines during the third quarter of an NCAA college football Russell Athletic Bowl game against Rutgers, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
Rutgers kicker Nick Borgese (93) and tight end D.C. Jefferson (10) watch Borgese's field goal-attempt go wide right in overtime during an NCAA college football Russell Athletic Bowl game against Virginia Tech, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. Virginia Tech won 13-10. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
Virginia Tech cornerbacks Kyle Fuller (17) and Antone Exum (1) look on as Rutgers kicker Nick Borgese (93) and tight ends D.C. Jefferson (10) and Paul Carrezola (89) react while watching Fuller's field goal-attempt go wide right in overtime at an NCAA college football Russell Athletic Bowl game on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. Virginia Tech won 13-10. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer was candid this week in acknowledging that a lackluster 6-6 regular season was not the standard that the Hokies had grown accustomed to.
It took one of their best finishes of the season, but no matter what people remember about this year's team, they will be recalled as winners.
Cody Journell kicked a 22-yard field goal on the first possession of overtime to help the Hokies beat Rutgers 13-10 in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Friday night.
The victory helped the Hokies avoid their first losing season since 1992 ? an accomplishment that will definitely give them a boost going into an offseason that could include some changes in the coaching staff.
"It's kind of like nothing comes easy for us," Beamer said. "It is work, but we got a bunch of guys that will hang out, and we're not always ready, but we kind of hang on and keep working at it. ... We could have shut it down, and these guys never did."
He avoided any questions about possible staff shake-ups that may be coming in the coming weeks.
"We are going to enjoy this win," he said. "These guys worked hard for this win tonight. It wasn't easy. We are going to enjoy this win and talk about our game with Rutgers."
Rutgers (9-4) had a chance to tie it in overtime, but Nick Borgese missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt to the right.
The loss ended a run of five straight bowl victories for the Scarlet Knights and kept them from recording their first double-digit win season since 2006.
The win also was the Hokies' 12th straight victory over their former Big East Conference rival.
Virginia Tech trailed 10-0 at the half, then rallied in the final 30 minutes thanks to some timely turnovers and offense. Quarterback Logan Thomas struggled in the first half and finished with a pair of interceptions, but also had 192 yards passing and the game's only passing touchdown.
"I can't commend the defense more," Thomas said. "The entire season that's kind of how it's been. I have to give a shout out to (linebacker) Bruce Taylor because he played his tail off the entire game. It felt like he was in the backfield making a tackle on every play."
Taylor finished the night with a team-high 11 tackles to lead a defense that held Rutgers to 67 yards in the second half.
Virginia Tech cornerback Antone Exum, selected the most valuable player of the game, picked off Gary Nova's pass early in the fourth quarter to set up the tying score.
He said though the offense took its lumps early, he was never down on their effort.
"That's just the way the game panned out," Exum said. "We never lose hope with the guys on the other side of the ball. Our job, honestly, is just to go out there and get as many three-and-outs as possible and give the most opportunities as we can to put points on the board.
"We did a good job of that tonight."
Rutgers seemed to be in command until the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, when turnovers and a sudden surge from the Hokies' offense quickly turned the momentum.
Down 10-0, Virginia Tech took over after Rutgers missed a field goal and moved into Scarlet Knights' territory for the first time in the game on a 32-yard pass from Thomas to Dyrell Roberts.
Thomas then found Corey Fuller for a 25-yard strike on the next play, before the drive stalled on the 8. It forced the Hokies to settle for Journell's 25-yard field goal.
Exum intercepted Nova's pass on the ensuing drive, giving the Hokies a first down on the Rutgers 21.
The Hokies found the end zone three plays later on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to Fuller with 10:56 left as steady rain began to fall.
"We finally caught them off balance," Thomas said. "We finally got them uncomfortable. ... I just had to put the ball out there for him."
Virginia Tech defensive end Tyrel Wilson then came up with the defense's second turnover of the night, recovering a fumble inside the Scarlet Knights 40 after Nova dropped a snap while lined up in the shotgun.
An intentional grounding penalty on Thomas forced a punt, though, with less than 7 minutes to play.
They got another chance a few series later, only to see Journell's 51-yard field goal come up short with 2:20 showing on the clock.
Rutgers punted, but got it back just a play later when Thomas' pass was intercepted by Brandon Jones.
"Two tremendous defensive performances, and one of the better defensive performances I've seen from Rutgers players this season," Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said. "It's unfortunate that we came out on the wrong side of the game, and squander that kind of performance as a result."
It was defense on both sides that controlled the action in the first half as Rutgers took a 10-0 halftime lead.
The Scarlet Knights were the most effective offensively, managing a modest seven first downs and a field goal. But the Scarlet Knights came up empty on their best drive of the half, failing to convert on a fourth-down pass play inside the Hokies 35.
Virginia Tech struggled throughout, though, tallying only 73 yards total in the first two quarters. Thomas was also sacked twice and intercepted late in the half, which severely hampered an offense that never made it into Rutgers' territory.
Penalties also bent in Rutgers' favor. Virginia Tech was penalized eight times for 60 yards. The Scarlet Knights weren't whistled for any penalties in the half.
A miscue by Virginia Tech on the opening drive of the game produced the game's first score.
Hokies center Caleb Farris sent his second snap of the night sailing past Thomas and into the end zone.
Thomas scrambled back to pick it up, and tried to run it out, but he was instantly swarmed and lost the ball as he was tackled. It was eventually recovered by Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene for the touchdown.
Beamer said the challenge now is to not let any shortcomings from this season cloud the offseason.
"I couldn't be more proud of this team," he said. "We've won some more games in other years, but I think this group is special.
He said he won't have any negative feelings when he looks back on this season.
"Not everything in life is real smooth," Beamer said. "These players worked hard and how they reacted to adversity and to disappointment and when all of them wanted to do better ? they kept together."
NOTES: The game was the lowest scoring the bowl's history. It surpassed Stanford's 24-3 win over Penn State in 1993. ...The game also set a bowl record with 20 punts, passing the previous record of 19 in the 1991 matchup between Alabama and Colorado.
___
Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower
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Dan Ariely Talks Creativity And Dishonesty
Click here to listen to this podcast
?Lots of us are able to cheat a little bit and still think of ourselves as honest people.?Dan Ariely is a professor of behavior economics at Duke University. His latest book, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, explains how creativity makes us better liars?even to ourselves. ?Dishonesty is all about the small acts we can take and then think, no, this not real cheating. So if you think that the main mechanism is rationalization, then what you come up with, and that?s what we find, is that we?re basically trying to balance feeling good about ourselves. On the one hand we get some satisfaction, some utility from thinking of ourselves as honest, moral, wonderful people. On the other hand we try to benefit from cheating. ?So rationalization is what we allows you to live with some cheating and not pay a cost in terms of your own view of yourself. ?What kind of people would be able to rationalize better than other people? Better storytellers, right? Creative people, right? Because if you?re creative, you find more ways to cheat and still yourself a story about why this is okay.? ? Ingrid Wickelgren and Steve Mirsky [The above text is a transcript of this podcast] You can hear Ingrid Wickelgren's full interview of Dan Ariely on the December 25th edition of the Science Talk podcast. Just go to www.scientificamerican.com/podcast and click on Science Talk. Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dan-ariely-talks-creativity-dishonesty-023408161.html
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10th Annual Springtime Made in the South ? February 10 ? 12, 2013 ...
? Back to Events 
Come and see hand thrown pottery, exquisite jewelry, artists of all kinds, basket weaving, colorful purses and totes, metal working, hand made rocking chairs from the mountains of Tennessee, blown glass, stained glass.? Don?t forget all the wonderfully delicious gourmet delights to savor and so much more at the 10th Annual Springtime Made in the South ? February 10-12, 2013.
Book early for this favorite Spring-time festival; Azalea Inn and Gardens has a room for you!
Azalea Inn and Gardens, a Savannah GA bed and breakfast inn, invites you to reserve your room today and begin enjoying the best food experiences in our city, which Travel + Leisure Magazine acclaimed as a ?World?s Best City?.
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Dot Earth: Peabody Coal Sales Ticker Next to 'Clean Energy' Claim
Electricity, including that generated by coal combustion, has been a boon for humanity. In fact, there?s much truth in the headline on Indur M. Goklany?s new analysis for the anti-regulatory Cato Institute: ?Humanity Unbound: How Fossil Fuels Saved Humanity from Nature and Nature from Humanity.? (I?ll post more on that paper soon, including an interview with Goklany.)
But that does not come close to justifying what you see on the home page of Peabody Energy, the largest coal company in the free world:
Coal Sales and a Clean Energy Claim
Just to the right of a ticker-style, real-time tally of tons of coal sold (about eight tons per second or so) is the message that the company is a ?global leader in clean energy solutions??
Pollution from coal burning, in the United States and particularly in developing countries, has big impacts on public health, and the climate impact from coal-generated carbon dioxide could be enormous if the world?s still-vast reserves are heavily exploited. We?ve been stuck on the coal rung of what Loren Eiseley called ?the heat ladder? of energy history for too long.
I sent a site link and the video clip above to Nicholas Muller of Middlebury College and William D. Nordhaus and Robert O. Mendelsohn of Yale, authors of this influential 2011 paper in American Economics Review: ?Environmental Accounting for Pollution in the United States Economy.? One of its many conclusions was that ?coal-fired power plants have air pollution damages larger than their value added.?
As I put it in my note to them, ?I find it hard to reconcile your calculation of coal?s big externalized costs with such a juxtaposition (coal sales and ?clean energy? leadership):
You can read the reply from Mendelsohn below, followed by more from Bob Keefe of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Vic Svec, a spokesman for Peabody Energy:
Here?s Mendelsohn:
We did not make any company specific estimates of damage. If Peabody is responsible for 23 percent of U.S. coal and if each ton of Peabody coal causes the average damage from coal in the U.S., the burning of Peabody coal is causing $12 billion of damage from traditional health related air pollutants and almost $16 billion of damage including greenhouse gases every year. Few companies can boast more.
I also asked him if they?d gotten any significant pushback on their findings so far. Here?s his reply:
Academically, there has been nothing but positive feedback so far. Politically, so far, there is no push back. However, if there was ever a hint of legislation based on our work, I am sure that it would heat up considerably.
I sent the same query to Bob Keefe, a spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council. He put his reaction bluntly:
Juxtaposing its coal sales against its shamefully blatantly false claims of being ?a global leader in clean energy solutions? is baffling ? but also indicative of Peabody Energy?s inexplicable approach to the environment and the communities in which it operates.
The only way you could possibly believe Peabody?s claim that it ?advances environmental excellence? is if you believe breathing pollution and toxins is part of a good health routine.
Peabody consistently ranks as one of the worst polluters on the planet. If it put only a fraction of the time and money it spends on fighting environmental safeguards into actually pursing clean energy solutions, we?d all be better off.
See these links for more:
?The 15 Worst Companies For The Planet? (Business Insider Green Sheet)
Green Rankings, the 2009 List (Newsweek)
?Climate-denying Indiana Regulator helps ALEC Coal Companies Delay EPA Climate Rules? (Polluter Watch)
Finally, here?s the response from Vic Svec from Peabody:
We note on the front page of our website that Peabody Energy is the world?s largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in sustainable mining and clean coal solutions. One of the great untold environmental stories is the enormous progress in clean energy that has occurred in recent decades.
We forget to celebrate the enormous progress that has been made in clean coal in recent decades. The core U.S. coal statistic is this: criteria emissions from coal use in the U.S. have declined a stunning 87% since 1970, during a time when coal use has nearly tripled. ?Smokestacks? for coal plants have now become steam stacks, thanks to wet and dry ESPs, baghouses, low-NOx burners, SCRs, activated carbon injection and a host of other technologies.
In addition, using coal in large centralized plants dramatically reduces the burning of fuel wood and waste that causes enormous indoor air pollution in developing nations. And we know that low-cost coal-fueled electricity has helped to bring about an explosion of electrotechnologies: your coal-fueled mail delivery ? e-mail ? has dramatically lower emissions than traditional mail.
New supercritical coal plants represent another leap forward. Consider the Prairie State Energy Campus, with more than $1 billion in clean coal technologies and criteria emissions some 80% below the existing coal fleet? along with a carbon dioxide emission rate some 40% below existing plants. Prairie State is also a great example of green jobs, with thousands of workers involved in construction of the large coal plant. And Prairie State has a cost of fuel that less than one-third that of even currently suppressed U.S. natural gas prices.
Ironically, U.S. environmentalists have been a major reason more supercritical coal plants haven?t been used in the United States, even taking credit for killing state-of-the-art new coal construction in the past decade. China is building far more such plants because they recognize that coal is essential to power a healthy economy and the new generation of coal plants offer great environmental advantage. Also, Peabody is proud to be the only non-Chinese partner in GreenGen, which just started up in Tianjin, China, as a major coal gasification plant that will ultimately reuse carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery.
Coal has been the fastest growing fuel in the world for the past decade, and has been projected to pass oil as the world?s largest energy source next year. Its abundance and low-cost profile make coal essential for powering the world?s best economies and helping to move hundreds of millions of people to cities? and to the middle class. Those are enormous societal benefits, and technology can ensure that his be done in an environmentally friendly way.
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D: Newtown and the Nation's Mental Health
As President Obama opened his December 16 Newtown speech at the vigil for the Sandy Hook shooting victims with the statement, "We gather here in memory of 20 beautiful children and six remarkable adults. They lost their lives in a school that could have been any school, in a quiet town full of good and decent people that could be any town in America," I think the whole country was asking the same question: Why did this happen? There are many theories and opinions being expressed to address this question, all of which are just speculation until the results of the investigation become known. As a researcher, educator, and president of a nonprofit health-care organization I would like to add my thoughts to the mix.
There have been 29 mass shootings in the United States between the events of April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School and the Dec. 14, 2012 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I propose these shootings were, in part, a health-care issue.
Your immediate response may be to ask how these shootings could possibly be related to issues surrounding health care. Let me provide a few facts for consideration. The Nov. 16, 2011 issue of Time magazine included a report that 1 in 5 American adults take mental health drugs, which was a 22 percent rise since 2001. A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study has indicated that the number of children diagnosed with different forms of attention/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) was 9.5 percent, or 5.4 million children 5-13 years of age. As of 2007, parents of more than 3 million children ages 4-17 years who had a diagnosis of ADHD reported that their child was receiving medication for the disorder. Children with these diagnoses were found in the same report to be more likely to have other chronic health conditions, both physical and mental. A recent report on the global burden of disease in the Dec. 15, 2012 issue of the internationally-recognized medical journal The Lancet indicated that mental health problems in people of all ages are one of three most rapidly increasing areas of health concern in the world.
I remember back in the early 1980s, a time when there was greater funding for community mental health centers, that the mental health professionals working in these facilities were very concerned that the number of people needing to be cared for was increasing, but the budgetary allotment for these centers was decreasing. Since the 1980s, there have been significant cuts in the funding for mental health intervention. Professionals working in the field of mental health have seen a decimation of community mental health services. A 2011 report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness titled "State Mental Health Cuts: A National Crisis" indicates that the nation is challenged with increasing needs for mental health treatment while at the same time the funding for community mental health treatment and consultation has been continually reduced.
It would be a reach to connect the Sandy Hook shootings directly to either a change in the prevalence of mental health issues in children or the reduction in funding for -- or emphasis on -- their comprehensive treatment, but shouldn't this potential connection at least be in the discussion about prevention? Certainly many variables relate to the enigma of how a person becomes a killer without human consciousness, but one of the recurrent themes that follows each shooting episode is the discussion about the mental health of the perpetrator. Could it be that these shooters represent a horrible kind of "yellow canary" of the declining mental health of our society at large? If so, then shouldn't we be engaged in a serious national dialogue about how to curb this national epidemic, just as we have done with the war on cancer, or the reduction of risk to heart disease through proper lifestyle, diet and exercise?
This is not just an academic issue. Mental health derives from physical health, and vice versa. Our bodies and minds are interconnected. We know that dementia is more common in people who suffer from obesity and diabetes. We know that depression is more prevalent in people with nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin B3, where one of the signs of deficiency of this vitamin is dementia. We know that behavior problems in children may be more common in children who consume large amounts of empty-calorie foods. Conversely, we know that children who engage in regular physical activity are more emotionally resilient and alert. As the health of our children has declined with increasing obesity and chronic illnesses, it is interesting that the prevalence of mental health issues in kids has increased. It is the same with their parents. There is a strong association between obesity, poor lifestyle habits, and mental and physical health issues in both adults and children. I recognize that association of two factors doesn't necessarily prove that one causes the other, but as the research accumulates there is a stronger case for a cause-and-effect relationship between health of the body and health of the mind.
Given this suggestion, it raises the question as to what the effects are of children sitting before a computer screen or television many hours a day being bombarded by messages of war, crime, violence, and killing. Not only are their minds being imprinted by the message, but their bodies are responding to the stress of the emotion, all while being sedentary and likely eating foods and drinking beverages that are rich in empty calories.
Like every other American who wears some of the grief of the Newtown shootings, I would like to find answers to the question "why?" and to accomplish what President Obama has challenged the country to do, which is to care for our children. As he said, "It is our first job. If we don't get this right, we don't get anything right. This is how our society will be judged."
Where can we turn as individuals to meet his challenge? It might start with a serious discussion at the national level as to what is happening to the health of our children, how their habits and lifestyles contribute to their declining health, and what needs to be done to create the country that turns around the trend of declining mental and physical health of its children. Through this difficult discussion, I believe some important answers will emerge that may not only help to prevent other Newtown catastrophes, but also prevent countless cases of unnecessary diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney and liver diseases and mental health disorders.
For more by Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., click here.
For more healthy living health news, click here.
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Follow Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JeffreyBlandPhD
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-bland/childrens-health_b_2360281.html
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