Monthly Archives: March 2014

Health care reform enters phase 2 – Sun, 16 Mar 2014 PST

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Now that Americans by the hundreds of thousands are signing up for health insurance coverage, reformers are movingon.

They want high health care prices to be disclosed and drivendownward.

They want the most effective care providers identified for thepublic.

They want a medical extension service to get best-practice ideas out to busy providers in stressed ruralareas.

They want mental health care to be better coordinated with primary medical care, so communities no longer have to use jails as mentalhospitals.

Last week, as Washingtons Legislature wrangled its way to adjournment, Gov. Jay Inslee and other

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Now that Americans by the hundreds of thousands are signing up for health insurance coverage, reformers are movingon.

They want high health care prices to be disclosed and drivendownward.

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Health care reform enters phase 2 - Sun, 16 Mar 2014 PST

Newtown is struggling to meet demand for mental health care

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Some of the charities paying for mental health care for children and families affected by the Sandy Hook massacre are running short of money and officials don't know how much they'll need and for how long to repair the psychological scars from the mass shooting.

Newtown officials are applying for a federal grant and charities are pooling their resources in an attempt to ensure that free long-term mental health care remains available following the December 2012 shooting that left 20 first graders and six educators dead.

We hear in the media, 'Well Sandy Hook was 14 months ago, isn't everything fine?' said Candice Bohr, executive director of the Newtown Youth and Family Services. Well, no it's not and we get calls every day from the school wanting to address an issue. I would love to say that in 10 years we're going to see a huge drop and everyone's better and we've moved on, but that's not the case.

Three of the charities that have been providing funds for services have started working together, while the charity that has raised the most money the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation says that it will likely join the alliance soon.

The Newtown Lions Club, which raised $350,000 for mental-health services in the wake of the shooting, has told the 250 people it served that it could no longer directly pay their mental health bills because fundraising was being outpaced by demand.

Other charities are picking up the slack. The town's Rotary Club and the Newtown Memorial Fund, which had been spending a combined $30,000 a month on mental health care for 150 families, partnered with the Lions Club, said Brian Mauriello, founder of the Newtown Memorial Fund.

Those who need help are being steered to the state's Office of Victim Services, which processes applications for money from a pool created by all three charities.

So far, nobody has been turned down.

I don't think anybody has a crystal ball to say whether there's going to be enough money or not, said Linda Cimino, the director of the state Office of Victim's Services I do know that the plan is for a 15-year horizon.

The Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation has about $4 million left after giving more than $7 million to the 40 families most affected by the shooting.

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Newtown is struggling to meet demand for mental health care

Gene therapy to help with epileptic seizures

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It is brain awareness week and University of Auckland researchers say they have developed a promising treatment for the 30 percent of epileptics who do not respond to drugs.

Researchers say it cuts the length of seizures in half and they hope to soon be able to tell whether it reduces the frequency of them too.

Epileptic Bevan McClay has been prescribed a cocktail of pills to help him manage, but the camera shop sales consultant just can't find the right combination to keep his epileptic seizures at bay.

"It gets a little bit frustrating sometimes," says Mr McClay.

Seizures affect one in every 100 people in New Zealand. That's 40,000 people. One-third of sufferers do not respond to conventional treatment.

But University of Auckland researches say they have discovered how to turn the gene off in the brain that is responsible for causing seizures.

"It could have a significant effect on any potential future treatment for epilepsy," says researcher Debbie Young.

How they do it is quite ingenious. They place a piece of synthetic DNA called a gene silencer inside a tiny capsule. That is injected and attaches to the cell containing the overactive gene. As the capsule breaks down, it releases the silencer, which switches off the overactive gene. That in turn releases increased levels of a chemical involved in stopping the seizures.

Researchers say the treatment can halve the length of seizures, and they are now looking at whether it can reduce the frequency of them too. That is giving hope to sufferers and those treating the disease.

"My clinics are full of people whom I feel I can help very little," says Dr Peter Bergin, a neurologist at Auckland Hospital and medical director for the Epilepsy Research programme. "It's enormously frustrating for me and I feel greatly for the patients."

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Gene therapy to help with epileptic seizures

Historicism Vindicated – 2300 Day/Year Prophecy of Daniel 8 – Futurism & Preterism Debunked – Video

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Historicism Vindicated - 2300 Day/Year Prophecy of Daniel 8 - Futurism Preterism Debunked
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Historicism Vindicated - 2300 Day/Year Prophecy of Daniel 8 - Futurism & Preterism Debunked - Video

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Freedom Cry (Stand Alone) | Gameplay/Walkthrough | Part 3 – Video

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Assassin #39;s Creed IV: Black Flag - Freedom Cry (Stand Alone) | Gameplay/Walkthrough | Part 3
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Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - Freedom Cry (Stand Alone) | Gameplay/Walkthrough | Part 3 - Video

Carnival Freedom – Official Site

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Carnival Freedom Highlights 2970PASSENGER CAPACITY 1150ONBOARD CREW 952LENGTH IN FEET 24HOURS OF FUN A DAY

A cruise aboard Carnival Freedom is not only one through fun ports, but one practically through time itself! This ship is inspired by, and pays tribute to decades of the past, so that when you step into one of the exciting onboard spaces, youre stepping into not only a different place, but a different time entirely.

As you explore the ship, youll find yourself flowing freely through food options galore, from casual fare at the extensive Freedom Restaurant on Lido Deck to dining room favorites at Posh and Chic suitable names for sure, but we could have just called them both Tasty! Places for food are complemented by places for drink, from the always-tuneful Scotts Piano Bar to the always-uncorked Nouveau Bar to the always-hoppin 70s Dance Club. Topping off adult-time is the one-and-(adult)-only Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, where total relaxation is not only encouraged, but pretty much required.

If youre a kid, Carnival Freedom means youre in for a treat. Not only will you find new friends at one of three youth spaces, but you can splash around with them in one of our many pools, speed down the Twister Waterslide or once you dry off, challenge them to a round of mini-golf. Oh, and adults dont get jealous, get your inner kid ready you get to do all this stuff too!

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Carnival Freedom - Official Site

Myanmar media: In sweet spot of transition

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The landscape of media freedom in Southeast Asia shows a mix of government regimes and media systems. To provide a regional perspective is therefore a complex task.

The Freedom House Index ranks countries according to state of political and civic liberties available to citizens, along with a ranking of press freedom. The classifications are three: Free, Partly Free and Not Free states. Of the ten states in the ASEAN, no country is currently classified as Free. Only three make it as Partly Free: East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Freedom House continues to classify Burma as Not Free, despite the dramatic changes that have been initiated by government to open up society. As such, it is not doing any worse than other countries, and perhaps trailing behind only three.

One obvious view is to see Myanmar still very much in tune with the rest of the region which has long favored authoritatrian control, the curbing of human rights, and governments for politicians rather than for the people.

One can quarrel with the system of measurements of Freedom House, but that is another discussion.. In fact, Southeast Asia boasts of three de-facto three press systems for some time, but the situation even in Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand, joined later by Timor Leste, reflects the global decline of press freedom all around the world. This downward trend in the quality of media freedom are measured by setbacks, such as the political turmoil in Thailand which has enhanced the application of lese majeste laws, and the impact of a younger generation distaste for the mainstream media.

Even in free systems such as India and the Philippines, where the free press tradition has had the longest histories in Asia, there are other pressures restraining media freedom, including religious and social traditions, the interlocking economic and political interests of owners, media corruption, commercialism and outmoded news conventions that focus on personality, color and conflict, which leave many significant stories un-reported and prevents a news agenda more responsive to public needs.

Anything we say about Myanmar from around the three ASEAN countries, cannot be said with condescension that comes from superior ranking of freedom. The Philippines may be proud to claim the most libertarian Constitution with clear provisions for protecting press freedom from government interference. But Filipino journalists continue to be vulnerable to violent attacks, to be subject to imprisonment for defamation under the criminal libel law. Along with Not Free countries in ASEAN, we do not have a Freedom of Information Act. Sadly, the region has not set a very good example for Myanmar to follow.

Initiatives and gains

But the political initiatives taken by Myanmar in 2011 seem to secure certain gains. The national mood has lifted, breaking the long-standing malaise of repression with visible and audible hope in a radically new future.

Personally, I remain optimistic about official intentions. Surely, officials know that once released, the freedom genie cannot be summoned back to the bottle. As an exile journalist returning to his country put it: The process may be slow, it may be even stalled. But it will be very difficult to stop.

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Myanmar media: In sweet spot of transition

Freedom stuns Hunt to capture 3A men's title

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Blog: Freedom stuns Hunt to capture 3A men's title

Published: 2014-03-15 09:15:00 Updated: 2014-03-15 23:13:09

Yesterday at 11:13 p.m.

FINAL: Freedom 59, Hunt 57: Kasen Wilson hit a jumper from 12 feet to give Freedom a two-point win over Wilson Hunt in the 3A men's state title game.

Freedom (31-1) never led until the final shot fell through the net. The game was tied only once.

Chris Bridges led Freedom with 19 points, and Wilson added 12. Khris Gardin and Gabe Logan scored 11 each.

Josh Willingham tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors, who finished the season 25-3. Justin Jefferson and Dexter Alexander each added 10.

MVP: Chris Bridges, Freedom West MOP: Gabe Logan East MOP: Josh Willingham

End 3Q: Hunt 50, Freedom 42: Hunt got the better of the action in the third quarter, extending its lead to 13 points midway through the frame. Freedom is struggling mightily at the line and trails by eight headed into the final quarter.

HALF: Hunt 30, Freedom 29: Both teams have settled down after a frantic start to the game, and Freedom has pulled to within a point at halftime.

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Freedom stuns Hunt to capture 3A men's title

Media Freedom Vs Responsibility in Ghana

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Feature Article of Sunday, 16 March 2014

Columnist: Braimah, Sulemana

Media Freedom Vs Responsibility in Ghana: The complexities and way forward

By Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director, MFWA

In the last decade, Ghana has been among the countries with the best media freedom conditions in the world. Criminal libel has been repealed and no journalists are being thrown to jail. There are no barriers to becoming a journalist. The number of media outlets keeps multiplying; official and self-censorship are not evident. Indeed, Ghana has been scoring very high on all indicators of media freedom.

Undoubtedly, the benefits of Ghanas media freedom environment have been enormous. Through the media, citizens voices on national are amplified, even if they sometimes sound cacophonous. Corruption and many other ills of in the Ghanaian society have been exposed, even though duty bearers have often failed to deal with perpetrators of such acts. Rights violations are reported and duty bearers have often been pressured by the media to act.

The forgoing eulogies of Ghanas media freedom environment and how the media have utilised the freedom to contribute to national development is not in any way meant to suggest that the media have been perfect. Within the past few years, the media have come under intense public condemnation for what can be described as an alarming rate of flagrant professional infractions.

Many media outlets have become platforms for the exchange of highly explosive insults usually in the name of NPP/NDC politics. Brazen sensationalism and outright lies are common in the media. Political discussions on radio continue to feature divisive political and ethnocentric commentaries. And in fact, some media outlets have become tools for political manipulation.

The results have been waning trust and credibility for the media; dwindling public support for media freedoms and decreasing influence of the media in national affairs. These are not positive developments for media freedom. In fact, they are as dangerous to media freedom as criminal libel, state-orchestrated oppression or prohibitive damages awarded by Courts against the media. If allowed to persist, adversaries of media freedom will use them as grounds for legitimising any real or potential acts of media repression.

Well, there may be excesses and recklessness on the part of some or even many journalists, but what is certain is that not all journalists are reckless. It is true that some journalists resort to sensationalism and dangerous rumour mongering, but there are many others who are committed to professionalism.

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Media Freedom Vs Responsibility in Ghana

PolitiFact: Theres sunshine and darkness in Virginias open government laws

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Virginias Freedom of Information Act begins with a proclamation that government officials should not be allowed to conduct their work under a veil of secrecy from the public they serve.

The law is often used by reporters during the course of their work, but its also an important tool for any Virginia citizen seeking records about how state or local governments are spending money and making decisions.

To kick off our coverage of Sunshine Week, we asked open-government experts to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Virginias FOI law.

On the plus side, Virginia presumes that government records are public and has a narrowly drawn list of exemptions. It also has stiff penalties to discourage public officials from illegally withholding information.

Our law has teeth, said Ginger Stanley, executive director of the Virginia Press Association.

But there are also deficiencies. Virginias FOIA gives law enforcement officials complete discretion in releasing criminal files, complaints and court orders. It allows agencies wide leeway in determining how much to charge people for producing requested records. And the lengthy law, with its many exemptions, might be difficult for the layman to understand.

To see how Virginias FOIA stacks up, we compared it with similar laws in Connecticut and Florida, two states that are recognized by experts for their strong open-government laws. Virginia generally held up well, but there is room for improvement.

Who can access records?

Virginias FOIA applies only to Virginia residents and media outlets that publish or broadcast here. The laws in Connecticut and Florida are much more open, allowing anyone state resident or not to access government records.

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld Virginias in-state restriction last year in a case that arose, in part, from Chesterfield Countys refusal to make real estate records available to a California business. The court ruled that the law had only an incidental effect on the business and did not abridge interstate commerce.

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PolitiFact: Theres sunshine and darkness in Virginias open government laws

Months after spill, Freedom Industries tanks coming down

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. Tucked between the Elk River and Charleston's hilltop airport, a tank cluster that leaked chemicals into the drinking water of 300,000 people shows few signs that it's on the brink of destruction.

Freedom Industries hit a deadline Saturday to start scrapping its chemical storage headquarters, a state order deemed both protective and symbolic. On Jan. 9, one of the company's 17 tanks oozed little-known liquids into the river below, and, eventually, into the water plant 1.5 miles downstream. Nine counties couldn't use their water for up to 10 days.

Crews have carved a small patch out of one tank to remove chemical remnants inside, which state regulators have counted as meeting the deconstruction deadline. The tanks will be stripped down and sold for scrap metal. And at a date yet to be determined, the Freedom Industries site will be rendered unrecognizable along the river it polluted.

"It's symbolic, certainly," said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman. "Not allowing a facility like that to ever be in that location again will also ensure that you won't have impacts from that site ever again to our water intake."

Public confidence remains shaky in the water supply and those tasked with protecting it. The disaster sparked sufficient outrage to prompt a rewrite of West Virginia law for owning aboveground storage tanks particularly, ones close enough to a water supply to do damage.

Beverly Hager, who lives a block away from the tank farm, considered moving with her 6-month-old son and husband right after the spill. She said knocking down Freedom Industries provides some piece of mind.

"It shouldn't be that close to a water source to begin with," Hager said.

Federal officials are treating Freedom Industries like a possible crime scene and are still gathering evidence. U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin assured safeguards are in place to collect what investigators need. FBI agents scoped out the faulty tank from the inside on Jan. 28, and visited the company's chemical hauling contractor, Diversified Services, on March 7. Some witnesses appeared in front of a grand jury last month.

The federal Chemical Safety Board has its own investigation.

Freedom Industries faces strict orders to let stakeholders know what they're doing on site. The company has to give a 48 hour notice to state environmental regulators and parties involved in various lawsuits and bankruptcy proceedings.

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Months after spill, Freedom Industries tanks coming down