Channel Islands rallies to beat Oxnard in PVL opener

Posted on by

David Anderson had a big night catching the ball on offense, but it was his interception in the end zone with 39 seconds remaining that sent the homecoming crowd home happy as Channel Islands High came from behind to beat Oxnard 25-21 on Friday night at Ken Benefield Stadium.

The Raiders (2-4, 1-0) won the Pacific View League opener, while Oxnard dropped to 1-5 overall, 0-1 in league.

The Channel Islands defense came up with big plays all game, snaring two interceptions and recovering three Oxnard fumbles to help the Raiders overcome a 21-16 halftime deficit.

Anderson, a senior wide receiver and defensive back, had six catches for 93 yards and one touchdown. Senior quarterback Ricky Estrada completed 9 of 17 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 13 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back and homecoming king AJ Oto lead Raiders rushers with 96 yards on 21 carries, and also had an interception on defense.

The comeback began in the third quarter. Channel Islands began a drive that would traverse 76 yards in 14 plays and span the quarters. The Raiders picked up four first downs and junior kicker Ernesto Reyna made a 30-yard field goal from the right hash to cut the deficit to 21-19 with 10:18 to play in the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing drive, a well-rested Raiders defense forced a fumble that senior defensive lineman Ricardo Lopez recovered at the Oxnard 33-yard line. Five plays later, Estrada escaped pressure and raced free for a 15-yard touchdown run, giving Channel Islands a 25-21 lead as fireworks shot off from the baseball diamond with 6:15 remaining.

Oxnard had two opportunities to rally, first getting stopped on a fourth-and-3 on its own 31 yard-line. The defense held Channel Islands to a 29-yard field-goal attempt that failed when the snap sailed over the holders head.

With its final opportunity, Oxnard drove 64 yards in 10 plays, getting to the Channel Islands 14-yard line. A holding penalty set the Yellowjackets back, and Andersons interception sealed the game.

Oxnard opened the scoring on its second drive of the game, getting great field position after a sack by sophomore defensive lineman Andre Bellamy forced Channel Islands to punt from its own end zone. Sophomore running back Raymond Caldera picked up all 39 yards on four carries, the capper being a 2-yard run for his first touchdown to give Oxnard a 7-0 lead.

Channel Islands drew even when junior defensive lineman Bobby Isaia forced a fumble that junior defensive lineman Ricky Blancarte recovered at the Oxnard 37-yard line. Two plays later, Estrada found Anderson for a 35-yard touchdown pass up the near sideline to knot the score. The teams stood level 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Read more:

Channel Islands rallies to beat Oxnard in PVL opener

Faroe Islands pegged back by Kazakhstan

Posted on by

The Faroe Islands earned their maiden point in FIFA World Cup qualifying Group C courtesy of a 1-1 stalemate at home to Kazakhstan.

Lars Olsen's side were dreaming of a rare victory when Aalborg BK schemer Hallur Hansson opened the scoring four minutes before half-time. However, Andrei Finonchenko quickly restored parity to condemn the hosts to a bottom-place finish.

On the back foot for long stretches, it was the Faroe Islands who had displayed early sparkle, Jan Edmundsson heading narrowly wide after 18 minutes. Edmundsson later made amends with a cute back-heel for Hansson, who found the top corner with a rasping long-range drive.

Kazakhstan emerged with a spring in their step after the interval and twice went close before equalising. Failing to clear their lines from a corner, the home team were punished when Finonchenko poked in after Gunnar Nielsen's initial save.A frantic finale ensued, with Pll Klettskard a whisker away from clinching a memorable win for the Faroes afterHansson's shot had been parried.

Read more:

Faroe Islands pegged back by Kazakhstan

Obama Health Care – Watch before you get caught in the trap of government health care! – Video

Posted on by


Obama Health Care - Watch before you get caught in the trap of government health care!
http://www.souleticsresourcecenter.com - click for a FREE guide to treating ailments naturally, without prescription drugs! Curious about your health care op...

By: Souletics® Resource Center

More here:

Obama Health Care - Watch before you get caught in the trap of government health care! - Video

Health care overhaul a success so far? It's hard to say

Posted on by

Health Care Overhaul

In this Sept. 27, 2013, file photo, MNsure insurance exchange representatives Carlos Villanueva, left, and Emily Joyce prepare for the Oct. 1 open enrollment debut at the center in St. Paul, Minn. The federal government hasnt released comprehensive data on how many people have signed up for health insurance in the 36 states using federally run exchanges, and in the 14 states running their own exchanges, lack of enrollment numbers also makes it hard to say if Obamacare is a success. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) After more than a week in action, is a key feature of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul a success or a bust? Judging by the dearth of data, it's virtually impossible to say.

The federal government has released no comprehensive data on how many people have enrolled for health insurance using federally run exchanges, the online marketplaces being used in 36 states for residents to compare and buy insurance. In the 14 states running their own exchanges, the situation isn't much better.

Officials with California's exchange say it will be mid-November until they can say how many people signed up. In Oregon and Colorado, the official number of completed applications is zero. And in Minnesota, which billed itself as a leader in implementing the Affordable Care Act, officials won't release data until next week about the number of applications started and completed.

As a result, a nation obsessed with keeping score to determine winners and losers is finding it difficult to pass immediate judgment on a law that will in large part define the president's legacy.

"Obamacare has a lot of cynics in this country, and it needs to get off to a better start than what we see so far if it's going to be a success," said Bob Laszewski, a Washington, D.C.-based health care industry consultant.

Laszewski suspects the lack of data conceals an extremely slow start thanks to widely reported technical problems.

MNsure, Minnesota's online insurance marketplace, reported 9,200 accounts had been initiated as of Thursday, said April Todd-Malmlov, the exchange's director. But enrollment figures won't be available until Wednesday. She said some users inadvertently submitted multiple applications that need to be consolidated.

Similar problems abound. Many states running their own exchanges haven't released initial enrollment data, and only a handful are providing a detailed picture of applicants and the plans they are choosing.

View original post here:

Health care overhaul a success so far? It's hard to say

Health care reform a success? It's hard to say

Posted on by

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- After more than a week in action, is a key feature of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul a success or a bust? Judging by the dearth of data, it's virtually impossible to say.

The federal government has released no comprehensive data on how many people have enrolled for health insurance using federally run exchanges, the online marketplaces being used in 36 states for residents to compare and buy insurance. In the 14 states running their own exchanges, the situation isn't much better.

Officials with California's exchange say it will be mid-November until they can say how many people signed up. In Oregon and Colorado, the official number of completed applications is zero. And in Minnesota, which billed itself as a leader in implementing the Affordable Care Act, officials won't release data until next week about the number of applications started and completed.

As a result, a nation obsessed with keeping score to determine winners and losers is finding it difficult to pass immediate judgment on a law that will in large part define the president's legacy.

"Obamacare has a lot of cynics in this country, and it needs to get off to a better start than what we see so far if it's going to be a success," said Bob Laszewski, a Washington, D.C.-based health care industry consultant.

Laszewski suspects the lack of data conceals an extremely slow start thanks to widely reported technical problems.

MNsure, Minnesota's online insurance marketplace, reported more than 10,000 accounts had been initiated as of Thursday, said April Todd-Malmlov, the exchange's director. But enrollment figures won't be available until Wednesday. She said some users inadvertently submitted multiple applications that need to be consolidated.

Similar problems abound. Many states running their own exchanges haven't released initial enrollment data, and only a handful are providing a detailed picture of applicants and the plans they are choosing.

Oregon, another state that embraced the law, hasn't even opened enrollment because its software can't determine eligibility for Medicaid or for tax credits that help pay for insurance. Vermont's system is so buggy that officials are issuing paper applications, even though the thinly populated state received $171 million - among the largest amounts in federal grants - to run its exchange and upgrade technology.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is overseeing the federally run exchanges, doesn't expect to release enrollment data until mid-November. But scattered reports from those states aren't encouraging. For example, Delaware had yet to confirm a single enrollment by Thursday, and many Florida groups designated to help people sign up say they still can't complete the enrollment process online.

The rest is here:

Health care reform a success? It's hard to say

Where are the chances for change in health care top-down or bottom-up?

Posted on by

Everyone seems to agree that health care is the next big industry waiting to be disrupted. But who will force that change on a massive system full of conservative players? Three possibilities present themselves:

Ive seen plenty of evidence to support each of these three scenarios, and I think that your position in the system and personal philosophy, more than any evidence, probably determine how youll cast your vote. In this article Ill list some of the activities in health care that illuminate the chances for each scenario to come alive, drawing on the recent Strata Rx conference put on by OReilly Media.

Many reformers, notably Clayton Christensen, have declared current hospitals and other health institutions irreparabletoo caught up in the treatment and payment models they have used for decades. Other people in the health care field are equally committed to change, determined to do it through the health institutions themselves. I believe, from what Ive read and heard of Dr. Eric J. Topol, that he falls in this category.

Another leader I would place here is Jonathan Bush, cofounder and CEO of athenahealth. The vibes I pick up from him react very negatively with government regulations. He believes the market can bring about reform, one of the solutions in his keynote at StrataRx.

In a five-minute Ignite! talk, Lisa Maki suggested turning the high cost of health care into an opportunity for change. Maki seems to be an adherent to the same market-driven point of view as Jonathan Bush, believing that converting health care into a market with transparency and patient choice can bring about the change. Makie held up the PokitDok site as a way to help patients find out what theyre spending.

Two talks by representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services at Strata Rx could have health care reformersalong with anyone interested in a more collaborative and responsive governmenton their feet cheering. So long as shutdowns dont cripple agencies plans, theres a lot government can do to stoke the health care revolution.

Bryan Sivaks speech paid homage to the power of independent developers, open data sets, and power to the patient. He marked the milestone of HHS releasing 1,000 data sets, which they are seeking to combine with other peoples data. And he announced a pilot test bed at hospitals and other data users so developers can test their apps on real systems. This will reduce the risk of deploying apps, which very important to these naturally conservative institutions.

Claudia Williams continued this theme by highlighting the value of data to patients and describing the contributions of BlueButton Plus, a tool that tries to standardize patient access to data, and Direct, an HHS project to make secure data exchange simple.

HHS is not intent, of course, on changing the health care field purely through its own dictats (notwithstanding the paranoid fears of a few fringe commenters). Rather, it hopes to provide tools for change in collaboration with private actors, who have always contributed to projects such as BlueButton Plus and Direct. That, together with incentives for improving quality and providing payment for outcomes, will hopefully create a new environment where the drive and intelligence of the private sector can find a way forward.

Not a single trouble, actually, but many. Lets look first at what an ACO is: a collaboration among providers and possible payers to give patients integrated care. Several models for ACOs already exist, of which the biggest is Kaiser Permanente (I dont include the Veterans Affairs system because of its unique characteristics). CMS now defines ACOs in detail for reimbursement purpose.

Read the original post:

Where are the chances for change in health care top-down or bottom-up?

Health care reforms explained

Posted on by

LAPLACE Representatives of the Louisiana Healthcare Education Coalition invited St. John the Baptist Parish residents to sit in on a informative presentation about the key changes imposed by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The health care reform law was actually passed in 2010, but changes that will go into effect January 2014 have thrown it into the spotlight more recently. The law is designed to ensure access to quality, affordable health care coverage and will require most Americans to have some form of health insurance. Insurance providers can no longer deny coverage to citizens with pre-existing conditions.

An online health care marketplace is designed to provide coverage options for those who do not receive insurance from an employer or are not enrolled on a government mandated health care plan, such as Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP or TriCare. Citizens who receive coverage from work or a government program do not need to worry about using the online marketplace. Subsidies are also available to help pay for health insurance premiums for those who earn between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level projected income.

Open enrollment for the online marketplace officially began on Oct. 1. Citizens who wish for their coverage to take effect Jan. 1, must enroll by Dec. 15, though the enrollment period will last until March 31, 2014.

Incarcerated people, those who reside in the country unlawfully, those who are claimed as a dependent on someones taxes, those who earn more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level and those who are unable to prove residency in one state are not eligible for coverage under the ACA.

Thus far, four Lousiana insurers have applied to participate in the marketplace: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Humana, Louisiana Health Cooperative and Vantage. Humana has limited its coverage to Jefferson Parish, while Vantage will be limited to northern Louisiana.

The federal government will reap a hefty fine from those who choose not to enroll when they do not already have a health care plan. According to Keith Ray, a representative of the Louisiana Healthcare Education Coalition, failure to comply means confiscation of tax refunds starting at $95, or 1 percent of a citizens total income for first year without health coverage. The fine can grow to up to $695, or 2.5 percent of income by 2017.

Ray said the online marketplace has experienced quite a few glitches and unanswered questions. He went on to speak of the websites software and design defects.

This is something that is really different. So when we say they are many unanswered questions, thats just a fact. There are unanswered questions, and there are a lot of glitches, said Ray, who added that LHEC did not intend to denigrate or promote the new health care act.

As with any large-scale event of this magnitude, we expect to spend the first couple of weeks after the marketplace opens working with the government and other partners to identify and quickly resolve any issues so we can make the experience as smooth as possible, said Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana CEO Mike Reitz last week.

Visit link:

Health care reforms explained

David Byrne: Great Musician, Terrible Futurist

Posted on by

The January, 1987 issue of OMNI Magazine included a cover story titled, "14 Great Minds Predict the Future." OMNI asked influential people from a variety of fields what was in store for humanity in the year 2007, twenty years into the future. There were predictions about everything from peace in the Middle East to 3D televisions.

David Byrne, lead singer and songwriter of the Talking Heads, gazed into his crystal ball to write about pop art, the future of television, and why computers will never help the creative process. With the benefit of hindsight it's a little hard to believe that Byrne was so pessimistic about the potential for computers as a creative tool, especially when futuristic designs for computers were getting so many others excited. An excerpt from the OMNI piece appears below.

David Byrne, Lead Singer, Talking Heads

I don't think computers will have any important effect on the arts in 2007. When it comes to the arts they're just big or small adding machines. And if they can't "think," that's all they'll ever be. They may help creative people with their bookkeeping, but they won't help in the creative process.

The video revolution, however, will have some real impact on the arts in the next 20 years. It already has. Because people's attention spans are getting shorter, more fiction and drama will be done by television, a perfect medium for them. But I don't think anything will be wiped out; books will always be there; everything will find its place.

Outlets for art, in the marketplace and on television, will multiply and spread. Even the three big TV networks will feature looser, more specialized programming to appeal to special-interest groups. The networks will be freed from the need to try to please everybody, which they do now and inevitably end up with a show so stupid nobody likes it. Obviously this multiplication of outlets will benefit the arts.

I don't think we'll see the participatory art that so many people predict. Some people will use new equipment to make art, but they will be the same people who would have been making art anyway. Still, I definitely think that the general public will be interested in art that was once considered avant-garde.

Original post:

David Byrne: Great Musician, Terrible Futurist

Giap, Wallace, and the Never-Ending Battle for Freedom

Posted on by

by Ramzy Baroud October 10, 2013

Nothing is more precious than freedom, is quoted as being attributed to Vo Nguyen Giap, a Vietnamese General that led his country through two liberation wars. The first was against French colonialists, the second against the Americans. And despite heavy and painful losses, Vietnam prevailed, defeating the first colonial quest at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954) and the second at Ho Ch Minh Campaign (1975).

General Giap, the son of a peasant scholar, stood tall in both wars, only bowing down to the resolve of his people. Any forces that would impose their will on other nations will most certainly face defeat, he once said. His words will always be true.

He died on Friday, October 4, at the age of 102.

On the same day, the former black panther Herman Wallace, who had spent 41-years of his life in solitary confinement in Louisiana State Penitentiary, died from incurable liver cancer at the age of 71. Just a few days before his death, Judge Brian Jackson had overturned a charge that robbed Herman of much of his life. According to Jackson, Hermans 1974 conviction of killing a prison guard was unconstitutional.

Despite the lack of material evidence, discredited witnesses and a sham trial, Wallace, who was a poet and lover of literature, and two other prisoners known as the Angola Three, were locked up to spend a life of untold hardship for a crime they didnt commit.

Now that Wallace is dead, two remain. One, Robert King, 70, was freed in 2001, and the other, Albert Woodfox, 66, is still in solitary confinement and undergoes daily cavity searches, reported the UK Independent newspaper.

When his conviction was overturned it cleared the slate - he could die a man not convicted of a crime he was innocent of, King said of the release of Wallace, who died few days later.

One of the last photos released while on his hospital bed, showed Wallace raising his clinched right fist, perpetuating the legendary defiance of a whole generation of African Americans and civil rights leaders. While some fought for civil rights in the streets of American cities, Wallace fought for the rights of prisoners. The four decades of solitary confinement were meant to break him. Instead, it made it him stronger.

"If death is the realm of freedom, then through death I escape to freedom" Wallace quoted Frantz Fanon in the introduction to a poem he wrote from prison in 2012.

Continue reading here:

Giap, Wallace, and the Never-Ending Battle for Freedom