Pools, paintings and physics — art of the Channel Islands takes many forms

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Be it fragile little creatures in wet nooks, grand vistas and everyday scenes caught with a paint brush, or broad nods to origins of physical might, life at the Channel Islands goes on in delicate forms and big-picture wonder.

That's the common ground in three very different artistic impressions of the islands and mainland shoreline that are on view at the Museum of Ventura County in downtown Ventura. The three exhibits opened last month and run together through March 3.

Photographer Dan Harding of Santa Paula reached into pools of seawater for the tiny yet vibrant life within, including an octopus with a head no bigger than a corn kernel.

Sculptor Len E. Burge III of Ventura rolled some physics and imagination, along with a part from an Apollo mission and perhaps a dash of Hollywood, into his unique take on Santa Cruz Island. Meanwhile, Marla Daily of Carpinteria provided paintings and other artwork from her Santa Cruz Island Foundation that capture activity and landscapes at the islands from the 19th and 20th centuries.

The tide pool guy

Harding's milieu is the colorful and robust world of tiny creatures that people can see but often don't. He gives these familiar microscopic organisms their personal close-ups via macro-portraiture.

The two-spot octopus on display has a head the size of a kernel of corn. Harding photographed starfish and other marine life so tiny that two or three of them barely fill a coin's surface. The 17 creatures in his exhibit could collectively fit in a film canister, he added.

Many of these "really small animals," he noted, are in between larval stage and adulthood.

Thus, most people miss them in tide pools, those often-teeming puddles of seawater many shallow, but others larger and deep that are left behind in rocky outcroppings and low-lying spots when the ocean recedes during low tide.

There, Harding finds a bonanza in miniature, mostly invertebrates such as shrimp, crabs and starfish.

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Pools, paintings and physics -- art of the Channel Islands takes many forms

Wal-Mart to join Arkansas health care program

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday it will add its Arkansas employees' insurance plan to a state effort aimed at lowering health care costs by changing the way private insurers and Medicaid pay for services, and it committed $670,000 to create a tracking system that would measure the initiative's success.

The world's largest retailer announced that it would participate in the state's payment improvement initiative, which moves away from a fee-for-service model to one where insurers pay for "episodes" of care rather than each individual treatment.

The Bentonville-based retailer said its insurance plan in Arkansas, which covers about 57,000 workers, will be a part of the initiative. Besides paying for the tracking system, the $670,000 commitment over the next four years also will help distribute information about the reforms and Wal-Mart will serve on an employer advisory council for the state.

Officials with the company said they believed Wal-Mart and other private companies would save money with the payment reforms and that the program aligns with its discount philosophy.

"We believe if we can apply that mindset of saving people money so they can live better to the health care system, then we will all come out ahead," Sally Welborn, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of benefits, said at a news conference at the state Capitol.

Welborn said Wal-Mart, which self-insures its health program, has not estimated how much money it hoped to save in health care costs by joining the payment initiative.

"The goal is for the average Arkansan, and in particular the patients that are administered through Wal-Mart's plans, that we would see better quality care and lower costs over time," she said.

Gov. Mike Beebe and state health officials called the move an important step in its plan, billed as the first in the nation of its kind to change the way health care pays for services.

"The old way of paying for health care is unsustainable," Beebe said. "The old fee for service model is unsustainable."

Under the initiative, the average cost of services provided by doctors and other health care providers will be measured once a year and compared against an established threshold. The providers will either receive a share of the savings, if the costs come in less than the established threshold, or pay for any costs that go above that level.

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Wal-Mart to join Arkansas health care program

Walmart Joins Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe announced today that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) is joining a groundbreaking effort to create a more patient-centered and cost-efficient health payment system through the Arkansas Payment Improvement Initiative (APII). Walmart has committed $670,000 to underwrite the ongoing work of the new program, the first of its kind in the United States.

"We have worked for the past two years to bring the public and private sectors together in order to provide better health care in more cost-efficient ways," Governor Mike Beebe said. "It's critical that large, self-insured companies like Walmart be involved in this complex work that has the potential to serve as a model for the rest of the nation. With more than one million people on its health plan, Walmart's willingness to step forward and lead in this effort shows the company's continued pursuit of innovation and the initiative's potential for the future of health care."

Now in the first phase of implementation, the Arkansas Payment Improvement Initiative is designed to reward physicians, hospitals and other providers who give patients high-quality care at an appropriate cost. The long-term goal is to build a new and sustainable system that provides the best possible health care for Arkansans through team-based approaches and cost containment. For example, when primary care providers actively encourage patients to use preventive services, patients can manage chronic diseases and reduce future serious illnesses and costly treatments. And, when people receive appropriate follow-up care after hospitalizations, the likelihood of hospital readmissions can be dramatically reduced, which results in better health and lower costs.

As part of the agreement, Walmart will serve on the newly created APII Employer Advisory Council, fund the development and distribution of information to the public that explains how payments are being restructured, and help underwrite an annual statewide tracking report that will evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the project.

"We are very supportive of this work that will reward doctors, hospitals and other providers who offer great care at an appropriate cost," said Sally Welborn, Walmart senior vice president of benefits. "Governor Beebe is leading a first-of-a-kind payment-reform effort in Arkansas that health experts elsewhere are following closely. We respect the work being done in Arkansas, and we are excited about the opportunity to offer real support to such a meaningful project in our home state."

Health care costs in the United States are projected to increase 6.3 percent in 2013. The average deductible for an individual on health plans in the U.S. increased nearly 9 percent last year.

"Our health care system is at a tipping point brought on by rising costs, an increasingly unhealthy population and a fragmented system of care," said Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Joe Thompson. "We need all hands on deck if we are to restructure the health care system to better meet the needs of our citizens. Private companies pay for a large portion of our health care costs. So, it is very encouraging to have an organization of Walmart's stature join this important effort."

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Walmart Joins Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative

Lawmakers, executives debate health care overhaul at Orlando summit

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By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune Published: January 10, 2013 Updated: January 10, 2013 - 6:34 PM

Gov. Rick Scott's controversial projections about expanding health care for the poor are a sign of the uncertainty behind the looming federal overhaul, conservative lawmakers and health care executives said today.

Scott has been criticized for releasing an analysis this week that predicted adding nearly 900,000 Floridians to Medicaid would cost the state $26 billion over the next 10 years. His Agency for Health Care Administration revised that estimate to $3 billion after complaints.

Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, chairman of a committee guiding the state's health care expansion, backed Scott's initial decision to calculate possible costs without considering contributions from the federal government. There's no guarantee that contribution will last, Negron said at the Florida Health Care Affordability Summit in Orlando.

"I think the governor is reasonable in questioning the cost," Negron said during a panel discussion sponsored by the business advocacy group Associated Industries of Florida.

Regardless of the final costs, several state hospital leaders and health policy experts said Florida must come up with some way to provide insurance for those who are poor enough to qualify for an expanded form of Medicaid. The federal Affordable Care Act requires that all Americans be insured by Jan. 1, 2014.

"I just want to see people in the hospital show up with a (health insurance) card," said Daniel Waldmann, senior vice president of public affairs for the South-Florida's Tenet Healthcare Corp.

Negron questioned the value of handing over Medicaid cards to residents and making them "wards of the state" if they don't want to or can't get to a doctor. Negron backs Scott's proposal that these uninsured residents buy subsidized insurance plans on a privately-run health care exchange.

"I'm leery of people telling other people that don't have something that they need it," he said.

But even leaders who back a private market expansion acknowledged that Medicaid is better than nothing. Hospitals absorb millions in unpaid hospital bills every year, and indirectly pass those costs onto small businesses and people with insurance, said Alan Levine, Florida group president for the Health Management Associate hospital chain, which includes Pasco Regional Medical Center.

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Lawmakers, executives debate health care overhaul at Orlando summit

A New Way To Think About Business – Dr. James Canton – Futurist and Global Business Speaker – Video

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A New Way To Think About Business - Dr. James Canton - Futurist and Global Business Speaker
http://www.goldstars.com - Dr. James Canton is a renowned global futurist, social scientist, keynote presenter, author, and visionary business advisor. He is a leading authority on future trends in innovation and The Economist recognizes him as one of the leading futurists, worldwide. He is the author of "The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World in the 21st Century," and "Technofutures: How Leading-Edge Innovations Will Transform Business in the 21st Century." Dr. Canton advises the Global Fortune 1000 on trends in innovation, financial services, health care, population, life sciences, energy, security, workforce, climate change and globalization. From a broad range of industries, clients include: IBM, BP, Intel, Philips, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Boeing, FedEx, and Proctor Gamble. Dr. James Canton, a keynote speaker for your next meeting, event or conference. Contact Gold Stars Speakers Bureau at 520-742-4384 info@goldstars.com or http://www.goldstars.com. Gold Stars Speakers Bureau provides an extensive network of expert and celebrity international speakers and entertainment choices. Our consultants positively address specific needs to meet convention goals or strategic initiatives. Gold Stars has served corporate groups, associations, government agencies and educational or nonprofit organizations both domestically and internationally for over 23 years. Gold Stars Speakers Bureau, where our word is Gold!

By: GoldStarsSpeakers

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A New Way To Think About Business - Dr. James Canton - Futurist and Global Business Speaker - Video

Futurist says social institutions are entering the 'shift age'

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If you're a futurist, this is your time of year. David Houle, described as "America's leading futurist" on the cover of his new book, "Entering the Shift Age," has plenty to say about what's coming in 2013 and beyond.

"I look at 2010 to 2020 as the transformation decade. Most of your institutions will change in character and form," said Houle, speaking from his office in Chicago.

"This is the decade when legacy thinking will fall away at an alarming rate," he said.

"I grew up reading Alvin Toffler, Marshall McLuhan and Buckminster Fuller in the 1960s and 1970s. I coined the phrase, the shift age, five years ago," Houle said.

Among the institutions that will shift in this decade will be higher education, he said. "I'm predicting that (higher ed) will be the next big bubble," said Houle, pointing to mounting student debt and the indebtedness of universities.

The futurist said that even a basic thing like the concept of a job is going to change. "The job is a 300-year-old institution that's going away. People will become more like independent contractors," Houle said.

As for 2013, he had some specific predictions. "The Gross Domestic Product in this country will grow between 2 and 3 percent. Unemployment will be stuck around 7 percent. A barrel of oil will be in the $90 to $120 range while natural gas will stay cheap," Houle said.

Reto Gallati, president of Chicago-based Raetia Investments, and author of "Investment Discipline: Making Errors is OK, Repeating Errors is Not OK," offered his own economic predictions for 2013:

- GDP will grow 2.2 percent.

- Unemployment will improve to 7.3 percent this year.

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Futurist says social institutions are entering the 'shift age'

Freedom fighter passes away

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Freedom fighter, social worker and a senior lady advocate of 60 years standing at the bar P. Jaganmohini passed away here on Thursday. She was 84. Jaganmohini was ailing for some time and was being treated at a private hospital for the last few days.

Born to Dr. Rama Rao and Subhadramma in 1930 at Berhampur, Jaganmohini was a first generation advocate and said to be the first lady advocate of the city. She was known for providing legal help and educational assistance to the poor and downtrodden and remained a spinster to serve the people. Jaganmohini had the credit of solving many cases through the Lok Adalat and the District Legal Services Authority. She was actively involved in establishing and running many educational institutions and service organisations like Ba-Bapu Seva Kendram, All India Mahila Samakhya, Visakha Seva Sadan, Gayatri Vidya Parishad, MLB Trust, Bhagavatula Charitable Trust, etc.

Principle District Judge V. Venkata Prasad, several judges, former chairman of Bar Council of India and president of GVP D.V. Subba Rao, secretary P. Soma Raju, principals and faculty of GVP institutions, secretary of Gandhi Centre K.S. Sastry, president of Visakhapatnam Bar Association K. Adibabu, secretary of GVP MLBT School V. Srirama Murthy, and others paid rich tributes to Jaganmohini.

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Freedom fighter passes away

Freedom High's Woodard stays focused amid craziness

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By JEFF BERLINICKE | Tribune correspondent Published: January 11, 2013 Updated: January 11, 2013 - 12:00 AM

Faith Woodard's mailbox was bursting every day with more than 30 letters from colleges all over the country asking her, practically begging her, to be the bedrock of their basketball programs.

Then things got really crazy.

Woodard, a recent transfer to Freedom High from Riverview, is a multisport athlete and every coach's dream. She won the state championship in the high jump and competed in four other events at the state track meet. She has been the Tribune's Hillsborough County Female Athlete of the Year for the past two years.

Depending on who is asked, the senior ranges anywhere from 6-foot-1 to 6-4. Woodard said it's closer to 6-2, but she won't argue with any of the projections. Either way, the height doesn't matter as much as the 21.6-point scoring average and the 16-2 record.

The college letters are still pouring in, even though she has committed to Georgetown University, and the farther the Patriots roll through the season, the more calls and letters she is likely to receive.

"It just started to get crazy when I transferred to Freedom,'' Woodard said. "I wanted academics and let everyone know that, but I also wanted to stay close to home. I love my family, and South Florida seemed like a great choice, but I just decided on Georgetown. It was tough, but I am happy with my decision and I don't plan to change.''

Woodard is looking forward to Georgetown, but first she wants to take Freedom to Lakeland, site of the state Final Four.

After transferring from Riverview, where she averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds a season ago, she had the advantage of knowing her new coach, Laurie Pacholke, through AAU basketball for several years. Pacholke said she had no doubt that Woodard would fit in.

"I've known her for a while, and I knew what she could bring to the team,'' Pacholke said. "She is hungry to get even better. You haven't even seen how good I know she can be. She likes being pushed to the limits and she never complains.''

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Freedom High's Woodard stays focused amid craziness

Which Country Offers the Most Economic Freedom?

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The world's largest economy the U.S. came in at number 10. While no euro zone country made it to the top 10 in economic freedom, Switzerland and Denmark were placed 5th and 9th respectively.

The ranking, which covers 185 countries, is based on 10 factors ranging from freedom in trade and labor markets to the extent of government spending.

Hong Kong and Singapore have occupied the top two spots since the Index was launched almost two decades ago, owing to their efficient and transparent legal frameworks, vibrant engagement in global trade and investment and low tolerance for corruption, according to the Heritage Foundation report.

"The biggest freedom area is still Asia, (it) remains the brightest spot in terms of economic freedom. There are no euro currency countries anymore in the top 10. It was not really a good year for economic freedom," Edwin Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation told CNBC on Thursday.

In 2013, Ireland fell down the ranks from 9th to 11th place, which meant that no country from the single currency bloc is represented in the top 10. Other European nations including France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom each received scores similar or lower than those they first registered nearly two decades ago.

Overall, 35 countries saw declines in their economic freedom scores by one point or more over the past year, compared with 31 countries which saw an increase of that magnitude, which Feulner said is a reflection of policy stagnation. Each nation is marked on a scale of 0-100, with the latter representing the most freedom.

While on the whole government spending scores improved as many countries attempted to restrict their rapid budget growth, regulatory efficiency marks declined as a number of governments increased minimum wages and tightened control over labor markets. (Read More: Is Asia's Hot Spot for Investment Under Threat?)

US Faces Declining Freedom

The U.S. score fell to 76 from 76.3 in 2012 - the fifth straight year of decline. It is now at its lowest level since 2000. It also came in below neighboring Canada which was placed 6th.

"Entrepreneurial growth is stifled by evermore-bloated government and a trend toward cronyism that erodes the rule of law," Feulner wrote.

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Which Country Offers the Most Economic Freedom?

Which Country Offers Most Economic Freedom?

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The world's largest economy the U.S. came in at number 10. While no euro zone country made it to the top 10 in economic freedom, Switzerland and Denmark were placed 5th and 9th respectively.

The ranking, which covers 185 countries, is based on 10 factors ranging from freedom in trade and labor markets to the extent of government spending.

Hong Kong and Singapore have occupied the top two spots since the Index was launched almost two decades ago, owing to their efficient and transparent legal frameworks, vibrant engagement in global trade and investment and low tolerance for corruption, according to the Heritage Foundation report.

"The biggest freedom area is still Asia, (it) remains the brightest spot in terms of economic freedom. There are no euro currency countries anymore in the top 10. It was not really a good year for economic freedom," Edwin Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation told CNBC on Thursday.

In 2013, Ireland fell down the ranks from 9th to 11th place, which meant that no country from the single currency bloc is represented in the top 10. Other European nations including France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom each received scores similar or lower than those they first registered nearly two decades ago.

Overall, 35 countries saw declines in their economic freedom scores by one point or more over the past year, compared with 31 countries which saw an increase of that magnitude, which Feulner said is a reflection of policy stagnation. Each nation is marked on a scale of 0-100, with the latter representing the most freedom.

While on the whole government spending scores improved as many countries attempted to restrict their rapid budget growth, regulatory efficiency marks declined as a number of governments increased minimum wages and tightened control over labor markets. (Read More: Is Asia's Hot Spot for Investment Under Threat?)

US Faces Declining Freedom

The U.S. score fell to 76 from 76.3 in 2012 - the fifth straight year of decline. It is now at its lowest level since 2000. It also came in below neighboring Canada which was placed 6th.

"Entrepreneurial growth is stifled by evermore-bloated government and a trend toward cronyism that erodes the rule of law," Feulner wrote.

Read more:

Which Country Offers Most Economic Freedom?

Freedom Summit 2013 Bay Area Groups Fighting Human Trafficking to Gather at Freedom Summit 2013

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MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

On January 25-26 in Fremont, California, Freedom Summit 2013, will bring together civic, law enforcement and anti-trafficking organizations, community groups, churches, students and healthcare professionals interested in building a collective response to the problem of human trafficking and forced labor in the Bay Area.

Freedom Summit is the largest event of its kind in the United States, and there is growing urgency around its mission. On a global level, the sale of human beings is the third largest illicit trade, following drugs and weapons, but it is growing at the fastest rate1. California is among the nations top three states in terms of human trafficking activity2 and it generates the second highest volume of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego are among the top 10 U.S. cities in terms of child sex trafficking3. In the Bay Area, trafficking victims include domestic servants, sex slaves and forced laborers of all ages.

Along with keynote speakers, Freedom Summit 2013 will feature breakout sessions with more than 50 anti-trafficking organizations sharing best practices and resources for community education and engagement. Event highlights include screenings of new film documentaries. Among the event's sponsors are Google, Humanity United, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, and Stanford University.

In her opening remarks, event host Betty Ann Boeving will shine a spotlight on the problem and the incredible progress that is being made by experts and everyday citizens alike. Ms. Boeving is founder and executive director of the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition, a 501c3 non-profit and the organizer of this biennial conference and expo.

Keynote Addresses: Justin Dillon, Founder and CEO, Slavery Footprint Nathan George, Founder, Trade As One Jaida Im, Founder and Executive Director, Freedom House Sean Litton, SVP of Field Operations, International Justice Mission Bradley Miles, Executive Director and CEO, Polaris Project Betty Ann Boeving, Founder and Executive Director, Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition

TO THE MEDIA: To register, visit http://www.freedom-summit.org and use promo code "deleteslaveryPR" for your complimentary press pass.

FREEDOM MONTH: Three years ago, President Obama proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Read his Presidential Proclamation. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is January 11th.

CONTACTS: Betty Ann Boeving, Chair, Freedom Summit 2013; founder and Executive Director, Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition (bettyann@baatc.org). Robin Shepherd, Freedom Summit 2013 volunteer (shepherdrobin7@gmail.com).

Visit http://www.baatc.org or follow us: facebook.com/baatc.org, Twitter @BaatcDotOrg Betty Ann Boeving Speaks at TEDx Event: http://vimeo.com/32157524 Freedom Summit 2013 Intro Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81vy4Zwfh18&feature=youtu.be

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Freedom Summit 2013 Bay Area Groups Fighting Human Trafficking to Gather at Freedom Summit 2013