Daily Archives: September 18, 2012

Dan Morain: Promise of youth vote fails to produce at polling places

Posted: September 18, 2012 at 9:10 pm

The headline was true enough, though it was politically incorrect by today's standards: "Pretty Teen Coed Is First Vote Caster." The Sacramento Bee detailed how Joanne Durbin, that "pretty blonde college student," and a half-dozen other newly minted young voters might change the face of democracy.

At 19, Durbin stepped into the voting booth and cast her ballot in a local El Dorado County election, apparently becoming the first Californian to exercise her right under the 26th Amendment, which took effect July 1, 1971, and lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Before hurrying off to class at Sacramento State, Durbin surveyed the polling place and noted that no one lined up behind her.

"I guess they are just lazy, like the adults," Durbin, smart kid that she was, told the reporter.

Forty-one years later, Joanne Durbin Testerman is a nurse and a grandmother living in Arizona, where she helps care for her aging parents. She has missed only one election since, though she had a good excuse: She was giving birth to twins. But the youth vote has never materialized.

A product of the Vietnam War era, the 26th Amendment was in place for the 1972 presidential election. We know how that turned out. George McGovern, the peace candidate who sought to mobilize young people outraged by the Vietnam War and draft, won Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, and nothing else.

People described in the newspaper article are now in their 60s. I found a few of them with help from The Sacramento Bee's researcher, Pete Basofin. They all had become regular voters and drilled into their kids' heads the need to vote.

"Politics governs the air you breathe," said Melanie Connors, 61, who spent a career as a child protective services worker. "You need to stay informed and involved."

"I have my two cents. I might as well put it in there. I fought for it," added Tony Kessler. A Navy veteran living in San Luis Obispo, he has voted every time since, except for a few years when he was living in Japan. "I thought things were going to start changing. But nothing happened."

Indeed, four decades later, the vast majority of young people still don't vote. The Public Policy Institute of California estimates that 19 percent of people 25 or younger are likely voters in this state, compared with 74 percent of voters who are 65 and older.

They can't vote if they aren't registered, and they aren't. UC Davis researcher Mindy Romero, project director of the California Civic Engagement Project, has found that a paltry 49.43 percent of eligible voters between 18 and 24 are registered, compared to 77.5 percent in the general population.

Original post:
Dan Morain: Promise of youth vote fails to produce at polling places

Posted in Politically Incorrect | Comments Off on Dan Morain: Promise of youth vote fails to produce at polling places

Meet the world's first transhumanist politician

Posted: at 9:10 pm

It's not necessarily a negative thing for us to become less human, says transhumanist politician Giuseppe Vatinno

What is transhumanism? Transhumanism is a philosophical doctrine that aims to continuously improve humanity. It promotes science and technology but with people at its centre. Ultimately, it aims to free humanity from its biological limitations, overcoming natural evolution to make us more than human.

How does transhumanism improve humanity? It does this through the development of technologies that boost health and fight ageing and disease, by replacing lost or defective body parts and by improving the internet, communication technologies and artificial intelligence.

Is there a danger that transhumanism could actually make us less human? Becoming less human is not necessarily a negative thing, because it could mean we are less subject to the whims of nature, such as illness or climate extremes. A beautiful sunset is positive, but the black death that struck Europe in the 14th century was not. We want to retain the positive aspects of nature and reduce the negative ones.

But could we become cyborgs? This is more the realm of science fiction. But we are already taking steps in that direction. Look at Oscar Pistorius, the sprinter with two prosthetic limbs. He is able to beat able-bodied competitors.

Why do you think it is important to have a transhumanist politician? Politics is the motor of society, so to bring the battle forward it is important to have a political dimension. I have opposed Italy's "Law 40" that places limits on assisted procreation and have been pushing for more nanotechnology in energy and environmental technology.

Is transhumanism more allied with left- or right-wing politics? In the UK and the US recently, it has been closer to the left, probably because left-wing themes such as bioethics are important to transhumanists at the moment. But economically, the movement probably leans slightly more to the right. Freedom is very important in transhumanism, leading to a focus on individuals and free enterprise.

Is there a conflict with religion? In my opinion, no. Transhumanism does tend to avoid recourse to an external deity and, in fact, most adherents are materialists. But there are also quite a few Hindu and Buddhist transhumanists, and even some Mormons.

Isn't transhumanism, in fact, a religion of science and technology? Yes, in the sense that it could provide ethical principles. The scientific method implies an absolute honesty in producing data and searching for the truth. It could be a model of correctness. A philosopher might argue that a flower is blue rather than red, but science tells you unambiguously what colour it is.

Giuseppe Vatinno trained as a physicist at the Sapienza University of Rome in Italy. In July, the centrist Alleanza per l'Italia politician became the world's first transhumanist to be elected as a member of a parliament

Read the original post:
Meet the world's first transhumanist politician

Posted in Transhumanist | Comments Off on Meet the world's first transhumanist politician

These 9 startups belong in a futurist’s guide to health technology (infographic)

Posted: at 9:10 pm

A futurist map of disruptive healthcare technology of the future offers a stunning projection of what will be possible. Whats interesting is that much of it is already beginning to take shape in some form or another.

Developed by trend forecasting studio Envision Technologys futurist Michell Zappa with Patrick Schlafer and Colin Popell of Prokalkeo, and featured in FastCompany, the themes focus on developments in telemedicine, augmentation, diagnostics, regeneration and biogerontology over the next 30 years.

Here are nine startups that embody some of the disruptive healthcare technology included in Zappas awesome innovation orb. Wed also like to get your thoughts on other startup companies you think belong in this guide. Post them in the comment space below and tell us what theyre doing to disrupt healthcare.

Diagnostics

UE Lifesciences is a breast cancer diagnostics startup that uses fingertip sensors to detect tumors. Its Intelligent Breast Exam can distinguish between normal breast tissue and a tumor. Breast cancers are stiffer and less mobile than the surrounding tissue, according to a paper documenting the device. It provides a non-invasive, radiation-free alternative to mammograms.

Regeneration

What could be more futuristic than growing skin from plants? Invasion of the Body Snatchers, anyone? Not quite. Eqalix is working with three Philadelphia institutions to grow synthetic skin from soybean protein. CEO Joseph P. Connell sees applications for diabetic foot ulcers, bed sores, trauma and burns. Connell said the synthetic skin addresses the biggest problem in wound healing closing a large wound surface. Also, by using synthetic grafts, there wont be a need to track down and harvest donor arteries in the patients body or from another person. The technologies were developed by researchers and clinicians from Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

Augmentation

Ekso Bionics makes exoskeletons for people who have been paralyzed from spinal cord injuries. Heres how it works: electrical motors move the frames joints, mimicking the actions of muscles. The technology has been licensed to Lockheed Martin for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Telemedicine

View post:
These 9 startups belong in a futurist’s guide to health technology (infographic)

Posted in Futurist | Comments Off on These 9 startups belong in a futurist’s guide to health technology (infographic)

Freedom Is Key to Prosperity

Posted: at 3:15 pm

by James D. Gwartney, Robert Lawson and Joshua Hall

James Gwartney, Robert Lawson, and Joshua Hall are the coauthors of Economic Freedom of the World: 2012 Annual Report. They are economics professors at Florida State University, Southern Methodist University, and Beloit College, respectively.

Added to cato.org on September 18, 2012

This article appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on September 18, 2012.

As the country enters the final months of the presidential election season, candidates from both parties will promise policies that they claim will improve our standards of living. While the focus of the political debate will be on short-term economic recovery and jobs, the source of long-term prosperity is economic freedom.

Economic freedom means people are free to choose, trade, compete, invest, and have the fruits of their labor protected against aggressors within a legal framework of equal treatment and minimal interference from government. The link between economic freedom and long-term prosperity is overwhelming: freer economies invest more, grow more rapidly, and achieve higher income levels than those that are less free.

The United States, long considered a bastion of economic freedom, has become less free during the past decade. This decline is across the board. Increases in government spending, record deficits, violation of property rights, more onerous regulation of business, and wars on terrorism and drugs have all contributed to the erosion of economic freedom in America.

For the past two decades, we have worked to develop an accurate and comprehensive measure of the extent of economic freedom across countries and time. This work resulted in the Economic Freedom of the World Annual Report, published by the Cato Institute in the United States, the Fraser Institute in Canada, and a network of institutes in 78 other countries. The Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) index uses 42 different statistical variables collected from reputable sources such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the World Economic Forum.

he link between economic freedom and long-term prosperity is overwhelming...

The 2012 report, being released today, provides data through 2010 for 144 countries. As in earlier years, Hong Kong and Singapore head the list of the freest economies, but the United States has continued its fall in the rankings.

Read the original post:
Freedom Is Key to Prosperity

Posted in Freedom | Comments Off on Freedom Is Key to Prosperity

The Fraser Institute: Canada Leads North America in Economic Freedom, Tied With Australia for Fifth Spot Globally; U.S …

Posted: at 3:15 pm

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sep 18, 2012) - Canada is among the top five most economically free countries in the world, well ahead of the United States which has fallen to 18th overall, according to the Fraser Institute''s annual Economic Freedom of the World report.

Canada, with an economic freedom score of 7.97 out of 10, tied with Australia to rankfifth out of 144 nations and territories included in the Economic Freedom of the World: 2012 Annual Report. Last year, Canada ranked sixth overall.

"Canada''s relatively high level of economic freedom has resulted in stronger economic growth, higher income levels, and less pain from the global recession," said Fred McMahon, Fraser Institute vice-president of international policy research.

"Meanwhile, other nations embraced heavy-handed regulation and extensive over-spending in response to the American and European debt crises. Consequently, their levels of economic freedom decreased."

The United States, long considered a champion of economic freedom among large industrial nations, continues its protracted decline in the global rankings. This year, the U.S. plunged to 18th, its lowest-ever ranking and a sharp drop from second overall, the position it held in 2000. Much of this decline is a result of high spending on the part of the U.S. government.

Hong Kong again topped the rankings of 144 countries, followed by Singapore, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Australia and Canada tied for fifth overall.

Research shows that people living in countries with high levels of economic freedom enjoy greater prosperity, more political and civil liberties, and longer life spans.

Globally, the average economic freedom score rose slightly to 6.83 in 2010, the most recent year available, after plummeting to its lowest level in nearly three decades with a score of 6.79 in 2009.

The annual Economic Freedom of the World report is the premier measurement of economic freedom, using 42 distinct variables to create an index ranking of countries around the world based on policies that encourage economic freedom. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of private property. Economic freedom is measured in five different areas: (1) size of government, (2) legal structure and security of property rights, (3) access to sound money, (4) freedom to trade internationally, and (5) regulation of credit, labour, and business. The full report is available at http://www.freetheworld.com.

Canada''s scores in key areas of economic freedom (from one to 10, where higher values indicate higher levels of economic freedom) are:

Here is the original post:
The Fraser Institute: Canada Leads North America in Economic Freedom, Tied With Australia for Fifth Spot Globally; U.S ...

Posted in Freedom | Comments Off on The Fraser Institute: Canada Leads North America in Economic Freedom, Tied With Australia for Fifth Spot Globally; U.S …

Teens Mirror Parents' Distracted Driving Habits In New Liberty Mutual Insurance/SADD Survey

Posted: at 3:14 pm

BOSTON, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey from Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) finds an alarming percentage of teens report their parents make poor and risky decisions while driving. According to more than 1,700 teens surveyed countrywide, dangerous driving behaviors among parents, while their teen is in the car, range from texting or speeding to driving without a seatbelt and even under the influence of alcohol. Even more concerning, surveyed teens repeat their parents' poor driving habits in nearly equal amounts.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/teens-mirror-parents-distracted-driving-habits-in-new-liberty-mutual-insurancesadd-survey-169851596.html

The survey found teens observe their parents exhibiting the following behavior at least occasionally: 91 percent talk on a cell phone while driving, 88 percent speed and 59 percent text message while driving. With teens reporting nearly half (47 percent) of parents have driven at least occasionally without a seatbelt, 20 percent under the influence of alcohol, and 7 percent under the influence of marijuana, the survey reveals parents may not be the best role models for their teens behind the wheel. This, despite teens reporting in past Liberty Mutual/SADD research that parents are their primary driving influence.

Given the high percentage of teens who report their parents engage in unsafe driving behavior while their teen is in the car, it follows that two-thirds (66 percent) of teen drivers report their parents live by different rules than the ones they expect of their teens. With so many parents not abiding by their own safe-driving rules of the road, a "do as I say, not as I do" policy may be undermining the parent/teen driving relationship.

"The best teacher for a teen driver is a good parental role model," said Stephen Wallace, senior advisor for policy, research and education at SADD. "Parents and teens should have an active and ongoing dialogue about safe driving behavior and take the conversation one step further by signing a Parent/Teen Contract. But parents have to demonstrate good driving behavior from the onset so new drivers understand that safe driving rules apply to everyone equally."

Teen Driving Behavior

The distracted driving behavior reported by teens mirrors the poor driving habits of their parents in nearly equal amounts. Among the more than 1,700 teens surveyed, a high percentage report making poor decisions while driving. In fact, 90 percent of teens report talking on a cell phone while driving and 94 percent of teens speed (at least occasionally), with nearly half (47 percent) of teens speeding often or very often. Nearly 80 percent of teens report sending text messages while driving, 16 percent have driven after using marijuana, 15 percent have driven under the influence of alcohol and 33 percent report driving without a seatbelt.

The link between the observed and self-reported driving behaviors reveals parents are modeling destructive driving behavior, and their teens follow suit. The following is a side-by-side comparison of the survey data reported when teens were asked how frequently they engage, and witness their parents engaging, in the following behavior:

Liberty Mutual Insurance/SADD 2012 Teen Driving Survey

Parental Driving Behavior

Go here to read the rest:
Teens Mirror Parents' Distracted Driving Habits In New Liberty Mutual Insurance/SADD Survey

Posted in Liberty | Comments Off on Teens Mirror Parents' Distracted Driving Habits In New Liberty Mutual Insurance/SADD Survey

Verilux Introduces HappyLight Liberty

Posted: at 3:14 pm

WAITSFIELD, Vt., Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The new HappyLightLiberty from Verilux, the Healthy Lighting Company, means good news for everyone who has experienced decreased mood and energy levels, increased appetite, sleeplessness and other symptoms of the Winter Blues. Up to six times smaller than other energy lamps of comparable light output, Liberty is ideal for easy and convenient use at home, work or dorm room. It delivers a true 10,000 LUX of light intensity, so users can be farther from the lamp and move around more freely during operation while still receiving a useful amount of light.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120918/CG75801-a)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120918/CG75801LOGO-b)

With the great light comes a great value: At $99.95, Liberty is half the price of other light therapy devices of similar output and quality.

"We've heard from people across the country who love the energizing effects of HappyLights but want more freedom to move during their light therapy sessions without compromising results," said Verilux CEO Ryan Douglas. "Liberty's flexibility makes it easy to use in a way that is best and most satisfying for our customers. It's ideal for home-based employees, office workers who get limited exposure to outdoor light, shift workers and college students, as well as people who want to personalize their light therapy sessions to better meet their needs and goals."

HappyLight Liberty provides Natural Spectrum daylight exactly how, where and when it's needed to help the body recalibrate and stabilize, and improve focus and productivity. The bright light is a drug- and stimulant-free pick-me-up that increases energy for exercise and helps curb carb cravings. Like all of Verilux's light therapy products, HappyLight Liberty does not emit UV rays.

"Our engineers worked for more than two years to develop a light therapy lamp that could deliver the required output to sustain the light's natural effects while significantly minimizing the size and cost of the lamp," said Douglas.

Customize Your Light. HappyLight Liberty is the first energy lamp on the market with interchangeable Optix lenses for light personalization. One is a white high-energy lens that allows more light to shine, while the other, a tinted comfort lens, produces a softer light ideal for people with light sensitivities. The lenses change easily with a few simple steps and no tools.

HappyLight Liberty has a dual-intensity brightness control. Mixing and matching the lenses with the light intensity offers a range of options for users to control their individual programs.

"After 20 years of developing light therapy products, we've learned that no two people view and react to light in the same way. By including features like the two lenses and the intensity controls, we made sure Liberty offered the flexibility to let each user customize a program to meet his or her individual needs," Douglas continued. "For even more convenience, it offers a user-friendly tilt feature as well as a wall-mount option."

Originally posted here:
Verilux Introduces HappyLight Liberty

Posted in Liberty | Comments Off on Verilux Introduces HappyLight Liberty

In the zone, free to speak

Posted: at 3:13 pm

Students flocked around a man standing alone on a tiny plastic stepladder in the Free Speech area Monday.

Unamplified, he quoted scripture with heightening fervor and called for students to repent. At the same time, students passed around a megaphone, most sharing a variation of the opinion that preaching on campus isnt converting anyone.

I believe in Jesus. I believe in everything He says. But, what I do think is that youre doing it wrong, said Molly Calhoun, a student leader in Montana Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU).

Scott Smith is a member of a four-man group that plans to visit campuses across the country for the next two weeks to spread the true word. While Smiths group doesnt belong to any specific denomination or church, they have taken it upon themselves to reach college students.

A lot of Christian groups on campus dont present Christianity in the biblical way, Smith said.

Smith said college groups often try to be more loving than truly represent the word of God.

Jessica Smith, 25, a member of the gay community as well as CRU, tried to tell members of the four-man group that in her religion, she is loved and accepted.

I said I was a gay Christian and he said no such thing exists, Jessica Smith said.

The message they were preaching wasnt succeeding with the crowd, she said.

I actually asked that guy if he had saved anyone today, and he said no, Jessica Smith said.

Continue reading here:
In the zone, free to speak

Posted in Free Speech | Comments Off on In the zone, free to speak

Freedom Cross Campaign Launched to Support City in Logo Battle

Posted: at 8:14 am

By DAVE GOSSETT - For The Intelligencer , The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

STEUBENVILLE - A group of parishioners from Holy Family Catholic Church in Steubenville have organized a yard freedom cross campaign they hope will spread across the city and the nation.

Don Jordan said the idea for freedom crosses was prompted by the Freedom From Religion Foundation threat to sue the city over an unofficial logo that includes a cross and the silhouette of the Christ the King chapel on the Franciscan University of Steubenville campus.

"We had a number of concerns regarding the foundation that threatened to sue the city. We felt it was an attack on our religious freedom. Our bishops have urged Catholics to pray, fast and take action in response to the attack on our religious freedom. This is our way of taking action," said Jordan. "The Holy Family Evangelization program and our other parish ministries banded together to develop the 'freedom cross' for Holy Family parishioners to place in their yards as a witness to our faith and our right to religious freedom."

"The idea came from the photos from the Sept. 11 attack on the Twin Towers. I will always remember the photo of the damaged girders that had been twisted into a cross. The New York firefighters hung an American flag on the girders. That photo will always remain with me, and it inspired our freedom cross design," said John Miller, a volunteer.

The idea caught fire among several parishioners who have helped create the wooden crosses with the word "freedom" stenciled across the front and a small American flag placed at the top of the cross.

"We are cutting, assembling and painting approximately 200 crosses for our Holy Family parishioners. And we talked to Mark Nelson of the Nelson Fine Art and Gifts business, and he has agreed to create a very similar design for sale to the general public," said Jordan.

"This is about promoting freedom of religion in our country. We have already had requests from several area citizens who want to express their support for our religious freedom." said Nelson.

The freedom crosses also are available at freedomtothemax.com.

City officials have met with representatives from four law firms who offered free legal assistance if the city fights the legal challenge from the FFRF.

Originally posted here:
Freedom Cross Campaign Launched to Support City in Logo Battle

Posted in Freedom | Comments Off on Freedom Cross Campaign Launched to Support City in Logo Battle

Freedom 55 Financial's new advertising campaign encourages Canadians to reflect on what 'freedom' means to them

Posted: at 8:14 am

LONDON , ON, Sept. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - London Life's iconic Freedom 55 FinancialTM brand has launched a new national multimedia advertising campaign that aims to inspire Canadians to plan to achieve their financial dreams, whatever they may be.

The 13-week ad campaign includes online, newsprint, a micro-website with an advisor locator, out-of-home and transit, digital space in office towers and subways, as well as signage in restaurants and fitness centres. These are the first new English-language ads since 2009 for the widely known brand that London Life introduced in the 1980s.

"Freedom 55 Financial is here to help Canadians achieve financial success in whatever way they define it," said Alf Goodall, Senior Vice-President, Individual Marketing, London Life. "We do this through the more than 3,300 Freedom 55 Financial security advisors who help Canadians develop the right financial security plan for every stage of life."

Freedom 55 Financial has continually evolved to respond to changing client needs. For a long time, many people associated "financial freedom," and therefore the brand, with early retirement. Economic instability and changing demographics have made early retirement harder to achieve, but more importantly, less compelling. Canadians told us they saw our brand as broader than early retirement; that we helped them achieve financial freedom in a wide variety of ways.

Canadians express "financial freedom" in many ways, said Goodall. "It can be grand, like taking an early retirement; sailing around the world; engaging in personal philanthropy in your community or helping build homes in Guatemala ; helping grandchildren through college or university; or going back to university for a law degree in your 70s. What's important is how our clients define freedom. They tell us what. We'll show them how."

Goodall said the advertising campaign reaches out to Canadians who do not yet have a financial security advisor or have not yet developed a financial security plan.

Founded in London , Ontario, in 1874, London Life offers financial security advice and planning through its more than 3,300-member Freedom 55 Financial division.

SOURCE: London Life Insurance Company

Read this article:
Freedom 55 Financial's new advertising campaign encourages Canadians to reflect on what 'freedom' means to them

Posted in Freedom | Comments Off on Freedom 55 Financial's new advertising campaign encourages Canadians to reflect on what 'freedom' means to them