According to the 2009 Employer Health Benefits Survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, health insurance premiums have soared 131% since 1999, racing past the meager 38% increase in wages and the 28% increase in inflation during the same period. The report is based on a survey of 3,100 U.S. firms. That's why so many firms have reduced or eliminated health care insurance.
It's also why America needs to come to grips with a broken health care system that's consuming 16.7% of our nation's GDP.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
World Alzheimer's Day
Every disease and illness is terrible in its own way but Alzheimer's is one of the most insidious in my opinion. I've seen the patient live a happy, if lonely, life while family caregivers literally work themselves to death trying to care for their loved one.
Today is World Alzheimer's Day and in case you've forgotten the disease affects 5.3 million people here in the United States. One of the many organizations to learn more is the Alzheimer's Solutions Project.
Today is World Alzheimer's Day and in case you've forgotten the disease affects 5.3 million people here in the United States. One of the many organizations to learn more is the Alzheimer's Solutions Project.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Homeopathy Research
There is new research showing that homeopathic solutions may be effective even though they've been diluted many times. The winner of the Nobel Prize in 2008, Prof. Luc Montagnier, reported that a series of rigorous experiments has demonstrated that electromagnetic properties remain in highly diluted biological samples. Dr. Montagnier is a French virologist who co-discovered HIV.
Homeopathy was not mentioned specifically in the paper but the process was similar because they used aqueous solutions that were agitated and serially diluted, noting that the strong agitation was critical for the generation of electromagnetic signals. Anyone familiar with homeopathy recognizes the traditional homeopathic distillation process.
A portion of the abstract of this research in part asserts, "A novel property of DNA is described: the capacity of some bacterial DNA sequences to induce electromagnetic waves at high aqueous (water) dilutions. It appears to be a resonance phenomenon triggered by the ambient electromagnetic background of very low frequency waves."
One of the major arguments against homeopathy in America has been that scientifically it's impossible for such dilutions to maintain any effect. This latest research would appear to counter that claim. Homeopathy is used extensively in Europe.
To learn more: Montagnier L, Aissa J, Ferris S, Montagnier J-L, Lavallee C (2009). Electromagnetic Signals Are Produced by Aqueous Nanostructures Derived from Bacterial DNA Sequences. Interdisciplinary Sciences: Computational Life Sciences, 1: 81-90.
Homeopathy was not mentioned specifically in the paper but the process was similar because they used aqueous solutions that were agitated and serially diluted, noting that the strong agitation was critical for the generation of electromagnetic signals. Anyone familiar with homeopathy recognizes the traditional homeopathic distillation process.
A portion of the abstract of this research in part asserts, "A novel property of DNA is described: the capacity of some bacterial DNA sequences to induce electromagnetic waves at high aqueous (water) dilutions. It appears to be a resonance phenomenon triggered by the ambient electromagnetic background of very low frequency waves."
One of the major arguments against homeopathy in America has been that scientifically it's impossible for such dilutions to maintain any effect. This latest research would appear to counter that claim. Homeopathy is used extensively in Europe.
To learn more: Montagnier L, Aissa J, Ferris S, Montagnier J-L, Lavallee C (2009). Electromagnetic Signals Are Produced by Aqueous Nanostructures Derived from Bacterial DNA Sequences. Interdisciplinary Sciences: Computational Life Sciences, 1: 81-90.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Google Reader
Just figured out how to use the Google reader so folks can read a sample of UnBreak Your Health. Check it out at Google Book.
Slower Blogging
Every author is constantly working to improve his craft and I'm no different. Non-fiction authors are always in the process of updating their works and so am I. Sorry for the shortage of blogs lately but have been getting ready for a string of speaking engagements and have finally gotten down to working on the second edition of UnBreak Your Health.
The most fun so far has been updating listings in the first edition. As you know I'm closing in on 50 podcasts and listening to them again always brings out some new tidbit of information about each therapy. Maybe I'm just putting off the hard work of researching all of the new listings for later. Also going to present the information in a slightly different way, a more entertaining and interesting way. I'm capitalizing on all of the suggestions from readers over the past two years about what they'd like to see.
I'll get back to blogging more regularly, I promise!
The most fun so far has been updating listings in the first edition. As you know I'm closing in on 50 podcasts and listening to them again always brings out some new tidbit of information about each therapy. Maybe I'm just putting off the hard work of researching all of the new listings for later. Also going to present the information in a slightly different way, a more entertaining and interesting way. I'm capitalizing on all of the suggestions from readers over the past two years about what they'd like to see.
I'll get back to blogging more regularly, I promise!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Facts on Health Care Reform
Once again I'm going to recommend another writer's words on the health care reform challenge in America. T.R. Reid, a former Washington Post reporter, is the author of "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care," to be published Monday. He has a very informative piece today in the Washington Post that presents the facts about health care around the world. In a time where opinion and attitude dominate the discussion it's refreshing to read information instead of opinion.
Here is the link to his article on 5 Myths on Health Care Around the World. Enjoy.
Here is the link to his article on 5 Myths on Health Care Around the World. Enjoy.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Worker Stress
Even Western medicine is beginning to recognize that stress plays a vital role in a wide variety of health problems. I'd like to note that low income is a huge factor in the stress of millions of American workers.
In a prior life I produced a business video called Chorus For Quality about how we all needed to work together for our nation's economic benefit because we're all on the same team. One of the problems facing our country is the growing divide between CEO and worker pay. In Japan and other countries a CEO would be dishonored to be so greedy resulting in their pay gap being a fraction of ours. When my video was released many years ago the gap between CEO and average worker pay was less than 200% and that was the highest in the world by far.
A recent study has found that overall CEO-to-worker pay gap is 319 times more than the average worker for the S&P 500 CEOs last year. This growing divide is not only stressful to the workers getting the short end of the deal but also to our nation.
In a prior life I produced a business video called Chorus For Quality about how we all needed to work together for our nation's economic benefit because we're all on the same team. One of the problems facing our country is the growing divide between CEO and worker pay. In Japan and other countries a CEO would be dishonored to be so greedy resulting in their pay gap being a fraction of ours. When my video was released many years ago the gap between CEO and average worker pay was less than 200% and that was the highest in the world by far.
A recent study has found that overall CEO-to-worker pay gap is 319 times more than the average worker for the S&P 500 CEOs last year. This growing divide is not only stressful to the workers getting the short end of the deal but also to our nation.
Pfizer Settlement
How could I not make a comment on the settlement with Pfizer which features the largest criminal fine ever imposed in United States for any legal matter? The announcement of the agreement has Pfizer pleading guilty under a $2.3 billion federal settlement over unlawful prescription-drug promotions. The settlement involves the drug Bextra but also resolves Justice Department investigations involving alleged past off-label promotional practices concerning Zyvox, Geodon and Lyrica and allegations related to certain payments to health-care professionals.
America is one of only two nations on earth that permit the direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and even that's not enough for the drug companies. They want more and more and more. It's great to see the system working to protect consumers.
America is one of only two nations on earth that permit the direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and even that's not enough for the drug companies. They want more and more and more. It's great to see the system working to protect consumers.
Dangerous World
We live in a dangerous world today. We recognize many of its dangers but some are not as visible. For example, a new study out of Israel shows that holding a cell phone to one's head for 22 hours each month can increase the risk for cancer of the salivary gland by 50%. You've heard the warnings before - use a headset.
Don't wear the cellphone on your belt, carry it in your purse or lay it down. You really don't want to expose other parts of your body to a constant dose of radiation.
While we're on the subject of unseen energy ... if radiation can hurt us why can't energy medicine heal us?
Don't wear the cellphone on your belt, carry it in your purse or lay it down. You really don't want to expose other parts of your body to a constant dose of radiation.
While we're on the subject of unseen energy ... if radiation can hurt us why can't energy medicine heal us?
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