More education dilemmas

Returning to our current educational dilemma, we just discussed and read in the Courier on October 20th that a consultant felt we may be trying to teach too many concepts in our schools and not focusing on some of the basics. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051020/NEWS01/510200427/1008/NEWS01

Now in Sunday’s Courier, the front page article talks about requiring students to show they can speak, read, and write a second foreign language. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

I certainly am not opposed to a second language, but the majority of students will never in their lifetime use a second language. It is a little ridiculous to require this for a High School diploma.

The Board of Education needs to figure out better ways to teach kids the basic concepts that the vast majority will need. And speaking of foreign languages, I am an advocate for making English the “Official” language of the USA.

Ancient Origins

Halloween is an annual celebration, but just what is it actually a celebration of? And how did this peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of some ancient pagan ritual?

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the New Year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. At that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates.

The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven.

The Jack-o-lantern custom probably comes from Irish folklore. As the tale is told, a man named Jack, who was notorious as a drunkard and trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved an image of a cross in the tree's trunk, trapping the devil up the tree. Jack made a deal with the devil that, if he would never tempt him again, he would promise to let him down the tree.
According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer. The Irish used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns" originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember.

So, although some cults may have adopted Halloween as their favorite "holiday," the day itself did not grow out of evil practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a new year, and out of medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. And today, even many churches have Halloween parties or pumpkin carving events for the kids. After all, the day itself is only as evil as one cares to make it.

Sodrel at Work

Mike Sodrel has co-sponsored and supported legislation to limit frivolous lawsuits that would generally prohibit obesity or weight gain-related claims against the food industry. [Congressman Mike Sodrel]

Although this seems to be a common sense type of issue, we now have to legislate against these things because we have created a society with a mindset that shirks personal responsibility.

Whether you like Sodrel or like more legislation, I think most would agree that this is a step forward!!!

Pet Health at Halloween

The Tribune posted an article reminding everyone about their pets on Halloween and the importance of protecting them. Pets also get scared from the many costumes and kids coming to the door. They posted some tips from the Animal Shelter.

• Don't leave you pet outside unattended on Halloween. Halloween pranks committed against pets can be vicious and cats are particularly at risk.

• Halloween treats are for people, not pets. Candy wrappers and lollipop sticks can be hazardous if swallowed and chocolate can be poisonous for some types of pets.

• Keep pumpkins out of reach of curious noses and paws. Pets may knock over a lit pumpkin and cause a fire.

• Despite how much fun it is for people, many pets don't enjoy getting dressed up for Halloween. If you do dress your pet, be sure it's a costume that doesn't interfere with the pet's ability to breathe, see, hear, move or bark.

• Consider keeping your pet in a separate room, away from the door, when trick-or-treaters arrive. Strange people in even stranger clothes can frighten some pets.

• When you do answer the door for visitors, make sure that your pet doesn't suddenly head for the great outdoors. In case your pet does escape, make sure that it is wearing the proper identification.

All of these seem reasonable and I encourage everyone to think about their pet’s health and safety as well this weekend.

Strattera may increase suicidal thinking

Strattera is the newest drug available to treat kids and adults with ADD or ADHD. The FDA has now required a labeling change for the drug to include a warning statement regarding an increased risk of suicidal thinking in children and adolescents.

One correlation which is clear to us is the increasingly rapid pace of our highly technological society and a growing number of children diagnosed with ADD. We live in an extremely overstimulated society. Children spend hours playing Nintendo rather than romping through the woods or playing outside. Many are glued to the television set. Movies are speedier, scarier, and more violent than ever before. There is a growing atmosphere of hurriedness, intensity, and urgency. Many children and teenagers do not leave home without their beepers for fear of missing something for even a moment. We eat fast, play fast, and channel-surf. We eat in fast-food restaurants known to decorate their premises in jangly colors so that their customers will eat quickly and move on to make space for the next shift. People look for caffeine and drugs of all kinds to make them go faster and stay up longer. They buy double espressos to pick them up more quickly. They use highly caffeinated amphetamine-like herbs, including ma huang and guarana, that contain seven times as much caffeine as coffee. Our society places little value on tranquillity, quiet, solitude, and the simple joy of being in nature.

Is our society and the medical community doing more harm to our children by treating kids with these medicines. Many of the antidepressants also have similar labeling by the FDA.

There are truly kids who cannot function in the school systems without medicine and need treatment, but there are others being medicated out of behavioral issues not associated with ADD.

We need to consider other options for the management of these problems. I am not sure mainstreaming all kids into the public school system is the appropriate choice.

Medical Paroles

Medical Paroles

Society once again is faced with a dilemma. Our justice system will continue to erode if we allow the person described in the Courier to be paroled. [1987 Key Market killer requests medical parole]

He has received his due process and judgment by his peers. He was convicted and sentenced. He should serve his time even if that means he dies in prison.

He commented "I'd rather be out there with my family and die than stay up in here and die,"

I am sure the family of the person he killed would also like to be together, but that will never happen.

Continuing to rationalize and lower our standards and using medical problems to justify this places us on a downward trek to further instability in our society. It is the wrong thing to do!!

A New School of Thought

Since education seems to be a consistently hot topic for the bloggers, I thought I would update everyone on the fact that New Albany had a new school open this year. From all reports thus far, it appears to be doing very well.

In fact, it is rumored that some of the other private schools in town may lose more students next year to the new Christian Academy of Southern Indiana. It seems from the talk around town that the current educational system is not meeting the needs of the families in the community.

In addition, more and more families are electing to Home-school their children and colleges are finding that home-schooled kids actually do better. Many major colleges now cater to these kids and have more and more scholarships available for them.

Do you suppose we are seeing these trends because the mainstream educators are losing touch with what is truly important?

Has the school systems lost the ability to control the kids and discipline the troublemakers?

Has our mainstream educational system become too secular and naturalistic in its thinking and teaching?

Are we focusing too heavily on sports and non-academic endeavors?

If you look at the trends, the answer certainly appears that the mainstream teaching mentality needs an overhaul. I look forward to the competition and the values that the new Christian Academy brings to New Albany. It is long overdue and a needed change!!

Intellectualism

Education seems to be a common thread that all the bloggers seem to agree. We all tend to agree that it is:
(1) Usually associated with increased economic success
(2) A means for some to get out of their bad social situations
(3) Provides society with more potential for taking care of ourselves
(4) Helps create a better society to live in

I also think that most would agree that Education may take on different forms. For some, it may be college, for others trade school, and for some it may be a combination or other type of program. But I think we all agree that the chances of success are directly correlated with increasing post-secondary education. The more you have, the more potential there is.

Examples include teachers with a B.S. vs. Masters vs. Doctorate. Typically the more education, the better position and higher Salary. This tends to apply in most fields of study although there are exceptions.

I never hear many people complain about someone advancing their educational status in order for increased economic potential. Persons in business are always looking for ways to grow both intellectually and financially. This seems to go hand in hand with not much controversy.

But when it comes to Physicians, there seems to be a double standard. On average, every Physician has more formal schooling than virtually all other professions. Yet when they tend to make more money than other professions, it seems to irritate a lot of people.

Minimum starting salaries for professional Basketball players is $220,000, Baseball is $109,000, Hockey $125,000 and Football $131,000. Data was taken from (www.cambridge.org/elt/strategicreading/ SR%20downloads/SB1_Unit04.pdf).
Lawyers can spend 3 years after college and then begin practicing law with virtually endless economic potential depending on their law specialty. No one seems to question or find this aberrant. CEO's of Floyd, Clark, Norton and Jewish hospitals make well in excess of $250,000 with additional incentive bonuses. Physicians spend 4 years in Medical School and then a minimum of 3 years in residency training before they can begin to practice. They deal with life and death situations on a daily basis and are probably sued more than any other professional. Yet when they are financially successful, it seems to irritate many people

Why shouldn’t they have the potential to make more money if we truly believe that financial success is correlated with intellectual training? Is it because there truly is a dichotomy of thinking, a real double standard, or because our society has lost the value of health and thinks it should be guaranteed by the government.

For too long, many people paid little to nothing for their health insurance, medicines and doctor visits. The natural inclination of people is to devalue things that are free or take them for granted. That is what has happened to medicine.

Intellectualism has been characterized by the emphasis on experience and reason, mistrust of religion and traditional authority, and a gradual emergence of the ideals of liberal, secular, democratic societies.

Intellectualism has its limits and is not the answer to everything we experience in life!!

Schools Teaching too much!!!

I had to take a second look when I first read this article. Were they really serious that we are trying to teach kids too many concepts? [Consultant says schools trying to do too much]

I find it disappointing that there are kids graduating High School and cannot do some of the simplest tasks that will be required for daily life. Examples include simple calculations and long division without the use of a calculator, balancing a checkbook, writing a simple business letter, or calculating the percentage discount of an item in their heads. I have had High School graduates ask me where the stamp and return address goes on an envelope. How are they going to make it in the real world??

Maybe we are trying to cram too many concepts on them before we really enforce the basics. I remember doing my multiplication and division tables over and over and over until they were embedded in my brain. I also remember learning my phonics that has now been replaced with the “whole word” concept of grammar. I am not sure any of the changes made in the last 20 years in the educational teaching process is better than the “Classical Style” of education of the past; but I admit my degree is not in Education.

But maybe we are focusing too much on sports, extra-curricular activities and other things outside of education. Where are our real priorities when it comes to education? When was the last time you ever heard of someone being failed or held back in school? I remember always having the concern growing up if I would be sent to the next grade level and I made good grades. I never hear any kids with that concern now.

Education is the ticket out of poverty, abuse, drugs and many other social problems for many kids. So the question remains; are we really teaching kids too many concepts, or just not the right ones??

ER abuses

The overuse of Emergency Rooms has escalated dramatically in the past 10 years. Ask any Emergency Room physician, nurse or EMT and you will hear the same thing. Medicaid abuse is their single biggest problem. The Courier reports that Kentucky is now targeting ways to cut Medicaid costs and abuses. [Medicaid may cut frivolous ER use]

Every physician will tell you that by adding small co-pay to any emergency room visit or by denying payment for non emergency uses would help significantly. But what to do with the chronic abusers is another matter.

The article showed that 49 people in Kentucky on Medicaid visited the ER 50 or more times last year. Most of these were for narcotic or other drugs. I seriously doubt that anyone could believe that these individuals had 50 plus emergency health problems. The majority of Americans may go to the ER 1-2 times in a lifetime.

But the other major issue from Physicians is that if a patient is informed that their problem does not constitute an emergency and if they would refuse to treat them, there are too many attorneys just waiting to file suit.

If Kentucky and other states really want to address this problem, then they will have to also address the litigation issue and give hospitals and physicians some protection. Serious Tort reform is an absolute necessity to address the escalating health care costs.

Count your Cigarettes

It appears that Jeffersonville is stepping up and taking a bold stance on smoking. The City Council approved the first reading of a smoking ban ordinance on a 4-2 vote. [The Jeffersonville Evening News and The New Albany Tribune]

It is interesting that not a single person spoke against the ordinance. Granted there are two more readings of the ordinance before it proceeds, but it is still surprising that it has received such minimal resistance.

They made mention of Cheddars being smoke-free and there is always a wait to get seated.

Are we really wising up to the facts, or are we just being complacent about people’s rights in certain areas?

If this passes in Jeffersonville, what will our illustrious city council do? Do you think any of them have the “gonads” to take on such a hot issue?

Youth Risk

Since personal choice seems to be such a hot topic on the blogs, here is today’s topic for personal choices.

The Courier is reporting on the Youth Risk Behavior Study in conjunction with the Indiana Depart of Health and Governor Daniel’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports. [Hoosier high schoolers battle weight problems]

It appears that we are making some progress in certain areas and less in others. I found it disturbing that the percentages are still as high is certain areas:
· 15 percent are overweight, an increase of 3.5 percentage points from 2003.
· Only about 60 percent reported getting adequate exercise.
But the comment from one of the students was “many students have no regular opportunity to work out. Sometimes I jog one or two laps around the neighborhood, or walk, but lots of times I just sit on the couch and watch TV.” So she chooses to watch TV but comments that there is no regular opportunity to work out. Is this rational thinking?
· Three of four students said they have tried alcohol and about four in 10 said they have been drinking within the past 30 days
· The survey found a slight decline in the use of several drugs, including marijuana, cocaine and math. But it did show slight increases in the number of youths who reported using inhalants and injecting illegal drugs.
· About 29 percent of students said they have been offered, sold or given illegal drugs on school property within the past year.
· The survey found a decrease in teens who smoke -- from 25.6 percent in 2003 to 21.9 percent in 2005
· About 18 percent of the current smokers who are younger than 18 said they were able to buy cigarettes at stores or gas stations
· About 44.5 percent of teens said they have had intercourse at least once, down more than 4 percentage points from 2003. There was a nearly identical reduction in the number of respondents who said they are currently sexually active.
· More than 25 percent said they felt hopeless or sad, and 18 percent said they have seriously considered attempting suicide. Just less than 15 percent of students said they have actually formed a suicide plan and nearly 10 percent said they have attempted suicide.
· More than 13 percent of the girls surveyed said they have been hit or hurt by a boyfriend, compared to about 9 percent in 2003.

So my question to all the bloggers;

What are the solutions to help combat these problems?

I believe that better education, getting back to traditional family values and encouraging Christian moral thinking is what has helped bring some of these numbers down. Studies show that we are getting further away from the 60’s and 70’s mentality of “free love”, the radical women’s lib movement, and doing things because it “feels good" and this has helped in multiple areas. Other studies have shown that the Abstinence programs remain the most successful in reducing the statistics related to sexual activity and diseases. If the media would not continue to place their anti-religious bias to these programs, we could make more enroads to the problem.

Using government to help regulate out of control abuses and legislate reasonable social programs that encourage traditional family environments will be the long term winner!!

Debt Overload

This is a disturbing trend that probably summarizes the current lives of many Americans.

Living beyond one’s means has become the norm in America. Looking around at all the new subdivisions going in around Floyd County with the minimum price of around $200,000, you wonder where all the money comes from. There certainly are not that many high paying jobs in the area.

Speaking to several bank presidents and loan officers, the hottest thing for many is the interest-only loans. This is basically saying you own a house, but in actuality, only renting, because you never pay any off the principle. This is a sad trend.

The courier [Thousands rush to file for bankruptcy] reports more than 17,000 bankruptcy filings before the deadline which is more than double the norm for a month. How many of these people have unnecessary luxuries before they claimed bankruptcy? How many had cell phones, cable TV, high speed internet, more than 1 car payment, unneeded boats and other luxury items and how many smoked?

I agree that we need to get much stricter on bankruptcy legislation. It is Americans who learn to live within their means that end up paying for those who cannot. Americans that are responsible get penalized for those that aren’t, and Americans that work hard and sacrifice end up paying for the slackers and entitlement-driven individuals who demand to have what everyone else has without wanting to work for it.

We need a revolution in America where people live within their means and the norm becomes being debt free not debt overload.!!

Fatal Vision

The tribune reported on drunk driving training at Floyd Central. [The Jeffersonville Evening News and The New Albany Tribune] This is an excellent program and probably worth the $2500 that was spent on the program.

We should probably encourage all the local high schools to do this on a regular basis.

In fact, maybe we could offer this training to those who frequent some of our local establishments to encourage more adults to use designated drivers.

Maybe Rich O’s could be the first to institute such a wonderful civic minded program that encourages personal responsibility!!

Who says we're rude??

We have become a nation of inconsiderate people. Rudeness, incivility, anger, rage, vulgarity, bullying, bashing, selfish behavior and bad manners are not in your mind or just on the blogs-- they're all around us and things are getting worse.

I believe it starts in the home and that many parents and adults may not actually understand that some of what we do every day is rude and inconsiderate. I believe that every student should be required to take an etiquette class before graduation.

Here's what the research and statistics on rudeness, anger and violence say about us:

"We're Ruder Than Ever, Poll Finds... 'It's about the daily assault of selfish, inconsiderate behavior that gets under people's skin on the highways, in the office, on TV, in stores and the myriad other settings where they encounter fellow Americans.'"
(April 3, 2002, Deborah Wadsworth, Pres. Public Agenda Research Group, reported on ABCNEWS.com)

In the study mentioned above, nearly eight in 10 respondents said lack of respect and courtesy are a serious national problem; 61% agreed that there was more rude behavior than in the past; people blamed parents for not instilling courtesy in their children, and popular culture for encouraging rude behavior
(April 3, 2002, Public Agenda Research Group, reported on ABCNEWS.com)

No matter who does the study, the results seem to be the same. Here, 79% feel people are ruder to each other now than just 10 years ago; 42% say they encounter rude behavior every day
(Apr. 2002 Good Housekeeping)

We’re all under a lot of stress and feel pushed to the edge: one study shows that 9 out of 10 of us are highly stressed most of the time
(Rose Medical Center, Denver CO)

Another current research poll shows that 3 out of 4 Americans (78%) think rude and selfish behavior is worse at airports and highways
(CNN/USA TODAY/Gallup Poll 2000)

What’s going on? We’re rude and we’re mean: there’s road rage, air rage, cell phone rage, checkout rage, bike rage, sports rage, parking rage, rail rage, bank rage, roller rage, boat rage, desk rage, car alarm rage, and drivers who even honk at people on crutches. And according to one expert, there’s also "funeral rage" – people actually flip the bird and cut off funeral processions
(Dr. Frank Farley, former president, American Psychological Association)

It seems we may have what’s called "Hurry Sickness"; we’re impatient – and when someone slows us down, we get rude and angry
(Meyer Freidman Institute in San Francisco which studies the relationship between stress and heart disease)

Check this out: 9 out of 10 of us (88%) feel that incivility is a serious problem and getting worse. And 9 out of 10 Americans think that incivility increases opportunities for violence
(Bozell Worldwide/US News & World Report Civility in America Study 1999)

Statistics prove that more than 8 in 10 of us, both with kids and without kids, agree that bad parenting -- the failure to instill good behavior in kids -- is the major cause of bad manners
(Bozell Worldwide/US News & World Report Civility in America Study 1999)

Sorry -- this study shows that 3 out of 4 people say our manners are worse today than 20 or 30 years ago
(ABCNEWS/World Tonight Poll May 1999)

The US is the third most populated place on earth and population growth and crowding will increase and has consequences; more people will be in each other's face, more people means slower checkout lines, gridlock, slower traffic, more frustration which leads to aggression
(Dr. Frank Farley, former president, American Psychological Association, USA Today, 7/18/2001)

Imagine, 85% of us feel that the world would be a better place if we just said “please” and “thank you” more often
(ABCNEWS/World Tonight Poll May 1999)

Cell phone rudeness is the #1 complaint of diners
(Zagat Restaurant Survey)

Fifty-nine percent of people would rather visit the dentist than sit next to someone using a cell phone
(USA Today, July 28, 1999)

Forty-three percent of cell phone users do not turn their phones off at the movies or theatre and 57% don't turn them off in a restaurant
(LetsTalk.com Study, Wirthlin Worldwide)

Which uses of cell phones do people most abhor? 86% over dinner, 88% in a meeting, 96% in a movie, 98% at a funeral
(USA Today, July 28, 1999)

When Texans were asked about drivers and cellular phones, 92% thought talking on the phone while driving is dangerous; 89% of those who own cell phones share that view (Scripps Howard Poll, Houston Chronicle)

So, should there be a state law prohibiting cell phone use while driving -- 59% of Texans say yes, and 48% of those who own cell phones favor such a law
(Scripps Howard Poll, Houston Chronicle)

Cell phone chatter annoys almost two-thirds of Americans. And of those polled for Cingular Wireless, 80% said they overhear cell chat in restaurants and stores.
(USA Today, 9/5/2001)

When asked if they are in favor of legislation to regulate cell phone use, 57% favor banning mobile phones in the classroom, theatres and restaurants
(LetsTalk.com Study, Wirthlin Worldwide)

One psychologist says that cell phones are a way of minimizing the importance of the group…cell phone people are telling the rest of us that "You don’t matter and I’m very important."
(Dr. Joseph Miller, New School for Social Research)

Smoking Ban

Smoking bans as proposed will become a very controversial topic as it progresses. [Smoking-ban plan will be debated in Jeffersonville]

There is little doubt that smoking contributes to significant health related problems and that it costs taxpayers and anyone who pays insurance a significant amount of money.

But is it Government’s role to legislate this in private businesses? As most people know who have read my comments, I believe in less Government intrusion and more in personal choice and responsibility.

I believe individuals have the right to make brainless decisions and accept the consequences of their decisions. If what they choose affects others in a detrimental way, than I think there is an argument for some regulation.

I believe smoking should be banned in any public facility in which persons who frequent those facilities do so out of necessity and not choice. Examples would be hospitals, government buildings like courthouses, license branches etc., grocery stores and shopping centers, airports, schools and universities.

I do not believe that we should regulate and ban smoking in bars and restaurants. The owners of these facilities should have the right to choose if they want to allow smoking and whether they want to have designated smoking areas. Individuals can choose to patronize these establishments because it is typically done out of choice and not necessity and therefore should be at the discretion of the individuals. Free market will then guide decisions of business owners.

Smoking is a significant health hazard, an addiction, and an absolutely ludicrous choice to make, but there is no regulation against stupidity. Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

Albert Einstein once said;
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

And Scott Adams who developed the Dilbert comics said:
You can never underestimate the stupidity of the general public.

Tragic Accident

This tragic case [Western High player dies after soccer injury] is an example how precious life is and what we take for granted. It appears that this young man was an excellent all around kid, well-liked, a good athlete and a good student. Because of a freak accident, his life has been cut short.

But how common are soccer injuries and should we be doing more to protect the kids from injury?

According to a review in the March 2000 issue of the journal Pediatrics, about three million children are registered in high school and youth soccer associations in the US. Reports on its popularity show an annual increase in participation of up to 22% percent. Of the approximately 150,000 soccer-related injuries that occur each year, 45% occur in participants under the age of 15.

Because a study of adult soccer players in Norway [Entrez PubMed ] showed potentially serious consequences of "heading" the ball, there has been concern about children heading the ball. While further study is needed, children under the age of 12 probably should not be encouraged to head a soccer ball. Use of soccer headgear to prevent head injuries has been advocated by some non-medical organizations.

This same Norwegian study found that 35% of 69 Division I soccer players had abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns. This is more than twice the rate of abnormal EEG patterns in control subjects. Retired soccer players had several brain abnormalities including reduced cortical tissue and increased lateral ventricle size.

Soccer players also seem to perform more poorly than control subjects on some types of IQ tests and many former players (81%) suffer from problems with attention, concentration, and memory. Players who typically head the ball have also been found to have more neurological problems than non-headers. Compared to goalies and midfielders ("non-headers"), forwards and defenders ("headers") performed more poorly on some memory, visual perception and planning tests.

For those of you with kids or grandkids playing soccer, consider the information and help your kids make informed decisions about the dangers of “heading the ball” in soccer.

What were they thinking

Should we feel sorry for these two seniors or wonder “just what were they were thinking?”

It made news in both the Courier and the Tribune [2 teens injured in train incident],[The Jeffersonville Evening News and The New Albany Tribune].

Doing dumb things in our younger lives is probably part of growing up, but anyone who has been on the tracks where these two boys were would have to wonder about their judgment.

Bird Flu facts and fear

How concerned should we be in southern Indiana about the media frenzy of Avian flu?
Is anyone losing sleep over this issue or is this just more media headlines and scare tactics?
Is our local hospital prepared and if we don’t have enough beds now, what would happen with a bad flu epidemic?
All are questions with a variety of answers and opinions.

For everyone’s information, the Indiana State Department of Health has already issued a response plan [Indiana State Department of Health - Home Page] and is sending teams to brief local health departments, hospital and first responder personnel.

Avian flu is a new virus subtype contagious to humans and highly lethal. But up till now, humans have only caught the virus directly from infected birds. But, if the virus mutates in a certain way, it could develop an ability to pass from human to human. These results could prove staggering.

There have been 117 cases in humans reported in Vietnam, Indonesia and China since 1997. And of these, 57 deaths occurred, giving a frightening mortality rate of nearly 50 percent.

The last flu pandemic was in the 60’s with the Hong Kong Flu and it killed about 37,000 in the United States.

I believe this is a concern that our leaders should be worrying about, but I think the media has blown it out of proportion to the public. There is nothing we can do as individuals at the present time, and all the media attention just creates unnecessary fear and anxiety.

More from the Forum

After a very detailed explanation of the events, Mr. Roudenbush then developed a “Timeline of Events”. In this timeline, he listed dates, events and some personal commentary. (events in bold, comments italicized)

June 9,2005 JCAHO—denial of accreditation
During ENTIRE time FMH fought the new hospital, they were failing to maintain their accred.

August 8,2005 CJ reports that FMH has 300% more diversion hours from Jan-June
During ENTIRE time, FMH fought moratorium on hospital beds, FMH was turning away the sick and injured 300% more of the time than previously

Sept. 15, 2005 Jeff Roudenbush calls FMH to ask about moratorium and accreditation issues
Perhaps I gave my storyline away too early

Sept. 20, 2005 Jeff Roudenbush meets with Waters. Told accred. And moratorium issues unrelated. States that hospital has paid well over $100,000 in county legal expenses already and is ready to pay much more.
I actually enjoyed talking the Waters—he was very knowledgeable about hospital industry issues. And you can’t agree with everybody on everything.

Sept. 21, 2005 DJ’s Dale Moss writes column on how Accreditation change is not effecting FMH
Clearly, Moss is willing to write whatever story the hospital wants at a moment’s notice. The questions are why and what does he get out of it?

November 3, 2005 Hearing on the moratorium in Federal Court in INDY. Judge Barker states that
Not surprisingly, both sides feel that they have the better case. My opinion? Judges and lawyers don’t decide on what’s right, but what’s legal

Still no verdict reported yet from the Indianapolis moratorium case that had closing hearings last week.

The Forum asks Floyd Memorial Board Members to step down

In a letter addressed to the Mayor’s wife, the editor of the Forum explains his criticism about the Mayor and in addition asks for the Floyd Memorial Board members to step down. The article reads:

“For those readers who are not aware of it, the mayor’s mother Mary Garner, is on the Board of Trustees of Floyd Memorial Hospital. She voted to stand in the way of bringing additional hospital beds and potentially a higher quality of care to Floyd County. She then voted to pay the county’s legal expenses—“as much as it takes” in the words of the Board’s lawyer—to defend the moratorium, effectively keeping these beds and high quality medical care out of Floyd County.

I will have to ask that she—and all other board members who so voted—step down so that they can be replaced by citizens who will truly act in the public good.”

This is one of the articles in the Forum published by Jeff Roudenbush. If anyone in interested in subscribing, they can send $20.00 check, along with your name and address, to The Forum of NA/FC, 2820 Silver Creek Dr., New Albany, IN 47150

The Forum criticizes Floyd Memorial

Closing arguments did complete in Indianapolis on the challenge to their moratorium. We now wait for the judge’s ruling. His ruling will have a significant impact on the challenges to the moratoriums in Floyd and Clark counties. [ A turf war over medical care IndyStar.com ]

The county moratorium in Indy did prevent competition and they freely acknowledged that. Should a county have the right to legislate purely for self preservation? This is the underlying question. The issue is complicated by lots of rhetoric about indigent care and who would be responsible to care for those who cannot pay, but the bottom line is limitations on free trade.

Not all counties have county owned hospitals and those indigents still seem find healthcare in those areas.

In addition, here in Floyd County, the hospital is funding the legal defense for the County. This also raises some legal questions about whether a not-for-profit institution is allowed to fund a political issue. That question seems to be minimized by most involved.

Jeff Roudenbush publishes a paper called the “The Forum for New Albany and Floyd County”. In his September issue, he has a scathing, in depth look at this issue with a timeline of events. The article not only talks about quality of care and the moratorium, but it also addresses the problems with the leadership at Floyd, the problems with the Board and especially focuses on the Mayor’s mother as a board member and her voting record. Could this be the same good-ol-boys network of politics that we see elsewhere in New Albany and Floyd County?

More to come!! Looking for questions and input from readers.

Psychiatric or evil

This article from the tribune [The Jeffersonville Evening News and The New Albany Tribune] is an example of a crime that really cannot be justified.

I am sure there will be some people who will try to explain this behavior as some mental condition and I am sure they would find a category he could fit into, but for this man to intentionally hold the 3 year olds hands under scalding water as she screamed it hurt, is just plain evil.

Even the perpetrator stated that he "knew he was in a lot of trouble and that he just needs to go to jail and someone should just throw away the key." Now this is insight that a judge should take note of and accommodate his wishes.

Indiana Bar making Medical recommendations!!!

The Indiana State Bar Association is recommending more screening for mental illnesses in juveniles accused of crimes according to the report in the Courier. [Report: Screen young offenders]

This is another example of trying to blame someone or some problem for the behaviors and choices these juveniles make.

The following excerpt is taken from “The National Center for Policy Analysis” [NCPA - BA #247 - Crime Is Down Because Punishment Is Up ]

“The Breakdown of Punishment. America's legal philosophy changed so dramatically during the 1960s that, while the annual number of violent crimes and burglaries tripled from 1 million to 2.9 million, the number of new commitments to prison by the courts for violent crimes and burglaries actually fell from 40,000 in 1960 to 37,000 in 1970”

Who is going to choose which mental illnesses to screen for and who will make the decision that the mental illness was responsible? According to the DSM-IV, virtually any behavior can be classified as a mental illness. A few examples are as follows:

V62.3 Academic Problem
308.3 Acute Stress Disorder
309.9 Adjustment Disorder Unspecified
995.2 Adverse Effects of Medication NOS
305 Alcohol Abuse
303.9 Alcohol Dependence
303 Alcohol Intoxication
293.84 Anxiety Disorder Due to...[Indicate the General Medical Condition]
300 Anxiety Disorder NOS
314.9 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder NOS
V62.89 Borderline Intellectual Functioning
301.83 Borderline Personality Disorder
780.59 Breathing-Related Sleep Disorder
298.8 Brief Psychotic Disorder
301.6 Dependent Personality Disorder
300.6 Depersonalization Disorder
311 Depressive Disorder NOS
315.4 Developmental Coordination Disorder
313.9 Disorder of Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence NOS
315.2 Disorder of Written Expression
312.9 Disruptive Behavior Disorder NOS
307.5 Eating Disorder NOS
302.85 Gender Identity Disorder in Adolescents or Adults
302.6 Gender Identity Disorder NOS
300.02 Generalized Anxiety Disorder
312.3 Impulse-Control Disorder NOS
305.9 Inhalant Abuse
315.9 Learning Disorder NOS
302.74 Male Orgasmic Disorder
V65.2 Malingering
315.1 Mathematics Disorder
302.82 Voyeurism

We are becoming a society that shirks personal responsibility and always looks for a scapegoat. Psychiatric problems are over-diagnosed because few people want to address the real issues with personal choices, morality and responsibility. The majority of problems originate in the home because of a decline in traditional family values and stability. The following excerpt was also taken from the same article. [NCPA - BA #247 - Crime Is Down Because Punishment Is Up ]

“The impact of taking criminals off the streets and keeping them locked up longer has been noticeable in many cities, particularly New York. Yet while it raises the price of committing a crime and reduces the amount of crime committed, incarceration alone cannot carry the whole load. Harvard economist Richard B. Freeman finds that church attendance is a better predictor of who escapes poverty, drug addiction and crime than family income, family structure and other variables.”

We need to help those who are truly mentally ill, but we need accountability for those whose choices are illegal or just plain evil. Punishments should be swift and appropriate for the crimes. That will be the real deterrent. That is where time, energy and tax dollars should be focused along with encouraging and strengthening traditional family values!!

Larry Kochert at his best

"It has not turned into a good building yet,"

Another famous quote from Larry Kochert, as reported in the Tribune
http://www.news-tribune.net/articles/2005/10/03/news/new_albany_tribune/news05.txt
regarding the new $3.2 million firehouse.

If $3.2 million dollars doesn’t buy a “good” building when it is brand new, someone needs fired.

I have spoken to several firefighters and not one was in favor of this building or the current plan.


Did the decision makers ever ask the people who would be utilizing the building, or did our alleged competent elected officials make another seemingly one-sided, ill-informed decision to appease a select few?

The problem with most politicians is reconciling their gross habits of spending with the net income of what is available. No other business could spend more than they make, for as long as the government has been doing so, and still remain solvent.

Bluegrass poll illicits no new information and no new solutions!

The front page article in the Saturday and Sunday Courier discussed the results of the Bluegrass poll (telephone survey).

It is sad and disappointing that the health of our area is so poor.

Two thirds of respondents viewed the overall health of most Kentuckians as only fair or poor but 72% rated their own health as excellent or good.

Fourteen percent of persons with incomes greater than $50,000 rated their health as fair or poor, but 56 percent with incomes less than $15,000 rated their health as fair or poor.

Thirty eight percent of the $15,000 group admitted to smoking and having other poor health habits compared to only 19 percent smokers in the above $50,000 group.

Compared to other states, Kentucky scored worst for exercise, worst for adults who smoke, worst for teen smoking, 2nd worst for cancer deaths and 7th worst for obesity.

From the survey, it appeared that the working poor were the group that fell between the cracks of what is offered by government or private programs.

None of these numbers are probably surprising. But several respondents agreed that government is not responsible for making sure individuals stay healthy and most agreed that everybody should be responsible for themselves.

So the questions remain:

What should the government’s role be in healthcare? Healthcare is not a right granted by the Constitution or mandated by any other legislative body. It is a service oriented business just like any other business. And like any other business, there remains a multi-tiered system where “the more you have, the more you are able to get”.

But as a democracy that cares about all its people, should we offer a basic medical plan to everyone and allow those who choose and/or can afford more to purchase premium plans?

If you currently are on a government plan, should you continue to receive government benefits if you choose to continue smoking? Certainly this study showed that the poor smoked more, were less healthy, less educated, and struggled more getting their healthcare needs met. If these persons can afford cigarettes, why can they not afford part of their healthcare?

Do we really want socialized medicine and if yes, are we willing to accept everything that comes with it? Since our nation began, there has been and always will be a great divide between the rich and the poor, those who choose to work hard and those who don’t, those who take the opportunities available and excel in life and those who choose to remain in their current situations. Education is available to everyone but not everyone will be educated.

As a great society, we must take care of those who truly cannot take care of themselves, but as a great society, we cannot and should not remove individual choices and the consequences of those choices.

Bayh's Political Health

I found it extremely disappointing to see one of our own Indiana Senators voting against the confirmation of the new Chief Justice (John Roberts). When looking at the list of Senators voting against him, it is difficult to imagine that Evan Bayh would want to be aligned with the ideologies of this group. I think his political health will probably “take a turn for the worse”.

Nays ---22

Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dayton (D-MN)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)

Justice Roberts conducted himself with dignity and answered questions appropriately for the position he is being given. If some of those that had the opportunity to question him actually did so, rather than using the time to grandstand, they may have arrived at more useful information to make an informed decision. I believe Evan Bayh hurt himself politically and did not represent the majority interest of the citizens of Indiana