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Avoid Highway Robbery by Using The New Crude--WATER

2009-02-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

by: Leslie Lackman

HERE'S THE BAD NEWS.

Engines waste gasoline! Up to 80% of the high-priced gas that you pump doesn't get you anywhere because it goes UNBURNED to the catalytic converter. That means you are getting 0 MPG (zero, zilch, nada) from most of the over-priced gasoline you pump into your tank.

WHY DO COMBUSTION ENGINES WASTE SO MUCH GAS?

That's what they are designed to do--WASTE GAS--because every second of every day, everywhere in the world, every single gas and diesel engine on the planet puts money into the deep, deep, DEEP pockets of Big Oil.

Automotive and fuel technology has been deliberately held back, and people have been kept in the dark about AMAZING inventions and discoveries, in order to sell us lots of gasoline. Sorry, but that's how it is.

For example, the gas could be preheated and better formulated for better combustion--but it's not. The fuel vapor droplets could be smaller for efficient combustion--but they're not. The pre-set computer-controlled air-to-fuel ratio could be more economical--but it's not. The exhaust could be reprocessed to contribute to mileage (there are patents on that)--but it's not. Cars could be using a better carburetor design--but they're not because the patent for a 100 MPG carburetor was bought and buried years ago. Cars could be running completely on water fuel--but they're not because those patents were also bought and then buried along with the inventor (however, the patents ran out recently!). Even the hybrids that Big Auto is selling at luxury car prices don't optimize gasoline combustion and consumption.

HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS.

You can do something about it, ONE CAR AT A TIME, starting with YOUR car.

How? By using ENERGY from WATER.

If that sounds impossible, or crazy, or delusional, I understand. This is something that none of our trusted sources of information--TV, radio, teachers, movies, professors, magazines, dad, scientists, books, Sesame Street--have told us about. Why? See the bad news, above.

I mentioned amazing inventions and discoveries. Many of them have very sophisticated technical patents on them. But the kind of water energy system I am talking about, the one that is affordable and do-able by ME and YOU in OUR cars (not by buying a Big Auto hybrid with a luxury car pricetag), is a do-it-yourself technology, specifically designed for beginners with basic tools and very limited budgets. A working system can be built at home for $20 to $200 worth of parts and installed in your car, truck, or SUV on a weekend. It's a 90-year-old technology that has been revived and developed into a simple, affordable, SAFE system based on low-cost hardware.

It works like this: The main component of the low-cost water energy system is an electrolyzer-a container of water with electrodes in it. The electrolyzer takes a tiny bit of electricity from your car. The electricity "splits" water into hydroxyl gas and feeds it immediately to the engine cylinders. The improved air/fuel mix gets very efficient combustion.

SPINNING WHEELS, NOT HEADS

Remember the bad news at the top? Remember I said that wasted fuel can be as much as 80%? In other words, even though you have paid $3.50 or more per gallon, you are only getting performance from as little as 20%--two gallons out of every ten--of the gas you pay good money for! It puts a whole new complexion on the phrase "highway robbery."

Our heads are spinning from rising gas prices. Now imagine instead that ALL your gasoline is working for you--it's actually turning your wheels and not just being turned into carbon deposits on your engine or exhaust from the catalytic converter. What would it be like for ALL that gasoline to be giving you mileage? It would be a WHOLE LOT MORE ECONOMICAL, that's what! That's what happens when you add the energy from water.

SEEING THE SEA OF ENERGY

Wondering how much energy is in water?

One gallon of water converts to approximately 1,833 gallons of combustible gas. One observer noted that a gallon of water in his water energy system lasted for about 2,700 miles.

"Energy from water" is hard to believe because we are misled by the appearance of water when it's liquied. It looks so, well, WET and noncombustible. But if we could SEE the sea of energy in the water--zillions of hydrogen and oxygen atoms ready to break out and be combustible gas under the right conditions--it would be easy to conceive that, indeed, water can be "burned" in an engine, thus taking advantage of a new "crude"--plain water.

Why aren't scientists telling us about this? Why doesn't it make big headlines? More bad news. Some of them just don't know about it, and some are paid to tell us about anything BUT this. Also, scientists are sometimes far behind empirical evidence from experimenters and inventors. Sometimes a true scientist makes an amazing discovery and is suddenly way ahead of everyone. What happens then? He or she has to fight all the other scientists that are way behind or too vested in the old paradigm. So who are the true scientists around here? A TRUE scientist could be anyone, including a scientist.

THE LAW OF CONSERVATION

Here is something to ponder from Patrick J. Kelly of http://www.PanaceaUniversity.org. He has a delightful way of tilting one's mind out of its box:

"The Law of Conservation of Energy is undoubtedly correct when it shows that more energy cannot be taken out of any system than is put into that system. However, that does not mean that WE cannot get more energy out of a system than WE put into it. A crude example is a solar panel in sunlight. We get electrical power out of the panel but we do not put the sunlight into the panel-the sunlight arrives on its own. This example is simple as we can see the sunlight reaching the solar panel.

"If, instead of the solar panel, we had a device which absorbs some of the energy that Quantum Mechanics observes and then gives out, say, electrical power, would that be so different? Most people say "yes!--it is impossible!" but this reaction is based on the fact that we cannot see this sea of energy. Should we say that a TV set cannot possibly work because we cannot see a television transmission signal?"

BUT ISN'T IT DANGEROUS?

We have been living and driving with danger for decades--it's called GASOLINE! Cars and trucks are planet-polluting bombs on wheels! But we are accustomed to it, right? And for the most part, we don't blow ourselves up.

But in the water energy system, I know, you think we're talking about tanks of compressed hydrogen in the car, but that's not how it is done! Here's the beauty of it:

Hydrogen is already compressed in plain water!

All we do in a water for fuel system is UNCOMPRESS and USE it--immediately, on-demand, in the engine! No hydrogen bombs on board. Just a container of distilled water! And the exhaust is--WATER! You split water, you burn it, you get fantastic mileage, you get a little water left over.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY

You can't get much greener than this unless you go for an engine designed to run completely on water, like the one that was designed and proven by Stanley Meyers when he drove across the United States on approximately 28 gallons of water. (You can see interviews with him on YouTube.) You can't get much more affordable, either. And because this is GREEN technology, and you will not be causing any damage to the car or the engine (far from it), your warranty will most likely be intact AND the government will owe you money for going green!

INSTALL WATER ENERGY SYSTEM, DROP JAW

You could pay someone to install your water for gas system. There are hundreds of people around the world who are constructing and installing water energy systems, as well as driving "watercars" themselves. These people save gas, save money, get much better mileage, and enjoy smoother-running engines and greatly reduced emissions. And that's why they are happy to do the same for you so you can save gas, save money, get much better mileage, and enjoy a smoother-running engine and reduced emissions.

Or you could do it yourself, in which case you would first get instructions, which are available on line. Then you would make a parts list and buy the parts from hardware and electronics stores. Third, you would construct the components of the water energy system, put them all together, and install the system, making all the necessary adjustments to it. You would now be the proud owner of a Water Hybrid Vehicle. And last, after picking up your jaw from the floor, where it has dropped in astonishment at your engine's mileage and performance, you would become an advocate of water energy, as I have.

BETTER COMBUSTION FOR THE MIND

To really grasp the implications and possibilities here, we must first clean the carbon deposits out of our minds. Using waterfuel is an approach to our cars and fuel that requires more participation from us. The whole water energy system consists of physical components PLUS your mind and attitudes about fuel consumption. To really optimize your waterfuel system, you will also be using fuel warmer, some Kiker wires to improve the spark, Xylene to add to your gasoline, a low-friction synthetic motor oil, a couple bottles of fuel treatment to clean carbon deposits from old unburned fuel out of your engine, a MAP sensor enhancer to keep the car computer from over-correcting the fuel mix back to over-rich, tires that are always fully inflated, and a real-time mileage tracker so that you won't have to use an entire tank of gas to know what mileage you are getting.

Perhaps the most important thing is this:

Trust yourself.

When you use an "alternative" fuel-efficiency system, you are an experimenter who is going against the herd and chances are, you are going to get some flack. Don't be fooled by self-appointed "experts" who don't have hands-on experience and say it can't be done. When they laugh or frown or condescend and say, "It's scientifically impossible," well, first of all, you know they are not "true scientists" (so why are they acting like they know what "scientifically" means?). Ask them if they have ever tried it themselves. You will find they have not. Further discussion might be fruitless, but you can try. Tell them to just wait and see. See for yourself. Don't wait ten years for big industry to do it because they don't want to GIVE you anything--they are only thinking about what they can GET from you while they continue making empty promises.

WHAT CAN A WATER ENERGY SYSTEM REALLY DO FOR ME?

Well…

How much will gas cost the next time you fill your tank?

A water energy system won't lower the price of ALL gasoline.

It will lower the price of YOURS. But don't just take my word for it.

Leslie Lackman is an advocate of the application of free, unlimited energies--mind, water, life force--to cars, health, wellness, and performance.
http://water4gas-4heroes.eoltt.com

Understanding the Mortgage Meltdown; What happened and Who's to Blame

2009-01-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

by: Richard Gandon

People are losing their homes and many more will lose their jobs before the mortgage meltdown works its way through the system.

To paraphrase Alan Greenspan's remarks on March 17th, 2008, "The current financial crisis in the US is likely to be judged in retrospect as the most wrenching since the end of the Second World War. The crisis will leave many casualties."

How many casualties? Experts are predicting that in the next few years, between 15 and 20 million homeowners could have homes worth less than what they owe. Walking away from a bad situation may actually make sense for people who mortgages that are 'upside down' considering the fact that refinancing is out of the question and home equity is nonexistent.

It seems quite easy to point fingers at greedy Wall Street titans for causing the sub-prime mortgage crises. They after all, put together the deals that allowed banks to underwrite mortgages and then offload these liabilities to investors. What many fail to realize is that there is no shortage of blame to go around from homeowners buying more home than they could afford to real estate agents looking for more commission dollars. Mortgage brokers and bankers, the banks themselves, ratings agencies such as Moody's and Standard & Poor's, Wall Street, the Fed and last but certainly not least, the Federal Government.

Let's start with the homeowners--the people who are now in the process or soon to enter the process, of losing their homes. Some of these people had never before owned a home and as such, may not have been prepared for the costs associated with homeownership. Basic financial literacy is sorely lacking in this country despite there being no shortage of budgeting and tracking programs readily available such as Quicken and Microsoft Money. The lack of financial literacy does not absolve these buyers of their responsibility. Every borrower receives a truth in lending disclosure statement. Here is a portion of what the act covers:

The purpose of TILA (Truth In Lending Act) is to promote the informed use of consumer credit by requiring disclosures about its terms and cost. TILA also gives consumers the right to cancel certain credit transactions that involve a lien on a consumer's principal dwelling, regulates certain credit card practices, and provides a means for fair and timely resolution of credit billing disputes. With the exception of certain high-cost mortgage loans, TILA does not regulate the charges that may be imposed for consumer credit. Rather, it requires a maximum interest rate to be stated in variable-rate contracts secured by the consumer's dwelling. It also imposes limitations on home equity plans that are subject to the requirements of Sec. 226.5b and mortgages that are subject to the requirements of Sec. 226.32. The regulation prohibits certain acts or practices in connection with credit secured by a consumer's principal dwelling.

Much of the subprime mortgage crisis can be traced directly back to variable-rate mortgages. As is clearly stated above, "TILA does not regulate the charge that may be imposed for consumer credit. Rather, it requires a maximum interest rate to be stated in variable-rate contracts secured by the consumers dwelling." It also clearly states that TILA also gives consumers the right to cancel certain credit transactions that involve a lien on a consumer's principal dwelling. One has to wonder whether or not these homeowners:

1. Bothered to read the truth in lending act disclosure at all.

2. Understood what the truth in lending act disclosure meant.

3. Chose to ignore the information printed clearly the truth in lending act disclosure.

A number of months ago, just as the subprime mortgage crisis was beginning to unfold, The New York Daily News ran an article about a family in New York City, who had bought a home and were now faced with the prospect of foreclosure. The article was sympathetic to this family, highlighting the fact that they're living the American dream and that this dream was about to come to an end. What I found to be distressing was the fact that clearly visible in the photo that accompanied this sympathetic article was a very expensive flat screen television hanging on the wall. Perhaps I'm naïve, but I can assure you that if I were faced with the prospect of losing my home and having my family put out on the street, there is absolutely no way that I would still have that expensive television hanging on my wall. It would have been one of the first things to be sold and some financial relief would be found by jettisoning what I'm sure was the expensive cable bill.

Clearly the public needs easy access to financial literacy courses. Too bad we don't see the need to make this a mandatory course of study in our educational system.

Mortgage bankers and brokers have in the last four or five years been raking in cash by the bucket load in the form of commissions paid when mortgages they've originated, close. Many of these people have not needed to do much in the way of prospecting. Instead, their phones have run off the hook as people have jumped on the homeownership and refinancing and take out extra cash bandwagon, despite their ability to pay for their home. No-document loans were readily available without the borrower having to produce documentation that backed up their income. Clearly this practice can and indeed has, lead to substandard loan underwriting processes. Were some of these mortgage bankers and brokers dishonest? Sure. Were all of them dishonest? I think not. To have a massive nationwide conspiracy, where thousands and thousands of people involved in the mortgage banking and mortgage brokering profession got together to create this situation is simply not feasible. Yes, some of the blame does belong with those in the mortgage industry, but they were simply a small cog in the huge machine that created this mess.

Let's discuss real estate agents. In 2007, we bought a home, and also sold a home. The agent we used to purchase our home was absolutely fantastic. In our opinion, she went above and beyond to make our deal happen. She answered every phone call, followed up on every concern and was the epitome of professionalism. We consider this individual to be a friend, and we have sent referrals her way that have resulted in her earning additional commissions. We will continue to recommend her to all who ask or mention that they'd like to buy or sell a home in our area.

The real estate agent, we used to sell our home, could not have been more different. We got our old home ready to sell prior to closing on our new home. We decided to list it as "For Sale by Owner." In the event that we didn't sell this home on our own, it was our intention to list it with an agent as soon as we had closed on the purchase our new home. Literally, from the day we put the sign in front of our home and listed it on a "For Sale by Owner" website we were inundated with phone calls from real estate agents. We were told many lies and were constantly harassed; although we had already made it quite clear to every agent who called, and there were more to 60 who did; that we were willing to pay half the commission-the same as they would have received had they sold another agent's listing. We also told every agent that called that we had already lined up an agent to sell our home in the event that we chose to no longer sell it ourselves. Our deadline was the closing date of our new home purchase. We did have an interested buyer who shortly after our closing date decided to keep looking so we listed our home with a local agent so that we could concentrate on getting our new home ready for our moving date at the end of the school year. This agent showed our home a maximum of two times and got an offer which we accepted. We ended up getting $1,000 less than we had wanted in a declining Real Estate market. The agents who had called many times to harass us called our listing agent on a number of occasions and he lied telling them that the house was under contract when in fact it wasn't at that time-clearly a breach of our agent's fiduciary duty. Quite frankly an ethical agent would have continued to show our home until closing in the event that the deal fell through.

But wait, there's more. Our agent also acted as the buyer's mortgage broker. At the closing table, we learned that he had signed documents from the buyer stating that he (our agent) represented them and we had signed documents stating that he represented us. We also learned that the buyer had effectively put down approximately 2-3% of the purchase price when financed closing costs were factored into the equation. Their first mortgage had what we thought was a high fixed rate and their second mortgage came with a rate in excess of 8.5%. Because the closing happened in August, literally in the midst of the first wave of the meltdown, if they didn't close on the day they did (August 31st, 2007), Citibank wasn't going to extend their rate. When my wife & I have bought houses in the past, it had always been a very happy day. These people looked absolutely shell-shocked at the closing table. I'm not convinced that they knew just how much their monthly payment was going to be until closing day. We knew down to the penny well in advance having budgeted and planned everything on a spreadsheet. Were these people stupid or just inexperienced and mislead by a greedy combination of real estate agent & mortgage broker? I'm extremely confident that they are intelligent people but inexperienced and taken advantage of by an unscrupulous agent.

The banks are also culpable. Prior to bank deregulation, Savings and Loans provided mortgages to home buyers and kept these loans on their books. Non-performing loans had a negative effect on the S&L's profitability which of course caused tighter lending guidelines such as job stability and decent down payments in order for prospective home buyers to be approved for a mortgage. Way back then, a home buyer had to actually save up enough money for a down payment 10 or even 20% before a bank would ever consider underwriting a mortgage. The checks & balances kept banks solvent and borrowers responsible. Although this approach worked, some cried foul stating that the regulated system was racist and discriminatory-and there certainly was some truth to this. Skipping forward to the present, banks made a bundle on mortgages over the past five or six years. For the most part, they allowed their underwriting criteria to be stretched so far out of alignment that almost anyone could and indeed did, qualify for a mortgage despite their ability to pay. Some folks even applied for and received mortgages for more than the property was worth. Sometimes for as much as 25% more than their property was worth!

Under the prior system, 125% mortgages would not have been possible because of course these loans were held on the banks' books and could have led to losses that would have had to have been absorbed directly by the bank.

So what went wrong? Under the current system, these loans were sold to the big Wall Street investment firms who repackaged them as collateralized mortgage obligations (CMO's), Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS's) and other similar acronyms. These instruments were then sent to the ratings agencies for their blessing and more importantly a letter rating. Many of these structured finance deals receive AAA ratings-the highest ratings available meaning that in theory, these instruments were least likely to default. How does one create a 'triple A' or AAA rated financial instrument out of sub-prime mortgages? Herein lies the magic. These Asset Backed Securities (ABS) are made up of different tranches or slices, each carrying a different risk and reward level. The first dollar of principle and interest is applied to the securities with the highest rating, and the first dollar of loss is applied to the tranche with the lowest ratings. The lower slices are designed to provide a security blanket that in theory protects the higher-rated securities. The investment banks that package or 'structure' these securities in order to earn fat fees when they sell them to investors are the same entities that pay the ratings agencies to rate these instruments. Clearly the possibility for conflict of interest is present. If investors and not the investment banks that stand to rake in millions in fees were to pay for the rating, the potential for this conflict of interest would be negated. Furthermore, the investment banks have a vested interest in convincing the ratings agencies of the credit worthiness of these securities.

So we've already pointed fingers at homeowners, some greedy, many more I suspect, naïve or uninformed, real estate agents-one out of more than 60 in my experience was a gem, mortgage brokers & bankers, banks, Wall Street and ratings agencies so who's left? The Federal Reserve and the Government of course.

The Fed as its known is responsible of the country's monetary policy and for supervision and regulation of banks. This is the definition of the Fed's roles in their own words:

Monetary Policy

The Fed is best known for its role in making and carrying out the country's monetary policy-that is, for influencing money and credit conditions in the economy in order to promote the goals of high employment, sustainable growth, and stable prices.

The long-term goal of the Fed's monetary policy is to ensure that money and credit grow sufficiently to encourage non-inflationary economic expansion.

The Fed cannot guarantee that our economy will grow at a healthy pace, or that everyone will have a job. The attainment of these goals depends on the decisions of millions of people around the country. Decisions regarding how much to spend and how much to save, how much to invest in acquiring skills and education, how much to spend on new plant and equipment, or how many hours a week to work may be some of them.

What the Fed can do, is create an environment that is conducive to healthy economic growth. It does so by pursuing a goal of price stability-that is, by trying to prevent inflation from becoming a problem.

Inflation is defined as a sustained increase in prices over a period of time.

A stable level of prices is most conducive to maximum sustained output and employment. Also, stable prices encourage saving and, indirectly, capital formation because it prevents the erosion of asset values by unanticipated inflation.

Inflation causes many distortions in the market. Inflation:

· hurts people with fixed income-when prices rise consumers cannot buy as much as they could previously

· discourages savings

· reduces economic growth because the economy needs a certain level of savings to finance investments that boost economic growth

· makes it harder for businesses to plan-it is difficult to decide how much to produce, because businesses can't predict the demand for their product at the higher prices they will have to charge in order to cover their costs

Bank Regulation & Supervision

The Fed is one of the several Government agencies that share responsibility for ensuring the safety and soundness of our banking system. The Fed has primary responsibility for supervising bank holding companies, financial holding companies, state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System, and the Edge Act and agreement corporations, through which U.S. banking organizations operate abroad.

The Fed and other agencies share the responsibility of overseeing the operation of foreign banking organizations in the United States. To insure that the banking system remains competitive and operates in the public interest, the Fed considers applications by banks for mergers or to open new branches.

The passage of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act in November 1999, was the culmination of a multi-decade effort to eliminate many of the restrictions on the activities of banking organizations.

Some of the main provisions of the GLB are:

· Repeals the existing limitations on the ability of banks to affiliate with securities and insurance firms

· Creates a new organizational form that allows banking organizations to carry new powers. This new entity called a "financial holding company," (FHC) and its non-banking subsidiaries are allowed to engage in financial activities such as insurance and securities underwriting

The Fed's enlarged role as an umbrella supervisor of FHCs is similar to its role in supervising bank holding companies. The Federal Reserve Banks will supervise and regulate the FHCs while each affiliate is still overseen by its traditional functional regulator.

The Fed has to delineate the financial relationship between a bank and other FHC affiliates. Its primary goal is to establish barriers protecting depository institutions from the problems of a failing affiliate. To do this efficiently the Fed has to ensure increased communication, cooperation, and coordination with the many supervisors of the more diversified FHCs.

The Fed has access to data on risks across the entire organization, as well as information on the firm's management of those risks. Regulators will be in a position to evaluate and presumably act on risks that threaten the safety and soundness of the insured banks.

It would appear that the Fed has failed to curb housing inflation which played a role in this entire debacle then made matters worse and in their efforts or lack there of, to properly supervise banking institutions.

Finally the government, a.k.a. Uncle Sam, the big Kahuna 10,000 pound elephant etc. Where do we begin? How about with: 'Where were they?'

It now appears that after millions of horses are out of the barn (some horses ran, others were foreclosed upon) the government wants to step in with a bailout to save the rest. While nobody wants to see people lose their homes, the question that must be raised is this: What about all those of us who were responsible? Those of us, who scrimped and saved up a decent down payment, bought less-house than we could afford and who live below our means? Many of us drive older cars and keep them longer. We don't run out and buy the latest and greatest at inflated prices, we watch, wait and budget.

When the World Trade Center was attacked, families who decided not to sue received government payouts and we certainly don't begrudge them as I'm sure that given the choice, they'd prefer to still have their loved-ones over the money. The problem, in typical government fashion is that those who were responsible and had insurance policies in place received less than those who were irresponsible and didn't plan ahead. I'm not talking about dishwashers at Windows on the World and blue collar workers; I'm talking about executives, traders and people who should have known better.

Now our government, the same government that sat by idly watching as this bubble got bigger and bigger despite many warnings, wants to step in and bailout people who are in danger of losing their homes. There has been no talk about educating people, let's not teach people to fish, rather, let's give them a fish and bail them out once again at the expense of those who are responsible.

Clearly, by keeping the majority of the population financially ignorant, there is a lot of money to be made by the poverty industry

Wood Gas - The Future Biomass-Derived Fuel

2009-01-31T10:22:00.000-08:00

by: Krzysztof Lis

Let's assume, that you own a farm. You produce grain and have a lot of straw. You'd like to make your energy on site from the biomass you have available. You might plant your fields with rapeseed or canola and produce biodiesel. But you'd need to get methanol and lye first, since both of them can't be made there! And you can use your biodiesel only in compression ignition (diesel) engines. And what if you have an old genset powered by spark-ignition (gasoline / petrol) engine? I think I might have a solution for you...

You'll make use of a technology that's more than 200 years old. It's greatest development took place during World War II in 1940s in Europe. At that time most of petroleum-derived fuels were used by military and there was no fuel left for civilians. So they made their own fuel, the wood gas from wood or charcoal. In some countries 95% of civilian transport (trucks, buses, even fishermen's boats) were fueled with this gas.

What is this wood gas? From chemical point of view it's a mixture of combustible carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4), dilluted with some water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2). This gas can be easily used for almost every internal combustion engine. Well... except for the most modern ones, they'd require to have their electronics to be modified.

How wood gas is made? When you heat wood it is pyrolysed, i.e. all the tars vaporize. When you add some oxygen, the carbon bound within the wood cells is burnt to carbon dioxide. The vapors burn too. When those burnt gasses pass through a layer of very hot char, they are reduced to carbon monoxide and hydrogen. A small amount of methane is also produced. When the gas is cooled and cleaned of any tars and particles, it can be used in internal combustion engine, boiler or any other device!

What do you need to produce your own wood gas? You'd need a device that's called gasifier. It consists of fuel hopper, gasifying chamber and a set of filters. It's very easy to build, the people during WWII made it out of old water heaters and stuff like that.

Is wood gas safe? Well, if you don't inhale it, you'll be OK. Carbon monoxide is very toxic and poisonous, so caution is required when using wood gas. From the engine point of view, if it's clean, it's safe. The tars might condense inside the engine, for example on valves, which might cause the engine to fail. The particles would probably destroy the contact surfaces on pistons and cylinders. If the gas is too hot the engine will not work (hot gas is diluted and has small energy content per unit volume), but it will not harm it.

Any drawbacks? One that's worth mentioning. Petrol engines will suffer 1/3 power loss -- the wood gas does have small heating value. Diesel engines will not suffer such power loss, since they work on stratified mixtures and because of that you can introduce more wood gas to recover the power loss. You'd need to leave some small amount of diesel to be injected to the cylinders to ignite the wood gas.

Interested? One liter of petrol / gasoline can be replaced with 2.5 - 4 kg (5.5 - 9 lbs) of wood. How cool is that!

Natural Health Clinic Colon Center Stone Mountain

2009-01-30T09:21:00.001-08:00

by: Tricia Sandberg

Detoxification Diet: Truth About Colon Cleansing

Detoxification From Alcohol Toronto

The opposite is actually true as has been proved over and over again ever since Prof Yudkin launched his attack on sugars and starches in the 1960s. "Incorporate all of them and you're well on your way to seriously detoxing without ever going on a program. If you are in the urban area it is recommended that you find an oxygen rich area where you can perform deep breathing. Regular bathing helps the body to get rid of toxins that accumulate on the skin, and also opens the pores. Saunas and oil massages help the body to cleanse completely. Many different approaches to detoxification and wellness will work even though they attack the problem at different levels.Physicians with a spiritual orientation tend to be more inclined than others to employ fasting both personally and medically. Any deficiency of these in the diet causes problems removing toxins.

Morgans Detox Diet Plan

nor can the cells' waste products get out. One common detox diet is the combination of nothing but fruits and water for a given period. The promotion of chemicals being matabilized by our bodies can be helped with certain vitamins. Think of it detox as a spring clean for the body. Often people end up with side-effects from a detox program thus highlighting the importance of medical consultation an supervision when undergoing a diet change. Who should detoxify? Although everyone can benefit from a detox cleanse those of us who are overweight have unhealthy diets take medications drink alcohol have health problems or are exposed to chemicals in the workplace need it more than others. Most detox programs start with strict diets.

Foods That Detoxify

Your body will need to be properly primed and readied for the detox program so it can respond well. You simply can't demand your body to cleanse itself immediately. Over time consumption of processed foods non-vegetarian foods and sugars leads to clogging of the inner walls of the colon with waste matter. Seventy percent of all disease processes have some emotional component to them. So if you are doing all the right things and taking all the right drugs supplements and diet for something and it still isn't working these drops may be your ticket. Our body is designed to use natural substances. Any foreign substance will elicit a response from the immune system to try and remove it. The liver reduces toxins into compounds that the body can handle and eliminate through the kidneys (as urine), skin (as sweat), lungs (as expelled air) and bowels (as feces). Consuming three servings EACH of raw fruits raw vegetables and cooked vegetables (that's nine servings total) is the minimum for optimal health but you will want to take in five servings of each per day for a total of 15 servings servings/day on a detoxification program. See diet detox free plan Because most commercial coffees are not made for this detox purpose they are not likely to be effective. This detoxification method can be done at home and at your convenience all you need is fresh organic coffee beans and a French press coffee pot. Toxic substances have penetrated every part of our living; the food we eat. Since the presence of these toxic substances are known to cause the deficiency of several important vitamins and minerals in the body the third step involves restoring these deficient vitamins and minerals; essentially through nutritional supplements.

Body Detox Diet Plans

The cars we drive emit emissions that are detrimental to our health. When we fill up at the gas station we breathe in the fumes of the gasoline which adds toxins to our body. The transit time in a normally functioning digestive system should be less than 21 hours. The average person eating a normal western diet will have eight full meals of undigested food and waste matter within their digestive system. Experts agree that it's not good to try and loose excess weight in a quick manner. It's better to take your time and incorporate a package of exercise. Your body has an amazing self-healing mechanism built right in it but in order to let it work you have to give it the rest it needs. See more Home Detox For Alcoholics There are alternatives to costly colonics though you can find many products do a wonderful job of eliminating toxins from our body by converting them into a form more easily excreted by the body.

Liver Detox Symptoms

Detoxification is unarguably very important for a long lasting health. There are several ways to achieve detoxification of the system some depend on the type of chemicals we are attempting to rid the body of while others have a general effect. " Critics also believe that it's extremely likely that the weight gain will occur quickly after finishing this diet. Natural health therapists claim that a periodic detox can confer a host of health benefits. You may find your skin will get worse before it gets better, but soon you'll see a clearer more radiant complexion. Acne will improve, your eyes will look clearer and, as a bonus, you may find your appetite decreases and sugar cravings diminish. A detox programme may also incorporate complementary therapies such as massage homeopathy aromatherapy or even colonic irrigation. Learn more at http://www.detoxwithmastercleanse.info These are not becoming any less important to your family's health. Internal cleansing is a live long process similar to cleaning teeth and detoxing is a vital part in it.

Acne Fact and Fiction! Do Stress, Facials and Concealer's Help to Promote or Reduce Acne Breakouts?

2009-01-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

by: Stephen M. Seabrook

What is Acne? People have differing opinions as to what acne really is. So, what exactly is acne? Do a couple of occasional but recurring zits qualify as a case of acne or do you have to have a lot of zits?

Believe it or not, the answer is that occasional pimples or zits do not constitute a true case of acne. Although zits do seem to have the ability to appear almost instantaneously and at the most inopportune times like picture day, prom night, spelling bees, sporting events, dates, and special award ceremonies, they are not a true acne outbreak.

The dictionary defines acne as "an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, characterized by comedones and pimples, especially on the face, back, chest, and, in severe cases, by cysts and nodules resulting in scarring."

The anatomical definition of sebaceous glands is: "small subcutaneous glands usually connected with hair follicles. The follicles secrete an oily semi-fluid matter, composed in great part of fat, which softens and lubricates the hair and skin."

Real acne outbreaks are actually a disease of the skin. However, the great news is that acne is treatable. Although it can be very embarrassing, cause great emotional distress, and lower your personal self-esteem for a period of time, acne is not fatal.

There are new and effective treatments being sought by researchers and great advances have been made in the treatment of acne in the last few years. Years ago, when a person had acne, they were pretty much stuck with the problem. There were very few treatments available and the medical profession didn't even consider acne a disease.

It was long thought that acne was the direct result of a diet that was too high in fat and/or sweets. That is no longer the case. Acne is most often associated with puberty and the onset of pre-teen and teenage years but it can and does develop in adults as well. When acne does finally heal, there can be permanent scars left (from picking and popping) that are unsightly and cause patients to suffer long term emotional distress and low self- esteem.

New and very effective skin resurfacing treatments have been developed over the last several years that have, if not completely removed acne scars, at least diminished their appearance and severity.

Acne Fact or Fiction:

You can hear a lot of tall tales about acne today, so let's take a look at the fact or fiction of acne. It is always better to be well armed with factual information so that you don't get fooled by the fictional facts that surround acne.

Fictional Fact #1: Acne is caused by a lack of sexual activity.

Factual Fact: Acne and sexual activity are two entirely separate issues. One has no bearing on the other. Hormones secreted during puberty and young adulthood does have a bearing on acne. They also have a bearing on sexual arousal and activity. However, acne has no bearing on sexual activity nor does sexual activity have any bearing on acne.

Fictional Fact #2: People have acne because they are dirty.

Factual Fact: Dirt has no part in acne. Dirt is dirt. Acne is acne. One has nothing to do with the other. Acne is a build up of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Dirt isn't involved. Keeping the face clean can and will help to prevent clogged pores but dirt does not cause acne.

Fictional Fact #3: Dermatologists can cure acne.

Factual Fact: Dermatologists can TREAT acne. They can help to alleviate the symptoms and help to clear up the pimples, black-heads, and white heads. They can prescribe antibiotics and topical ointments, lotions, and creams that will help but there is no cure at this time for acne.

Fictional Fact #4: Acne is simply a skin problem.

Factual Fact: It's true that acne affects the skin but it can also affect the way a person sees himself or herself. Acne and the scarring it can leave behind may cause a sufferer to become depressed and develop low self-esteem, both of which can lead to larger and more complex life socialization problems. Acne sufferers need the loving support and reassurance from their family and friends.

Acne and Stress:

Can stress actually cause acne? There is ample evidence available to suggest that stress can most assuredly cause an acne breakout or make an existing breakout worse. Our bodies are highly developed chemical laboratories that produce all sorts of stuff.

At puberty, our body begins to produce an abundance of male hormones and this happens in both boys and girls. This overproduction of male hormones can happen at other times in life besides puberty; for example, when a girl or woman starting or stops taking birth control pills.

These male hormones cause the bodies sebaceous glands to shift into overdrive and begin producing sebum. The sebum then travels up hair follicles, clogs the pores and begins the acne development cycle. However, male hormones are not the only cause for the sebaceous glands to begin producing an overabundance of sebum. When we become extremely stressed or overly emotional, our bodies react by causing the adrenal glands to produce a substance known as Cortisol, which is released directly into the bloodstream. Then the chemical chain reaction continues as the sebaceous glands release sebum, the sebum travels up the same hair follicles, clogs the pores and acne develops.

The physical changes in the body can cause exactly the same chemical chain reaction as the emotional changes in the mind. The mind/body connection is very real. Maybe some of it really IS in your head. If that's the case, there is help available to help people deal with the acne that is caused by stress. Reducing stress will just naturally reduce sebum production by the sebaceous glands and reducing sebum production will help to alleviate an acne breakout. Therefore, when you learn to reduce and control you stress levels, this part of the chemical chain reaction is minimized.

It really it isn't any different than restoring a hormonal balance to your body that reduces sebum production. So, in the final analysis, both factors that cause excessive sebum production should be addressed. Solving one problem might help; however, solving both problems could eliminate acne altogether.

Acne Facials:

If you are part of the 95 of the population who suffer from acne, you have more than likely seen TV or print media advertisements for acne facials. Have you ever wondered if there is anything to the claims that their manufacturers make?

In general, the answer is yes! Most acne facials are very effective, pretty much worth the price, and can be used in conjunction with your usual acne fighting regime. They won't necessarily replace any part of what you are already doing; but, rather enhance the overall effects.

You can find acne facials in most health stores, at many cosmetic counters, and online. As a matter of fact, you can probably complete a better comparison of available products online than you can anywhere else.

Most of these acne facial products provide for a three-step program. The first step is a complete facial cleansing. The next step is a steam massage. The final step is a facial mask. The first two steps are designed to prepare the face. The steam massage softens the black heads and the white heads to remove toxins from your skin. The facial mask serves to remove the dead skin cells from the face and to moisturize it as well. The overall effect of the acne facial is a very relaxing, calming, and cleansing experience. It just plain feels good. Anything that helps to calm and sooth your stress can't be bad because we all know that acne is aggravated by high stress levels. Acne facial masks can be used in addition to other parts of your acne prevention and treatment regime or you may find that the facial can, in fact, actually replace some things that you are currently doing.

Acne Concealer's:

One of Newton's laws of physics laws says that, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." That law of physics spills over into a lot of our life situations. For example: A young woman gets a zit and wants to cover it up. The cosmetics industry has a multitude of products designed to do just that. Okay, that's a little far out there but you get my point.

The acne pimples, whether they are white heads or black heads should never be picked at or popped. If they are popped or picked, it can and normally does result is a scar that is much harder to get rid of than the actual pimple, black head or white head. Popping a pimple is not going to make it go away. In fact, popping a pimple is only going to make the acne worse.

Still when you get a zit, you have to go out and face the world so you are looking for ways to make your skin look clear. You want to disguise the zit and make it as unnoticeable as possible. Here is where the cosmetic industry can help. There are a multitude of products designed to make a zit less noticeable. You don't want to use a product that just adds to the problem by adding additional oil to already oily skin. So, you do need to remember, that when you use a cover product to make the zit less noticeable, you need to totally clean the product from your skin immediately when you return home.

Some of the better known as well as more effective cosmetic concealer's on the market today are:

1. Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer: This product produces a smooth matte appearance and was designed specifically for covering acne blemishes as well as for covering Rosacea and dark circles under the eyes.

2. Flawless Skin by Prescriptives: This product will not aggravate acne but will supply a medium to full coverage and it contains SPF 25 for protection from the sun.

Don't let acne control you; but rather, become smart and learn how to control the negative influences in your life that create a positive situation for acne to develop!

Guaranteed Extra Cash Online

2009-01-28T08:04:00.001-08:00

by: Peter V. Ruble

For college students and other people who feel burned out trying to balance paying the bills and living at the same time, ads like these can prove to be irresistible. Many of them make perfect sense and easily hook you based on good concepts. Unfortunately, many times the product or service does not match the brilliance of a great idea for making money from home or through the Internet. As I've learned myself, the further you go down this road, the more excited you get. You basically get hooked, and if you aren't careful, you will end up working hard and falling further into debt than you can imagine. Much like gambling, the lure of easy money and independence can make just about anyone fall prey to work at home scams that feed off your dreams to get to your wallet so they can go on to the next victim.

Hopefully, you will never fall victim to these scam artists. However, the fact of the matter is that these scammers would not be wasting their time if they were not making any money. And as long as people continue to get mixed up in this business, these scammers are going to stick around to trick more and more people.

The best way to keep a scammer's claws away from your credit card is to do thorough research on each opportunity that you are considering. This means doing much more than simply reading a bit about it online. In my personal experience, I have been taken by companies who were savvy enough to pollute the Internet with staged testimonials, guarantees, questionable references to big name endorsements, and even appearances in the Better Business Bureau.

A colleague of mine who invested in vending machine placement services even went so far as to physically go to the manufacturing plant to tour the warehouse as well as contact the Better Business Bureau of that state. What he received, in return, were twenty malfunctioning candy machines with a list of local businesses who had apparently agreed to receive them. Not only did none of these businesses know what he was talking about, many of them were hostile when he showed up to place them.

What you want to do is check message boards such as the ASK section of Yahoo.com. Another simple method of weeding out the scams from the genuine opportunities is to go to a search engine and simply type in the company name followed by the word "scam". If you do this, and you are barraged by an endless list of complaints, you my friend have found a nugget of gold in a sea of mud.

In terms of the Better Business Bureau, it is best to contact them directly to ask about any complaints, and also find out how long a company has been listed. The Better Business Bureau operates state by state. They will be able to tell you if they have any complaints on file. If they do, you will want to avoid the opportunity at all costs. But if it appears that a company is doing business the right way, you can continue your own research.

Being in the Business Bureau is not necessarily that hard to accomplish. Many scammers can use their money and connections to set up a front to initially qualify for the Better Business Bureau just long enough for them to collect their cash from unsuspecting victims, close shop, create a new identity and start again.

Before you decide to do anything, attempt to get in touch with the company that you are interested in. Can you get a human being on the phone? Do they have an actually physical address? How long does it take them to respond to your e-mails, if at all? If you cannot even talk to the company before you start, there is not chance that they will be around when you really need them. I once made quite a bit of money selling vacation vouchers on auction sites. The marketing plan was sound, and the money saving vouchers was a hit. Only problem was, I could never get in touch with their customer service department to handle my customer inquiries and complaints once I realized that the promises that existed in writing on the vouchers were misleading at best. This proved to be such a problem that it took me over a year to recover from the negative publicity on my auction site.

Of course, there are legitimate home based businesses out there. With the Internet and all the low cost, web producing tools available, there seems to be a renaissance in entrepreneurship. Basically, just find a product or service you can market online, and do your research. Sell on EBay if you don't want to build your own website. You can have a website their and all search engine marketing is already done by EBay. The Small Business Association has an office in downtown Tacoma and contains invaluable information on their website http://www.sba.com. Since small business is the backbone of our country economically, sources such as these are eager to help you create a plan with realistic expectations.

However, like anything else worthwhile, you have to do your homework and work hard at it. The problem is that too many people make you think you can practically go online and make money just clicking on a mouse. You want to steer clear of any business that asks to you to pay for their "Top Secret" e-book that will teach you how to make an automated income."

Think about it, if you are in dire need of cash, can you imagine any other situation in which you would not only work for free, but pay for the privilege to work. There are no magic formals or secrets worth paying for. All of the information in these e-books can be found for free through your own research if you have common internet skills.

If you don't want to work hard and just make a few easy extra bucks without donating your blood or volunteering to be a guinea pig, it is possible to make some good extra money filling out online surveys or through mystery shopping. There are real opportunities out there which require no fee to get started. Not only that, several of them will even give you a $5 bonus just for signing up. If a company such as this is legitimate, they would be making lots of money through the success of its members. Companies that require that $49.97 start up fee only make money through the fee and only want to teach you how to get other people to do the same. The products are all useless lists and general information that anyone with a functioning mind could figure out on their own, or get for free by doing their own research.

In 12 years of trying to make a living on the Internet, the following are the best companies I have ever encountered for making a few extra bucks filling out surveys, playing games and mystery shopping. They probably won't pay the rent, but if you're interested in making an extra $400 or $500 a month or eating out at nice restaurants and going to movies for free, you may want to check these out:

Mystery Shopping Providers Association: ." target=new>http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers/">.

This site contains all the information you will ever need on starting up as a mystery shopper. It is also a portal for the best sites to go to for mystery shopping jobs online, and they don't require that you invest a penny.

InboxDollars.com. (you can sign up for free and get $5 just for signing up. You can make a few hundred dollars in one day, theoretically, if you are willing to use a credit card to sign up for free or paid trials. Just make sure you have the patience to fill out the long surveys and keep detailed records so you can remember to cancel your free trials before you get charged. Also, you can fill out surveys to make a dollar or two which are completely free. I've made about $400 with this site.

http://www..sendearnings.com.(almost identical to InboxDollars.com)

http://www.treasuretrooper.com. (a lot of free surveys and cool games).

http://www.tiktikcash.com. By far the best of the survey sites. The free surveys are tremendous. You can make a dollar or two in one minute. This site has the shortest, most painless surveys. I made over thirty bucks in less than after signing up.

Skin Care Moisturizer Cream Can Keep Your Skin Smooth and Supple

2009-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

by: Sylvie Bordeaux

They say beauty is only skin deep, but only a woman knows just how true that is. You can be the prettiest thing in the room, but wrinkled, sun damaged skin can certainly bring your appearance down several notches. Skin care moisturizer cream is just the thing you need to help prevent new wrinkles, reduce the appearance of the wrinkles you have, and help heal sun damaged skin. Whether you struggle with dry skin, combination skin, oily skin, acne, or some other type of skin condition, there is a moisturizer that is made just for you. The only challenge is finding the right moisturizer for you and knowing what to look for. It's all about getting the details right -- what types of moisturizer are best for you and how often to apply them. Luckily for you, we've got the scoop on the best moisturizers for your needs.

Water Based Moisturizers are a No-No

When purchasing moisturizer cream, many women simply do not stop and look at the ingredients. Often women are attracted to a pretty box or a pretty jar with a fancy sounding name without realizing that many of the moisturizers out there contain up to 40% water. Other women make the mistake of going with a water based moisturizer, thinking that water is the most natural moisturizer in the world and that it should do wonders for their skin. Strangely enough, that is not the case. Different all natural ingredients, like Aloe Vera, are better suited for a moisturizer for the face, especially for those looking for anti aging or anti wrinkle benefits. It may not seem like it but water based moisturizers are a recipe for disaster when it comes to dry skin. They dry out your skin even more as opposed to adding much needed moisture.

Consider the Benefits of Natural Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera based creams are different and for those who have only used water based products or for those looking for a change in their present moisturizing routine, this is the best and only alternative. A few of the skin care moisturizer cream products even contain essential fatty acids and other ingredients that actually imitate the natural actions and compositions of your skin. These special ingredients work wonders against drying and breakouts, and makes it easier for the ingredients to be absorbed into the skin. Aloe Vera itself is 100 percent natural, coming straight from the plant of the same name and is known for its healing benefits to damaged skin.

How Often is Too Often?

Depending on your skin and its makeup, you never know how much to moisturize until you figure out what is best for you. If you have normal skin, moisturizing once a day should be sufficient, but if you have dry skin or skin with a condition you may want to consider moisturizing twice daily -- once during the morning hours and once before bed.

Be sure to follow the directions that are specified on the back of moisturizer box or jar for best results and remember that not all moisturizers are created equal. Some of them have specific instructions and are designed to treat different skin conditions so be sure to read the label carefully. Some moisturizers have natural oils, vitamins, lipids, and other ingredients that are designed to smooth and beautify your skin. Be warned that chemicals have been added to other moisturizer creams and these should be strictly avoided.

How do you know which is the best skin care moisturizer cream for you? In all reality, there is no "one size fits all." Everyone has a different type of skin and unfortunately there is a bit of trial and error that you must go through. You have to find out the hard way sometimes but often you can take shortcuts by getting recommendations from other women with skin similar to yours. Remember though that just because a particular product works for someone else does not necessarily mean that it will work for you. One thing you can be sure of though is that it is pretty hard to go wrong with an aloe vera based moisturizer. Aloe Vera can heal damaged skin, moisturize, and even provide some anti aging benefits as well. Plus it doesn't dry out the skin like water based moisturizers do...and it should go without saying that dry skin is much more prone to wrinkles than hydrated, moisturized skin.

The benefits of Aloe Vera are endless and no matter what type of skin you have, you should be able to enjoy the benefits of this all natural ingredient that was discovered more than 3,500 years ago and that is still being used today. An Aloe Vera based moisturizer can help give you healthier, more beautiful skin no matter what kind of skin you have and no matter how much sun damage you have.

Be sure to read the label before buying any moisturizer cream and always, always, always demand an Aloe Vera based moisturizer.

Do you hate fine lines?

Do you hate wrinkles?

Do you hate sun spots?

Do you have old acne scars to get rid of?

Do you want to feel beautiful again?

An Aloe Vera based moisturizer cream just may be the way to go and due to its healing properties, Aloe Vera should be something you look for in any skin care moisturizer cream.

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Acne Vulgaris, the 8 Stages of Acne, Skin Care, Adult Acne, and Scar Removal Options.

2009-01-25T09:50:00.001-08:00

by: Stephen M. Seabrook

What is Acne Vulgaris? This is a medical term used to describe most cases of acne. It really isn't as bad as it sounds! Vulgaris doesn't mean that the acne is vulgar, only that it means that it is common.

Be aware that there are many factors that contribute to acne. First, research indicates a propensity for acne may well be inherited. Parents who had acne in their teenage and young adult years may have children who are likewise prone to having acne in their teen and young adult years.

Next, clogged skin pores are certainly a major contributing factor for acne out-breaks. When pores become clogged with an excess production of sebum and mix with dead skin cells or makeup that isn't sufficiently cleaned from the skin, problems start to develop. When skin pores are clogged, bacteria are produced and pus starts to form causing a pimple, a white head or a black head.

The most commonly accepted causes for acne are hormonal imbalances. Hormones in boys and girls may become unbalanced during puberty, during menstrual cycles, when starting or stopping birth control pills, during times of extreme stress, and at other times as well.

All of the above situations can cause the body to over produce a male hormone which causes the sebaceous glands to produce sebum. The sebum combines with dead skin cells to block pores and acne develops. So, basically, it still comes back to blocked pores.

Other causes for acne include a lack of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that the body needs to maintain a healthy skin. Vitamins A, E and B6 are especially important in maintaining healthy skin as are zinc, essential fatty acids (EFA), Chromium and Selenium.

Most diets of teenagers and young adults do not contain these vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in sufficient quantity to maintain healthy skin and to help prevent the onset of Acne.

Acne: The 8 Stages:

Full blown, Stage 8 acne doesn't usually develop overnight. Acne is progressive condition. Acne is one of the diseases that are so common that it is sometimes just disregarded as a serious problem...like the common cold. It has been estimated that 95 of people will have at least a mild case of acne at some point in their lives.

Acne, much like the common cold, is usually treated by the sufferer with over-the-counter medications that alleviate the symptoms of the disease in the belief that it will simply go away all by itself....eventually. And, it usually does but not always.

Most people throughout their life will have the occasional pimple, zit, white head or black head.

Although these pesky little outbreaks do seem to appear at the most inopportune times, they really aren't a serious problem that requires medical attention. A little over-the-counter acne facial wash to help prevent another outbreak will usually take care of the problem. It isn't a big deal. This kind of acne is referred to as Stage 0 and really nothing to be concerned about unless the acne progresses to subsequent stages.

Acne stages are graded from 0 through 8. Zero is the least severe and 8 is the most serious of the stages. The stages are as follows:

Stage 1: There will be white heads and black heads with some mild inflammation. The outbreaks will start to occur more frequently. Using products that contain Benzyl Peroxide are in order.

Stage 2: There will be some papules in addition to the white heads and black heads. Papules are skin lesions that are solid and raised but usually small. This is still considered to be a very mild case of acne. Treatment can be continued using over-the-counter products that contain Salicylic Acid.

Stage 3: Stage 3 is the same as stage 2 but with more frequent occurrences.

Stage 4-5: Pustules begin to appear. Now, it's time to schedule an appointment at a dermatologist.

Stage 6-7: Nodules and cysts are forming. Scarring is going to start happening at this stage. Your dermatologist will begin to take more drastic action.

Stage 8: Breakouts are almost continuous and include nodules and cysts. There are modern technologies that will help and your dermatologist will advise you.

Acne Skin Care:

As we know, our hair follicles secrete sebum. Sebum makes its way up the hair follicles to the skin pores where it lubricates and protects the skin. Sometimes there are oil glands which get overworked, get enlarge, and produce too much sebum. The sebum can get trapped in the hair follicle.

When this happens the pores get clogged and black heads or white heads form and the bacteria start to multiply at an alarmingly fast rate.

Once you understand this process, you can see the reasoning behind the advice about caring for skin that has black heads, white heads and pustules on it.

The first piece of advice about caring for acne infected skin is to never pick at the pimples. Don't try to pop them and drain them. This will not cure them no matter what anybody tells you. Popping them will only serve to make them worse...not better.

However, there are things that you can do that really will help.

The first thing you can do is to wash your face with a mild soap or a sulfur based soap. Wash your face with just your finger tips. Don't ever use a wash cloth as it holds germs and bacteria. Rinse your face with clean water several times to ensure you remove all traces of soap, and then pat it dry with a clean towel. Do not rub your face with the towel and never use the same towel twice without it being clean.

Take a good multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement every day and drink at least 8 full glasses of water (not soda) every day. The vitamins and minerals will supply nutrients that are absent from most diets and the water will help to hydrate the skin as well as to flush toxins out of your system.

If you use over-the-counter acne medications, be certain that you follow the directions carefully and that you use a good sunscreen when you are outdoors as some acne medications make the skin more prone to sunburn.

Adult Acne:

Acne is not just a problem for teenagers and young adults. Once a person survives the teenage years, you would think that they don't have to deal with the embarrassment of acne any longer, right? Well....not exactly.

The sad truth is that about 25 of women will have acne at some time in their 20s, 30s or even 40s. Although there has never been a real cause established, it is believed that most adult acne is caused by the same thing that causes teenage acne...hormonal changes.

A doctor will sometimes prescribe hormonal treatments that will clear a case of adult acne right up. As with teenage acne, adult acne is not caused by diet. Stress has often been cited as one possible cause of adult acne but that assertion has never been verified.

Treating adult acne is a bit more difficult than treating teenage acne. Adults have the concern of drying out their skin that teenagers don't normally have to deal with. Adults don't want pimples; but, they don't want wrinkles, either. A dermatologist should be consulted if the acne is long lasting or is severe.

There are many treatments that are available to adults who suffer from acne. Most of the effective treatments are only available by prescription. Adults should not use over-the-counter acne medications that are intended for the treatment of teenage acne. These products tend to dry the skin and adults need to be concerned about wrinkling as well as acne.

A case of adult acne is not a happy occurrence to say because those ugly bumps always seem to occur at the most inopportune times and while a teenager may be embarrassed by acne, an adult is even more devastated.

Fortunately, there are treatments and a dermatologist has a lot of weapons in his arsenal to fight adult acne.

Acne Scar Removal Options:

Life hardly seems fair sometimes! First, a teenager or a young adult must suffer through acne, treat it, and have to live with it...sometimes for years. Then the acne is gone; but, the scars are there as a painful reminder of the mental and emotional agony the acne sufferer had to endure.

You're right, life doesn't seem fair; but, acne is one of those sad facts of life that some if not most of us have to deal with. The good news is there is help; unfortunately, it isn't free or cheap!

There are two basic procedures that are used to remove ugly pits and scars left over from a bad case of teenage or young adult acne. Laser resurfacing is the least expensive of the two available acne scar removal procedures. Dermabrasion is the second procedure.

Laser resurfacing can be done in the dermatologist office instead of a hospital so that provides a much greater financial savings. A laser is used to remove the top layer of skin and also to tighten the middle layer of skin.

The dermatologist will use a local anesthetic to help reduce the procedure pain. It usually takes several days for the skin to heal after a laser resurfacing procedure is completed. Very often, multiple resurfacing treatments must be done to achieve the desired results.

The second procedure used to remove acne scarring is called dermabrasion. In this procedure, a rotating wire brush is used to remove the top layer of skin. The body continually produces new skin and the new layer will be smoother than the layer that was removed. It usually takes between 10 days and 3 weeks for the skin to heal after a dermabrasion treatment. Once again, multiple treatments may be required to eliminate the scarring.

Acne may seem to be a devastating condition but with proper skin routine, vitamins, and over the counter products, most cases will not be severe. Remember, proper cleansing goes a long way towards minimizing outbreaks, so don't be afraid to cleanse your face 5 - 6 times a day of more if needed.

Fight acne by being smart. Take as many preventative steps as possible to avoid situations that create the opportunity for acne to develop. If acne does afflict you, consult a qualified medical professional before deciding on a course of action

How to Successfully Navigate Your Business through an Economic Downturn

2009-01-25T09:47:00.001-08:00

How to Successfully Navigate Your Business through an Economic Downturn
by: Terry H Hill

An economic downturn is a phase of the business cycle in which the economy as a whole is in decline.This phase basically marks the end of the period of growth in the business cycle. Economic downturns are characterized by decreased levels of consumer purchases (especially of durable goods) and, subsequently, reduced levels of production by businesses.

While economic downturns are admittedly difficult, and are formidable obstacles to small businesses that are trying to survive and grow, an economic downturn can open up opportunities. A well-managed company can realize the opportunity to gain market share by taking customers away from their competitors. Resourceful entrepreneurs capture the available opportunities, from an economic downturn, by developing alternate methods of doing business that were never implemented during a prior growth period.

The challenge of successfully navigating your business through an economic downturn lies in the realignment of your business with current economic realities. Specifically, you, as the business owner, need to renew a focus on your core clients/customers, reduce your operating expenses, conserve cash, and manage more proactively, rather than reactively, is paramount.

Here are best practices that will help you to successfully navigate your business through an economic downturn:

Goals:

The primary goal of any business owner is to survive the current economic downturn and to develop a leaner, more cost-effective and more efficient operation. The secondary goal is to grow the business even during this current economic downturn.

Objectives:

• Conserve cash.

• Protect assets.

• Reduce costs.

• Improve efficiencies.

• Grow customer base.

Required Action:

• Do not panic… History shows that economic downturns do not last forever. Remain calm and act in a rational manner as you refocus your attention on resizing your company to the current economic conditions.

• Focus on what YOU can control… Don't let the media's rhetoric concerning recessions and economic slowdown deter you from achieving business success. It´s a trap! Why? Because the condition of the economy is beyond your control. Surviving economic downturns requires a focus on what you can control, i.e. your relevant business activities.

• Communicate, communicate, and communicate! Beware of the pitfall of trying to do too much on your own. It is a difficult task indeed to survive and to grow your business solely with your own efforts. Solicit ideas and seek the help of other people (your employees, suppliers, lenders, customers, and advisors). Communicate honestly and consistently. Effective two-way communication is the key.

• Negotiate, negotiate, and negotiate! The value of a strong negotiation skill set cannot be overstated. Negotiating better deals and contracts is an absolute must for realigning and resizing your company to the current economic conditions. The key to success is not only knowing how to develop a win-win approach in negotiations with all parties, but also keeping in mind the fact that you want a favorable outcome for yourself too.

Recommended Best Practice Activities:

The Nuts and Bolts… The following list of recommended best practice activities is critical for your business' survival and for its growth during an economic downturn. The actual financial health of your particular business, at the outset of the economic downturn, will dictate the priority and urgency of the implementation of the following best practice activities.

1. Diligently monitor your cash flow: Forecast your cash flow monthly to ensure that expenses and planned expenditures are in line with accounts receivable. Include cash flow statements into your monthly financial reporting. Project cash requirements three-to- six months in advance. The key is to know how to monitor, protect, control, and put cash to work.

2. Carefully convert your inventories: Convert excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory items into cash. Consider returning excess and slow-moving items back to the suppliers. Close-out or inventory reduction sales work well to resize your inventory. Also, consider narrowing your product offerings. Well-timed order placement helps to reduce excess inventory levels and occasional material shortages. The key is to reduce the amount of your inventory without losing sales.

3. Timely collection of your accounts receivable: This asset should be converted to cash as quickly as possible. Offer prompt payment discounts to encourage timely payments. Make changes in the terms of sale for slow paying customers (i.e. changing net 30 day terms to COD). Invoicing is an important part of your cash flow management. The first rule of invoicing is to do it as soon as possible after products are shipped and/or after services are delivered. Place an emphasis on reducing billing errors. Most customers delay payments because an invoice had errors, and therefore, will not pay until they receive a corrected copy. Email or fax your invoices to save on mailing time. Post the payments that you have received and make deposits more frequently. The key is to develop an efficient collection system that generates timely payments and one that gives you advance warning of problems.

4. Re-focus your attention on your existing clients/customers: Make customer satisfaction your priority. A regular review of your customers' buying history and frequency of purchases can reveal some interesting facts about your customers' buying habits. Consider signing long-term contracts with your core clients/customers which will add to your security. Offer a discount for upfront cash payments. The key is to do what it takes to keep your current customers loyal.

5. Re-negotiate with your suppliers, lenders, and landlord:

i) Suppliers: Always keep your negotiations on the level of need, saying that your company has reviewed its cost structure and has determined that it needs to lower supplier costs. . Tell the supplier that you value the relationship you have developed, but that you need to receive a cost reduction immediately. Ask your supplier for a lower material price, a longer payment cycle, and the elimination of finance charges. Also, see if you can buy material from them on a consignment basis. In return for their price concessions, be willing to agree to a long-term contract. Explore the idea of bartering as a form of payment.

ii) Lenders: Everything in business finance is negotiable and your relationship with a bank is no exception. The first step to successful renegotiations is to convince your lenders that you can ultimately pay off the renegotiated loan. You must point out to your lenders why it would be in their best interest to agree to a new arrangement. Showing them your business plan and your action plan that includes your cost-savings initiatives, along with "the how" and "the when" of the implementation of your plan is the best way to achieve this goal. Explain to them that you will need their cooperation to insure that you can survive, as well as, grow your business during the economic downturn. Negotiated items include: the rate of interest, the required security to cover the loan, and the beginning date for repayment. A beginning date for repayment could be immediate, within several months or as long as a year. The key is to realize that your lender will work with you, but that frequent and continual communications with them is critical.

iii) Landlord: Meet with your landlord. Explain your need to have them extend the term of your lease at a reduced cost. Make sure you have a clause in the lease agreement that entitles you to have the right to sublet any or all of the leased space.

6. Re-evaluate your staffing requirements: This is a very critical area. Salaries/wages are a major expense of doing business. Therefore, any reduction in the hours worked through work schedule changes, short-term layoffs or permanent layoffs has an immediate cost saving benefit. Most companies ramped up hiring new employees in the good times, only to find that they are currently overstaffed due to slow sales during the economic downturn. In terms of down-sizing your staff, be very careful not to reduce your staff to a level that forces you to skimp on customer service and quality. Consider the use of part-timers or the current trend of outsourcing certain functions to independent contractors.

7. Shop for better insurances rates: Get quotations from other insurance agents for comparable coverage to determine whether or not your present insurance carrier is competitive. Also, consider revising your coverage to reduce premium costs. The key is to have the right balance-to be adequately insured, but not under or over insured.

8. Re-evaluate your advertising: Contrary to the other cost-cutting initiatives, evaluate the possibility of increasing your advertising expenditures. This tactic realizes the advantage of the reduced "noise" and congestion (fewer advertisers) in the marketplace. The downturn period a great opportunity to increase brand awareness and create additional demand for your product/service offerings.

9. Seek the help of outside advisors: The use of an advisory board comprised of your CPA, attorney, and business consultant offers you objectivity and provides you with professional advice and guidance. Their collective experience in working with similar situations in past economic downturns is invaluable.

10. Review your other expenses: Target an across-the-board cost-cutting initiative of 10-15%. Attempt to eliminate unnecessary expenses. Tightening your belt in order to weather the downturn makes practical, financial sense.

Proactively managing your business through an economic downturn is an enormous challenge and is critical for your survival. However, through well-planned initiatives, an economic downturn can create tremendous opportunity for your company to gain greater market share. In order to take advantage of this growth opportunity, you must act quickly to implement the above best business practices to continue realigning and resizing your company to the current economic conditions.

Copyright © 2008 Terry H. Hill

You may reprint this article free of charge in your newsletter, magazine, or on your website, provided that the article is unedited, and that the copyright, author's bio, and contact information below appears with each article. Articles appearing on the web must provide a hyperlink to the author's web site, http://www.legacyai.com

Terry H. Hill is the founder and managing partner of Legacy Associates, Inc, a business consulting and advisory services firm. A veteran chief executive, Terry works directly with business owners of privately held companies on the issues and challenges that they face in each stage of their business life cycle. To find out how he can help you take your business to the next level, visit his site at http://www.legacyai.com

To download a copy of this article, click on this link: http://www.legacyai.com/Article_Downturn.html.

Obama Flips Off Hillary? maybe not, but funny...

2008-11-04T05:42:00.001-08:00

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Obama Mccain Hillary flips off Crazy Fans for Obama Mccain & Hillary

2008-11-04T05:38:00.000-08:00

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Obama Flips Off McCain

2008-11-04T05:36:00.001-08:00

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Obama and McCain - Dance Off!

2008-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

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CNN Rick Sanchez Catches McCain Spokesman Mike Goldfarb Lying

2008-11-01T07:58:00.001-07:00

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Obama and McCain - Dance Off!

2008-10-25T07:29:00.001-07:00

Fred on Election Day

2008-10-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama - Qualified to Be President?

2008-10-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

One serious topic of debate regarding the 2008 Presidential Election pertains to Barack Obama's qualifications for the office, what many consider to be the most important job in the land.

Without question, his resume is impressive. His academic achievements are noteworthy, as is his work as a civil rights attorney. Moreover, his public speaking skills are without parallel. His gentle good humor and self-effacing attitude are equally attractive.

But is he qualified?

The difficult question must be addressed: Is Barack Obama's popularity due to his ethnicity more than to his accomplishments? Would a white senator with the same resume be considered his or her party's nominee?

As much as we may hate to say it, it seems improbable. Barack Obama has yet to complete a single full term as a US Senator. He has no legislative accomplishments of which to speak, and he has yet to offer any specific details on how he plans to fund his grandiose plans. He has no military experience, nor any deep familiarity with the military machinery of this country.

To be sure, were Obama to be elected, his presidency would be a great step forward in this country, haunted as we are the specter of our racist past.

However, is it worth to gain this milestone at the expense of electing a man wholly unqualified for the office?

Merely paying lip service to such intangible ideals such as "change" and "diversity" will not make our country safer nor our economy stronger.

Unfortunately, it appears that Barack Obama simply does not have the appropriate qualifications to be president.

R.S. Cochran is a college English professor, a lifelong Democrat, and founder of Name3Things.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R.S._Cochran

Who-What Are Obama Supporters?

2008-10-24T09:06:00.001-07:00

It is not Obama and his gang of thug Socialists who confuse me. I clearly recognize the principles of socialism and Communism in all of Obama's "silk purse" speeches. It isn't hard acknowledging right from wrong. In my last essay "Is any thing in America Sacred to Obama?" which lists many of Obama's criminal friends, actions, and intentions which reveal a ruthless and desperate character. There is nothing I wrote in that piece that isn't already known to all of the Democrats currently in office and the general public. There is nothing I wrote in that article that hasn't already been written in long, scary detail by better writers than I. All of the information that keeps coming forward about Obama is disgusting, shameful, and proof he is unworthy to be a dog catcher let alone president. It is obvious no patriotic American will vote for Obama. He should be in jail.

What confuses me is how many people choose to support this silver plated turd in spite of the facts that has been exposed about Obama. Why? Do they think every person who states a negative of unpopular fact about Obama is a liar like the Obama camp wants them to believe? Don't they realize they are coconspirators in their own tyranny? Don't they care about the criminal, unethical, and mean spirited track record he has? Is it okay for Obama to do anything he wants as long as he is black? The argument Democrats will use that McCain has done bad things doesn't hold water. True McCain has made mistakes. But one this for certain is McCain never betrayed his country and committed treason. He also never tampered with voter registration, nor ever was a Muslim.

This makes me wonder how much value society has for integrity, decency, and honesty. Have people placed a higher value on race than good character? I have always believed in the ultimate goodness of the common man. For the first time in my life, I am beginning to wonder if there are that many people in America who have traded goodness for evil. I am having trouble listening to Obama supporters on msn parroting Obama stump mantras. They are touting Communist principles and may or may not realize it. They are neither stupid nor bad.(At least I don't want to think they are) What's going on? I tried to break it down in groups and this is what has come forward to me.

Obama supporters fall into the following types:

1. The majority are hard working moral Americans whose only desire is a better America for them selves, their families and all. They simply misunderstand BO's message. There is nothing in their mind that could lead them to recognize Obama's messages are Communistic. If they did understand Obama's message, they would not vote for Obama. There's hope for this group because I believe they want a person of good character in office. They may change their minds and vote for McCain when more factual information about Obama comes forward.

2. There are black Americans who are decent good people who so dearly desire to see a black man as president for the first time in history, they only see Obama as good. They don't understand Obama's Communistic friends, background, messages, and intentions. They also don't understand Obama will be of no benefit to them what so ever. Their loyalty is so strong, that even when confronted with facts about Obama's crimes, they refuse to believe them. If these good people did understand, they would not only refuse to vote for Obama, they would throw him out of the circle. There are great black men and women who would make a wonderful commander and chief. It is only a matter of time American will enjoy a great black president. Obama is not the one. I believe some of these dear people may also change their mind.

3. There are decent people who are loyal to party regardless who leads, they do not challenge. They simply vote their party. Even these, may change their vote. They simply live an unexamined life.

4. Democratic politicians who lust to have a Democratic President at any price. They are clearly aware of Obama's past crimes, his slimy friends and his Communistic/socialist principles. However they under estimate Obama and imagine they will be able to control him when he gets in office because they think they can advance their own careers riding his shirt tails. These people are coconspirators in their own tyranny. They would vote for Obama no matter what he does. They have a vested interest. God forbid, if Obama is elected, they will deserve what they get. Sadly. The people who didn't vote for BO will also be hurt.

5. The very rich powerful invisible world players who have sinister purposes to make Obama President. They will be the power behind the throne. They will enforce Obama's power with key players in key positions who do whatever they are told. Later, they may simply dispose of Obama, since he will no longer be needed by them. They will continue to live luxurious life styles.

6. There are openly admitted Communists, Socialists, and Muslims who will vote Obama. They will never change their minds. Eventually, like the UK, America will be adopting the laws of Sharia. Women will be required to cover their faces and wear Berkas.

7. There are the first time and young voters, who have simply not looked beyond Obama gold plated package of Communist feces. They are too busy growing up to take the time to look. They just want to do what they think is "cool". By the time the realize what happened it will be too late.

8. Finally, there are those who are thoroughly aware of all of Obama's crimes, misdeeds, and intimidating methods and approve. They have even participated with Obama in these crimes. To them, the end justifies the means. The way America was will be a fairy tale.

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Therese Daniels

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Who is Barack Obama?

2008-10-24T09:05:00.001-07:00

Although Sarah Palin has only been on the national scene for about six weeks and she's only given two real interviews (one with Charles Gibson & one with Katie Couric) and has held absolutely no press conferences she's taken to asking the question "Who is Barack Obama?" at her campaign events (which lately appear to be barely controlled extremist hate mobs.)

Barack Obama is a 47 year old man of mixed racial background (African father, white mother from Kansas) who was born in the state of Hawaii in 1961. Obama graduated from Columbia in 1983. Obama worked as a community organizer in Chicago until entering Harvard Law School in 1988.

He was a distinguished student at Harvard Law School as he was elected president of the Law Review. He graduated from Harvard Law School with honors (magna cum laude) in 1991.

Obama began to teach constitutional law in the University of Chicago Law School in 1992. He did that for 12 years until 2004 when he was elected to the US Senate.

He was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996. In 2002 he delivered a speech at a Chicago anti-war rally in which he showed extremely sound foreign policy judgment by opposing the Iraq War from the start at a time when few politicians dared to challenge the direction of the Bush/Cheney administration.

Obama became nationally known at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He wrote and delivered the extremely well received keynote address. Many Democrats instantly felt that Barack Obama would one day run for President. His performance electrified the party.

Obama defeated Alan Keyes in the 2004 Illinois senate election 70% to 27%. This landslide is the largest in Illinois statewide election history.

Among Obama's accomplishments as Senator are the Coburn-Obama Transparency Act. This established the USAspending.gov web search engine for federal spending. It's also known as "Google for Government." Strangely enough Sarah Palin actually brought up this idea of "Google for Government" at one of her rallies as if it was were a new idea of hers.

Another Obama accomplishment is the Lugar-Obama initiative which is meant to energize the US program against unsecured conventional weapons such as anti-aricraft missiles.

Tellingly both Tom Coburn & Dick Lugar are Republicans. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Barack Obama can "reach across the aisle" and work with Republicans (despite what McCain/Palin says.)

Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President on February 10, 2007. Since then he has been in the national public eye to a great degree. He has participated in over 20 nationally televised debates. He has been interviewed countless times. He has taken questions from the press. He has been vetted and vetted again. Every single smear tactic imaginable has been brought up and thrown at him by his opponents.

The idea that someone as unknown as Sarah Palin (who has ties to an Anti-American political party called the Alaskan Independence Party) would ask "Who is Barack Obama?" is infuriating. The real question is "Who is Sarah Palin?"

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Barack Obama Loses in Brazilian Elections!

2008-10-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

It's official, Barack Obama has failed in his bid to win the election!

But wait, before you decide to leave the country and escape another four years of Republican rule, please allow me to elaborate, Barack Obama has failed to win in the Brazilian local elections!

In total, six candidates adopted Senator Obama's name, hoping to distinguish themselves from other candidates.

Claudio Henrique dos Anjos is one of those 'Obama' candidates. He registered himself as Claudio Henrique-Barack Obama after people started comparing him with the real Senator Obama.

"I am black and I wore a suit on television and people started to tell me I was just like that Barack Obama guy in the United States" he said.

Mr. dos Anjos, was running for mayor of the city of Belford Roxo, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

It is quite common for Brazilian politicians to adopt unusual names during elections. Candidates are allowed to either register in their own name or a chosen one. Many use nicknames whilst others adopt famous names to grab attention.

Over 200 candidates named themselves after the country's current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who remains extremely popular with an 80% approval rating.

One candidate in particular changed his name to President Lula, whilst others added Lula to their names hoping the president's success would rub off. Ambulance Lula, Radio Lula, Singer Lula, Hairdresser Lula and Here Comes Lula to name but a few!

Other famous named candidates included Jorge Bushi and Bill Clinton!

Adam H. Bolton is an International News Researcher based in the UK.

His research often uncovers weird, strange, bizarre & funny news stories from around the world.

These truly amazing real-life stories are regularly published on the popular news site FunnyNewsStories.org.

Please visit http://FunnyNewsStories.org for the latest weird & funny news stories!

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Vote United!

2008-10-23T06:56:00.001-07:00

Vote United!

Voting in the Square Mile Sport Awards 2008 has started in an attempt to honour this year's top sporting heroes and moments.

The Reds are involved in three of the six categories. After being snubbed in the Ballon d'Or nominations, Rio Ferdinand has been nominated as Sports Leader of the Year. Although he's not United's regular captain, he did lead the Reds out in Moscow last May.

United are up for the Sports Team of the Year accolade in competition with, among others, Team GB's Beijing Olympians.

The Reds are also involved in Sporting Moment of the Year category. Naturally it's from the Champions League final, and the moment is (don't smirk) John Terry's penalty miss in Moscow.

The winners will be unveiled at a star-studded dinner on 27 November in London.

To register your vote, visit www.squaremilesport.com.

FAIRCLOUGH ON KUYT, MADRID AND CHELSEA

2008-10-22T05:33:00.001-07:00

It's been our best ever start to a Premier League season and we've achieved it in the most dramatic fashion.

But while we've all enjoyed seeing the Reds make some startling comebacks in recent weeks, Dirk Kuyt in particular might have enjoyed it a little more than most.

The tireless Dutchman has suddenly refound his passion for scoring goals and is now earning rave reviews not just for his workrate but more for his four goals in the last three games.

There is no doubt the Reds have been making life hard for themselves in gifting opponents the lead, but we can't go on giving teams a head start and expect to keep hitting back. It might be exciting to watch but wouldn't it be better to make things easier for ourselves?

It's not just Rafa who might be needing to consult his doctor the way we are going on, certainly fewer have been heading for the exits early in recent weeks.

The significant feature in all the comebacks so far has been the natural change in attitude, attacking spirit is obviously the way forward. Some of Rafa's substitutions this season have been really adventurous and at one stage on Saturday we had six forwards out there. I can't remember seeing so many forwards strung across Anfield as we attacked the Kop, our goal difference mightn't be that great but points on the board are more important.

The loss of Fernando Torres due to the international break was potentially a nightmare scenario - other than losing Stevie, Rafa could hardly have had worse news. But, asked to fill in for El Nino, Kuyt had perhaps his most effective game for the Reds. With Liverpool now generally looking a more balanced unit with the addition of Albert Riera on the left and Jeramine Pennant playing his part on Saturday, if we can get bodies into the opposition box we will score goals and that was certainly the secret of the recent comebacks over Man City and Wigan.

Dirk looked more at home working through the middle and though he hasn't got the pace to run away from defenders, his natural instinct to score is there and he looked like he loved it on Saturday.

I've sensed a reluctance from him to admit he misses scoring goals on a regular basis but anyone who scored as many times as he did for Feyenoord must surely want to receive similar acclaim from an adoring Kop. With his recent scoring exploits he has shown his real potential and effectively raised the bar of expectancy, for me he looks a completely different player getting on the end of things.

If Dirk could transmit his European goal scoring form into the league on a regular basis he would prove priceless, ten goals in his last 17 Euro games proves he's a man with the knack but has seemed at times happy to understate some of that killer instinct.

I know he's happy to fulfil any role Rafa asks of him but he could be more effective if he shows a greater desire to get into the danger zone a bit more. He's shown he can finish sp let's see it much more. If Liverpool are to mount a real challenge this year the goals will need to come from a greater nucleus of players and Kuyt - if he continues the way he's going - could be a vital weapon in our aims.

In recent years I think we can point to our inability to score goals from enough players which has seen us fall short of Man Utd and Chelsea. With Kuyt in this form - and if we can get one or two more scoring along with Torres and Gerrard on a regular basis - we can maintain our challenge on the heels of the leaders.

Rafa was obviously frustrated at losing Nando and could hardly hide his disappointment. If we are to be real contenders then we can't be without him for too long, one or two games can be okay though the next two matches could hardly be tougher.

I know we did manage without him against Man Utd but to have him absent for too long would be too much of a strain.

There'll be disappointment on both sides tonight when Atletico's favourite son misses out on the dream return to the Vicente Calderon Stadium. It was probably the one game El Nino was really looking forward to this season, only to be robbed of the opportunity with the unfortunate hamstring injury picked up last week.

The Reds will have to be at their best if we are to be the first English side to beat Atletico in their backyard, a side we are meeting for the first time. Though we have an exceptional record of playing in Spain, Atletico are currently one of the more eye-catching sides in the Champions League despite having lost their last three Spanish league games.

For Rafa it's a return to his home town while on the pitch despite no Torres it could still be a case of old friends reunited. In Atletico's star-studded line up we should see Anfield European hero Luis Garcia and Sinama Pongolle, who never really fulfilled his true potential with the Reds but who has been impressive since leaving for Spain.

While the Champions League takes up our attentions tonight, once the final whistle blows in Madrid attention will swiftly turn to the massive game at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. I must admit I've been impressed with the start Chelsea have had under Luis Felipe Scolari and for me they are the team we will have to be ahead of if we have title hopes.

Hopefully the fact Nando has been left back at Melwood to have treatment will increase his chances of playing at the Bridge, the Londoners have more than their fair share of injury problems but the strength of their squad masks any weakness.

Chelsea's home record is remarkable and it's never been the easiest place for us to visit, though we have shown the ability to stifle them under Rafa, but we are still frustrated by the fact we can't claim the win. Sunday would be perfect timing to break Rafa's duck with spirit in the camp on a real high.

David Fairclough 22 October 2008

RIERA: TEAM UNITY THE KEY TONIGHT

2008-10-22T05:31:00.000-07:00

Albert Riera believes Liverpool's team unity can negate the influence of Atletico Madrid's potential match winners in the Vicente Calderon this evening.

Riera admits the La Liga side can boast exceptional talents in the shape of Aguero, Simao, Forlan and Maniche - not to mention ex-Red Luis Garcia - but he is confident the strength of character shown by Liverpool during their unbeaten start to the season can help take them a step nearer qualification from Group D tonight.

"Atletico have come into their own and established themselves as one of the biggest clubs in Spain," said Riera.

"They are much more competitive, and when you feel you can compete against even the best teams, it works wonders for your confidence.

"Where they differ from us is that they rely more on individuals than the overall team pattern. They are beginning to shape into an effective unit, but it is individual brilliance that has contributed most to their success.

"While they rely on individuals to a great extent, we are a real unit. We have outstanding individuals as well, but, first and foremost, we are a team. You can't underestimate the importance of that, and it has stood us in good stead.

"Atletico are a real threat going forward and have probably the two best strikers in La Liga in Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan.

"They are much stronger at the back now, but I still feel our team spirit can come through and help us beat them."

No English side has ever won at the Vicente Calderon and Riera admits the Reds will need to be on top of their game to alter that statistic.

"The atmosphere will be exceptional, and it is going to be a really special occasion for the Spanish players in our squad," he added. "All of us are really looking forward to it, and we don't intend coming away with anything less than three points.

"You've got to give Atletico credit for emerging as a force in their own right after spending so long in Real's shadow. It is not easy when you are in a big city and your club plays second fiddle to your near rivals.

"I know what it is like after playing for Espanyol in a city that was really all about Barcelona. People don't take much notice of you, but they are paying attention to Atletico now."

Paul Eaton 22 October 2008

CARRAGHER TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANTED

2008-10-22T05:30:00.001-07:00

CARRAGHER TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANTED
Paul Eaton 22 October 2008

Jamie Carragher insists Liverpool's one hundred per cent record in the Champions League to date could count for nothing if they don't perform against Atletico Madrid - starting tonight in the Spanish capital.

The Reds are tied with Atletico at the top of Group D after both sides won their opening two matches - and this evening's clash in the Vicente Calderon is the first of a double header of games which could result in one of the two teams booking their place in the knock-out phase of the competition.

"It's important that we get a good result against Atletico because we've made a good start to the group stages and now we have to build on that," said Carragher.

"People are saying that we are both favourites to go through but if these two games go wrong for one of us and you lose both of them then it would bring the other teams in the group back into it.

"The other factor is that you want to top the group as well because that can make a little bit of difference in terms of who you play in the next round.

"It's never guaranteed that you'll meet a so-called weaker side if you come top, of course, but it's always nice to win the group and that's why we want to take at least four points from these two games against Atletico."

While admitting the possibility of securing qualification with games to spare would be the ideal scenario for the Reds, Carragher insists the priority is ensuring Liverpool are still playing Champions League football next year.

"I think the manager's already mentioned getting through early and ideally that's always what you would want to do," he added.

"But the important thing is not to look too far ahead and just to make sure we do go through.

"If we do go through early then that'd be great and I'm sure the manager would then be able to switch things around and concentrate on the league.

"That's not just ourselves though, I'm sure Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea are all thinking the same as well.

"But the most important thing is just to make sure we go through to the next round, that always has to be the target."

Legends Profile : Andy Cole

2008-10-22T05:25:00.001-07:00

Success isn't always instant – and any Reds wishing Alex Ferguson had plumped for Nottingham Forest's Stan Collymore when he went shopping for a new striker in the January 1995 sales – were forced to eat their hats over Andy Cole.

An inauspicious start to his Old Trafford career was followed by the most purple of purple patches, in which the Nottingham-born striker banged in a goal every couple of games, a ratio not seen in M16 since the golden age of Denis Law. It was only a matter of time, of course. Form is temporary, class is permanent.

Cole had blazed a trail at St James' Park, scoring an astonishing 68 goals in just 74 matches, including 41 in the 1993/94 league season. Once he was off and running, benefiting from the prompting of Cantona, Giggs and Sharpe, he played like a dream, justifying every penny of his then-record £6.25 million transfer.

That first season saw Cole score an astonishing five times in the 9-0 rout of Ipswich Town at Old Trafford – a scoreline that remains an individual and team best in Premiership history.

Cole netted 11 league goals on the way to the 1995/96 title, snatched so memorably from the grasp of his old team-mates at Newcastle.

Further title success followed in 1996/97, a season disrupted by pneumonia and two broken legs. Though his days appeared numbered with the arrival of Dwight Yorke from Aston Villa for the 1998/99, the truth couldn't have been more different.

Cole and Yorke were dynamite together, scoring 35 goals in the league between them as United stormed unstoppably to the Treble. Yorke's craft and strength, Cole's pace and predatory instincts unforgettably combining at Nottingham Forest in February 1999 in an 8-1 win, memorable also for a four-goal substitute cameo from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Though Cole found his United form hard to replicate in an England shirt, there is little doubt he is one of the club's – and the modern game's – great strikers. He was still scoring top-flight goals for Manchester City in 2005/06 after spells with Blackburn and Fulham

BARACK OBAMA AND JOE BIDEN’S PLAN TO COMBAT GLOBAL HIV/AIDS

2008-10-18T11:46:00.001-07:00

BARACK OBAMA AND JOE BIDEN'S PLAN TO COMBAT GLOBAL HIV/AIDS

There are an estimated 33 million people across the planet living with HIV/AIDS, including more than 1 million

people in the U.S. Nearly 6,000 people die every day of AIDS. Despite advances in knowledge about HIV and

effective treatment options, the rate of HIV infections has not fallen, and, in fact, is rising dramatically in

certain racial and ethnic groups. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that we must do more to fight the global

HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as malaria and tuberculosis. In 2006, Barack Obama traveled to Kenya and,

along with his wife Michelle, took an HIV/AIDS test to encourage African men and women to be tested for the

disease. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe in working across party lines to combat this epidemic. Barack

Obama has worked in both the Illinois and U.S. Senate to increase awareness and to promote greater investment

for HIV/AIDS in America and abroad. As president, he will continue to be a global leader in the fight against

AIDS.

HIV/AIDS IN AMERICA

Implement a National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Barack Obama has pledged that, in the first year of his

presidency, he will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes

all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce

HIV-related health disparities. His strategy will include measurable goals, timelines and accountability

mechanisms. Obama passed legislation in Illinois to require public service announcements promoting

HIV/AIDS screening. As president, Obama will continue to increase awareness of the disease.

Fix the Nation's Health Care System: Nearly 46 million Americans are uninsured in this country. Barack

Obama is committed to signing universal health care legislation by the end of his first term in office that ensures

all Americans have high-quality, affordable health care coverage. The Obama-Biden health plan will save a

typical American family up to $2,500 every year on medical expenditures by providing affordable,

comprehensive and portable health coverage for every American; modernizing the U.S. health care system to

contain spiraling health care costs and improve the quality of patient care; and promoting prevention and

strengthening public health to prevent disease and protect against natural and man-made disasters. The Obama-

Biden plan will ensure that people living with HIV have access to lifesaving treatment and care.

Bring Medicaid Coverage to Low-Income, HIV-Positive Americans: Obama is a cosponsor of the Early

Treatment for HIV Act, which would help provide Medicaid coverage to more low-income, HIV-positive

Americans. The bill would also increase the number of people who receive the medications necessary to treat

HIV infections.

Fight Disparities in Minority Communities: HIV/AIDS has hit some communities harder than others. For

example, while African Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, they make up 49 percent of new

HIV/AIDS cases. AIDS is the leading cause of death of African American women aged 25-34, and the third

leading cause of death of African American men in the same age group. In 2005, 64 percent of women living

with HIV/AIDS were black. In our nation's capital alone, African Americans account for 81 percent of new

reports of HIV cases and about 86 percent of people with AIDS. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are committed

to targeting resources to promote innovative HIV/AIDS testing initiatives in minority communities and

partnering with a wide-range of community leaders from churches to community organizations. But we must

also tackle the scourge of poverty where HIV and AIDS proliferate. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will

continue to fight poverty and homelessness, key drivers of this epidemic. We need to better target care for

people in communities of color, where the disease is moving most quickly. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will

tackle the root causes of health disparities by addressing differences in access to health insurance coverage and

promoting prevention and public health, both of which play a major role in addressing disparities. They will

also challenge the medical system to eliminate inequities in health care through quality measurement and

reporting, implementation of effective interventions such as patient navigation programs and diversification of

the health workforce.

Improve Quality of Life for Those Living with HIV/AIDS: Barack Obama is a strong supporter of the Ryan

White Care Act (RWCA), which provides critical access to life-saving treatment and care for over half a million

low-income Americans with HIV/AIDS. The RWCA is one of the largest sources of federal funds for primary

health care and support services for patients with HIV/AIDS. The bill was named after Ryan White, an Indiana

teenager whose courageous struggle with HIV/AIDS helped educate the nation. Throughout the recent

reauthorization of the RWCA, Obama worked closely with RWCA service providers, the Chicago Department

of Public Health, and the Illinois Department of Public Health to analyze and find ways to improve the program

for Illinois and for the nation. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will continue to protect the multifaceted care upon

which RWCA beneficiaries depend.

Promote AIDS Prevention: In addition to assuring access to treatment, Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe

we need to increase the focus on preventing new infections. We cannot keep pace with treatment needs if we

don't also focus on prevention. This means pursuing a strategy that relies on sound science and builds on what

works. Barack Obama and Joe Biden support comprehensive sex education that is age-appropriate. They

support increasing federal appropriations for science-based HIV prevention programs. They support the

JUSTICE Act, which would prevent transmission of HIV within the incarcerated population. They also support

legislation that would lift the ban on federal funding for needle exchange as a strategy to reduce HIV

transmission among injection drug users and their partners and children.

Assure Adequate and Safe Housing for Those Living With HIV: Barack Obama and Joe Biden support

increased funding for Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) and other pertinent housing

programs. These programs aim to assure that adequate and safe housing is available for all disabled and lowincome

people with HIV/AIDS in the U.S.

Expand Funding for Research: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will expand funding for research, especially for

prevention options including a vaccine and microbicides. Microbicides are a class of products currently under

development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections. Barack Obama

led an effort with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and others to introduce the Microbicide Development Act,

which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. In the

United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today,

women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses.

Expand Access to HIV/AIDS Testing for Pregnant Women: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

recommend that voluntary HIV screening be included in the routine panel of prenatal screening tests for all

pregnant women. In the Illinois State Senate, Barack Obama sponsored the successful Prenatal HIV Prevention

Act, which ensures that every health care professional who provides health care services to a pregnant woman

will provide HIV counseling and offer HIV testing. He also passed legislation in Illinois requiring that

insurance coverage under the Illinois Insurance Code, Health Maintenance Organization Act and the Voluntary

Health Services Plans Act include coverage of prenatal HIV testing.

GLOBAL HIV/AIDS

Provide Universal Access for the Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Barack Obama and Joe Biden know that

in the 21st century, progress must not just mean political freedom – it must mean freedom from fear and

freedom from want. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that a comprehensive, long-term approach to

combating HIV/AIDS is an important investment in our common security and humanity. They have pledged to

provide at least $50 billion by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS, including our fair share of the

Global Fund, in order to at least double the number of HIV-positive people on treatment and continue to

provide treatments to one-third of all those who desperately need them. This funding will allow the U.S. to

meet its commitments that have been flat-funded by the Bush Administration, which includes expanding

existing programs to help the millions of children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS, increasing the

number of health care workers by at least one million, preventing violence against women and girls, and

improving health care systems so that U.S. assistance can be fully and effectively utilized.

Reauthorize and Revise PEPFAR: The U.S. has dramatically increased funding for global HIV and AIDS

programs through the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), but the program has faced

controversy. Barack Obama believes that our first priority should be to implement the recently signed

President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), legislation Barack Obama long-supported, to ensure

that best practices – not ideology – to drive funding for HIV/AIDS programs.

Strengthen Health Care Infrastructure: Barack Obama and Joe Biden are committed to increasing U.S.

investments in the capacity building needed to ensure that poor countries are able to develop the health care

infrastructure necessary to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, promote basic health care, reduce the spread of malaria

and TB, and prevent and, if necessary, contain the spread of avian flu and other pandemics.

Increase Contribution to the Global Fund: Barack Obama and Joe Biden support increasing U.S.

contributions to the Global Fund for AIDS, malaria, and TB so that our assistance is coordinated with aid

provided by other governments and private donors and so that the burden on poor countries is reduced.

Increase Access to Affordable Drugs: Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that people in developing

countries living with HIV/AIDS should have access to safe, affordable generic drugs to treat HIV/AIDS. They

will break the stranglehold that a few big drug and insurance companies have on these life-saving drugs. They

support the rights of sovereign nations to access quality-assured, low-cost generic medication to meet their

pressing public health needs under the WTO's Declaration on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property

Rights (TRIPS). Barack Obama and Joe Biden also support the adoption of humanitarian licensing policies that

ensure medications developed with U.S. taxpayer dollars are available off-patent in developing countries.

Invest in Clean Water: As more people have access to affordable drugs, the developed world must also invest

in the clean water necessary to ensure that life saving drugs can be taken. More than 1 billion people lack

access to clean water, and that number will increase with the impact of climate change. Through increasing

funding by up to $1.3 billion annually and innovative programs like "play pumps," Barack Obama and Joe

Biden will expand access to clean water and sanitation.

Close the Education Deficit: Worldwide, an estimated 100 million children – including nearly 60 million girls

– are not attending school. By 2010, getting these children into school could cost $10 billion annually. To meet

our share of that sum, Barack Obama and Joe Biden will invest at least $2 billion in a Global Education Fund.

Achieve the Millennium Development Goals: As president, Barack Obama will double U.S. foreign

assistance from $25 billion per year to $50 billion per year to ensure the U.S. does its share to meet the

Millennium Development Goals, including halving the number of people who die of tuberculosis and/or are

affected by malaria. In 2005, Obama cosponsored the International Cooperation to Meet the Millennium

Development Goals Act. Barack Obama will target this new spending toward strategic goals, including helping

the world's weakest states to build healthy and educated communities, reduce poverty, develop markets, and

generate wealth. He will also help weak states to fight terrorism, halt the spread of deadly weapons, and build

the health care infrastructure needed to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS as well as detect and contain outbreaks of

avian influenza.

Invest in Comprehensive Poverty Reduction to Help Fight All Deadly Disease: In addition to the havoc

wreaked by HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria continue to kill millions and undercut economic productivity in the

developing world. Investments in fighting HIV/AIDS cannot come at the expense of investments in other key

development challenges like preventing disease and improving child health and survival. Barack Obama and

Joe Biden will ensure the United States is committed to a comprehensive anti-poverty program.

Reduce Debt of Developing Nations: Developing nations are amassing tremendous amounts of foreign debt

that limit their economic development and make investments in public health, education, and infrastructure

extremely difficult. Debt in Sub-Saharan Africa stands at $235 billion, 44 percent of the region's gross

domestic product and an increase of 33 percent since 1990. Barack Obama and Joe Biden would work with

other developed nations and multilateral institutions to cancel remaining onerous debt while pushing reforms to

keep developing nations from slipping into fiscal ruin. Barack Obama and Joe Biden also would better

coordinate trade and development policies to use the full range of America's economic power to help

developing nations reap the benefits of the global trading system. Obama cosponsored the Multilateral Debt

Relief Act of 2005 to provide multilateral debt relief to Heavily Indebted Poor Countries.

Cutting Costs and Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System

2008-10-18T11:43:00.001-07:00

Cutting Costs and Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System

University of Iowa | May 29, 2007

I want to thank the University of Iowa for having us here, and I want to give a special thanks to Amy and Lane for joining me today to tell their story.

A few hours north of here, Amy and Lane run a small business that offers internet service to their community. They were the very first company to provide broadband access in their remote corner of northeastern Iowa, and every day, hundreds of people count on the services they provide to do their jobs and live their lives.

But today they are on the brink of bankruptcy - a bankruptcy that has nothing to do with any poor business decision they made or slump in the economy they weren't prepared for.

Lane was diagnosed with cancer when he was twenty-one years old. He lost a lung, a leg bone and part of a hip. Seventeen years later, he is cancer-free, but the cost of health insurance for him, his wife and his three kids is now over $1,000 per month. Their family's premiums keep rising hundreds of dollars every year, and as hard as they look, they simply cannot find another provider that will insure them.

Amy and Lane are now paying forty percent of their annual income in health care premiums. They have no retirement plan and nothing saved. They can no longer afford to buy new clothes or fill up their cars with gas, they have racked up more credit card debt then they know what to do with, and Amy wrote to us and said that the day she heard the loan officer say the word "bankruptcy" was one of the worst in her life.

"My heart was in pain," she said. "This is not who we are. We have done everything right. We have done everything we were supposed to do. This is not who we are."

Amy is right. This is not who we are. We are not a country that rewards hard work and perseverance with bankruptcies and foreclosures. We are not a country that allows major challenges to go unsolved and unaddressed while our people suffer needlessly. In the richest nation on Earth, it is simply not right that the skyrocketing profits of the drug and insurance industries are paid for by the skyrocketing premiums that come from the pockets of the American people.

This is not who we are. And this is not who we have to be.

In the past few months, I've heard stories like Amy's at town halls we've held in New Hampshire, and here in Iowa, and all across the country. Stories from people who are hanging on by a thread because of the stack of medical bills they can't pay. People who don't know where else to turn for help, but who do know that when it comes to health care, we have talked, tinkered, and let this crisis fester for decades. People who watch as every year, candidates offer up detailed health care plans with great fanfare and promise, only to see them crushed under the weight of Washington politics and drug and insurance industry lobbying once the campaign is over.

Well this cannot be one of those years. We have reached a point in this country where the rising cost of health care has put too many families and businesses on a collision course with financial ruin and left too many without coverage at all; a course that Democrats and Republicans, small business owners and CEOs have all come to agree is not sustainable or acceptable any longer.

We often hear the statistic that there are 45 million uninsured Americans. But the biggest reason why they don't have insurance is the same reason why those who do have it are struggling to pay their medical bills - it's just too expensive.

Health care premiums have risen nearly 90% in the past six years. That's four times faster than wages have gone up. Like Ami and Lane's family, nearly half of all Iowans have said that they've had to cut back on food and heating expenses because of high health care costs. 11 million insured Americans spent more than a quarter of their salary on health care last year. And over half of all personal bankruptcies are now caused by medical bills.

Businesses aren't faring much better. Over half of all small businesses can no longer afford to insure their workers, and so many others have responded to rising costs by laying off workers or shutting their doors for good. Some of the biggest corporations in America, giants of industry like GM and Ford, are watching foreign competitors based in countries with universal health care run circles around them, with a GM car containing seven times as much health care cost as a Japanese car.

This cost crisis is trapping us in a vicious cycle. As premiums rise, more employers drop coverage, and more Americans become uninsured. Every time those uninsured walk into an emergency room and receive care that's more expensive because they have nowhere else to turn, there is a hidden tax for the rest of us as premiums go up by an extra $922 per family. And as premiums keep rising, more families and businesses drop their coverage and become uninsured.

It would be one thing if all this money we spend on premiums and co-payments and deductibles went directly towards making us healthier and improving the quality of our care.

But it doesn't. One out of every four dollars we spend on health care is swallowed up by administrative costs - on needless paperwork and antiquated record-keeping that belongs in the last century. This failure to update the way our doctors and hospitals store and share information also leads to costly errors. Each year, 100,000 Americans die due to medical errors and we lose $100 billion because of prescription drug errors alone.

We also spend far more on treating illnesses and conditions that could've been prevented or managed for far less. Our health care system is turning into a disease care system, where too many plans and providers don't offer or encourage check-ups and tests and screenings that could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars down the road.

Of course, the biggest obstacle in the way of reforming this skewed system of needless waste and spiraling costs are those who profit most from the status quo - the drug and insurance companies who pocket a growing chunk of the medical bills that people like Amy and Lane are going bankrupt trying to pay.

Since President Bush took office, the single fastest growing component of health care spending has been administrative costs and profits for insurance companies. Coming in a close second is the amount we spend on prescription drugs. In 2006, five of the biggest drug and insurance companies were among the fifty most profitable businesses in the nation. One insurance company CEO received a $125 million salary that same year, and has been given stock options worth over $1 billion. As an added perk, he and his wife get free private health care for as long as they live.

Now, making this kind of money costs money, which is why the drug and insurance industries have also spent more than $1 billion on lobbying and campaign contributions over the last ten years to block the kind of reform we need. They've been pretty good at it too, preventing the sale of cheaper prescription drugs and defeating attempts to make it harder for insurance companies to deny coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition.

Look, it's perfectly understandable for a business to try and make a profit, and every American has the right to make their case to the people who represent us in Washington.

But I also believe that every American has the right to affordable health care. I believe that the millions of Americans who can't take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that right. I believe that people like Amy and Lane who are on the brink of losing everything they own have that right. And I believe that no amount of industry profiteering and lobbying should stand in the way of that right any longer.

That's not who we are.

We now face an opportunity - and an obligation - to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair.

We can do this. The climate is far different than it was the last time we tried this in the early nineties. Since then, rising costs have caused many more businesses to back reform, and in states from Massachusetts to California, Democratic and Republican governors and legislatures have been way ahead of Washington in passing increasingly bolder initiatives to cover the uninsured and cut costs.

We've had some success in Illinois as well. As a state senator, I brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass legislation insuring 20,000 more children and 65,000 more parents. I authored and passed a bill cracking down on hospital price gouging of uninsured patients, and helped expand coverage for routine mammograms for women on Medicaid. We created hospital report cards, so that every consumer could see things like the ratio of nurses to patients, the number of annual medical errors, and the quality of care they could expect at each hospital. And I passed a law that put Illinois on a path to universal coverage.

It's a goal I believe we can achieve on a national level with the health care plan I'm outlining today. The very first promise I made on this campaign was that as president, I will sign a universal health care plan into law by the end of my first term in office. Today I want to lay out the details of that plan - a plan that not only guarantees coverage for every American, but also brings down the cost of health care and reduces every family's premiums by as much as $2500. This second part is important because, in the end, coverage without cost containment will only shift our burdens, not relieve them. So we will take steps to remove the waste and inefficiency from the system so we can bring down costs and improve the quality of our care while we're at it.

My plan begins by covering every American.

If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is the amount of money you will spend on premiums. That will be less.

If you are one of the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance, you will have it after this plan becomes law. No one will be turned away because of a preexisting condition or illness. Everyone will be able buy into a new health insurance plan that's similar to the one that every federal employee - from a postal worker in Iowa to a Congressman in Washington - currently has for themselves. It will cover all essential medical services, including preventive, maternity, disease management, and mental health care. And it will also include high standards for quality and efficiency.

If you cannot afford this insurance, you will receive a subsidy to pay for it. If you have children, they will be covered. If you change jobs, your insurance will go with you. If you need to see a doctor, you will not have to wait in long lines for one. If you want more choices, you will also have the option of purchasing a number of affordable private plans that have similar benefits and standards for quality and efficiency.

To help pay for this, we will ask all but the smallest businesses who don't make a meaningful contribution today to the health coverage of their employees to do so by supporting this new plan. And we will allow the temporary Bush tax cut for the wealthiest Americans to expire.

But we also have to demand greater efficiencies from our health care system. Today, we pay almost twice as much for health care per person than other industrialized nations, and too much of it has nothing to do with patient care.

That's why the second part of my health care plan includes five, long-overdue steps we will take to bring down costs and bring our health care system into the 21st century - steps that will save each American family up to $2500 on their premiums.

First, we will reduce costs for business and their workers by picking up the tab for some of the most expensive illnesses and conditions.

Right now, two out of every ten patients account for more than eighty percent of all health care costs. These are patients with serious illnesses like cancer or heart disease who require the most expensive surgeries and treatments. Insurance companies end up spending a lion's share of their expenses on these patients, and not surprisingly, they pass those expenses on to the rest of us in the form of higher premiums. Under my proposal, the federal government will pay for part of these catastrophic cases, which means that your premiums will go down.

Second, we will finally begin focusing our health care system on preventing costly, debilitating conditions in the first place.

We all know the saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But today we're nowhere close to that ounce. We spend less than four cents of every health care dollar on prevention and public health even though eighty percent of the risk factors involved in the leading causes of death are behavior-related and thus preventable.

The problem is, there's currently no financial incentive for health care providers to offer services that will encourage patients to eat right or exercise or go for annual check-ups and screenings that can help detect diseases early. The real profit today is made in treating diseases, not preventing them. That's wrong, which is why in our new national health care plan and other participating plans, we will require coverage of evidence-based, preventive care services, and make sure they are paid for.

But in the end, prevention only works if we take responsibility for our own health and make the right decisions in our own lives - if we eat the right foods, and stay active, and listen to our wives when they tell us to stop smoking.

Third, we will reduce the cost of our health care by improving the quality of our health care.

It's estimated that poor quality care currently costs us up to $100 billion a year. One study found that in Pennsylvania, Medicare spent $1 billion a year just on treating infections that patients contracted while at the hospital - infections that could have easily been prevented by hospitals. This study led hospitals across the state to take action, and today some have completely eliminated infections that used to take hundreds of lives and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.

Much like the hospital report cards we passed in Illinois, my health care proposal will ask hospitals and providers to collect, track, and publicly report measures of health care quality. We'll provide the public with information about preventable medical errors, nurse-to-patient ratios, and hospital-acquired infections. We'll also start measuring what's effective and what's not when it comes to different drugs and procedures, so that patients can finally start making informed choices about the care that's best for them. And instead of rewarding providers and physicians only by the sheer quantity of services and procedures they prescribe, we'll start rewarding them for the quality of the outcomes for their patients.

Fourth, we will reduce waste and inefficiency by moving from a 20th century health care industry based on pen and paper to a 21st century industry based on the latest information technology.

Almost every other industry in the world has saved billions on administrative costs by computerizing all of their records and information. Every transaction you make at a bank now costs less than a dollar. Even at the Veterans Administration, where it used to cost nine dollars to pull up your medical record, new technology means you can call up the same record on the internet for next to nothing.

But because we haven't updated technology in the rest of the health care industry, a single transaction still costs up to twenty-five dollars.

This reform is long overdue. By moving to electronic medical records, we can give doctors and nurses easy access to all the necessary information about their patients, so if they type-in a certain prescription, a patient's allergies will pop right up on the screen. This will reduce deadly medical errors, and it will also shorten the length of hospital stays, ensure that nurses can spend less time on paperwork and more time with patients, and save billions and billions of dollars in the process.

Finally, we will break the stranglehold that a few big drug and insurance companies have on the health care market.

We all value the medical cures and innovations that the pharmaceutical industry has developed over the years, but it's become clear that some of these companies are dramatically overcharging Americans for what they offer. They'll sell the same exact drugs here in America for double the price of what they charge in Europe and Canada. They'll push expensive products on doctors by showering them with gifts, spend more to market and advertise their drugs than to research and develop them, and when a generic drug maker comes along and wants to sell the same product for cheaper, the brand-name manufacturers will actually payoff the generic ones so they can preserve their monopolies and keep charging the rest of us high prices.

We don't have to stand for that anymore. Under my plan, we will make generic drugs more available to consumers and we will tell the drug companies that their days of forcing affordable prescription drugs out of the market are over.

And it's not just the drug industry that's manipulating the market. In the last ten years, there have been over four hundred health insurance mergers. Right here in Iowa, just three companies control more than three-quarters of the health insurance market. These changes were supposed to increase efficiency in the industry. But what's really increased is the amount of money we're paying them.

This is wrong, and when I'm President, we're going to make drug and insurance companies compete for their customers just like every other business in America. We'll investigate and prosecute the monopolization of the insurance industry. And where we do find places where insurance companies aren't competitive, we will make them pay a reasonable share of their profits on the patients they should be caring for in the first place. Because that's what's right.

We are a country that looks at the thousands of stories just like Amy and Lane's - stories we have heard and told for decades - and realizes that our American story calls on us to write them a hopeful, happier ending. After all, that's what we've done before.

Half a century ago, America found itself in the midst of another health care crisis. For millions of elderly Americans, the single greatest cause of poverty and hardship was the crippling cost of their health care. A third of all elderly Americans lived in poverty, and nearly half had no health insurance.

As health care and hospital costs continued to rise, more and more private insurers simply refused to insure our elderly, believing they were too great of a risk to care for.

The resistance to action was fierce. Proponents of health care reform were opposed by well-financed, well-connected interest groups who spared no expense in telling the American people that these efforts were "dangerous" and "un-American," "revolutionary" and even "deadly."

And yet the reformers marched on. They testified before Congress and they took their case to the country and they introduced dozens of different proposals but always, always they stood firm on their goal to provide affordable health care for every American senior. And finally, after years of advocacy and negotiation and plenty of setbacks, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare bill into law on July 30th of 1965.

The signing ceremony was held in Missouri, in a town called Independence, with the man who issued the call for universal health care during his own presidency - Harry Truman.

And as he stood with Truman by his side and signed what would become one of the most successful government programs in history - a program that had seemed impossible for so long - President Johnson looked out at the crowd and said, "History shapes men, but it is a necessary faith of leadership that men can help shape history."

Never forget that we have it within our power to shape history in this country. It is not in our character to sit idly by as victims of fate or circumstance, for we are a people of action and innovation, forever pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Now is the time to push those boundaries once more. We have come so far in the debate on health care in this country, but now we must finally answer the call issued by Truman, advanced by Johnson, and pushed along by the simple power of stories like the one told by Amy and Lane. The time has come for affordable, universal health care in America. And I look forward to working with all of you to meet this challenge in the weeks and months to come. Thank you.

BACKGROUND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

2008-10-18T11:41:00.001-07:00

Q. I like my current insurance coverage. Will I have to change plans?

A. No, you will not have to change plans. For those who have insurance now, nothing

will change under the Obama plan – except that you will pay less. Obama's plan will

save a typical family up to $2,500 on premiums by bringing the health care system into

the 21st century: cutting waste, improving technology, expanding coverage to all

Americans, and paying for some high-cost cases.

Q. How will I be able to sign up?

A. Signing up for the plan will be easy. You will be able do it on your tax return, on the

Internet, on forms you can get from your employer, in churches, libraries, motor vehicle

bureaus and all sorts of places.

Q. How will the mandate that children be covered affect me?

A. When children are born, their parents will be assisted in signing them up for

affordable, high quality coverage, either through their own employer-sponsored insurance

plans, through Medicaid or SCHIP, or through options established by the Obama plan.

We will continue to make sure that children are covered, which may include verification

when parents sign them up for daycare or school. Obama's plan will help parents make

sure their children get the care they need, at the time they need it.

Q. I am on Medicaid / my family is on S-CHIP. Will I be able to stay on these

programs?

A. Yes. The Medicaid and SCHIP programs are examples of successful state-federal

partnerships, covering millions of low-income children, adults, disabled individuals and

seniors, including many seniors in nursing homes. As we work to expand health

coverage to every American, it makes sense to build upon these successful partnerships,

and equally important, to increase the funding to keep them sustainable, instead of

dismantling them. The Obama plan would actually expand Medicaid and S-CHIP to

cover more families and working people.

Q. Won't my employer drop coverage?

A. No. Employers who do not offer meaningful coverage to their employees will have to

contribute a percentage of their payroll to help offset the cost of providing coverage to all

Americans. In most cases, this will eliminate an employer's incentive to drop coverage.

Some small employers will be exempt from this requirement.

Q. Obama says his plan will save $2,500 annually for my family. How?

A. Through a combination of developing efficiencies in the system, expanding

coverage to all Americans, and picking up the cost of some high-cost cases.

Specifically:

􀀁 Health IT investment, which will reduce unnecessary and wasteful

spending in the health care system. Examples include extra hospital stays

because of preventable medical errors and duplicative diagnostic tests;

􀀁 Improving prevention and management of chronic conditions;

􀀁 Increasing insurance industry competition and reining in the abusive

practices of monopoly insurance and drug companies;

􀀁 Providing reinsurance for catastrophic cases, which will reduce insurance

premiums; and

􀀁 Ensuring every American has health coverage, which will reduce spending

on the "uncompensated" care of uninsured people who end up in

emergency rooms and whose care is picked up by institutions and then

passed through higher charges to insured individuals.

Q. I have insurance, but I spend so much money on deductibles, premiums and copays

that I can't afford anything else. Will Obama's plan help me?

A. Yes. The Obama plan is designed to help people exactly like you. His plan will help

the millions of families who currently have health insurance from their employer, but

nonetheless are feeling squeezed by fast-rising premiums, co-pays, and deductibles.

Nearly 11 million insured Americans spent more than a quarter of their salary on health

care last year. Obama's plan will reduce a typical family's premium by up to $2,500 by

reducing costs, improving technology, and reigning in the power of insurance companies.

Q. I don't want the government telling me which doctors to see or what treatments

to get. Will the Obama plan force these kinds of decisions on me?

A. Senator Obama agrees with you. His plan will not tell you which doctors to see or

what treatments to get. Under the Obama health care plan, you will be able to keep your

doctor and your health insurance if you want. No government bureaucrat will secondguess

decisions about your care.

Q. Will I still have choice in health plans?

A. Yes. Obama's plan actually will increase the choices available to you. If you like the

insurance you have now, nothing will change under the Obama plan, except that you will

pay less. If you do not have insurance you can choose to enroll in the new public plan,

which will offer benefits similar to what every federal employee and member of

Congress gets. Or you can choose private plan options through the national health

exchange. But none of the plans will be allowed to drop you just because you get sick.

Q. I am a business owner, how does the Obama plan affect my company and the

economy in general?

A. By reducing health care costs, the Obama plan will save employers $140 billion

per year.

First, Obama's plan includes a reinsurance pool for employers. If employer health care

costs exceed a certain amount, the federal government will pick up the tab, as long as the

employer agrees to pass the savings onto their employees. That helps businesses who

have that one sick employee to be able to continue offering health insurance to their

employees and keep their doors open.

Second, Obama's plan goes beyond short-term fixes to address the main cost drivers in

health care, which will help to stabilize the rising costs of health care, which are simply

unsustainable over the long term. The Obama plan makes a real investment in health IT

and other health system changes, which will dramatically improve quality and efficiency

of the health care system, bringing it into the 21st century. The Obama plan will also

aggressively hold the insurance and pharmaceutical industries accountable for unfair and

abusive practices that are raising prices for families and employers. Finally, Obama will

invest in prevention and public health systems, which will help Americans stay healthy

and lower costs from having to treat preventable diseases.

Third, for employers that already offer coverage to their employees, Obama's plan will

make it less costly for them to continue to do so, because every American will be

covered. The health care costs of the uninsured will no longer be passed along to those

who do have health insurance, which will drive down health insurance premiums.

The Obama plan will also help employers that are unable to offer health coverage to their

employees right now. The main reason employers do not offer health coverage to their

employees is because it is simply too expensive. Obama's plan directly addresses the

cost issue by allowing small employers to purchase a new public plan with subsidies for

those who need it. For those who want private insurance, the Obama plan creates a

National Health Insurance Exchange, which will act as a watchdog group and help reform

the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance

plans to ensure fairness and to make coverage more affordable and accessible.

Q. I own a small business but don't offer insurance. How much will I have to

pay for each employee? And how does the Obama plan help my small business?

A. Obama's plan will help small employers that are unable to offer health coverage to

their employees right now. The main reason small employers do not offer health coverage

to their employees is because it is simply too expensive. The Obama plan allows small

employers to enter the National Health Insurance Exchange to purchase either a new

public plan or a private plan for their employees, who will be eligible for subsidies if they

need them. Very small businesses and start-ups will be exempted from the obligation to

pay into the system or provide meaningful coverage for their employees.

The reinsurance proposal will also reduce the volatility of premiums for small businesses.

For small businesses, having a single employee with catastrophic expenditures can make

insurance unaffordable for all of the workers in the firm. The Obama plan would

reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a

threshold if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers'

premiums. Offsetting some of the catastrophic costs will make health care more

affordable for employers, workers, and their families.

Q. What if I am self-employed?

A. Then you know how hard it is for self-employed people to buy affordable health

insurance today. Obama's plan will ensure that small businesses and those who are selfemployed

have affordable health care. Obama's new health plan will give individuals the

choice of buying affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to federal

employees and members of Congress or a private health insurance plan through an

insurance market place known as the Health Insurance Exchange. The insurance will be

affordable for all Americans and the insurance companies will not be allowed to deny

you coverage or drop you because you get sick, the way they do now.

Q. What if I have a pre-existing condition?

This guaranteed eligibility will apply to all private and public insurance plans, whether

they are offered in the National Health Insurance Exchange or outside of it. No insurance

companies will be allowed to discriminate because of a previous bout with cancer or

some other pre-existing illness.

Q. Does the Obama plan support mental health parity?

A. Yes. Under the Obama plan, private insurance offered by employers and both the

private and public insurance plans will include coverage of all essential medical services,

including mental health care. Obama is a strong supporter of mental health parity and he

believes that serious mental illnesses must be covered on the same terms and conditions

as are applicable to physical illnesses and diseases. He does not think health insurance

companies should be allowed to discriminate against the mentally ill.

Q. How much will it cost us taxpayers?

The Obama plan will cost between $50-65 billion a year when fully phased in.

Q. How will we pay for the Obama plan?

A. The Obama plan will realize tremendous savings within the health care system to help

finance the plan. The additional revenue needed to fund the up-front investments in

technology and to help people who cannot afford health insurance is more than covered

by allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire for people making more than $250,000 per year,

as they are scheduled to do.

PROMOTING PREVENTION & STRENGTHENING

2008-10-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Covering the uninsured and modernizing America's health care system are urgent priorities, but they are not

enough. This nation is facing a true epidemic of chronic disease. An increasing number of Americans are

suffering and dying needlessly from diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and HIV/AIDS, all

of which can be delayed in onset if not prevented entirely. One in 3 Americans—133 million—have a chronic

condition, and children are increasingly being affected.38 Five chronic diseases—heart disease, cancer, stroke,

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes—cause over two-thirds of all deaths each year.39

In addition to the tremendous human cost, chronic diseases exact a tremendous financial toll on our health care

resources. Care for patients with diabetes costs $130 billion each year alone, and this amount is growing.40

Tackling chronic diseases is also straining our public health departments and finances, which are already

stretched too thin carrying out traditional public health functions, which include ensuring our water is safe to

drink, the air is safe to breathe, and our food is safe to eat.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that protecting and promoting health and wellness in this nation is a

shared responsibility among individuals and families, school systems, employers, the medical and public health

workforce, and federal and state and local governments. All parties must do their part, as well as collaborate

with one another, to create the conditions and opportunities that will allow and encourage Americans to adopt

healthy lifestyles.

(1) EMPLOYERS. Reduced workforce productivity from illness and disability represents an additional drain on

business. To address employee health, an increasing number of employers are offering worksite health

promotion programs, onsite clinical preventive services such as flu vaccinations, nutritious foods in cafeterias

and vending machines, and exercise facilities. Equally important, many employers choose insurance plans that

cover preventive services for their employees. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that worksite interventions

hold tremendous potential to influence health and they will expand and reward these efforts.

(2) SCHOOL SYSTEMS. Childhood obesity is nearly epidemic,41 particularly among minority populations,42 and

school systems can play an important role in tackling this issue. For example, only about a quarter of schools

adhere to nutritional standards for fat content in school lunches.43 Barack Obama and Joe Biden will work with

schools to create more healthful environments for children, including assistance with contract policy

development for local vendors, grant support for school-based health screening programs and clinical services,

increased financial support for physical education, and educational programs for students.

(3) WORKFORCE. Primary care providers and public health practitioners have and will continue to lead efforts

to protect and promote the nation's health. Yet, the numbers of both are dwindling,44 and the existing

workforce is further challenged by inadequate training for new health threats such as bioterrorism and avian flu,

antiquated funding and reimbursement mechanisms, and limited access to real-time information and technical

support. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will expand funding—including loan repayment, adequate

reimbursement, grants for training curricula, and infrastructure support to improve working conditions— to

ensure a strong workforce that will champion prevention and public health activities.

PROMOTING PREVENTION & STRENGTHENING

PUBLIC HEALTH

(4) INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. Preventive care only works if Americans take personal responsibility for their

health and make the right decisions in their own lives – if they eat the right foods, stay active, and stop smoking.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will ensure that all Americans are empowered to monitor their health by ensuring

coverage of essential clinical services in all federally supported health plans, including Medicare, Medicaid,

SCHIP and the new public plan. Americans also benefit from healthy environments that allow them to pursue

healthy choices and behaviors that can help ward off chronic and preventable diseases. Healthy environments

include sidewalks, biking paths and walking trails; local grocery stores with fruits and vegetables; restricted

advertising for tobacco and alcohol to children; and wellness and educational campaigns. In addition, Barack

Obama and Joe Biden will increase funding to expand community based preventive interventions to help

Americans make better choices to improve their health.

(5) FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. The federal government and state and local governments

play critical roles across the full range of disease prevention and health promotion activities. First, working

together, governments at all levels should lead the effort to develop a national and regional strategy for public

health and align funding mechanisms to support its implementation. Second, the field of public health would

benefit from greater research to optimize organization of the 3,000 health departments in this nation,45

collaborative arrangements between levels of government and its private partners, performance and

accountability indicators, integrated and interoperable communication networks, and disaster preparedness and

response. Third, the government must invest in workforce recruitment as well as modernizing our physical

structures, particularly our public health laboratories. And finally, the government must examine its own

policies, including agricultural, educational, environmental and health policies, to assess and improve their

effect on public health in this nation. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will prioritize all of these activities, to

ensure a 21st century public health system and healthy America.

AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE COVERAGE OPTIONS FOR ALL

2008-10-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will guarantee affordable, accessible health care coverage for all Americans.

Currently, there are over 45 million Americans lacking health insurance, and millions more are at risk of losing

their coverage due to rising costs.36 Rising costs are also a burden on employers, particularly small businesses,

which are increasingly unable to provide health insurance coverage for their employees and remain competitive.

Nearly two million fewer Americans receive health insurance coverage through their employers now compared

to eight years ago,37 and this trend shows no sign of slowing down. It is simply too expensive for individuals

and families to buy insurance directly on the open market and impossible for many with pre-existing conditions.

The Obama-Biden plan both builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans

continue to rely upon, and leaves Medicare intact for older and disabled Americans. Under the Obama-Biden

plan, Americans will be able to maintain their current coverage, have access to new affordable options, and see

the quality of their health care improve and their costs go down. The Obama-Biden plan provides new

affordable health insurance options by: (1) guaranteeing eligibility for all health insurance plans; (2) creating a

National Health Insurance Exchange to help Americans and businesses purchase private health insurance; (3)

providing new tax credits to families who can't afford health insurance and to small businesses with a new

Small Business Health Tax Credit; (4) requiring all large employers to contribute towards health coverage for

their employees or towards the cost of the public plan; (5) requiring all children have health care coverage; (5)

expanding eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs; and (6) allowing flexibility for state health reform

plans.

(1) GUARANTEED ELIGIBILITY. Obama and Biden will require insurance companies to cover pre-existing

conditions so all Americans, regardless of their health status or history, can get comprehensive benefits at fair

and stable premiums.

(2) NEW AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS. The Obama-Biden plan will create a

National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals purchase new affordable health care options if they are

uninsured or want new health insurance. Through the Exchange, any American will have the opportunity to

enroll in the new public plan or an approved private plan, and income-based sliding scale tax credits will be

AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE COVERAGE OPTIONS FOR ALL

provided for people and families who need it. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy and charge

fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status. The Exchange will require that all the plans

offered are at least as generous as the new public plan and meet the same standards for quality and efficiency.

Insurers would be required to justify an above-average premium increase to the Exchange. The Exchange

would evaluate plans and make the differences among the plans, including cost of services, transparent.

The Exchange will have the following features:

􀂾 Comprehensive benefits. The benefit package will be similar to that offered through the Federal

Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the program through which Members of Congress get

their own health care. Plans will include coverage of all essential medical services, including preventive,

maternity and mental health care.

􀂾 Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles. Participants will be charged fair premiums and

minimal co-pays for deductibles for preventive services.

􀂾 Simplified paperwork. The plan will simplify paperwork for providers and will increase savings to the

system overall.

􀂾 Easy enrollment. All Exchange health insurance plans will be simple to enroll in and provide ready

access to coverage.

􀂾 Portability and choice. Participants will be able to move from job to job without changing or

jeopardizing their health care coverage.

􀂾 Quality and efficiency. Participating hospitals and providers that participate in the new public plan will

be required to collect and report data to ensure that standards for health care quality, health information

technology and administration are being met.

(3) TAX CREDITS FOR FAMILIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES. Barack Obama and Joe Biden understand that too

many families that do not qualify for public health programs like Medicaid and SCHIP have trouble finding

affordable health insurance. They know from talking to small business owners across the nation that the

skyrocketing cost of healthcare poses a serious competitive threat to America's small businesses. The Obama-

Biden health care plan will provide tax credits to all individuals who need it for their premiums. They will also

create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to provide small businesses with a refundable tax credit of up to

50 percent on premiums paid by small businesses on behalf of their employees. To be eligible for the credit,

small businesses will have to offer a quality health plan to all of their employees and cover a meaningful share

of the cost of employee health premiums.

(4) EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION. Large employers that do not offer meaningful coverage or make a meaningful

contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a

percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan. Small businesses will be exempt from this

requirement.

(5) REQUIRE COVERAGE OF CHILDREN. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will require that all children have health

care coverage. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will expand the number of options for young adults to get

coverage by allowing young people up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parents' plans.

(6) EXPANSION OF MEDICAID AND SCHIP. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will expand eligibility for the

Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net

function.

(7) FLEXIBILITY FOR STATE PLANS. Due to federal inaction, some states have taken the lead in health care

reform. Under the Obama-Biden plan, states can continue to experiment, provided they meet the minimum

standards of the national plan.

LOWER COSTS TO MAKE OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

2008-10-18T11:36:00.001-07:00

LOWER COSTS TO MAKE OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

WORK FOR PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES – NOT JUST

INSURANCE COMPANIES

Inefficient and poor quality care costs the nation at least $50 to $100 billion every year.9 Billions more are

wasted on administration and overhead because of inefficiencies in the health care system.10 And given current

trends, this problem will only get worse as health care spending is expected to double within the next decade.11

A growing body of research points to substantial opportunities to improve quality while reducing the costs of

care. Health care systems in many parts of the country deliver high quality care to the populations they serve at

half the cost of other equally renowned academic medical centers in other parts of the country.12 The key is to

provide information, incentives and support to help physicians and others work together to improve quality of

care while reducing costs.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe we must redesign our health system to reduce inefficiency and waste and

improve health care quality, which will drive down costs for families and individuals. The Obama-Biden plan

will improve efficiency and lower costs in the health care system by: (1) adopting state-of-the-art health

information technology systems; (2) ensuring that patients receive and providers deliver the best possible care,

including prevention and chronic disease management services; (3) reforming our market structure to increase

competition; and offering federal reinsurance to employers to help ensure that unexpected or catastrophic

illnesses do not make health insurance unaffordable or out of reach for businesses and their employees.

(1) INVEST IN ELECTRONIC HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS. Most medical records are still

stored on paper, which makes them difficult to use to coordinate care, measure quality, or reduce medical errors.

Processing paper claims also costs twice as much as processing electronic claims.13 Barack Obama and Joe

Biden will invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad

adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records. They

will also phase in requirements for full implementation of health IT and commit the necessary federal resources

to make it happen. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will ensure that these systems are developed in coordination

with providers and frontline workers, including those in rural and underserved areas. Barack Obama and Joe

Biden will ensure that patients' privacy is protected. A study by the Rand Corporation found that if most

hospitals and doctors offices adopted electronic health records, up to $77 billion of savings would be realized

each year through improvements such as reduced hospital stays, avoidance of duplicative and unnecessary

testing, more appropriate drug utilization, and other efficiencies.14

(2) IMPROVE ACCESS TO PREVENTION AND PROVEN DISEASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. Experts agree that

several steps should be taken immediately to help patients get the care they need and to help providers improve

medical practice. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will expand and support these and other efforts to lower costs

and improve health outcomes.

HELP PATIENTS

􀂾 Support disease management programs. Over seventy-five percent of total health care dollars are

spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood

pressure.15 Many patients with chronic diseases benefit greatly from disease management programs,

which help patients manage their condition and get the care they need.16 Barack Obama and Joe Biden

will require that plans that participate in the new public plan, Medicare or the Federal Employee Health

Benefits Program (FEHBP) utilize proven disease management programs. This will improve quality of

care and lower costs, as well.

LOWER COSTS TO MAKE OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

WORK FOR PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES – NOT JUST

INSURANCE COMPANIES

􀂾 Coordinate and integrate care. Rates of chronic diseases have skyrocketed in the last 2 decades.17

Over 133 million Americans have at least one chronic disease.18 With proper care, the onset and

progression of these diseases can be contained for many years. In addition to the needless suffering and

early death they cause, these chronic conditions cost a staggering $1.7 trillion yearly.19 Barack Obama

and Joe Biden will support providers to put in place care management programs and encourage team

care through implementation of medical home type models that will improve coordination and

integration of care of those with chronic conditions.

􀂾 Require full transparency regarding quality and costs. Health care quality and costs can vary

tremendously among hospitals and providers; however, patients have limited access to this

information.20 Barack Obama and Joe Biden will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly

report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse

staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care and costs. Health plans will be

required to disclose the percentage of premiums that actually goes to paying for patient care as opposed

to administrative costs.

ENSURE PROVIDERS DELIVER QUALITY CARE

􀂾 Promote patient safety. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will require providers to report preventable

medical errors, and support hospital and physician practice improvement to prevent future errors.

􀂾 Align incentives for excellence. Both public and private insurers tend to pay providers based on the

volume of services provided, rather than the quality or effectiveness of care.21 Barack Obama and Joe

Biden will accelerate efforts to develop and disseminate best practices, and align reimbursement with

provision of high quality health care. Providers who see patients enrolled in the new public plan, the

National Health Insurance Exchange, Medicare and FEHB will be rewarded for achieving performance

thresholds on physician-validated outcome measures.

􀂾 Comparative effectiveness reviews and research. One of the keys to eliminating waste and missed

opportunities is to increase our investment in comparative effectiveness reviews and research. This

information is developed by reviewing existing literature, analyzing electronic health care data, and

conducting simple, real world studies of new technologies. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will establish

an independent institute to guide reviews and research on comparative effectiveness, so that Americans

and their doctors will have accurate and objective information to make the best decisions for their health

and well-being.

􀂾 Tackle disparities in health care. Although all Americans are affected by problems with our health

care delivery system, an overwhelming body of evidence demonstrates that certain populations are

significantly more likely to receive lower quality health care than others. Barack Obama and Joe Biden

will tackle the root causes of health disparities by addressing differences in access to health coverage

and promoting prevention and public health, both of which play a major role in addressing disparities.

They will also challenge the medical system to eliminate inequities in health care by requiring hospitals

and health plans to collect, analyze and report health care quality for disparity populations and holding

them accountable for any differences found; diversifying the workforce to ensure culturally effective

care; implementing and funding evidence-based interventions, such as patient navigator programs; and

supporting and expanding the capacity of safety-net institutions, which provide a disproportionate

amount of care for underserved populations with inadequate funding and technical resources.

􀂾 Reform medical malpractice while preserving patient rights. Increasing medical malpractice

insurance rates are making it harder for doctors to practice medicine22 and raising the costs of health

care for everyone.23 Barack Obama and Joe Biden will strengthen antitrust laws to prevent insurers

from overcharging physicians for their malpractice insurance. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will also

promote new models for addressing physician errors that improve patient safety, strengthen the doctorpatient

relationship, and reduce the need for malpractice suits.

(3) LOWER COSTS BY TAKING ON ANTICOMPETITIVE ACTIONS IN THE DRUG AND INSURANCE COMPANIES. It

is not right that Americans families are paying skyrocketing premiums while drug and insurance industries are

enjoying record profits. These companies benefit most from the status quo and in many cases are the greatest

obstacles to reform. The Obama-Biden plan will tackle needless waste and spiraling costs by increasing

competition in the insurance and drug markets.

􀂾 Increasing competition in the insurance industry. The insurance business today is dominated by a

small group of large companies that has been gobbling up their rivals. In recent years, for-profit

companies have bought up not-for-profit insurers around the country. There have been over 400 health

care mergers in the last 10 years and just two companies dominate a full third of the national market.24

These changes were supposed to make the industry more efficient, but instead premiums have

skyrocketed, increasing over 87 percent over the past six years.25 Over the same time period, insurance

administrative overhead has been the fastest-growing component of health spending. The 2007

Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System reported that between 2000

and 2005, administrative overhead – including both administrative expenses and insurance industry

profits – increased 12.0 percent per year, 3.4 percentage points faster than the average health

expenditure growth of 8.6 percent.26

And while health care costs continue to rise for families, CEOs of these insurance companies have

received multi-million dollar bonuses.27 Barack Obama and Joe Biden will prevent companies from

abusing their monopoly power through unjustified price increases. In markets where the insurance

business is not competitive, their plan will force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums

for patient care instead of keeping exorbitant amounts for profits and administration. Barack Obama and

Joe Biden's new National Health Insurance Exchange will also help increase competition by insurers.

􀂾 Prevent private insurance waste and abuse in Medicare. Medicare's private plan alternative, called

Medicare Advantage, was established to increase competition and reduce costs. But independent reports

show that on average the government pays 12 percent more than it costs to treat comparable

beneficiaries through traditional Medicare.28 These excessive subsidies cost the government billions of

dollars every year and create an incentive structure that has led to fraudulent abuses of seniors. Barack

Obama and Joe Biden believe we need to eliminate the excessive subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans

and pay them the same amount it would cost to treat the same patients under regular Medicare.

􀂾 Allow consumers to import safe drugs from other countries. The second-fastest growing type of

health expenses is prescription drugs.29 Pharmaceutical companies should profit when their research and

development results in a groundbreaking new drug. But some companies are exploiting Americans by

dramatically overcharging U.S. consumers. These companies are selling the exact same drugs in Europe

and Canada but charging Americans a 67 percent premium.30 Barack Obama and Joe Biden will allow

Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are

lower outside the U.S.

􀂾 Prevent drug companies from blocking generic drugs from consumers. Some drug manufacturers

are explicitly paying generic drug makers not to enter the market so they can preserve their monopolies

and keep charging Americans exorbitant prices for brand name products.31 The Obama-Biden plan will

work to ensure that market power does not lead to higher prices for consumers. Their plan will work to

increase use of generic drugs in the new public plan, Medicare, Medicaid, FEHBP and prohibit large

drug companies from keeping generics out of markets.

􀂾 Allow Medicare to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. The 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug

Improvement and Modernization Act bans the government from negotiating down the prices of

prescription drugs, even though the Department of Veterans Affairs' negotiation of prescription drug

prices with drug companies has garnered significant savings for taxpayers.32 Barack Obama and Joe

Biden will repeal the ban on direct negotiation with drug companies and use the resulting savings, which

could be as high as $30 billion,33 to further invest in improving health care coverage and quality.

(4) REDUCE COSTS OF CATASTROPHIC ILLNESSES FOR EMPLOYERS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES. Catastrophic

health expenditures account for a high percentage of medical expenses for private insurers.34 In fact, the most

recent data available reveals that the top five percent of people with the greatest health care expenses in the U.S.

account for 49 percent of the overall health care dollar.35 For small businesses, having a single employee with

catastrophic expenditures can make insurance unaffordable to all of the workers in the firm. The Obama-Biden

plan would reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold

if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers' premiums. Offsetting some of the

catastrophic costs would make health care more affordable for employers, workers and their families.

LOWER COSTS TO MAKE OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

2008-10-18T11:36:00.000-07:00