Inactivity a greater heart risk than obesity, study finds
Never mind what the bathroom scales are saying and take a brisk walk: That's the message that emerges from a new study that shows that, when it comes to heart health, it's more important to be active than thin.
The research, conducted exclusively on women, found that those who were fittest were least likely to have clogged arteries, had the fewest heart attacks and had far fewer risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The same associations did not hold true based on women's weight, or body mass index. (BMI is an approximation of body fat.)
"Lack of physical fitness is a stronger risk factor for developing heart disease than being overweight or obese," said Timothy Wessel, a cardiologist at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Fla.
He said the link between BMI and heart disease remains unclear, particularly in women. Dr. Wessel said the problem is that most obesity studies have not adequately measured physical activity and many studies of physical fitness have excluded women with known or suspected coronary heart disease.
The research, published in today's edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted on 906 women who were prescribed a coronary angiography -- a test that measures blockages in the arteries of the heart. Practically speaking, that meant many already had a number of risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The vast majority of the women in the study, 76 per cent, were overweight or obese and just over 70 per cent were virtually sedentary. Their average age was 58.
During the four-year study period, 68 of the women died and 455 suffered a heart attack or stroke.
When the data were analyzed by categories of weight and activity, women who were active, even moderately, turned out to be far less likely to develop heart problems than the sedentary women, regardless of how much they weighed. (The fitness of the participants in the study was judged based on a questionnaire that estimated their daily energy expenditure.)
While the researchers were careful not to say that being overweight or obese is desirable, they stressed that it is important to be active regardless of how much you weigh. This is true even for people with serious heart disease, such as the women involved in the study.
"Increased physical therapy seems to be an ideal therapy for coronary heart disease," Dr. Wessel said. He said that physicians who are treating patients for heart disease -- and its prevention -- should be sure to stress physical activity more than weight loss.
A second, unrelated study also published in JAMA, offered seemingly contradictory results. It found that weight, rather than fitness, was the best predictor of women developing Type 2 diabetes.
The study, conducted by Amy Weinstein and a group of researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, followed 37,878 women over a seven-year period.
"We observed a modest reduction in the risk of diabetes with increasing physical activity level, compared with a large increase in the risk with increasing BMI," Dr. Weinstein said. The women in the study, however, were generally younger and healthier than those in the heart study.
In a related commentary, published in the same edition of JAMA, Steven Blair of the Cooper Institute in Dallas, said the evidence linking obesity to health problems is indisputable but the role of fitness is equally clear. He said the differences in findings were largely a result of methodology and the groups of women studied.
What is important for the public to retain, Mr. Blair said, is that research has consistently shown that a moderately fit obese person is about half as likely to die of heart disease as an unfit person of normal weight. The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that everyone do the equivalent of 30 minutes of brisk walking daily to be considered moderately active.
Mr. Blair, a well-known fitness guru who always makes light of the fact that he is heavyset, said the "fitness versus fatness" debate is academic and irrelevant to people looking to get healthy.
"Physicians, researchers and policy-makers should spend less energy debating the relative health importance of fitness and obesity and more time focusing on how to get sedentary individuals to become active," Mr. Blair said.
About 59 per cent of adults in Canada are considered inactive, and 48 per cent are overweight.
Somehow, I feel like I am becoming a geezer. After my bike accident, I have used a cane. I feel like poking a young whipersnapper...
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Vote Kerry, dump Bush!
- QUOTATIONS OF THE DAY -
"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the
danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States."
- VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY
"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the
danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States."
- VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY
Monday, September 06, 2004
Geezers unite to dump bush!
In December 2003, Bush signed the new Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act into law. Many seniors expected it to provide much needed relief from escalating health care costs. That has not happened and it will not happen until we get Bush and his cronies in the health care industry out of the White House.
The new law was supposed to be a boost for Bush's reelection campaign. However, it is now being criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike, and by just about every senior citizen advocacy group in the country.
Bush tries to portray the law with its prescription drug benefit as a windfall for seniors; when in fact it is nothing but a scam that benefits insurance companies, drug makers and health care providers.
Largest Premium Increase In History Of Medicare
According to a September 4, 2004 article by the Associated Press, Medicare premiums for Part A, which covers doctor visits and other non-hospital expenses will rise by 17% in 2005. It will be the largest increase is the program's 40-year-history. Monthly payments will jump to $78.20, up from $66.60.
Mark McClellan, administrator for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medical Services, said the increase reflects rapidly rising health costs and last year's Medicare overhaul.
Well Bush and his allies in Congress can take full credit for the increase that resulted from the "overhaul" because they are the ones responsible for pushing through the health care industry's favored version of the bill that got seniors into this mess to begin with.
This latest rise should come as no surprise anyways. Medicare premiums have skyrocketed ever since Bush took office. They rose by 8.7% in 2003, and 13.5% in 2004.
In addition to the rise in premiums, the deductible for Medicare Part A will also rise to $912 in 2005, up from $876; and the deductible for Part B will rise to $110.
Bush chose an odd time to release this news. According to the NYTs, "In years past, the premium increases have been announced in October at the same time that cost-of-living increases to Social Security checks are announced. The twin announcements allow the elderly to calculate how much they will be receiving the following year."
I wonder why Bush didn't wait until October to make this announcement? Or better yet, why didn't he give senior citizens the good news during his convention speech while he was bragging about his efforts to help the elderly cope with increased medical costs?
True to form, Bush released the bad news in his usual manner, on a Friday afternoon, and this time with the added benefit of a holiday weekend and a news cycle dominated by stories about a hurricane. "This is a cynical attempt to bury bad news by leaking it out when you hope no one is watching," said Rep Pete Stark, D-Calif. "This administration has had four years to improve Medicare and instead have made it worse. Today's news reflects the reality, not rhetoric, of this administration's bad record on Medicare."
Robert Hayes, president of Medicare Rights Center, called the increase "a body blow to millions of older Americans living on fixed incomes," and said the increase will be especially painful because Social Security payments are expected to rise by less than 3%.
Every dime counts for people on fixed incomes. The median annual income for senior citizens aged 65 and older was only $23,048 in 2003, or less than $2,000 a month, according to an August 26, 2004 report by the US Census Bureau.
According to the Washington Post, when the new Medicare law is fully implemented in 2006, the typical retiree who purchases traditional Medicare coverage and the drug benefit will pay more than $115 in monthly premiums, a $110 annual deductible for outpatient care, and co-payments for physician visits and medications.
McClellan claims that most of the increase will cover the program's new prescription drug coverage and preventive services, including an initial physical exam and other tests. And Bush spokesman, Scott Stanzel said "President Bush has worked to increase health care access and affordability, including guaranteeing Medicare recipients prescription drugs."
Wait a minute here. If the money is going to pay for the new prescription drug benefit, how are seniors saving any money? Let me get this straight, seniors are supposed to get a discount on drugs, but now Bush says that Medicare will pay for the discount with a rise in their monthly premiums.
Will somebody please explain the new "prescription drug benefit" to me because just like with so many of Bush's helpful policies, I don't get it.
On Top Of Rising Prescription Drugs Prices
The 17% increase in premiums comes on top of the escalating cost of prescription drugs. Experts say the elderly cannot withstand such a large increase on top of rising drug costs.
According to President of Medicare Rights Center, Robert Hayes, "Older Americans already are staggering under the relentless increases in the cost of prescription drugs," he said. "More older Americans will face harsh choices in meeting basic human needs--health, food and housing."
The Kerry campaign is blasting Bush. "After doing nothing about the record increases in the cost of healthcare over the last four years, George Bush is presiding over a Medicare system that is socking seniors with the largest premium hike in the program's 40-year history," said spokesman Phil Singer.
In the Salt Lake Tribune, Darrell Butler, manager with Salt Lake County Aging Services, said "if it was a 5 to 8% rise, it wouldn't have surprised me as much," he said. "But 17% is overwhelming. What it will end up doing is force a lot more people into making tough decisions about whether to buy food or spend their money on prescription drugs.
"They'll take their medications every other day or cut them in half to try to make ends meet," Butler said. "This is terrible news."
Kerry spokesman Singer says, "When it comes to helping seniors, George Bush has proven that he's taking us in the wrong direction by giving billions to the drug industry while keeping seniors from accessing cheaper prescription drugs."
Astronomical Increases In Prescription Drug Prices
Seniors will not see cheaper prescription prices when the full bill goes into effect in 2006, because it does nothing to control the rising cost of drugs. In fact, according to Consumers Union, "most beneficiaries will face higher out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs after full implementation, despite the benefit." (Consumers Union, 11/17/03)
In June 2004, the advocacy group, "Families USA" released the results of a study that tracked price changes for the top 30 brand name drugs prescribed to seniors, in a report called: "Sticker Shock: Rising Prescription Drug Prices For Seniors. The study concluded that, "Like used car buyers drawn by the promise of a rebate—only to find that the base price has risen dramatically—seniors purchasing a new drug discount card may succumb to “sticker shock.”
In determining the most frequently used drugs, the study used data from the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) program, the largest prescription drug program for senior citizens in the country. Price histories were obtained from MDDB Select, a Medi-Span database.
Since 1999, Families has continuously monitored price increases of the 50 most popular drugs used by seniors. All of the 30 brand-name drugs selected for its Sticker Shock study were in the top 50. Its report provides a framework for determining whether the discounts cards make prescription drugs more affordable.
According to the report, between January 2001 and January 2004, the prices of the top 30 drugs increased by nearly 22%. On average, the cost of the drugs increased by 6.5%, while the overall rate of inflation, excluding energy, was only 1.5% for the same period.
Of these 30 drugs, 28 increased in price by 2 or more times the rate of inflation; 21 increased by three or more times the rate, and 14 increased in price by more than 5 times the rate of inflation.
With some drugs the rate of increase was even higher. For instance, the cost of Combivent, used to treat respiratory conditions, increased by 13.2 times the rate of inflation. Alphagan P, used to treat glaucoma, and Evista, an osteoporosis treatment, each increased by 10.3 times the rate. Diovan, used to treat high blood pressure, increased by 8.6 times the rate. Detrol LA, a treatment for overactive bladder, increased in price by 8.5 times the rate. Xalatan, used to treat glaucoma, increased in price by 6.8 times the rate.
The cost of the following 8 drugs went up by more than 5 times the rate of inflation: Lipitor, used to lower cholesterol; Plavix, used to prevent blood clots; Norvasc, used to treat high blood pressure; Celebrex, used for arthritis and joint pain; Protonix, used for gastric reflux; Cozaar, used for high blood pressure; and Celexa, used to treat depression.
Prices of the drugs also increased often. Fifteen of the 30 had more than one price increase in the 1 year period from January 2003 to January 2004. Two-thirds of the drugs increased in price more than 3 times. The price of Toprol XL increased 7 times, Combivent 6 times; and Celexa 5 times.
Bush claims that by using Medicare's new prescription discount cards, seniors would receive a discount of 10 to 25%. That's bull. The truth is that after combining the 22% increase in drug costs over the past 3 years with the steady rise in premiums (8.7% in 2003, 13.5% in 2004, and 17% in 2005), seniors will get a minus % discount.
0% Discount - Card Prices Verses Non-Card Prices
Because the new Medicare bill contains provisions that bar the importation of drugs from other countries and bans Medicare from negotiating lower prices like the Veteran's Administration does for vets, seniors who use a prescription drug discount card will save little, if any, money on the cost of drugs.
In April 2004, the minority staff of the House Government Reform Committee, released a study that compared prices available to seniors who would pay the $30 to buy a card, against prices available to seniors who did not.
The study used prices from 3 card providers, ExpressScripts, Advance (Advance is owned by Bush-buddy Halbert who was allowed to craft major portions of the bill), and Walgreens. Prices of these companies were similar to all others. The drugs used in the study represent a month's supply of the top 10 brand-name drugs used by seniors.
The study compared the card prices to (1) prices in Canada; (2) prices negotiated by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (3) prices charged by internet outlets Drugstore.com and Costco.com.
The study found card prices much higher than prices in Canada. A month's supply of the 10 drugs in Canada cost $596, while prices were $972 with Walgreens, $1,046 with Advance, and $1,061 with Express. The average card price was 72% higher than in Canada.
The Committee found that the difference for some drugs exceeded 100%. For instance, Celebrex, costs $81.28 at Walgreens, but only $38.69 in Canada; Prevacid was $129.68 with Express, but only $56.54 in Canada.
The comparison to drugs purchased by the VA, also found card prices much higher. With the VA the10 drugs cost $587, while the average price with the cards was $1,026, more than 75% higher.
A month's supply of the drugs even costs less on internet sights Drugstore.com and Costco.com. While the average card price is $1,026, the drugs would only cost $959 at Drugstore.com. Specific drugs like Lipitor, show Walgreens at $67.44, and Drugstore.com at $62.99; Prevacid costs $129.68 with Express, but only $122.57 at Costco.com.
Prices for generic prices were also spiked. The Wall Street Journal found pharmacies buying generic drugs for a few cents and marking them up nearly 200%. For example, a 90-day supply of generic Prozac costs only $4, and is sold for $14.94 at Costco.com. Yet the Medicare website showed one card sponsor charging $84.15.
The cold hard truth is that senior citizens were conned into believing that Bush wanted to help them, when in reality the much touted prescription discount card program is nothing but a scam. Why do I say this? For starters, multiply the $30 price per card by Medicare's 43 million members and see how much it comes to.
Seniors Forced To Pick Up Tab For Advertising
Increased spending for advertising is driving up drug costs and seniors are being forced to pick up the tab. AARP has been tracking how much drug companies spend advertising the drugs most used by seniors. It found dramatic increases in the price of drugs being advertised, a fact that ARRP says, "begs the question of who’s picking up the tab."
For a quick answer to that question, check out how much advertising was done right before the card program went into effect in June. In the first 5 months of 2004, Bristol-Myers Squibb spent about $35 million advertising the blood thinner Plavix, and the price for Plavix rose by 7.9%. Bristol-Myers also spent about $7.2 million to advertise the cholesterol drug Pravachol; its price rose 7%. Merck spent $42 million to advertise Zocor, another cholesterol drug, and the price to wholesalers rose 25.8%.
The drug Nexium (used to treat heartburn), is a good example of how well advertising pays off. Last year the drugmaker AstraZeneca spent $411 million promoting it. In return, Nexium sales reached $3.3 billion, making it the 7th largest selling brand name drug in the US, according to the trade publication Pharmaceutical Executive. Democratic Rep Henry Waxman recently released a study that showed that in one month between May 3 and June 3, 2004, the price of Nexium increased by 13%.
Make no mistake, the elderly are paying the advertising bills for drugmakers.
WAKE-UP CALL
The Kerry campaign is blasting Bush. "After doing nothing about the record increases in the cost of healthcare over the last four years, George Bush is presiding over a Medicare system that is socking seniors with the largest premium hike in the program's 40-year history," said Kerry spokesman Singer.
Bloomberg.com says Medicare patients have already paid $720 million more in out of pocket expenses for premium and deductible increases this year than in 2003, according to the annual report by Medicare's trustees. Enough is enough!
Seniors need a Wake-Up call before they head to the polls on November 2, 2004. If Bush gets reelected they better prepare for more assaults on their retirement nest eggs. Look at what his cronies in the health care industry managed pull off even while Bush was facing reelection. Who knows what new scams they have planned for the next 4 years.
The new law was supposed to be a boost for Bush's reelection campaign. However, it is now being criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike, and by just about every senior citizen advocacy group in the country.
Bush tries to portray the law with its prescription drug benefit as a windfall for seniors; when in fact it is nothing but a scam that benefits insurance companies, drug makers and health care providers.
Largest Premium Increase In History Of Medicare
According to a September 4, 2004 article by the Associated Press, Medicare premiums for Part A, which covers doctor visits and other non-hospital expenses will rise by 17% in 2005. It will be the largest increase is the program's 40-year-history. Monthly payments will jump to $78.20, up from $66.60.
Mark McClellan, administrator for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medical Services, said the increase reflects rapidly rising health costs and last year's Medicare overhaul.
Well Bush and his allies in Congress can take full credit for the increase that resulted from the "overhaul" because they are the ones responsible for pushing through the health care industry's favored version of the bill that got seniors into this mess to begin with.
This latest rise should come as no surprise anyways. Medicare premiums have skyrocketed ever since Bush took office. They rose by 8.7% in 2003, and 13.5% in 2004.
In addition to the rise in premiums, the deductible for Medicare Part A will also rise to $912 in 2005, up from $876; and the deductible for Part B will rise to $110.
Bush chose an odd time to release this news. According to the NYTs, "In years past, the premium increases have been announced in October at the same time that cost-of-living increases to Social Security checks are announced. The twin announcements allow the elderly to calculate how much they will be receiving the following year."
I wonder why Bush didn't wait until October to make this announcement? Or better yet, why didn't he give senior citizens the good news during his convention speech while he was bragging about his efforts to help the elderly cope with increased medical costs?
True to form, Bush released the bad news in his usual manner, on a Friday afternoon, and this time with the added benefit of a holiday weekend and a news cycle dominated by stories about a hurricane. "This is a cynical attempt to bury bad news by leaking it out when you hope no one is watching," said Rep Pete Stark, D-Calif. "This administration has had four years to improve Medicare and instead have made it worse. Today's news reflects the reality, not rhetoric, of this administration's bad record on Medicare."
Robert Hayes, president of Medicare Rights Center, called the increase "a body blow to millions of older Americans living on fixed incomes," and said the increase will be especially painful because Social Security payments are expected to rise by less than 3%.
Every dime counts for people on fixed incomes. The median annual income for senior citizens aged 65 and older was only $23,048 in 2003, or less than $2,000 a month, according to an August 26, 2004 report by the US Census Bureau.
According to the Washington Post, when the new Medicare law is fully implemented in 2006, the typical retiree who purchases traditional Medicare coverage and the drug benefit will pay more than $115 in monthly premiums, a $110 annual deductible for outpatient care, and co-payments for physician visits and medications.
McClellan claims that most of the increase will cover the program's new prescription drug coverage and preventive services, including an initial physical exam and other tests. And Bush spokesman, Scott Stanzel said "President Bush has worked to increase health care access and affordability, including guaranteeing Medicare recipients prescription drugs."
Wait a minute here. If the money is going to pay for the new prescription drug benefit, how are seniors saving any money? Let me get this straight, seniors are supposed to get a discount on drugs, but now Bush says that Medicare will pay for the discount with a rise in their monthly premiums.
Will somebody please explain the new "prescription drug benefit" to me because just like with so many of Bush's helpful policies, I don't get it.
On Top Of Rising Prescription Drugs Prices
The 17% increase in premiums comes on top of the escalating cost of prescription drugs. Experts say the elderly cannot withstand such a large increase on top of rising drug costs.
According to President of Medicare Rights Center, Robert Hayes, "Older Americans already are staggering under the relentless increases in the cost of prescription drugs," he said. "More older Americans will face harsh choices in meeting basic human needs--health, food and housing."
The Kerry campaign is blasting Bush. "After doing nothing about the record increases in the cost of healthcare over the last four years, George Bush is presiding over a Medicare system that is socking seniors with the largest premium hike in the program's 40-year history," said spokesman Phil Singer.
In the Salt Lake Tribune, Darrell Butler, manager with Salt Lake County Aging Services, said "if it was a 5 to 8% rise, it wouldn't have surprised me as much," he said. "But 17% is overwhelming. What it will end up doing is force a lot more people into making tough decisions about whether to buy food or spend their money on prescription drugs.
"They'll take their medications every other day or cut them in half to try to make ends meet," Butler said. "This is terrible news."
Kerry spokesman Singer says, "When it comes to helping seniors, George Bush has proven that he's taking us in the wrong direction by giving billions to the drug industry while keeping seniors from accessing cheaper prescription drugs."
Astronomical Increases In Prescription Drug Prices
Seniors will not see cheaper prescription prices when the full bill goes into effect in 2006, because it does nothing to control the rising cost of drugs. In fact, according to Consumers Union, "most beneficiaries will face higher out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs after full implementation, despite the benefit." (Consumers Union, 11/17/03)
In June 2004, the advocacy group, "Families USA" released the results of a study that tracked price changes for the top 30 brand name drugs prescribed to seniors, in a report called: "Sticker Shock: Rising Prescription Drug Prices For Seniors. The study concluded that, "Like used car buyers drawn by the promise of a rebate—only to find that the base price has risen dramatically—seniors purchasing a new drug discount card may succumb to “sticker shock.”
In determining the most frequently used drugs, the study used data from the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) program, the largest prescription drug program for senior citizens in the country. Price histories were obtained from MDDB Select, a Medi-Span database.
Since 1999, Families has continuously monitored price increases of the 50 most popular drugs used by seniors. All of the 30 brand-name drugs selected for its Sticker Shock study were in the top 50. Its report provides a framework for determining whether the discounts cards make prescription drugs more affordable.
According to the report, between January 2001 and January 2004, the prices of the top 30 drugs increased by nearly 22%. On average, the cost of the drugs increased by 6.5%, while the overall rate of inflation, excluding energy, was only 1.5% for the same period.
Of these 30 drugs, 28 increased in price by 2 or more times the rate of inflation; 21 increased by three or more times the rate, and 14 increased in price by more than 5 times the rate of inflation.
With some drugs the rate of increase was even higher. For instance, the cost of Combivent, used to treat respiratory conditions, increased by 13.2 times the rate of inflation. Alphagan P, used to treat glaucoma, and Evista, an osteoporosis treatment, each increased by 10.3 times the rate. Diovan, used to treat high blood pressure, increased by 8.6 times the rate. Detrol LA, a treatment for overactive bladder, increased in price by 8.5 times the rate. Xalatan, used to treat glaucoma, increased in price by 6.8 times the rate.
The cost of the following 8 drugs went up by more than 5 times the rate of inflation: Lipitor, used to lower cholesterol; Plavix, used to prevent blood clots; Norvasc, used to treat high blood pressure; Celebrex, used for arthritis and joint pain; Protonix, used for gastric reflux; Cozaar, used for high blood pressure; and Celexa, used to treat depression.
Prices of the drugs also increased often. Fifteen of the 30 had more than one price increase in the 1 year period from January 2003 to January 2004. Two-thirds of the drugs increased in price more than 3 times. The price of Toprol XL increased 7 times, Combivent 6 times; and Celexa 5 times.
Bush claims that by using Medicare's new prescription discount cards, seniors would receive a discount of 10 to 25%. That's bull. The truth is that after combining the 22% increase in drug costs over the past 3 years with the steady rise in premiums (8.7% in 2003, 13.5% in 2004, and 17% in 2005), seniors will get a minus % discount.
0% Discount - Card Prices Verses Non-Card Prices
Because the new Medicare bill contains provisions that bar the importation of drugs from other countries and bans Medicare from negotiating lower prices like the Veteran's Administration does for vets, seniors who use a prescription drug discount card will save little, if any, money on the cost of drugs.
In April 2004, the minority staff of the House Government Reform Committee, released a study that compared prices available to seniors who would pay the $30 to buy a card, against prices available to seniors who did not.
The study used prices from 3 card providers, ExpressScripts, Advance (Advance is owned by Bush-buddy Halbert who was allowed to craft major portions of the bill), and Walgreens. Prices of these companies were similar to all others. The drugs used in the study represent a month's supply of the top 10 brand-name drugs used by seniors.
The study compared the card prices to (1) prices in Canada; (2) prices negotiated by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (3) prices charged by internet outlets Drugstore.com and Costco.com.
The study found card prices much higher than prices in Canada. A month's supply of the 10 drugs in Canada cost $596, while prices were $972 with Walgreens, $1,046 with Advance, and $1,061 with Express. The average card price was 72% higher than in Canada.
The Committee found that the difference for some drugs exceeded 100%. For instance, Celebrex, costs $81.28 at Walgreens, but only $38.69 in Canada; Prevacid was $129.68 with Express, but only $56.54 in Canada.
The comparison to drugs purchased by the VA, also found card prices much higher. With the VA the10 drugs cost $587, while the average price with the cards was $1,026, more than 75% higher.
A month's supply of the drugs even costs less on internet sights Drugstore.com and Costco.com. While the average card price is $1,026, the drugs would only cost $959 at Drugstore.com. Specific drugs like Lipitor, show Walgreens at $67.44, and Drugstore.com at $62.99; Prevacid costs $129.68 with Express, but only $122.57 at Costco.com.
Prices for generic prices were also spiked. The Wall Street Journal found pharmacies buying generic drugs for a few cents and marking them up nearly 200%. For example, a 90-day supply of generic Prozac costs only $4, and is sold for $14.94 at Costco.com. Yet the Medicare website showed one card sponsor charging $84.15.
The cold hard truth is that senior citizens were conned into believing that Bush wanted to help them, when in reality the much touted prescription discount card program is nothing but a scam. Why do I say this? For starters, multiply the $30 price per card by Medicare's 43 million members and see how much it comes to.
Seniors Forced To Pick Up Tab For Advertising
Increased spending for advertising is driving up drug costs and seniors are being forced to pick up the tab. AARP has been tracking how much drug companies spend advertising the drugs most used by seniors. It found dramatic increases in the price of drugs being advertised, a fact that ARRP says, "begs the question of who’s picking up the tab."
For a quick answer to that question, check out how much advertising was done right before the card program went into effect in June. In the first 5 months of 2004, Bristol-Myers Squibb spent about $35 million advertising the blood thinner Plavix, and the price for Plavix rose by 7.9%. Bristol-Myers also spent about $7.2 million to advertise the cholesterol drug Pravachol; its price rose 7%. Merck spent $42 million to advertise Zocor, another cholesterol drug, and the price to wholesalers rose 25.8%.
The drug Nexium (used to treat heartburn), is a good example of how well advertising pays off. Last year the drugmaker AstraZeneca spent $411 million promoting it. In return, Nexium sales reached $3.3 billion, making it the 7th largest selling brand name drug in the US, according to the trade publication Pharmaceutical Executive. Democratic Rep Henry Waxman recently released a study that showed that in one month between May 3 and June 3, 2004, the price of Nexium increased by 13%.
Make no mistake, the elderly are paying the advertising bills for drugmakers.
WAKE-UP CALL
The Kerry campaign is blasting Bush. "After doing nothing about the record increases in the cost of healthcare over the last four years, George Bush is presiding over a Medicare system that is socking seniors with the largest premium hike in the program's 40-year history," said Kerry spokesman Singer.
Bloomberg.com says Medicare patients have already paid $720 million more in out of pocket expenses for premium and deductible increases this year than in 2003, according to the annual report by Medicare's trustees. Enough is enough!
Seniors need a Wake-Up call before they head to the polls on November 2, 2004. If Bush gets reelected they better prepare for more assaults on their retirement nest eggs. Look at what his cronies in the health care industry managed pull off even while Bush was facing reelection. Who knows what new scams they have planned for the next 4 years.
Friday, September 03, 2004
Your Music is TOO LOUD!
Another geezer complaining about the music being too loud!
The solution is simple. First, no driver should ever have music so loud or anything else so distracting that you become oblivious to the outside world. And no driver should ever go very long without a quick glance in the mirrors; they aren't there just for decoration. Once you discover there is a responding emergency vehicle behind you (lights flashing or siren on or both), then what?
• Pull as far to the right as is safely possible and stop. If you cannot pull over to the right, stop where you are and let the emergency vehicle go around.
• Remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has safely passed.
The solution is simple. First, no driver should ever have music so loud or anything else so distracting that you become oblivious to the outside world. And no driver should ever go very long without a quick glance in the mirrors; they aren't there just for decoration. Once you discover there is a responding emergency vehicle behind you (lights flashing or siren on or both), then what?
• Pull as far to the right as is safely possible and stop. If you cannot pull over to the right, stop where you are and let the emergency vehicle go around.
• Remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has safely passed.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Geezers don't need to slow down.
CLINTON - Some people might have noticed a van following a bicycle rider down Lincoln Highway into Clinton Thursday.That man was 61-year-old Mark Junge of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Anyone looking close enough also might have noticed that he had a tube leading to his nose and a small tank attached to his hip.Junge not only carries liquid oxygen in order to breathe, he also carries what he considers to be an important message - that you do not necessarily have to give up on your dreams or keeping up an active lifestyle just because you have become oxygen dependent."As baby-boomers age," Mark said, "there will be more and more who develop health problems and need a machine like this."Mark lost part of a lung in 2002 after he had a pulmonary embolism, otherwise known as blood clots inside his lungs. Due to the condition not being diagnosed immediately, he suffered permanent damage, which reduced his ability to breathe without oxygen when sleeping, walking or exercising."I've been an avid cyclist my entire life," he said, "and I thought my dream of biking across America was crushed when my pulmonologist told me I had to go on oxygen over a year ago. But the Helios system has kept my dream alive. This trip is not only a personal goal, but also an opportunity for me to demonstrate to other oxygen dependent individuals that they also can stay active and independent. It also shows that you can make a statement while you are here on planet Earth."His journey began in San Francisco on June 12 where he dipped the rear wheel of his bicycle into the Pacific Ocean and gathered some of the salty sea water into a vial. He has followed the historic Lincoln Trail, which brought him to Clinton on his way to New York where he will dip his front wheel into the Atlantic Ocean before ceremoniously emptying his vial of Pacific salt water into the ocean there.That he is following the historic Lincoln Trail is no surprise. Before retiring in 1995, he was the Wyoming state historian and editor of the Wyoming Annals, a quarterly history journal published by the state. He also is a photographer and an author."The state of Iowa is really proud of their Lincoln Highway history," his wife of 38 years, Ardath, said. "They take care to preserve it. It's beautiful."Mark's journey into Clinton brought him to Mercy South Hospital to fill up both his Helios portable Liquid Oxygen System and his larger stationary vessel (tank). The tank is carried in the vehicle and stocked with the liquid oxygen, which turns into a gas as it is breathed in from the nasal canula that leads into Marks' nose. The portable tank weighs only 3.6 pounds and is 10 inches tall, making it small enough to fit into his shoulder bag.Ardath is the driver of the van, but she takes little credit for her help on the journey."The trip is really about him," she said, referring to her husband. "I'm just his companion and driver. I work on maps, keep the books - I handle all the logistics of the trip."Her husband's determination to ride from coast to coast comes as no surprise to her either."He has always worked out at the YMCA and stayed fit," she said. "It was not unusual for him to ride 10 miles or more on his bike. His longest ride was 70 to 75 miles. I could see his strength and endurance, but his training for the ride really consisted of working out at the Y five days a week."Up until about two weeks before he started the ride, Mark thought he would have to make the ride without a sponsor, but then Puritan Bennett, a part of Tyco Healthcare stepped forward. Tyco's Puritan Bennett/Mallinckrodt is one of the world's premier producers of respiratory-related medical products, which serve patients both at hospitals and at home."Mark's trip across the country will not only be a personal best for him, it will also help raise awareness for these systems so that more consumers can benefit from them," said Randy Whitfield, president of Puritan Bennett wrote on the Freedom Tour Web site at www.freedomtour.com. "Medicare and most insurance plans cover portable liquid oxygen systems when medically indicated and prescribed by a physician. The challenge is educating more physicians and legislators about these systems."Both Mark and Ardath have found something they did not expect during the course of their journey across America."You get so much more than you bargain for when you do a ride like this," Ardath said. "You get to meet the people of America.""We average between 100 and 200 photos by people each day," Mark said, "and we meet the people in the towns."After finishing the ride, Mark plans to write a book about his experience.
Oughta throw em in jail for not riding right!
NEW YORK - In the first major clash between police and demonstrators converging for the Republican National Convention, more than 250 bicyclists were arrested during a protest ride that snaked through the city and passed by Madison Square Garden.
Bikers chanted anti-Bush slogans, stifled traffic and, in some places, argued with motorists during the Friday night ride, which began at Union Square and drew thousands of cyclists.
Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said the bikers had caused "massive disruptions" and endangered motorists. Participants said their ride was peaceful and that the arrests were an excessive show of force.
Police had passed out leaflets to the riders warning them not to ride more than two abreast, and many of them ignored that warning, Browne said. Among the protesters arrested was one who allegedly threw a beer can at an officer, he said. The officer was uninjured.
"We gave them every opportunity to comply with the law," Browne said. "Those who didn't were arrested."
A total of 264 people were arrested as of early Saturday, according to Sgt. Michael Wysokowski, a police department spokesman.
The protest began as a monthly Critical Mass bike ride, but what was usually a crowd of hundreds swelled to thousands, with organizers saying the excursion drew a horde of bikers who wanted to protest the convention.
Bill Dobbs, of the antiwar group United for Peace and Justice, said the monthly Critical Mass ride "has provided joy to bicyclists and bystanders for years now."
"The arrests are completely unnecessary," Dobbs said. "Police needlessly escalated tension. Let us hope that they are more restrained as we go into the convention period."
While the Friday night event was the largest so far, it followed a day of demonstrations.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of moms with small children, plus some dads, pushed strollers across the Brooklyn Bridge in another protest against President Bush.
"Bush is taking away our children's future. Money for pre-emptive war takes away money from child care," said Malissa Smith as she joined the demonstration by Mothers Opposing Bush.
The group - called MOB_ was led by a pair of 4-year-olds with their "Kids for Kerry" banner.
"He's the president - but not right now," said Tiber Worth, holding one end while his classmate Isabella Stevenson clutched the other as they headed across the bridge.
Police had reported a total of 22 arrests in convention-related protests before Friday evening's bicycle procession, including five people trying to stage a demonstration in Union Square using sound equipment without a permit. In a separate incident, a protester was arrested for disorderly conduct in an anti-Bush group walking from Columbus Circle to Union Square, police said.
On Thursday, 11 AIDS activists were in police custody after shedding their clothes and demanding that Bush help HIV-positive people in poor nations around the world.
Four other young protesters said Friday that they face a grand jury hearing for unfurling a huge anti-Bush banner from the roof of The Plaza hotel on Fifth Avenue a day earlier. The sign had the word "truth" on an arrow pointing north toward Central Park and another arrow with "Bush" pointing south toward the Garden.
Police said an officer needed 38 stitches for a leg wound he suffered at the scene. A fifth person was arrested for passing out fliers on their behalf.
Bikers chanted anti-Bush slogans, stifled traffic and, in some places, argued with motorists during the Friday night ride, which began at Union Square and drew thousands of cyclists.
Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said the bikers had caused "massive disruptions" and endangered motorists. Participants said their ride was peaceful and that the arrests were an excessive show of force.
Police had passed out leaflets to the riders warning them not to ride more than two abreast, and many of them ignored that warning, Browne said. Among the protesters arrested was one who allegedly threw a beer can at an officer, he said. The officer was uninjured.
"We gave them every opportunity to comply with the law," Browne said. "Those who didn't were arrested."
A total of 264 people were arrested as of early Saturday, according to Sgt. Michael Wysokowski, a police department spokesman.
The protest began as a monthly Critical Mass bike ride, but what was usually a crowd of hundreds swelled to thousands, with organizers saying the excursion drew a horde of bikers who wanted to protest the convention.
Bill Dobbs, of the antiwar group United for Peace and Justice, said the monthly Critical Mass ride "has provided joy to bicyclists and bystanders for years now."
"The arrests are completely unnecessary," Dobbs said. "Police needlessly escalated tension. Let us hope that they are more restrained as we go into the convention period."
While the Friday night event was the largest so far, it followed a day of demonstrations.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of moms with small children, plus some dads, pushed strollers across the Brooklyn Bridge in another protest against President Bush.
"Bush is taking away our children's future. Money for pre-emptive war takes away money from child care," said Malissa Smith as she joined the demonstration by Mothers Opposing Bush.
The group - called MOB_ was led by a pair of 4-year-olds with their "Kids for Kerry" banner.
"He's the president - but not right now," said Tiber Worth, holding one end while his classmate Isabella Stevenson clutched the other as they headed across the bridge.
Police had reported a total of 22 arrests in convention-related protests before Friday evening's bicycle procession, including five people trying to stage a demonstration in Union Square using sound equipment without a permit. In a separate incident, a protester was arrested for disorderly conduct in an anti-Bush group walking from Columbus Circle to Union Square, police said.
On Thursday, 11 AIDS activists were in police custody after shedding their clothes and demanding that Bush help HIV-positive people in poor nations around the world.
Four other young protesters said Friday that they face a grand jury hearing for unfurling a huge anti-Bush banner from the roof of The Plaza hotel on Fifth Avenue a day earlier. The sign had the word "truth" on an arrow pointing north toward Central Park and another arrow with "Bush" pointing south toward the Garden.
Police said an officer needed 38 stitches for a leg wound he suffered at the scene. A fifth person was arrested for passing out fliers on their behalf.
Friday, August 27, 2004
Maybe we should lighten up....
Whenever my son, living in Mumbai, was asked why he was going to Delhi, his reply was "to see my A. Pees." A.P. stood for aged parents. Now that he is himself what in modern parlance is described a senior citizen, and his mother has passed away, he answers the same question, saying "to see old pop".
With the passing of generations, younger people’s attitude towards the old has changed. When I was a young man, we used to describe aged people as oldies, or worse sattreah bahattreah (feeble-minded in his 70s and 72s). Now persons in their 70s are not considered old new attitudes and a sizeable vocabulary has been evolved to describe them. For one their way to show respect to the aged is to keep a respectful distance from them.
So we have old people’s homes, a good distance from homes they once lived in and ruled over. There is much to be said in favour of old people’s homes. The few I have visited in England and the USA are as luxurious as any five star hotel; separate cottages with modern amenities like world radio and TV, spacious dining and sitting rooms where you can meet and chat with others in your own age groups; light tasty food and wines, billiards rooms, card tables for bridge, rummy or latience. There are spacious lawns and flower beds. Above all, there are nurses and doctors in attendance round the clock. They cost a packet. Inmates are happy blowing up their life’s savings to live out their last days in comfort because they are aware they can’t take anything with them when they go. Their offspring don’t grudge pitching in because they are relieved of the responsibility of looking after their parents and can get on with their own lives. The notion of a family gathered round the bed of a dying patriarch or matriarch is as dead as a dodo.
However, much I approve of old people’s homes, I resent being described as a gerry (for geriatric), old boomer, fuddy duddy, gaffer or old fogey (for god father) codger, coot, geezer, etc. Some new coinages like dinosaur, fossil, cotton top, cranky, crumbly are downright offensive. Eighty years ago Chesterton wrote in his essay Prudery of Slang: "There was a time when it was customary to call a father a father.... Now, it appears to be considered a mark of advanced intelligence to call our father a bean or a scream. It is obvious to me that calling the old gentleman "father" is facing the facts of nature. It is also obvious that calling him a "bean" is merely weaving a graceful fairytale to cover the facts of nature."
Call us oldies or what you will, but bear in mind that just as a saas bhi kabhi bahu thhi (the mother-in-law was once a bride) you too will one day become an old person and slang words like codger, geyser or fuddy-duddy can be hurtful even to an oldie who is hard of hearing.
With the passing of generations, younger people’s attitude towards the old has changed. When I was a young man, we used to describe aged people as oldies, or worse sattreah bahattreah (feeble-minded in his 70s and 72s). Now persons in their 70s are not considered old new attitudes and a sizeable vocabulary has been evolved to describe them. For one their way to show respect to the aged is to keep a respectful distance from them.
So we have old people’s homes, a good distance from homes they once lived in and ruled over. There is much to be said in favour of old people’s homes. The few I have visited in England and the USA are as luxurious as any five star hotel; separate cottages with modern amenities like world radio and TV, spacious dining and sitting rooms where you can meet and chat with others in your own age groups; light tasty food and wines, billiards rooms, card tables for bridge, rummy or latience. There are spacious lawns and flower beds. Above all, there are nurses and doctors in attendance round the clock. They cost a packet. Inmates are happy blowing up their life’s savings to live out their last days in comfort because they are aware they can’t take anything with them when they go. Their offspring don’t grudge pitching in because they are relieved of the responsibility of looking after their parents and can get on with their own lives. The notion of a family gathered round the bed of a dying patriarch or matriarch is as dead as a dodo.
However, much I approve of old people’s homes, I resent being described as a gerry (for geriatric), old boomer, fuddy duddy, gaffer or old fogey (for god father) codger, coot, geezer, etc. Some new coinages like dinosaur, fossil, cotton top, cranky, crumbly are downright offensive. Eighty years ago Chesterton wrote in his essay Prudery of Slang: "There was a time when it was customary to call a father a father.... Now, it appears to be considered a mark of advanced intelligence to call our father a bean or a scream. It is obvious to me that calling the old gentleman "father" is facing the facts of nature. It is also obvious that calling him a "bean" is merely weaving a graceful fairytale to cover the facts of nature."
Call us oldies or what you will, but bear in mind that just as a saas bhi kabhi bahu thhi (the mother-in-law was once a bride) you too will one day become an old person and slang words like codger, geyser or fuddy-duddy can be hurtful even to an oldie who is hard of hearing.
Too many laws already!
DERRY, N.H. -- A New Hampshire legislator says police should not be able to arrest people who bicycle while drunk.
Derry Sen. Frank Sapareto said that it's better to ride a bicycle after drinking than to drive a car.
Sapareto said he will file a bill to prohibit police from filing charges against people riding bikes while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Last week, Derry police charged a man with bicycling while drunk and last summer there was a similar case in Londonderry.
The Londonderry case is headed to the state Supreme Court.
Lydia Valliere, head of the state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says there should be no change iin the law. She says drunken bikers put drivers at risk.
Derry Sen. Frank Sapareto said that it's better to ride a bicycle after drinking than to drive a car.
Sapareto said he will file a bill to prohibit police from filing charges against people riding bikes while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Last week, Derry police charged a man with bicycling while drunk and last summer there was a similar case in Londonderry.
The Londonderry case is headed to the state Supreme Court.
Lydia Valliere, head of the state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says there should be no change iin the law. She says drunken bikers put drivers at risk.
Saturday, August 21, 2004
You go guy!
Rapid City coach, principal recalls bicycle crashAssociated Press
CUSTER, S.D. - It was a year ago that Larry Luitjens, a Custer high school coach and principal, went for a bike ride that nearly killed him.
Luitjens, 62, suffered a concussion, punctured lung and other injuries when he collided with a passing motor home on Highway 89 in Custer State Park.
He is still recovering but continues to ride bike, covering 100 miles or more a week. His route often includes the spot where the accident happened.
"I don't really feel much of anything when I go past it now," said Luitjens.
Luitjens was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002. He said a book by cycling champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong helped him deal with the disease. He recently completed a series of 28 radiation treatments.
"I read that book and knew I was going to start biking," Luitjens said.
One of South Dakota's most successful high school basketball coaches, Luitjens has seven Class A state championships in his career.
He has returned to his administrative duties but not to coaching.
"If you're going to do it (coach), the fire should be there. And the fire wasn't there," he said. "It'll be tough when practice starts. And I don't know if I'll go to a game this year."
CUSTER, S.D. - It was a year ago that Larry Luitjens, a Custer high school coach and principal, went for a bike ride that nearly killed him.
Luitjens, 62, suffered a concussion, punctured lung and other injuries when he collided with a passing motor home on Highway 89 in Custer State Park.
He is still recovering but continues to ride bike, covering 100 miles or more a week. His route often includes the spot where the accident happened.
"I don't really feel much of anything when I go past it now," said Luitjens.
Luitjens was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002. He said a book by cycling champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong helped him deal with the disease. He recently completed a series of 28 radiation treatments.
"I read that book and knew I was going to start biking," Luitjens said.
One of South Dakota's most successful high school basketball coaches, Luitjens has seven Class A state championships in his career.
He has returned to his administrative duties but not to coaching.
"If you're going to do it (coach), the fire should be there. And the fire wasn't there," he said. "It'll be tough when practice starts. And I don't know if I'll go to a game this year."
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
He KNEW it was going to be a bad, bad day....
Avoiding work on Friday the 13th proves deadly for man
BUCAREST (AFP) — A superstitious Romanian, who refused to leave his house throughout Friday the 13th to avoid bad luck, died after he was stung by a wasp in his kitchen, police said.
Florin Carcu, 54, had even taken the precaution of asking his boss for permission not to go to work on the inauspicious Friday, the police in Cluj, central Romania, said in a statement.
"It was the strangest request I've ever received but I ended up giving him permission to stay at home because he seemed to be really scared of something bad happening to him on that day," Carcu's boss Gheorghe Domsa told the press.
Doctors from the emergency services in Cluj said Carcu had been making coffee when he was stung by a species of wasp nicknamed "the wolf", which is very rare in Romania and whose sting is very poisonous.
He died on the spot.
BUCAREST (AFP) — A superstitious Romanian, who refused to leave his house throughout Friday the 13th to avoid bad luck, died after he was stung by a wasp in his kitchen, police said.
Florin Carcu, 54, had even taken the precaution of asking his boss for permission not to go to work on the inauspicious Friday, the police in Cluj, central Romania, said in a statement.
"It was the strangest request I've ever received but I ended up giving him permission to stay at home because he seemed to be really scared of something bad happening to him on that day," Carcu's boss Gheorghe Domsa told the press.
Doctors from the emergency services in Cluj said Carcu had been making coffee when he was stung by a species of wasp nicknamed "the wolf", which is very rare in Romania and whose sting is very poisonous.
He died on the spot.
Monday, August 16, 2004
MMMMM, Twinkie, I would still eat it even if it is a geezer!
30-year-old Twinkie soon to become teacher's legacy
BLUE HILL, Maine (AP) — A Twinkie standing the test of time on the edge of a blackboard may be a retiring science teacher's lasting legacy.
Roger Bennatti developed a reputation as an innovative teacher during his 31-year career at George Stevens Academy, using new methods to introduce students to subjects he loved. But the legend of the Twinkie looms over all.
Speckled with bits of mold, the bright yellow cake still adorns his lab, but Bennatti only vaguely remembers why he kept the Twinkie so long.
"We wanted to see what the shelf life of a Twinkie was," said Bennatti. "The idea was to see how long it would take to go bad."
The Twinkie stayed on top of the board through his career — joined in later years by a Fig Newton — and occasionally inspired new food experiments. Bennatti estimates the ever-yellow Twinkie is about 30-years-old.
"It's rather brittle, but if you dusted it off, it's probably still edible," Bennatti said. "It never spoiled."
The fascination with the Twinkie lasted until Bennatti's retirement in June, said Libby Rosemeier, a former Bennatti student and teacher at the school.
"We had to spirit it away at the end of the year," said Rosemeier, who has volunteered to become the Twinkie's new caretaker. "The kids all wanted it."
Rosemeier said her father, a carpenter, plans to make a case for the snack, and she hopes to hang it in her new classroom next year.
Bennatti will not leave teaching altogether. He purchased a large telescope and plans to develop a small observatory at his home in Bucksport, where he hopes to bring in small classes from area schools.
"This is how I can keep my hand in it," he said.
BLUE HILL, Maine (AP) — A Twinkie standing the test of time on the edge of a blackboard may be a retiring science teacher's lasting legacy.
Roger Bennatti developed a reputation as an innovative teacher during his 31-year career at George Stevens Academy, using new methods to introduce students to subjects he loved. But the legend of the Twinkie looms over all.
Speckled with bits of mold, the bright yellow cake still adorns his lab, but Bennatti only vaguely remembers why he kept the Twinkie so long.
"We wanted to see what the shelf life of a Twinkie was," said Bennatti. "The idea was to see how long it would take to go bad."
The Twinkie stayed on top of the board through his career — joined in later years by a Fig Newton — and occasionally inspired new food experiments. Bennatti estimates the ever-yellow Twinkie is about 30-years-old.
"It's rather brittle, but if you dusted it off, it's probably still edible," Bennatti said. "It never spoiled."
The fascination with the Twinkie lasted until Bennatti's retirement in June, said Libby Rosemeier, a former Bennatti student and teacher at the school.
"We had to spirit it away at the end of the year," said Rosemeier, who has volunteered to become the Twinkie's new caretaker. "The kids all wanted it."
Rosemeier said her father, a carpenter, plans to make a case for the snack, and she hopes to hang it in her new classroom next year.
Bennatti will not leave teaching altogether. He purchased a large telescope and plans to develop a small observatory at his home in Bucksport, where he hopes to bring in small classes from area schools.
"This is how I can keep my hand in it," he said.
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Rude geezers rock the movies!
Rude dudes spoil fun at the movies
By Carl Larsen
A recent survey indicates that, while 30 percent of Americans enjoy going out to the movies, nearly 50 percent prefer waiting for a DVD or taped version of a film. Well, if we're actually turning into a country of hermits, crouching in front of our TVs and silently munching away on microwave popcorn, I can understand why. Rude dudes are spoiling all the fun at the movies.
The day I got my Old Geezer license, I naturally began blaming all the troubles of the world on young people. I sneered at their droopy drawers, their lack of appreciation for anything more subtle than a fart joke, and their reprehensible demeanor at the movies. They kick the seats in front of them, repeat stupid movie lines aloud, bellow like neglected farm animals, and in general behave like a crowd of invading Visigoths gathered at the gates of Rome. And while all that may be true, as I learned last week, it's not the whole story.
Last weekend my wife and I went to see "De-lovely," the new cinematic biography of Cole Porter. "Ahh," thought I, "a movie for grownups!? And as expected, I saw the audience was all senior citizens, people who knew that a Cole Porter was not just the title of a mine worker. And so we nestled down amongst a gaggle of pleasant-looking old folks and burrowed into our tasty tub of expensive popcorn.
No sooner had the opening credits started, when the audience began an outlandish display. Old folks, I guess, have all forgotten that they're not always sitting at home on their comfy sofas. The rules of decorum are different, in a movie house. But as the melodic creations of Mr. Porter began to flow from the screen, the man behind me suddenly realized he was Fred Astaire in an early incarnation. He tap-danced to the movie music, adding nifty little flourishes. Then, off to our left, a cell phone rang. And the lady next to us, beset by a fit of palsy, began twitching her knee while a nearby, thoughtful wife started translating the film into English for her hard-of-hearing hubby. On and on, one disturbance after another. This kept up throughout the film.
My wife and I both wimped out. Instead of rising in anger and shouting at them all to be quiet or be gone, we sat and stewed. The delicate ambiance of the film was, of course, shattered. But I learned one valuable lesson:
Socially, my generation ain't got no more class than anybody else.
By Carl Larsen
A recent survey indicates that, while 30 percent of Americans enjoy going out to the movies, nearly 50 percent prefer waiting for a DVD or taped version of a film. Well, if we're actually turning into a country of hermits, crouching in front of our TVs and silently munching away on microwave popcorn, I can understand why. Rude dudes are spoiling all the fun at the movies.
The day I got my Old Geezer license, I naturally began blaming all the troubles of the world on young people. I sneered at their droopy drawers, their lack of appreciation for anything more subtle than a fart joke, and their reprehensible demeanor at the movies. They kick the seats in front of them, repeat stupid movie lines aloud, bellow like neglected farm animals, and in general behave like a crowd of invading Visigoths gathered at the gates of Rome. And while all that may be true, as I learned last week, it's not the whole story.
Last weekend my wife and I went to see "De-lovely," the new cinematic biography of Cole Porter. "Ahh," thought I, "a movie for grownups!? And as expected, I saw the audience was all senior citizens, people who knew that a Cole Porter was not just the title of a mine worker. And so we nestled down amongst a gaggle of pleasant-looking old folks and burrowed into our tasty tub of expensive popcorn.
No sooner had the opening credits started, when the audience began an outlandish display. Old folks, I guess, have all forgotten that they're not always sitting at home on their comfy sofas. The rules of decorum are different, in a movie house. But as the melodic creations of Mr. Porter began to flow from the screen, the man behind me suddenly realized he was Fred Astaire in an early incarnation. He tap-danced to the movie music, adding nifty little flourishes. Then, off to our left, a cell phone rang. And the lady next to us, beset by a fit of palsy, began twitching her knee while a nearby, thoughtful wife started translating the film into English for her hard-of-hearing hubby. On and on, one disturbance after another. This kept up throughout the film.
My wife and I both wimped out. Instead of rising in anger and shouting at them all to be quiet or be gone, we sat and stewed. The delicate ambiance of the film was, of course, shattered. But I learned one valuable lesson:
Socially, my generation ain't got no more class than anybody else.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Geezers know some things....
Modern Students Devour Old Math
For most Indian students, engineering is a calling decided in the cradle by their parents. It is engineering that is most likely to take them away from Third World realities to the shores of America's good life. So the tussle to get into engineering colleges is often cruel. In top entrance exams, only one out of 100 candidates makes the cut.
Quick problem-solving ability becomes the most crucial link between aspiration and fortune. Coaching for these exams is a multimillion-dollar industry in India, but with almost every student equipped with such preparatory courses, the applicants search for something more. That's why several Indian students are beginning to get help from an ancient source -- Vedic math. It has 16 brief formulas in Sanskrit that have been translated and interpreted into astonishing arithmetic shortcuts.
Shetty did not know the original Sanskrit verses, but he did know how to crack the square of 85 in less than a second. "To find the square of any number ending with 5, just put 25 on the right-hand side," he said. "Take the number that precedes five. In this case it is 8. Add 1 to it. So in this case it becomes 9. Multiply 8 and 9. You get 72. 7,225 is the square of 85. It's easy."
Shetty is preparing for the prestigious Joint Entrance Exam. Over 150,000 candidates take this entrance exam every year to compete for only about 3,500 seats in the Indian Institute of Technology. Two-thirds of IIT's graduates leave for America, augmenting the thousands already there who contribute to the institute's reputation. American colleges and industry greatly favor students from IIT, a situation that has only increased competition to enter the institute.
Pradeep Kumar, who teaches Vedic math in Delhi, said, "There is an increasing interest among IIT aspirants to take the help of Vedic math." Kumar charges such students about $120 for 40 hours of lessons. He teaches more than 200 students in the classroom and guides over 600 through long-distance courses.
Not all of his students dream of attending IIT. Several, mostly engineering pupils, are preparing for MBA entrance exams as tough as IIT's. One of Kumar's students, Kartik Arora, said, "Obviously Vedic math cannot teach you how to solve a problem. But it greatly reduces the computing time. I can vouch for the fact that in a two-hour exam, I can save about 10 minutes using Vedic math."
Vedic mathematics was ushered into the modern age by a Hindu seer called Tirthaji Maharaja, after his book on the subject was published posthumously in 1965. He culled 16 formulas from ancient scriptures. Whether the formulas were indeed written centuries ago or were largely partisan interpretations of obscure Sanskrit text is a matter of academic debate.
T.A. Ramasubban, who has penned a book on Vedic math, said, "The controversy arises because some people question how a cryptic Sanskrit verse that means several things can be safely interpreted as an arithmetic shortcut. For example, there is a verse in the Vedas (scriptures) that praises Lord Krishna in the Vedas. If the Sanskrit words are interpreted, the verse gives the value of pi to 30 decimal points.
"My point is that a verse may extol a god, but ... if it also gives the value of pi to 30 decimals, it cannot be a coincidence or desperate translation."
The controversy over whether ancient texts have been unfairly stretched to pass as formulas does not affect students like Prashant Chopra. He is a fourth-year engineering student gearing up for an MBA entrance test to secure a place in the Indian Institute of Management. Last year, more than 130,000 students vied for 1,300 seats. Thanks to Vedic math, Chopra can arrive at the square of 109 in a second -- and that means more to him than whether the subject is indeed Vedic or math.
Top preparatory courses that coach hundreds of thousands of students do not teach Vedic math yet. "I know that many of my own students are curious about Vedic math," said Rajesh Lad, a math instructor, "but I believe that learning a new way of computation may confuse students. Students must sharpen methods that they are comfortable with instead of taking exotic routes."
Dinesh Arora, a Vedic math teacher whose two sons will be testing for IIT after mastering the tips of Vedic math, said with a chuckle: "These (teachers) do not realize that some of the shortcuts they themselves suggest are indirectly sourced from Vedic math."
Republicans....
They only want less government as long as it does not affect their lives. Turn off the water, let the potholes grow, or stop their subsidies and they want more and more government....
Why I Became A Republican By Ken Hughes Aug 14, 2004 I have this older brother; He and I have never been able to agree on much of anything. He is and has been a Democrat all his adult life. That’s about sixty-one years now. Don’t ask me where it went wrong, he certainly wasn’t raised that way. I’ll call my brother Ron, [because that’s his name]. Ron thinks I’m some kind of right wing Anti-Christ. He hasn’t liked a Republican President since Abe Lincoln. Since I’m a Republican he isn’t too fond of me either. Ron’s been a Cowboy all his life. Not one of those Hollywood types but a real honest to God Cowboy. He knows a lot more about horses and cows than he knows about politics. Ron spent three years or so in the South Pacific Island hopping in WW II. Other than that its pretty much been home on the range for him. Most mornings about eight a.m. the locals all get together at Collets Pool Hall for coffee. Collets sits all alone at the side of a road that goes nowhere. They discuss the previous days events. Since they're mostly in the Old Geezer category, the're all Democrats. It goes back to the depression and FDR. Most days there’s upwards of a dozen of them and they all have the same beliefs, the only argument is who’s the most opinionated of the group. Most days Ron wins. I’m not saying Ron isn’t smart, he’s smart as can be about the things he knows about, [that doesn’t include politics]. He just happens to be more than a little biased about some things. I’ve tried several times to show Ron the error of his ways. He just doesn’t seem to get it. Like most Democrats he thinks we Republicans are out to destroy the earth and all it harbors. He believes we want is to pollute the air, cut down the rain forests, totally destroy the environment, use up all the water and starve any one who isn’t earning over $100,000 a year. He’s convinced taxing rich people will solve all the problems facing mankind. Ron thinks when you don’t have the answer to a question tax the rich and the answer will come to you. I would probably say this if Ron weren’t my brother. He’s not a bad fellow aside from his political views. He’s made an effort to protect the environment he lives in. He and his daughter do a lot of traveling speaking on the benefits of proper range management where cattle are grazed. Ron’s son-in-law and daughter operate a certified organic cattle ranch. Both Ron and his daughter have worked to preserve the water supply in their valley. Water is the number one issue where Ron comes from. People have no idea how important water is until it’s rationed out to them. A lot of people don’t have the respect for the land Ron and the other Old Geezers have. What Ron and the other Old Geezer don’t understand, these are the same things we Republicans are for. Rather than government making all the decisions we would rather Ron and the Old Geezers took charge. They know a lot more about their environment than any government bureaucrat. You see we Republican have a lot more faith in Americans to do the right thing than the Democrats. Our Grandfather came to the valley sometime in the 1880’s. He and his brothers and the other settlers had all the rules worked out long before the government decided they could do a better job. Those old timers faced the threats of the day as a single unit. Then the Government came in and redefined all that was working in an attempt to promote equality of recourses and opportunity for the alleged deprived. They took something useful and turned it into something useless and totally unnecessary all in the name of progress. To cut to the chase of this article. Ron and those other Old Geezers should make two lists, “how it was and how it is”. Before the government decided to establish this utopian society they are trying to squeeze [one size fits all] America into, maybe just maybe they would decide the Republicans have a point. “A Government that governs least governs best”.
Why I Became A Republican By Ken Hughes Aug 14, 2004 I have this older brother; He and I have never been able to agree on much of anything. He is and has been a Democrat all his adult life. That’s about sixty-one years now. Don’t ask me where it went wrong, he certainly wasn’t raised that way. I’ll call my brother Ron, [because that’s his name]. Ron thinks I’m some kind of right wing Anti-Christ. He hasn’t liked a Republican President since Abe Lincoln. Since I’m a Republican he isn’t too fond of me either. Ron’s been a Cowboy all his life. Not one of those Hollywood types but a real honest to God Cowboy. He knows a lot more about horses and cows than he knows about politics. Ron spent three years or so in the South Pacific Island hopping in WW II. Other than that its pretty much been home on the range for him. Most mornings about eight a.m. the locals all get together at Collets Pool Hall for coffee. Collets sits all alone at the side of a road that goes nowhere. They discuss the previous days events. Since they're mostly in the Old Geezer category, the're all Democrats. It goes back to the depression and FDR. Most days there’s upwards of a dozen of them and they all have the same beliefs, the only argument is who’s the most opinionated of the group. Most days Ron wins. I’m not saying Ron isn’t smart, he’s smart as can be about the things he knows about, [that doesn’t include politics]. He just happens to be more than a little biased about some things. I’ve tried several times to show Ron the error of his ways. He just doesn’t seem to get it. Like most Democrats he thinks we Republicans are out to destroy the earth and all it harbors. He believes we want is to pollute the air, cut down the rain forests, totally destroy the environment, use up all the water and starve any one who isn’t earning over $100,000 a year. He’s convinced taxing rich people will solve all the problems facing mankind. Ron thinks when you don’t have the answer to a question tax the rich and the answer will come to you. I would probably say this if Ron weren’t my brother. He’s not a bad fellow aside from his political views. He’s made an effort to protect the environment he lives in. He and his daughter do a lot of traveling speaking on the benefits of proper range management where cattle are grazed. Ron’s son-in-law and daughter operate a certified organic cattle ranch. Both Ron and his daughter have worked to preserve the water supply in their valley. Water is the number one issue where Ron comes from. People have no idea how important water is until it’s rationed out to them. A lot of people don’t have the respect for the land Ron and the other Old Geezers have. What Ron and the other Old Geezer don’t understand, these are the same things we Republicans are for. Rather than government making all the decisions we would rather Ron and the Old Geezers took charge. They know a lot more about their environment than any government bureaucrat. You see we Republican have a lot more faith in Americans to do the right thing than the Democrats. Our Grandfather came to the valley sometime in the 1880’s. He and his brothers and the other settlers had all the rules worked out long before the government decided they could do a better job. Those old timers faced the threats of the day as a single unit. Then the Government came in and redefined all that was working in an attempt to promote equality of recourses and opportunity for the alleged deprived. They took something useful and turned it into something useless and totally unnecessary all in the name of progress. To cut to the chase of this article. Ron and those other Old Geezers should make two lists, “how it was and how it is”. Before the government decided to establish this utopian society they are trying to squeeze [one size fits all] America into, maybe just maybe they would decide the Republicans have a point. “A Government that governs least governs best”.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Nothing wrong with a good toe sucking....
Dutch ponder turning toe-licking into crime
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Toe-licking could become a criminal offense in the Netherlands after a man who licked the toes of several women was released by police without charges.
The toe-licker, whose name was not released, was arrested in Rotterdam earlier this week after a woman who had been sunbathing said he unexpectedly licked her bare foot.
Other women had also complained, and the 35-year-old man has reportedly been pursuing his fetish for years, but prosecutors in Rotterdam said they are powerless to stop him.
"A lick over the foot doesn't qualify as a crime: there has to be some kind of objective sex act committed," said prosecution spokesman Cees van Spierenburg in the Rotterdam Daily newspaper. "That's the way the law is."
Lawmakers Peter van Heemst and Aleid Wolfsen, members of the leading opposition Labor Party, asked Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner in a formal complaint to change the law.
"How can you explain that we can prosecute someone for throwing a cigarette butt or soda can on the ground, but not for this kind of misbehavior?" the men wrote.
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Toe-licking could become a criminal offense in the Netherlands after a man who licked the toes of several women was released by police without charges.
The toe-licker, whose name was not released, was arrested in Rotterdam earlier this week after a woman who had been sunbathing said he unexpectedly licked her bare foot.
Other women had also complained, and the 35-year-old man has reportedly been pursuing his fetish for years, but prosecutors in Rotterdam said they are powerless to stop him.
"A lick over the foot doesn't qualify as a crime: there has to be some kind of objective sex act committed," said prosecution spokesman Cees van Spierenburg in the Rotterdam Daily newspaper. "That's the way the law is."
Lawmakers Peter van Heemst and Aleid Wolfsen, members of the leading opposition Labor Party, asked Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner in a formal complaint to change the law.
"How can you explain that we can prosecute someone for throwing a cigarette butt or soda can on the ground, but not for this kind of misbehavior?" the men wrote.
Monday, August 09, 2004
geezers rock
A 67-year-old woman arrived in New Hampshire on Monday after bicycling across the country.
Ageless Attitude Keeps Woman Young
Patricia Starr, of Santa Barbara, Calif., said she was thrilled to feel the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean after reaching the shores of Rye Beach.
"It's just incredible," she said.
Starr began her journey 50 days ago in Astoria, Ore., teaming up with the group America By Bike. Starr wanted to raise money to create a music scholarship at a small Santa Barbara college. With no training, she hopped on her bike and began the grueling odyssey.
"Every day, they would give you a route sheet," Starr said. "It's like a scavenger hunt."
The route was 3,622 miles, though Starr said she added about 24 miles because she got lost a couple of times.
Starr's proud husband rode alongside her -- in their van.
"I never thought she could do this at 67," Gabriel Starr said. "She pedaled every inch of this ride."
Patricia Starr said that with an ageless attitude, anyone can accomplish anything. In addition to herself, another example is fellow rider Duane Stuart, of Vermont, who celebrated her 69th birthday on the trip.
Ageless Attitude Keeps Woman Young
Patricia Starr, of Santa Barbara, Calif., said she was thrilled to feel the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean after reaching the shores of Rye Beach.
"It's just incredible," she said.
Starr began her journey 50 days ago in Astoria, Ore., teaming up with the group America By Bike. Starr wanted to raise money to create a music scholarship at a small Santa Barbara college. With no training, she hopped on her bike and began the grueling odyssey.
"Every day, they would give you a route sheet," Starr said. "It's like a scavenger hunt."
The route was 3,622 miles, though Starr said she added about 24 miles because she got lost a couple of times.
Starr's proud husband rode alongside her -- in their van.
"I never thought she could do this at 67," Gabriel Starr said. "She pedaled every inch of this ride."
Patricia Starr said that with an ageless attitude, anyone can accomplish anything. In addition to herself, another example is fellow rider Duane Stuart, of Vermont, who celebrated her 69th birthday on the trip.
Dammit, I told you it hurt!
Mystery pain 'is all in the mind'
Mysterious pain, such as lower back pain, may originate in the brain rather than the body, according to a study.
Scientists from University College London and the University of Pittsburgh carried out tests on eight people.
Some were hypnotised and told they were in pain. Others were subjected to physical pain. Scans showed that both experienced similar brain activity.
The researchers said the findings, published in NeuroImage, suggested that pain can sometimes begin in the brain.
"The fact that hypnosis was able to induce a genuine painful experience suggests that some pain really can begin in our minds," said Dr David Oakley, director of the hypnosis unit at UCL.
'Not imagined'
A survey published last year suggested as many as one in seven Britons are in constant pain.
In many cases, their condition cannot be explained by doctors, who are unable to identify the cause using conventional tests.
People reporting this type of pain are not simply imagining it Dr David Oakley, University College London
Dr Oakley said the findings showed that patients reporting mysterious pains should not be dismissed by doctors.
"A lot of people have been dismissed as malingers," he said. "People reporting this type of pain are not simply imagining it."
Dr Oakley said the findings suggest that alternative treatments for mysterious or unexplained pain should now be explored.
"If this pain has an origin in the brain it suggests that you can use other therapies, such as hypnosis, to alleviate the pain," he said.
The UK charity Pain Concern said many doctors continue to dismiss patients if they can't find a cause of their pain.
"There are still doctors writing pain off as psychological," a spokeswoman told BBC News Online. "It is a problem. It has a huge impact on patients."
Mysterious pain, such as lower back pain, may originate in the brain rather than the body, according to a study.
Scientists from University College London and the University of Pittsburgh carried out tests on eight people.
Some were hypnotised and told they were in pain. Others were subjected to physical pain. Scans showed that both experienced similar brain activity.
The researchers said the findings, published in NeuroImage, suggested that pain can sometimes begin in the brain.
"The fact that hypnosis was able to induce a genuine painful experience suggests that some pain really can begin in our minds," said Dr David Oakley, director of the hypnosis unit at UCL.
'Not imagined'
A survey published last year suggested as many as one in seven Britons are in constant pain.
In many cases, their condition cannot be explained by doctors, who are unable to identify the cause using conventional tests.
People reporting this type of pain are not simply imagining it Dr David Oakley, University College London
Dr Oakley said the findings showed that patients reporting mysterious pains should not be dismissed by doctors.
"A lot of people have been dismissed as malingers," he said. "People reporting this type of pain are not simply imagining it."
Dr Oakley said the findings suggest that alternative treatments for mysterious or unexplained pain should now be explored.
"If this pain has an origin in the brain it suggests that you can use other therapies, such as hypnosis, to alleviate the pain," he said.
The UK charity Pain Concern said many doctors continue to dismiss patients if they can't find a cause of their pain.
"There are still doctors writing pain off as psychological," a spokeswoman told BBC News Online. "It is a problem. It has a huge impact on patients."
Sunday, August 08, 2004
geezers with bikes
See, life is dangerous even not on a bike...
Man killed by hit-run driver
A 92-year-old man walking his bicycle across a busy Brooklyn intersection was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver yesterday, police said.Witnesses told police a black Nissan Altima crashed into the man about 8:20 a.m. at Snyder Avenue and Kings Highway in East Flatbush. It was unclear whether the car was speeding or whether it ran a light.The driver, however, did not stop after the impact, police said."I looked through the window, and I heard a slight bang," said Cedric Bellamy, 70, an iron worker for the city who was in his nearby home eating breakfast. "I saw a group of people, and I came outside; I saw the bicycle was lying on the corner."The victim, whom police did not identify pending notification of his family, was taken to Kings County Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead about 25 minutes later.Versell Wilson, 52, who was reading a newspaper on his porch near the intersection, said he saw the man riding his bike south on Kings Highway minutes before the crash. The man got off his bike, crossed Snyder Avenue, then turned left to go to the other side of Kings Highway, Wilson said.In the middle of the crosswalk, Wilson said, the victim tried to get back on the bike. The Nissan Altima, headed north in the left lane of Kings Highway, crashed into him.The impact, Wilson and others said, threw the man several feet across the intersection."He was lying on his back, faceup, but he wasn't breathing," Wilson said. "He had a head wound."Witnesses said two firefighters responded to the scene and tried to resuscitate the man."The sad part is, for you to hit somebody and not even stop to see if the person survived," Wilson said. "It's a bad commentary on our society."
Man killed by hit-run driver
A 92-year-old man walking his bicycle across a busy Brooklyn intersection was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver yesterday, police said.Witnesses told police a black Nissan Altima crashed into the man about 8:20 a.m. at Snyder Avenue and Kings Highway in East Flatbush. It was unclear whether the car was speeding or whether it ran a light.The driver, however, did not stop after the impact, police said."I looked through the window, and I heard a slight bang," said Cedric Bellamy, 70, an iron worker for the city who was in his nearby home eating breakfast. "I saw a group of people, and I came outside; I saw the bicycle was lying on the corner."The victim, whom police did not identify pending notification of his family, was taken to Kings County Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead about 25 minutes later.Versell Wilson, 52, who was reading a newspaper on his porch near the intersection, said he saw the man riding his bike south on Kings Highway minutes before the crash. The man got off his bike, crossed Snyder Avenue, then turned left to go to the other side of Kings Highway, Wilson said.In the middle of the crosswalk, Wilson said, the victim tried to get back on the bike. The Nissan Altima, headed north in the left lane of Kings Highway, crashed into him.The impact, Wilson and others said, threw the man several feet across the intersection."He was lying on his back, faceup, but he wasn't breathing," Wilson said. "He had a head wound."Witnesses said two firefighters responded to the scene and tried to resuscitate the man."The sad part is, for you to hit somebody and not even stop to see if the person survived," Wilson said. "It's a bad commentary on our society."
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Execute the geezers
I find this very objectionable. I don't feel any safer with this going on. Sort of a Soylent Green moment
Alabama Executes 74-Year-Old Murderer
Alabama Executes 74-Year-Old Man for 1977 Murder; Oldest Inmate Put to Death in DecadesThe Associated Press
ATMORE, Ala. Aug. 5, 2004 — A 74-year-old murderer became the oldest U.S. inmate put to death in decades Thursday after courts and the governor refused to stop his execution.
James Barney Hubbard died by injection at 6:36 p.m. at Holman Prison near Atmore.
Hubbard was executed for the 1977 murder of 62-year-old Lillian Montgomery of Tuscaloosa. She was shot in the head and robbed after befriending Hubbard, who had been released from prison after serving 19 years for a 1957 killing.
A pale, white-haired Hubbard maintained eye contact with his daughter Barbara McKinney, who witnessed the execution from another room, until he died.
Montgomery's son, Jimmy Montgomery, who also witnessed the execution, said he was disappointed that Hubbard offered no last words or apology.
"I didn't expect him to go as easy as he did today without saying something," Jimmy Montgomery said, adding that he did not forgive Hubbard and believed he deserved a harsher form of death.
Earlier Thursday, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to deny a stay for Hubbard. His attorney contended the execution would amount to cruel and unusual punishment for someone so old and mentally incompetent.
Gov. Bob Riley rejected a request to commute Hubbard's sentence for what he called a "heinous and violent" crime.
"Justice has not been swift in this case, but justice must be delivered," Riley said.
According to the Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Hubbard is the oldest person executed in the United States since 1941, when James Stephens of Colorado was executed at age 76.
In his filing with the Supreme Court, defense attorney Alan Rose said that although "Hubbard's age-based execution claim appears to raise a novel issue," it was in line with other claims of cruel and unusual punishment.
The state in arguing for the execution said that "murderers especially repeat killers like Hubbard do not deserve `leniency' merely because their life of crime does not result in the imposition of a death sentence until later in life."
Hubbard, in his federal appeals, said he didn't speak up about his mental state and health sooner because the conditions didn't exist when he was younger. Court filings on his behalf say he has been diagnosed with dementia, along with other ailments.
Hubbard appealed to the Supreme Court Wednesday after a federal appeals court denied his request for a stay.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas voted to deny the stay. Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer would have granted it.
Alabama Executes 74-Year-Old Murderer
Alabama Executes 74-Year-Old Man for 1977 Murder; Oldest Inmate Put to Death in DecadesThe Associated Press
ATMORE, Ala. Aug. 5, 2004 — A 74-year-old murderer became the oldest U.S. inmate put to death in decades Thursday after courts and the governor refused to stop his execution.
James Barney Hubbard died by injection at 6:36 p.m. at Holman Prison near Atmore.
Hubbard was executed for the 1977 murder of 62-year-old Lillian Montgomery of Tuscaloosa. She was shot in the head and robbed after befriending Hubbard, who had been released from prison after serving 19 years for a 1957 killing.
A pale, white-haired Hubbard maintained eye contact with his daughter Barbara McKinney, who witnessed the execution from another room, until he died.
Montgomery's son, Jimmy Montgomery, who also witnessed the execution, said he was disappointed that Hubbard offered no last words or apology.
"I didn't expect him to go as easy as he did today without saying something," Jimmy Montgomery said, adding that he did not forgive Hubbard and believed he deserved a harsher form of death.
Earlier Thursday, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to deny a stay for Hubbard. His attorney contended the execution would amount to cruel and unusual punishment for someone so old and mentally incompetent.
Gov. Bob Riley rejected a request to commute Hubbard's sentence for what he called a "heinous and violent" crime.
"Justice has not been swift in this case, but justice must be delivered," Riley said.
According to the Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Hubbard is the oldest person executed in the United States since 1941, when James Stephens of Colorado was executed at age 76.
In his filing with the Supreme Court, defense attorney Alan Rose said that although "Hubbard's age-based execution claim appears to raise a novel issue," it was in line with other claims of cruel and unusual punishment.
The state in arguing for the execution said that "murderers especially repeat killers like Hubbard do not deserve `leniency' merely because their life of crime does not result in the imposition of a death sentence until later in life."
Hubbard, in his federal appeals, said he didn't speak up about his mental state and health sooner because the conditions didn't exist when he was younger. Court filings on his behalf say he has been diagnosed with dementia, along with other ailments.
Hubbard appealed to the Supreme Court Wednesday after a federal appeals court denied his request for a stay.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas voted to deny the stay. Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer would have granted it.
Time to come home...
It is time to stop this stupid, stupid war. We will slowly get decimated by people that do not want us there and that includes the whole country....
Two Arizona soldiers killed in Iraq
PHOENIX (AP) -- Two soldiers from Arizona were killed in Iraq after an explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, the U.S. Department of Defense says.
Spc. Justin B. Onwordi, 28, of Chandler, and Pfc. Harry N. Shondee, Jr., 19, of Ganado, were on patrol Monday when the device exploded.
Onwordi died Monday and Shondee died Tuesday, authorities said Wednesday.
Both men were assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 12th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and were stationed in Fort Hood, Texas.
Shondee was a member of the Navajo Nation.
"It's a sad day for the Navajo people and a sad day for his family," said Deana Jackson, a tribal spokeswoman.
Just a year ago, Shondee was worlds away from the conflict in Iraq, Jackson said. The young Navajo was graduating from Ganado High School and looking forward to a career in the U.S. military as a tank operator.
In honor of Shondee, the tribe will fly the Navajo and American flags at half-staff after his funeral next week.
About 100 of Shondee's family and friends gathered Wednesday night at the Ganado Chapter House to remember him.
They said he was a member of Ganado High's golf team and the National Honor Society.
Shondee was especially adept at technology and science and was the most skillful player in town when it came to military video games.
"His bedroom wall was full of plaques and medals and other things he had won," said his 61-year-old father, Harry Shondee Sr.
Shondee's aunt, Louise Denetso, said he wanted to major in architectural engineering at the University of Arizona.
"He wanted to use the money from the GI Bill to get an education. He didn't want to rely on his mom and dad for educational expenses," Denetso said.
Onwordi started his tour of duty in Iraq in January. He got two weeks' leave June 23 to visit his 25-year-old wife, Monique, who gave birth to a baby boy named Jonathan on July 7.
Onwordi was scheduled to return to Iraq on July 9 but was allowed to stay with his wife and child for four more days.
Onwordi's family said he came to the United States from Nigeria in July 2000 and started Army training in South Carolina six months later.
He met his wife when they both were in military training.
The 6-foot-4 Onwordi played soccer for fun, loved many kinds of music and "was almost always smiling," said his sister-in-law, Ramona Onwordi. "That's how I remember him."
Two Arizona soldiers killed in Iraq
PHOENIX (AP) -- Two soldiers from Arizona were killed in Iraq after an explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, the U.S. Department of Defense says.
Spc. Justin B. Onwordi, 28, of Chandler, and Pfc. Harry N. Shondee, Jr., 19, of Ganado, were on patrol Monday when the device exploded.
Onwordi died Monday and Shondee died Tuesday, authorities said Wednesday.
Both men were assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 12th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and were stationed in Fort Hood, Texas.
Shondee was a member of the Navajo Nation.
"It's a sad day for the Navajo people and a sad day for his family," said Deana Jackson, a tribal spokeswoman.
Just a year ago, Shondee was worlds away from the conflict in Iraq, Jackson said. The young Navajo was graduating from Ganado High School and looking forward to a career in the U.S. military as a tank operator.
In honor of Shondee, the tribe will fly the Navajo and American flags at half-staff after his funeral next week.
About 100 of Shondee's family and friends gathered Wednesday night at the Ganado Chapter House to remember him.
They said he was a member of Ganado High's golf team and the National Honor Society.
Shondee was especially adept at technology and science and was the most skillful player in town when it came to military video games.
"His bedroom wall was full of plaques and medals and other things he had won," said his 61-year-old father, Harry Shondee Sr.
Shondee's aunt, Louise Denetso, said he wanted to major in architectural engineering at the University of Arizona.
"He wanted to use the money from the GI Bill to get an education. He didn't want to rely on his mom and dad for educational expenses," Denetso said.
Onwordi started his tour of duty in Iraq in January. He got two weeks' leave June 23 to visit his 25-year-old wife, Monique, who gave birth to a baby boy named Jonathan on July 7.
Onwordi was scheduled to return to Iraq on July 9 but was allowed to stay with his wife and child for four more days.
Onwordi's family said he came to the United States from Nigeria in July 2000 and started Army training in South Carolina six months later.
He met his wife when they both were in military training.
The 6-foot-4 Onwordi played soccer for fun, loved many kinds of music and "was almost always smiling," said his sister-in-law, Ramona Onwordi. "That's how I remember him."
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