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Geoff Morrow |

Geoff Morrow |

About Me:
Sports reporter whose primary duties including covering high school football, boys' basketball and boys' volleyball.
Zip Code: 17011

Posts by Geoff Morrow | (2586 total)    RSS

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Spacing out in spring training

Posted on The Sports Blog on March 25, 2007, 6:34PM

Well, this is a depressing start to my week in Viera, Fla. As a big North Carolina fan, I'm a little sick to my stomach right now after watching the Heels shrink in the final minutes of an overtime loss to Georgetown. ... Wait. I'm in Florida. It's 80 degrees and sunny. I'm getting paid. I'm driving a cool rental... Full story »

Know your Senators

Posted on The Sports Blog on March 26, 2007, 3:05PM

My sandwich and smoothie have been devoured, my 50-proof sunscreen assured no burns, I've read an e-mail from my mom, so now I sit here in the air conditioning ready to blog about today's visit to the ballpark. Well, ballparks. There are four adjacent fields at the minor league complex behind Space Coast Stadium. Today was a "Camp Day," which... Full story »

Senators sale moving closer

Posted on Old breaking news with The Patriot-News on March 27, 2007, 9:37PM

Expect roughly two more weeks of negotiations between the city and any firms still interested in purchasing the Harrisburg Senators before an official announcement is made regarding new ownership. Mayor Stephen R. Reed was quoted Tuesday by more than one news organization as saying the city has selected a buyer and is entering the final stages of negotiations, but sources... Full story »

Negotiate some hits

Posted on The Sports Blog on March 27, 2007, 10:13PM

So I've been on the phone pretty much all day, trying to figure out some details in this continued craziness called "The Harrisburg Senators are for sale." My story just moved on the Breaking News wire, but since no one wants to talk on the record, it's still pretty vague. Even knowing what I know, I still couldn't muster a... Full story »

That emu was ugly anyway

Posted on The Sports Blog on March 28, 2007, 9:51PM

Another "Camp Day" for the Double-A crew down here at the Washington Nationals spring training in Viera, Fla. That means a short day -- no games -- just a little practice and an intra-squad scrimmage, most players done by noon. So I did a couple quick interviews and went to the zoo. I was bit by an emu. The big... Full story »

Inching closer to the final roster

Posted on The Sports Blog on March 29, 2007, 9:32PM

Blame the Dodgers. It's their fault the Nationals' Double-A crew had a second straight Camp Day today. The Double-A guys were supposed to play at the Dodgers' Vero Beach facility on Wednesday, but the Dodgers backed out. Today was a planned Camp Day. So that meant back-to-back early days for the future Senators. No scrimmages, done by noon. Just practice.... Full story »

Senators roster update (unofficial)

Posted on The Sports Blog on March 30, 2007, 5:39PM

The 2007 Harrisburg Senators -- well, the ones who start the season in our capital city -- will be arriving Monday and Tuesday, and we now have a pretty good idea on some of their identities. This list is far from official, as the world of organized baseball is a fickle place, but it's a good start. Right-handed pitchers: Brett... Full story »

Rain one day, no water the next

Posted on The Sports Blog on March 31, 2007, 6:31PM

As Hibbert and Oden try to dunk on each other, it's time for a little Saturday update from Washington Nationals spring training here in Viera, Fla. First of all, the hotel shut off all running water for a couple hours this morning, forcing me to rethink my entire day. Instead of showering and whatnot to prepare for the day, I... Full story »

Senators-Phillies Opening Day blog

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 05, 2007, 6:06PM

TOP 9TH --- Anderson Garcia replaces Nelson. Jennings popped out to third. Blanco flies out to deep center. Melo flies out to center. BALLGAME: Reading 4, Harrisburg 1. Check Friday's paper for a story and box score. BOT 8TH --- Edward Valdez replaces Martinez. Costanzo flies out to center. Burgamy grounds a single up the middle. Wild pitch moves Burgamy... Full story »

Senators-Phillies blog -- Game 2

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 06, 2007, 1:55PM

TOP 9TH --- RHP Anderson Garcia replaces Key. DeMent caught looking. Diaz grounds out to first. Jennings lines out to right. BALLGAME: Reading 7, Senators 6. Win to Key (1-0), loss to Zinicola (0-1), save to Garcia (2). Check Saturday's paper for the story and box score. BOT 8TH --- RHP Zech Zinicola replaces Bernadina; RF Cristian Guerrero replaces Plexico... Full story »

Senators live blog -- April 7

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 07, 2007, 5:05PM

TOP 9TH --- Whitesell grounds out to second. Guerrero to first on a fielding error by the shortstop. Suomi fouls out to third, Costanzo reaching over the fence to snag it and complete the sweep. FINAL SCORE: Reading 5, Senators 3. WP Kendrick (1-0); LP Hinckley (0-1); SV De La Cruz (1). Time: 2:20. Att: 3,889. Senators have the day... Full story »

Senators live game blog -- April 9

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 09, 2007, 7:01PM

Senators lose again, fall to 0-4. WP: Patterson (FINAL LINE: 2 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 bb, 3 k). LP: Rueckel (FINAL LINE: 2.1 ip, 3 h, 1 r, 1 er, 1 bb, 2 k). BOT 12TH --- Ehlers singles to left. Pilittere singles to left, Ehlers to second. Juan Francia pinch-runs for Ehlers. Garrett sac bunt to the... Full story »

Senators home opener blog

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 12, 2007, 6:19PM

TOP 9TH --- Torres pops out to short. Thomas singles to left. Thomas to second on defensive indifference. Hollimon reaches on a fielding error by the third baseman, Thomas to third. Larish strikes out looking. Joyce grounds to second for a fielder's choice, Hollimon out at second. FINAL SCORE: 6-2 Senators. First win of the season is in the books... Full story »

Senators live blog -- April 13

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 13, 2007, 5:07PM

TOP 9TH --- RHP Brett Campbell replaces Magrane (FINAL LINE: 3 ip, 4 h, 1 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 4 k). Thomas flies out to left. Haley flies out to right. Roa flies out to center. FINAL SCORE: 16-3 Senators. Wow. For a team hitting below .200, that was quite the explosion... BOT 8TH --- RHP P.J. Finigan replaces... Full story »

Senators live blog -- April 14

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 14, 2007, 5:15PM

BOT 9TH --- RHP Kevin Ardoin replaces Ostlund (FINAL LINE: 1.2 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 bb, 2 k). Jennings pops out to third. Guerrero walks. Suomi walks on four pitches, Guerrero to second. Melo grounds into a 4-6-3 double play, Suomi out at second. FINAL SCORE: 6-1 SeaWolves. So the Senators won't go undefeated on City Island this... Full story »

Senators rained out again

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 16, 2007, 4:45PM

A Harrisburg Senators' home baseball game was postponed for the second straight day because of inclement weather. Tonight's scheduled game against the Reading Phillies was rescheduled for a doubleheader on Wednesday, June 27, beginning at 5:35 at Commerce Bank Park on City Island. The Senators (2-7) and Phillies (6-3) hope to play the series' two remaining games, tomorrow at 6:05... Full story »

Senators live blog -- April 20

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 20, 2007, 6:27PM

BOT 9TH --- RHP Danny Rueckel into the game, moving into the nine-hole for Campbell. McCutchen walks on four pitches. Walker, on a full count, flies out to deep left. McCutchen to second on defensive indifference. Ruiz singles to deep second, McCutchen to third. Truby walks, Ruiz to second, bases loaded. Are the Senators seriously going to blow another one?... Full story »

Senators live blog -- April 21

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 21, 2007, 5:05PM

FINAL SCORE: 7-1 Curve. WP - Soler (1-0); LP - Perez (0-1). Check Sunday's Patriot-News for a game recap, a box score, and my column about the Senators' pitiful offense thus far... Also, check the paper this week for a Robin Jennings feature by Bob Flounders. TOP 9TH --- LF Vic Buttler replaces Roneberg (1-for-4, run). Whitesell flies out to... Full story »

Senators live blog -- April 22

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 22, 2007, 3:00PM

FINAL SCORE: 8-7 Curve. WP - Peterson (1-0, FINAL LINE: 2 ip, 3 h, 0 r, 0 bb, 2 k); LP - Plexico (0-2, FINAL LINE: 0.1 ip, 1 h, 1 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 0 k). Curve win three of four in the series. Harrisburg travels to Reading for another four-game series. Recap and box score from this... Full story »

Senators live blog -- April 23

Posted on The Sports Blog on April 23, 2007, 6:23PM

FINAL SCORE: 8-6 Phillies. WP - Maloney (2-0); LP - Nall (0-4); SV - Garcia (5). Garcia's final line: 2 ip, 2 h, 1 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 3 k; Plexico's final line: 1.1 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 0 bb, 2 k. Senators fall to 1-10 on the road and 0-6 against Reading this season. It's like they... Full story »


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Dealing with Separation Anxiety

[Originally posted at Just the Facts, Baby.]

One of the hardest things to cope with as a parent is anxious separations. Seeing those big eyes begging you not to leave and trying to pull away as your child clings desperately to your leg is often more stressful for the mother than for the child.

Here are two common mistakes parents make when dealing with separation anxiety:

1. Many parents don’t tell their child they’re going to be leaving until the moment arrives.

But the longer your child has to get used to the idea, the better she’ll be able to handle the situation when it actually happens. The problem with the “sneak out” is that the general feeling of anxiety in your child can rise because now she’s worried that at any moment, without warning, Mommy could leave. This can also extend to worrying that you won’t come back when you walk out of the room, or if you are out of sight for a few moments.

2. The other mistake parents often make is drawing out the act of leaving.

If your child is upset or crying, the worst thing you can do is to hold on to her, stay there and try to soothe her. At that point, you’re no longer capable of soothing her because you’re the reason she’s crying. The longer you stay, the longer she suffers and the faster you leave, the faster she can get over it. (And the longer you stay, the more you are confirming that this really is a terrible thing that is happening.)

Here’s what to do instead:

1. Empathy first

The more you try to talk your child out of what she is feeling, the more invested she will become in proving to you how upsetting it is. In other words, her behavior and anxiety will escalate. What you need to do instead is make a few empathic statements first. I call this the CALM technique. Try saying things like, “ You just want to be with Mommy, you love me and it’s so hard to see me go.” Children will relax to some degree because they know their feelings are understood.

2. Give messages of competence

Try saying something like, “Sweetie, you’re going to be just fine. I wouldn’t leave you anywhere I wasn’t sure you’d be safe and fine.” Or, “You can do this, I know you can because you did it yesterday and you will feel like playing in a few minutes.” Then give her a hug and a kiss and walk away—and don’t go back, no matter how tempted you may be!

When you return a few hours later or at the end of the day, don’t make a big deal of that either. If you overdo the reunion, you may be reinforcing that it was an awful thing that you both went through. A warm hug and casual statement like, “I missed you” and “I knew you could do it” will suffice.

3. Give them lots of notice and plan your exit

Make your comings and goings as predictable as possible for your child. Give her fair warning so that she has time to get used to the idea and when you do leave, don’t make a big deal of it. By telling her in advance that you’re leaving, you’re giving her that message of competence, letting her know that you believe she is capable of handling the information.

4. Practice leaving and coming back

If your child really struggles with separation, you can try leaving for a short period of time, or leaving the room (with a sitter of course) for awhile, but don’t leave the house. From there, you can extend the amount of time you leave and go from leaving for a short period of time—perhaps a half hour—until your child both knows the sitter and has gotten used to the idea that when you leave, you do come back.

Remember, for many children this is a stage and as they get a little older and accumulate more experiences of your comings and goings, they will be fine and the stronger for it.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

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"Connected Parenting advises us not just how to parent, but—far more important—who to be as parents. The therapeutic methods suggested by Jennifer Kolari are based not on simple-minded behavioural solutions, but on building warm, nurturing relationships with our children, with insight and compassion not only for their little flaws, but also for our own larger ones."
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Conservative Americans Running for U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate Conservatives Fund is asking Conservative Americans to back these five candidates as the republicans try to regain control of the senate this year.  Obviously there are other Conservatives who need your support as well, but the Fund wants you to consider helping these five.

Ben Sasse (R-NE) is the president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. He’s an expert on health care policy and will help conservatives repeal Obamacare.

Sasse was recently on the cover of National Review for a profile story that highlights his determination to stop Obamacare. He calls it an example of “what government can’t do well, wasn’t built to do, and inevitably fails at.”

Sasse also demonstrated why he’s the best candidate in this race when he went head to head with the liberals on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. He effectively explained why Obamacare is destroying our health care system and how free-market reforms will empower Americans with high-quality, affordable care.

Primary: May 13

Matt Bevin (R-KY) is a Louisville businessman who understands we can’t spend money we don’t have. He will stand up to the big spenders in both parties.Bevin recently gave a major policy speech highlighting the core themes of his campaign.“This election is a choice,” he said. “Will we continue to give more power to this little intellectual elite or will we start down a new path — a path that empowers people to make decisions in their own lives?”

Bevin raised $900,000 in the last three months of 2013 — a massive amount that shows the growing momentum of his campaign. It’s the biggest single fundraising quarter of any of our endorsed candidates so far.

Bevin has been endorsed by the Senate Conservatives Fund, FreedomWorks, Madison Project, Gun Owners of America and leading conservative voices like Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, and Erick Erickson.

Primary: May 20

Chris McDaniel (R-MS) is a state senator who has consistently earned high conservative ratings and an attorney who fought Obamacare in the courts.McDaniel recently spoke out against the 1,500-page, $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill, which busts the budget, funds Obamacare, and includes a number of liberal policy riders. However, McDaniel’s primary opponent, incumbent Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), voted with the Democrats to help pass the bill.

State Senator Michael Watson wrote a powerful op-ed in the Jackson Clarion-Ledger explaining why people should vote for McDaniel. Watson said, “It is rare to find a political candidate sufficiently firm in his principles that he will not be swayed by threats or peer pressure. The voters of Mississippi are lucky to have such a candidate — my close friend and colleague Chris McDaniel.”

McDaniel has also attracted support from top conservative groups. He has been endorsed by the Senate Conservatives Fund, Club for Growth, Madison Project, FreedomWorks, and Tea Party Express and is the only candidate who has won the support of all five.

Primary: June 3

Dr. Milton Wolf (R-KS) is board-certified radiologist and President Obama’s conservative cousin who will fight to support and defend the constitution.Wolf continues to prosecute the case against his primary opponent, Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS). Wolf recently highlighted Roberts’ vote for the $620 billion fiscal cliff tax increase and called on him to oppose the next increase in the debt limit — something Roberts has supported 11 times before.

Wolf also announced PatientCare, a 17-page plan to replace Obamacare. Wolf’s plan would create a patient-centered, market-driven health care system that offers Americans high-quality, affordable care.

Primary: August 5

Rob Maness (R-LA) is a retired Air Force colonel who is determined to stop the politicians in Washington from destroying the freedoms he spent his adult life defending.Col. Maness has now established himself as the true conservative in the race to replace incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA). He has steadily built support among the grassroots while his chief Republican opponent, Congressman Bill Cassidy (R-LA), has
sought the support of the Washington establishment.

Cassidy joined Mary Landrieu in voting for the $1.1 trillion omnibus bill and showed voters once again that there is little difference between himself and his Democratic opponent.

Maness has earned the support of the Senate Conservatives Fund, Madison Project, and Gun Owners of America.

Primary: November 4

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Overdraft Charges: Fallen from Grace Periods

We’ve noticed in our short tenure as The Consumerist that few of customers’ complaints against companies actually involve large sums. Take this bit of hatred about Bank of America:

In fact, my reason is very petty $19.
That’s the overdraft fee I was charged because while Bank of America (and I) slept, the banking trolls determined that my account had insufficient funds for a couple of hours before my payroll direct deposit posted and after a charge of $40.49 posted.
Though no representative of Bank of America will tell me what exact times each transaction occurred, they assured me that they know that the bad one came first, and that even though they have no specific record of it, they can assure me that I had a negative balance… for an undetermined period of time.

Cutting it close is user error, for sure, but we can remember (imagine?) a time when banks used to cover for a person when paychecks crossed the finish line just behind a check for eighty-nine cents. (We have a thing for those little brown coconut donuts.)

Does anyone out there have a bank that doesn’t nail you for cutting it close?

Edit Your Comment

  1. Phil Ulrich says:

    My bank, U.S. Bank, does nail me for cutting it close… plus, on top of that, they’ll pre-emptively charge overdraft charges for tentative charges to a debit card. The story:

    I found a decent laptop on TigerDirect for approx. $250 a month for four months. This, for me, was a reasonable and easy amount to pay. So, I went ahead and placed the order, not noticing that TD doesn’t accept debit cards for their Easy Pay program because “they can’t charge four separate payments to a bank” or something like that. Banks won’t authorize it, they told me later. Luckily, after placing the order, I immediately checked my checking account balance – which was in the region of $-700, tentatively, because the charge was authorized but not final yet.

    I immediately called TigerDirect to get an explanation and cancel the order, which was no problem, and they told me they’d contact the bank and tell them the charge was canceled, and it’d disappear sometime in the next 48 hours. Well, 72 hours passed, that charge was still sitting there, and – because I live by my debit card – I had racked up $180 in pending overdraft charges. My bank balance was not even officially negative yet. So I called U.S. Bank.

    “Oh yes, sir,” they tell me, “when the charge from TigerDirect disappears, those overdraft fees will too. Sometime in the next 48-72 hours.” So they artificially ratchet up my balance back where it should be by manually replacing the charge, and I go away satisfied… until I notice that the charges had went from pending to definite. Yes, sometime during that period, before my bank balance was officially in the red, those pending charges became official charges.

    To add insult to financial injury, when the charge DID vanish from my authorizations (which, incidentally, took roughly 5 business days), the overdraft fees did not – I had to call to have them manually reversed.

  2. Eirishis says:

    Actually, Wachovia (available only from Florida through Pennsylvania, if I’m not mistaken) charges for overdraft, and does the same “largest charge first” thing as BoA…but with two important features:
    1) Free checking accounts come with overdraft protection.
    2) The overdraft protection kicks in $100 at a time, with a one time charge that isn’t particularly big.

  3. mitten says:

    I do my business banking at TCF Bank. I don’t cut it close often, but I did have an occasion when two checks came through before my deposit to cover them was posted. I called customer service, explained that I had missed by ‘just this much’ and she rescinded one of the bounced check fees for me. I thought that was pretty nice.

    I imagine they wouldn’t be as generous if you do it all the time, but my husband had a similar thing happen and when he called, they offered the same to him – only charging him one fee although 2 checks bounced. Of course TCF didn’t have to do that, but it sure generated a lot of good will with this customer!

  4. Jim Kosmicki says:

    I HAVE to comment on the whole bank fees thing. I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to understand this one simple fact: credit unions are your friends. They don’t have multi-million dollar advertising budgets so they often get overlooked.

    But I can usually get almost anyone interested in a credit union with one simple phrase: “non-profit bank.” because that’s what a credit union is.

    In my experience a lot of credit unions are limited membership based on certain criteria, but almost every good-sized population base has a credit union based simply on being a resident of a particular county, city, suburb, etc. My credit union not only has reasonable fees, but they listen when something goes wrong and have always corrected it in my favor with little to no fuss.

    The only negative with my credit union right now is that the ATM network they were affiliated with just changed owners and got rid of all non-corporate affiliations. So I’m much more limited in my ATM access without fees, but since they were among the first in the area to have debit cards, I find that I don’t actually use my card at the ATM as much anyway.

  5. Rick says:

    I use Bank of the West, they merely wait until a certain time every night to post all deposits and all withdrawals. So at 12:01am all my deposits are posted, then withdrawals are posted about an hour after that. This solves the problem pretty simply.

  6. I use BoA and have my check card linked to a BoA cc, so if i overdraft the extra bit gets charged to my cc and i incur no fees. I signed up for this program 5 years ago when I was a freshman in college so I don’t know if it was just a college program to give kids learning how to deal with money a bit of float, but it did save my ass once or twice.

    Maybe ask BoA about this?

    I also can’t help but suggest if you are having that many problems with overdrafts, you should invest (or be resourceful..) and find a copy of Microsoft Money. Easy for the novice (like me) budgeter.

  7. RowdyRoddyPiper says:

    Taylor, thanks for the tip on the CC overdraft. I’ve had my checking linked to my savings to avoid the overdraft fiascos of my misspent youth. There is the drawback that they charge roughly $5 to transfer the money from savings to my checking to avoid overdraft. If the credit card is free, maybe I’ll answer the solicitations. I would triple check the accuracy of the “freeness” though. The link below is the answer from BofA to the question “What is the cost for overdraft protection”…notice the answer.

  8. blee says:

    First Internet Bank of Indiana (firstib.com) covers checking overdrafts from my money market. They also re-imburse up to $6 of ATM fees per/mo.

  9. RRP: That answer leads me to believe the cost varies depending on the promotion you get under. Maybe I just got lucky.


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Health Insurance Fightback Roundup

(Photo: César Rincón)

Edit Your Comment

  1. Magicube says:

    What’s up with the ginormous font for the headline? It looks ridiculous.

  2. CurbRunner says:

    Way beyond Sicko…

    The most notable thing about all of this is that in a country that can spend a trillion dollars on an endless war, how pathetic it has become that we even have to go through all of this shit just to remain physically intact.

    Michael Moore is right.

  3. Me. says:

    I recently got diagnosed with cancer and, as a 25 year old recent graduate, I was in the weird stage between school healthcare and my professional job healthcare.

    I applied to the state healthcare and was denied. The next step? Requesting a hearing to fight their denial. Right after reqesting the hearing, they approved me. Seems like it was easier to approve than to go to court…. Moral of the story: fight for what you need!!! The answer “No” is very changeable.

  4. timmus says:

    I keep hoping every year that enough people will be pissed off enough about the health insurance mess to demand a major change to the system. In a way I think it’s inevitable because the health insurance companies will eventually trim out every sick person or potentially sick person from any kind of access. As more people put off medical care, this will lower the overall utilization of health facilities and dampen the system’s economy of scale (harder for a hospital to justify that new MRI scanner). Plus the insurance companies will ruthlessly perfect the art of stingy payouts, putting even less money into the system, and boom, it will collapse!

    Wait a second — there’s all those baby boomers and Medicare. Damn you! There will be no end to this broken system!

  5. bohemian says:

    What is even worse is when the only two Hospital/clinic groups in your entire state actually own the two largest health plans in a state that only has about 8 companies writing policies here.

    This sort of shit should be illegal. But our governor is an insurance guy so he is protecting them. Ironically our health care costs are higher than average compared to the rest of the country.

    I am so sick of the dunderheads that keep saying that private insurance is the answer. They say that until they get sick.

  6. CurbRunner says:

    “Moral of the story: fight for what you need!!! The answer “No” is very changeable.”

    Good for you.
    However, your victory is much more the exception than the norm.

  7. Xerloq says:

    @bohemian: It’s not a question of stupidity, but apathy. Government should regulate the system only as far as preventing monopolies and price-fixing – but the rest of the power must remain in the consumer’s hands.

    Right now, no one cares enough to change the system. Doctors don’t care because they are guaranteed some payment; policy holders don’t care because their $15 copay and premiums don’t sting as much as paying thousands for care; and insurance companies don’t care because there’s a steady flow of money from employers funding their business.

    The key is to make someone care – ideally the consumer. I’ve had success with dropping health insurance for routine stuff (saving $5,000+ per year in premiums and $500 or so in co-pays), and getting high-deductible/catastrophic care insurance (about $1,000 per year). You pay cash out of pocket for physicals, specialists, and other routine stuff, but you’re covered if you have cancer or need brain surgery, etc.

    This forces consumers to regulate their own care, making less unnecessary visits. When you know you’re paying cash out of pocket for a doctor’s visit, you shop around and can negotiate better rates because you’re paying cash. Since with cash the doctor is paid now, rather than waiting 90 days or more for the insurance to pay out, they’re more willing to give discounts. I’ve found that upwards of 80% of doctors will negotiate lower rates that are equal to or better than the insurance negotiated rates.

    The nice thing is that managing health care in this manner lowers the costs for employers (who pay the bulk of the costs), too, as they pay less into their health plans for employees. The savings are passed to the insurance companies who pay out less frequently for the routine and unneeded things (the bulk of costs), and only have to worry about the catastrophic stuff.

    Some companies are beginning to pair this high-deductable/catastrophic insurance with an MSA or HSAs (a savings account for medical expenses like a 401k or IRA), which allow consumers to better manage their expenses than an FSA.

    A form of private insurance is still the answer, so long as consumers have the power to vote with their wallets. We don’t want health insurance to turn into another DMV or Social Security system – the epitomes of government effectiveness

    Just my $0.02.


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Edit Your Comment

  1. Nemesis_Enforcer says:

    Hmm I am torn on this one. Virgin Islands that sucks, hope they get it all and no one gets sick. Prisoners…LOL serves you right I hope they crap thier brains out! If a few die oh well less money we have to pay for them. Am I heartless…yepper thier criminals they are supposed to suffer for thier punishment.

  2. speedwell (propagandist and secular snarkist) says:

    “Cruel and unusual punishment” is forbidden by that Constitution you supposedly fought to uphold, nimrod.

  3. timmus says:

    Yeah, no kidding. I guess he’s convinced the prison system is incapable of incarcerating an innocent person.

  4. speedwell (propagandist and secular snarkist) says:

    In this country we are supposed to treat even the guilty with a measure of dignity and compassion, more because we are decent human beings than because they “deserve” it. We don’t live up to that wonderful Enlightenment ideal in practice, but at least we agree it’s the ideal and that we don’t live up to it. That is, unless we’re battle-hardened creeps who think people are dispensable.

  5. Shred says:

    Meat is murder and is a hardy contributer to global warming. Go veggie.

  6. speedwell (propagandist and secular snarkist) says:

    Shred, learn a modicum of social grace, and pick up a dictionary while you’re at it, eh? Even other vegans on this site don’t care to be harangued, to the extent they can even understand what you’re saying.


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Dinner And Everything After…

There is an ideal in fitness – a false meme that can be a contributing factor working against a person with a weight loss agenda.  If I had to narrow my list of fitness pet peeves down, this one would be top 5.  What I would like to illuminate, and help people conquer is the age old idea that a person seeking weight loss should not eat after dinner.

Tina’s Energy Crisis

I will use the example of a 30-something female who I’ll call Tina:

Presumably Tina eats dinner around 6:00 in the evening – whatever Tina’s dinner might be is not too relevant.  If she’s an average American 30-something female, she’ll not actually eat breakfast until after 10:00 in the morning, and it will be scarcely healthy – enter the scone or the energy bar with a latte.

A slower metabolism is just a scone’s throw away…

As a 30-something, active female Tina requires about 1,800 calories per day to maintain her body weight.  This means Tina is burning approximately 75 calories per hour to break even.  To evoke a safe, sustainable weight loss, a calorie deficit of about 150 calories less per day would be recommended.  This will place Tina at 1,650 calories per day.  This means Tina will be living off approximately 68 calories per day on her journey to an  improved body.

Relative to Tina’s BMR, she will be burning slightly more than those 68 calories per hour while she is awake and active – even if she sits on her ass all day and does little.  What is often misunderstood about calories burned during the course of a day is that Tina will be burning only slightly fewer calories while she is sleeping – calories necessary for the energy it takes to sleep and recover from any would-be exercise or activity during her day.

If Tina stops eating at 6:00pm – after dinner, as is often recommended by the fitness media, and doesn’t eat again until 10:00am, then Tina has not fueled her body for a 2/3rds of the day – fuel which is required around the clock to bolster and enhance the metabolic effect for fostering weight loss.  A majority of the day spent not eating – not fueling.  How is a car supposed to make such a long journey without fuel…?

There is no shortage of published work suggesting hibernation theory; that by not eating often enough the body senses a decreased energy income.  In order to overcome that decreased energy income, the body slows the metabolic process down to use less energy.  Body fat is stored increasingly, and used only sparingly as fuel.  This is how bears get through winter.

A Smeal Is A Hell Of A Deal

In a weight loss endeavor there’s little difference between snacks and meals – I just call them smeals.  Every successful weight loss success story I have been associated with, male or female, young or not-so-young, has had several things in common, not the least of which is the rhythmic eating of smeals throughout the day.  A smeal after waking up in the morning, a smeal at bedtime, and a few smeals every three to four hours in between can add up to a loss.

Eating rhythmically throughout the day, the brain and body conclude that since more energy is on the way, it’s not as urgent to slow down the metabolic process or to store energy as quickly in the form of body fat.  That is, the motor runs fast, efficiently, and uses the best fuel.  Add to that, additional calories burned due to increased activity, and the energy reserves (body fat) are utilized.  This is one scenario in life when it’s good not to have reserves.

Sumo Slow

I often use the Sumo wrestler as an example of slowing down the metabolic process.  We envision these large men who hail from Japan, a predominately demure culture, as being able to eat whatever they want.  In part that’s true, Sumos take in a majority of their calories from a calorie-rich stew called, Chankonabe.   However, Sumo wrestlers coax their metabolism by eating great quantities of Chankonabe, but only do so only once per day.  This intake of substantial calories only one time per day enables weight gain at an exponential rate.  Sumos train, eat, and sleep in an environment called a stable.

Life in the stable. I wonder how stable is heart is…?

A thought:  For those reading this believing they will lose weight by eating just a little during the day and having a large dinner at night, remember Sumos live in stables, athletes dine at tables – and do so frequently.  Be well.  rc

12 responses

  1. Very nicely put, Roy! Women in particular also seem fond of diets that involve fasting—another colossal fail. And of course, they skimp on protein, so they’re not only under-eating but in a constant state of negative nitrogen balance. No wonder they “can’t lose weight”!

    Well done, as always. Love the new look of your website, by the way.

  2. Roy – LOVE!!!!!! I hear this all the time – read it too!!! My response, I don’t follow this rule. I am a mini meal eater anyway & so a 150-250 calorie snack or mini meal after dinner & before bed never hurt me! :) I think the pundits tend to talk to people that mindlessly eat later at night & consume lots of empty calories…. if we are eating in a healthy way, personally, I don’t go for the no eating after dinner. MIndless eating is the prob as well as boredom snacking & all that….. it is not the fact that it is after dinner…. Great post!

    • Thanks Jody! I know more than a few thin women who want to lose those 5 vanity pounds who absolutely refuse to eat but once a day — and those 5 pounds always stick around. Yet the leanest people I know grind something before bed — I know I do…

  3. Actually, I sometimes-normally dine on the couch. It is my nesting place, after all. I also eat late into the night if my stomachs suggest it. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let some science experiment person tell me that eating cereal at midnight ain’t good for my bawwwdy.

    • Many ways indeed Sir! My only thoughts on fasting are the faster it’s over, the faster I get back to eating :-)

      Once upon a time I fasted for mental discipline. This is a good reminder that I need to bring that back into my life!

  4. I literally posted this update on FB last night at 10:42 PM (you couldn’t have had better timing): “I purposely brushed my teeth and 8:30 to deter myself from snacking, which of course means I had to deal with mowing down Crest-flavored Lucky Charms about 15 minutes ago.”

  5. A question…does the quality of the food you eat count? Tina could eliminate 150 calories from her diet & still eat what may be considered junk food for her smeals. Is she still going to lose weight?

    • A source of great debate. On a base level, yes — energy is energy and there is energy in all food. Timing of foods is a factor — again, once per day vs. 5-6 small mels per day. Excess sugar, alcohol, and saturated fats will be processed differently and have a different effect. Clearly it’s better to eat the best calories possible,, whenever possible. But I always tell people, better you eat a Snickers bar in an 8 hour period of time, than noting at all.

      Please hit me up via email for a more detaled discussion. You know where to find me :-)

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Asterix Brawl Pits Father Against Daughter

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Albert Uderzo, French author and illustrator who launched the Asterix comics strip character in 1959 with author Rene Goscinny, posing with the statues of his characters Asterix and Obelix

Fans of the feisty Gallic comic character Asterix have always loved the monumental brawls their hero regularly finds himself in. Few, however, are taking pleasure in the latest Asterix fight — an ugly donnybrook between the comic's illustrator Albert Uderzo and his daughter Sylvie over her accusation that Uderzo was sweet-talked into selling his beloved creation to crass business interests. Now father and daughter are locked in battle over the future of the diminutive Gaul — and the $15 million or so he generates every year.

The dust-up began on Jan. 14 when Sylvie Uderzo published an open letter in French daily Le Monde, denouncing her father's decision to cede 60% of the Asterix series' parent company to publishing giant Hachette Livre. That sale was finalized earlier this month by Albert Uderzo and Anne Goscinny, whose father René was co-creator and writer of Asterix from the comic's inception in 1961 until his death in 1977. Since then Uderzo has continued producing the series on his own via the Editions Albert-René publishing company he founded in 1979 — a go-it-alone decision aimed at safeguarding the creativity and independence Asterix himself is famous for. (See pictures of some of the greatest ever animated movies.)

The decision to sell evidently infuriated Sylvie Uderzo, who until recently was the director general of Editions Albert-René, and still owns the remaining 40% stake in it. "Today, I'm rebelling (because) Asterix is my paper brother," began her letter to Le Monde. "[Now] I find myself entering into battle against perhaps Asterix's worst enemies: the men of industry and finance."

Sylvie didn't stop slugging there — and resorted to verbal uppercuts so potent readers might have suspected they were fueled by Getafix's trusty magic potion. (He's called Panoramix in the original French version.) Uderzo fille said she felt compelled to counter "this first victorious act of the invader against the indomitable Gauls" because of her father's "repudiation of all the values" Asterix stands for — "independence, fraternity, conviviality and resistance". Sylvie, then alleged her 81-year-old father had been convinced by unidentified advisers to reverse his fiercely independent, family control of the series, and sell it to outside business interests. For its part, Hachette Livre has made it clear in press reports that it views its acquisition of the 60% Asterix stake as a legitimate, above-board transaction with Albert Uderzo and Anne Goscinny; it meanwhile refused to comment on what it considers a private family dispute.

In comments to French wire service Agence France Presse on Jan. 26, Uderzo père used all the wit and cunning of his animated creation animated creation to counter suggestions he was an aging pigeon who'd been manipulated by business sharks. "To be accused by my own daughter, in the pages of the newspaper of reference, of being an old man, manipulated and deluded in his insatiable greed by the gnomes of finance, is already quite undignified," Uderzo said, before noting the irony of his daughter using language and imagery from the series to accuse its creator of selling out. "The accusation made against me is not only inspired by the appetite for power, it also aims to insult Asterix readers by confusing my abilities as an author with that of a publishing house shareholder."

Money and power are central to the row: Asterix comics sell roughly three million copies annually — more than 325 million have sold since the 1961 pilot — and generate sales of $14.8 million each year. Asterix has also inspired movie adaptations, collectible toys, and even a Paris-area theme park over the years.

But beyond the bottom line, the internecine brouhaha is also a fight over the best way to protect a beloved character who has attained cultural icon status in France — not least because Asterix endearingly personifies countless French traits that test outsiders' patience. What's at stake is the very appeal of the brainy but diminutive Asterix, super-sized Obélix, and canine chum Dogmatix (Idéfix in the original French).

Sylvie Uderzo insists her father stick by his earlier pledges that the Asterix series end upon his death. Albert Uderzo says he now trusts Hachette Livre to do right by Asterix — and both current and future fans. "I recall the letters I got after the death of René Goscinny," Uderzo explained this week. "Readers told me that it couldn't end there, which is why I had to continue the adventure."

Read TIME's Nerd World blog about creator Albert Uderzo.

Read a TIME story on Asterix.


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Books: H. R. L

LUCE: HIS TIME, LIFE, AND FORTUNE by John Kobler. 296 pages. Doubleday. $4.95.

Published a year after Henry R. Luce's death, this volume is billed as his first biography. So it is, though scarcely a full-length treatment. An expansion of a 1965 article for the Saturday Evening Post, about half the book offers a biographical sketch of Luce, while the rest describes the rise and condition of the publications he founded. Author Kobler interviewed Luce and members of his family, talked to many of his associates, and had partial access to Time Inc. archives. Even so, students of the press are likely...

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World Battlefronts: BATTLE OF THE PACIFIC: Long Step Nearer

Less than two weeks after the end of the Iwo Jima battle the U.S. Navy had assembled the greatest invasion armada ever to operate in the Pacific: 1,400 ships and up to 100,000 soldiers and marines of the new Tenth Army. When it was all ready, they poured this power into Japan's front yard.

Northward in the Ryukyus, the ladder of islands stretching from Formosa to Japan, steamed Admiral Raymond A. Spruance's Fifth Fleet, working in small units, striking here, there, everywhere. In the southern Ryukyus the British Pacific Fleet, working with U.S. Pacific forces for the first time, struck at...

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The Presidency: Present At the Preservation

Present At the Preservation

Horace Marden Albright was only 26 during that August in 1916 when the National Park Service was created. A wily Californian, bursting with energy, he was possessed by a vision of how to preserve the nation's grandeur.

His boss, Stephen Mather of the Department of Interior, the other midwife of that legislation, was off in the Sierra wilderness. Albright was so convinced that the legislation signaled the beginning of something great that he was determined to seize the moment. In those wonderful days, one young man with heart could move mountains--or at least help preserve them. He persuaded his congressional staff...

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List of the day: amandelp's top 10 albums
KISS melts in your mouth, not in your hands

Early buzz: 'Playboy,' Pixies, 'Mad Men,' TMBG and more

By Whitney Matheson, USA TODAY

Happy Friday to you! The weekend is upon us! Last night I ate ravioli, renewed my lease and watched the Office wedding. It doesn't sound like much, but I was quite relieved when all of it was over.

Today's Early Buzz pic comes from Andrea S., aka aestrap. She says it was taken around 1988 -- she's the clown and her sister, Aly, is ALF. Don't you miss those plastic costumes? If you have a "classic" Halloween photo, send it my way, and I may spotlight it on the blog this month.

Some headlines:

- Tracy Morgan joined Twitter yesterday and immediately got more than 26,000 followers.

- The Pixies are making their Doolittle tour performances available as live albums.

- Marge Simpson appears on the cover of the November issue of Playboy.

- NBC has canceled Southland.

- Brooks Brothers is going to start selling Mad Men suits.

- Reed Fish is attempting to visit every Sizzler in America. Hey, why not?

- It's the 20th anniversary of They Might Be Giants' Flood.

- Jawbox will reunite on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in December.

- Kristen Bell and Christina Aguilera will star in a musical drama called Burlesque.

- ABC picked up Modern Family, Cougar Town and The Middle for full seasons.

- South Park is holding a big "watch and win" contest.

- George Gershwin's estate has allowed Brian Wilson to complete some of the composer's unfinished songs.

- Jon Hamm loves hockey. (Anyone else sense a Kevin Smith-Hamm collaboration on the horizon?)

- The Cure's Disintegration is getting reissued. (Thanks, Boyd.)

- The second season of Parker Lewis Can't Lose comes out on DVD in January.

- Who are the sexiest vampires?

- Are you brave enough to look at this list of scary pop-culture clowns?

- Jania21 told me about this fun 'stache site.

- Check out these awesome Star Wars pumpkins.

- And finally, Edvidge G. told me about this site, which sells edible Pop Candy!

List of the day: amandelp's top 10 albums
KISS melts in your mouth, not in your hands
To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to


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Comfortech is one of the best values in all of HVAC. Thousands of network opportunities crammed into a few short days in September, plus hundreds of vendors with the latest ways for you to boost your business. And let’s not forget the combined genius of the seminar leaders, just itching to share strategies that can save you mountains of time and put more profit on your bottom line.

But there’s been a little problem…

You see, our seminar leaders conduct a series of 90-minute sessions, delivered to a “classroom” of info-seeking contractors. Often, a point is made that you have got to get some answers on!

So you, like everyone else, swamps the class leader at the end and patiently wait to get your question answered. Since others are waiting too, you can’t get into the meat of your problem. So there you were with “the” expert in the field who could solve it, but the opportunity was missed.

This caused a problem for us too. Seminar leaders have asked for more time in these sessions, but contractors also want more topics. We just couldn’t fit it all in! Until now…

We asked HVAC’s top marketing expert, Adams Hudson to help us out. (No, he’s not a Trade Show expert, but the guy has a knack for solutions!) His idea was unusual. In fact, it was just crazy enough to work. So here it is…

Consultant’s Corner

For Comfortech 2003, we’re going to have a Consultant’s Corner right on the trade show floor. We’ll pick the top experts in different fields from Sales, Marketing, Business Management, and Technical to give those who sign up completely free consulting in half-hour, uninterrupted slots! This puts you face-to-face, with rapid-fire discussions about your specific challenge with the consultant who can help!

These consultants routinely collect $4,000+ just to show up at your business… and they stay booked solid. We’ll have 6 consultants rotating in and out to answer your questions, giving you solid solutions right on the spot. That’s $24,000 of help at your fingertips, just for coming to Comfortech 2003.

But here’s the deal: You’ve got to be quick. There are only five 30-minute sessions per day, per consultant. (From 12:30-3:00 on Thursday and Friday.) With over 1,000 attendees, we don’t expect it to take long to fill these free consulting slots! Once we announce the Consultants, you can either sign up right away on the web, or perhaps snag a slot at their seminar. So watch for info in upcoming issues, or at the Contracting Business Interactive website.

Comfortech 2003 will be super exciting. Make it even more profitable by getting a free, face-to-face consultation right at the show!


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THE 2013 SAVANA CARGO VAN now offers rear vision camera and rear park assist. Features include a fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, available 6.6 L Duramax turbo-diesel engine with B20 biodiesel capability, available locking rear differential, and a trailer rating of up to 10,000 lb. on 2500 and 3500 models.
CIRCLE 114 on inquiry card


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JUL 2013

ConventionSouth magazine is the leading resource for meeting planners who book all types of events, conventions, conferences and group travel in the south.

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Page 49 of 60

ALABAMA ARKANSAS FLORIDA GEORGIA KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MISSISSIPPI NORTH CAROLINA OKLAHOMA SOUTH CAROLINA TENNESSEE TEXAS VIRGINIA WEST VIRGINIA Jackson CVB INSIDER'S G U I D E By D.Fran Morley Jackson, Mississippi w w w. c o n v e n t i o n s o u t h . c o m "a culinary team that can offer options to meet all tastes and budgets." Coming to Jackson in the near future, according to the CVB, is The District at Eastover, which is expected to include a high-end movie theater, shopping, office space, restaurants, lofts and a hotel. "2013 should also see the groundbreaking of a new convention center hotel as well as the reopening of the famous Iron Horse Grill. And, a Westin is in the works for downtown Jackson," Cackett said. In July 2012, the CVB was awarded accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, an international accreditation program developed by the Washington, DCbased Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI).  "Jackson CVB is honored to receive the Destination Marketing Accreditation from DMAP," said Wanda Wilson, CVB president/ CEO. "We are very pleased to be recognized for providing outstanding services in accordance with international standards and benchmarks in this field." ■ Jackson CVB via Facebook If you want to bring your group event to Jackson, Miss., youʼre not alone. A recent report from the Jackson CVB estimates that in 2011, just over three million people visited the cityʼs tourist attractions, festivals, and conventions. "Jackson is a rare find for savvy meeting planners," said Marika Cackett, CVB director of marketing and public relations. "Our destination value is our No. 1 selling point. Jackson is a ʻtrue southʼ city thatʼs just the right size. Your event will take center stage while your attendees enjoy our rich, local culture." Add to that Jacksonʼs venues, such as the Jackson Convention Complex that offers many options behind a sparkling glass exterior. Planners will find the 90,000-square-foot convention center, a 382-seat theater, a full catering kitchen and all the latest audio/visual technology. "Our center is a state-of-the-art facility, thatʼs LEED certified, with a team of professionals who can assist in making a memorial event from start to finish," said Micah Allen, director of sales and marketing. She added that the center is a one-stop shop, with This marker is part of the Mississippi Freedom Trail, a series of signs throughout the state that recognize moments that challenged segregation and racial oppression. Unveiled this year, the marker is located near the old Woolworth's retail store where civil rights activists staged a sit-in 50 years ago. J U L Y 2 0 1 3 ⎜ ConventionSouth ⎜ 49

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