By Hail Hamilton

A new Pentagon forecast warns that Mexico is so embattled by drug lords it could rapidly collapse. The study says the only other state so threatened is Pakistan. This ought to be a wake-up call about U.S. priorities.

As the Obama administration gets moving, new faces at the national security establishment with fresh perspective and a few long memories are a good thing. That's because the U.S. may be forced to shift national security resources toward Mexico, based on the grim possibility that it might not make it out of its drug war.

Vicious traffickers plaguing ...<< MORE >>

By Anonymous

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Texas town.  From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family.  The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.  

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family.  In my young mind, he had a special niche.  My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey.  But the stranger...he was our storyteller.  He would ...<< MORE >>

By Hail Hamilton

The Internet is afire with a grand proposal. Instead of bailing out AIG to the tune of $85 billion, why not divide the money among all 200 million or so U.S. adults? As close as I can figure this is the story behind the mysterious proposal.

But first the proposal:

“I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

“Instead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in the form of a We Deserve It Dividend.

“To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000
bonafide U.S. Citizens 18 years or older.

“Our population is about 300,000,000 counting every man, woman
and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.

“So divide 200 million adults 18 and older into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

“My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18 years and older a We Deserve It Dividend.

“Of course, ...<< MORE >>

By Hail Hamilton

On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes - government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama believes both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why he’s proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.

The Obama plan provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors and plans to implement the plan. Under the Obama plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats.

Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year.

If you don’t have health insurance, ...<< MORE >>

IC Bus Shows Positive First Year Results for Napa Valley School District

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080725/AQF028)
NAPA, Calif., July 25, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine the environmental impact if all of California's school buses were able to double their fuel efficiency and eliminate up to 40 percent of their greenhouse gas emissions. That's not the premise for a futuristic Hollywood movie, it's reality for one California school district.
IC Bus, LLC, the largest school bus manufacturer in North America and affiliate of Navistar, Inc. , delivered a revolutionary new hybrid diesel electric school bus to Napa Valley Unified School District last August -- the only hybrid diesel electric school bus in California.

While most "diesel-only" powered school buses achieve an average of six to seven miles per gallon, Ralph Knight, transportation director at Napa Valley School District, was surprised to learn just how much fuel the hybrid diesel electric school bus could save.

By Carlos Abejon

1. Analyze Your Needs

Before you get your mind set on any particular make or model, it’s important to take a step back and consider why you drive. Are you looking for a car primarily to commute to and from work? Or is it a second car for quick errands around town? How many passengers do you usually carry? Shopping for a car that meets—but does not exceed—those real needs is an essential first step toward fuel efficiency.

2. Choose a Right-Sized Vehicle

After an honest self-assessment of how you’ll use your car or truck, it’s time to think about the vehicle size: SUV, Minivan, Pickup Truck, Crossover/Wagon, Midsize Sedan, Compact, Subcompact, or Smartcar. When it comes to fuel efficiency, size matters. Bigger vehicles weigh more than smaller ones—and vehicle weight is the single biggest determinant for fuel efficiency. A heavier vehicle needs more power, and thus ...<< MORE >>

By Rhonda Washington, RN

Charles Courtemanche, a Ph.D. researcher in health economics at Washington University in St. Louis, has some wild ideas about what contributes to obesity. In recent research posted on his Web site, he presents three different papers talking about economic changes that could change the picture of obesity in the United States.

The first says that an increase in cigarette taxes by $1 would reduce the rate of obesity 4 to 9 percent after seven years. The argument is based on the idea that once people make one healthy change (which lots of people would do if cigarettes cost more), they’ll be encouraged to make other changes, including losing weight.

Secondly, he argues that increasing work hours can account for 6 percent of the increase in adult obesity between 1961 and 2004, while moms working more outside of the home is blamed for 10 percent of the ...<< MORE >>

Tasty, functional foods help you lower cholesterol naturally.

By Nurse Nancy

Do you want a diet to lower cholesterol? We all know that butter, ice cream, and fatty meats raise cholesterol, but do you know which foods make up a low-cholesterol diet? Find out here.

Here's some good news. To lower your cholesterol, you can actually eat more of certain foods. A handful of some "functional foods" have been shown to make a big impact on your cholesterol levels. They're also much tastier than a pill chased with a glass of water.

"These foods may not be magic, but they're close to it," says Ruth Frechman, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Researchers have found that some foods -- such as fatty fish, walnuts, oatmeal, and oat bran, and foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols -- can help control your cholesterol. Some studies have shown that a ...<< MORE >>

Cholesterol is the Jekyll and Hyde of the body.

By Dr. Bob

Like the literary split personality, it has a good side because it is needed for certain important body functions. But for many Americans, cholesterol also has an evil side. When present in excessive amounts, it can injure blood vessels and cause heart attacks and stroke.

The body needs cholesterol for digesting dietary fats, making hormones, building cell walls, and other important processes. The bloodstream carries cholesterol in particles called lipoproteins that are like blood-borne cargo trucks delivering cholesterol to various body tissues to be used, stored or excreted. But too much of this circulating cholesterol can injure arteries, especially the coronary ones that supply the heart. This leads to accumulation of cholesterol-laden "plaque" in vessel linings, a condition called atherosclerosis.

When blood flow to the heart is impeded, the heart muscle becomes starved for oxygen, causing chest ...<< MORE >>

Strongest evidence yet that human activity is causing warming in atmosphere, land, and oceans.

WASHINGTON (AP)—After six years of assessing climate science research from around the world, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has solidified the scientific understanding that key heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere "have increased markedly as a result of human activities," and the "net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming." The report states that evidence of the climate's warming "is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level."

Peter Frumhoff

"This report reaffirms that our emissions are the primary cause of global warming," said Peter Frumhoff, Director of Science and Policy at UCS. "The good news is that by taking action today to dramatically reduce our emissions, we can ...<< MORE >>