Reckoning

I give personal thanks to everyone who has viewed or come across this blog and commend you for your efforts to expand your horizon amongst the realms in human existence. This is a very small blog which is slowly working to establish its community and fan base.

The tomb was established as a mere class assignment for my bachelors in communication. After getting a satisfying grade like any other college student would abandon their assignment. I had left the graves for only the dead to wander amongst a apertion of the seekers. Taking a break from the journalism aspect of media for a few months was great not having to worry about deadlines for current events, but through my madness I have finally decided to indulge myself once again in the art of writing digitally once again.

This student project was used as a digital media incentive to a way to explore news media through another angle. I try to express that looking outside the box is a better view of reality. This can make yourself more vulnerable towards the standards of society or simple scrutiny from others.

However, it is of the up most importance to be aware of what is going on in our world but to think for yourself as a fellow being in this circle of life. The media overall does influence everyday people like you and me. Stay tuned for more random updates.

A current outlook on the Healthcare Industry of America

This week we are going to explore the United States of America’s Healthcare system. That is mainly based upon insurance policies that fail the people of a united country due to its greed. Fellow citizens have become deceased due to the fact that they cannot afford health insurance. In other countries around the world you pay higher taxes but are obligated to the right of life. The Health Insurance companies in the U.S. are only accessible due to the Dollar (USD).

Currently we are in an economic recession, a bear market that is very volatile. Within the last four months 2.6 million Americans have lost their jobs and insurance along with it. With the COBRA coverage implemented by the stimulus plan, you are only covered up to 18 months with expensive premiums. Private policies are very choice selective in choosing good candidates for insurance. Pricey premiums usually occur since most people do not take out policies until they need them. If you have a history of bad acne, asthma or even the simple occurrence of migraines you can get rejected by insurance companies. I feel the value of money in our society goes over the value of life. This is why millions of people live without health insurance.

Let us venture into the eyes of a doctor and their views of health insurance. One of my friend’s colleagues from the New York Chiropractic College (NYCC) allowed me to interview them.

However, they did not want me to disclose his name in my article. Dr. X felt in their personal dealings with insurance companies on a regular basis, it is part of their profession.

“They are very intrusive upon my work and how I administer treatment to my patients. I cannot do anything until I get the okay from them to perform as a doctor. I feel uneasy knowing people that need treatment with a natural healing approach. This natural healing remedy is pricey due to pre-screenings, x-rays, massage therapy, adjustments of the spine, natural supplements and follow up treatments.”

The payment for a doctorate career can take months due to patient relationships, location, and of course insurance companies. Dr. X feels she can bill an insurance company for a patient that was treated and not receive compensation till months later.

“I have spent hours on the phone talking to insurers for claims. They are quite firm when it comes to getting money from them.”

Currently, Insurance companies versus Universal healthcare in the money battle. Anyone, whom is ill and in need of treatment can receive it without being rejected, I just feel the politicians will never let this happen because of the money involved in insurance. Insurance does stricken the healing professionals. Just like any other they are still in the midst of suing a company because they would not pay me fully for treating a patient. “They had a horrible motor cycle accident. The particular company would only pay for half of the visits, saying they did not receive my paper work, which was sent out to them on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, this is the reality of my profession.”

An interesting interview that spread light upon the dreary healthcare system of the U.S. Currently, President Obama is trying to reform the system so it will work for the people like it should. If it was not for the money spent lobbying in the government by insurance companies, along with pharmaceutical companies the obstacles would have been overcome. Nevertheless, your health is the most important thing to you with or without insurance. Daily exercise routines such as a light warm up with stretching. Than progressing with call esthetics, yoga, weight lifting, running and good dieting are essential to a vigorous workout. A new craze is the use of supplemental vitamins to ensure you get all your nutrients along with your daily water consumption to stay healthy.

The Stimulus Package of 2009, a Big Budget

After a month of Obama’s presidency reign he has an $825 Billion budget that was finally approved from congress. The 44th President of the United States of American looks to improve the economy through the integrity that he has put into it as our leader. As motivated as a president can be, the States are still quite far from their goals. The economy is currently in shambles and slowly progresses for the better. This is where the Stimulus Package comes into effect. “A threat to the status quo in Washington” quoted President Obama on Saturday as he described his budget. The President looks to expand healthcare’s special interests, curb pollution and improve education. Some say this is quite a radical stimulus package that is looking 10 years into the future rather than focusing on current issues that need to be fixed now. Obama is rewiring the infrastructure to make our machine tick faster and more efficiently, like clockwork.
The Student Loans proposal would increase grants to students as well as federal loan programs. The administration is considering lending directly to the students. This would end the support of student loans made by banks and other private loaners. Education Secretary, Arne Duncan said “Rather than continuing to subsidize banks, we want to help more students.” This is by far the biggest proposed change since the Higher Education Act was created in 1965. This is the future of our society that needs to be not left without caution. If students cannot get loans and finish their education, than we will not prosper or grow as a country.
Healthcare alone has a $ 634 Billion budget for itself. The system will be revamped so people without health insurance will be able to get care. There are currently 46 million uninsured in the United States that are overwhelmed by this proposal. I feel this is very important being that healthcare has been quite over looked in our society. Other countries around the world offer free benefits to all their people. Here we work hard to buy our health or just pass because we cannot afford it.
Going Green. The proposal is to inject billions of dollars into the industry to reconstruct, rebuild, more energy efficient companies, cleaner techniques in doing business and alternative energy jobs. The Kyoto Protocol signed in 1997, which the U.S. refused to ratify was even discussed in hoping to change climate control. The President plans to meet in December in Copenhagen to sign the treaty once it is reformed. The treaty was originally intended to cute carbon dioxide emissions which aide in global warming. If the United States is not serious, why should anyone else be? The States is the biggest emitter of Co2 in the world. We have to set the example in order for others to take action.
I am actually appeased by the budget. Vicariously, the government shall play its deck of cards on the table to see how exactly it will accomplish these feats. Personally, I would benefit from these three areas. The economy is to see a hypodermic-needle effect of new jobs for energy efficiency. Alas, shall be the time were we change to a greener, healthier lifestyle for our future. “We Will Rebuild and Recover.” – Barack Obama

The actually Stimulus Package can be viewed here or at http://budget.gov/

Destruction and Missiles

Dragon Head Estate’s Destruction

South Hampton Village, Long Island – On 640 Meadow Lane, a landmark Long Island Mansion is being destroyed by Calvin Klein. Dragon Head/Elysium estate is a 55,000-square-foot home, with a complete ocean front view of the Atlantic, which sits on 10 acres land. It was built in 1924 as a Chester town House by Henry Francis Du Pont. When Du Point perished in 1969 his family auctioned the house off to Baby Jane Holzer. The house was not remolded until Barry Trupin purchased it in 1979 for $330,000. In 1992 Trupin was indicted upon tax evasion, forcing him to sell the gloomy castle estate. A real estate developer, Francesco Galesi bought it for $2.3 million renaming Dragon Head to Elysium in 1993. Trupin hoped to sell for $8 million but fell short. Finally Calvin Klein bought Elysium for $28.9 million in 2003. The house was considered the biggest East End house until 1999, when Fair Field’s 100,000-square-foot complex was built in Sagaponack.

Unfortunately, after six years of living in the castle mansion Mr. Klein decided to remodel to a smaller, greener house made of stucco and steel. The destruction and rebuilding is due to take place later this year. Klein plans to build a 17,850-square-foot home that is lower than 50-feet tall to suite the local community. Review boards were passed to inspect the houses historical value inside and out. The wrecking ball has gotten the approval for demolition, but they are still testing the roads to see if it can handle the heavy castle stone. Any expensive artifacts from the house shall be sold on auction.

Dragon Head/Elysium is an amazing site to see, almost as if it were picked out of a fairy tale. The massive estate cannot be missed for those traveling on Meadow Lane to Montauk Point. Fellow South Hampton Villagers are thrilled to see the transformation of Dragon Head into a more accepting home. The 50 foot tall house is conforming to meet local height and zoning laws, that Trupin broke many of during his design. Ever since, local residents have despised the mansion due to its cold, dark look.

Personally I feel that they should keep the house but the owner begs to differ. It has been a historical landmark standing on long island for years. The mansion itself is amazing just to pass by when traveling along Meadow Lane. It feels like you left Long Island and traveled back to Medieval Times.

North Korea Rocket Launch

North Korea – The North Korean Communist country is planning to launch a rocket containing a communications satellite. The launch date is not announced yet but will take place at a base in Hwadae. However, testing of long range missile launchings took place in 1998 and 2006. Taepodong-1 and Taepodong-2 were the missiles used, one of them being a stage three rocket. The Korean Central News announced “that preparations to launch a rocket Unha-2 to put a communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 into orbit. When the satellite is successfully launched, Korean space technology will make a huge step in becoming an economically strong country.” The U.S. is worried that Alaska could become a target for the missile, since the last launch failed landing in the ocean. Seoul and Pyongyang have been under recent peace agreements. China and Japan are taking caution against this recent statement. U.S. Secretary of state Hilary Clinton feels a test-launch would be “un-helpful”. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee, urged North Korea to provide evidence of a satellite rather than just launch. Nevertheless, North Korea tested a nuclear weapon in October 2006. Experts say they do not have the technology yet to mouth a small nuclear head on a missile.Kim Jong-II North Korea's Leader suffered a stroke in 2008, some believe this is why he is acting out.

I personally have a mixed bag of feelings upon North Korea launching rockets. Since they are using it for satellite communications that would strengthen their country. Being that they are a separated country from South Korea and a communist country. This could be setting the stage for a catastrophic disaster. Nuclear testing started in October 2006; it has been almost 3 years. I am sure they have the capability to produce a dirty missile attack to any enemy. The test however carried out days after American and South Korean officials urged them not to. You can advise someone not to do something but ultimately it is up to them, this is what we are witnessing. The “Red Scare” still exists in the heart of many fellow Americans.

Unemployment

Three weeks of Vicarious Tomb has embellished upon our naked eye to realize an actualization of what is occurring upon in this life on earth. This week we are going to tackle unemployment. Unemployment is a distasteful word for many to utter around the world. If you currently are working no matter how bad the job is you should be happy. We are in a recession that has been around since Dec 2007, prior to the last year of the President Bush’s second administration. We are watching the media contently to see what current trends unfold each day for us the people.
As of last quarter in 2008, employment lost 2.6 million workers forcing U.S. unemployment to increase. Have no fear 92.8 percent of people are employed in the United States as they endure the economy’s threshold to Panics, Recession, Crisis and Depressions. Currently, as of the Bureau of Labor Statistics had announced in number that woman held 49.1 percent of the jobs in our current economy. Being that layoffs are common now they produce our economical slow down. America has only 7.6 million people unemployed of a mere 234,739 million in the labor force. The trends are very fitting to induce commentators to say that our current economy is similar to a post war depression era.
Global economies are having similar events take place all over the world. Even foreign competitors are being hurt in the export department. China’s economy recently endured 20 to 130 million workers sent home unemployed. This was due to the lack of exports. The Irish Republic has set a record since 1967 for jobless. Ireland has been in recession since Sept 2008. Firms in England and Wales have had a major decrease in jobs losses. It looks like the entire world is failing in job markets that are needed to strengthen the economy.
Barack Obama has set a new standard for executive pay in the economy: The $500,000 salary cap was issued except for stocks, a disclosed pay for shareholders in a nonbinding vote, and bonuses taken back if there is falsity. This will hopefully level out the economy in reinvesting money for instead of misuse guidance’s and bad spending that CEO’s used in the past. President Obama is using the John F. Kennedy approach to Keynesian economics. In Keynesian economics they used deficit spending to stimulate the economy in time of recession to stimulate growth of the Union. Tax cuts are a must for this type of economy to succeed in a depressed economy. Being that these bills need to be passed in the house, senate and get an executive signature are less favorable from economists of the 1960s experience. The stimulus package from the senate has currently been etched out at $884 to 900 billion. Still the American people are waiting for a change in society as the era of a new presidency unfolds. The new job industry is kicking a greener view upon a cleaner earth, to establish alternative energy sources for jobs in the still young industry. Jobs are still at an all time low in our current recession. However, the main focus is our eco-system due to global warming becoming a rapid issue.
Unemployment is a serious issue in our society and should not be passed over due to its impact on family life. These people strengthen the bond in an economy to empower the nation and inspire students to get a real job in building a better America. Let us dig deeper and view the impact of one man’s life due to unemployment.
Thomas Swartz an ex-auto salesman was recently forced unemployed due to a company’s down size. It has been three months since Mr. Swartz has worked. Being the age of 33 Swartz is fortunate that Mrs. Swartz is currently working in the health care industry to provide for his two sons and daughter. Swartz can file for a 1099-G tax statement for an unemployment check, but that will not last long for his family’s expenses. “I am really worried about the future for the job market” the man quoted; expressing that jobs have moved away from the New York area ever since Wall Street fell. Resumes have been distributed, e-mails for position inquiries, applications applied to, online job hunting sites explored and still no luck for Thomas. “No one wants to purchase goods or invest because they do not trust these companies.” We can only hope in times of an economic depression that we will make it through and will become a stronger United States of America.

The Gaza Strip Conflict

A well pronounced war throughout the decades as it has served the world in always having news for the media’s eye. Life has been extremely harsh for fellow Israelis and Palestinians. The land of these people has had much unwanted bloodshed shrewn upon the earth. The U.S. has supported the war in arming the Israeli’s with weaponry, a result of former Presidents relations to the nation in defeating the Hamas. The Hamas is an Islamic Resistance Movement that was founded by Muslim Brotherhood members in 1987.

The Obama administration is looking to obtain global peace, on his convoy to Hamas & Israelis peace for the Middle East. A one year cease-fire is being discussed this week. It will allow the borders of Israel and Egypt to open for trade and ending of weapon smuggling. The Middle East has always been a place of conflict unfortunately. There is a lot of hope for President Obama, including relations to the Islamic world which the Bush Administration demolished. President Barack Obama is currently working to re-establish ties with the Islamaic world.

The main focus of this war has been fighting for control of the Gaza Strip. It is fundamental in trading with Northern Africa and smuggling of good to West Asia. The Mediterranean Sea is a gateway to import/export goods. The conflict does not allow free trading so there are underground tunnels being used for this, however are often made missile targets because of the illegal items being bought in. Even settlements are being fought over. Since the land is constantly being destroyed and rebuilt. About, 80% of the lands crops have been destroyed. This makes it even harder to survive during a war and hurts the economy.

As of this year there have been numerous attacks. An airstrike in late December lead to ground combat and missile attacks into the new year. On Tuesday during a interesting day of classes a roadside bomb was set off leading to a missile strike. This war lasted for 22 days killing 1,200 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. After negations the Israeli military withdrew from the Gaza Strip. However, Gaza residents have reported the sound of naval shells going off along the Mediterranean.

In Davos, Switzerland; Mr. Ban Ki-moon, who is the United Nations Secretary-General stressed an appeal to a $613 million humanitarian aid effort for the people of Gaza. This is due to an attack on the United Nations building in Gaza. It was containing food and supplies that were destroyed by Israelis believing the establishment had ties with the Hamas.Mr Ban of United Nations talks at the conference.

I feel that war is never a good way to solve things in life. Unfortunately when opposing sides do not see eye to eye it can happen. The control of the Gaza Strip is a gateway to connecting trade with its foreign neighbors. The smuggling of weapons in underground tunnel is frightening, not knowing who is trafficking or selling these items. Being that missiles are a normal combat utility for this war. I would not be surprised if one side tries to use a “dirty bomb” to destroy and infect the people. This conflict needs to be settled otherwise a mass catastrophe will result from violence. The Hamas has not always been favorable to the United States. Being an Islamic organization compiled of Jihads that fight for a cause. Others can label them as part of the Islamic world and terrorists. A war torn country were everyday your life is at risk. Perhaps if you were born in such a ravaged, bloody, graveyard you too would seek the sanctity of a weapon to protect yourself. Conditioning to endure the hardships of life in a militant land.

Personally I do not even know how long this peace agreement will last. Throughout the history of this conflict many peace agreements have been signed and broken by each side. It all depends who is leading the countries. Politics greatly influence any conflict, can resolute but do not always work. Hopefully the Hamas & Isrealis will finally seek out agreement amongst each other. Only time can tell.