Health Insurance Risks

As of today, September 27, 2007 there is roughly seven months and two weeks before spring graduation at UCF. Seven months prior to that momentum day I ponder what my life will hold. I've thought about joining the peace corps, perusing graduate school or getting a job. Along with these "future" concerns, I have to keep in mind that whatever I do I have to think about decent health insurance. Health insurance that will ultimately decide how the rest of my income is spent or saved. Having diabetes is extremely expensive and without proper health insurance, your income could quite literally go down the tube. This in mind, I ran across this article from the Baltimore Sun, Get healthy or get fired.

"If you smoke, you might not get hired or you could get fired. If your cholesterol is too high, you could pay higher premiums for health insurance. The requirements embraced by a growing number of companies are raising questions about who will qualify for health insurance, as well as employment."

However some may not appreciate the Get healthy or get fired concept. A Michigan firm, Weyco Inc., drew national attention in 2005 after the company fired four employees who used tobacco. The company has expanded its insurance requirement when it penalizes employees whose spouses smoke or chew tobacco. Up to $50 per paycheck per employee.

The health sweep covers about 30 employees with a random carbon monoxide testing every three months.

While I would not appreciate a random tobacco test, I do understand the financial stability that a company must ensure for its employees. Health insurance being one financial stability.

My hope - for this to not become a trend.

Another student dies

Early Tuesday morning Tiffany Barwick and UCF student Michael Ruschak, 22, were fatally shot inside an Oviedo duplex.

The alleged shooter, Andrew Allred, 21, who is believed to be the ex-boyfriend of Barwick rammed his vehicle into a white Ford
Tiffany Barwick and Michael Ruschak

Escort outside the home before firing off several rounds of ammunition inside the house.

As of Tuesday night Ruschak's facebook and myspace accounts was filled with "In Remembrance" posts.

Every year students die. Whether it is as extreme as the Virgina Tech shooting or random car accidents. Here at UCF, we have had our share of deaths. Just a few weeks ago another student was run over by a car while crossing Alafaya Trail.

I have heard much discussion throughout my two years here that UCF should partake in a vigil once a year in remembrance of those who died. However I ponder what good would that do? Is it really that beneficial to bring back a rush of memories once a year for those students who have died? Where would this vigil take place? Should there be a plaque or form of it permanently displayed on campus? Should UCF be responsible for paying for this ceremony?

Other questions are debatable but on the the other spectrum...

One opinion may be that the vigil will alleviate the emotional pain that is caused by the loss of friends, family and essentially other UCF knights.

Whatever the answer is to this, one fact remains true, students die and too frequently at that.

One quick google search displays the following...and these are simply a small steak as to how many there actually are..

Student's death stirs traffic fears -- OrlandoSentinel.com

UCF Student Dies From Meningitis - Health News Story - WKMG Orlando

UCF Student dies in tragic car crash

Hotel guest accused of beheading duck

How strange does this sound?

A man staying at an Embassy hotel in St. Paul, Minn. was arrested Sunday for beheading a duck from the hotel lobby pond. Scott D. Clark, 26, of Denver, Co. apparently grabbed the duck by its neck and ripped its head off. Hotel guests and even a security guard watched the event unfold. Clark said after the attack, "I’m hungry. I’m gonna eat it." He was alledgely drunk.

Clark has been jailed on suspission of animal cruelty and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

If he is convicted of animal cruelty he could face up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

An excerpt from the story reads...

"[The] incident was “unconscionable,” and that having live ducks in a hotel lobby puts them at risk of being stepped on or run over by suitcases."

The article did not specify the duck's breed.

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The Embassy location in St. Paul, Minn. where the alledged animal curelty occurred on Sunday.

So the poor ducks should be more worried about skid marks from suitcases, rather than crazed drunken men snapping their necks off?

The Departed in Sicily?

Martin Scorsese's film The Departed is a mimicking account of one of America's most wanted, James "Whitney" Bulger, 76.
In the movie Jack Nicholson depicts Irish mobster "Whitney" Bulger.
In a short exert from The Boston Globe profile of Bulger,
"In 1995, federal racketeering and extortion charges were handed down against Bulger, Flemmi, and their partners [Other Irish-American mobsters]. Bulger, tipped off that an indictment was in the works, disappeared and has been on the run ever since."
Although more recently, a FBI agent vacationing in Sicily in April may have spotted the two. That is Bulger and his girlfriend Catherine Greig, 58. While the agent allegedly spotted the two over five months ago, the FBI just released the video and still images. The images have been sent to European officials in efforts to capture the second most wanted man in America. That is after Usama Bin Laden, who is the most wanted according to the FBI.A 1994 mugshot of James "Whitney" Bulger according to the FBI.
Alleged James "Whitney" Bulger and his girlfriend Catherine Greig in Italy, April 2007.

Newseum

I strongly encourage you to visit Newseum, an interactive museum of news. Here you will find the front page of 427 newspapers from 40 different countries. In Professor Brunson's page design class we were referred to this website to compare and contrast the layout varieties from the many many newspapers.
Here are a few examples and discussion of front page news from a few towns in which I have lived in.

The Fort Myers News-Press

In Sunday's Fort Myers News-Press, the CVI of the page is from a recent news story in Estero, Fla. where a new president of Florida Gulf Coast University resides. A John Doe story at the top is the next important story along with a photo of Mr. Doe. Finally a story by the same writer as John Doe concerning the rise of vacant homes in Fort Myers. Overall the placement of the stories, color, and graphs are in correlation with each other.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution

The CVI from Sunday's newspaper is a special report about "Danger and Death in Georgia's Mental Hospitals." The headline is "He died waiting." What an impact with the skinny type font and blood red color as a correlation between how serious this issue must be along with the strip of photos at the top of the story of those who have died in the mental hospitals.

The Huntsville Times

Monday's issue of The Huntsville Times. Along with Florida's space coast, Huntsville Ala. also has a NASA space program. The story atop the page is "Space Conference also Reunion." Though what does that mean? You want a headline to grab the attention of the reader so they will then read the story. From a reader standpoint, I may read the first few paragraphs simply to understand what the headline is supposed to imply. Although overall, those four words just don't make sense.
"Digital childhood memories infinite" is a story for the paper's CVI. A story about parents capturing their child's memories digitally. While this may be a nice fluffy story, why is this the CVI? A photo of a young mother and her young child sitting on her lap playing with a digital camera. Why does this feel like altered journalism?

The young Debbie downer

The New York Times posted this afternoon that Bush to Offer Plan to Pull Out 5,700 Troops by Year’s End.
The story continues to read that President Bush will hold a national news conference telling America that by Christmas of this year 5,700 troops will be pulled out of Iraq. It is currently 9:09 p.m. and while I am sitting in my living room, I'm watching his caterpillar eyebrows and stout nose speak to our fellow Americans: sons, daughters, friends and neighbors home and abroad. Our President of the United States is highlighting all of the positive efforts in "our continued fight" that is in Iraq. I am doubtful as to what he is speaking of. Why does it seem like he is sugar-coating this national address. Could it possibly be from this excerpt at the New York Times?
"Mr. Bush, as had been widely expected, is accepting the recommendations of Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker. A key part of their recommendations is bringing the 5,700 marines and soldiers home and not replacing them."
He continues his speech while recounting his position on the past in our defeat of terrorists and extremists. While it is currently too early for the clip to be uploaded to such sites at youtube and others, you can watch a clip of cbs anchor Katie Couric talk about his invocation on history and his speech on Iraq strategy here. Will he attempt to stand on his own without recounting the past? While I am a 22-year-old college student, political party I will not reveal, though what qualities did our President of the United States just relay to his audience? While I have my own opinion in this matter, which I could gracefully write from top to bottom of this blog, this is not my stance on the issue. I ask you to question such a hugely debated topic.

Six years later

It's September 11, 2007. Six years ago our country was attacked and 3,000 people perished in the world trade centers, the pentagon, and in a small field in Pennsylvania. "We will always remember" has become the slogan for that day. Though what is "we will always remember?" We will always remember those who died? We will always remember those who are blamed for the attacks? We will always remember who have tragically lost their lives since then? Finally we will always remember where we were at when in that moment in time the people in the United States fell to their knees. Today is the anniversary but what it seems to be is that you, me, she, and he is that will always remember where you were at in that moment in time. At the University of Central Florida there will be memorials across campus throughout the day. In Dr. Crepeau's AMH 4231 - U.S. History 1914-1945 class he asked "Where were you on that day?" Answering the question one by one the class recalled "the" day. Among the answers, many remarked about the pristine weather. Though that was all in the past. What about the future? According to today's BBC news Bin Laden released another video with audio that praised the 9/11 hijackers. This, only a few weeks after his first video in three years.
From the Boston Globe, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick called the 2001 attacks "a failure of human understanding."
Finally I encourage you to read the story by Joyce Wadler from the New York Times "The thing about these 9/11 stories..."
I found these photos at the New York Times and thought they were truly worth posting.

As I was vicariously searching for the latest news out in our world I stumbled upon a local story by our very own Rick Brunson, a UCF journalism professor. Saturday night country star Reba McEntire christened the new $52 million UCF Arena. The arena which is included in the "athletic village" on the north end of campus is part of the Knights Plaza. It includes the UCF Arena and the Bright House Networks Stadium which seats 45,000 people. As well as the Jay Bergman Field and the UCF track and soccer complex. The "downtown style" area also includes four towers of student housing with four bedrooms and two bathrooms per apartment. As of May 4, 2007 UCF dropped Golden from the "Golden Knights" logo to simply the Knights.