thesun--2019-02-09--Dad spends 50K tattooing his whole body and LOVES it because people stare at him

Dad spends £50K tattooing his whole body and LOVES it – because people stare at him

TATTOO addict Brett Cross has dished out £50,000 to cover nearly his entire body in ink, and says he loves his colourful skin as people stare at him.  There’s just one “sensitive” area he hasn’t yet put under the needle – his penis – as he fears exposing his private parts to his tattoo artist could ruin their friendship.  The 42-year-old has racked up 750 hours being decorated from the top of his head, which features a wild cat, to his toes, as tattoos cover 99 per cent of his body.  He trained as a printer and would return home from work covered in ink, and now works as a beautician and nail artist.  Cross told Brisbane Times that the first tat he got was to honour his wife, Dorothy.  The dad-of-two, who lives in Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia, said: “Once I got it I wanted another one, and another one, and then it became an addiction.  “The tattoo artist said if you’re going to keep getting tattoos, 'go big or go home, because you’ll look a bit silly with little tattoos on you'.”  As for the only bit of skin left au naturel, he’s keen to get his penis inked too, but reckons it could make things awkward with his tattooist, George Siatos, who has been decorating him for nearly two decades.  Cross said the pair are close, “but not that close”.  He has no fear of getting his penis tattooed – as he believes it couldn’t be more painful than getting his palms inked.  Cross told the Times that he wants “something colourful, maybe blue birds” tattooed down below.  And he enjoys the attention his body art attracts, particularly as he doesn’t want to be considered just “another normal person in the street”, he told Daily Mail Australia.  Cross added: “With people staring at me, I know exactly what they’re staring at and it’s all good… I love it.”  Apart from an anime character across his forehead, he has a “few dragons”, a naked woman, many swirling designs up his arms, and white stars dotting his nose.  As for his kids, Cross said if they’ve inherited his addiction to ink, he wouldn’t mind as long as their lives were “in order” and they didn’t get “anything offensive” tattooed.  A Brisbane Times reporter said that while Cross “does look aggressive because of the tattoos, those who meet him think he’s a gentle giant”.  One downside is that passers-by have stopped him in the street and voiced their disapproval.  He said: “I had someone just tell me ‘You’re not going to let the little one grow up and do what you did’, and I said I don’t really mind as long as he looks after himself first.”


thesun--2019-11-07--‘Dragon girl’ who went blind tattooing her eyeballs has no regrets and vows to be completely covered

‘Dragon girl’ who went blind tattooing her eyeballs has no regrets and vows to be completely covered in ink in 4 months

A 'DRAGON Girl' who went blind for three weeks after getting her eyeballs tattooed says she has no regrets about risking her sight - and has set herself a four-month deadline to complete her transformation.  Amber Luke, from Australia's New South Wales, started getting work done at 16 - and also revealed her plans to have a Brazilian butt lift next year.  The 24-year-old has already got her tongue split and earlobes stretched, as well as a boob job, cheek and lip fillers.  Speaking exclusively to Fabulous Digital today, Amber said: "I have somewhere between 200 and 250 tattoos.  "I plan to be fully covered by the time I’m 25, which is next March, so I’m on a countdown.  "I’ll still have little skin gaps here and there, and I probably won’t do any more on my face.  "I don't really want any other modifications, although I'm getting a Brazilian butt lift in the new year."  Amber recently had an excruciating 40-minute procedure to ink her eyeballs blue, which she described as "like 10 shards of glass (being) rubbed into my eye".  The injections left her blind for three weeks, but Amber wouldn't change a thing.  She said: "I will never regret the fact I went blind for three weeks, it was just a stepping stone to what I wanted to look like.  "They will last forever, I had four injections per eye. It’s not like a normal tattoo, it actually gets darker over time."  When we spoke to Amber, she was mid-way through getting her foot tattooed - in her quest to full body coverage.  She said: "From a young age, I never really saw myself as beautiful. I didn’t like the way I look or anything I saw for years.  "It was very confronting to look in the mirror and see my reflection.  "It wasn’t until I turned 16 that I was able to get that feeling of empowerment and entitlement of my own body.  "I realised these tattoos are a way of expressing myself and making myself who I am. I started getting heavily tattooed at 20.  "I didn't actually have a goal in mind.  "I never wanted to look like a dragon, my friends just dubbed me Blue Eyes White Dragon because I have a split tongue and blue eyes, and Yu-Gi-Oh has a card with that name."  Amber has spent £17,000 (AUS$32,000) on modifications over the years, but says many of her tattoos were freebies.  She said: "People want to make their mark on me, a lot of them are collaborations through Instagram" - where she has 158,000 followers.  The rest of Amber's work has been privately funded, through her jobs as a body piercer and apprentice tattooer, as well as her Only Fans account.  Only Fans is a subscription-based app where people can share anything from topless snaps to full-blown amateur porn.  Amber said: "People are very open minded when it comes to Only Fans, so my look definitely goes a long way. I make about $4,000 (£2,000) a month."  Despite her popularity online, Amber has been single for over a year and says men are "intimated" by her extreme look.  She said: "I haven’t dated for about a year, my last relationship didn’t end very well.  "I don’t actually get a lot of men messaging me. I think they are intimidated of the tattoos, I've had a lot of people tell me that.  "I don’t like it, because I like to be an approachable person... but that's the harsh reality."  Amber has also been blasted with insults about her appearance, both in the street and online.  She said: "In a shopping centre, a lot of people just stare and don't know how to take me.  "I have people trolling me online every day, telling me to kill myself, telling me it’s a shame I didn’t go fully blind.  "I’ve got some really nasty comments and a lot of people say things to my face as well, like ‘you were so beautiful, what have you done to yourself?’ and ‘you look like a kid’s colouring book’. It never ends.  "People say I'm too plastic, fake, I like like a Barbie doll. But I'm happy so it doesn't really matter.  "At the end of the day, it's my body and my choice. I'm not harming anyone, I'm doing it for myself.  "If they want to judge me, so be it, because they just don't understand."  You can follow Amber on Instagram here.


activistpost--2019-04-09--Florida Will Generously Allow Homeowners to Garden in Their Own Yards

If you live in Florida and want the freedom to plant food on your own property, I have great news for you.  Late last month, the Florida Senate affirmed the right of self-reliant people statewide to grow vegetable gardens in their front yards.  Here are some details on the bill from the Miami Herald:  Sen. Rob Bradley’s SB 82 prohibits a county or municipality from regulating vegetable gardens on residential properties, voiding any current regulations regarding the produce patches. Local governments, however, can still adopt a local ordinance or regulation that doesn’t specifically target vegetable gardens, like regulating water during drought conditions, limiting fertilizer use or controlling invasive species.  While it might seem odd that people would need government permission to grow food on their own property, the bill was passed in response to a legal dispute about an ordinance in Miami Shores that banned gardens from being planted in front yards.  In 2017, Hermine Ricketts and Tom Carroll, who had a vegetable garden in their front yard for 17 years, were told they could grow flowers in their front yard, but the fresh produce had to go, reports Treehugger:  “It’s all about conformity. Miami Shores wants to be a mini Coral Gables,” Ricketts said. “What is the definition of edible? I can go into any front yard and find something edible because every plant has an edible part.”  “That’s what government does – interferes in people’s lives,” Ricketts told the Miami Herald in December 2017. “We had that garden for 17 years. We ate fresh meals every day from that garden. Since the village stepped its big foot in it, they have ruined our garden and my health.”  The couple faced heavy fines for their front-yard garden.  Ricketts and Carroll didn’t face jail time for daring to have a garden, but they did face $50 fines – DAILY – after the village amended its ordinance in 2013.  They had to dig up their garden, which won’t grow in their north-facing backyard because of a lack of sun. But they have continued to fight Miami Shores in court with help from the Institute for Justice, a national non-profit libertarian law firm. “This decision gives local governments tremendous leeway to regulate harmless activities in the name of aesthetics,” said Institute lawyer Ari Bargil. “It gives government the power to prohibit homeowners from growing plants in their front yards simply because they intend to eat them.” (source)  An appeals court upheld a ruling that the couple does not have a constitutional right to grow vegetables in their front yard in November 2017.  The front-yard garden ban got the attention of enough senators, and a new bill passed in mid-March that states that Floridians are now able to grow fruit and vegetables in their front yards without fear of local government fines.  The Miami Herald reports that Republican Senator Rob Bradley sponsored the bill and described it as a “vast overreach.” Given how many food deserts exist and how hard it can be for many families to access fresh and affordable food, such bans are an absurd step in the wrong direction. Bradley said,


bbc--2019-01-06--The man protecting Burundis crocodiles by keeping them in his garden

The man protecting Burundi's crocodiles by keeping them in his garden

When Ngendera Albert realised crocodiles were being killed to be eaten in Burundi he decided to take action to try to protect the animals.  He initially bought about 12 of the reptiles, but now there are almost 45 in his home in Gatumba.


bbc--2019-12-29--‘Gardening gives me a lot of peace’

‘Gardening gives me a lot of peace’

Joanna is one of a growing number of urban gardeners trying to reconnect with nature in the high-rise, high-pressure environment of Singapore.  She says there’s something about being surrounded by the colour green that releases happy chemicals.  Produced by Olive Faure and Keir Creighton, filmed by Aaron Tan.


chicagosuntimes--2019-03-14--Winter gardening grows into thorny statehouse issue

SPRINGFIELD – It started with a suburban homeowner’s desire to keep growing food in her Elmhurst backyard throughout the winter but has blossomed into a thorny battle pitting residents and advocacy groups against local government leaders — all haggling over whether Illinois residents have “the right to garden.”  The three-year fight between the Elmhurst homeowner and the city’s government made its way to the Illinois Senate Wednesday as the local government committee mulled a statewide solution to the underlying dispute.  Sponsored by state Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, Senate Bill 1675 would allow Illinoisans, no matter in what municipality they reside, to construct temporary structures for gardening throughout the colder months, often referred to as “hoop houses.”  Hoop houses come in many shapes and sizes, but are generally foundationless structures enclosed by an opaque plastic membrane to keep in warmth and sunlight.  Nicole Virgil, a resident of west suburban Elmhurst, built such a structure in her backyard in the fall of 2015 to continue gardening throughout the winter.  Since then, the issue has ballooned into one over not just hoop houses, but the pre-emption of home rule powers that allow municipalities to dictate their own zoning and planning codes, among other things.  Less than a week after putting up the original hoop house, which at its apex stood about nine feet tall in an 11.5-by-32-foot rectangle, Virgil was visited by Elmhurst’s code enforcement department to address a neighbor’s complaint about the structure’s aesthetics.  “We were told then that as long as it’s temporary, we could keep it up,” Virgil said.  But in testimony Wednesday morning, Elmhurst City Manager James Grabowski disputed that claim and said the city “explained to them our code and why they couldn’t have it,” but allowed them to keep it up until 2016.  No records of the original conversation exist to prove either side correct, but Virgil denied she was told to take down the structure, although she did so anyway in April 2016 when winter ended and the temporary hoop house was no longer needed.  When she and her husband put it back up in the fall of that year, they were again approached by the city’s code enforcement department, this time with clear instructions to take it down.  Virgil says she was confused by this contradictory demand, and asked for the specific ordinance prohibiting the hoop house.  “It took a while, but they said we were breaking the mobile home code and the permanent building code,” Virgil said, adding that she did not comply with the city’s request because the hoop house was neither a mobile home nor a permanent structure.  Grabowski did not immediately respond to questions about this claim.  The matter then went to court, where two judges ruled twice in favor of the city, after which Virgil took the structure down.  But Virgil said because so many other temporary structures were allowed to stand in Elmhurst, she pursued the matter further, working to get the city to change the code used to ban the hoop house.  So starting in 2017, Grabowski said, the city discussed the matter at three city council meetings, five development planning meetings and three zoning and planning commission meetings.  That process, which Virgil says was riddled with non-responses and the denial to hear the matter in committee, ended in late 2018, when the Elmhurst zoning commission recommended that hoop houses be allowed, but with dimensions no greater than 100 square feet and six feet tall.  “You couldn’t buy a hoop house as small as they’re talking about. You couldn’t even stand up in it, couldn’t move much,” Virgil said, adding that such a small structure wouldn’t allow the proper thermal mass to grow food, anyway.  Regardless, the Elmhurst City Council voted against the recommendation and reaffirmed its ban on hoop houses in February 2019.  That was when Virgil says she was approached by a supporter who owned a garden store in nearby Villa Park, who told her to go to Cullerton for a legislative solution to the issue.  From that point, SB 1675 was drafted by the Illinois Environmental Council to allow any Illinoisan to build a temporary hoop house structure on their property – not just in Elmhurst.  Environmental and food-growing advocates, including the IEC, Advocates for Urban Agriculture and the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, contend the bill protects the natural right of every Illinoisan to grow their own food, or “the right to garden.”  Opponents, including representatives of the city of Elmhurst and other municipalities, say the bill should not be in the state Legislature because it is strictly a local issue.  “This is an issue that should be determined locally,” said Brad Cole, executive director of the Illinois Municipal League. “When you pass a law, it affects everybody. Because one applicant was unhappy with a decision that went against her, it’s not a reason to change state law necessarily.”  Referencing the almost 1,500 witness slips in support of the bill, Virgil called that idea “absurd.”  “It’s not one person that wants it,” Virgil said. “I just happen to be the person who has the time, energy, wherewithal and skillset to advocate for it.”  While the bill would pre-empt home rule, groups backing Virgil call it necessary.  “Maybe this is something that gets resolved locally,” said Rebecca Osland, an attorney that does government relations for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. “But then, if this issue starts popping up again, we’re going to have to come back to the table to ensure that people’s rights to produce their own food are protected.”  On the other side, more than 270 witness slips have been filed against the bill, mostly coming from people affiliated with municipalities and related organizations.  “We are deeply concerned regarding this bill and our local control over zoning and structures,” Grabowski said in Tuesday’s hearing. “The mayor and I feel that this issue should be resolved locally.”  Hope of such a resolution remains, according to Cullerton, who said he spoke to Elmhurst Mayor Steven Morley Tuesday night. Although Morley could not be reached on a question about what that resolution would look like, Cullerton said they plan to talk more during the week.  Virgil said Wednesday morning was the first she’d heard of a desire for resolution.  “I have no evidence that the City of Elmhurst would have talked to us about this at all, except for the fact that I’m standing in the Statehouse,” Virgil said. “The cities are upset that Elmhurst didn’t find a resolution and keep this issue in-house. Now that it’s at the state level, they feel the potential to lose what they think is some measure of operational control in their local governments.”  Wednesday’s committee meeting was subject matter only, so no vote was taken. But state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, the committee chair, said she would prefer a local resolution so that SB 1675 does not come up again next week.  But if it does, said Democratic committee member Sen. David Koehler of Peoria, “I fully approve to make a motion to approve this.”


abcnews--2019-12-23--Liz Weston: How to create a retirement 'paycheck'

Your expenses don't end when your paychecks do, but creating a reliable income stream in retirement can be tricky. The right choices can result in sustainable income for the rest of your life. The wrong choices could leave you uncomfortably short of cash.  In fact, retirement includes so many important, potentially irreversible decisions that most people could benefit from a few sessions with a fee-only, fiduciary financial planner. (Fiduciary means the adviser is committed to putting your interests ahead of their own.) These ideally would start about 10 years before retirement. Understanding some key concepts could make those discussions easier — or keep you from making serious mistakes if you take a do-it-yourself approach.  Social Security will make up 60% to 80% of most retirees’ income, so maximizing those checks is essential, says actuary Steve Vernon, a consulting research scholar at the Stanford Center on Longevity.  Social Security checks can start at age 62, but abundant research shows most people are better off delaying. Waiting until 70, when benefits max out, is typically the optimal strategy for single people and the higher wage earner in a couple, says Vernon, author of “Retirement Game-Changers.” People’s situations can vary, though, so they would be smart to consult Social Security calculators to help them decide when to start. AARP’s site has a free one, or search for more sophisticated versions from Maximize My Social Security ($40 and up) and Social Security Solutions ($20 and up).  A planner might recommend tapping retirement accounts or working just enough to substitute for the income you would otherwise receive from Social Security.  Ideally, fixed expenses in retirement would be covered by guaranteed income, such as Social Security and pensions, so that your basic lifestyle isn’t jeopardized by stock market fluctuations. If those sources aren’t enough to cover basic costs, an income annuity could help fill the gap, says certified financial analyst Wade Pfau, author of “Safety-First Retirement Planning.”  Income annuities are insurance products that can offer a lifetime stream of monthly payments in exchange for a lump sum. Unlike variable annuities or other investments, the amount you get doesn’t vary if the stock market goes up or down.  Another option could be a reverse mortgage, a loan that can convert some of your home equity into a stream of monthly checks. If you have a lot of equity but still have a mortgage, a reverse mortgage could pay off your loan and eliminate those monthly payments.  Financial planners’ “4% rule” suggests withdrawing 4% of your portfolio the first year, adjusting the amount each year afterward for inflation. This strategy historically has posed a low risk of running out of money.  Some planners, however, worry that 4% may be too high given current low interest rates and high stock valuations. The “Spend Safely in Retirement” method, which Vernon created with the help of the Society of Actuaries, recommends using annual withdrawal rates based on the IRS’ required minimum distribution rules. The percentage rises slightly each year according to age. A 60-year-old might withdraw 2.72%, a 65-year-old would tap 3.13% and a 70-year-old would take 3.65%. The withdrawal would be made at the end of each year, then the money is moved into a savings account or other investment that protects the principal, so it’s available to spend the following year without risk of market losses.  Unlike the 4% rule, the “Spend Safely in Retirement” approach poses no risk of running out of money but can result in income that varies considerably from year to year. Retirees who have their basic expenses covered by guaranteed income might look at their portfolio income as a bonus, Vernon says. A bigger one can pay for splurges, while a smaller bonus might require cutting discretionary spending.  Many retirees are tempted to move their money into “safe” investments such as bonds, certificates of deposit or savings accounts. Unfortunately, those investments may not keep up with inflation over time. Devoting at least 50% of investment portfolios to stocks — ideally using a low-cost target date, balanced or stock index fund — can produce more income over time, Vernon says.  Once you create a retirement paycheck, your work isn’t done. You’ll still need emergency funds for unexpected expenses and a strategy to pay for long-term care, among other tasks. But establishing a reliable income stream can help you meet your regular expenses in retirement without worrying you’ll run out of cash.  This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet.  Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of “Your Credit Score.” Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lizweston.  How to Decide If a Retirement Annuity Is Right for You


adobochronicles--2019-12-06--Senior Citizens Oppose Lowering Optional Retirement Age To 56

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Philippine House of Representatives approved on second reading a bill seeking to reduce the optional retirement age from 60 to 56.  The Coalition of Filipino Senior Citizens (CFSC) sent a strongly-worded letter to House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, objecting to the measure.  Among other things, the letter pointed out that lowering the retirement age to 56 will result in longer queues in: • Service counters at banks, clinics, hospitals and other businesses  We tried to reach Cayetano but it seems his smart phone is currently on low batt…


bbc--2019-01-14--What will Andy Murray be worth in retirement

What will Andy Murray be worth in retirement?

As Andy Murray's retirement moves a step closer following his defeat by Roberto Bautista Agut in the Australian Open, the tennis star remains poised to continue making as big an impact off court as he did on it.  With a burgeoning range of business interests the Scot - never one to shirk speaking his mind - has the power to remain vividly in the public consciousness whichever route he chooses to go down.  There is talk of him potentially moving into the world of politics or media analysis, while current business interests include property ownership, backing UK start-up firms and talent representation.  But one lucrative sphere which will provide a huge chunk of his post-playing earnings will be that of brand endorsement.  A number of major sports stars, from footballer David Beckham, to golfer Greg Norman, and basketball stars such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson have shown it is possible to continue earning strongly through the selling power of their personality and sporting legacy.  Did we all retire Murray too soon?  Murray set to have statue at Wimbledon  His career prize money ranks fourth all-time among male players, behind his three eternal rivals from the so-called "Big Four" players of his generation - namely Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.  According to US business bible Forbes, Murray will end his playing days with at least $165m (£129m) in career earnings, with prize money making up just $61m, and the bulk - some $100m - coming from endorsements, bonuses and appearance fees.  Over the years he has been associated with a number of major firms, including Adidas, Under Armour, Head, Jaguar, Standard Life, Highland Spring, Robinsons, Royal Bank of Scotland, Fred Perry and Tag Heuer.  And Murray's rough-round-the-edges personality is an asset which industry observers believe he can continue to use as a means of generating income when he hangs up his racquet.  "He is definitely different from the other top players," says brands expert Anastasia Kourovskaia, who has followed the 31-year-old's tennis and commercial career closely.  "He has already created a strong legacy, one that has enabled him to keep his brand presence alive when he was fighting injury over the past 18 months.  "The authenticity of his personality is his main asset. A lot of people are changed by success, but he is consistent. It is a fantastic quality from a marketing point of view."  She says while he will not reach the same earnings level in retirement, there will still be companies looking to be associated with the three-time Grand Slam winner.  Ms Kourovskaia says: "He has a great opportunity for leveraging his brand name when he stops playing, but in a way that suits his personality.  "He will not be a David Beckham of British tennis, nor a Roger Federer - he will never be a global icon as they are. He has always been an 'outsider', whose success has been greatly assisted by his grit and doggedness.  "From a marketing view he occupies a very tight niche - as long as he retains the same qualities and does not look to acquire a more glamorous image."  Murray's exit at the 2019 Australian Open in Melbourne, an event which could become the swansong of his career, saw him wearing British sportswear brand Castore.  The Scot's new sponsorship emerged over the weekend, where he held a teary news conference - wearing Castore's Johansson T-shirt and Ghost Cap - stating that he would be retiring from tennis this year after struggling with a hip injury.  Castore replaced US firm Under Armour, which Murray had been with since signing a four-year deal in 2015.  "He needs to choose brands that highlight him as an outsider, which is why the Castore deal was bang on," says Ms Kourovskaia. "He will be worth much more to a niche brand seeking to make, or build, exposure.  "Castore is a British brand which has a high priority in widening its exposure, which is why it is a perfect deal for both parties," she says.  Murray has won 45 career titles, including the trio of Grand Slams, and also won two Olympic singles gold medals.  His peak earnings year was 2016 when he won nine titles, including Wimbledon, and led the ATP prize money chart with $16.3m.  In recent years, Murray has also moved outside the mainstream endorsement field, and invested and partnered with equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs in 2015. It focuses on business and technology start-ups, and currently has stakes in more than 30 ventures.  He has in the past said that "giving recognition and support to British entrepreneurs is important to me".  Last year he invested in Deuce, a new start-up app aimed to make tennis more accessible and affordable. It helps players find courts and coaching sessions around the UK.  Simon Chadwick, professor of sports enterprise at Salford Business School, says: "While these investments may be a small proportion of his total income, and while they also may provide a potential future revenue stream, I see them as being part of an overall strategy to market Murray as a 'people's man' after his playing career.  "He is good with kids, and he is an enlightened commentator on things like gender issues, so I see these investments in start-ups, including ones to make tennis more accessible, as part of his brand positioning."  Meanwhile, property is another commercial interest. The 31-year-old bought Cromlix House hotel near his home town of Dunblane in 2013, turning it into a luxury venue.  Also in 2013 he set up his sports management agency, 77, with business advisers Matt Gentry and Gawain Davies and has signed up a number of young athletes, among them Aidan McHugh and Katie Swan from the emerging pool of young British tennis talent.  And although it is unlikely that he is to become a globetrotting coach to other players, opening his own academy could be another route to go down.  "He has already inspired the current generation of emerging British tennis players, so in some ways this sporting legacy is in place already," says Ms Kourovskaia.  "But opening his own academy is definitely something he should consider, as it could only benefit him as a brand, and ultimately the country if new British players came through from it."  Meanwhile, she says should the father of two girls - who has a dry sense of humour and has supported causes such as women's rights and Scottish independence in the past - go down a media or political route then his forthright outlook is an asset.  "People like him for this, and it does not raise eyebrows as it might in, say, someone like Nadal. His strong convictions and strong views are also qualities that can be leveraged for him as a brand."


bbc--2019-03-24--New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski announces retirement

New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski has announced his retirement from the NFL in a social media post.  It ends a nine-year career that included helping the Patriots to another Super Bowl triumph in February when they beat the Los Angeles Rams.  "It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true," he wrote on Instagram.  "And now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far."  He added: "I will be retiring from the game of football today."  In the post, Gronkowski - a three-time Super Bowl champion - thanked the Patriots, his team-mates and fans.  "Thank you for everyone accepting who I am and the dedication I have put into my work to be the best player I could be. But now its time to move forward."  He ended the lengthy post by writing: "Cheers to all who have been part of this journey, cheers to the past for the incredible memories, and a HUGE cheers to the uncertain of what's next."  A four-time First Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection, Gronkowski caught 521 passes for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 games from 2010-18.  He added 81 catches for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 postseason contests.


bbc--2019-07-01--Key to a happy retirement Fun housemates

Key to a happy retirement? Fun housemates

Four Canadian pensioners say the secret to a happy retirement is good housemates - and two dishwashers.  Betty White and Beatrice Arthur made it look like fun on the popular sitcom the Golden Girls, but what's it really like to share a house with others in your senior years?  "I've been amazed at how good it is," Louise Bardswich tells the BBC.  Bardswich has been sharing a 4,000-sq-foot home with three other women in Port Perry, Ontario, since 2015.  The four of them - Bardswich, 67, Martha Casson, 70, Beverly Brown, 68, and Sandy McCully, 74 - have become evangelists for this kind of housing, and have been dubbed the "Golden Girls" by Canadian media.  While it's not unusual for relatives or close friends to move in with each other as they age, they believe their situation - the four women were all relative strangers - is the start of a new trend.  The idea first struck Bardswich when she had to move her own mother into a retirement home. She had worked with Casson, and the two would talk about the struggles they were both facing caring for their aging parents, and planning for their own retirement.  "It was kind of a window into our futures," Bardswich says.  Bardswich did the maths for herself, and quickly realised that with inflation, renting in a retirement home would totally deplete her savings. She was also worried about the toll taking care of her would take on her children.  "My kids are lovely, but I knew what it felt like to have to do that for my mom, and I didn't want them to have to go through that," she says.  Interest in co-living for older people has risen as property rates in many areas around the world have skyrocketed along with the ageing population.  By 2036, one in four Canadians is expected to be over the age of 65.  According to a report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, about 700,000 senior-led households currently struggle with housing affordability. It is especially challenging in more rural communities, where there is limited housing stock as it is, and people may have to move far away from their social network in order to find appropriate accommodation.  In northern Ontario, a Facebook group for senior living looking to find housemates has attracted almost 1,500 members.  Across the pond, a group of women moved into the UK's first co-op housing designed specifically for elderly women in 2016.  The housing project had been in the works since 1998, but it encountered several planning hiccups along the way.  "I don't think British society was ready for it, a group of women who were going to take their own destiny in their own hands," Maria Brenton told the BBC's Sophie Long in 2016.  When a builder applied for a permit to build a six-bedroom shared-ownership home in 2013, the township went as far as to try and pass a bylaw to outlaw this type of communal housing.  Casson filed a human rights complaint, and two hours before council was set to vote, Ontario's human rights commissioner sent a scathing letter condemning the proposed bylaw, and reminding officials that that it is against the law to discriminate "directly or indirectly against groups protected by the (Ontario Human Rights Commission). This includes the obligation to accommodate the needs of older people, people with disabilities and other needs relating to (OHRC) grounds."  The women finally got their home, at a different building site, in 2015.  They're all very frank about the inevitability of ageing. They've designed the house so that they could "age in place", and not have to move because of physical limitations.  This meant updating the home by installing an elevator, making the bathrooms accessible and leaving two bedrooms open for future live-in nurses.  "We talked about how we did not sign up to be each other's caregivers. When you need help, you're going to have to pay for the help, and if you can't be accommodated in the house with the help than that's the time you'll have to move," Bardswich says.  The house is also designed to allow each woman as much independence as possible. Each person owns 25% of the property - if someone dies or moves out, their share would be put on the market.  In addition, they each pay $1,500 a month towards living expenses, which includes a weekly house cleaner, landscaping, food and wine.  They all have their own large bedroom, with a TV and seating area and a bathroom. They share a living room and dining room and large kitchen, complete with two dishwashers, which helps them avoid kitchen squabbles.  "We agreed we would live our own lives. We're all pretty busy and out all the time," Bardswich said. But that doesn't mean there isn't time for communal suppers, or wine on the porch.  Each woman has brought a unique set of life experiences to the group, which they say makes the living situation even more fulfilling.  Between the four of them there are 13 grandchildren, who all come by to visit. Two of the women are widowed, two are divorced. In the summer, they've let theatre students who are in town working in local productions stay in their spare rooms.  Brown, who divorced in 1994, says she was initially hesitant about sharing a home after 25 years of living on her own.  "The surprising thing is what I enjoy the most is the company," she says.  Since moving in, the four women giving regular talks to other older people thinking about sharing.  They say their best advice is not to wait, but to plan for your future before others have to plan it for you.  Bardswich likes to advise people to find housemates with similar values - "a Republican and a Democrat shouldn't live together".  But Casson is quick to point out that between the four of them, two are actively religious and two are not.  "You can have some fairly fundamental differences, as long as you have some of the common values," she says.


birminghammail--2019-03-12--Luxury retirement schemes too expensive for most Solihull residents

Developers are increasingly drawing up plans for luxury retirement schemes in Solihull - which the majority of residents simply cannot afford, it is claimed.  The borough's ageing population means that there is growing demand for accommodation which meets the needs of the elderly.  But there are fears that the facilities favoured by some applicants are out of the price range of most local people and places will instead be filled largely by those moving in from other areas.  Cllr Ken Meeson, cabinet member for children, education and skills, said there were problems posed by schemes which did not meet local need.  "I have got one that's coming forward in my ward [Dorridge & Hockley Heath] which if you could afford it would be great," he said.  "They're talking about having a swimming pool on site, a cinema, a gym, but I doubt that it's going to be affordable for most of the people in Solihull, who want to downsize and want to go into that sort of accommodation.  "I don't know what the answer to that is and there's no easy answer."  Last year, a separate retirement scheme, in Hampton Lane, Catherine de Barnes, was thrown out by councillors amid concerns that "only a very few privileged people" would be able to afford it.  The issue was raised as part of a wider discussion at this week's health and wellbeing board about Solihull's housing strategy and work being done to provide the homes that are so desperately needed.  Fiona Hughes, chief executive of Solihull Community Housing (SCH), said: "There are, amongst the challenges, some real successes.  "We recently opened Saxon Court [in Chelmsley Wood] which is affordable social housing for our older residents and it's almost full already."  Aside from this £7 million complex, which was officially opened just before Christmas, on the former home of Coleshill Heath School, an extra care facility is also being built on the old Powergen site, in Shirley - with 40 per cent affordable homes.  In response to officers' comments, Cllr Meeson said: "You're doing very well, but it's how do we persuade the private sector to co-operate with our strategy?"  He had argued that the council had stressed the importance of more affordable properties, but that developers continued to put an emphasis on maximising profits - which often means the plans brought forward are at odds with local priorities.


chicagotribune--2019-11-15--Why we aren't contributing enough toward retirement

U.S. stock indexes continue to hit new all-time high levels, though not with the usual hoopla. Perhaps politics is overshadowing market performance, but there is also evidence that almost half the country doesn't care. Just 52 percent of Americans actually own stocks or stock mutual funds either inside or outside of a retirement account. And that half doesn't tell the whole story.       A research 2017 paper by New York University professor Edward N. Wolff found that "despite the fact that almost half of all households owned stock shares either directly or indirectly through mutual funds, trusts, or various pension accounts, the richest 10 percent of households controlled 84 percent of the total value of these stocks in 2016."       I thought about these stats after the IRS announced its annual inflation adjustments to retirement plan contributions for tax year 2020. If you participate in a 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan, you will be able to contribute a maximum of $19,500 next year, up $500 from 2019.       The catch-up contribution for employees ages 50 and over in these plans will increase from $6,000 to $6,500. (Note: the limit on annual contributions to traditional and Roth IRAs is unchanged at $6,000, as is the catch-up contribution for those over 50, which stays at $1,000.)       For many Americans, these limits are irrelevant because they are not even close to maximizing their contributions. It's not due to some moral flaw. According to a recent paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College , for workers to accumulate substantial retirement savings, they must contribute regularly to their plans, keep their money in the accounts and they also need to maximize after-fee returns.       That's a tall order, according to the authors, who say the reason that most workers have 401(k)/IRA balances at retirement that are "substantially below their potential" is due to aspects of the U.S. retirement system that make it difficult to achieve these goals.       The two biggest factors that contribute to the low level of retirement savings are "the immaturity of the system" and "the lack of universal coverage." The paper notes that the shift from employer-funded pensions to employee funded retirement accounts occurred in the 1980s, which means "many of today's 60-year-olds did not participate in a 401(k) plan when they were young workers."       Additionally, many workers today still do not participate in plans, either because the employer does not offer one or because they are not eligible to participate.       Of those who do participate, some retirement balances shrink over time due to "leakages," which include the ability to cash out when changing jobs, in-service withdrawals (hardship and tax-free withdrawals beginning at age 59 ½), and loans; and those dastardly fees.       The analysis concludes "the typical older worker has less than $100,000 in 401(k)/IRA assets, instead of the $364,000 he would have had under a system in which workers participated throughout their careers, paid zero fees on account balances, and did not withdraw money prematurely from their accounts. The discrepancy is somewhat less if individuals under 30 and those with defined benefit plans are excluded from the analysis, but it is still significant."       The low level of savings, combined with increasing life expectancies, explains why many older Americans are staying in their jobs longer.       According to AARP, "Americans 55 and older make up slightly less than a quarter of the nation's labor force, but they filled almost half (49 percent) of the 2.9 million jobs gained in 2018 -- the biggest share of any age group."       Working longer is one of the ways many people are helping to fund retirement.       (Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is the Emmy-nominated CBS News Business Analyst. A former options trader and CIO of an investment advisory firm, Jill covers the economy, markets, investing and anything else with a dollar sign on TV, radio (including her nationally syndicated radio show), the web and her blog, "Jill on Money." She welcomes comments and questions at askjill@jillonmoney.com. Check her website at www.jillonmoney.com)       (c) 2019 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC

Jill Schlesinger, Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2019-12-23--New law means big changes to how Americans save for retirement

The dome of the U.S. Capitol is seen April 18, 2019, in Washington. On Dec. 20, President Donald Trump signed a spending package into law that included the Secure Act — which stands for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement. The legislation is designed to help more people set aside more money for retirement. (Patrick Semansky / AP)


dailyheraldchicago--2019-05-20--Liz Weston Lets get real about health costs in retirement

Liz Weston: Let's get real about health costs in retirement

You won't pay for health care in retirement with one lump sum. That's the way these expenses are often presented, though, and the amounts are terrifying.  Fidelity Investments, for example, says a couple retiring in 2019 at age 65 will need $285,000 for health expenses, not including nursing home or other long-term care. The Employee Benefits Research Institute says some couples could need up to $400,000 - again, not including long-term care. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College hasn't updated its figures recently, but back in 2010 estimated a typical couple could spend $260,000 for medical and long-term care, with a 5% risk that costs will exceed $570,000.  No wonder 45% of people in their 50s and early 60s have little or no confidence that they'll be able to afford their health care costs once they retire, according to a survey by the University of Michigan.  MEDICAL COSTS MAY BE MORE PREDICTABLE THAN YOU THINK  The approach of presenting people with a huge, perhaps unattainable, figure has long bothered Jean Young, senior research associate with the Vanguard Center for Investor Research.  "The thing is, it's not helpful, it's not actionable, it's not relatable," Young says.  You also may need six figures to cover food, or transportation, or shelter in a typical retirement. But these are costs you pay over time - just like you'll pay for health care.  Young and other Vanguard researchers partnered with actuaries at Mercer Health and Benefits consulting firm to create a proprietary model based on what retired people actually spend on health care. What they found was that medical costs tend to be in certain ranges, based on a handful of factors:  Higher-income people pay larger premiums for certain parts of Medicare. Some premiums also vary by location, as do medical costs in general. How much health care you'll consume is greatly influenced by how healthy you are when entering retirement, and, to some extent, your genes.  "The actuaries know that the health status of your parents tends to pass generationally," Young says.  Here's the number the researchers came up with: $5,200. That's the median amount a typical 65-year-old woman could expect to spend annually for premiums and out-of-pocket medical, dental and vision costs in 2018. (Median is the point where half pay more and half pay less. The study used women because they have slightly higher long-term costs, but the gender difference is about 2%.)  That assumes the woman lives in a medium-cost area, is at medium risk for health care costs (she either smokes or has a chronic medical condition or two) and buys supplemental Plan F, the most popular Medigap policy. Eighty percent of those in similar situations would face costs in the range of $4,900 to $6,000.  The models also include worst-case scenarios. If her health deteriorated to the high-risk category, her costs could exceed $11,000. If she opted to do without a Medigap policy and had a bad year, she could pay over $21,800.  Retirement planning involves a lot of educated guesses. How long you'll live, inflation rates, returns on your investments, your expenses - these may not end up being what you expected. Financial planners typically craft their assumptions about what's most likely to happen and may suggest insurance or contingency plans to cover the worst-case scenarios.  Long-term care costs remain the big wild card. Half of people over 65 don't incur any long-term care costs, Young says, and a quarter incur less than $100,000.  "The problem is, 15% are going to spend a quarter of a million or more," Young says.  Those who exhaust their savings may end up on Medicaid, the government program for the indigent that pays for long-term care (Medicare does not). People who have a few million dollars saved may opt to "self-fund," or pay for it without help. Those in between might consider some kind of long-term care insurance, or earmark assets they can tap if necessary, Young says. That could be your home equity or investments that give you income while you're healthy but could be sold to pay for long-term care. The key is to not use up those resources for other costs. Holding something in reserve is particularly important for women, who are twice as likely to require paid care.  "We live longer; we tend to care for our husbands," Young says. "The risk is higher for women."  This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of "Your Credit Score." Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lizweston.  What you will spend on health costs in retirement http://bit.ly/nerdwallet-health-care-costs-retirement


eveningstandard--2019-02-05--How to save for retirement An expertaposs guide to pensions

How to save for retirement: An expert's guide to pensions

If you are currently in your mid-twenties or thirties, retirement can seem like a speck in the future, something barely on your radar.  But with the retirement age gradually rising over the next decade – from 60 to 67 for women and 65 to 67 for men by 2028 – Brits can now expect to work up to seven years longer before they can receive their full state pension.  Luckily, if you are over 22 and earn more than 10,000 per year, you will already be contributing to your pension through your workplace pension scheme.  Despite this, experts advise talking to a financial adviser about creating your own financial plan for the future because what and how much you save will always be unique to you.  Below is your complete guide on how to save for your retirement.  The best thing about a pension is that you’re saving money each month without even realising. If you’re employed, you will be sacrificing a small amount of your salary each month into your pension, your employer will also be contributing towards the pension and you will get a tax relief of 20 per cent.  Jamie Smith-Thompson, managing director of pension advice specialist, Portafina told the Standard: “With auto-enrolment you don’t even need to remember to find money to save into your pension. You contribute 4 per cent of your annual salary which is taken directly from your pay packet. On top of this your employer will also contribute 3 per cent and you’ll receive tax relief from the government.  “So, each year your pension will receive in total 8 per cent of the value of your annual salary. That’s why it’s really important not to opt out of your workplace pension. Especially if you have no other retirement savings or provisions. Because the money comes directly from your pay packet you can set a budget for your bills and disposable income for the remaining money each month.”  If you are a freelancer or self-employed you are not employed by a company and therefore not eligible for their workplace pension scheme. If this is you, or you are in a position where you do not qualify for auto-enrolment into your workplace pension scheme, opening a personal pension could be a good idea as you are still entitled to a state pension.  Smith-Thompson explained: “As well as your contributions being topped up by tax relief, compound interest will have a serious impact on your pension pot. Let’s say, from the age of 25 you put £20 in a jar each month. By the time you reach 65 you’ll have £9,600. Now, let’s say you save that £20 in a pension that grows, on average, at 6 per cent per year. By 65 you’ll have over £38,000. That’s the power of a pension.”  Millennials like to be on the move, and a recent LinkedIn survey revealed that millennials do more job-hopping than any other generation – but how does this affect pensions?  “It’s not unusual to have several jobs in a lifetime,” Smith-Thompson explained. “And while it’s great that you have pensions from these, making sure they are performing as well as the should be is key. A regulated financial adviser can check that high charges are not eating into your retirement pot, and let you know how your investments are performing. It is important that your pensions are regularly reviewed as improving the performance by even 1 per cent can make a massive difference to the size of your pot. That’s thanks to compound interest.  “You may have the option to consolidate your previous workplace pensions into one scheme. However, this could mean forgoing any guarantees which is a decision not to be made lightly. It’s best to take advice from a regulated financial adviser.”  Smith-Thompson said opening a separate retirement savings account isn’t necessary: “Pensions are the most powerful savings tool most of us have access to. And that’s thanks to tax-relief and compound interest. If you’re paying into a pension it’s not necessary to have any additional savings funds specifically for your long-term future.  “The longer you can keep your pension invested the better. So, it is important to have additional savings funds for emergencies such as car repairs or if the boiler breaks down. And a rainy-day fund to cover holidays, Christmas and birthdays. Having money saved to cover these will mean you are less likely to tap into too much of your pension from the age of 55.”  However, Emma-Lou Montgomery, Associate Director at Fidelity International, says you should put a small amount of money away each month and let it grow.  She continued: “Set up a standing order for a small sum of money to go into a stocks and shares ISA each month. You don’t have to sacrifice a large amount. Even a small sum will grow nicely. The beauty of starting to save now is the length of time that you will be giving your money to grow. Start small, but start now and it could turn out to be the best investment you make.”  This figure will be completely unique to you. One way you can start to budget is by checking out how much state pension you are forecasted to get on the UK government website and figure out if you need to top up from there.  Smith-Thompson added: “There is no magic figure. Talking to a regulated financial adviser and creating a retirement plan will help you to focus on what your retirement could look like. You need to consider when you’re no longer working how much a year you will need to live on. And factor in if you will have any outstanding debt such as a mortgage when you reach your planned retirement age. Setting an overall figure of how much your retirement is likely to cost you will help you to plan how much you should be putting away now to achieve your goal.  “You will be more successful at saving for your future if you can contribute into your pension a regular amount that is comfortable for you.”  In short: yes. If you are renting when you reach retirement or still paying off your mortgage, it is vital that you factor in these costs and any potential increases into your projected weekly income.  Smith-Thompson said: “The pension freedoms have given people the option to dip into their pension from the age of 55. Our data shows that 32 per cent of people who took tax-free cash in 2018, did so to tackle debt such as clearing a mortgage. Entering retirement debt-free does feel like a sensible idea. However, using some of your pension to clear your debt does mean there will be less in your pot for when you need it.”  An ISA is an Individual Savings Account with four types to choose from – a cash ISA, stocks and shares ISA, innovative finance ISA and a Lifetime ISA. The Lifetime ISA is available to those over 18 and under 40 and you can put up to £4,000 in the account each year with the government matching you by 25 per cent. Lifetime ISAs are designed to help boost retirement savings and you can access it tax-free from the age of 60.  Smith-Thompson explained: “ISAs are great for short-term savings, or if you think you will need to dip into the money before the age of 55. There are ISAs for specific types of savings such as a junior ISA or a help to buy ISA for those looking to get onto the property ladder.  “If you need additional savings for a specific purpose or if you think you could need to access the money before the age of 55, then there are plenty of savings tools you could consider, an ISA being one of them. The reason why you are saving will determine the most appropriate tool for you.  “It’s best to keep your retirement savings separate from any other savings. And a pension with the benefits it brings, including not being about to withdraw from it until you are 55, is the best place for the money you are putting away for the future.”  While a pension is the best place to hold your future savings, if you are looking at saving some extra money for retirement, opening a Lifetime ISA could be the best way to give you a financial boost.


abcnews--2019-03-10--Trump signed Bibles many religious leaders say they understand

Trump signed Bibles, many religious leaders say they understand

President Donald Trump was just doing what he could to raise spirits when he signed Bibles at an Alabama church for survivors of a tornado outbreak, many religious leaders say, though some are offended and others say he could have handled it differently.  Hershael York, dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary School of Theology in Louisville, Kentucky, said he didn't have a problem with Trump signing Bibles, like former presidents have, because he was asked and because it was important to the people who were asking.  "Though we don't have a national faith, there is faith in our nation, and so it's not at all surprising that people would have politicians sign their Bibles," he said. "Those Bibles are meaningful to them and apparently these politicians are, too."  But the Rev. Donnie Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, said she was offended by the way Trump scrawled his signature Friday as he autographed Bibles and other things, including hats, and posed for photos. She viewed it, she said, as a "calculated political move" by the Republican president to court his evangelical voting base.  Presidents have a long history of signing Bibles, though earlier presidents typically signed them as gifts to send with a spiritual message. President Ronald Reagan signed a Bible that was sent secretly to Iranian officials in 1986. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the family Bible his attorney general used to take the oath of office in 1939.  It would have been different, Anderson said, if Trump had signed a Bible out of the limelight for someone with whom he had a close connection.  "For me, the Bible is a very important part of my faith, and I don't think it should be used as a political ploy," she said. "I saw it being used just as something out there to symbolize his support for the evangelical community, and it shouldn't be used in that way. People should have more respect for Scripture."  York said that he, personally, would not ask a politician to sign a Bible, but that he has been asked to sign Bibles after he preaches. It feels awkward, he said, but he doesn't refuse.  "If it's meaningful to them to have signatures in their Bible, I'm willing to do that," he said.  A request for comment was left with the White House on Saturday, a day after Trump visited Alabama to survey the devastation and pay respects to tornado victims. The tornado carved a path of destruction nearly a mile wide, killing 23 people, including four children and a couple in their 80s, with 10 victims belonging to a single extended family.  At the Providence Baptist Church in the Beauregard community in Alabama, the Rev. Rusty Sowell said, the president's visit was uplifting and will help bring attention to a community that will need a long time to recover.  Before leaving the church, Trump posed for a photograph with a fifth-grade volunteer and signed the child's Bible, said Ada Ingram, a local volunteer. The president also signed her sister's Bible, Ingram said. In photos from the visit, Trump is shown signing the cover of a Bible.  Trump should have at least signed inside in a less ostentatious way, said the Rev. Dr. Kevin Cassiday-Maloney.  "It just felt like hubris," said Cassiday-Maloney, pastor at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Fargo, North Dakota. "It almost felt like a desecration of the holy book to put his signature on the front writ large, literally."  He doesn't think politicians should sign Bibles, he said, because it could be seen as a blurring of church and state and an endorsement of Christianity over other religions.  It would have been out of line if Trump had brought Bibles and given them out, but that wasn't the case, said James Coffin, executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida.  "Too much is being made out of something that doesn't deserve that kind of attention," he said.  Bill Leonard, the founding dean and professor of divinity emeritus at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, woke up to Facebook posts Saturday morning by former students who were upset about Trump signing the Bibles because they don't view him as an appropriate example of spiritual guidance.  But, Leonard said, it's important to remember that signing Bibles is an old tradition, particularly in Southern churches.  Leonard said he would have viewed it as more problematic if the signings were done at a political rally. He doesn't see how Trump could have refused at the church.  "It would've been worse if he had said no because it would've seemed unkind, and this was at least one way he could show his concern along with his visit," he said. "In this setting, where tragedy has occurred and where he comes for this brief visit, we need to have some grace about that for these folks."  Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Bruce Schreiner in Louisville, Kentucky; Dave Kolpack in Fargo, North Dakota; and Michael Schneider in Orlando, Florida.  This story has been corrected to show that Providence Baptist Church is in the Beauregard community in Alabama, not Smith's Station.


birminghammail--2019-03-25--You CAN be LGBT and Christian says religious leader

You CAN be LGBT and Christian, says religious leader

Can you be LGBT and Christian? The answer, according to Steve Chalke, is yes.  On April 6, Steve, founder of the charity Oasis and a well-known Christian speaker and author, will host an Open Church Network event – In the Name of Love - to explore the Bible, gender-identity and same-sex relationships.  The event is aimed at the significant number of Christians in UK churches who long to celebrate their friends and family who are in same-sex relationships - or loved ones with a non-traditional understanding of their gender - but just can’t make their peace with the sections of the Bible that they say opposes LGBT inclusion.  It will also be a vital event for those who already support LGBT inclusion, but want to be more confident in speaking out about it at church and help their local community take the next step in its journey.  At the event, Steve will be joined by a team of expert speakers – including many people who identify as LGBT – to explore  However, the day will not just explore issues; it will also attempt to better understand the lives of LGBT people. As such, learning from lived experience will be at the heart of each event.  In the Name of Love: The Bible, Gender Identity and Same-Sex Relationships will run from 9.30am to 5pm, April 6 and will take place at Oasis Academy Woodview. Tickets cost just £35 (including lunch) and are available from: https://openchurch.network/events


birminghammail--2019-10-18--Anderton Park School parents feared LGBT teaching would 'subdue religious beliefs'

Concerned Muslim parents and their children felt they were being "made to accept LGBT teaching" and "subdue their own beliefs" to show they were not extremist, a High Court hearing into the Anderton Park school protests heard.  Protests at the gates of the Sparkhill school came about because the rights of parents were being infringed, a judge was told.  Barrister Mr Ramby de Mello said: "Parents feel they are told: 'You have got to accept our teaching and keep your own beliefs under the bushell in a closet at home'...this conflict amounts to discriminatory treatment."  “They hear: ‘We would like you to learn about equality at the expense of subduing your own religious belief because (doing so) demonstrates tolerance, inclusivity and stepping away from extremism.”  He said this also indirectly discriminates against the 644 Muslim, mostly Pakistani heritage, pupils who attend the school.  Citing from the witness statement of an imam, Mr de Mello said the parents feel they have a “moral obligation” to stand up against any teaching that impinges on the “heterosexual norm”.  His comments came on the fifth and final day of an injunction hearing triggered by protests over LGBT teaching at the school.  Judge Mr Justice Warby, who has to decide whether an exclusion zone should remain around the school to stop further protests, has now reserved judgement and will announce the outcome in writing "as soon as possible".  He will weigh up five days of evidence and hundreds of pages of witness statements, videos and social media messages before announcing his ruling.  In the meantime the existing temporary exclusion zone will stay in place.  The case, brought by Birmingham City Council, is seeking an injunction that would permanently ban protests at the gates and in the streets surrounding the school. The council is also seeking to extend the zone to include two grassy areas on Yardley Wood Road, where protesters have continued to gather.  The current temporary injunction prohibits three named defendants – Mr Afsar, his sister Rosina Afsar and Amir Ahmed - along with “persons unknown” from protesting or encouraging others to protest inside the exclusion zone.  It also prohibits use of social media accounts to make abusive comments about any member of staff at the school in relation to teaching.  The injunction application is being contested by Afsar, Afsar and Ahmed along with a fourth defendant, John Allman, from Okehampton in Devon, who sought to join the case to represent "persons unknown", claiming the injunction was too wide ranging and prohibited free speech online.  Mr Ramby de Mello, representing the Afsars and Ahmed, said the protests came about because the rights of parents were being infringed. There was discrimination against families because of their religious and cultural beliefs, he told the judge.  “This group are made to feel, because of their religious and cultural beliefs, in some way inferior to others – in this case over the teaching of LGBT,” he said.  He said much had been made of the behaviour of a couple of outsiders who had joined protests, including an imam whose comments were condemned and disowned by Mr Afsar and Mr Ahmed.  Earlier barrister Paul Diamond, representing Mr Allman, 66, a Christian campaigner, claimed a “politicised” Birmingham City Council was driving the injunction and claiming harassment and abuse against teachers at Anderton Park School, even though no criminal offences had been committed.  There was often a difference in understanding and values that meant people “talked past each other” because of their beliefs. Someone telling another they risk “going to hell” is seen by some not as offensive but instead as “informing this person of their spiritual destiny and wanting to help them,” said Mr Diamond.  He added that teachers had no "special privilege" not to face online comments as long as it does not reach a level of criminality.  After the hearing concluded, teaching union chief Rob Kelsall, of the NAHT, said head teachers across the country were now "anxiously waiting" on the ruling outcome and watching events unfold in Birmingham "with fear".  He said: "Whatever the outcome this is not the end. We have been supporting around 70 more schools across the country over pressure they have received over equality teaching. In our view it's completely unacceptable for public servants doing their job to be subject to this kind of torment."  Describing Anderton Park head teacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson as "one of the strongest, most courageous people I've ever met", he said the pressure of the case has had "a very negative and wearing effect on her and her staff. That for me is extremely concerning."  He reiterated calls on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to "stop passing the buck to heads", and to be unequivocal that teachers should include all aspects of equality in relationships education, including LGBT. "We need to avoid this happening to any other school."  Shakeel Afsar, representing the protesters, said after the hearing: "We parents should not have been here. We hope the judge will see that parents were within their rights and were forced to protest.  "Whatever the outcome we would urge the school to start a fresh dialogue with parents...for the betterment of the community."  Mr Justice Warby said he would deliver his judgement in writing "as soon as possible" and would begin work on it on Monday. "I can't at the moment given any reliable commitments as to when judgement will be but I assure I will reach a verdict as quickly as I can."


cnsnews--2019-01-22--Sen Hirono Resolution Condemning Religious Tests Is Embrace of Alt-Rights Position

Sen. Hirono: Resolution Condemning Religious Tests Is ‘Embrace’ of ‘Alt-Right’s Position’

In a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Jan. 16, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) was embracing “the alt-right’s position” by introducing S. Res. 19, a resolution condemning religious tests for federal office and reaffirming Congress’ belief in religious liberty.  “If my colleague, the junior senator from Nebraska, wants to embrace the alt-right’s position by offering this resolution, that is his business,” Hirono said.  The resolution, which was sponsored by Sasse and which passed the Senate unanimously on Wednesday, expressed “the sense of the Senate that disqualifying a nominee to Federal office on the basis of membership in the Knights of Columbus violates the Constitution of the United States.”  The resolution was a sharp rebuke to Hirono and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who questioned federal judicial nominee Brian Buescher last month about his membership in the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic service organization.  Hirono had asked Buescher whether he would resign his membership to the Knights of Columbus and recuse himself from any cases in which the group had taken a position.  The Democratic senators’ questions seemed to suggest that Buescher’s membership in the Knights of Columbus might disqualify him from federal office. The senators were met with widespread criticism for the questions, including by Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), who said her colleagues were “fomenting religious bigotry.”  Sasse’s resolution cited the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects freedom of religion, and Article VI of the Constitution, which says that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”  “If a senator has a problem with this resolution, they are probably in the wrong line of work because this is what America is,” Sasse said while introducing the resolution. “This is a super basic point. No religious tests. If someone has a problem with this resolution, what other parts of the Constitution are they against?”  Hirono, however, claimed that S. Res. 19 was addressing “a problem that doesn’t exist.”  “S. Res. 19 is unnecessary because no religious test is being applied to nominees for Federal office,” Hirono said.


cnsnews--2019-01-30--85 A Persons Religious Belief Should Not Be Factor in Federal Appointment

85%: A Person's Religious Belief Should Not Be Factor in Federal Appointment

(CNSNews.com) – Following on the heels of a congressional controversy in which a judicial nominee was quizzed about his Catholicism, a new poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans (85%) believe a person’s religious faith “should not” be a factor in “deciding their appointment to a position in the federal government.”  The poll also showed that 62% of Americans “strongly support/support” appointing someone to a federal judgeship even if they have strong religious beliefs.  In the Marist survey, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, respondents were asked, “Do you think a person’s religious faith should or should not be a factor in deciding their appointment to a position in the federal government?”  Among those surveyed, 85% said religious faith should not be a factor; 11% said it should be a factor; and 4% said they were unsure.  The results of the survey did not indicate much variation between people across party lines. Overwhelming majorities of Republicans (74%), Democrats (90%), and Independents (89%) disapproved of taking federal appointees’ faith into consideration.  Likewise, the poll showed that a 63% of Americans supported or strongly supported the appointments of individuals whose “religious beliefs are very important to them” to federal government positions, with only 19% opposing or strongly opposing. For appointments to federal judgeships, the ratio was 62% to 23%.  This poll comes shortly after Brian Craig Buescher, President Donald Trump’s appointee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, received scrutiny from Democratic senators over his membership with the Knights of Columbus.  In the written questions sent to Buescher on Dec. 5, Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) pressed him on his attitude towards the organization’s stance on gay marriage, abortion, and contraceptives.  Hirono accused the Knights of Columbus of taking “a number of extreme positions,” such as its support for Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot proposition in California which defined marriage as being only between a man and a woman.“If confirmed, do you intend to end your membership with this organization to avoid any appearance of bias,” the senator from Hawaii asked Buescher.  Harris, who described the Knights of Columbus as “an all-male society comprised primarily of Catholic men,” inquired whether Buecher agreed with comments about abortion made by Carl Anderson, the group’s leader. In 2016, Anderson denounced abortion as “the killing of innocents on a massive scale” and held it responsible for “more than 40 million deaths.”  Buescher defended his membership in the Knights, asserting that his role in the group was not political. “I have not drafted any policies or positions for the national organization,” Buescher stated in response to Senator Hirono’s question.  Later, he told Senator Harris that his “membership has involved participation in charitable and community events in local Catholic parishes.”  The two senators’ line of questioning prompted pushback from their colleagues, who charged that it was an unconstitutional attack on an appointee’s faith.  On Jan.16, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced and drafted by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) declaring “that disqualifying a nominee to Federal office on the basis of membership in the Knights of Columbus violates the Constitution of the United States.” The resolution pointed to the third clause of Article VI of the Constitution, which states, “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”  The Marist Poll interviewed 1,066 adults between Jan.8-Jan.10 for its survey.


cnsnews--2019-03-29--Agencies Cant Cite Religious Belief to Bar Kids From Gay Adopters Rules Michigans Lesbian AG

Agencies Can’t Cite Religious Belief to Bar Kids From Gay Adopters, Rules Michigan’s Lesbian AG

(CNSNews.com) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently ordered that foster care and adoption agencies in the state – specifically those that contract with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) – cannot cite religious beliefs to avoid placing children in homosexual homes or with a homosexual adopter.  Attorney General Nessel is a lesbian “married” to her girlfriend, Alanna Maguire, and they have two children.  The directive means that all foster care and adoption services in Michigan that are faith-based and opposed to placing children in homosexual homes could lose their contracts with the state, if they don’t change their policies.  The attorney general’s order grew out of a case from 2017, when two homosexual couples, represented by the ACLU, sued the MDHHS because two of the adoption agencies it contracts with – St. Vincent Catholic Charities and Bethany Christian Services – refused to place children, referred by the MDHHS, with the gay couples.  Nessel, who took office in January 2019, represented the defendant, the MDHSS.  In announcing the legal settlement on March 21, Nessel said, “Under the terms of the settlement agreement, MDHHS agrees to maintain non-discriminatory provisions in its foster care and adoption agency contracts. MDHHS also agrees to enforce the non-discrimination provisions up to and including termination when a state-contracted agency discriminates against same-sex couples or LGBTQ individuals that may otherwise be qualified foster care or adoptive parents for any child accepted by the agency for services under contract with MDHHS.”  In other words, if you contract with the MDHHS to place children into foster care or into adoption, you must comply with the “non-discrimination provisions” in the contract, regardless of your religious beliefs.  If you are a Christian or Muslim group that believes children have a natural right to a mother and a father, you must nonetheless allow children to be placed into gay households, if that situation should arise.  “Discrimination in the provision of foster care case management and adoption services is illegal, no matter the rationale,” said Nessel. “Limiting the opportunity for a child to be adopted or fostered by a loving home not only goes against the state’s goal of finding a home for every child, it is a direct violation of the contract every child placing agency enters into with the state.”  Nessel is "an ideological extremist who has repeatedly demonstrated her animus toward the Catholic Church and people of faith," said Catholic League President Bill Donohue in a statement. "In a settlement with the ACLU, she has decreed that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services must end state contracts with faith-based agencies, rather than allow them to make child placement decisions in accord with their religious beliefs."  "Once again, Nessel demonstrates her contempt for the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom, decreeing that faith-based agencies must check their religious principles at the door before they will be allowed to provide services for children in need," said Donohue. "Nessel is keeping her campaign promise to put her radical agenda ahead of the best interests of children."  Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarkdale) said, "Dana Nessel has shown us that she cares little for the Constitution and even less for the vulnerable population of children in need of forever homes. ... Nessel's actions make it clear that she sought the office of attorney general to further her own personal political agenda."  Lori Windham, senior counsel for Becket Law, said, "The Michigan AG and the ACLU are trying to stop the state from working with faith-based adoption agencies. The result of that will be tragic. Thousands of children will be kept from finding the loving homes they deserve."  AG Nessel was the first openly homosexual person elected to a statewide office in Michigan. In 2012, she argued for DeBoer v. Snyder, which challenged the state’s ban an same-sex adoption. The case was eventually repealed, and became consolidated with Obergefell v. Hodges, which ultimately granted the right for same-sex couples to marry.  In 2016, Nessel founded the Fair Michigan Foundation, which is, according to her biography page: “a first of its kind task force which investigates and prosecutes hate crimes committed against the LGBTQ community.”  The Alliance Defending Freedom filed a friend-of-the-court brief for the Dumont v. Gordon case for the MDHHS stating, “In Michigan, there are approximately 13,000 children who are in need of foster care and/or adoptive services. Those children come from a myriad of diverse backgrounds. To fully accommodate these large numbers, a broad spectrum of options is needed.  “A variety of adoption services better serves a diverse public than does a homogenous system. That was certainly the case in Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia, and Illinois, and for Catholic Charities and the other faith-based institutions before they were forced to shut down their vital work in those respective jurisdictions. ”


cnsnews--2019-05-17--Pelosi There is a Humanitarian Crisis at the Border

Pelosi: 'There is a Humanitarian Crisis at the Border'

May 17, 2019 | 11:18 AM EDT  #### Sponsored Links


cnsnews--2019-08-21--Ilhan Omar TrumpAttacks Religious Minorities to Distract From His Human Rights Abuses

Ilhan Omar: ‘Trump…Attacks Religious Minorities to Distract From His Human Rights Abuses’

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D.-Minn.) reacted to a new regulation announced by the Department of Homeland Security that seeks to detain illegal aliens indefinitely but also keep illegal alien children in company with their families by sending out a Tweet saying President Donald Trump “attacks religious minorities to distract from his human rights abuses.”  Omar’s Tweet linked to a New York Times story about the newly proposed regulation.  “Just a reminder that Trump repeatedly stokes tension and attacks religious minorities to distract from him human rights abuses,” Omar said in her Tweet.  “Today his administration released a plan to detain migrant children indefinitely, even as children die in Border Patrol custody,” she said.  “Large numbers of alien families are entering illegally across the southern border, hoping that they will be released into the interior rather than detained during their removal proceedings,” said the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services in a statement about the proposed regulation.  “Today, the government has issued a critical rule that will permit the Department of Homeland Security to appropriately hold families together and improve the integrity of the immigration system,” said Acting Secretary McAleenan. “This rule allows the federal government to enforce immigration laws as passed by Congress and ensures that all children in U.S. government custody are treated with dignity, respect, and special concern for their particular vulnerability.”  “The Department of Health and Human Services, through our Office of Refugee Resettlement, provides quality and compassionate care for unaccompanied alien children who are referred to our custody,” said Secretary Azar. “In this rule, we are implementing the relevant and substantive portions of the Flores Settlement Agreement pertaining to standards for the temporary care, placement, and release of those minors. As before, HHS will continue to protect the safety and dignity of unaccompanied alien children in our custody as we seek to place them with a parent, relative, or other suitable sponsor.”  The New York Times story that Omar linked to said:  “The Trump administration unveiled a regulation on Wednesday that would allow it to detain indefinitely migrant families who cross the border illegally, replacing a decades-old court agreement that imposed a limit on how long the government could hold migrant children in custody and specified the level of care they must receive…. “The new regulation, which requires approval from a federal judge before it can go into effect and was expected to be immediately challenged in court, would establish standards for conditions in detention centers and specifically abolish a 20-day limit on detaining families in immigration jails, a cap that has prompted President Trump to repeatedly complain about the “catch and release” of families from Central America and elsewhere into the United States.”


cnsnews--2019-09-23--NPR Vet Mara Liasson Trumps Take on Biden Could Be 2020 Version of Birtherism

NPR Vet Mara Liasson: Trump's Take on Biden Could Be '2020 Version of Birtherism'

NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson touts she's had "34 great years at NPR," so it's not surprising she's going to offer the dependable liberal hot take


cnsnews--2019-10-14--Bill Barr: ‘In the Framers’ View, Free Government Was Only Suitable and Sustainable for a Religious

Bill Barr: ‘In the Framers’ View, Free Government Was Only Suitable and Sustainable for a Religious People’

(CNSNews.com) - Attorney General Bill Barr spoke at the University of Notre Dame Law School on Friday, saying that the Framers of the U.S. Constitution believed that a “free government was only suitable and sustainable for a religious people.”  “In a free republic, those restraints could not be handed down from above by philosopher kings,” Barr said. “Instead, social order must flow up from the people themselves, freely obeying the dictates of inwardly possessed and commonly shared moral values.  “And to control willful human beings with an infinite capacity to rationalize, those moral values must rest on authority independent of men’s wills,” he said. “They must flow from the transcendent Supreme Being.  “In short,” he said, “in the Framers’ view, free government was only suitable and sustainable for a religious people, a people who recognized that there was a transcendent moral order antecedent to both the state and to manmade laws and had discipline to control themselves according to those controlling principles.”  Here is the transcript from the part of Barr’s speech where he said that the Framers believed that “free government was only suitable and sustainable for a religious people:”  “So, the founders decided to take a gamble, and they called it a great experiment. They would leave the people broad liberty, they would limit the coercive power of the government, and they would place their trust in self-discipline and virtue of the American people. In the words of Madison: ‘We have staked our future on the ability of each of us to govern ourselves.’ “And this is really what they meant by self-government. It did not mean primarily the mechanics by which we select a representative legislature. It referred to the capacity of each individual to restrain and govern themselves. “But what was the source of this internal controlling power? In a free republic, those restraints could not be handed down from above by philosopher kings. Instead, social order must flow up from the people themselves, freely obeying the dictates of inwardly possessed and commonly shared moral values. And to control willful human beings with an infinite capacity to rationalize, those moral values must rest on authority independent of men’s wills. They must flow from the transcendent Supreme Being. “In short, in the Framers’ view, free government was only suitable and sustainable for a religious people, a people who recognized that there was a transcendent moral order antecedent to both the state and to manmade laws and had discipline to control themselves according to those controlling principles “As John Adams put it: ‘We have no government armed with a power which is capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. … Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.’ “And as Father John Courtney Murray observed: The American tenet was not ‘that free government is inevitable, only that it is possible, and its possibility can be realized only when the people as a whole are inwardly governed by the recognized imperatives of the universal moral order.’”


activistpost--2019-02-20--Vaccine Correlations Graphically Confirm CDC-FDA-Pharma Skewed Vaccine Efficacy Science

Ever since I learned from physicians with whom I was working in the late 1980s about Mothers complaining to them that their child got a vaccine and hasn’t been the same since, I’ve been on the vaccine trail trying to decipher the best I could from published vaccine research ‘science’, journals, vaccine package inserts, plus thousands of VAERS reports and other corroborating documents such as the HHS HRSA payouts for vaccine damage claims (over $4 Billion to date Pg.9) and explicit “before and after” photographs and videos showing children are being damaged after receiving shots, especially certain multivalent  vaccines.  I’m not the only person who has been on such a campaign, but I was one of the very first healthcare professionals to start bringing attention to the matter.  The coalition I directed published a huge file on vaccine information for parents, which contained everything to date we could find during that time.  For healthcare professionals, especially those who were not born before the 1960s, it is my opinion you have a learning curve to undertake, since you have been taught in med school how to castrate the innate immune system Nature provides, and substitute it with Big Pharma’s reprogramming body chemistry to make the humoral system the body’s prime immune system, which, quite frankly, is “ass backwards.”  Humoral immunity kicks in after the Nature-given Innate Immune System does its job, which would mean life-long immunity regarding transmittable infections and maybe some viruses.  Why do CDC-FDA-Pharma ‘love’ deliberately restructuring (castrating) the natural immune system of the human body?  Because they feel (actually believe!) they have verifiable proof of antigen responses, which neurotoxic aluminum and other toxic chemicals DO provide, and, in their opinion, indicates immunity.  Ha,ha,ha!  Because you can take a blood test to find antigens, those antigens also can cause cytokine storms in the brain, thereby short-circuiting all biological systems, but still there’s proof of humoral immunity, which they want to call “herd immunity” or “community immunity.”  Thus, there’s the profitable need for booster shots into old age.  However, that ‘preventive health care’ ideology provides an accelerated pace for conditions such as ASIA Syndrome (Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants) to proliferate.  Below are well-documented vaccine-induced autoimmune diseases.  Vaccination and autoimmune diseases: is prevention of adverse health effects on the horizon?   EMPA Journal, July 20, 2017  However, what vaccines really are doing is implementing an excellent “business model” for guaranteeing life-long pharmaceutical and prescription-drug users from cradle to grave!


ageofautism--2019-03-08--Are There Sleeper VACCINE-caused Mutations Cytochrome P450 Genes Produce Which Medicine Deliberate

Are There “Sleeper” VACCINE-caused Mutations Cytochrome P450 Genes Produce Which Medicine Deliberately Ignores?

Read the full article by Catherine Frompovitch at NaturalBlaze     Abstract  The human cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily comprises 57 genes. These genes code for enzymes that can have a role in: metabolism of drugs, foreign chemicals, arachidonic acid and eicosanoids; cholesterol metabolism and bile-acid biosynthesis; steroid synthesis and metabolism; vitamin D(3) synthesis and metabolism; retinoic acid hydroxylation; and those of still unknown function. Cytochrome P450 was once believed to be mainly a hepatic drug detoxication system, but is now understood to include a myriad of enzymic reactions implicated in important life processes. Mutations in many CYP genes cause inborn errors of metabolism and contribute to many clinically relevant diseases. [2]  Question: Are metabolism differences in CYP genes the cause of many vaccine adverse reactions, especially brain encephalopathy that precipitates Autism and other clinically relevant diseases in infants, toddlers and even adults? Was that the reasoning why a Vaccine Court Master awarded Hannah Poling’s Autism claim $1.5 million plus ongoing $500,000 per year for life [4]?


ageofautism--2019-06-22--SB276 Why Arent Pediatricians Up in Arms Over Losing Their Right to Practice Medicine

SB276 Why Aren't Pediatricians Up in Arms Over Losing Their Right to Practice Medicine?

Yesterday, SB276 moved forward in California. This bill strangles a doctor's ability to write medical exemptions for his or her patients. Why would medical doctors give up more of their rights to practice medicine?    We've seen some pretty cruel social media and press statements from the young breed of pediatrician regarding vaccine safety and our right to say "no," to one or more shots or the timing of administration.    Pediatricians as a generalization over the last 3 decades are managed care gatekeepers and the final sales force for pharma. They are intake centers for specialists. They are Rx writers for antibiotics and psych meds. They weigh. They measure. They give a hearing and eye test to those patients who are compliant, verbal. They fill out school and camp forms.  They vaccinate.    They have watched American children plummet in all health stats with no reaction, let alone care.    So, as SB276 steamrolls the doctor patient relationship, I'm reminded that there is no relationship any longer. Practices are corporations. There's no pride of hanging a shingle on the office door that says "Dr. Smith - Pediatrician." There's a mad rush to pay outrageous student loans. To meet quotas. To fill out paperwork. To comply with managed care rules. To go home at the end of the day unencumbered by 24/7/365 emergency calls and late night pleas from scare Moms.  They are cogs in a corporate wheel.     I think many younger pediatricians are grateful for the cover the SB276 gives them. Not because they believe that Medical Exemptions should be rare. But because they do not want to have to make the decision to grant an exemption, and face the consequences of their masters.  They don't want to think for themselves and review the science of the side effects and contraindications of the products they administer. They are satisfied with their cursory med school instruction. "Vaccines are safe. Here's how to inject them."     If this were not the case, they'd be up in arms over this bill for robbing them of their hard earned right to practice medicine.  They should change their specialty  and become proctologists - and cover their asses.    Kim


chicagotribune--2019-12-26--At age 100, the father of preventive medicine is still going strong — as living proof that he was ri

At age 100, the father of preventive medicine is still going strong — as living proof that he was right all along

He knew he wanted that life to be in research, and in 1947, found a place to pursue that work, taking a position at Michael Reese Hospital in Bronzeville under pioneering cardiology researcher Dr. Louis Katz. “Dr. Katz told me, ‘Why the hell do you want to go into research?’” says Stamler. “‘You never win. When you first discover something, people will say ‘I don’t believe it.’ Then you do more research and verify it and they’ll say, ‘yes, but …’ Then you do more research, verify it further and they’ll say, ‘I knew it all the time.’’ And he was right.”


fortune--2019-04-08--Brainstorm Health Brain Stimulation GSK HIV Drug Telemedicine and Antibiotics

Brainstorm Health: Brain Stimulation, GSK HIV Drug, Telemedicine and Antibiotics

Alzheimer’s and dementia researchers have had to endure a cascade of heartbreaking drug development failures in recent years. Traditional pharmaceutical treatments based on the “beta amyloid” theory have failed… and failed… and failed yet again.  So perhaps it’s not surprising that some scientists are hitching their wagons to radically different approaches. A team of Boston University researchers claim that a form of electrical brain stimulation has produced surprising (if very, very early) results in boosting cognitive skills.  It’s important to take these kinds of preliminary results with a grain (or ten) of salt. After all, more conventional Alzheimer’s drug hopefuls have shown early promise only to face humiliating defeats down the line.  But the research is undeniably interesting. Neuroscientists found that electrically (but harmlessly) zapping the regions of the brain related to what’s called “working memory”—i.e., short-term memories critical to conducting certain immediate tasks—can temporarily improve this sort of memory in older people. In fact, the electrical bridging of the prefrontal and temporal regions of the brain reportedly helped improve working memory function in older adults to similar levels as people who were significantly younger.  Still, this wasn’t a randomized clinical trial, and it certainly wasn’t a robust one. When it comes to dementia treatment, past experience suggests a cautious outlook.  Read on for the day’s news.