“Human barcode’ could make society more organized, but invades privacy, civil liberties
As tech companies work to develop ID chips, how long until we’re no longer anonymous?
BY MEGHAN NEAL / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Would you barcode your baby?
Microchip implants have become standard practice for our pets, but have been a tougher sell when it comes to the idea of putting them in people.
Science fiction author Elizabeth Moon last week rekindled the debate on whether it’s a good idea to “barcode” infants at birth in an interview on a BBC radio program.
“I would insist on every individual having a unique ID permanently attached — a barcode if you will — an implanted chip to provide an easy, fast inexpensive way to identify individuals,” she said on The Forum, a weekly show that features “a global thinking” discussing a “radical, inspiring or controversial idea” for 60 seconds .
Moon believes the tools most commonly used for surveillance and identification — like video cameras and DNA testing — are slow, costly and often ineffective.
In her opinion, human barcoding would save a lot of time and money.
Participation in Komen charity race drops after Planned Parenthood funding fight
By Elise Viebeck – 06/02/12 08:13 AM ET
The Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure that is taking place Saturday in Washington, D.C., has about one-third fewer participants than last year, according to reports.
Komen races around the country have seen similar declines following the national outcry over the organization’s now-reversed decision to stop giving funds to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings.
Deadline Fast Approaching for PSEG Environmental Education Grants
Ridgewood teachers encouraged to apply
(June 1, 2012 – Newark, NJ) – Teachers in New Jersey and Delaware have two weeks to apply for a 2012 Environmental Education Grant from PSEG. The energy company provides grants every year to educators who can link their students’ understanding of science, mathematics, computer science and/or technology with an enthusiasm and appreciation for the environment. The PSEG Foundation will award a total of $35,000 for the purchase of equipment, materials and field trips that would not normally be provided by the school or school district. Applications are due June 15.
“Education is critical in helping young people develop an appreciation for the environment,” said Sheila Rostiac, PSEG director of corporate responsibility, and President of the PSEG Foundation. “I’m proud of our investments in programs and partnerships that provide opportunities for students to experience real-life application of skills, as well as those that expose them to career possibilities in science, technology, engineering and math.”
Teachers of grades K-9 are encouraged to apply. Grants of up to $3,500 per project are available. Specific budget criteria are provided on the grant application. Applications that focus on ideas for the development of one or more classroom units, expansion or refinement of an existing course or curriculum, and extension of classroom work to community or after-school activities will be considered. Projects must be conducted over at least two years. Grant winners will be announced in the fall.
Teachers from schools in PSE&G’s utility service area and PSEG’s Estuary Enhancement Program area may apply, as well as all schools in New Jersey’s Salem and Cumberland counties and the State of Delaware. Public, private, parochial, and charter schools may apply for funding. For more information on the eligible towns, and to download an application, visit www.pseg.com/eegrants. Applications must be postmarked by Friday, June 15th.
The PSEG Environmental Education Grant Program began in 1991 as a partnership with the New Jersey Business/Industry/Science Education Consortium (NJ BISEC) and it is designed in cooperation with the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE). The goal is to provide financial resources to help inspire teachers to implement an interdisciplinary approach to teaching about the environment and to foster new ideas. Since its inception, PSEG has awarded more than $388,000 to fund 160 projects in over 105 school districts.
This Summer an ‘Eerie Echo’ of Pre-Lehman: Zoellick
Published: Thursday, 31 May 2012 | 9:14 PM ET Text Size
By: Jean Chua
Writer for CNBC.com
The summer of 2012 is looking like an “eerie” echo of 2008 but euro zone sovereign debt has replaced mortgages as the risky asset class that markets are anxious about, said Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank.
Banks are under stress and depositors have begun to “jog,” Zoellick wrote in an editorial in the Financial Times on Thursday.
“The European Central Bank, like the U.S. Federal Reserve in 2008, has sought to reassure markets by providing generous liquidity, but collateral quality is declining as the better pickings on bank balance sheets are used up,” he added.
To prevent investors from fleeing in panic, Europe must be ready with more than liquidity injections to contain the consequences of a possible Greek exit. “If Greece leaves the eurozone, the contagion is impossible to predict, just as Lehman (Brothers’ collapse) had unexpected consequences,” Zoellick said.
PricewaterhouseCoopers: Medical Costs to Jump 7.5% in 2013
Written by Bob Herman | May 31, 2012
Growth in healthcare spending is projected to increase 7.5 percent for 2013, the fourth straight year of relatively flat growth compared to inflation, according to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute.
The PwC report recorded commentary from health plan actuaries, industry leaders, employers and numerous other healthcare reports and surveys. Historically, the medical cost growth has been in the double digits, but since 2009, growth has slowed considerably.
PwC analysts said as patients become more cost-conscious healthcare consumers and healthcare providers and drug manufacturers place a bigger emphasis on value over volume, the mild increases in healthcare spending growth could become indicative of a broader economic shift. “If the structural forces in the industry take hold, the U.S. health system may be entering a ‘new normal,'” the report said.
Four main forces, which PwC analysts called “deflators,” could continue to slow the medical cost trend in 2013:
• Medical supply and equipment costs will decline under market pressure.
• New delivery methods of primary care, such as retail health clinics and telemedicine, will become more popular.
• Price transparency will exert pressure to lower hospital and healthcare prices.
• The “pharmaceutical patent cliff” will increase the use of lower-cost generic drugs.
Two factors that will inflate the medical cost trend in 2013 include an uptick in utilization and medical and technological advances.
New Yorkers Leave Like East Germans Fled Communism
Posted 05/30/2012 06:42 PM ET
Big Government: New York thinks of itself as the place to be, but its high taxes have made it a place to flee. Those who have escaped the Empire State tax man could fill a major city.
From 1949 to 1961, more than 2.6 million of East Germany’s 17 million population escaped to West Berlin or West Germany, a hemorrhage of humanity that led the Communists to construct the infamous Berlin Wall in 1961.
The state of New York, with about 19.5 million people, has no known plans to erect concrete barriers or barbed wire fences. But from 2000 to 2010 it suffered an exodus of some 3.4 million New Yorkers — nearly a million more people than in Germany’s post-war experience and more than that of any other state.
And the outflow hasn’t stopped. The income loss for the state is $45.6 billion, the Tax Foundation says.
Drugmakers Vowed to Campaign for Health Law, Memos Show
By Drew Armstrong on May 31, 2012
Drugmakers led by Pfizer (PFE) Inc. agreed to run a “very significant public campaign” bankrolling political support for the 2010 health-care law, including TV ads, while the Obama administration promised to block provisions opposed by drugmakers, documents released by Republicans show.
The internal memos and e-mails for the first time unveil the industry’s plan to finance positive TV ads and supportive groups, along with providing $80 billion in discounts and taxes that were included in the law. The administration has previously denied the existence of a deal involving political support.
The documents were released today by Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. They identify price controls under Medicare and drug importation as the key industry concerns, and show that former Pfizer Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Kindler and his top aides were involved in drawing it up and getting support from other company executives.
Memorial Day, celebrated this year on May 28th, is a major driving holiday, with many American families loading up the car to drive to picnics, vacations, and patriotic observances. Below you’ll find the gasoline excise taxes each state levies, with some details in the fine print.
Bleak labor report finds economy added just 69,000 jobs in May
By Vicki Needham and Ian Swanson – 06/01/12 08:29 AM ET
The economy added only 69,000 jobs in May, a result much worse than expected that will heighten fears the economy is sliding back once again as part of a spring slowdown.
The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised figures for March and April downward, finding the economy created 49,000 fewer jobs than once thought in those two months. The jobless rate rose from 8.1 percent to 8.2.
The report underperformed on expectations and could represent a critical turning point in the presidential race between Republican Mitt Romney and President Obama.
National Donut Day
June 1 2012
the staff of the ridgewoodblog
Ridgewood NJ , National Donut Day is on the first Friday of June each year, succeeding the Donut Day event created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. The holiday celebrates the doughnut (a.k.a “donut”)—an edible, torus-shaped piece of dough which is deep-fried and sweetened
While , New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been out and about defending his silly proposed ban on soft drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces the economy continues to struggle and unemployment and high taxes push more and more families into poverty.
We are sure defending the health and safety of New Yorkers is a lot of hard work. So to top it off, the Mayor will be issuing a proclamation celebrating National Donut Day
Time Bomb? Banks Pressured to Buy Government Debt
Published: Thursday, 31 May 2012 | 2:42 PM ET Text Size
By: Jeff Cox
CNBC.com Senior Writer
US and European regulators are essentially forcing banks to buy up their own government’s debt—a move that could end up making the debt crisis even worse, a Citigroup analysis says.
Regulators are allowing banks to escape counting their country’s debt against capital requirements and loosening other rules to create a steady market for government bonds, the study says.
While that helps governments issue more and more debt, the strategy could ultimately explode if the governments are unable to make the bond payments, leaving the banks with billions of toxic debt, says Citigroup strategist Hans Lorenzen.
“Captive bank demand can buy time and can help keep domestic yields low,” Lorenzen wrote in an analysis for clients. “However, the distortions that build up over time can sow the seeds of an even bigger crisis, if the time bought isn’t used very prudently.”
Pedestrian Struck In Crosswalk, West Ridgewood Ave. & North Monroe Street, Ridgewood
06/01/2012
Boyd A. Loving
At approximately 7:30 AM on Friday, June 1, a pedestrian was struck and injured at the intersection of North Monroe Street and West Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood. The individual was transported by Ridgewood EMS to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. One summons was issued to the vehicle’s driver. Responding were Ridgewood PD, Ridgewood FD, Ridgewood EMS, and paramedics from The Valley Hospital.
Ridgewood NJ, A conceptual plan to improve the pedestrian underpass at the Ridgewood train station has piqued interest among several council members, who last Wednesday expressed desire to meet with New Jersey Transit (NJT) officials and discuss the potential ideas.
NJT recently completed a $40 million renovation project at the station to make Ridgewood’s transit hub accessible to disabled passengers and more convenient for all riders. That project, however, did not include improvement work to the underpass.
In its current condition, the underground walkway shows deteriorated walls, exposed rebar and general disrepair. Though it is out of sight to many village residents, the passageway is an eyesore to those who use it.
