Oil spill predicted to raise insurance rates

Just as if you have too many accidents or speeding tickets your insurance rates can increase, making you start thinking about searching out insurance reviews to get a better deal, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to increase insurance costs.

While it's not the fault of the other oil companies, experts predict the higher premiums that will result could force some of the smaller oil and gas companies out of business.

"The experience is that insurance goes up in areas where there have been large claims," Devon President John Richels said at the Reuters Global Energy Summit, noting that rates always rise after big hurricanes.

While BP did not have external insurance, it's seeking up to $700 million through a policy held by Transocean. It's also been reported that Lloyd’s of London has estimated that net claims from the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico stood between $300 million and $600 million as of last week.

James Carville's rage...

I recommend reading James Carville's Rage by Ruben Navarrette. I also recommend watching what Carville said on Good Morning America since it's referenced as a part of the article:

America's insatiable appetite for oil is to blame?

Over across the ocean in the UK, the blame for the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not believed to be the fault of the British Petroleum company, but is felt to be the fault of we Americans. At least according to Jeremy Warner:

At no point does it seem to have occurred to him (President Obama) that the underlying cause is rather closer to home; the environmental ruin now being visited on the Gulf of Mexico is not primarily about safety failures at BP, still less is it about lax regulation. Rather it is to do with America's insatiable appetite for oil.

Considering problems with drilling in the North Sea, and a recent methane explosion it's fairly clear that it's not just the US that's had problems with drilling the ocean floors...Disasters have happened since 1967 so it seems it'd be more accurate to suggest many nations have much to still learn about how to prevent disasters...While it's also true that the US uses more oil per day as a nation, it's interesting if you look at who uses more oil per capita - according to this chart.

Chasing sleep...

I've always had trouble falling asleep though recently it's gotten worse, in part because I've taken on more work but yet the hours of the day have not increased to keep up with it. This creates situations where instead of sleeping, I'm working. At one point in time I took a prescription sleep aid - Ambien...While it worked to make me sleep, I didn't wake up when taking it, no matter what was going on around me. That was kind of scary after one night of my youngest daughter waking up sick. Thankfully my husband was home but after that? The chemical appeal Ambien offered was not worth the feeling of the loss of control in waking when needed.

I've tried the over the counter sleep medications, with limited success and I've tried the herbal remedies with even less success. It's said that four in ten Americans has problems getting enough sleep, which leads to the question, do you have trouble sleeping and if so, what works for you?

History of HGH

Maurice Raben took HGH from human pituitary glands to successfully treat a GH-deficient boy in the 1950's. The limited ability to treat children who experienced growth stunting began but problems continued as the main source of this was through a autopsies.

Then a synthetic formulation was made, which created controversy when it was not used for the original purpose, which was to treat children and a few other rare health conditions. Now hgh is still out there in some forms but is not from humans and is marketed as a way to prevent aging. Some people obtain it in an injectable form, of which concern regarding side effects has been raised. The FDA has not approved other medical use of human growth hormone other than to treat 7 specific medical conditions.

Challenging the constitutionality of the number of House Reps

I received this via e-mail and thought it was an interesting item to pass along:

Unique Three-Judge Panel Grants Plaintiffs Oral Argument in Historic Lawsuit Challenging Size of Congress

OXFORD, Miss., May 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Plaintiffs learned late last week that their request for oral argument was granted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. Legal counsel for the plaintiffs, Michael Farris, also submitted the final brief in the case last week. The lawsuit, Clemons v. Department of Commerce, challenges the constitutionality of the law passed in 1929 that permanently freezes the number of representatives in the U.S. House at 435 members due to the fact that such a small number inevitably produces an apportionment which violates the Constitution's "one-person, one-vote" requirement to an extraordinary degree.
"We applaud the Court's decision to hold oral argument for this issue which is so vital to our representative form of government," said Scott Scharpen, founder and president of Apportionment.US, the non-profit organization coordinating the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs.
Speaking about the defendants in the case, Scharpen adds, "The government takes a truly radical and anti-constitutional position in this lawsuit, asserting that inequality of voting strength between congressional districts is not important. Furthermore, despite filing over 70 pages of brief material, the government never once affirms the right of voters to equal representation--a right that the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized as fundamental."
This is the same federal government, however, that forces states to achieve precise equality of congressional districts within a small fraction of 1%, yet at the national level, the federal government permits inequality between the smallest and largest districts to exceed 80%. This disparity is projected to become even more inequitable as a result of the 2010 apportionment.
Oral argument will be heard in Oxford, Mississippi on May 28, 2010 at 10:30 am before the three-judge panel consisting of Circuit Judge Leslie H. Southwick, Chief District Judge Michael P. Mills, and District Judge W. Allen Pepper.
For a copy of the Plaintiffs' final brief, visit www.apportionment.us/case.html.
Apportionment.US (www.apportionment.us) is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving equal and appropriate representation in the U.S. House of Representatives for current and future generations of Americans. The organization also educates the public about the Constitution and House apportionment, as well as promotes the benefits of smaller congressional districts resulting from an increase in House membership.

Women wearing men's ties...

Tuesday I had the chance go to to lunch with a co-worker, we were lucky enough to be able to try out a new restaurant in town that was not officially open for business. Yes, we were taste testers. The food and the atmosphere was really nice and we had a fun discussion on what the wait staff had to wear, black shirts and mens ties. She thought that women looked silly when they had to wear ties, I remember a fashion stage when it was popular for women to wear ties so for me, it wasn't that much of an issue. Though I could see where it'd be easy for a tie to get in the way of serving food. Waiter...there's a tie in my soup...

:-)

Decreasing access to the sun and winter creating lack of Vitamin D

A recent study suggests pregnant women are not getting enough vitamin D, even when taking pregnancy vitamins. Those most at risk are women with darker skin, those living in northern regions during the winter, and those who tend to cover up their skin.

In general, vitamin D levels seem to have been dropping in recent years, theresearchers from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine (UCDSM) and Massachusetts General Hospital found. It was suggested this might be due to a dip in outdoor activity. Vitamin D deficiency in the first years of life is associated with a higher risk for respiratory infection and childhood wheezing, while adults who lack an adequate supply bear a greater risk for heart disease and certain cancers.

Testing and supplementation could be the answer to the apparent problem, a simple blood test indicates the level of vitamin D and the increase in vitamin D has to be compared with the risks from excessive vitamin D intake.

With the recent focus on the sun being a danger, it was interesting to note the research on vitamin D...

You don't develop courage by being happy...

“You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”

So says the quote attributed to the Greek Philosopher Epicurus and it is true. For many of us we don't have courage especially when it comes to our relationships. We let people that claim to love us abuse us emotionally and at times physically. We make excuses for them, blame or own behavior or jokingly talk about needing to find the best testosterone boosters out there to somehow make us more courageous.

I used to be an emotional doormat, going out of my way to give, and give and give some more even when nothing was given in return. It's a hard cycle to break and it may end up making some relationships no longer possible. It was easier for me to give in, but the damage I did to myself in constantly folding was worse than what I've gone through in cutting off friends and family members who are not willing to accept that relationships need to be based on mutual respect and realistic expectations of what a person can give.

Sowell on Race and Resentment

I don't always agree with the pieces penned by Thomas Sowell, yet this one on Race and Resentment is a highly recommended piece. One part I found especially noteworthy:

Achievements are a reflection on others who may have had similar, and sometimes better, chances but who did not make the most of their chances. Achievements are like a slap across the face to those who are not achieving, and many people react with the same kind of anger that such an insult would provoke.

I remember when one of my children considered flunking a test on purpose so her classmates would stop making fun of her for her scholastic accomplishments. This is a problem educators have been aware of for decades, allowing bullying and making fun of "nerds" to be a part of the educational process. Though the real root of the problem comes from how these children were raised, the media messaging, etc., the only way it will stop is a systematic effort by communities as a whole...

Google and your employment future...

There's been a lot of attention recently as to Facebooks changes in their privacy controls and some people who have been with Facebook since the beginning when they felt they had more privacy feel betrayed. Yet the reality is even years ago when Facebook was only accessible to college students, colleges were checking Facebook for information on prospective students and interns. Now, it's really not uncommon at all for Google to be used as part of the employment screening process where what is out there about you (or someone with the same name as you) can be a factor in your future career moves.

Deleting something does not always make it go away, which is the most important less on people seem to never learn. One thing in particular people should be paying more attention to is the Facebook groups that they "like" (yes, that used to be "fan"). Joining controversial groups if you are job hunting is not smart as that group you "liked" in fun could give potential employers the wrong idea about you...

Is a health savings account for you?

Depending upon your personal situation a health savings account may be an option for you to have more control over your health care dollars and in some cases save on health care costs. Industry wide it's stated that HSA's reduce health care costs long term by one-third for most people but they don't immediately create savings. For those with pre-existing medical conditions who need regular medical care and treatment, an HSA might not be for you though there is the added benefit not having to have pre-authorized providers of treatments.

Some employers are very proactive when it comes to HSA's others are not so it's important to do some research. There are a variety of companies out there that offer HSA's which also means the terms are not automatically the same and there are different plans in different states. Currently the IRS allows you to contribute up to $6,150 for a family and $3,050 for one individual per year.

A brief respite now that the primary is over...

Those of you read here, who don't read my local political blog, may enjoy a break from politics like I did recently when I got the chance to interview Raymond Carr, the voodoo puppeteer for "Walking with Dinosaurs" in this past week's Toledo Free Press Star - (link).

This is the first time I've been in print in the Star, normally my responsibilities there are fact checking and helping to get the Star ready for print so it can hit the racks on Wednesdays.

It's a fun paper to work on, since it's not political at all, it focuses more on arts, entertainment and what we would call the "fluffier side of life" -- facts are still important but it's less number/fact oriented. A good example of the difference is taking the interview I did with Raymond Carr compared to my column that will appear in the Sunday edition of the Toledo Free Press, (link).

That written, politics will always be a driving part of my life. One of the things I miss most, with the less time I have now compared to the past, is being able to debate and discuss national politics here. Local politics is so consuming at times and my local blog takes quite a bit more hands on management.

Working on both the Star and the Toledo Free Press has been a learning experience. I've also discovered having a weekly column is more of a challenge than writing a blog; in coming up with ideas and saying it in under 700 words. I'm still far from perfection but thanks to the people I work with, I think I am on the road to being a better writer and learning more about reporting versus opining.

As always, I thank those of you who are still with me here. It wouldn't be as much fun here, without you.

:-)