» Health Care

The Giving Pledge

nexmillen — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:24:35 +0000

The giving pledge is an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. So far 40 individuals and families have pledge close to 125 billion dollar. Click here to see a list of pledgers.

Six Step To Fulfillment

nexmillen — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:36:50 +0000

So happiness – isn’t that the thing that all of us strive to find and keep? Nobody is happy all of the time, but some people are definitely more fulfilled than others. Studies on what makes people happy reveal that it doesn’t have much to do with material goods or high achievement; it seems to whittle down to your outlook on life, and the quality of your relationships with the people around you.To be happy you should know what to love and how much. Here are six step to begin you on your journey to fulfillment.

1 Be Optimistic

2 Follow Your Gut

3 Make enough money to meet your basic needs

4 Stay close to family and friends

5 Find happiness in the Job you have now.

6 Smile

May Is National Bike Month

nexmillen — Fri, 21 May 2010 10:58:15 +0000

I’m very late on this. But I’m posting it so you can know what to expect next year.

Celebrate the freedom of two wheels at one of over a dozen events —

Sunday, May 2: Annual BCGP Membership Meeting
Join members and staff of the Bicycle Coalition for an annual gathering to celebrate our accomplishments, elect the new Board Directors and listen to music by local band, Jubel Jenkins. Thank you to all that joined us!

Tuesday, May 4: Pennsylvania Bike Summit
Join other Pennsylvania bicyclists in Harrisburg to speak up for better bicycling in Pennsylvania.

Wednesday, May 5: Volunteer Training Night
Help the Bicycle Coalition by volunteering your time. 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1107. 6:30pm; pizza provided.

Friday, May 7: Sustainable 19125′s Car-Free Fridays
As part of Sustainable 19125′s Walk-Bike-Ride campaign, ditch your car and celebrate your reduced carbon footprint on Fridays throughout May. Participating bars include Johnny Brenda’s, O’Reilly’s, The Green Rock Tavern, The El Bar, Kung Fu Necktie, Murph’s Bar, and the Starboard Side Tavern!

Saturday, May 8: Mural Bike Tour
A tour of Philadelphia’s renowned murals by bike allows an outstanding opportunity for participants to see and photograph murals up close! A guide, with up to 10 participants, will weave through Brewerytown, Fairmount, Francisville, and Spring Garden viewing nearly 20 murals an revealing the meaning and stories behind the murals. A can’t miss Philadelphia experience! Admission $17.

Monday, May 10 – 31: Philadelphia Commuter Challenge
Kick start your summer and join the Bicycle Coalition’s 2010 Philadelphia Commuter Challenge for May’s Bike Month. The Challenge is for people living in the Greater Philadelphia area and runs May 10th through May 31st. Join the challenge on your own or start a team.

Friday, May 14: Sustainable 19125′s Car-Free Fridays

Saturday, May 15: 9th Annual R.E.Load Maypril Fools Fun Ride
Essentially a huge scavenger hunt, you’ll be given a list of stops at the start, each with a different points value assigned to them. Registration begins 12pm. Entry fee: $10.

Saturday, May 15: Growing Green Bike Tour
Join the Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and members of the City Harvest Growers Alliance Program (CHGA) for a bicycle exploration of urban gardens and food systems. Starts 2pm. Entry fee: $15/$10 for Bicycle Coalition members.

Monday, May 17: Urban Riding Basics Class @ BCGP Office
5:30-6:30pm at 1500 Walnut St., Suite 205.
Join the Bicycle Ambassadors for a free and public Urban Riding Basics class. This class focuses on the basic safety details each rider needs to know before hopping on a bike. Ambassadors will review fitting a bike and helmet, what to wear, how to pack, a review of the rules of the road, locking your bike and much more. Participants do not need to bring bicycles.

Tuesday, May 18: Bicycle Ambassadors 2010 Season Launch Day
11:00-3:00pm in Love Park. More info soon.

Tuesday, May 18: Urban Riding Basics Class @ BCGP Office
5:30-6:30pm at 1500 Walnut St., Suite 205.

Wednesday, May 19: Lunchtime Urban Riding Basics Class @ BCGP Office
12:30pm-1:30pm at 1500 Walnut St., Suite 205.

Wednesday, May 19: Ride of Silence
Philadelphia’s Ride of Silence starts at the Art Museum steps at 6:45 pm for a seven-mile, police-escorted ride through Center City. The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. For more information, contact volunteer ride coordinators John Siemiarowski or Ray Scheinfeld.
Across the region there are several other Ride of Silence events in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware

Thursday, May 20: Urban Riding Basics and Biking in Philly Discussion @ Wooden Shoe Books
7:00-8:30pm at 704 South Street.

Friday, May 21: Bike to Work with Mayor Nutter on National Bike to Work Day
Join us for the yearly celebration of bikes as transportation! Hop on your bike and join Mayor Nutter and other Philadelphians and enjoy the two wheeled commute into the city. We will meet at the steps of the Art Museum at 7:30am and ride down to City Hall. RSVP for Bike to Work Day and you will be entered to win a Breezer Ziggy folding bike.
Bike To Work Day Service Stations: Stop by a nearby service station to refuel, pump up your tires and chat with Bicycle Ambassadors!
-Philadelphia Art Museum: 7:00-8:30am. Free Bike Checks by Eastern Mountain Sports, and Bananas and discounted fruit from The Fruit Guys.
-Temple University Bike to Work Breakfast: 7-9:30am at the Bell Tower. Free continental breakfast, drawing for a Fuji Bike, maps and more.
-Center City (21st & Chestnut) – 9:00-6:00
-Center City (ING Cafe, 1636 Walnut Street) – 8:00-12:00
-Kensington (Corner of Frankford and Master Streets) – 7:00-9:00am
-Manayunk (Manyunk Brew Pub- 4120 Main Street) – 7:00-9:00am

Friday, May 21: Sustainable 19125′s Car-Free Fridays

Friday, May 21: Delaware County Bike To Work Day
8:00-10:00 Front and Olive St, Media, PA. One lucky cyclist will ride away with a brand new Cayne Rambler bicycle, courtesy of Drexel Hill Cyclery!

Saturday, May 22: Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby
A Kinetic Sculpture is a Human-powered vehicle that also has an artistic theme. Think of parade floats on bicycles, or mummers on hand crank driven pirate ships, or an alien space ship on 2 welded together bikes, think of a giant pink poodle hurdling through space, mud, sand and water. A Kinetic Sculpture Competition is all about fun and ingenuity, making the wackiest, most interesting contraption is the goal- finishing the course or winning is not. Check out the website for more information and details on how to get involved.

Saturday, May 22: REI Introduction to Road Cycling Class
9:00 AM / REI Conshohocken / Member $55.00 / Non Member $75.00 / registration required.
This outing is perfect for beginning cyclists who know the basics of riding but are looking to improve or brush up on their skills. You’ll receive instruction on proper shifting, braking, hill descending/climbing techniques, and avoiding hazards. Road riding etiquette will be emphasized. Please bring proper riding apparel. Duration: 6 hours

Wednesday, May 26: Commuter Race
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia will be staging a race between three commuters: a bicyclist, a car driver and a transit rider. The race will test the theory that a bicyclist who commutes four miles or less in Philadelphia will generally arrive before, or within a few minutes of, other commuters during rush hour. To give the car every chance to win the race, the driver will be in a convertible sports car (provided by Zip Car).

Wednesday, May 26: Urban Riding Basics Class @ The Free Library, Durham Branch 6:00-7:00pm at 3320 Haverford Avenue.
Wednesday, May 26: Ride to First Annual Greenworks Progress Report Meet at 9:45am. Leave City Hall at 10am and ride to 9th and Norris at http://www.apmphila.org/ ” target=”_blank”>Asociacion de Puertorriquenos en Marcha philadelphia

Thursday, May 27: Opening of the Interim Trail on the Delaware River. Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. (more info to come)

Saturday, May 29th: Urban Riding Basics Class @ Liberty Lands Park
11:00am-12:00pm at Liberty Lands Park: 913-961 N 3rd St.

For more information, or to add an event to our listing, contact Nisha Mitchell. We are working with other local organiztions to add to the festivities and will be adding events as they come in.

Chi (Qi):: Major Life Force in our Bodies

nexmillen — Thu, 20 May 2010 11:42:26 +0000

By Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine.

The ancient oriental doctor perceived human beings as a microcosm of the universe that surrounded them. They imagined themselves as a part of an unbroken wholeness, called Tao, a singular relational continuum within and without.

Oriental medical thinking grew up with the relationship of the human being and nature in body-mind-spirit. And so the system of examination, diagnosis and treatment for Oriental medicine is based on these natural processes. The concept of human health then follows laws inherent in the flow of the life ‘Energy (Chi)’ inherent in nature.

The existence of humanity and, in fact, all of nature, is dependent upon this Chi (Qi). It is only by Chi that the planets move, the wind blows, the elements exist. It is only by Chi that human beings live and breathe. When Chi is flowing, all of life’s processes are in operation in a rhythmic and harmonious way. The Chi energy is the vital force in all of life, and the Tao is the path and method to sustain this pure Chi energy.

In watching the universe, the ancient Chinese saw that this energy could be spoken of in a dualistic way, a kind of brother-sister team which is called Yin and Yang. In reality these two are one but one of the forces may be more or less apparent at a certain time. For instance, when night is upon us we do not at that moment experience the day, and yet the day emerges from the night. We tend to think of either one or the other of the opposites existing, rather than of both being preset with one aspect manifesting more than the other at a given moment. Yin Yang is not a dialectic of opposites clashing; it is the unity of two aspects of Chi energy whose continual movement revolves in a constant interplay of balance and harmony.

Like Yin and Yang, the five elements are further descriptions of the Chi energy as it goes through its cyclical transformations. Everything in life is made up of a mixture of these elements being wood, fire, earth, metal and water. All phenomenon of the universe contain the energies of Yin and Yang through which the reason of ailments and the use of natural food and herbal medicine can be explained.

By Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine.

Jaseng Center for Alternative Medicine is one of the largest integrative medical facility with 10 medical practitioners and it is a branch medical office of Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine, which is the largest oriental medical hospital specializing in non surgical treatment of spine and joint condition. Please visit our website for more info at www.jasengusa.com or www.jaseng.net

What Is Deem And Pass?

nexmillen — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:58:51 +0000

With the health care bill dragging into its second year of debate, there is talk from house leader Nancy Pelosi that a “procedural action” called Deem and Pass may be used to move the health care bill through the House. Half vote and half procedural action, the Deem and Pass action – otherwise known as the “Slaughter rule” – has raised blood pressures on both sides of the aisle, but unless you are a career politician, deem and pass can get more confusing than no fax payday loans very quickly. So here’s the basic primer on deem and pass for all the non-politicians out there.

Calls To Tax Junk Food Gain Ground

nexmillen — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:27:02 +0000

Los Angles Times:: Karen Kaplan- With increasing vigor, public health experts and think tanks are calling for extra taxes on foods and drinks that are heavy in calories and light on nutrition. New York Gov. David Paterson proposed an 18% soda tax last year as a budget-balancing measure, only to abandon it three months later in the face of stiff public opposition. Lawmakers in at least five other states have gone on the record in support of the idea.

Junk-food taxes are often mentioned as a way to help fund a restructuring of the healthcare system, though no one in Congress has endorsed them.

The notion is catching on with the general public, however. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll last month found that 55% of respondents favored a tax on unhealthful snack foods, up from 52% in April. Support for a soda tax rose to 53% from 46%.

And 63% of those who opposed the idea said they would change their minds if the revenue were used to fund healthcare reform and combat health problems related to obesity.

A report this summer from the Urban Institute said such taxes are needed to ensure that rising obesity rates don’t cause the average American life expectancy to fall for the first time in history.

Anthony Weiner Fights For You and Me

nexmillen — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:38:33 +0000

Wednesday morning, Rep. Anthony Weiner, Democrat of Brooklyn, N.Y. was repeatedly chastised by House decorum masters for correctly and quite passionately asserting that the Republican Party is a “wholly-owned subsidiary of the health insurance industry.”

He even made a correct (and all-too-rare) public side-note that certain members of his own Democratic Party are also highly indebted to the insurance industry, and are equally responsible for the piecemeal, one-step-forwards-three-steps-backwards approach Congress has taken when it comes to health care reform.

First Lady’s “Let’s Move Program” comes to Philadelphia

nexmillen — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:50:31 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQiC_bdiXw0
AP PHILADELPHIA—First lady Michelle Obama is set to visit Philadelphia as part of her efforts to curb childhood obesity.
The first lady will visit a North Philadelphia elementary school on Friday. Obama will discuss steps the city has taken to address the problem of so-called “food deserts.” Those are poor communities where it’s hard to find stores with healthy foods.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will accompany the first lady on her visit.

Go Red For Women:: Help fight heart disease

nexmillen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:13:58 +0000

Choose to be a leader. Inspire friends, family and coworkers to wear red and speak up about heart disease — our No. # 1 killer — on National Wear Red Day!
But building awareness shouldn’t be confined to just one day. Consider organizing a Wear Red Day on any day you like. Plan one at your office, in your community, or even in your home. Just sign up and download the tools from our Wear Red Day Kit to get started. You’ll even get your very own free Go Red For Women pin to let the world know you’re fighting to raise awareness of heart disease in women.
Get started today!

Los Angeles Council Curbs Pot Dispensaries

nexmillen — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:49:26 +0000

The Los Angeles City Council gave final approval Tuesday to an ordinance that will close most medical-marijuana dispensaries in the city.

The ordinance, which passed 9-3, caps the number of dispensaries at 70 and provides guidelines that will push the clinics out of neighborhoods and into industrial areas. More than 130 shops that registered before a 2007 moratorium could also be allowed to stay open if they comply with the rules.

No one is sure how many pot clinics there are in Los Angeles—the best estimate is somewhere between 800 and 1,000—and the ordinance will likely meet resistance from clinic owners.

More than 600 medical-marijuana dispensaries have opened in the city over the past 10 months, despite the moratorium. The shop owners took advantage of a loophole that allowed them to open while awaiting city approval.