What’s with the “leave Howie alone” mantra? Howie’s a big boy isn’t he. We all comment on this blog and any other blog for that matter knowing that others may not see things as we do.

If one’s ego, feelings, etc is so fragile that he/she can’t take the scrutiny, criticism, rancor, or just plain stupidity(I may have made this category on your list), the he/she should refrain from contributing his/her comments to said blog.

No one owes Howie, you, me or anyone else any special attention or consideration.

Bob

A: First, you and your family or other beneficiaries must be sure that you no longer need the insurance and that it is no longer economically attractive to keep it. If so, then consider a sale of the policy — called a “life settlement” — to investors who will pay the premiums on it and collect the proceeds upon your death.

In some cases, life settlements can yield much more than cash surrender value (which is the value of the policy, not reflecting changes in health after the policy was purchased).

This is especially likely if you are over age 70 and health issues have reduced your life expectancy since you bought the policy (which enables the purchaser to collect on the policy sooner). It is best to deal with a reputable life-settlement broker who can obtain bids on the policy from at least 20 potential institutional buyers. And consult an accountant about possible income tax consequences — for example, part of the proceeds from the sale of the policy may be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains.

Our inside source: Lee Slavutin, MD, CLU, chairman of Stern Slavutin-2 Inc., an insurance and estate-planning firm, New York City.

A physics teacher in high school once told the students that while one grasshoper on the railroad tracks wouldn’t slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American.
Good idea . . . one light bulb at a time . . . ..

Check this out . I can verify this because I was in Lowes the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments . They were all made in China . The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there .. They were made in USA . Start looking .

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else – even their job . So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track . Let’s get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey’s candy . I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now . I do not buy it any more . My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now I have switched to Crest .. You have to read the labels on everything .

This past weekend I was at Kroger . I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets . I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, “Everyday Value . ” I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats – they were the same except for the price . The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in – get ready for this – the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio
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So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here .

So on to another aisle – Bounce Dryer Sheets . . . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA ! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!

(We should have awakened a decade ago)

Let’s get with the program . . . . help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and
create more jobs here in the U . S . A ..

Dear Fellow Conservative:

The politically correct history that dominates our schools and universities today insists that Jefferson Davis was another Hitler, Robert E. Lee was another Rommel, and the Confederate States of America were our own version of the Third Reich – a blot on American history.

But reality was different: the Old South, as H. W. Crocker III explains in The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Civil War, had slavery, but also immense charm, grace and merit – not to mention a very strong Constitutional case.

Now, for a limited time, Human Events is making The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Civil War available to you absolutely FREE in a limited-edition hardcover.

In your FREE hardcover copy of The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Civil War, you’ll find among many intriguing items:
• That secession was legal
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• That the Emancipation Proclamation did not free a single slave
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• That leading Northern generals – like McLellan and Sherman – hated abolitionists
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• That bombing people “back to the Stone Age” got its start with the Federal siege of Vicksburg
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• That Stonewall Jackson founded a Sunday school for slaves where he taught them how to read
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• That General James Longstreet fought the Battle of Sharpsburg in his carpet slippers
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• That if the South had won, we might be able to enjoy holidays in the sunny Southern state of Cuba

CLICK HERE to get your FREE hardcover copy of The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Civil War today.

Sincerely,

Thomas S. Winter
Editor in Chief, Human Events
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I am a white man from the South, who, even with the influences of hundreds of years of racists lies stereotyping OTWs, can see that a party pushing this stuff would condone and implement the actions of Nazi Germany if they could get away with it.

I can not understand why any OTW would find in common ground in a part that says sure we had slavery but we were immensely charming people.

Mike

You may have heard about a new procedure that helps clear the nasal passages of people who suffer from chronic sinusitis — it’s called Balloon Sinuplasty. Recently approved by the FDA, the procedure uses a tiny balloon to open blocked sinus passages, much as angioplasty uses balloons to open blocked blood vessels.

But don’t be so quick to sign up — some otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat specialists) have expressed concern that their patients may believe there’s more evidence-based research behind this treatment than there is. In fact, as yet, it’s not clear whether it works long term or even if it is really safe.

Sinuplasty is being marketed as a less invasive alternative to traditional sinus surgery. Acclarent, the private company in Menlo Park, California, that makes the device used in Sinuplasty, cites more than a dozen studies showing short-term benefits — for instance, one trial documents sinus improvements in 65 patients for two years.

Yet it is important to note that when Sinuplasty reached the marketplace in 2006, it did so under somewhat lax FDA policies that regulate medical devices. That is, Acclarent did not need to prove that Sinuplasty was safe and effective in and of itself — only that the device was roughly equivalent in safety and effectiveness to similar devices that had already received FDA approval.

Called “grandfathering,” this practice is now being scrutinized and may in fact be changed… but that’s not protecting anyone in the meantime. (For more on the medical device safety problems, see Daily Health News, October 22, 2009.)

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW

I spoke with Greg E. Davis, MD, MPH, assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at University of Washington in Seattle, who told me the evidence is insufficient, in his view, that Sinuplasty is effective over the long-term. He also said there’s a possibility that the treatment could cause harm.

Sinuplasty works by creating micro-fractures in the bony openings of the sinuses in order to make the openings larger. Small fragments of bone that have the potential to lead to further blockage of the sinuses may be left behind.

Another issue is that medical indications for Balloon Sinuplasty haven’t been clearly established, so there is no agreed-upon set of circumstances defining when it should and should not be used.

Hospitals are already promoting Balloon Sinuplasty as being the best treatment to address minor sinus problems — but without more research, we really don’t know that for sure. It is also important to be aware that Sinuplasty is more expensive than traditional sinus surgery, and your health insurer may or may not cover it.

FURTHER EVIDENCE IS NEEDED

At present, Dr. Davis says it is best to view this as one more surgical approach to treating blocked sinuses, recognizing that high-quality clinical research is needed to determine whether it fulfills its promise and has lasting benefits.

If you’re considering it, be aware that the verdict isn’t yet in — and don’t forget to check whether your doctor has enough experience using the device and to learn if your health insurance will pay for it.

Source(s): ??Greg E. Davis, MD, MPH, assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, University of Washington, Seattle.?