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Miss Nicaragua brings a joyful moment to San Francisco

por Erik Leiva

Miembros directivos de blueEnergy y Señorita NIcaragua: Scharllette Allen Moses (al centro) disfrutan un momento fotográfico en el Officer’s Club de Fort Mason en SF, De izq. a der.: Mathías Craig, Jerry Allen, Scharlette Allen, Lal Marandin, Guillaume Craig, Lizzie Reisman, Anne-Cecile Mailfert. (PHOTO BY MA)Member directives of blueEnergy and Miss Nicaragua enjoy a photographic moment at the Officer’s Club at Fort Mason in SF. From left to right: Mathías Craig, Jerry Allen, Scharlette Allen, Lal Marandin, Guillaume Craig, Lizzie Reisman, Anne-Cecile Mailfert. (PHOTO BY MARVIN RAMIREZ)

The Nicaraguan community had the pleasure of enjoying the beauty of Scharllette Allen Moses, who is the first Miss Nicaragua who originates from Bluefield, in the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, Not only did she bring her radiant beauty and charisma that won her the title as the most beautiful woman in Nicaragua, but she also brought with her an important message, that made the Nicaraguan community and others in the Bay Area with the desire to helping Nicaragua.

In her first social visit in the Bay Area, Scharllette Allen Moses, Miss Nicaragua 2010, visited the Oakland’s Children’s Hospital where she interacted with families and children with severe illnesses such as cancer. Among these families was a grandmother from Nicaragua who was aware of Scharllette’s visit and wanted to surprise her granddaughter who is a patient, by telling her that Miss Nicaragua had come to visit her. The initial surprise was very emotional, not only for the young lady patient, but also for her grandmother and Scharllette herself, who fought back tears, and later shared smiles that illuminated the room.

During the evening, Scharllette was the special guest at the 2nd Annual Taste of Nicaragua Gala, an event organized by blueEnergy, a non-profit organization that works to help bring energy stabilization in the Atlantic Coast regions of Nicaragua. The Gala was a fundraiser aimed at bringing help to this very impoverished region in Nicaragua. Scharllete looked spectacular as she gracefully worked the full-of-guests fl oor who surrounded her to meet the Nicaraguan beauty.

Scharllette’s visit to the Bay Area was a great success; she was able to highlight the great efforts of blueEnergy, which has focused on lending a helping hand to the impoverished regions of the Atlantic Coast in Nicaragua.

(Erik Leiva is the producer of ­www.chavalo.com)

 

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Fighting prostate problems

by Jonel Abellanosa

Fighing prostate problems includes eating tomatoes, taking saw palmetto supplements and ejaculating regularly. Prostate problems need not dampen hope.

Fighting prostate problems seems to have become a major male preoccupation. Surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) Ð a non-cancerous swelling of the prostate gland Ð is the most common surgical procedure performed in males, the cost of which exceeds 1 billion dollars per year in the United States alone. Prostate problems are becoming prevalent. Fighting prostate problems has become necessary.

Prostate Problems Becoming a Major Male Concern

Indeed, prostate problems are increasing alarmingly. The incidence of prostate cancer, and mortality from it, are increasing every year. Prostate cancer has exceeded lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males, and is the second leading cause of male cancer deaths. Of all kinds of tumors, prostate cancer increases most rapidly with age.

Causes of Prostate Problems

After the age of 40, many men start experiencing urinary problems. They seem to need to urinate more frequently, especially at night. They start experiencing pain in urinating. The cause if often benign prostatic hyperplasia. The prostate gland, which produces seminal fluid, is like a collar round the urethra Ð the tube that runs from the bladder to the penis. When the prostate gland swells, urine flow is blocked. More than half of men over 50 experience prostate swelling.

Here is a list of possible remedies for prostate problems:

• Herbal remedies Ð Saw palmetto supplements, which contain extracts from the berries of the saw palmetto plant, blocks the action of a hormone that stimulates prostate gland growth. It also decreases inflammation. Look for supplements that contain extract of dried nettle root and take according to instructions. Nettle root assists in shrinking the enlarged prostate gland. It works better with saw palmetto.

• Tomatoes Ð Eat lots of tomatoes or tomatobased products, every day if possible. Researchers found that men who ate 10 or more tomato servings a week cut the risk of prostate cancer by more than 45 percent. This is due to lycopene, which reduces inflammation and prevents swelling of the prostate gland.

• Pumpkin seeds are a folk remedy for prostate enlargement. Eat a handful of unroasted pumpkin seeds every day. The seeds are an excellent source of zinc, a key nutrient for prostate gland health.

• Healthy fats should be consumed,such as omega-3 fatty acids from cold water fish like trout, mackerel and tuna; the fats from avocados, olive oil and flaxseed oil decrease inflammation of the prostate gland.

• Avoid caffeine because it is a diuretic, and causes sleep problems in those with prostate gland problems.

• Drink water before dinnertime, and seldom after.

• Ejaculate regularly, either through sex or masturbation. The prostate gland produces seminal fluid, and regular ejaculation relieves internal fluid ­pressure. Ejaculation also causes the muscles around the prostate gland to contract, which stimulates blood flow and keeps the gland from becoming inflamed.

• Urinate as soon as urge develops Ð because when the bladder becomes full, urine tends to enter the prostate gland and irritate it.

• Sit on the bowl while urinating Ð Sitting while urinating relaxes the prostate gland.

• Relax and minimize stress Ð Tension and anxiety triggers hormones that cause bladder muscles to tense.

• Sit in warm water Ð The heat increases blood flow in the prostate gland, reducing inflammation and swelling.

If you notice encroaching symptoms of prostate gland swelling, or even from an already cancerous prostate Ð especially difficulties and pain in urinating Ð there is no need to procrastinate. Adopt a positive mindset in fighting prostate problems as soon as possible. Always remember to tell your problems to a specialist.

Read more at Suite101: Fighting Prostate Problems http://www.suite101.com/content/fighting-prostate-problems-a286832#ixzz10lQxfIr6.

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Peruvian government backtracks on rights decree

­by the El Reportero’s news services

Alan GarcíaAlan García

President Alan García reshuffled his cabinet this week. This is customary before presidential and congressional elections (due next April) as Peru’s electoral law requires ministers seeking election to resign their positions at least six months in advance. One of the nine changes García made, however, was for entirely different reasons.

García parted company with his defence minister, Rafael Rey, because he was the obvious scapegoat for a serious human rights controversy, which saw García on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism from domestic and international human rights groups, culminating in a lacerating letter on 13 September from the pen of Peru’s Nobel laureate, Mario Vargas Llosa.

Transparency and judicial effectiveness set Uruguay apart

The multimillion dollar ‘phantom purchases’ scandal that has dominated Uruguayan headlines over the past month has been generally ­seized upon by local analysts as yet another example of deep-seated corruption; it has also raised questions about the role of the armed forces and whether the size of all three military branches should be reduced.

However large and deepseated the corruption scheme, it is notable that unlike most other countries in the region, the Uruguayan justice system and the executive responded in a timely and effective manner, pressing charges where prosecution was due, investigating dozens of allegations and moving quickly with a structural reform of the procurement system used by the armed forces to prevent similar irregularities from recurring in the future.

Columbia and Ecuador unite against Farc

In the early hours of 19 Sept. 19, the Colombian armed forces led the largest military attack against the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) so far this year, killing 22 members of the leftwing guerrilla group in an assault on its 48th Front.

The offensive against the Farc took place in the municipality of San Miguel, near the eponymous border town attacked by the Farc last Sept. 10, which sits on the banks of the San Miguel River, the natural border between Ecuador and Colombia.

The operation demonstrates the renewed diplomatic and military cooperation between Colombia and neighbouring Ecuador. Colombian offi cials kept in constant contact with their Ecuadorean counterparts, and Ecuador strengthened its forces in the area to prevent Farc rebels from escaping into their territory.

Changing perceptions: the US military in the region

“Important economic and political trends have emerged [in Latin America] in recent years. […] New regional, economic, political and defense [sic] structures have evolved, some excluding the US. These trends present both opportunities and challenges for US policy.”

That is how a US Southern Command July 2010 white paper, “Command Strategy 2020: Partnership for the Americas”, defi nes the current situation in the region [Latin America].

For the US, the emergence of a new type of sub-regional cooperation sceptical about the northern giant has provided the opportunity to re-shape perceptions on the role of its military in the region, placing special emphasis on its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts (HA/DR). Latin News contributed to this report.

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Celente: people should brace for “greatest depression

Prognosis 2012: Disturbances for food, commercial centers bogeys, domination of the mafia, terrorism

by Bob Unruh

WorldNetDaily Exclusive

A trends forecaster says the current economic “rebound” from last winter’s Wall Street collapse of banks, insurance companies and automobile manufacturers is an artificial blip created by ‘phantom money printed out of thin air backed by nothing.”

And Gerald Celente of TrendsResearch.com, says people right now should be bracing for “the greatest recession” which will hit worldwide and will mark the “decline of empire America.” Crop failures could be among the minor concerns.

“Here we are in 2012.

Food riots, tax protests, farmer rebellions, student revolts, squatter diggins, homeless uprisings, tent cities, ghost malls, general strikes, bossnappings, kidnappings, industrial saboteurs, gang warfare, mob rule, terror,” he writes for a quarterly publication that is available through subscription on his website.

He also talked about his forecasts with Greg Corombos of Radio America/WND in an interview that has been posted online.

The recent surge in Wall Street indexes back to near the 10,000 level, still far below the 14,000 prior to the crash, should be no reassurance for anyone, he said.

“There’s no recovery.

This is merely a coverup,” he said. “The market crashed in March of 2009 and around the world they papered over the damage from the collapse with phantom money printed out of thin air backed by nothing,” he said.

This is “much bigger” than an economic collapse, he said. “This is the decline of empire America.”

Find out what you can do to be more prepared “Look what’s happened to the dollar,” he warned.

“Gold prices are surging forward. That’s the evidence.

The rest that’s coming from Washington and Wall Street is rhetoric.”

“This is the beginning of the greatest depression. We’re telling our readers to take pro-active measures in anticipation of much worse to come,” he said.

USA Today says Celente “has a knack for getting the zeitgeist right,” and CNBCsays, “The man knows what he’s talking about.”

The Wall Street Journal has said, “Those who take their predictions seriously consider the Trends Research Institute.”

He said during the Radio America/WND interview that retail sales this coming Christmas season will be the “real nail in the economic coffi n.”

“The second American revolution has already begun; it just hasn’t been announced yet by the mainstream media,” he said. “Anybody waiting for hope to show up at the door with a big bag full of money is going to be in for a shock.”

Tim Barello in the Examiner noted that since 1980 Celente has made at least 40 accurate predictions about major world events, such as the 1987 stock market crash.

“Throughout the 1990’s, many other forecasts came true, including the collapse of the Soviet Union, surges in global terrorism, the popularity of spiritual and new age philosophies, public backlash against globalization, upsurges in online shopping, and the 1997 Asian fi nancial crisis, to name a select few,” he wrote.

Now comes his forecast for a global depression ­and for the United States, “Obamageddon.”

“We want to make it very clear that the policies leading to the decline of ‘Empire America’ have been long in the making,” Celente told Barello.

“What has happened in the Obama administration is that they have taken policies far beyond even what Bush took with the TARP program; for example, with his stimulus package, with the buyouts, with the bailouts, the rescue packages, these are unprecedented in American history.

“Never before has so much phantom money been printed out of thin air, backed by nothing, producing practically nothing,” Celente continued.

“You don’t even have to be a student of history to know the outcome of this. All you have to do is have your eyes open, and start thinking for yourself.”

In his conversation with the Examiner, Celente warned with the “bubble” bursts, U.S. taxpayers will be slammed because, unlike during the dot-com bubble, the stock market bubble and the real estate bubble, they are stockholders in a long list of major companies.

He forecasts the possibility of a civil war, and says if people want to see what Main Street America will look like, they should “drive around Detroit. Look at all the blown out houses and empty neighborhoods. Look at the violence that’s increasing. Look at the types of heinous crimes being committed by people some blowing their whole families away”.

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California passes statewide rent control despite a massive housing shortage

Economist s have long warned that rent control only limits hous­ing supply and drives up prices in the long-run

On Wednesday, Califor­nia lawmakers approved AB 1482, which caps rent in­creases at 5 percent per year plus inflation, and prevents landlords from evicting ten­ants without citing a gov­ernment-approved reason.  Wednesday’s vote makes California the latest state to pass a rent control bill. Oregon passed a state­wide cap on rents in Febru­ary. In June, the New York legislature passed a bill strengthening existing rent controls in New York City while giving other cities in the state the ability to pass their own rent regulations.

Economists and other pol icy experts have long criticized rent control for re­ducing the supply and qual­ity of rental housing in the long-run. California’s rent control bill is no exception says Michael Hendrix, state and local policy director at the Manhattan Institute.

“What we are going to get is a reason for land­lords to convert apartments to condos,” says Hendrix. “The net result of that is po­tentially more units being taken off the market, and long-term this housing crisis getting worse, not better.”

Hendrix argues that landlords, when faced with limits on how much they can raise their rents, will simply take their rental units off the market, converting them into condominiums that can be sold at market price.

A study of rent control in San Francisco published in the journal American Eco­nomic Review this month found that “while rent con­trol prevents displacement of incumbent renters in the short run, the lost rental housing supply likely drove up market rents in the long run, ultimately undermin­ing the goals of the law.”

Supporters of rent c o n t r o l c o u n t e r t h a t they protect current ten­ants from rent spikes.

“These anti-gouging and eviction protections will help families afford to keep a roof over their heads, and they will provide Cali­fornia with important new tools to combat our state’s broader housing and afford­ability crisis,” said Demo­cratic Governor Gavin Newsom in a statement following the bill’s passage. have been crucial in se­curing its passage, and in removing some amend­ments that would’ve less­ened the impact of the bill.

Back in May, lawmak­ers agreed to raise the an­nual rent cap in AB 1482 to 7 percent plus inflation and to include a 2023 ex­piration date. Other amend­ments exempted housing newer than 15 years old and most single-family homes from its rent caps.

Those provisions were roughly in line with the rent control bill passed by Oregon early in the year and were enough to get the powerful California Realtors Association (CAR) to take a neutral stance on the bill. In late August, however,

Newsom announced that he had hashed out a deal with legislative leaders to lower annual allowable rent caps to 5 percent and ex­tend the bill’s life to 2030. That flipped the CAR back into opposition but proved to be enough to get AB 1482 passed just two days before the legislature’s deadline for passing legislation.

Members of Califor­nia’s pro-development Yes in my backyard (YIMBY) faction also supported the bill which saw the bill, ar­guing that it, along with an increase in actual housing supply, would help address the state’s pressing hous­ing affordability problems.  The California Apart­ment Association (CAA)— which represents land­lords—was also convinced to drop their opposition to the bill in the final days of the legislative session. The support from YIMBYs is both misguided and somewhat disappoint­ing says the Manhattan In­stitute’s Hendrix, given that AB 1482, at best, does noth­ing to boost housing supply. “One concern that YIMBYs in California  should have is that we may very well find our­selves five or 10 years down the line with noth­ing to show for housing deregulation except more rent regulation,” he says.

Sen. Scott Weiner’s (D–San Francisco) prom­ising, YIMBY-backed bill to upzone residential areas near transit and job centers stalled in the state senate earlier this year.

California’s housing cri­sis has been years in the mak­ing, and fixing it will require substantial deregulation of housing development. The rent control bill passed by legislators this week, while benefitting some current tenants, is ultimately a step in the wrong direction.

More on rent control

California’s first-ever statewide rent cap prohib­its landlords from raising rents by more than 5%, plus regional inflation, annually. AB1482 is retroactive to March, so any increases since then that exceeded the limit will have to be reduced. The law also prevents ten­ants who have been living in an apartment for more than a year from being evicted without a just cause, such as failing to pay rent or en­gaging in criminal activity.

These new protec­tions are expected to cover millions of Californians, though they do not extend to apartments built within the past 15 years or to sin­gle-family homes, except those owned by corporations.

Homeowners who want to add an in-law unit to their properties should have an easier time: Five new laws aim to streamline the process for approving and building these projects, including SB13, which exempts them from most of the fees cities charge to offset the cost of providing services to secondary homes.

The changes are part of a state push to boost construc­tion of much-needed new homes in California. So are the provisions of SB330, which places a five-year moratorium on local poli­cies that make it harder to build in cities without enough housing. That means local governments could not limit the number of permits for new homes, add fees or rezone land to accom­modate smaller projects.

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Miss Nicaragua will visit San Francisco

­by the El Reportero’s staff­


Miss ­N­i­ca­ra­g­ua 2010 Scharllette Alexandra Allen Moses.

Miss Nicaragua will be attending blueEnergy’s 2nd annual Taste of Nicaragua Gala during her first visit to California on September 23, 2010. The purpose of her visit is to raise money to support blueEnergy’s work, increase exposure for her country, and learn about the Bay Area’s renewable energy initiatives with an eye towards future applications in her country. Miss Nicaragua will stay for three days and hopes to connect with the San Francisco Nicaraguan community during that time.

On Thursday, Sept. 23, from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m., at the Officer’s Club at 1 Fort Mason, San Francisco. For more information: http://tasteofnicaragua.eventbrite.com/

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S­iempre September, a family and commun­ity Chilean tardeada

This is an eve­nt to  celebrate the month of September, which is the commemoration of Chilean ­Independence from Spain. But for Mano a Mano Chile is an afternoon with live music and delicious Chilean dishes, to support those suffering the aftermath of the­ earthquake/tsunami.

The menu includes Asado a la Chilena, articuchos, empanadas, vegetarian ensaladas dishes and more. And the music will be performed by members of Grupo Araucaria plus Chilean singer Lichi Fuentes, Rafael Manriquez,  Fena Torres.

At 397 Moraga Ave.,  Oakland, from noon to 6 p.m. Home of the Cabellos. For more information call 510-285-9044. Donation$25.

Mano a Mano is a  non-profit organization that support those still suffering from the aftermath of the 8.8 earthquake/tsunami on Feb. 27, 2010.

40 years in the making: Galeria 4.0. A Retrospective

In two short weeks, get ready for one of the most visually stunning and packed history lessons ever. Galeria 4.0, A Retrospective is a commemorative exhibition  documenting key aspects of Galeria’s forty-year history through archival materials and original artwork byover 40 artists.

The exhibit wil l span artworks from 1970 to 2010, and will feature works by more than 20 artists. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Opening reception refreshments provided by Lagunitas, IZZE, and many others, with music provided by DJztec Parrot.

Opening Friday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. through Jan. 29, 2011. At 2857 24th Street, San Francisco,

Also at Galeria – On  October 3 Yerba Buena Gardens will treat Galería’s community to a free Latin Jazz Concert with Poncho Sanchez. The Grammy Award winning musician has gained fans worldwide through his distinctive sound, which infuses elements of Latin jazz, swing, bebop, salsa and other infectious beats.

The audience will enjoy  a Sunday afternoon of musical performance set against the tranquil backdrop of the  Yerba Buena Gardens. The urban oasis is regarded as  an example of one of SanFrancisco’s finest urban developments and has garnered many prestigious awards over  the years. Admission Free.

The celebration continues with a Gala Celebration, with the SF premiere of “Strange Democracy” by performance artist Guillermo Gómez-Peña, appearance by Sandra , awards ceremony and VIP party catered by  Radio Africa Kitchen at Brava Theatre Center, 2781 24th Street, San Francisco. On Nov. 21, from 4 p.m.

Tickets for Amigos  $40 (performance + food), Amigos with Benefits $65 (includes performance,VIP after party with food, drinks and special gift). Tickets available through: www.gal eria40th.eventbrite.com/.

California  Nurses Association, Bay Area voters to protest while Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina fundraise

Members of the California Nurses Association and a coalition of Bay Area voters will protest upcoming fundraisers next Monday and Tuesday at which Condi  Rice, George W. Bush’s National Security Advisor andSecretary of State, will raise funds from GOP donors for candidates Meg Whitman  and Carly Fiorina.

On Tuesday, September 21, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency, 1333 Bayshore  Blvd., Burlingame.

A song for a Seed, at la Peña

La Peña Community Chorus of Berkeley presents Canto Para Una Semilla / A song for a Seed, a cantata  based on the autobiographical décimas of the great Chilean poet/musician Violeta Parra, arranged in four-part chorus and instruments by Chorus director Lichi Fuentes.

On Saturday, Sept. 25. 8 p.m., at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. 510-849-2568  http://www.lapena.org/event/ 1556. ­

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Two top California performers will unite for immigration

by Antonio Mejías-Rentas

WILL SING TO HELP: Two veteran California acts will unite for a concert that will raise funds for a pro immigrant campaign. Los Angeles rock band Los Lobos and San Jose-based norteño superstars Los Tigres del Norte will perform at the Truth in Immigration Benefit Concert Sept. 28 at Los Angeles’ Gibson Amphitheatre. The event is a fundraiser for the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF) and its ongoing effort to block permanently Arizona’s antiinmigration law.

“This concert marks a new means of promoting accurate information on immigrants and immigration to inform the national debate to achieve progressive immigration reform,” Thomas  Sáenz, MALDEF president and general counsel, said in a statement. Ticket information is available at  www.maldef.org/tigres.

In a related item, Latino stars on Broadway are performing at a benefit concert for victims of hurricane Alex in northern Mexico. The Sept. 1 event, To Mexico from New York With Love, in Merking Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, is spearheaded by Mexican actress Bianca Marroquín, former star of Chicago, now appearing in In the Heights. She performs with cast members from both shows. NEW REALITY: An Ecuadorian couple and their seven children are the stars of Sextuplets Take New York, premiering Sept. 14 on TLC.

The reality series will focus on how Víctor Carpio, a maintenance worker, and his wife Digna take care of their nearly two-year-old sextuplets: Justin Leo, Jezreel Eliceo, Joel Alberth, Jaden Iván, Génesis Victoria and Danelia  Victoria. The couple also have an eight-year-old son, Jhancarlos.

TLC began negotiating  for the show when Digna was pregnant; the show has taped for the past  six months and network has not revealed how much it has compensated the Carpios. One of the series’ requirements is that the Spanish-speaking couple speak mostly English on In other reality news, a  Spanish-language version of the hit competition Project Runway is finishing production in Mexico in time for its Sept. 20 debut. camera.

Mexican actress and model Rebecca de Alba will be the hostess of Project Runway Latin America, which will air throughout  the continent on the cablenetwork FashionTV. Fifteen up-and-coming designers from the region will be  judged by Venezuelandesigner Ángel Sánchez and Argentinean fashion writer Claudia Pandolfo. The winner will receive a spread on the Mexican edition of Elle, a chance to present their collection  during Puerto Rico High Fashion Week and $20,000 to start his or her own line.

ONE LINERS: Julieta Venegas gave birth to a girl Aug. 11. The 38- year-old singer-songwriter has chosen not to reveal the father’s identity… Julio Iglesias and longtime partner Miranda Rijnsbuger were wed Aug. 24 in Marbella, Spain.The couple’s five children were present, but none of the singer’s adult children from a previous marriage were able to attend… and Jennifer López and Marc Anthony are reportedly in conversations with the mayor of Fajardo,

Puerto Rico, to open  and operate a state-of-theart film and TV studio in the small town in the island’s East coast… Hispanic Link.

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SFDH announces addition of more medical grupos to the SF’s Universal Health Program

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The San Francisco Department of Health, announced that the Healthy  San Francisco provider network will expand to include Brown & Toland Physicians and California Pacific Medical Center,  and BAART Community HealthCare as providers of  care to the uninsured.

BAART Community HealthCare will join the network on Oct. 1, 2010. Brown & Toland Physicians and California Pacifi c Medical Center (Brown &  Toland and CPMC) will join the network on Dec. 1, 2010.

Healthy San Francisco  provides accessible and affordable health care services to uninsured adult residents, regardless of a person’s employment status, immigration status or pre-existing medical condition. Residents with income at  or below 500 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (for one person $54,150; for a family of four $110,250) are eligible to enroll into the program.

Consumer warning:  frozen mamey fruit pulp possible source of typhoid fever

The San Francisco Department of Public Health is warning consumers and food retailers that Goya brand frozen mamey fruit pulp sold in San Francisco may contain a bacterium  that causes typhoid fever and several mamey products are being voluntarily recalled.

The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA is investigating outbreaks of Salmonella Typhi, (the bacteria that causes typhoid fever) in California and Nevada. As of August 12, 2010, a total of seven confirmed and two probable cases of typhoid fever have been reported so far, including one probable case in a San Francisco resident.

Mamey, also called “zapote” or “sapote,” is a tropical fruit grown primarily in Central and South America  and is popular among Latinos.

Typhoid fever is a very rare illness in the United  States among non-international travelers and can cause serious symptoms, including fever, headache, and muscle aches, often times requiring hospitalization, and occasionally resulting in death. Typhoid fever is contracted when food and water are contaminated by an infected individual and are then consumed by other people.

Kindergarten readiness act passes legislature

Kindergarten is not what it used to be. Playing with blocks, learning to use scissors and coloring within the lines are now preschool activities. Times have changed as expectations for academic achievement beginning at age 5 have accelerated dramatically.

Kindergarten today, it turns out, is no place for 4- year-olds. Nor is it the halfday,  fun-fi lled, no-pressure zone of yesteryear.

Realizing that the antiquated guidelines in the state’s education code are misaligned with the intensity of modern demands on young children, California legislators passed a bill on Aug. 31 called the Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 which advances the date by  which children must turn 5 in order to attend kindergarten. The legislation, SB-1381, now goes before the governor who has until Sept. 30 to take action. If no action is taken, the bill will automatically become law.

Presently, children must be 5 by Dec. 2 to start kindergarten in California. This bill phases in the cutoff date by one month a year beginning in the year 2012 when the cutoff date would be Nov. 1. In 2013 the cutoff date for turning 5 would be Oct. 1, and in 2014 children would need to be 5 by Sept. 1, where it will remain thereafter.

Candidates debate is for good ‘ol boy’s, says thirdparty candidate.

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Ancient America stimulating starvation

­by Josh Hiken

­When the Goths sacked  Rome in the early 5th century,thereby putting the final nail in the coffin of Roman supremacy, they employed the tactic of starving the Roman   public by surrounding the impenetrable city walls and cutting off supply lines. Eventually the Goths gained entrance and made quick work of their withering opposition.

However, glory and power were not the main motivations for the attack. The Goths were actually  looking for food, but by the time they took control ofRome, there was no food left and they had to hastily move on even hungrier from battle exhaustion.

Today, in what will someday surely be thought  of as The Ancient Holy American Empire, the U.S. government and many illustrious leading economists are collectively chanting for more stimulus (QE2 or Quantitative Easing 2) in order to combat the impending deflationary spiral that our country and many others are perceived to be currently facing. In fact, many of these folks actually believe that the last round of stimulus cured our economy and that a “double dip” recession is unlikely.

Warren Buffett recently  decried that he is very confi-dent in America. However,  his investment positions don’t seem to paint such an optimistic picture. Ben Bernanke has gone from saying that the economy is very sound to now proclaiming it to be “unusually uncertain.”

Given Bernanke’s perfect record of predicting the  exact polar opposite of future conditions, one would conclude that the economicoutlook is perfectly certain. It is perfectly certain that  our economy is driving off of a cliff and taking the U.S. dollar right with it.

Stimulus helps. It helps  whoever gets it for a short amount of time by punishingeveryone else, the economy at large and everyone’s longer term future. The dumb right wants to stimulate big business and the dumb left wants to stimulate the poor masses.

Stimulus punishes both.  By propping up the zombie banks, all we did was help the vampire bankers give themselves giant bonuses and allow them to kick the now much bigger, stimulus   fueled can down the overly paved road. By giving home buyers a tax credit and car owners a “cash for clunkers” program, all we did was artifi cially infl ate prices and transfer money from renters to sellers.

Stimulus doesn’t fi x any  of the fundamental problems in our economy and in fact exacerbates them. Unfortunately, stimulus and money printing are politically expedient. Who doesn’t wantto run on the platform of  “Hey, I’m gonna give everyonemoney so that you can all spend the country into prosperity.”

But the current Keynesian  philosophy of print and spend creates a dangerous casualty: the U.S. dollar will not survive the sloth that is ourgovernment and its masters. Indeed, the private central banking cartel known as the “Federal Reserve” is printing the U.S. dollar and its purchasing power right out of existence and, no matter what  side you are on in the raging defl ation vs. infl ation debate, money printing will eventually destroy the currency.

You cannot simply extend credit and then print extra money if someone defaults and expect that not to cause infl ation. Why not just guarantee every loan in the whole world?

Also, if any body fi nally starts to doubt the pathetic creditworthiness of the U.S.,then Treasury yields would  have to come up and we can barely afford the interest on our $13,000,000,000,000.00 debt as it is.

If… When China gets cold feet about loaning us trillions of dollars at three percent so that Joe Six Pack can own a flatscreen and little Timmy can eat Cheese Balls by the bushel, things will start to get very tumultuous for our little friend the U.S. dollar. Get ready for Jenny the soccer mom to pay ten thousand bucks for a bag of groceries in the relatively near future.

If China won’t lend us cash for Big Macs and SUV’s, then the FED will have to because no politician will accept the necessary deflationary environment we all face without taking blind and swift action. The only action it can take is to print and print some more which will be the fi nal nail in our coffin.

Printing money to fuel consumption is like starving your enemy so that you can steal their food. So people, get at least some of your dollars into tangible assets like agriculture and commodities such as gold. Or else, watch whatever wealth you have dwindle away.

Josh Hiken, a former stockbroker, is a writer, commentator and musician who lives in Southern California. He can be reached at jhiken@hotmail.com.

Progressive Avenues can be found at ­www.­progressiveavenues.org. The website is regularly updated.

 

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