My boyfriend of a year has his own home, as do I. He needs a roommate to help pay bills, and only a woman has responded. She’ll have her own bedroom, but they’ll share a bathroom. He advertised in the campus housing office, so she must be young, or younger than I am (my boyfriend and I are both in our mid-30s). I have an issue with him having a female roommate. What if we have a fight and he doesn’t answer the phone? What if he drinks beer and watches movies with her? I trust him but believe in avoiding tempting situations. He insists he’ll be at my place all the time anyway (which I’ve told him isn’t fair to me), and says I’m just insecure. I said I’m willing to meet her and see how I feel, but he won’t wait to see if others respond (he did once before and ended up stuck).

čThe Girlfriend

Don’t be too quick to assume this prospective roommate is some young

 hottie. The joke’ll be on you when you discover she’s some 60-year-old former housewife who’s going back to school and borrowing his razor in the morning to mow her chin hairs.

If his roommate ends up being considerably younger, hotter and less bearded, sure, something could go on between them. But, unless you’ve got the guy chained to a dripping pipe in the basement, he’s always just a barstool or bus seat away from temptation. So, even now, when you have a fight and he doesn’t answer the phone, it may be because he spent the night rearranging his sock drawer č or “rearranging his sock drawer” with some ex-stripper named Blaize. 

As for his contention that he’ll be at your place “all the time anyway,” he probably isn’t saying so because he’ll pay less on his water bill if he flushes at your house. Chances are, he’s trying to allay your fears that his living arrangement will become one long half-time show, with his roommate dropping out of school to spend her days vacuuming his living room topless. At the same time, he’s probably trying to maintain some semblance of dignity as a guy in his mid-30s who has to take in a boarder to make ends meet. Yet, there you are, turning his solution to his financial crisis into the rental version of HOTorNOT.com. And exactly how ugly and disagreeable must a prospective roommate be before your boyfriend can get out of selling his blood to keep the lights on? 

There are easier and less complicated ways to get extra-relationship sex than advertising for it to store its tampons under your bathroom sink. Now, either you have reason to trust your boyfriend or you don’t. You don’t get to tell another adult what to do, which is what you’re trying to do with “I’m willing to meet her and see how I feel.” Meanwhile, you’re not only telling him you have little faith in him, but suggesting he’s settled for too little in a girlfriend, since you seem convinced your replacement is just a one-bedroom/shared bath ad away. You’d actually have more control by relinquishing control. Instead of telling him what to do in other relationships, show him why he wouldn’t want to do anything that jeopardizes yours. It’s really the best way of seeing to it that there’s no woman he’d rather open a dented can of beans for: “Au poivre, darling? Or would you prefer tartare?”

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA╩ 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

(c)2008, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

Update: Experimental “natural orifice” surgery might be healthcare’s next big thing following its U.S. introduction last year at Columbia University (as reported also in “News of the Weird”), where doctors removed a woman’s diseased gall bladder not by an abdominal incision but through her vagina. In March, doctors at UC-San Diego Medical Center removed a woman’s appendix through her vagina, and a man’s through his mouth. (A microscopic camera must be inserted through the abdomen, however, to guide the surgeons.) Pain and healing time are usually less than half that of ordinary surgery, but the risk of internal infection is greater. The next step, doctors say, will be removing kidneys through the anus 

Government in Action! 

A Maryland governmental fund created to assist “innocent” victims of violent crime has paid out nearly $1.8 million since 2003 to injured (or deceased) “drug dealers, violent offenders and other criminals,” according to an investigation by the Baltimore Sun published in March. Burial expenses were awarded for a carjacker, a victim of an inter-gang killing and a sex offender who was fatally beaten in prison. The Maryland courts have ruled that as long as the applicant was not engaged in a crime at the time he was injured, he must be considered for an award. 

The Associated Press reported in March that “dozens” of locked-up sexual predators are receiving federal aid to take mail-order college courses through Pell grants, even though prison inmates normally are ineligible. Sex offenders who have completed their sentences, but are held for “treatment,” are not technically “prisoners,” and many have spent their stipends on “living expenses” such as DVD players, in that they have no “room and board” expenses. 

Great Art! 

Graduate art student Matthew Keeney’s latest piece of performance art, in February, called “The Waiting Project,” had him standing on streets in Syracuse, N.Y., waiting for someone to ask him what “The Waiting Project” is. In previous pieces, Keeney had held a “Super Bowl party for one” on a park bench, had earnestly watched ice sculptures melt, and had walked from the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C., to the Lincoln Memorial but stopping each time he heard a car horn and then starting again when he heard another. 

Two aggressive art pieces sexualizing Jesus’ Last Supper were displayed earlier this year: Among the 74 plaster models shown in Gateshead, England, in January by British artist Terence Koh was one of Jesus and several disciples sporting generous erections. And in March, a retrospective of Austrian Alfred Hrdlicka went on display in the Cathedral Museum in Vienna, with the blessing of the archbishop of Vienna, even though it included a painting of the Last Supper as a “homosexual orgy,” in Hrdlicka’s description (because, he said, there were no women in the original Da Vinci painting that inspired it). (That piece was removed during the first week, after complaints.) 

Last year, Montreal, Quebec, artist Michel de Broin created, as art, the hollowed-out shell of an old Buick powered only by a four-seater bicycle (with hand brakes, or, failing them, Fred Flintstone-type brakes). Nonetheless, when a group took the car out for a spin last October, an overzealous officer ticketed them for “driving” an unsafe “car,” but in April, after a daylong court hearing, the charges were dropped. 

COPYRIGHT 2008 CHUCK SHEPHERD   

The cost to go on vacation seems to be doing nothing but rising these days. Set against a landscape of rising oil prices and the weakened state of the American dollar, travelers all too frequently have to reach for their already burdened wallets. 

“While it’s true that many people are concerned about the economy, we find that this economic climate has a tremendous upside for today’s traveler, as there are phenomenal trips offered at great values,” said William Sutherland, Vice President, Travel, AAA Southern New England.  

“We’re seeing more robust and interesting packages offered with many ‘extras’ thrown in that are not only appealing to consumers, but also enable them to get significant return on investment for their travel dollars. It’s important for today’s travelers to know what to look for, how to shop for and how to be prepared for booking a trip that suits their travel and budget needs,” he added. 

Here are some ideas from AAA Travel on dollar-smart ways to travel in today’s challenging economy: 

Look for travel extras. Today’s consumers are not necessarily seeking the least expensive trip, but are looking to get the most for their travel dollar. To accommodate those needs, some travel providers are even offering ‘extras’ with trips, such as gas cards, extra nights at a hotel, upgrades, etc. Consumers should be on the lookout č and ask for č those extras. 

Be opportunistic. Many times, the best travel opportunities are discovered at the last minute. For consumers to take advantage of those offers, they need to be prepared for them. Passports can take up to six weeks to secure and with today’s new passport regulations, it’s a good idea to get yours ahead of time. That way, when a good offer comes along you will be able to take full advantage. 

Maximize the value of the challenged U.S. dollar. Today’s traveler should look for trips that maximize the value of the U.S. dollar. For example, consider going to Europe by cruise ship. With a cruise, costs are paid in advance with U.S. dollars. All onboard meals are included, and the ship is your hotel so you can go from city to city without additional transportation costs. 

Buy a package deal. While consumers can put together all of the pieces of a trip online, the best packages are typically developed by experienced travel counselors. These experts leverage their knowledge and connections in the business to compile deals that meet the individual’s unique needs. Many packages not only offer savings, but often include extras that heighten the travel experience. 

Time your trip right. Peak travel time equates to top-tier prices while flexibility leads to savings. Consumers can take advantage of “shoulder seasons”  just before and just after peak travel times č to save money at many desired destinations. 

Purchase third party trip insurance. Protect your investment. Know what your insurance includes. Be certain default insurance is part of the plan unfortunately, many consumers purchase travel insurance through the vacation provider and aren’t covered if that provider goes out of business. 

Buy from reputable brands. Another form of “insurance” is to purchase your vacation from a reputable brand. Dependability, consistency and experience are the hallmarks of great brands. Wouldn’t you rather know your vacation provider stands behind you before, during and after your vacation? 

Find trips that deliver on ‘connectedness.’ Recent studies show that time is “the new currency” and perhaps even more precious for some than money.  That said, today’s time-deprived traveler is often looking for trips that deliver on “quality time” and “connectedness” with friends and family. Travel providers offer many interesting trips ideal for family reunions, family vacations or time away with friends that really deliver on this. Explore the offers that offer something for everyone.

When I was young, my friend Dwayne and I were riding bicycles together. We pulled up beside each other, we talked for a minute and then gave each other a very cool high-five. A moment later we were laying on the payment catching our breath and bleeding from the knees and elbows. What was supposed to be cool, hurt. We were fortunate enough to get back up and work on the bikes and pedaled off with our pride intact.

Not long ago, I was driving outside of Winston-Salem and saw two motorcycles laid out across a 300-yard stretch of highway. It appeared that the two street bikes had collided at high speed. The speed limit was 65 mph in that area so I’m sure they were running at a good clip. This is one of those situations that should have been 100 percent preventable. Riding side-by-side is a dangerous formation. It looks very cool but unless you’re filming a TV show č like CHIPS č or are in a special situation, you should learn to stagger your formation.

Let’s break it down with math. The average motorcycle is three to five feet wide, times two bikes on an average 12-foot-wide road. That leaves two to four feet for a margin of error. Anything can cause a bike to swerve. The wind, an oncoming vehicle, a passing vehicle, an animal or one of you not paying attention č it’s an accident waiting to happen.

In North Carolina, motorcycles are allowed to ride two abreast, however, no more than two. It is illegal to share a lane with a car and motorcycle. There are situations where riding side-by-side is appropriate. These situations include parades, funerals, escorting or situations of low speed. 

So let’s break group riding down. There are three formations. Side-by-side, single file and staggered. The first thing is to be safe. The second is to maximize your space. If you are the lead rider you will want to ride in the left third lane to provide visibility to oncoming traffic. This position puts you in the best place to see around right-hand turns and corners. The second rider will want to be one second behind but now on the right third of the road. The next person will stagger from the second rider and behind the first rider back in the left third of the lane. Continue this formation accordingly. This will give you two seconds behind each rider and maximize your space while allowing a tight formation.

The formation will expand and contract with traffic or the situation. If you get into curvy roads or poor visibility you will want to fall into a single-file formation. When in this situation you will want to remember to spread out your space and maintain that two-second distance.

If someone falls back or breaks off for some reason, the group can slow down, wait at an appropriate location, or wait at your predetermined locations. Remember, if you are with a group, know what the plan is and have your own map just in case you separate.

Riding in a group takes a lot of concentration, focus and practice. Keep your space and enjoy your friends and your ride.

If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. 

RIDE SAFE!

{mosimage}While the box office is getting some major play with a few movies, some movie fans are gearing up for one of the hottest summer movie seasons in years. Old favorites likeIndiana Jones,Batman and those city dwellers from New York are expected to heat up the screen and the box office.

Here’s a sneak peak at what’s expected to be the hottest movies of the summer:

One of the most anticipated movies of the summer season may have the saddest story behind it. The latest in theBatman series,The Dark Knight, is expected to cause quite a stir at the box office. It’s true some people may go and see the movie out of morbid curiosity č it was, after all, Heath Ledger’s last movie, and if you believe what you read what may have contributed to his death. 

My family and I are anxiously awaiting the return of Indiana Jones inIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It’s been almost 19 years sinceThe Last Crusade hit the big screen, but Harrison Ford still has the moves, the wit and the style to carry off the character of Indiana. Having watched this series from the beginning (and I’ll admit even watching the TV series, which by the way had a young Grady Bowman starring as the little Indiana), I am anxious to see what hair-raising stunts and spins they can throw in this flick.

There’s quite a buzz about the big screen debut ofSex and the City. In fact, pundits are already making book on whether or not a second flick is in the works č and the first one isn’t even out yet. I have to be honest, I don’t understand the buzz about this movie because I never (gasp!) watched the series. Info on this movie indicates that it is as sharp as the TV show. This offering has one of the friends engaged, another expecting a new baby, one in the midst of marriage trouble and the other leaving the big city for the coast. Maybe the second film will have the gang jetting out to sunny California for awild reunion.

Robert Downey Jr. has definitely reached a turning point in his career. Instead of seeing him only in courtroom shots and leaving rehab, we have the chance to see him three times this summer. His most highly touted film this summer isIron Man, the story of billionaire inventor-turned-superhero. In June, he makes a surprise appearance inThe Incredible Hulk, playingIron Man. In August he shows up in a film about an Oscar winning actor čTropic Thunder. I for one am glad that Downey has his act together.

Final pick for the summer čThe Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. We, like a whole lot of people across the country, lovedThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s going to take a lot to live up to the first movie, but trailers and previews of the Caspian movie sound like it definitely has a chance of living up to, if not being better than, the first. I just wonder if there are any attacking polar bears?

Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com

{mosimage}Finally, finally, finally.
    R.E.M. has made an album that not only returns the group to the sound and vibe of its early days, but it also rocks.
    Accelerate is the type of thinking rock fan's CD that not only has insightful, urgent and timely lyrics, but it's heavily drenched in guitarist Peter Buck's saturated, slightly distorted, roaringly angelic Rickenbacker.
    It's an album that I can see fans nodding along introspectively to the words of lead singer Michael Stipe one minute, while flicking their Bics and screaming "more cowbell!" the next.
It's the album the R.E.M. army has been clamoring for since 1992's masterful Automatic for the People.
    Like most people, I became hooked on R.E.M. in the early days when they were just another slightly known band out of Athens, Ga., that had a sound reminiscent of The Byrds mixed with The Beatles, thrown in a blender with some Rolling Stones, a couple of Bob Dylan's lyrics and a jigger of moonshine.
    Unlike most people, R.E.M. changed my musical life.
    When I started out my freshman year of higher education, I was the typical mullet-headed, beer-drinking Southern boy from rural Nowhere, N.C.; which means, my musical tastes ranged from Loverboy to .38 Special to Toto.
    And then my roommate, who I considered completey bizarre and possibly from another planet when I first met him, turned me on to R.E.M.'s first realease, Chronic Town (for you kiddies born after 1980, EPs were a smaller version of LPs This was 1982 and CDs were just a whisper to audiophiles -- vinyl still ruled, though it was in its death throes, like the dinosaurs just before they smote by the hand of God or a fatal comet or some form form of reptilian Bubonic Plague) which featured an inscrutable ditty called Gardening at Night which was either about harvesting psychedelic mushrooms in the late evening or raiding a pot farmer's illicit patch. It was the kind of music I imagined they played on Martian radio stations.
    And I loved it.
    Since that time, I've devoured every R.E.M. realease, until they lost me with the baroque-yet-mainstream Out of Time, featuring the ubiquitous hit single Losing My Religion that almost made me lose my faith in the band. Then they reeled me back in with Automatic for the People, yet lost me again with all their subsequent releases, which seemed to be R.E.M. either pretending to be The Smashing Pumpkins (Monster) or Britney Speares on acid (Around the Sun).
    Accelerate has me back for good; or at least until The Rapture, which, by the way is a central theme of this CD — armageddon, alienation and angst over this era of war in Iraq, ever-soaring gas prices, rumors of global warming, and Paris Hilton making movies.
    The standout track on Accelerate is Supernatural Superstition, which addresses the aforementioned angst, only this flavor of  anxiety is personal, not global, addressing the struggle of the teenage years. It's and anthem for the misfits and oddballs of high school who wore black turtleneck, didn't have perfect skin, and couldn't throw a football the length of the Titanic.
Consider these lyrics: "Humiliation of your teenage station/No one cares and nobody remembers." However, it ends with a hopeful note akin to how the nerds will inherit the Earth as we all make ourselves into something better as we age, except of course for the quarterback and homecoming queen who hit their peak at 18: "Realized your fantasies/And dressed up your travesties/Enjoy yourself with no regret."
    The themes of the end times and a time of confusion and despair return in the text of title track Accelerate("Sinking fast, the weight chained to my feet/No time to argue with belief/I'm not alone, a thousand others dropping faster than me"), and Until The Day Is Done, which combines bitter testimony about the war in the Middle East ("The battle's been lost/The war is not won") and the Roman Empire-like road the U.S. is traveling down by trying to placate the public's fear with bread and circuses — i.e., the promised tax refund checks ("An addled republic, a bitter refund/The business first flat earthers licking their wounds/The verdict is dire, the country's in ruins.")
That's not to say R.E.M doesn't want you to dance to the music while we teeter on the eve of destruction. To paraphrase The Doors' poet/prophet Jim Morrison, "I'm going to get my kicks before the whole outhouse goes up in flames."
    R.E.M. dances on fire on the CD's final track, I'm Gonna DJ, which is a kissing cousin to the centerpiece of 1987's It's The End Of The World As We Know It, when lead singer Michael Stipe croons::  "I'm gonna DJ/Death is pretty final, I'm collecting vinyl/I'm gonna' dj at the end of the world/'cause if heaven does exist with a kickin' playlist/I don't wanna' miss it at the end of the world."
    Yeah, the world just might be in it's death throes, but R.E.M. is going to kick out the jams until God pulls the plug on the planet's respirator.

 
    Contact Tim Wilkins: tim@upandcomingweekly.com 

{mosimage}During tough times, families try to make their dollars stretch as far as possible. But when the economy slows, con artists ramp up their efforts to try to get rich at your expense. They know that the lure of easy money or help getting out of debt can be tempting when money is tight. Don’t fall for their ploys.

Here are some scams to watch out for during tough economic times:

Credit Repair: Watch out for outfits that promise to fix your credit report for a fee. These scams cheat consumers out of hundreds of dollars and will do nothing to improve your credit. Under North Carolina law, it’s illegal to charge upfront fees for credit repair services.

Debt Settlement: Avoid companies č including out-of-state lawyers č that offer to eliminate or cut your debts by negotiating with your creditors. These operations typically collect large upfront fees but reach very few settlements with creditors, leaving you deeper in debt. Under North Carolina law, it’s illegal to collect any upfront fee for debt settlement services. If you need help getting your debts under control, instead consider talking to a non-profit consumer credit counselor in your community about debt management services or budget counseling. 

To find a reputable local counselor, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 1-800-388-2227 or www.nfcc.org. If your debt situation is especially difficult, you may want to consult a local bankruptcy attorney.

Foreclosure Rescue: Steer clear of foreclosure assistance or rescue companies that want you to make your mortgage payment to them, or who tell you not to talk to your mortgage company or an attorney. Also, beware if they require payment before they will “help” you. It’s illegal to charge an upfront fee for foreclosure assistance services in North Carolina. For free help dealing with foreclosure, call the HOPE hotline at 888-995-HOPE.

Sweepstakes: A sudden windfall sounds great but be skeptical of calls or mailings announcing that you’ve won a sweepstakes or lottery. Scammers use the promise of winnings to try to steal your money and your personal financial information. In some cases, they include a very legitimate looking check that is supposed to cover taxes and fees you’re told to pay before you can claim your prize. Once you cash the check and wire the money, the check turns out to be a fake č just like the promised prize.

Business opportunity and work-at-home schemes:Promises that you can earn thousands of dollars a week working from home or get rich by investing in an exciting new business that’s guaranteed to make money sound tempting. But be skeptical about such offers. In most cases, the scheme will wind up costing you money rather than helping you make any. Never pay for information about a work-at-home offer, or for any kind of start-up kit, instructional booklet or list of clients. And never invest in a new business without checking it out thoroughly with our office and the Better Business Bureau. Take the time to think it over instead of getting pressured into a quick decision. 

Free Grants:Don’t fall for ads you spot online or in your local newspaper that promise thousands of dollars in free government grants. The scammers say they can help you get a grant that you won’t have to repay and that doesn’t require a credit check. All you have to do is fill out an application and pay the company a fee. But once you pay the fee you’ll likely never see one dime of grant money.

Well, here it is.

We’ve complained about not having a role in the selection of the presidential nominees. Now the campaign of the Democrats has come to our door. We are “in play” at last.

So, what do we say about it? Do we celebrate our importance in the national decision-making contest? No. We shake our heads, frown and grumble that the ongoing, increasingly negative campaigning that characterizes the Obama-Clinton battle is annoying, counterproductive and demeaning.

Many North Carolinians agree with the sentiment expressed by theNew York Times last week. “The Pennsylvania campaign was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it. Voters are getting tired of it; it is demeaning the political process; and it does not work.” It is getting to be time for the superdelegates to do what the Democrats had in mind when they created superdelegates: settle a bloody race that cannot be won at the ballot box.

Maybe theTimes and the many others I have heard express the same view are correct. Maybe the primaries in North Carolina and the other remaining states are counterproductive for the Democrats and for the country.

But I see it another way. I think the hard fought primary campaigns, negative advertising and all, may be the Democrats’ best possible preparation for the fall campaign. Conceding, of course, the downside in bitter feelings and lowered popularity of the ultimate candidate, I think the organizational process, the fundraising experience and the challenges the candidates have faced, are good preparation for the ultimate Democratic nominee. An easy win for either Clinton or Obama would not have conditioned either of them for the political war that the nominee will have to fight this fall. Political “coronations” may encourage happiness and good feelings within a party, but the so-called campaigns that lead up to them do not build the kind of experienced organizations that Obama and Clinton continue to grow. Ask Senator McCain!

When the Democratic candidate goes to war this fall, his or her armies will have been battle tested. The candidates and their organizations will know the terrain of the entire country, and their troops will have the confidence of hardened veterans who have already fought together and learned the strengths and weaknesses of their fellow soldiers. They know who can help in every part of the country, and, more importantly, they know the people who actually can be counted on to do the job.

The hard knocks Obama and Clinton have exchanged this year so far are nothing compared to what the nominee will experience in the general election.

AsTime magazine columnist Joe Klein explained last week when discussing the necessary qualities of a presidential candidate, “It helps to be a warrior, for one thing. It helps to be able to take a punch and deliver one č even, sometimes, a sucker punch.” 

With respect to Obama’s disdain for this kind of rough and tumble campaigning, Klein writes, “But the presidency will not be won if he doesn’t learn that the only way to reach the high-minded conversation he wants, and the country badly needs, is to figure out how to maneuver his way through the gutter.”

If Obama is the nominee and then is victorious in the fall, the person to whom he should be most indebted would be Hillary Clinton. As the toughest sparring partner imaginable, she will have turned Obama’s great potential as a candidate into a seasoned and solid national competitor.

The reverse is also true. If Clinton is nominated, she should thank Obama for making her stronger than she would have been otherwise.

But if Clinton is not the nominee, will this campaign have been good for her? I think so. If she loses, does it graciously, and then supports Obama 100-percent in the fall, her powerful primary campaign will have earned her an increased national leadership role. 

With her experience and solid group of supporters, she can be a serious contender again. And, if Obama is the nominee and loses in the fall, watch out for her in 2012.

{mosimage}I’m warning you right off the bat, the following is a trick question.

If I gave you a list of 12 major industrialized countries and asked you where the highest share of medical bills was paid directly by patients rather than by third parties, would you say the United States? Or at least put the U.S. in the top tier?

Most people who consider themselves well-informed about health policy would pick America as a system with relatively high out-of-pocket spending. They’d be wrong. According to a 2007 study, the U.S. ranks ninth out of 12 industrialized countries in the share of total health spending financed out of pocket, at about 13 percent. That’s slightly lower than in Canada, a dreamland for many government-monopoly advocates, where patients directly pay for nearly 15 percent of medical services. The share exceeds 20 percent in Italy, Portugal and Spain, and reaches about one-third in Switzerland. 

As North Carolina and the rest of the nation move into the thick of the 2008 political season, health care promises to be a popular topic. One good rule of thumb is to doubt those who proclaim that health care issues have simple solutions or that there is some way for reformers to score a free lunch by spending a lot less, getting a lot more and hurting no one in the process. 

Careful analysis and valid international assessments of national health systems confirm that tradeoffs are no less inevitable in health care than in other economic sectors. Governments that use taxes, regulations, and monopolies to restrain health spending end up limiting patient access to care and reducing the real incomes of medical providers č the average French physician earns the equivalent of $55,000 a year, for example, compared to $146,000 for the average U.S. general practitioner and $271,000 for the average U.S. specialist. If the goal is to slash doctors’ incomes, at least be honest about it.

To start with, it’s important to shed any preconceived notions about the American health-care system as a free market and European or Japanese health care as a government monopoly. The story is far more complicated č and interesting č than that. Obviously, given that the U.S. does not have government-run health insurance for the able-bodied, non-poor adult population, the share of health care spending that flows through government in the U.S. is lower than in Britain, which has a system verging on true socialized medicine. But the U.S. proportion isn’t zero. Nearly half of all American health spending is by governments č Medicare, Medicaid and other programs. Canada’s share is 70 percent. Most big European nations have shares between 70 percent and 80 percent.

╩Taking the share of government health care in the U.S. up by 20 points, to Canada’s level, would be a big (and in my view unwelcome) change. But it wouldn’t be quite as radical a change as some liberals and conservatives seem to think.

Moreover, the share of health care accounted for by government programs is hardly the only indicator of the extent of market control or decontrol. While America has less government insurance, we impose more significant licensing regulations on medical providers and institutions than do some of our competitors, where nurse practitioners and other lower-cost alternatives are more readily available to consumers. Furthermore, America’s generous tax deductions for health care distort markets for insurance and service provisions in ways that are not always present in Europe.

╩On the other side of the ledger, be wary of those who equate “universal coverage” with “universal care.” Plenty of people residing in European countries where they are guaranteed, by law, to have “free” health care are less able to secure a doctor’s appointment or receive a medical procedure than the average American is.

Before North Carolina or national politicians go plunging into a new round of “reform,” they should study more carefully what other countries actually do, how their policies affect the quality and availability of medical services, and whether Americans would ever accept the constraints on liberty that European-style health insurance would necessarily bring.

{mosimage}Dear EarthTalk: How is wind power faring in the U.S. now? Is more of it coming on line and becoming a larger percent of the grid? And what about some of the highly publicized efforts to build wind farms, such as in Cape Cod, Mass. Has that been approved?

č Paul Howe, San Francisco, Calif.

Clean and green wind energy is the new darling of alternative energy developers, and the U.S. industry has been surging the past three years, especially as developers take advantage of government incentives č in the form of the so-called Production Tax Credit (PTC) č for erecting turbines and connecting them to the grid.

The nonprofit American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reports that, in 2007 alone, total U.S. wind power capacity grew by a new record of 45 percent, injecting some $9 billion into the economy. These new installations provide enough electricity to power 1.5 million typical American homes while strengthening the nation’s energy supply with clean, homegrown electricity.

According to AWEA, utility-grade wind power installations are now in operation across 34 U.S. states, generating more than 16,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity cumulatively č enough to power upwards of 4.5 million homes and to generate 45,000 new domestic jobs. But even with this growth, wind energy still accounts for just one percent of U.S. electricity supply. Continued growth apace with that of recent years, though, should make it a major player in the American energy scene within a decade. President George W. Bush himself recently suggested that wind has the potential to supply up to 20 percent of the nation’s electricity.

Of course, the volatility of oil prices has helped wind energy gain its foothold. Once a wind farm is built, the fuel cost is essentially zero (as long as the wind blows), whereas fluctuating fossil fuel prices have made traditional power sources more costly and risky. Upping our reliance on wind power has also allowed us to lower our overall carbon footprint. If coal or natural gas were to be substituted to generate the electricity we now get from wind, it would put 28 million additional tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. Wind power also saves water by not requiring the billions of gallons of water used to cool coal-fired power plants, an increasingly contentious issue in arid areas with limited access to fresh water.

As for the contentious Cape Wind project proposed for Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts, the federal agency in charge, the U.S. Minerals Management Service, is sifting through tens of thousands of public comments and expects to make a final decision on the project by next winter. But even if they give it the green light, extensive permitting demands and legal challenges will likely hold up construction for years.  

AWEA thinks that 2008 can be as much of a growth year as 2007 if Congress extends the PTC program. The Senate has already approved extending the PTC for at least one more year, but the House has yet to bring it up for a vote. Meanwhile, wind energy proponents are pacing the halls of Congress trying to persuade their representatives that what’s good for the wind industry is good for America.

  If a survey was taken, people in Fayetteville would not be surprised to find that Fayetteville probably has more runners per capita than any city in the United States. You can’t drive down the street without passing runners č in the winter, in the rain, in the hot summer afternoons. A lot of that can be attributed to our connection to Fort Bragg, but whatever the case, in addition to being an All American city, Fayetteville is also a running city.

And on Saturday, May 10, runners will get another chance to hit the streets to participate in the 7th Annual John E. Norman Cinco de Mayo 10K and 5K road race. The annual event has traditionally been held downtown, but this year will be held on Fort Bragg, with an eye to returning downtown in 2009. The run, organized by Julio Ramirez, is designed to promote the Hispanic culture. Cinco de Mayo is commonly celebrated as Mexican Independence Day, but actually it is a celebration of the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The battle saw the country engaged in a fight with France. France had loaned money to the Mexican government in its early years, and when Mexico quit making payments, France invaded. The French Army, who had not been defeated in 50 years, invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion (French Foreign Legion).

France used the debt issue to establish its own leadership in Mexico by installing Napoleon’s relative, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as ruler of Mexico. France invaded the Gulf Coast of Mexico and began to march toward Mexico City.╩

Marching on toward Mexico City from the coast, the French army encountered strong resistance at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. Led by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a small, poorly armed militia of about 4,500 were able to stop and defeat a well outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers, which halted the invasion of the country. The victory was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots and is the cause for the historical date’s celebration.╩

Unfortunately, the victory was short-lived. Upon hearing the bad news, Napoleon had found an excuse to send more troops overseas to try and invade Mexico again, against the wishes of the French populace. Thirty thousand more troops and a full year later, the French were eventually able to depose the Mexican army, take over Mexico City and install Maximilian as the ruler of Mexico.╩

Maximilian’s rule of Mexico was also short-lived, from 1864 to 1867, ending as the U.S. began to provide more political and military assistance to Mexico to expel the French. Despite the eventual French invasion of Mexico City, Cinco de Mayo honors the bravery and victory of General Zaragoza’s small, outnumbered militia at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. 

While this Cinco de Mayo 10K is not a battle, it does challenge its participants to give their best. This year’s run will follow the same route as the annual Jingle Bell Jog. Runners come from across the state and at least three or four other states to participate in this event.

The race, which will start on Ardennes Street beside the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum will begin at 8:30 a.m. Runners in both the 10K and 5K will start at the same time, with the 10K runners taking the lead. The event will be timed and prizes will be awarded to the top finishers. Entry fees are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the race. Ball caps will be given to all runners. Registration for the race starts at 7 a.m. Runners will be issued a timing chip. Failure to return the chip results in a $30 fee.

A Mexican-style cookout will be held following the race. All runners will receive a steak fajita plate. Non-runners will be charged a $5 per plate fee.

The Green Beret Parachute team will jump into the cookout following the race. If you do not have a sticker to access Fort Bragg, allow an extra 30 minutes to get on post. 

For more information, visit www.cincodemayo10k.org.

Contact Janice Burton at: editor@upandcomingweekly.com