riversled's Blog

Read my story here on EP (which is actually a true letter sent from the father), about a fathers love for his troubled son.

http://www.experienceproject.com/uw.php?e...

Check out a new website set up to assist families who struggle with a wayward son or daughter.

www.redcliffdiscovery.org

How can we, as friends, family, co-workers and neighbors assist teens to understand that many times they simply don't know what they don't know...often they head down some very destructive paths!

This is a video interview sent to me by the mother featured in the video. The daughter was able to turn her life around. Take a look...

http://www.jcsbaltimore.org/article.php?id=369

You can also check out some places to assist families through the intervention process here...

www.troubledteensprogram.com

This is a brief experience I shared in "My Stories" about my youngest daughter. It's kind of a fun story that certainly taught me a lesson in parenting.

Take a look;

http://www.experienceproject.com/uw.php?e...

Since I work within the healthcare field, I thought it appropriate to discuss the National Healthcare debate. It doesn't matter if you want a public option or not. It doesn't matter if you are Republican, Democrat or Independent.

The bottom line is that, "If you fail to learn from history, you are bound to repeat it"!

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University, and no one says it better.

"At its start, in 1966, Medicare cost $3 billion. The House Ways and Means Committee, along with President Johnson, estimated that Medicare would cost an inflation-adjusted $12 billion by 1990. In 1990, Medicare topped $107 billion. That's nine times Congress' prediction. Today's Medicare tab comes to $420 billion with no signs of leveling off. How much confidence can we have in any cost estimates by the White House or Congress?"

Read more here;

http://economics.gmu.edu/wew/articles/09/Washington'sLies.htm

RedCliff Ascent was a founding member of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Cooperative.

If you are interested in learning about a cool way to kick a drug habit, check out the link below.

"Dr. Russell established that the drop in substance abuse following treatment was almost certainly due to the effectiveness of the treatment they experienced, because the programs were able to inspire their clients to want to give up on, or significantly reduce, their use of alcohol and drugs."

http://www.obhic.com/research/drugs-and-getting-motivated-to-give-them-up.html

www.redcliffascent.com

A while back I wrote a piece entitled "I Long For a Victimless America". You can read it here:

http://www.experienceproject.com/uw.php?e...

I recently saw the story of a young man who selflessly risked his life to protect the lives of fellow students and young children. See if you are not touched by this story.

http://mississippistate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=983337

www.troubledteensprogram.com

Ashley (not her real name) struggled with Reactive Attachment Disorder. The 16-year-old was literally looking for love and acceptance in all the wrong places, all the wrong ways. In a desperate attempt to stop their daughter’s destructive behaviors, Ashley’s adoptive parents placed her at Discovery Ranch...

Read more on my stories page here:

http://www.experienceproject.com/uw.php?e...

Also, check out Discovery Ranch here:

http://www.discoveryranch.net/

This is a video resource for parents who are struggling with teens that seem to think of themselves as the center of the universe. Those teens that seem to never grow up. There may be some drug or alcohol use, late nights, irresponsible behavior, school problems etc.

Some of this is normal for teenagers...but as the parent, you know in your gut if it's getting out of hand.

Check out the videos.  Check out the website. Even if your teen is doing great, it's always nice to know there are resources who can help.

http://www.utahvod.com/ieca/

www.troubledteensprogram.com

If you don't have a teen, but like working with teens, check out;

www.wildernesswork.com

With the UK facing the most severe economic downturn in 90 years, there is a need for the 20 somethings to be prepared.

Claire Young star of the hit BBC series "The Apprentice" is set to work in partnership with North East based Insp!re.

I happen to be good friends with one of the founding partners of INSP!RE...check it out here:

http://www.inspireconfidence.co.uk/

In a struggling economy, the one constant is that many teens still struggle with drug & alcohol abuse as well as other family concerns. 

There always seems to be enough money for a drug dependent teen, and when there's not, the kids we work with either steal from their parents, steal from friends or trade sex for drugs...all of which is very high risk behavior.

If you are someone interested in helping, check out the links to learn more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U0aJcUL-_U

www.wildernesswork.com

www.troubledteensprogram.com

This is an Op-Ed piece by Mike Adams. Mr. Adams is a Criminology Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

This is a bit long, but well worth the read...important stuff! You decide!

Dear Mr. Obama (info@barackobama.com):

I’m sick right now with a bad case of poison ivy. I’m not telling you this because I want the government’s help. I’m telling you I’m sick because it explains why I have been sitting at home for days and, therefore, have had time to read the first 500 pages of the new health care bill.

I had no intention of reading the health care bill until a friend of mine – in his second year of medical school – sent me a list of statements about the bill. These statements have been floating around the internet so you may have seen them.

After I read the bill, I concluded that the majority of the statements seemed correct. I’ve rephrased many of these statements and put them in the form of several dozen true/false statements.

I would like for you to take the time to answer these questions for two reasons. First, I’ve spent a lot of time reading the health care bill. Second, and more importantly, the U.S. Congress has not spent much time reading the bill.

On Page 22, I saw some language, which suggested that the bill mandates audits of all employers that choose to self-insure. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 29, I saw what appeared to be an admission that health care will be rationed under this new plan. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 30, I discovered that a government committee will be established to decide what treatments and benefits I get. However, unlike an insurer, I see no evidence that there will be a process to appeal their decisions. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 50, I read some non-discrimination language, which seems to suggest that all non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free health care services. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 59, I saw some language suggesting that the federal government will have access to all individual bank accounts for health-related electronic funds transfers. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 124, I learned that no private company can sue the government for price-fixing. Furthermore, no "judicial review" is permitted against a complete government monopoly. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 127, I read that the government will now set wages for physicians. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 149, couched in esoteric “contribution” language, it looks like any employer with a payroll of $400,000 or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll as a penalty. This penalty would go a long way towards destroying the private system. It would also seem to violate your campaign promises – specifically those you made during debates I watched. If I read this correctly, it appears you looked me – via the camera – in the eye and lied. So, Barry, can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 203, I read a very strange sentence: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax imposed by this chapter for purposes of determining the amount of any credit under this chapter." I know this is supposed to be a true/false test but do you think calling a “tax” by some other name means it is no longer a tax? This seems to be a persistent theme in this bill. Please explain. Attach extra sheets of paper if necessary.

Page 272 has some of the most esoteric language of the health care bill. But it looks like the government plans to ration health care for cancer patients. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 280, I read that hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems to be “preventable re-admissions.” Once again, I know this is supposed to be a true/false test but, please, tell me this: How is the government in a better position (than a health care professional) to determine what constitutes a “preventable re-admission?”

Page 317 suggests that doctors will soon be prohibited from owning and investing in health care companies. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

The following page suggests that hospitals can no longer expand without government approval. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

On Page 429 things get very disturbing unless, of course, I am reading this wrong. It appears that an advance care planning consultation will be used to dictate treatment as a patient's health deteriorates. This can include an order for end-of-life plans – specifically, an order from the government. Can you tell me whether that is a) True or b) False?

It really bothers me, Mr. President, that I can learn a lot more about pending legislation from an internet chat room than I can from my elected representatives. It also bothers me that I have to read pending bills because, in all likelihood, my representatives will not.

Regardless, I want you to read this email carefully and answer all of my questions. If you answer “true” – even to a single question - you will have lost any prospect of gaining my support. If you answer “false” to every question we can move on to pages 500 through 1018.  

"There is something inherently mysterious about moments of insight, such as when the insights arrive, and there’s the feeling of certainty that accompanies the idea. Somehow you know that it would work. It’s one of the defining features of the mind that we may not value, that we don’t recognize easily or that we wonder how to make happen again."

This is a great blog, Check it out!

http://www.waxconnor.blogspot.com/

You can also learn more about educational consultants at:

www.teenhelpconsultant.com

"Around the world, alcohol abuse among teens is preoccupying many addiction experts. This article features the perspectives of individuals in Australia, the Netherlands and Bermuda, on the extent of the problem and the solutions being pursued."

This is a recent article published in Addiction Professional Magazine.

Read the whole article here:

http://www.addictionpro.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=7A3822B92AFE4EC3B7C35030EF7B667F

Learn more about RedCliff Ascent here:

www.troubledteensprogram.com

Young Adults’ Need for and Receipt of Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use Treatment: 2007    

 §         About one fifth of young adults aged 18 to 25 (21.1 percent) were classified as needing treatment for alcohol or illicit drug use; 17.2 percent were in need of alcohol use treatment, 8.4 percent were in need of illicit drug use treatment, and 4.4 percent were in need of both alcohol and illicit drug use treatment

 §         Less than one tenth (7.0 percent) of the young adults who were in need of alcohol or illicit drug use treatment in the past year received it at a specialty facility in the past year

 §         Of the young adults who needed but did not receive alcohol or illicit drug use treatment in a specialty facility in the past year, 96.0 percent did not perceive the need

 §         Less than one third of the young adults who did not receive treatment in a specialty facility but thought they needed it made an attempt to obtain it  

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Applied Studies 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 7-1044 Rockville, MD 20857  

www.rcmedicinewheel.com    

You will want to check out the opinion piece by Peggy Noonan in the July 24th Wall Street Journal. Below is an excerpt:

We are living in a time in which educated people who are at the top of American life feel they have the right to make very public criticisms of . . . let’s call it the private, pleasurable but health-related choices of others. They shame smokers and the overweight.

Those who live in a way that isn’t sufficiently healthy “cost us money” and “drive up premiums.” Mr. Obama himself said something like it in his press conference, when he spoke of a person who might not buy health insurance. If he gets hit by a bus, “the rest of us have to pay for it.”

Under a national health-care plan we might be hearing that a lot. You don’t exercise, you smoke, you drink, you eat too much, and “the rest of us have to pay for it.”

Read the whole article here;

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574306533556532364.html

 Update: L.A. Times Article

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/07/tough-love-for-fatties-tax-their-food-pay-for-healthcare.html