…. Your immune system destroys at least one cell every day that would have become cancer if it lived.
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All posts for the day March 21st, 2013
The Food and Drug Administration says Clinical Specialties of Augusta, Ga., is voluntarily recalling all lots of all sterile products it repackaged and distributed because it cannot assure they are sterile. The agency has cracked down on compounding pharmacies after an outbreak of fungal meningitis and other fungal infections that has affected 722 people and killed 50.
“This expanded recall follows the firm’s initial recall of Avastin on March 18, 2013, due to reports of five patients who have been diagnosed with serious eye infections associated with the use of the product,” the FDA said in a statement.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notified the FDA of these endophthalmitis infections, which occur inside the eyeball. Endophthalmitis after intravitreal injection is a serious complication that can lead to permanent loss of vision. Clinical Specialties Compounding sterile products covered under this recall were distributed nationwide between October 19, 2012 and March 19, 2013.”
WestWingReport: President again warns Syria’s Assad that he’ll be held accountable for using chemical weapons, or giving them to terrorists
“It protects banking customers from overdraft practices that the courts have found to be unfair, misleading, deceptive or fraudulent,” Maloney said. “And at a time when some many are still struggling, it will help to put an end to those unexpected $35 charges for a cup of coffee.”
Consumer groups believe the Overdraft Protection Act of 2013 would solve a lot of problems.
“It’s very clear that banks are gouging customers with incredibly high and outrageous overdraft fees that are not related to their cost,” said Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director at U.S. PIRG. “The idea of a $35 fee for the privilege of overdrawing your account is good for the banks, but not for the consumer.”
According to a new report from Moebs Services, an economic research firm, financial institutions in the U.S. earned $32 billion in overdraft revenue last year, an increase of $400 million (or 1.3 percent) from 2011.
“Overdrafts have evolved from an ad hoc courtesy into a routinely administered, very high-cost, very short-term credit product,” said Rebecca Borne, senior policy counsel with the Center for Responsible Lending.
Key provisions of the bill
The Overdraft Protection Act would limit overdraft coverage fees in various ways. It would:
Prohibit financial institutions from charging more than one overdraft fee per month or more than six each year.
Require overdraft fees to be “reasonable and proportional” to the amount of the overdraft.
Prohibit a fee if the overdraft results solely from a hold placed on an account that exceeds the amount of the transaction. Many merchants, such as hotels and gas stations, automatically place a hold on the money in your checking account when you pay with a debit card. At some gas stations that hold is $100 no matter how much you pump – something they don’t have to warn you about.
The bill would also ban the practice of posting checking account transactions in a way that maximizes overdraft fees. Some financial institutions routinely clear debits from highest to lowest dollar amount.
Today, the entire world will focus on a movement begun by a country only half the size of Indiana. Last year, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring March 20 the annual International Day of Happiness and called for everyone to celebrate through activities, awareness and education. Where did the UN get such a radical notion? Bhutan. This tiny country’s philosophy, based on Buddhist ideals, encourages the world to believe that happiness can, and should, be accessible to all.
In Bhutan, only 35 percent of the population live in a town and only 21 of every 100 people access Internet. Of approximately 726,000 people, over 20 percent are considered rural poor. And yet this land and its people possess a wild and inscrutable spirit and rugged joie de vivre that leave modern countries seeming downright dull.
As we experience the International Day of Happiness 2013, we can learn a great deal about how to celebrate from the guileless, vibrant people of Bhutan. They show us that we can balance our modern world with uncomplicated mindfulness — regardless of your daily schedule. To see the world as they do, we must open our eyes to the wonders around us: our natural environment, loved ones, pets, music, food, poetry — simple things that we encounter each day. We must join with other happiness seekers to form a supportive community. And, most importantly, we must look within.
How will you celebrate International Day of Happiness? Will you reach out to friends, family, or community? Or will you work on cultivating a happiness ritual that starts with yourself? Either way, there’s no need to travel to Bhutan to start the party.
danetteoneal1
Danette O'Neal, PhD 