Lawmaker's 'You lie' outburst draws House rebuke

"Bitterly divided along party lines, the House formally rebuked Republican Rep. Joe Wilson Tuesday for shouting "You lie" at President Barack Obama during last week's nationally televised speech to Congress."

"The rare resolution of disapproval was pushed through by Democrats insisting that Wilson, a South Carolina lawmaker, had violated basic rules of decorum and civility in his outburst. Republicans dismissed the vote as a political "witch hunt" and a waste of precious time and taxpayers' money."

"Wilson had called the White House to apologize shortly after the incident, and he said at the time that the president "graciously accepted my apology and the issue is over." Republicans agreed, but several Democrats pressed the issue."

"The final tally late Tuesday was 240-179, generally but not entirely along party lines. It was 233 Democrats and seven Republicans voting to chastise Wilson, 167 Republicans and 12 Democrats opposing the measure and five Democrats merely voting "present."

U.N. Finds Evidence of War Crimes in Gaza Fighting

"Now, a strongly worded U.N. report on the Israeli campaign in Gaza."

"The report focuses on last December's 32-day air and ground campaign in Gaza. The Israeli military offensive followed years of rocket attacks launched into southern Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian militants."

"Different accounts place the number of Palestinian casualties at or around 1,400, including an undetermined number of civilians. The Israeli government reported 13 Israelis killed during the three weeks of fighting, 10 of them soldiers."

"The report concludes that Israeli deliberately targeted civilians by launching military operations against homes, factories, schools and hospitals in a deliberate policy of disproportionate force."

"The 574-page report focuses primarily on what it calls grave breaches by Israeli forces, including willful killing, torture, or inhuman treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, and extensive destruction of property."

Rep. Joe Wilson Resolution

"Here is the text of a resolution in the House that disapproves of the "You lie!" outburst by Rep. Joe Wilson during last week's speech by President Obama to a Joint Session of Congress."

"111TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson;

and Whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House: Now, therefore, be it Resolved,

That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009."

Is war on drugs worth it? Maybe not, new FBI data suggest.

"Every 18 seconds, an American is busted for drug possession, according to Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) crime statistics released Monday."

"The new statistics point to a continued emphasis on drug interdiction – otherwise known as the "war on drugs" – that more and more law enforcement officers are now questioning. While many experts hold the anti-drug campaign to be the key reason for the decline in the crime rate in the US, especially violent crime, since the 1990s, these police officers, as well as current and retired judges and prosecutors see, instead, thousands of American lives ruined for small drug infractions in a costly and possibly unwinnable "war."

"Not only do these officers see the terrible results that their work has had on individuals' lives, but a lot of what I hear from beat officers and undercover narcotics agents is they've seen colleagues die in the line of fire trying to enforce laws that have no positive impacts," says Tom Angell, a spokesman for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) in Washington. "For a lot of them, this is about trying to keep good cops alive by repealing stupid prohibition laws."

"According to the latest FBI figures, 82.3 percent of all drug arrests in 2008 were for possession, and 44.3 percent of these for possession of marijuana. Arrests totalled more than 1.7 million."

More Americans living paycheck to paycheck

"The number of Americans living paycheck to paycheck is on the rise, with 61 percent reporting they are just eking by."

"That’s up from 49 percent last year and 43 percent in 2007, according to a new nationwide survey by CareerBuilder."

"And, it’s not just minimum wage workers who are struggling. The survey also found that 30 percent of workers with salaries of $100,000 or more report that they, too, live paycheck to paycheck, up from 21 percent in 2008."

No Layoffs For JSO But Millage Rate May Increase

"The city's top cop, Sheriff John Rutherford, said no officers will receive pink slips because of the city's budget. The news comes after weeks of heated debate between Rutherford and city council members over budget cuts."

"He made the decision not to cut 92 community service officers after Mayor John Petyon and city council members met on Monday to review the city's spending plan. JSO will keep money that was on the chopping block, but that means property taxes in Duval County could go up for the first time in nearly 20 years. "

"Rutherford said the department is now leaner than ever. He pointed out that he's already making $12.6 million in cuts by trimming things like salaries and about a dozen office staff."

U.S. workers' health costs soaring, studies show

"The Kaiser Family Foundation said the average premium for a company-provided family health insurance plan rose from $5,791 in 1999 to $13,375, a 131 percent jump."

"Separately, the Business Roundtable, an organization that represents large U.S. corporations, said per-employee costs will jump to $28,530 in 2019 from $10,743 currently if nothing is done."

"The Kaiser study said the portion of costs born by employees grew from $1,543 on average a decade ago to $3,515 this year. Employer saw their costs shoot up too, from $4,247 in contributions in 1999 to $9,860 in 2009 on average."

"About 60 percent of companies offer health-care coverage in the United States, insuring 159 million non-elderly people, according to Kaiser."

"Among those companies still offering health plans, 21 percent said they had reduced benefits or asked workers to pay additional costs while 15 percent said they had increased workers' share of the insurance premium."

"For 2010, companies said they also would shift more costs to workers, with 42 percent saying they would increase employees' premiums and 39 percent saying employees would pay more for doctor visits. Thirty-seven percent said workers would have to pay more for prescription medicines."

Myths and Facts About The H1N1 Flu

"H1N1 Fact and Fiction

1. H1N1 is worse than seasonal flu.
So far, there is no data to back up this statement. What worries health officials is that it's a strain of the flu that has never been seen before.
However, the number of deaths from H1N1 in the U.S. is above 300 or about 1 percent of those who have been infected with the virus. This is far lower than the 36,000 people who die annually in the U.S. from seasonal flu. H1N1 does, however, appear to be harder on pregnant women than seasonal flu and health experts are encouraging women who are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant to get vaccinated once the H1N1 immunization becomes available.

2. I'm healthy so I don't need to worry about swine flu.
Wrong. Swine flu, like seasonal flu, can infect anyone. What's worse is that teens, young adults and pregnant women, who are not usually at high risk for developing complications from the regular flu, appear to be at risk for hospitalization and even death from swine flu.
With swine flu, there are certain groups with worse outcomes, including pregnant women, who may think they're healthy but are being negatively impacted. People with underlying heart and lung disease, even mild asthmatics, appear to be prone to more negative outcomes.

3. The swine flu vaccine will give me the flu.
This is the same myth that haunts doctors each year when the seasonal flu vaccine becomes available.
The flu vaccine we are creating is done using egg-based technology containing particles of dead virus, so there is no way to transmit influenza from an influenza vaccine. The reason people feel that they've gotten the flu from the flu vaccine is because flu season occurs at the same time as cold season and they've confused the common cold with the flu. Also, the low fever that some people experience after they're inoculated is not a symptom of the flu, but a symptom of a healthy immune system fighting off an insult that has been introduced into the body.

4. Wearing a mask will protect me from swine flu.
Wrong again. The recommendation is not to wear a face mask. First of all, they're only good for a short amount of time and as soon as they get moist, which is pretty quickly, they become ineffective. The best advice is that if you're sick, stay home. Also stay away from folks who are sick and make sure your hands are clean, and practice good cough etiquette.

5. Using hand sanitizer isn't as effective as washing your hands.
Hand sanitizers have been shown to be very effective in killing the swine flu virus and should be used not only by people trying to prevent catching the virus, but also by people who have the virus to keep from spreading it to others.

6. I'm canceling my child's trip to a petting zoo because it has piglets and I'm afraid he'll catch swine flu.
There is no evidence that the virus is being spread from pig to person, and there is no reason to cancel a trip to a petting zoo for fear of H1N1. Ray said children should be sure to clean their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer after touching any farm animal, not only pigs, especially before eating.

7. I should stop shaking hands with people.
People can still shake hands with each other as long as they are not symptomatic. Again, the swine flu takes a respiratory root of transmission through coughing and sneezing and landing on a susceptible host.
Doctors recommend that after shaking hands, people should wash them or use hand sanitizer before they touch their mouths, noses or eyes.

8. I have a sore throat and have been coughing and sneezing, so I have swine flu.
Really for both seasonal influenza and H1N1, the symptoms are a high-grade fever - typically above 101 degrees - headache, body aches, coughing, and occasionally, more so with swine flu than seasonal flu, there is some nausea and vomiting.

Source: Duval County Health Department"

Board Approves New Method for Grading High Schools

"In its never-ending quest to improve student performance, the State Board of Education has approved a new method for grading high schools."

"Coming up with a plan they describe as one of the most comprehensive in the country, the Board has added criteria to a school's grade that reduce the impact of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)."

"The changes were begun by the passage of a bill through the Senate in the 2008 session, and mean schools will now be graded on graduation rate, participation and performance on advanced coursework (AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, etc.), and the preparedness of students to go to college or the workforce, as measured by the SAT, ACT or College Placement Test."

"The breakdown for a high school grade will now be 50% FCAT, 50% the above criteria."

Violent Crime Fell in 2008, F.B.I. Report Says

"The F.B.I. figures show that nearly as many black people as white were homicide victims in 2008, even though 80 percent of Americans are white, compared with 13 percent who are black, according to Census Bureau figures."

"Of the nearly 17,000 homicide victims last year, 6,782 were black and 6,838 were white, the F.B.I. said, with men several times more likely to be victims than women. Several hundred other victims were classified as belonging to other races or as race unknown."

"Of the more than 16,000 people arrested for homicide in the United States in 2008, 5,943 were black and 5,334 white, with several thousand other suspects classified as belonging to other races or as race unknown."

"For both whites and blacks, men ages 17 to 30 were the most “typical” victims and killers. Over all, men were several times more likely than women to be the victims and the killers."

"The F.B.I. data released Monday showed that 23.3 percent of murder victims were slain by family members, and 54.7 percent were killed by acquaintances, while only 22 percent were murdered by strangers. Of last year’s homicides, 9,484 involved firearms, 6,755 of which were handguns, the F.B.I. said."

"In each of the four violent crime offenses, the 2008 rates were down from 2007. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter dropped 3.9 percent; aggravated assault declined 2.5 percent; forcible rape declined 1.6 percent; and robbery was down 0.7 percent. The figures are based on offenses per 100,000 people."

"Burglaries rose 2 percent in 2008, and larceny-thefts went up three-tenths of 1 percent. But motor vehicle theft dropped 12.7 percent."

Bullying still a problem, parents, advocates say

"Recent student suicides have parents and advocates complaining that anti-bullying laws enacted in nearly every state are not being enforced and do not go far enough to identify and rid schools of chronic tormentors."

"Forty-four states expressly ban bullying, a legislative legacy of a rash of school shootings in the late '90s, yet few if any of those measures have identified children who excessively pick on their peers, an Associated Press review has found. And few offer any method for ensuring the policies are enforced, according to data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures."

"Only six states — Montana, Hawaii, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, North Dakota and South Dakota — and the District of Columbia lack specific laws targeting school bullying, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most states require school districts to adopt open-ended policies to prohibit bullying and harassment."

"In 2007, nearly a third of students ages 12 to 18 reported having been bullied during the school year, according to data on more than 55 million students compiled annually by the National Center for Education Statistics. That's up from as few as 1 in 10 students in the '90s, though bullying experts point out the rising numbers may reflect more reports of bullying, not necessarily more incidents."

"Many children reported teasing, spreading rumors and threats, all harder to spot and manage, school leaders say."

"One of the questions is how do you quantify bullying? It could even be as simple as a rolling of the eyes," said Dale Davis, a spokesman for schools in DeKalb County, Ga., where Herrera committed suicide."

Yet More on Young College Grads

"You can see that in the 1990s, pay for young college grads rose at basically the same rate as college costs."

"But since 2000, the two lines have moved in opposite directions. In real terms, college costs are up by 23% since 2000. But real pay for young college grads is down 11% over the same period. "

A post regarding health care:

"This chart shows the average annual change in per capita spending on health between 1990 and 2007 (the last available year for most countries). The U.S. shows up almost exactly in the middle of the pack. This is not an artifact of the years picked--it's true for 1997-2007 and 2000-2007 as well."

Political Phone Calls Have Voters Fed Up

"The Federal Trade Commission banned robocalls earlier this month, but political robocalls are excluded from the ban."

Book Review: Relentless

Title: Relentless.
Author: Dean Koontz
Year: 2009.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: Mystery/Science Fiction.

Review: Koontz is the Science Fiction version of Patterson. At first his books were good but now they have been just a waste of time. The story was absolutely awful though intriguing at times - at least enough to make me want to finish it. Do not read!

Grade: D+

Book Review: Meltdown

Title: Meltdown - A Free Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed.
Author: Thomas E. Woods Jr.
Year: 2009.
Type: Non-Fiction.
Genre: Finance .

Review: A very good common sense approach to the current economic crisis. Woods is a Austrian Economics writer who suggests that the current crisis began because of the role of the Federal Reserve.

Grade: B- .

NAACP urges standards for police use of force

"The NAACP is renewing a push for federal standards on police use of force after the shooting of an unarmed black man by two white police officers inside a church while day care children watched."

"Both sides do agree, however, that Mr. Barmore fled when officers approached him in the church parking lot. "

Brown expresses support for health care overhaul

"The Democratic-led Congress should push forward with plans to overhaul America's $2.4 trillion health care system even if it means doing so without a single supporting Republican House vote, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., said Thursday."

"That's just how it is. I wish it was different," said the veteran congresswoman from Jacksonville during a "tele-town hall" with constituents. "I just know my colleagues."

Last Year’s Poverty Rate Was Highest in 12 Years

"In the recession, the nation’s poverty rate climbed to 13.2 percent last year, up from 12.5 percent in 2007, according to an annual report released Thursday by the Census Bureau. The report also documented a decline in employer-provided health insurance and in coverage for adults."

"The bureau said 39.8 million residents last year lived below the poverty line, defined as an income of $22,025 for a family of four."

"In another sign of both the recession and the long-term stagnation of middle-class wages, median family incomes in 2008 fell to $50,300, compared with $52,200 the year before. This wiped out the income gains of the previous three years, the report said. "

Local Group Removes Tons of Litter from Downtown

"Downtown Vision Inc. (DVI), the group behind the First Wednesday Art Walk and Eat Up Downtown, says they've been working to clean up dozens of blocks of downtown Jacksonville."

"In their report covering the first half of the year, DVI says they have pulled weeds from sidewalks along more than 65 blocks and more than 500 tree beds. They also put mulch in the tree beds."

"But here's the biggie: DVI says they have picked up more than 7,000 pounds of litter from Downtown -- 3.5 tons!"

"The pair work seven days a week, six hours a day, picking up the the bits and pieces of trash that city crews can't get to."

Obama Gets High Marks in Europe, but U.S. Foreign Policy Is Less Popular

"Barack Obama's popularity has been shrinking in opinion polls in the U.S. since his election, but Europeans still give the American president high marks, according to an annual public-opinion survey in the European Union, the U.S. and Turkey."

"The report, released Wednesday by the German Marshall Fund, showed 77% of Europeans approve of Mr. Obama's handling of international affairs—a record for a U.S. president—compared with 19% support for former President George W. Bush a year ago. In Germany, Europe's biggest country, the jump was 80 percentage points to 92%, the biggest increase in any category in the seven-year history of the survey."

Swiss topple U.S. as most competitive economy: WEF

"Switzerland knocked the United States off the position as the world's most competitive economy as the crash of the U.S. banking system left it more exposed to some long-standing weaknesses, a report said on Tuesday."

"The World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report 2009/2010 showed economies with a large focus on financial services such as the U.S., Britain or Iceland were the losers of the crisis."

"The U.S. as the world's largest economy lost last year's strong lead, slipping to number two for the first time since the introduction of the index in its current form in 2004."

"Trust in Swiss banks also declined. But in the assessment of banks' soundness, the Alpine country still ranked 44th. U.S. banks fell to 108 -- right behind Tanzania -- and British banks to 126 in the ranking, now topped by Canada's banks."

Fed: Consumers cut debt by record $21.6B

"The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that consumers ratcheted back their credit by a larger-than-anticipated $21.6 billion from June, the most on records dating to 1943. Economists expected credit to drop by $4 billion."

"Demand for nonrevolving credit used to finance cars, vacations, education and other things fell by $15.4 billion, also a record decline. That 11.7 percent pace was on top of an 8 percent annualized decline in June."

"Consumers' appetite for revolving credit, primarily credit cards, declined by $6.1 billion in July, an annualized rate of 8 percent that followed a 6.4 percent drop in June. "

"July's retreat translated into an annualized decline of 10.4 percent. That followed a cut of $15.5 billion in June, or a 7.4 percent annualized drop, and the most since a 16.3 percent decline in June 1975."

"The latest cut left total consumer credit at $2.47 trillion."

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama Back to School Event

The speech given to students on 8 September 2009:

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.

And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

U.S. leads world in foreign weapons sales: report

"The United States accounted for more than two-thirds of foreign weapons sales in 2008, a year in which global sales were at a three-year low, The New York Times reported on Sunday. Citing a congressional study released on Friday, the Times said the United States was involved in 68.4 percent of the global sales of arms."

"U.S. weapons sales jumped nearly 50 percent in 2008 despite the global economic recession to $37.8 billion from $25.4 billion the year before. The jump defied worldwide trends as global arms sales fell 7.6 percent to $55.2 billion in 2008, the report said. Global weapons agreements were at their lowest level since 2005."

"Italy, the second ranked country, amassed only $3.7 billion in arms sales, while Russia ranked third with sales falling to $3.5 billion in 2008, down from $10.8 billion in 2007."

"Such deals with the developing world included a $6.5 billion air defense system for the United Arab Emirates, a $2.1 billion jet fighter for Morocco and a $2 billion attack helicopter for Taiwan."

"India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil also reached weapons deals with the United States, the Times said. The report revealed the United Arab Emirates was the top buyer of arms in the developing world with $9.7 billion in arms purchases in 2008."

"Saudi Arabia ranked second with $8.7 billion in weapons agreements, and Morocco was third with $5.4 billion in deals."

Florida Cigarette Sales Down After Price Hike

"The latest state figures show a 28 percent drop in the sale of cigarette packs in July versus the same month a year earlier. From June to July, sales were sales were down 17 percent."

"Florida's previous 34-cents a pack cigarette tax was among the nation's lowest. It went up to $1.34 July 1."

Independent schools score far more A and A* grades at GCSE

"About two thirds of GCSE exams taken at independent schools this year gained at least an A grade, compared with only one in five in the state sector."

"The IGCSE contains no coursework element and is similar to a traditional O level. It is favoured by all of this year’s Top Ten independent schools but is still not recognised by the Government. Dr Spurr said the GCSE syllabus for some subjects, particularly science, is not challenging enough for pupils at the £19,000-a-year school. "

"Almost 60 per cent of GCSEs and IGCSEs taken by independent pupils were awarded A or A* this year compared with 21.6 per cent of those taken in state schools. Admissions tutors at top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, have indicated that they value the IGCSE most highly. "

Watchdog: SEC Screwed Up on Madoff

"In a stinging new report, the inspector general for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)reveals how the agency's "inexperienced" attorneys missed Bernard L. Madoff's colossal scam and believed Madoff's answers to their questions even when they were "seemingly implausible." Yet Inspector General David Kotz did not find any evidence of corruption at the agency - citing incompetence instead. "

"Kotz concludes that the agency's repeated investigations and clearing of Madoff served to increase Madoff's credibility with investors who believed that if the SEC had found no wrongdoing then Madoff's business had to be clean. "

"The report describes how Madoff tightly controlled who spoke to SEC investigators. In one meeting, a Madoff employee was yanked out of the room because she was "urgently needed." Later Madoff told SEC investigators the woman had to go to lunch."

"The report also notes that Madoff repeatedly intimidated SEC attorneys noting his relationships with the higher-ups at the agency even going so far as to say "that Madoff himself 'was on the short list' to be the next Chairman of the SEC." However, when SEC attorneys reported Madoff's repeated pushbacks to their superiors "they received no support."

"The inspector general notes that "at no time did the SEC ever verify Madoff's trading through an independent third-party." The report also notes that SEC attorneys investigated too narrowly and never "seemed to have considered the possibility that Madoff could have taken the money."

"The SEC investigated Madoff five times over 16 years and failed to detect the Ponzi scheme. Notably, even when SEC enforcement attorneys were handed a step by step roadmap of the Madoff scam by securities expert Harry Markopolos, they did not uncover the fraud that left thousands bankrupt overnight. "

Sink cuts wireless ties to save taxpayer dollars

"Alex Sink, who is hoping to win the seat now held by Gov. Charlie Crist, said her department has instituted cost-cutting measures that will result in savings of some $210,000 a year in wireless costs — a 37 percent reduction, according to a media release issued by her office."

"Some of those cuts are coming as a result of disconnecting 116 BlackBerrys, 56 cell phones and 40 air cards that Sink's office determined did not meet newly established criteria. The rest is coming from lowering monthly costs for services and reducing unused services."

"Less than a year ago, Sink, who is running a campaign on a platform of fiscal responsibility, announced plans to consolidate her department’s 11 consumer call centers into two call centers. The consolidation, which took effect Feb. 1, has saved nearly $727,000, with $2.25 million projected in annual recurring savings, according to the release."

Food stamp list soars past 35 million: USDA

"More than 35 million Americans received food stamps in June, up 22 percent from June 2008 and a new record as the country continued to grapple with the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s."

Jax lost nearly 25K jobs in last year

"The nation’s three biggest labor markets were also its three largest losers in employment during the past 12 months, and Jacksonville posted job declines of 4 percent, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics."

"The Los Angeles area lost 240,100 jobs between July 2008 and the same month this year, the biggest decline in raw numbers anywhere in America. The Chicago and New York City markets were the runners-up with losses of 206,200 and 157,900 jobs, respectively."

"Jacksonville notched a year-over-year decline of 24,800 jobs, making it the 36th-worst of the top 100 markets in the country in terms of number of jobs lost."

Contractors Outnumber U.S. Troops in Afghanistan

"Civilian contractors working for the Pentagon in Afghanistan not only outnumber the uniformed troops, according to a report by a Congressional research group, but also form the highest ratio of contractors to military personnel recorded in any war in the history of the United States."

"As of March this year, contractors made up 57 percent of the Pentagon’s force in Afghanistan, and if the figure is averaged over the past two years, it is 65 percent, according to the report by the Congressional Research Service."

"The 68,197 contractors — many of them Afghans — handle a variety of jobs, including cooking for the troops, serving as interpreters and even providing security, the report says."

"Congress appropriated at least $106 billion for Pentagon contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2003 through the first half of the 2008 fiscal year, the report says."

Case Shows Limits of Sex Offender Alert Programs

"Mr. Garrido, who had been convicted of kidnapping and rape in the 1970s, was listed, as required, on California’s sex-offender registry (complete with a description of the surgical scar on his abdomen and his 196-pound weight) and had dutifully checked in with the local authorities each year for the past decade — all while, officials say, his victim and the two children he is accused of fathering with her were living in his backyard."

"Sex offender lists have made far more information readily available to the public and the police than before, but experts say little research is available to suggest that the registries have actually discouraged offenders from committing new crimes."

"And some experts say that the lists may lead people to presume that anyone registered must also be elaborately monitored, when, in truth, monitoring ranges enormously from place to place and state to state. In some cases, it amounts to little more than an offender mailing a postcard with his address to a police department once a year."

"The sheer numbers of sex offenders on the registries in all 50 states — an estimated 674,000 across the country — are overwhelming to local police departments and, at times, to the public, who may not easily distinguish between those who must register because they have repeatedly raped children and those convicted of nonviolent or less serious crimes, like exposing themselves in public."

FCC looks to block sex, violence from kids

"The Federal Communications Commission will open an inquiry to examine the various technologies to block children from watching programs with sex and violence, the agency's chief said on Monday."

"Parents must have access to control technologies that can appropriately limit their children's exposure to unsuitable material," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in releasing an agency report detailing the technologies available to parents."

"The report concluded that no single parental control technology works across all the media platforms, such as over-the-air, cable and satellite television; wireless services and the Internet."

Fla. Governor Picks Friend to Fill Senate Seat

"Bypassing better-known Republicans, Gov. Charlie Crist on Friday instead chose his friend and top political adviser, George LeMieux, to fill the Senate seat given up this month by Mel Martinez."

"Mr. Crist announced in May that rather than seek re-election, he would run for the Senate seat himself next year. Mr. LeMieux, 40, made it clear on Friday that he had no ambitions beyond the next 16 months, noting that “my time in Washington will be brief.”

"Mr. Crist chose Mr. LeMieux, who once worked as his chief of staff and managed his 2006 campaign, over a list of other contenders, including former members of Congress, a former United States attorney and one of the state legislators who led the battle to keep Terri Schiavo alive."

FTC bans robocalls

"The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday banned unsolicited, prerecorded, commercial telemarketing calls - better known as robocalls - just because they are annoying."

"American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. "Starting September 1, this bombardment of prerecorded pitches, senseless solicitations and malicious marketing will be illegal."

"Telemarketing firms that want to continue to use robocalls must first receive written permission from the person receiving the phone call. Under the previous rule, consumers had to "opt out" of robocalls by joining do-not-call lists."

"In the likely event they don't receive permission, telemarketers face fines up to $16,000 per call."

"The ban does contain some major exceptions. For example, prerecorded messages that aren't trying to sell something still will be permitted."

Jacksonville City Council panel cuts Veterans Day Parade, 18 other events

"To save $562,300, the panel agreed to eliminate funding for 19 of 26 special events planned for the next fiscal year."

"Money remains for only the biggest city-sponsored events - those drawing crowds of at least 50,000. That means the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and World of Nations Celebration, which had been initially on the chopping block as well, survive so far."

GDP declines 1 percent, better than expected

"The economy shrank at an annual rate of 1 percent in the spring, a better-than-expected showing and more evidence that the recession is drawing to a close"

"The 1 percent rate of decline in the April-June quarter followed decreases of 6.4 percent in the first quarter and 5.4 percent in the final three months of 2008, the sharpest back-to-back declines in a half-century. The four straight quarterly declines in GDP, which measures the country’s total output of goods and services, mark the first time that has occurred on government records that date to 1947."

Poll: 66% of workers lack proper savings

"Indeed, 34 percent of U.S. workers said they have less than a week’s worth of savings to cover living expenses if they were to be laid off from work, according to the survey from Maynard, Mass.-based Monster.com."

"Another 16 percent of respondents said they have between two and four weeks of savings and another 16 percent said they have between one to two months of savings."

"About 20 percent of the respondents said they have savings that would last them six months or longer, according to the poll."

Florida driver's license fee rising to $48 on Sept. 1

"The cost of renewing a license goes from $20 to $48. A first-time license will also cost $48, up from $27. Registering a car for the first time will be $225. Now, it's $100."

"Despite the unanimous objections of House Democrats, the Legislature approved these and other fee increases this year as part of an effort to balance the state's budget. Lawmakers raised the fees on 21 types of driver's licenses and raised the fees on 74 separate motor vehicle registration fees."

"The fee increases are expected to generate an extra $800 million in revenue in fiscal 2010, and $1 billion more in fiscal year 2011, Nucatola said. The department collects $1.5 billion in total revenue now and will collect $2.5 billion a year when the fee increases go through."

Obama approves interrogation unit

"Barack Obama, the US president, has approved the formation of a White House-supervised unit that will interrogate terrorism suspects, a senior aide has announced."

"The president ... did put in place a new group, the High Value Interrogation Group, which will be housed at the FBI," Bill Burton, the deputy White House spokesman, said on Monday."

"The interrogation unit, which will answer to the National Security Council, will adhere to guidelines on questioning terrorism suspects based on the US army field manual – a break with the policies of the Bush administration."

"The US Central Intelligence Agency will no longer handle the questioning of people suspected of planning or carrying out attacks, Burton confirmed."

Parents pay college costs amid recession: study

"More than half of U.S. parents use their current income to pay all or part of college costs for their children and are confident they can continue to support them amid the country's recession, a Gallup poll found."

"The poll, which was commissioned by student loan provider Sallie Mae and released on Wednesday, found 55 percent of the 800 parents surveyed paid on average $7,175 for the 2008-2009 academic year from their current income."

"Despite tough economic times, 67 percent of parents said they were confident in their ability to meet the cost of education, while 13 percent had little or no confidence."

"Parents paid 45 percent of the total costs of college in the 2008/09 academic year using income, savings and borrowing, similar to the previous year."

"The second largest source of college funding was scholarships and grants, covering 25 percent of total costs, while students contributed 24 percent, using a mix of income, savings and borrowing. A small amount came from sources such as relatives and friends."

Government Will End Clunker Program Early

"The government will end its popular “cash for clunkers” program on Monday, more than two months early, because it is already running out of money."

"The program, formally known as the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, gives consumers a credit of up to $4,500 toward the price of a new car or truck if they turn in an older vehicle with lower gas mileage. It has generated more than 457,000 sales since July 24, prompting G.M., the Ford Motor Company and other automakers to increase factory output and call back some idled workers."

“It has been successful beyond anybody’s imagination,” President Obama said on Thursday in a radio interview with the syndicated talk show host Michael Smerconish. “And we’re now slightly victims of success because the thing happened so quick, there was so much more demand than anybody expected, that dealers were overwhelmed with applications.”

"As of Thursday, the Transportation Department had repaid dealers just $145 million, or 7 percent of the $1.9 billion that they had requested, leaving many squeezed and prompting some to withdraw from the program early. The government is tripling the size of the work force assigned to handle the applications."

"In many cases, the administration says incomplete forms or errors in the information submitted by dealers are slowing the process. Workers have reviewed about 40 percent of the applications filed, and many have been rejected and then returned to the dealer for possible resubmission."

City Council Committee Nixes Buying Jaguars Tickets

"The perk enjoyed by the Mayor's Office and the City Council of having access to Jaguars football tickets at taxpayer expense could be history."

"The council's Finance Committee voted that the $43,000 expense is something taxpayers can no longer afford."

"In spirited debate, members voiced the pros and cons of the city no longer buying 40 tickets for the skybox at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium."

What Would an Anti-Federalist Say About Health Care Reform?

"It is natural for men, who wish to hasten the adoption of a measure, to tell us, now is the crisis - now is the critical moment which must be seized, or all will be lost: and to shut the door against free enquiry, whenever conscious the thing presented has defects in it, which time and investigation will probably discover. This has been the custom of tyrants and their dependants in all ages" - The Federal Farmer (8 October 1787).

Apply this quote, made by an Anti-Federalist in response to the brand new US Constitution, to the present health care reform process...

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Author: Steig Larsson.
Year: 2008.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: Mystery.

Review: A good suspenseful mystery novel. Well worth the long read.

Grade: B.

53 Duval teachers replaced at 'F' schools

"Fifty-three teachers from six Duval County "F" schools are being replaced with higher performing teachers to help the schools improve next school year."

"The replacement teachers were selected because they have a history of generating learning gains among their students and are part of the district's efforts to get the schools off the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test's F list."

"Most of the high school teachers being replaced were transferred to middle schools, with a handful going to other high schools. None were fired, Willis said, because they all had satisfactory evaluations but just weren't the best fit for their previous school."

"They might perform better in another school setting with fewer challenges or at another school level," she said. "Just because a teacher's student gains are below average does not mean the teacher should be dismissed."

States get tough on driving menaces

"States are trying to put the brakes on bad driving by targeting "super speeders," lane hogs and those guilty of multiple moving violations."

"Florida is leading the way with a new law that sends its worst drivers back to driving school. A driver found at fault in three crashes in three years will have to pass a driver education course and a driving test, just like novice drivers."

"These people have proven themselves to be chronically bad drivers. You have to try everything you can to change their behavior," says Electra Theodorides-Bustle, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The cost for additional training will be passed on to violators, she says."

"The moves come as a growing body of evidence suggests that aggressive driving — including speeding, tailgating, changing lanes without signaling, ignoring traffic signals and weaving in and out of traffic — is deadlier than drunken driving. An April study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that aggressive driving was a factor in 56% of all fatal U.S. crashes from 2003 through 2007."

"Florida's new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, is unlikely to eradicate bad driving in the Sunshine State: Highway safety officials have identified 3,200 people — out of about 15.5 million licensed drivers — who would currently fall under the new law."

DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show

"Scientists in Israel have demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate DNA evidence, undermining the credibility of what has been considered the gold standard of proof in criminal cases."

"The scientists fabricated blood and saliva samples containing DNA from a person other than the donor of the blood and saliva. They also showed that if they had access to a DNA profile in a database, they could construct a sample of DNA to match that profile without obtaining any tissue from that person."

“You can just engineer a crime scene,” said Dan Frumkin, lead author of the paper, which has been published online by the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics. “Any biology undergraduate could perform this.”

FL Population Drops for First Time Since 1946

"Florida's population has declined for the first time in 63 years, state researchers said Monday as they blamed the recession for plunging tax revenues and a steep drop in new residents."

"The decline -- 58,000 people over the past year -- is the first since large numbers of military personnel left the state in 1946 after World War II."

"There have been booms and busts over the time, but this is the first time it has declined," said Stan Smith, director of the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research."

"Florida's unemployment rate was 10.6 percent in June, the highest level since 1975. The state has lost 392,800 jobs during the past year, continuing a decline that began in 2007, the Agency for Workforce Innovation said."

Auto Dealers Paid for Just 2 Percent of 'Clunkers' Claims, Congressman Says

"The federal government has only reimbursed auto dealers for 2 percent of the claims they've submitted through the popular "cash for clunkers" program, a Pennsylvania congressman said, calling on the Obama administration to help speed up the process. "

"Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., called for "immediate action" to address the problem in a statement Sunday, after writing a letter to President Obama Saturday expressing his concerns. "

"In the letter, Sestak said only 2 percent of claims have been paid and that four of every five applications have been "rejected for minor oversight."

"In recent days, auto dealers across the country have been complaining that the reimbursement payments are slow to process. And they said some of their applications were being rejected because of apparent procedural issues. The statistics Sestak cited suggest those complaints are not based on isolated incidents. "

Why We Need Health Care Reform

"There are four main ways the reform we’re proposing will provide more stability and security to every American."

"First, if you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of high-quality, affordable coverage for yourself and your family — coverage that will stay with you whether you move, change your job or lose your job."

"Second, reform will finally bring skyrocketing health care costs under control, which will mean real savings for families, businesses and our government. We’ll cut hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and inefficiency in federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid and in unwarranted subsidies to insurance companies that do nothing to improve care and everything to improve their profits."

"Third, by making Medicare more efficient, we’ll be able to ensure that more tax dollars go directly to caring for seniors instead of enriching insurance companies. This will not only help provide today’s seniors with the benefits they’ve been promised; it will also ensure the long-term health of Medicare for tomorrow’s seniors. And our reforms will also reduce the amount our seniors pay for their prescription drugs."

"Lastly, reform will provide every American with some basic consumer protections that will finally hold insurance companies accountable. A 2007 national survey actually shows that insurance companies discriminated against more than 12 million Americans in the previous three years because they had a pre-existing illness or condition. The companies either refused to cover the person, refused to cover a specific illness or condition or charged a higher premium."

"We will put an end to these practices. Our reform will prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because of your medical history. Nor will they be allowed to drop your coverage if you get sick. They will not be able to water down your coverage when you need it most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime. And we will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses. No one in America should go broke because they get sick."

"Most important, we will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups, preventive care and screening tests like mammograms and colonoscopies. There’s no reason that we shouldn’t be catching diseases like breast cancer and prostate cancer on the front end. It makes sense, it saves lives and it can also save money."

"In the coming weeks, the cynics and the naysayers will continue to exploit fear and concerns for political gain. But for all the scare tactics out there, what’s truly scary — truly risky — is the prospect of doing nothing. If we maintain the status quo, we will continue to see 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance every day. Premiums will continue to skyrocket. Our deficit will continue to grow. And insurance companies will continue to profit by discriminating against sick people."

Book Review: The Brass Verdict

Title: The Brass Verdict.
Author: Michael Connelly.
Year: 2008.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Law.

Review: Pretty good Connelly book. Remember, he is my favorite mystery/crime author at the moment. A quick and entertaining read. It was not classic Connelly, however. I sure do miss Bosch...

Grade: B.

Book Review: In Defense of Food

Title: In Defense of Food.
Author: Michael Pollan.
Year: 2008.
Type: Non-Fiction.
Genre: Health.

Review: Why was this rated so well on Amazon (with 4 1/2 stars)? It was good but it basically said the same idea over and over again. Could have easily been an article in a newspaper or magazine. It was, however, worth the read - especially falling under 200 pages. Informative, although common sense material.

Grade: C+

Book Review: A Reliable Wife

Title: A Reliable Wife.
Author: Robert Goolrick.
Year: 2009.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: Drama.

Review: I only read about 100 pages until I had to finally realize how much time I just wasted on reading this boring book. It repeats words and sentences over and over again. It also reads like a soap opera - a genre of books (as well as movies/tv) that I am not a fan of. Definitely better out there...

Grade: D-

JEDC OKs incentives for Saft America

"The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission has approved a $20.2 million incentive package for Saft America Inc. to build a lithium ion battery plant at Cecil Commerce Center that will employ at least 279."

"The incentive package approved Aug. 13 includes $5.3 million worth of city incentives and $14.9 million worth of state incentives."

"Headquartered in Bagnolet, France, Saft manufactures batteries for military vehicles, aviation, smart grid support, broadband back-up power and renewable energy storage. The company employs about 4,000 worldwide."

"The city’s portion of the incentive package includes a $3.3 million Recaptured Enhanced Value Grant; a total of $1 million from the Countywide Economic Development Fund divided into $700,000 for site development and $300,000 for job creation; $550,000 for a five-year public service tax exemption; and the remaining funds for being a qualified targeted industry, a brownfield bonus and an enterprise zone bonus."

"The city is investing a little more than $19,000 per job, higher than its typical range of between $600 and $12,000, but JEDC Business Development Chief Lindsey Ballas said the additional funding is necessary for this project because of the competition from other cities and because it will help develop Cecil Field."

"Although some of the 279 jobs to be filled by the end of 2016 will be filled by employees transferred from other plants, most will be hired locally, Alcide said. The jobs will have an average annual wage of $44,807 plus a $17,000 benefits package and, company executives said, more jobs will likely be created. Alcide said the company is already actively recruiting in Jacksonville."

Seven Falsehoods About Health Care

From Newsweek:

"In this article we offer a run-down of seven falsehoods we've taken on recently, with some additional updating and research thrown in."

"False: Government Will Decide What Care I Get (a.k.a. they won't give grandma a hip replacement)

False: The Bill Is Paid For

False: Private Insurance Will Be Illegal

False: The House Bill Requires Suicide Counseling

False: Families Will Save $2,500

False: Medicare Benefits Will Be Slashed

False: Illegal Immigrants Will Be Covered "

U.S. food companies seek easier sugar quotas

This proves that we do not have a truly free market in the United States:

"Large U.S. food companies have been pushing the Obama administration to ease sugar import curbs, citing forecasts for unprecedented sugar shortages that could result in higher retail prices and possible job losses."

Bankruptcy filings surge in first-half 2009

"U.S. bankruptcy filings rose 38 percent in April-June from a year ago, according to court data released Thursday, as consumers and business were hit by rising unemployment and a lack of credit."

"Overall, 381,073 bankruptcies were filed in the second quarter, up 15 percent from the first three months of the year and up 38 percent from a year ago, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts."

"More than 16,000 businesses filed for bankruptcy in the quarter, the highest in the three-month period since 1993, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute."

Sales up, prices down for Jacksonville homes

"Existing single family and condominium sales continued to rebound in Jacksonville during the second quarter, climbing 7 percent and 12 percent, respectively, according to the Florida Association of Realtors."

"Median home prices were down 16 percent in Jacksonville, from $191,700 to $160,300. Condo prices were down from $159,700 to $124,900."

"Statewide home sales were up 23 percent to 43,125 and the median price was down 29 percent to $143,600. Statewide condo sales were up 29 percent to 14,742 and the median sales price was down 38 percent to $111,100."

Health Care Research

This link goes to a blog post which has links for all the current health reform bills proposed in Congress.

Nuclear Plant Given Green Light

"The Governor and state cabinet have approved plans to build the first nuclear power plant in Florida since 1976."

"Progress Energy will own the plant and says it will help Florida skirt a future energy shortage and reduce coal use."

Book Review: Falling Through the Earth

Title: Falling Through the Earth.
Author: Danielle Trussoni.
Year: 2006.
Type: Non-Fiction.
Genre: Memoir.

Review: This was pretty good autobiography about a girl and her father (a crazy Vietnam vet). It was written very well, mixing both the present and the past together in an interesting way. Worth the read, though not a new story or anything special.

Grade: B-

Book Review: Born Standing Up

Title: Born Standing Up.
Author: Steve Martin.
Year: 2007.
Type: Non-Fiction.
Genre: Autobiography.

Review: I really don't understand why it has 4 1/2 stars on Amazon for this book. Maybe you just have to been around when Martin was most famous. I really don't understand his type of humor which makes it even worse. It was a short read, however, I was able to read it in an hour or so.

Grade: D+

Book Review: Dragon Sim 13

Title: Dragon Sim 13.
Author: Bob Mayer.
Year: 1992.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: War, Action.

Review: A decent special operations type of novel. It started a bit slow and picked up a little in the middle. It reminded me of a Stephen Coonts novel.

Grade: C+

Facts about Health Care Reform (by the White House)

The above link contains "facts" regarding health care reform as seen by President Obama.

I have a few questions/comments in regards to this website:

1) Who pays for this, as well as all the other .gov websites, that the President has set up in the past few months? The costs of servers and maintenance must be substantial.

2) What is considered a "fact"? For example, how can the government promise, by claiming it as fact, that the new reform will not lead to "rationing"? How do they know what will happen in the future?

3) Regarding the President's numerous townhall meetings: Once again, who pays for this? Why are we paying a President (mind you I just started paying attention to politics thus I have little to say in regards to President Bush) to travel around the United States to push his agenda? I just do not understand this...

Survey Finds High Fees Common in Medical Care

"A patient in Illinois was charged $12,712 for cataract surgery. Medicare pays $675 for the same procedure. In California, a patient was charged $20,120 for a knee operation that Medicare pays $584 for. And a New Jersey patient was charged $72,000 for a spinal fusion procedure that Medicare covers for $1,629."

"The group said it had used Medicare payments for comparison because Medicare was so familiar and payments are, on average, about 80 percent of what private insurers pay."

Councilwoman Says $11-Million Wasted On Bureaucracy

"Jacksonville City Councilman Glorious Johnson says people are calling her home, and calling her cell phone, saying they can't keep up with city taxes and fees anymore."

"Now, Johnson wants to completely dismantle the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. Saying taxpayers spend about $11 million a year on the J.E.D.C., Johnson claims their function could be better handled by other agencies."

"I would like to utilize services of the (Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce) and the Planning Department, when it comes to bringing businesses and jobs to the community," said Johnson."

"Johnson said she has wanted to go after the J.E.D.C since 2003. But this budget year is special, and Johnson said eliminating the Commission would go a long way towards preserving essential services like police and fire. "We don't need another bureaucracy," said Johnson."

Changes Coming to School Bus Routes

"There are fewer bus stops, and more children will be walking to school as Duval County is implementing some major changes in bus transportation."

"On Tuesday, the district's call center began fielding questions from parents about bus routes and bus stops."

"This year the major change is the elimination of bus stops. Now transportation is provided only if a child lives more than two miles from their school. In the past, the district's cutoff was 1.5 miles."

"The district says the elimination of some bus stops this year will impact about 7,000 children. Transportation changes are expected to save taxpayers $5 million a year."

What is the status of the U.S. nuclear industry?

"There are currently 104 commercial nuclear reactors at 65 nuclear power plants in 31 States. Since 1990, the share of the Nation’s total electricity supply provided by nuclear power generation has averaged about 20%, with the level of nuclear generation growing at roughly the same rate as overall electricity use. Between 1985 and 1996, 34 new reactors were placed in service. In addition, nuclear generation has increased as a result of higher utilization of existing capacity and from technical modifications to increase nuclear plant capacity (expressed in megawatts)."

"In 2008, the nuclear share of electricity generation at 20% nearly matched the natural gas share at 21%."

"Nuclear power generation itself does not contribute to airborne emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas, although related activities such as the production of nuclear fuel for reactors do result in CO2 emissions. "

"By the end of February 2009, the NRC had received applications for a total of 26 newly designed reactors. It is uncertain how many of these reactors will eventually be built, but the NRC estimates 42 months to complete the review of all the applications prior to a final decision."

'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care debate

"These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades."

"Health care is complex. It touches every American life. It drives our economy. People must be allowed to learn the facts."

"The first fact is that health insurance reform will mean more patient choice. It will allow every American who likes his or her current plan to keep it. And it will free doctors and patients to make the health decisions that make the most sense, not the most profits for insurance companies."

"Reform will mean stability and peace of mind for the middle class. Never again will medical bills drive Americans into bankruptcy; never again will Americans be in danger of losing coverage if they lose their jobs or if they become sick; never again will insurance companies be allowed to deny patients coverage because of pre-existing conditions."

Book Review: The Chris Farley Show

Title: The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts.
Author: Tom Farley Jr.
Year: 2008.
Genre: Biography, Comedy.

Review: This was an excellent biography of a very funny man. I especially liked the way the story was told - by his many friends. If you enjoy Tommy Boy or Farley SNL skits, I would recommend reading this quick read.

Grade: B

Banks make $38bn from overdraft fees

"US banks stand to collect a record $38.5bn in fees for customer overdrafts this year, with the bulk of the revenue coming from the most financially stretched consumers amid the deepest recession since the 1930s, according to research. The fees are nearly double those reported in 2000."

"The median bank overdraft fee has this year rose from $25 to $26, according to Moebs, the first time it has gone up in a recession for more than 40 years."

Fla. inmates make, sell own hot sauce

"A group of Tampa inmates is offering a taste of what it's like jail - no locks, bars or handcuffs required. But you'd better have an tough stomach to use more than a dash of their "Jailhouse Fire Hot Sauce."

"Minimum-security Hillsborough County Jail inmates offer it in "Original," "Smoke" and "No Escape" varieties, all made from their jail-grown peppers."

"They came up with the recipe and started selling it in 2005. Since then, horticulture instructor Allen Boatman estimates they've made $10,000 on the sauce. Each bottle is $7. The income is used to keep up the greenhouse and buy basic supplies."

Book Review: Little Bee

Title: Little Bee: A Novel
Author: Chris Cleave
Year: 2008
Genre: Drama

Review: Very interesting novel. Bit of insight into the horrible institution of immigration (specifically deportation, etc.). I enjoyed how it was told from two different viewpoints. Very good book, though the ending was a bit of a disappointment (it just ended without a really good conclusion).

Grade: B

Note: Anything higher than a C+ is recommended reading.

Book Review: The Whole Truth

Title: The Whole Truth
Author: David Baldacci
Year: 2008
Genre: Spy Thriller, Action

Review: I used to like this guy but he is turning into another James Patterson. It is a quick read, however, though I still would not recommend it. Would this stuff really happen? And would it always end so perfectly?

Grade: C-

Book Review: When You Are Engulfed in Flames

Title: When You Are Engulfed in Flames
Author: David Sedaris
Year: 2008
Genre: Drama, Comedy

Review: Started out a little slow but it eventually became highly addicting near the end. The best short story was in regards to quitting smoking in Tokyo. Lots of chuckles. I still really do not understand the point of the story though.

Grade: B+

Teens Taking Opioids to Relax, Get High

"American teens are using prescription opioids -- such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, and codeine -- without a doctor's orders at an alarmingly high rate. And they are more likely to use the drugs to relieve stress or get high rather than for pain relief."

"Those findings come from a new study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, that is based on questionnaires filled out by high school students in the spring of their senior year. A total of 12,441 students from more than 100 private and public high schools participated between 2002 and 2006."

"More than one in 10 high school seniors (12.3%) reported ever having taken prescription opioids for a nonmedical reason. That included 8% who reported having done so within the past year."

Obama sends stimulus aid to foreign firms

"Nearly half of the $2.4 billion in federal grant money awarded Wednesday to stimulate the U.S. economy and boost the production of hybrid and electric vehicles went to six companies with ties to places as far away as Russia, China, South Korea and France."

"President Obama announced the grants during a visit to Indiana and said the funds would create domestic jobs and instigate more "green" manufacturing in the United States. But because so few American companies have the necessary technology, much of the money will initially go toward manufacturing electric vehicle batteries overseas."

"Three grants went to General Motors Corp., one for $105.9 million to help produce high-volume battery packs for the GM Volt automobile. But cells for the packs will be built in South Korea and by "other cell providers to be named."

"Of the grants awarded for 48 projects, the lion's share -- $1.07 billion -- went to the six companies with foreign ties and are meant to produce advanced battery and electric drive projects."

High Flying Congress

"Congress is poised to spend $200 million to buy the Air Force three of the highest performing passenger jets in the world, including two planes that will be used for members of Congress and other government VIPs."

Antidepressant Use Nearly Doubles

''Ten percent of the population is being treated with an antidepressant during the course of a year," he says. That compares to 5.8% in 1996, he found."

"The rate of antidepressant treatment increased from 5.84% to 10.12 % -- or from 13 million people to about 27 million, the researchers found."

"One exception to the trend involved African-Americans. "African-Americans really did stand out as one group that didn't experience a significant increase in antidepressant use," Olfson says. In 1996, 3.6% of African-Americans surveyed were on antidepressants and 4.5% in 2005."

"Major depression is more common. Two surveys found the prevalence of major depression in adults rose from 3.3% in 1991-1992 to 7.1% in 2001-2002."

AP ENTERPRISE: Federal tax revenues plummeting

"The numbers could hardly be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion."

"Other figures in an Associated Press analysis underscore the recession's impact: Individual income tax receipts are down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent. Social Security tax receipts could drop for only the second time since 1940, and Medicare taxes are on pace to drop for only the third time ever."

Council Sets up Email Suggestion Box for Budget Ideas

"The general public and the business community have been tightening their belts and squeezing down expenses for more than a year now," said Council President Richard Clark, "and perhaps now they can help us with ideas and strategies that have work for them that might be applied to the City budget as well."

"The e-mailbox will be open starting Monday, August 3."

Book Review: The Soloist

Title: The Soloist.
Author: Steve Lopez.
Year: 2008
Genre: Memoir, Drama.

Review: I don't really understand what the big hype is for this book. Maybe you have to be from LA or something. It was a quick read though, which is always good for me. I would not recommend it, however.

Grade: C

U.S. to suspend auto "clunkers" program

"The Obama administration will suspend a $1 billion program intended to spur U.S. auto sales after it approached its funding limit after only a few days, government and industry sources said."

"The program was expected to run through September 30 but the sources said the administration would suspend it within the next day."

"The government estimated 250,000 auto sales if the full rebate was granted. It is unclear how many vehicles have been sold under the program. The government formally launched the program on July 24."

Mortgage Co. Face New Pressure on Homeowner Help

"Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a statement following the meetings that 200,000 loan modifications are already underway."

Mayor Peyton Vetoes City Council Tax Vote

"The Mayor vetoed City Council's amendment to keep the millage rate at 8.45."

"City Council could override the Mayor's veto with 13 votes, but Clark believes it will be difficult to bring everyone together for a meeting before August 4, the deadline for the property appraiser to hand out tax notices to property owners."

Sheriff Looks for More Revenue to Keep Up Fight Against Violent Crime

"Mayor Peyton's budget proposal includes a $27 million budget increase for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office this coming fiscal year."

"The Sheriff's Office expects to cut $9 million from next year's budget, primarily by cutting overtime."

"Another $18 million will go straight to the pension fund, off-setting the additional money needed in the fund with new officer hires. "

"City crews perform maintenance on JSO vehicles and receive a mark-up for administrative costs. That means in addition to labor and parts costs, JSO pays the City $600,000 in mark-ups on tire repair alone."

"JSO also pays the City 22 cents for every gallon of gas. On average, Rutherford says police vehicles burn 7,000 gallons of gas a day."

Fla. spends less than national average per student

"Florida’s public schools spent $8,515 per student in 2007, the latest year for which figures are available, according to a report issued Monday morning by the U.S. Census Bureau."

"That’s $1,151 below the U.S. average of $9,666, and nearly half of what New York’s public schools spent."

Study: Obesity accounts for 9.1% of medical spending

"Spending on conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes, has doubled in the last decade, as obesity rates grew 37 percent between 1998 and 2006, according to a study published Monday."

"Obesity now accounts for 9.1 percent of all medical spending, up from 6.5 percent in 1998."

"The report found that per-capita medical spending for obese people was 42 percent – or $1,429 – higher per year than for someone of normal weight."

Sheriff Urges Residents to Support Tax Hike

"In his budget presentation, Sheriff Rutherford says, "We have had the highest murder rate in the state for 10 consecutive years." The sheriff issued a letter to "concerned citizens" of Jacksonville."

"Rutherford says funding for public safety in Jacksonville is the lowest among major cities. He says now is not the time to stop progress on the war against violent crime."

"The sheriff attached a list of council members, urging people to call them in support of the millage rate increase."

10 years later, Florida's FCAT, school grade reforms get mixed grades

"Back in the 1990s, Florida had a reputation -- deserved or not -- for graduating too many kids who couldn't read or write. Then-Gov. Jeb Bush, who saw himself as an education innovator, hit on a grand plan to make schools accountable."

"He called it the A+ Plan for Education. It morphed into the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and took on newfound importance: Schools would be assigned a letter grade, A through F, based on exam scores."

"A decade later, the FCAT and school grades -- along with a host of other changes -- have placed Florida front and center in the educational reform movement."

"Since Florida began grading schools in 1999, the percentage of schools receiving A's and B's has more than tripled from 21 percent to 79 percent. The proportion of D and F schools dropped from 28 percent to 7 percent. The improvement came even as the state continually raised the standards on which the grades would be based, affording the schools little time or resources to adapt."

"Critics say improved school grades show only that students are getting better at the FCAT, not that they are necessarily learning more. But students have also improved their scores on other standardized tests they don't prepare for."

"One of them -- the National Assessment of Educational Progress, billed as ``the nation's report card'' -- showed 70 percent of Florida fourth-graders reading at grade level in 2007, compared with 53 percent in 1998."

"Those results lifted Florida's national ranking. In 1998, Florida placed 35th on the fourth-grade reading test. The state ranked 22nd in the same category in 2007, though the results have been less stellar in math and in eighth grade."

Administration Takes Aim at State Laws on Teachers

"The Obama administration took aim on Thursday at state laws — adopted after heavy teachers’ union lobbying — barring the use of student achievement data to evaluate teacher performance."

"The federal Department of Education proposed rules to prevent states with such laws from getting money from a $4.3 billion-educational innovation fund."

"Proposed rules for the $4.3 billion Race to the Top competition say that states must show they are carrying out education innovation and reform, improving student achievement, adopting higher standards, recruiting effective teachers and principals, building educational data systems, and turning around low-performing schools."

"To be eligible to apply for money, a “state must not have any legal, statutory or regulatory barriers to linking data on student achievement or student growth to teachers and principals for the purpose of teacher and principal evaluation,” according to a summary of the proposed rules."