Can America Afford Free Health Care?
October 20, 2011 | 
Author
Many folks in the United States want the government to provide health care universally to all citizens and they expect the World Organizations to do this for the third world nations as well. Unfortunately, this is a huge cost and probably currently out of the realm of reality.
Can America Afford Free Health Care? We just cannot afford the costs of Universal Health Care at the present rate or current costs. So the costs have to come down first, we must deal with the other issues too such a Social Security.
The 2042 drop dead date of the on-paper bankruptcy of Social Security also looms and in essence it is bankrupt now and needs increased pay-ins to keep it going, as the first baby boomers have already started to retire.
Yanklevich and other thinking demographers along with the warnings of the last two Fed Chairmen and the current one, warn of this. Population Expansion as a factor of GDP equations are highly predictable at least based on theory. There might be a solution to this and if there is we had better find it.
Looking at Japan, negative growth, an aging Europe and the influx of immigrants that demand services, do not speak the language, we may have a problem with a social revolution of haves and have nots; France Riots, a foreshadowing of things to come?
Well? The EU has problems too. The US comes next as our average population grows, retires and is not providing productivity or paying in but rather soaking up services for longer, due to their longer life expectancies.
This is an issue that must be addressed and we need a national discussion now. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.
Posted in 
Tags: 
How to Check the Reliability of Online Shops
Online shops, including those hosted on Blogger and LiveJournals, are springing up like flowers after the spring rain, thanks to the widespread availability of the internet. Off-line shops have also found it de rigeur to have an online presence. While the internet opens up to shoppers a wonderful array of choice and styles at our fingertips, there are also cases whereby shoppers are cheated by scam websites.
Here are 10 tips to help you establish the reliability of online shops that you are not familiar with:
#1. Do not be anxious to purchase from the online store if you are not sure if it is safe. Observe its online activities for a while. Does the store update new items regularly? For fast paced consumer goods like ladies fashion, the updates are usually made weekly, if not every few days. If the shop has no updates for months on end, then, probably nobody is manning it.
#2. Sign Up to be on the store’s mailing list. A legitimate store will want to garner potential customers to be on their mailing list. After signing up for the shop’s mailing list, you should receive updates from the store. If all seems quiet, then I may have some question marks on the store.
#3. A good way to check if the store is ‘legitimate’ is to send an email to the customer service to test their response. Did you receive any reply from the store? Was the reply prompt or did it take, say 2 weeks to get to you? A prompt response of between 1 to 3 days (maximum) is usually the expected response time.
#4. Another good way to reduce the risks of online clothes shopping is to purchase from shops with positive feedback. Testimonials are a way of finding out if the customers are generally happy with their purchase. Usually the stores will publish the testimonials online.
#5. Google the name of the shop and see if the store is discussed by forums and websites / blogs. Such discussions may be helpful in finding out if there are any complaints and problems the store may have.
#6. Check for reviews and ratings of the shop. Some online shops are reviewed by online shopping directories, which is likely to show up when you Google for the shop (see Tip#5). Follow the links of these online directories that the store is listed on to see if there are any reviews made.
#7. Look at the merchandise of the store. Are there sufficient details provided to help you make an informed selection? Serious stores should provide the necessary information to help their customers select their merchandise. For example, does a fashion store provide specific measurements of the clothes made? Are there efforts taken to ensure that the shopper knows what he/she is getting?
#8. Read the payment details.What kind of payment methods are available? Does the shop accept PayPal or even better, are they PayPal Verified? PayPal Verified means that PayPal has conducted a verification process on the reliability of the PayPal account that you are paying to. If you are not sure about the store, avoid paying via direct wire transfer. Paying via a secured means like PayPal allows you the opportunity to dispute the charges if indeed there were problems with your purchase.
#9. Does the shop venture beyond its online shopfront to the social networking sites like Facebook? Social networking sites are another means of garnering customers, so legitimate shops would want to be part of it. With the many ‘Friends’ of the shops out there, it is hard for an online store to be of dubious standard.
#10. Last, but not the least, check if the shop is registered with any local authorities. For example, in Singapore, stores are required to be registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and as a consumer, you can request for the details of the shop from the ACRA.
Armed with these tips, it shouldn’t be difficult to choose the reliable stores from which to purchase. Just be alert to the above, and you’ll enjoy a safe online shopping experience!
Online Shopping Made Easy: Things to Consider in Buying Clothes
Technology gave way to hassle-free transactions like online banking, payment of bills, and of course, shopping, which every girl loves to do. Thanks to the internet because it made shopping a whole lot easier. Now we can buy everything we want with just one click and not having to worry about destroying our sexy heels while walking over the entire shopping mall, exhausting ourselves fitting every clothes we see, and getting disappointed for not being able to get the item that we want because it’s either our size is out of stock or another customer picked out the item. Now, most stores online are interactive where you can see a certain garment in different colors just by clicking the color palette and the virtual model that will show you how the garment fits.
But what are the things to consider in buying clothes? As a frequent shopper, I listed two of the most important things to be considered in purchasing clothes. First is quality. As shoppers, we don’t want to burn our fingers with pricey clothe and we usually seek for cheap ones. Though we can find cheap clothes all over the internet, we can never tell which of them have a good quality. It is very disappointing to see that the quality of clothes you bought is not worthy of its price. This could happen when you buy very cheap clothes from different wholesalers. There could be two reasons why a certain item will have a cheap price:
1) the material used is not that good or
2) the labor cost is very low.
I suggest that you go for an item that has reasonable price with a good quality rather than buying something at a very low price with poor quality. You’re not saving money by buying poor quality clothes. You’re actually wasting it. Good quality items can last for years but poor ones can last a few months, or even a few weeks. Remember, quality always comes with a price.
Second is color and prints. Color makes the world beautiful. Without it, everything would be so dull. People are fascinated with different hues that reflect distinct feelings or moods. Clothes are made even more beautiful and in style because of different colors. They even reveal your personality. Some clothes look good on you because of their color. Different colors and color combination can flatter your figure, make your complexion look healthy and smooth, and highlight your best feature.
Prints may come in different forms. Lines are one of these forms. Lines tell the dimensions of length and width. They can create shapes and forms when they combine and enclose spaces. If used in clothes, it can create visual impressions. When you wear clothes with lines, you can look taller, shorter, thinner, and wider. They even create optical illusions by making your hips look smaller or larger, shoulders look broader or narrower, and waists look thicker or thinner. Here are some useful guides in picking what color of clothes to wear:
1) Wearing white and light colors can lighten your skin.
2) Wearing dark and contrasting colors will make you look small.
3) Wearing warm and monochromatic colors will make you look taller.
4) Wearing clothes with vertical lines will make you look smaller and thinner.
5) Clothes with horizontal lines make you look shorter and wider.
6) Clothes with diagonal lines make you tall or short depending on their length and angle.
7) Animal print makes you look sexy.
Floral design clothes make you look so girly.
So it actually depends on your mood or how you want to wear it. It’s actually not about the style of clothes you wear, the price, or if it’s designer made, but for as long as you’re comfortable with it and you feel the best of yourself, then any outfit will look perfectly fine in you. It’s how you carry yourself that matters.