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I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I burp – a lot. Why do I burp more than other people? And what can I do to stop it?
My patients frequently complain about burping. Of course, everybody burps, and with good reason. Belching is a protective mechanism. It prevents the stomach from overinflating. So you need to be able to burp. But if it happens more than you think it should, and it's clearly making you uncomfortable, that's a problem.
Every time you swallow, you take in some air. Some of it travels down the esophagus, the swallowing tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. The swallowed air winds up in the upper part of the stomach.
When the stomach starts to stretch, it sends out signals to the bottom of your esophagus to open a bit. This allows air that has built up in the stomach to escape – right back up where it came from. And, voila, you belch.
There's no strict definition for how much burping is too much. But it sounds as if you think you're burping too much. So let's look at some common causes of belching and changes you can make.
- You're swallowing a lot of air. Some people get into a pattern of repeatedly swallowing air and quickly belching it out again. Speech therapists can teach you how to break the habit of swallowing excess air.
- You're consuming burp-generating beverages. Carbonated beverages — beer, soda and seltzer — bring a great deal of extra air into the stomach. Gulping them down or drinking them through a straw just worsens the problem. I tell my patients: Get rid of the straw. Just taking that step solves the problem for some.
- You're chewing gum or sucking on hard candy. You may be swallowing air without even realizing it. Some sugarless gums or candies cause belching because low-calorie sweeteners can be difficult to digest. I know that dedicated gum chewers and candy suckers can find it hard to stop. One of my gum-chewing patients told me it was as hard to stop as stopping smoking. (Don't get me wrong: There's nothing harmful about chewing gum, and there is plenty harmful about smoking. And chewing gum isn't truly addictive, whereas smoking surely is.)
If you're engaging in any of these behaviors, try stopping them to see if that helps. Also, if you're a fast eater, slow down. Fast eaters swallow more air.
We have a lot more information on belching and too much gas in our Special Health Report, "The Sensitive Gut." You can find out more about it at my website.
When it comes to belching, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By the time you get the urge to burp, there is relatively little you can do about it. But if you try to change the behaviors outlined above, you may solve the problem.


text:
Tracking Background PRocess
I have a script running for the last 3 days continously.It is running on the Background.
#fg %1 is a command which tend to bring it in fore-ground.
Now I want to write the output to a file without stopping the process.
All I know is Process ID but finding difficulty in printing it in file.
Pls Help
If the process in question produces output to stdout (shows on screen while running in foreground), then use the tee command to also write to a file.
fg %1 | tee filename
That will allow on-screen output as well as write to the filename.
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:30 AM.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Art of Tom BagshawJuly 22, 2013
View Gallery
Based in Bath, England, Tom Bagshaw works as a fine artist and illustrator, attracting clients in fashion, advertising, editorial, and publishing that include Saatchi & Saatchi, Sony, the BBC, GQ, and Random House. In his personal work he has developed a highly stylized form of digital painting through which he explores themes of fantasy, beauty, and mysticism. While his work deals with imaginative content, it also aims for a strong level of realism in its presentation. Feminine beauty and portraiture play a large role in his work, but the women he depicts are never frail, but rather strong, intriguing characters with an air of mystery to them.


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Leslie R. "Les" Swan, 90, Maplewood, formerly of Forest Lake, died Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. He was a World War II veteran, former teacher in the Forest Lake school district and a co-founder of the Stripe Drive-In.
Interment was at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012. Interment was preceded by a short prayer service.
He is survived by his daughter, Lisa and son-in-law, Tom Jackson; brother-in-law Robert (Beverly) Hanson; nieces, nephews and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Rosie, who passed away six months ago.
Memorials are preferred to Catholic Charities or to Gillette Children's Hospital.


text:
Editor's note: The following is a recap of the week's news events, in the words of the newsmakers.
"This has cost me hundreds of hours. I've lost sleep, and my business is going down. A lot is happening to me as far as chest pains and all that."
Phil Abts, urging his fellow Port Richey City Council members to pay the $36,319 legal bill he incurred fighting an ethics complaint. The council declined to pick up the tab.
"I'm sure there will be a vigorous debate."
County Commissioner Pat Mulieri, on Sportsplex USA recommending a site in Trinity for the new multi-sports complex.
"If someone is shopping for a Rolex, they don't want a crowd around them all here for free jewelry cleaner."
David Hevia, owner of Kiefer Village Jewels, on the lack of Black Friday door busters and gimmicks among the downtown Dade City merchants.
"The contract reflects the economic time that we're in. I would have certainly wished we would have been able to do more for our dedicated employees."
Pasco schools superintendent Heather Fiorentino, on the agreement with the union that provides a one-time bonus for employees but no raises for the second straight year.
"These drugs just happen to be the fuel that drives our crime."
Pasco Sheriff Bob White, on a street-drug sweep that netted 63 suspects. About 80 percent of the cases involve the illegal use or sale of prescription drugs.
"It still turned out all right."
Elizabeth Smith, a Hudson woman who finished preparing the Thanksgiving feast after a family brawl landed her mother-in-law and father-in-law in jail.
"I'm real hungry."
Bonnie Dunlap, a homeless woman who was pushed 3 miles in a wheelchair for the Thanksgiving feast hosted Wednesday by the Calvary Chapel Worship Center's youth group. More than 50 people ate at the dinner, and more than 100 to-go boxes went out to needy people in the community.
"It's our last hurrah. It's sad that this is our last Black Friday. It's bittersweet."
Mike Peters, manager of the Port Richey Target, which is one of four stores nationwide slated to close Jan. 30.
"It's our last hurrah. It's sad that this is our last Black Friday. It's bittersweet."
Mike Peters, manager of the Port Richey Target, which is one of four stores nationwide slated to close Jan. 30.


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Just How Secretive Was the Bush Administration?News at Home
1. President Bush's Military Order of November 13, 2001, which authorized military commissions (which were later invalidated by the Supreme Court), was kept secret from National Security Adviser Rice and Secretary of State Powell until the president had signed it.
2. President Bush ordered the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance of Americans without warrants, in spite of the clear language of the law that warrants were required. Even the legal memorandum justifying the program was kept secret from Congress and from NSA lawyers.
3. President Bush's memorandum pursuant to the Military Commissions Act (MCA), reinterpreting Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions to allow harsh interrogation techniques, was kept secret from the public and Congress.
Most people understand that it is necessary for the government to keep some secrets. For instance, troop movements that would warn the enemy should they become known are legitimate secrets. Likewise, covert operations by the CIA must also remain secret. Some secrets (and even lies) are justified when pursuing some public policies; for instance, plans for President Carter's aborted attempt to rescue the hostages in Iran should certainly have been kept secret. The policy of the United States to rescue U.S. citizens imprisoned in foreign countries is understood, and covert actions taken to pursue that policy are legitimate. In contrast, the Reagan administration's attempt to trade arms to Iran for release of hostages, directly abrogated declared U.S. policy (it also arguably violated the law).
In general, citizens, and particularly members of Congress, should know what the policies of the United States government are. The fundamental premise of representative democracy is that citizens know about governmental policies and thus can make informed decisions when voting. The most important way of establishing governmental policy is the passing of laws. Citizens and the legislators representing them have a right to presume that the executive branch is obeying the law.
But in establishing the Terrorist Surveillance Program, President Bush asserted that he was not bound by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) which required warrants before NSA could conduct surveillance in the United States. Given the administration's justification for NSA's illegal surveillance, there may be other, secret programs that are being conducted of which neither Congress nor the American public are aware.
When President Bush's military commissions order was invalidated by the Supreme Court because it did not comply with U.S. law, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act (MCA) which gave legal sanction to the commissions that President Bush had tried to create under his own executive authority. In that law Congress authorized the president to reinterpret Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. Common Article 3 provides that detained persons be treated "humanely," and it prohibits "violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation , cruel treatment and torture," and "outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment. . . ."
Compliance with Common Article 3 had not previously been a problem in U.S. policy, but President Bush suspended the Geneva Conventions in February 2002. This suspension led, eventually, to the many instances of abuse and torture. The Supreme Court, in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, ruled that the president was legally bound by the Geneva Conventions. Thus President Bush needed legal justification for the types of harsh interrogations of detainees that he was authorizing, and the MCA gave him that authority.
The MCA forbade torture in its most egregious forms, but it allowed the president to issue rules specifying which techniques of "enhanced interrogation" the CIA would be allowed to use on those suspected of terrorism. Congressional critics of the Bush administration argued that, for instance, waterboarding constituted torture; but the administration refused to rule out waterboarding or reveal what techniques were authorized by the president. In this case, Congress was voting for a bill (the MCA) authorizing the president to determine an important policy -- which harsh interrogation techniques could be used by U.S. personnel -- without knowing what they were voting for.
The disturbing aspect of these secret interpretations of laws is that the Bush administration interpreted the law according to its own legal standards. Those standards gave the president, as commander in chief, virtually unlimited authority in dealing with any national security matter. The legal memoranda of the Office of Legal Counsel also argued that any congressional enactment (law) that constrained the president in his treatment of detainees would be unconstitutional.
According to the arguments of the Bush administration, signing statements give president Bush the authority to decide unilaterally which parts of laws to execute and which to ignore. Although there have not been blatant, public refusals of the administration to execute the law, there may very well be policies implemented subsequent to presidential signing statements about which we do not know.
In the case of the MCA interrogation policies and signing statements, it is impossible for members of Congress to know what the law, in operation, would be. Thus they were expected to vote on laws, the consequences of which have not been revealed to them. Such situations undercut the very ideas of the rule of law and representative democracy.
This pattern of executive actions has the effect of robbing the legislative branch of its most important power: the power to make law. If presidents can now exercise law-making authority by secret and novel interpretations or by selectively ignoring laws, they usurp the most important power of the first branch of government. Such a course of action seriously threatens the separation of powers system, because it places into the hands of the executive, in effect the power to make as well as execute, the law - the very type of governance the founders said led to tyranny.
Even though George W. Bush will not be president after January 20, 2009, he has set dangerous precedents that future presidents can rely on to abuse their executive power. Chief executives, regardless of party, seek power, as the Framers of the Constitution predicted. The Framers carefully crafted a Constitution that is designed to hem in aggrandizing executives through the self interest of members of the other two branches. Despite several promising decisions by the Supreme Court, neither branch has forcefully asserted its own constitutional prerogatives against the executive. If they do not do so, future presidents will be able to use the troubling precedents set by President Bush for their own purposes.
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Arnold Shcherban - 9/25/2008
That's about all "arguments" one can get from America's-always-right apologets.
David M Ward - 9/25/2008
No it wasn't you silly Billy.
Michael Hattem - 9/24/2008
Just where is John Marshall when we really need him? The reluctance or inability of the legislative branch to assert its authority will lead our Congress to the same state of irrelevance experienced by the Roman Senate as the Triumverate maneuvered for control of Rome.
Michael Hattem - 9/24/2008
A very solidly argued piece. The fact is we may not know alot of things that the President has done for many years, if at all. In the way that Bush has set precedents concerning executive autonomy (which the founders would read as tyranny), he may go down in history as America's Marius. Bush obviously wasn't Caesar but he has put in place the "tools" which "our Caesar" may use. To be honest, I shudder when I contemplate the possible America my children may face in their adult lives.
Arnold Shcherban - 9/24/2008
The act of aggression against Iraq (and it was clearly aggression according to all international laws with definition of aggression that hold the US governments signature, even if Iraq did have WMDs.)
James W Loewen - 9/22/2008
This well-written article supplies another example of the legislative branch participating in becoming less equal than the executive branch. L'Enfant laid Washington out to imply otherwise, deliberately putting the (then) MOST important branch of government on the highest hill (Capitol Hill). The Capitol became Washington's dominant building. But that has become misleading symbolism today.
- Saudi Textbook Withdrawn Over Image of Yoda With King
- Israelis are celebrating the Kurds' bid for independence
- Wall Street Journal study finds that rural youths who enlisted after 9/11 shouldered the greatest burden for the nation's defense
- Little Rock Nine's 60th Anniversary Weekend Celebrations
- Vice President Pence Cited a Fake Thomas Jefferson Quote
- Lonnie Bunch is astonished the African-American History Museum has become a pilgrimage site so fast
- Nancy Isenberg says what Americans think is exceptional about them is that they erased class distinctions
- Niall Ferguson's new book is a warning about the pernicious threat of networks
- Yale history department now emphasizing global history in undergraduate courses
- University of Utah appoints first Mormon Studies professor


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- This event has passed.
From the Pedestal to the Plate (Care Group)
May 22 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Event Navigation
From the Pedestal to the Plate is a care group for women who desire to live a healthier lifestyle and while also providing the spiritual support to make that happen.
Meets Monday Evenings.
Contact: email@example.com


text:
Wire Belt introduces new line of PEEK drive components
PEEK can be used continuously to 480°F
Wire Belt introduced a new line of PEEK (PolyEtherEther-Ketone) drive components, a high performance engineered thermoplastic that can operate at high temperatures and is less abrasive on stainless steel belts than metal drive components. PEEK can be used continuously to 480°F (250°C) and in hot water or steam without permanent loss in physical properties. In a case study, a user found PEEK components to last five times greater than polyacetal plastic components. The PEEK line is available for all drive components including: gears, blanks, and end rollers. For more information, please call 603-644-2500.
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to The National Provisioner.


text:
Topic: Link between cc and the environment??
Check this article out about the oil sands in Canada:
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll … /BIZ/66421
here's the money quote:
Residents of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta's oldest settlement about 170 miles downstream from the projects, are worried that toxins from the ponds could seep into the river and drift into their drinking water. They say they have caught deformed fish in Lake Athabasca and the river that feeds it.
John O'Connor, once the doctor of the native community of 1,200, found five cases


text:
XFX Radeon HD 6570 HD-657X-CLF2 Video Card - 2GB DDR3, PCI-Express 2.1(x16), 1x Dual-Link DVI-I, 1x D-Sub (VGA), 1x HDMI, DirectX 11, Low Profile, FanItem#: P450-6571 | Model#: HD657XCLF2
Currently Out Of Stock!
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XFX Radeon HD 6570 2GB DDR3 Video Card Product Details
XFX Radeon HD 6570 HD-657X-CLF2 Video Card
Use the XFX Radeon HD 6570 HD-657X-CLF2 Video Card for ultra-realistic detail while viewing movies and playing games. This video card is equipped with 2GB of DDR3 video memory, improving your systems graphics quality for new generation games and multimedia software. It chooses the PCI-Express 2.1(x16) Interface type. The XFX Radeon HD 6570 HD-657X-CLF2 Video Card is designed with AMDs EyeSpeed technology which offers complete functionality with vivid HD viewing at impressive speeds. It is also supported with DirectX 11 to increase the visual effects. This video card is built with 1 x HDMI, 1 x D-Sub (VGA) and 1 x Dual-Link DVI-I for excellent display combination. Buy the XFX Radeon HD 6570 HD-657X-CLF2 Video Card now!
What It Is And Why You Need It:
- 2GB of DDR3 video memory; for effective graphics performance
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Recommended ItemsPrevious
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Manufactured by: XFX
Warranty provided by: XFX
UPC No: 778656061149
Mfg Part No: HD657XCLF2
Box Size:
( Length:8, Width:5, Depth:2)
Shipping Weight: 0.2500 pound(s)
Dimensional Weight: 1pounds
What is Dimensional weight?
Click here for full warranty and support information
- XFX logos are registered trademarks of XFX. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


text:
found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
I am already spayed, housetrained, purebred, up to date with shots, good with kids, and good with dogs.
If you're interested in adopting, please go to Muskoka Animal Rescue's website at www.muskokaanimalrescue.com, complete an application found in "Available Pets" section and email it to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Muskoka Animal Rescue Volunteer Group
"Helping the people and animals that live in the regions of Muskoka and Parry Sound"
705-224-0112 **No phone calls after 9:00 p.m. please**
Roxi - Big and Beautiful!, a Huntsville St. Bernard dog was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a St. Bernard for sale in Huntsville, or seeking a St. Bernard dog from a breeder in Huntsville.


text:
Garden Tip
boost compost via coffee beans
Did you know that you can add your used coffee grounds and paper coffee filters to your compost pile? The grounds are a good source of nitrogen. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is 20 to 1.
Don't worry about acidity — the grounds are close to neutral after brewing. You also can collect coffee grounds from your local coffee shop.
A pile of one part (by volume) leaves, one part fresh grass clippings and one part coffee grounds will be ready to use in your garden in three to six months. (Of course, kitchen vegetable scraps also can be added.)
— Katie Martin, UC Marin Master Gardener


text:
A "happy birthday" Facebook page created by a Richland, Mich., mom after her son lamented that he had no friends to invite to his birthday party has garnered 1.6 million fans since it was posted.
The mother created the Coliniseleven page on Feb. 2 for her son, Colin, who will turn 11 on March 9, MLive said. Reuters identified the mom as Jennifer Cunningham.
Colin has a sensory processing disorder and another condition similar to Asperger's syndrome and austism that makes socializing difficult, Cunningham told WOOD-TV 8. The other kids at his school in Richland, a town of less than 1,000 near Kalamazoo, don't understand his disability and why Colin will act out, she said.
"We were talking about his birthday coming up and I had mentioned it a few times and he said he didn't want a party. And I said, 'Why don't you want a party?" -- "Mom, who am I going to invite? I don't have any friends,' " Cunningham said.
So Cunningham created the Facebook page, hoping some adults would wish Colin a happy birthday.
They did, by the thousands.
The page drew 4,000 likes in the first two days and exceeded 8,600 by Sunday, WOOD-TV 8 reported. Greetings and pictures poured onto the page from as far away as Switzerland and Scotland.
By the time the Daily Mail picked up the story on Monday the page was up to 13,800 likes.
As of 8:40 a.m. Thursday, 1.6 million visitors had "liked" Coliniseleven. Well-wishers included the at Alpha Xi Delta sorority at Indiana University, who attached a video, the Rosenberg, Texas, Police Department, and Grant Heile, a 14-year-old from Nashville.
"Have your mom message my mom and we can be friends!" Heile wrote. "I am 14 years old and have Aspergers too. And you'll be just fine! ~Grant~"
The children at Colin's school, Thomas M. Ryan Intermediate School in Richland, are excited for Colin, Assistant Principal Matt Hawkins told MLive.
"That speaks to the kind of positive thing that this is. We can use this and his mom can use this to help him understand he's not alone," Hawkins said.
It's not the first time Facebook has been used to encourage someone with social disabilities. After a customer yelled at Van Buren resident Chris Tuttle, who has Asperger's, in November while he was working at the Wegmans on Route 57 in Clay, his sister, Jamie Virkler, asked people on Facebook for notes to cheer him up. The post was "liked" 76,000 times and drew 12,000 comments over the course of a weekend.
The plan is for Colin to learn about his new friends on his birthday. The Daily Mail said Cunningham hopes to keep the page secret from him until then, then record his reaction and post it on the Facebook page.
Meanwhile, well-wishers who don't use Facebook can send Colin greetings at a post office box that Jennifer has set up:
PO box 756
Richland, MI 49083-0756
Here is WOOD-TV 8's original report:
What's your take on this story? Please leave a comment below.


text:
Corrective Taxation of a Consumption Externality in the Presence of an Optimal Non-Linear Income Tax
This paper is concerned with the problem of combining a non-linear income tax with an indirect externality correcting tax. The analysis is performed in a model economy with two types of individuals and two types of consumption goods. The government wants to redistribute from the more able individuals to the less able, and also correct for the externality arising from the total consumption of the dirty good. It turns out that the optimal tax structure depends on the complementarity or sustainability between the dirty good and leisure.
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|38 pages
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| Postal: UPPSALA UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS, S-751 20 UPPSALA SWEDEN.
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text:
9th Dec 2017 - 18:30
Real Ale Train – Saturday 9th December 2017
Real Ale Train
6.30pm departure from Llangollen Station
Step onboard and soak up the atmosphere whilst enjoying the Real Ales on offer at our well stocked bar.
Double return journey – arrive back approximately 9.30pm.
£16 Advanced ticket price includes a free Llangollen Railway pint glass.
REAL ALE – £3 per pint
Food will be available to purchase from The Station Cafe + Bar on the evening, along with a BBQ on the platform.
Reserved seating will be provided for parties of eight or more.
It is not advised that children attend this event.
Advanced tickets – £16 per person with a FREE Llangollen Railway Pint Glass
Tickets purchased on the evening – £18 per person


text: Show Hide image Politics 15 June 2011 BBC journalism job cuts: New strike vote agreed As dialogue between the NUJ and BBC continues, strike action is becoming more likely. Sign up for our weekly email * BBC journalists are set to start a strike ballot this week amid reports that hundreds of journalism jobs at the corporation are under threat. The NUJ has confirmed that ballot papers could be sent to members as early as Friday and that the outcome of the vote will be announced in around a month's time. The union claimed 100 editorial jobs face the axe at BBC World Service and that there are further 30 posts under threat in the BBC's Television Current Affairs department and 43 journalism jobs at risk in BBC News. Read more at the Press Gazette. Subscribe from just £1 per issue More


text: I have the APC UPS rated at 1.1KVA. I am shifting my PC and thinking of connecting the PS3 + router to the UPS too. I would like to know if anyone has used such an extensive setup. My PC (in sig) currently uses the UPS exclusively. I just ran a test and it ran for 45mins on it, with simple browsing. Don't know about games. PS3 will draw a max of 230W but it's common knowledge that it draws much lesser in practice. Router is negligebile. A little greedy but will the TV work too? A 40" Bravia LCD-CCFL based. I guess not. So will my UPS support my PC + PS3 + Router ? EDIT: Need a backup for only 3mins max or rather 30seconds on average. Have a generator for sustained power, UPS is just a novelty. More concerned about the load on the UPS.


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Thursday, September 05, 1968
|Sri Sathya Sai at Sri Sathya Sai Women's College, Anantapur
Special classes on Indian Culture were inaugurated at the Sri Sathya Sai Women's College, Anantapur by the Maharani of Jind on this day. Swami blessed the participants with His Divine Discourse. He said:
"The culture of India is the oldest and yet the most active even today. It is ever fresh, for, it is based on beginning less and eternal truths concerning human nature and the external world which impinges on human consciousness. This culture has emphasised that human activity is best done as dedication to God, the Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Awareness-Bliss Absolute), that pervades and envelopes the Universe. It has taught man to work with reverence and humility; then it draws out the full potentialities of the faculties, with which God has endowed man.
The name Bharati means, Bha (God) Rati (love), Love towards God, which enthuses man to consecrate every little effort of his for His Glory. That love (Rati) will awaken the compassion of man towards all God's children, human or animal; it will make him blind to the failings and faults of all others, and aware of his own; it will render him responsive to the pain and the joy of everyone around him. It will fill him with wonder and amazement at the handiwork of God and he is able to see Divinity everywhere and in everything.
You must be told, during these years at College, the grandeur and glory of this unique heritage, for, it is your right, the duty the elders owe you. But, most of the students pass through the portals of schools and colleges without securing the priceless treasure left by the sages of the past. I am glad the members of the staff of this College have planned a course of lessons on Indian Culture, to supplement the curriculum, and to give you the sustenance the sages have laid in store for you.
Indian culture removes the dross of animality
They call the course, 'Bharatiya Samskriti'. Samskriti means culture which cleanses the metal, shapes in the mould, melts in the crucible to purify, brightens and straightens. Indian culture removes the dross of animality thereby enabling man to devote all his time towards the pilgrimage to God within him. It is a double process, this Samskriti; the plucking out of weeds and the sowing of seeds. And, it starts in India, right from the cradle. It has to be continued through kindergarten, school and college.
This College has to set an example, by providing opportunities for the rising generations to practise the disciplines in order to purify and promote these ideals. That is the reason which prompted its establishment. You have been influenced in this direction already by the homes in which you have spent the formative years, and by the society in which you have learnt your attitudes, habits and prejudices. Here too, you influence each other by your conversation and behaviour. All this will help you in understanding and benefitting from the culture of India.
The mother-country is not a map or an extent of soil, or a collection of names; it is the mother, which feeds the body as well as the mind; that sings lullabies and presents pictures for the eye and the spirit; it teaches the art of moving towards the goal of life, namely Self-realisation. It gives every child knowledge of its potentialities and its limitations. It is thus both Lakshmi and Saraswati.
A child should not be denied the mother's love
A Women's College has an added responsibility to practise and preserve the essential values of Bharatiya Samskriti. Motherhood is the most precious gift of God. Mothers are the makers of a nation's fortune or misfortune. They should teach two lessons, fear of sin and fondness for virtue. Both these are based on faith in God, being the inner motivator of all. If you want to know how advanced a nation is, study the mothers; are they free from fear and anxiety, are they full of Love towards all, are they trained in fortitude and virtue? If you like to imbibe the glory of a culture, watch the mothers, rocking the cradles, feeding, fostering, teaching and fondling the babies.
Mothers must assume this responsibility and not throw it on aayahs or governesses. Of course, aayahs and governesses are industrious and sincere. I have nothing to say against them. But, the child that is brought up by the aayah loses an essential fertiliser for growth, Love. The child is denied the most health-giving vitamin, Love. The home where the fragrance of this love has to be inhaled has now lost its sacred atmosphere. Harmony amongst the inmates of a household is fast receding.
There is no shrine for God in most houses; even if there is, it is in a corner of the kitchen, where no one can sit and spend some time in meditation; or, the worship of God in that shrine is performed by a paid priest, as an empty and enforced ritual. The great temples of this land, built by devoted hands through the toil of decades of dedication, are neglected and allowed to fall in ruins. The inspiration of group singing and group worship is forgotten and even ridiculed!
The art of living should help to attain liberation
You must in this College emphasise cultivating physical health and mental equanimity, as well as scholarship and proficiency. A healthy mind is pre-requisite for a healthy body. There is an example of Indra Devi of Mexico, who learnt yoga in India, with a view to derive physical and spiritual benefits. See how active, energetic, and happy she appears to be in spite of her age!
Atma Vidya (science of the Self) is the only Vidya that can save and sustain, when man is tossed about on the sea of life. The art of living should help to attain liberation. This Vidya is a special feature of Bharat, and that is why Bharat has been considered as a teacher of Humanity. She has to take up that ancient role, in spite of the apathy of the people and the shortsighted attitude of the rulers. The God who dwells in the dewdrop and the star, in the scientist as well as the atom he studies, can be visualised only by a purified inner consciousness. The tongue alone can taste sweetness, and that too, when it is healthy. So too, only a pure consciousness can recognise the grandeur and glory of God. Purify this through the constant repetition of the idea of Soham, (He is I, I am He), so that He and I will merge and only He remains.
Dwell on these Divine thoughts, engage yourselves in activity for the sake of His adoration, then, you will earn 'marks' in plenty; I appreciate your efforts to secure such 'marks', not the 'remarks' from the Principal and Professors.


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Conde Nast Says Goodbye to Men.Style.com, Hello to GQ.com, Details.com (Ad Age)
"Conde Nast will shut down one of its web-only brands, Men.Style.com, when it gives two of its titles, GQ and Details, their own websites in October."
September Ad-Page Tallies Plunge (Ad Age)
"Is September now the cruelest month? It may very well be for fashion and beauty titles this year. The final tallies for those crucial issues are emerging -- and for almost every one of the titles, results are terrible."
Retailers to discount through to 2010 (Drapers)
"UK retailers are likely to continue discounting right through to the first half of 2010, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers."
Designers divided on copyright law (Canada.com)
"A proposed new law that would extend copyright protection to clothing has designers in an uproar and threatens to widen a rift in the American fashion industry."
Escada plans rights issue rescue (Drapers)
"Escada, the German luxury womenswear group, has launched plans to raise €29 million (£25.1m) in a rights issue in a bid to stave off insolvency."


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(Archived document, may contain errors)
July 20, 1994
The House and Senate soon will consider legislation to reauthorize the programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The House and Senate bills (H.R. 3838, S. 2049) have been marked up by committee and now will be debated in each chamber. This legislation, however, unfortunately is based on a persistent fiction: that there is a shortage of affordable housing and thus a need for more subsidies to home- buyers and renters. In reality, America's housing quality and quantity have been improving for decades, something not apparent from the continuing stream of pronouncements from congres- sional liberals, state and local officials, labor unions, and builders that the nation faces a housing crisis. This notion of a crisis has triggered demands for ever-larger federal out- lays and more stringent regulation. The appropriations bill passed last fall for fiscal year 1994, for instance, reserved $25 billion for HUD, an increase of 27 percent over the fis- cal 1989 outlay of $19.7 billion when President Bush entered office. A large portion of this money is subsidizing publicly or privately owned multifamily rental housing. Yet many public projects are in physical disrepair, plagued with corrup- tion and mismanaged by the public housing authorities who would get the money. More- over, many of the privately owned multifamily rental projects are prime candidates for foreclosure and repossession by HUD. Some are as decayed as any publicly built project.
Some of the information in this Issue Bulletin draws upon material in Carl Horowitz, "Washington's Continuing Fiction: A National Housing Shortage:' Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 783, August 22, 1990.
1 The $25 billion in the appropriations bill is HUD's portionMe bill also set aside funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs and various independent federal agencies.
The House bill, H.R. 3838, introduced in February by Representative Henry Gonzalez (D-TX), Chairman of the House Banking Committee, reauthorizes HUD spending at $31.2 billion in fiscal 1995 and $33.6 billion in fiscal 1996. The Senate version would open the federal purse even more, providing $28. 1 billion for fiscal 1995, but jumping to $39.1 billion for fiscal 1996. The impetus behind the House and Senate bills, which contain many features sup- ported by Secretary Cisneros and other top Clinton Administration officials, is the notion that housing was neglected during the Reagan and Bush years and that this neglect was manifested in massive cutbacks in the HUD budget. Cisneros said of his proposed legisla- tion that it would put HUD "back in the business as a force for positive change in Amer- ica."2 Yet this will not be accomplished by increasing HUD spending. HUD outlays dur- ing the Reagan years rose from $14.9 billion in FY 1981 to $19.7 billion in FY 1989 and reached $25.2 billion in FY 1993. According to this year's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) projections, they will have risen to $25.5 billion for fiscal 1994 and to more than $28.4 billion in fiscal 1996. Those who would raise federal spending on housing-related agencies such as HUD, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Farmers Home Administration know-even if they do not admit-that spending has risen. That is why they regularly cite statistics pur- portedly showing that the private sector no longer produces sufficiently affordable hous- ing. As evidence, they refer to the slight decline during the first half of the 1980s in the overall homeownership ratio (which since has been reversed) and to misleadingly high housing cost-to-income ratios of low-income renters. To be sure, there are housing cost problems. Yet neither the 1990 Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (P.L. 101-625) nor the current proposals address those problems. Each of these measures fads to recognize that high taxes and overregulation un- dermine efforts to improve the housing stock and its affordability. Each also fails to rec- ognize that politicizing the distribution of housing raises the likelihood that there is less of it to go around. To combat the idea that massive subsidies are needed for housing production and con- sumption, lawmakers need to bear in mind several realities about housing in America: I ) The supply of America's housing stock has been improving steadily over time in both quality and quantity. 2) The demand for additional housing during the 1990s will not be as great as it was during the 1970s and 1980s. 3) The cost of housing, in comparison to incomes, has been getting less burden- some over the last several years, especially with interest rates last year dip- ping to their lowest levels in some 25 years, and now holding steady at about 8.5 percent.
If HUD officials and Members of Congress really wish to address the nation's housing supply and affordability problems, they should promote greater market efficiency. The reauthorization legislation gives lawmakers the opportunity to make needed changes. To improve the reauthorization legislation, Congress should take several steps. Among them, lawmakers should: V Eliminate provisions that would raise loan limits on Federal Housing Admini- stration (FHA) single-family mortgages. V Eliminate the provision that would end the requirement on public housing ten- ants who obtain a job to continue paying 30 percent of their income in rent. V Add a provision eliminating the requirement on HUD to subsidize the rents, for at least 15 years, of low-income tenants in foreclosed FHA-insured muwrfa- mily rental projects. V Fund the HOPE program. V Give HUD the authority to pressure other federal agencies, and state and local agencies, to reduce excessive land and construction regulations that make hous- ing less affordable. America is not reeling from an affordable housing crisis and was not in the grip of such a crisis during the Reagan and Bush years. Housing conditions and affordability rarely have been better. What HUD and other federal agencies should be doing is enabling hous- ing markets, especially in inner-city neighborhoods, to function more as markets. At pre- sent, they function too much as bureaucratic fiefdoms, a problem exacerbated by high lev- els of crime. While the House and Senate packages contain potentially beneficial ele- ments and even mention the need for crime control, too much in them represents business as usual under the guise of a "reinvention" of HUD. They would boost HUD spending by about a third without necessarily addressing the real problems.
THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING IN AMERICA Plenty of Homes. During the past two decades, America has expanded an already plentiful housing stock. According to the most recent American Housing Survey (199 1), there were 104.6 million conventional (non-mobile) dwellings in the United States, more than 50 percent greater than the 68.7 million units existing in 1970. 3Thus, over one-third of all dwellings available in 1991 were built in or after 1970. 4 This ratio, of course, would be higher if one took into account net housing production since 199 1.
Fewer Deficiencies, More Amenities.
Just as the quantity of housing units is impor- tant, so is the quality. That, too, has risen with affluence and with advances in homebuild- ing technology. Early in this century, a three-room cold-water flat was regarded as ade- quate housing for young urban immigrant families. Today it is considered unacceptable for anyone. Using American Housing Survey in- Table I dicators of housing quality, Table I in- Selected Interior Housing Deficiencies: 1991 dicates how far the U.S. has come in Characteristic % af Owner- % Of eliminating substandard housing. Occupied Renter Only a small portion of dwellings How In Roors 0.8% 2.0% now experience interior problems Open cracks or Hobo 3.4 8.1 such as holes in floors, broken plaster Broken Plaster or Peeling Point 3.0 6.1 or peeling paint, and exposed wiring. No Ellectriol Wiring 0.0 0.0 Moreover, those problems occur less Eqxmd Wiring 1.1 2.5 often in owner-occupied units, which Room without Ellectriclool Outlets 1.4 2.4 account for almost two-thirds of all oc- Lacking All of Sam Plumbing 2.2 2.9 cupied dwellings. SOUM. U.S. Eknau d ft Comm, OA=ftn HawkV StwMm Meanwhile, more new housing than ever before is being built with things once consid- ered luxuries, as Table 2 indicates. To some degree, therefore, rising standards of quality are responsible for rising home prices. The number of newly completed private, single- family homes containing central air conditioning, one or more fireplaces, and 2.5 or more bathrooms each rose during 1970-1992 by anywhere from roughly 80 percent to 200 per- cent. Median interior area rose from 1,385 to 1,920 square feet, an increase of 38.6 per- cent.
Homebuilders provide such amenities largely because buyers insist on them. A 1989 survey by the National Association of Home Builders asked: "If you cannot afford to buy the type of home you want, what would you give up to make it more affordable?" Some 36 percent of respondents said they would choose a house with unfinished rooms, and 35 percent would live farther from work or shopping. Only 18 percent would have accepted .. 5 a smaller house, and only 11 percent would have accepted fewer amemues.
Population Growth. During America's baby boom, which spanned the years 1946- 1964, there were 20 to 25 live births per 1,000 population. Thereafter the birth rate de- . 6 - clined, so much so that in 1975 the rate was 14.6 births per 1,000 population, rising again to the 16-to- 17-per- 1,000 range in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The aging of the baby boom population has major implications for the demand for housing.
According to Census Bureau Table 2 mid-range projections, the Characteristics of Now Pfivately Owned population will increase from a One-Family Homes Completed: 1970-1992 little under 250 million to al- most 275 million during 1990- Medlan Percent Percent w/ Percent w/ yew Square Feet WCAC One or More 2.5 or More 20M, or by some 2.5 million Fireplaces Bathrooms annually. Households in the 35- 197o 1,385 34% 35% 16% 54 age bracket-mainly the 1980 1,595 63 56 25 baby boomers-will make up 1984 1,605 71 59 28 more than 75 percent of this 19" 1,660 69 63 33 19" 11810 75 65 42 population increase, rising by Im 1190S 76 66 45 more than 19 million. By con- 1992 1,920 77 64 47 trast, the number of Americans age 18-34 (the people who am Total Change +38A% +126.5% +82.9% +193.8% starting households for the first sown: u.s. Bwm of ve cman, ca@ Row seem cn mw m,,*. time, usually as renters) will decline from about 70 million to 63.5 million during this period. As a result, the age bracket most heavily in financial need win be smaller, numerically as well as proportion- ately. Household Growth. This pattern of population growth and age distribution has sig- nificant implications for housing demand, in particular the demand for new housing con- struction in the 1990s. According to the Census Bureau, the total number of households rose by about 1. 18 million annually during 1980-19927 and will rise by roughly the same rate by the year 2000. However, as with population growth, the age distribution of this shift reveals much. Households headed by persons age 35-54 will account for virtually all 8 of this increase. Yet households headed by persons 34 and under actually will decrease by I million. Growth is occurring, therefore, among households headed by adults in their prime years.
The trend toward smaller proportions of married households had been established by 1980 and since then, even with a falling divorce rate, 9has continued. Table 3 shows that in 1980, 60.8 percent of all households consisted of married couples, fairly evenly di- vided between those with at least one child present in the household and those without. Yet, by 1992 the cumulative proportion of married households, with and without chil- dren, declined to 54.8 percent. Male or female householder families (no spouse present) increased from 12.9 percent to 15.4 percent of the total. 10 Especially marked has been the rise of one-person households Table 3 from 22.7 percent in 1990 to 25.1 Composition of Amedcan Households: percent in 1992, caused in part by 1980 and 1992 the fact that the median age of first Household Type 1980 1 M marriage for men and women has INN rded with Children 30.9% 25.5% increased b TI some three years M:rded without Children 29.9 29.3 since 1970. 31noe-Porent Farnilly (FeMale Headed) 10.8 12.2 Single-Porent Family Nole-Headed) 2.1 3.2 Many lawmakers and orgaru a- Uvkv Ala" 22.7 25.1 tions calling for more housing sub- Other Non-Forrily Households 3.6 4.7 sidies misinterpret the growth in I Towl 100.0% 100.0% non-family households as an up- I bu= U.S. &nNGfftC==,QNWPVUWM RIP&*86fts M Nm WCmwof PW*ft. I= surge in the need for assistance. To be sure, non-married households have incomes well below those of married ones. The median household income of one-person households in 1991 was $15,44 1, while the median figure for female-headed families with children was $17,961. By contrast, the median household income for married households was nearly $41,075. 12 But that does not mean that non-married households are poorly housed or that they must forego food and other basic necessities to acquire good housing without a sub- sidy. The growth of non-family households has been due in large part to the affordability and availability of housing. That is, many of these households would not have formed in the first place were America's housing industry not so productive and adaptive to local market circumstances. In Western Europe, where housing construction levels are far lower than in the United States, marriage is one of the few ways in which a young adult can obtain housing separate from parents. And as a 1992 Heritage Foundation paper made clear, a -pooe' American actually has more housing space per person than the aver- age Western European. 13 It is not the growth of female-headed families that necessitates more welfare. Rather, it is the widened eligibility for welfare that is the major driving force behind the increase in such households in the first place. This includes housing assistance as well as cash pay- ments, Medicaid, and food stamps as its key components. The number of all households (mainly female-headed and/or elderly) receiving HUD housing subsidies alone grew from 3.3 million in fiscal 1981 to roughly 4.7 million in 1993. Subsidization of living expenses makes it more attractive for women with children not to marry and to maintain households separate from their fathers and from other members of their families. One study showed that a roughly $200 increase in monthly welfare benefits causes illegitimate teenage births to rise by 150 percent.
Status, and Living Arrangements: March 1992" (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govemment Printing Office, 1993). 11 The median ages of first marriage were 22.5 and 20.6 for men and women, respectively, in 1970. They had risen to 25.5 and 23.7 in 1988. See Vital Statistics. 12 U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, P-60, No. 180. 13 See Robert Rector, "How the Poor Really Live: Lessons forWelfiwe Reform," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 875, January 31, 1992. 14 Shelley Lundberg and Robert D. Plotnick, "Adolescent Premarital Childbearing: Do Opportunity Costs Matter?" June 1990, revised version of a paper presented at the Population Association of America Conference, Toronto,
At the opposite end of the age spectrum are the elderly, defined as households headed by persons age 65 or over. For over two decades a fast-growing segment of the popula- tion, 15 these households have relatively few housing problems. For example, 77.3 per- cent of senior-citizen households in 1991 owned their own homes, and 82.4 percent did so "free and clear," without any outstanding mortgage debt. The 1991 median monthly housing cost for all elderly households, owners and renters combined, was $257. More- over, only 2.6 percent of all elderly households lived in dwellings with less than com- plete plumbing facilities and with a median of 5.3 rooms per unit. 16 These are not house- holds requiring subsidies; yet advocates of more subsidies frequently call for more fed- eral aid to the elderly, especially under the Section 202 program, enacted by Congress in 1959 to finance the construction of privately owned rental housing projects for senior citi- zens.
Combining these supply and demand characteristics into an overall market reveals how weak the case is for declaring a national housing emergency or even for enacting new housing assistance programs. By examining several basic indicators-vacancy rates, owner-occupancy ratios, costs, and cost-income ratios-it is evident that the supply of af- fordable housing is not in jeopardy.
One of the effects of the high levels of housing construction during the period from the 1960s through the 1980s has been relatively high vacancy rates. This is especially true in the case of housing for rent. In 1983, when many housing advocates declared a crisis, the rental vacancy rate was 5.7 percent. Yet each year since 1986 it has been at least 7 per- 17 cent, despite the decline in new apartment construction since the latter half of the 1980s. Those calling for more federally subsidized housing production as the principal way to eliminate homelessness ignore such realities. According to the American Housing Sur- vey, in 1991 there were over 8.7 million vacant year-round housing units. This represents about 15 vacant dwellings for every homeless person, based on the Urban Institute's original top estimate of about 600,000 homeless persons nationwide. 19 These units, more-over, are not cramped "tenements" or "slums." The 1991 American Housing Survey indi- cated they contained a median of 4.3 rooms per unit, and only some 5.5 percent lacked complete plumbing facilities. Almost 48 percent were single-family homes. 19 THE "DECLINING"' OWNER-OCCUPANcy RATio
A common myth about housing affordability is that young homeseekers no longer can afford to buy a home. Ever since 1977, when studies by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Center forUrban Studies of NUT and Harvard University asserted that dwin- Wing proportions of renter households could buy a home, advocates of more federal intru- sion into the housigg market have been sounding alarms about the disappearance of the American Dream.
2(r Typically, they use two statistics to bolster this claim. First they note that in 1980, 64.4 percent of all occupied units were owner-occupied, while in 1985 the figure fell to 63.5 percent. But even if this decline were cause for alarm, the ratio later reversed itself, rising to 64.2 percent in 1991. 21 Second, they often cite a finding from a 1988 report (the first in a continuing annual series on housing affordability by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies) showing that if the national homeownership rate had held steady since 1973, some two million additional households under age 35 would be homeowners. But what the re- searchers fail to emphasize is that more households today than in 1980 are singles and one-parent families (see Table 3). These households have a much higher propensity to rent than do married couples @2 so a slight decline in the overall ownership rate is not sur- prising. In fact, as HUD senior policy analyst Irving Welfeld has noted, the rates of own- ership among married and nonmarried households each rose after 1980, even though the overall rate declined slightly.
Thus, young adults are not being "locked out of' homebuying opportunities. On the contrary, Chicago Title and Trust's widely respected annual survey of recent homebuyers reveals first-time buyers to be an increasingly significant force. In 1989, for example, 40.2 percent of all homebuyers, were buying for the first time; in 1993 this ratio, thanks to small price increases and falling interest rates, reached 46 percent. 24
If changes in the homeownership ratio do not point to lessening affordability of homes for sale, neither do cost figures themselves, whether for the homes as such or for the mort- gage money used to finance their purchase. Those sounding the alarm bell often point to how much more owner-occupied homes with mortgages cost than do those without mort- gages. Yet the cost of borrowed money is distinct from the cost of housing itself. The American Housing Survey revealed that the median monthly housing cost for homes with a mortgage in 1991 was $761; for homes without a mortgage, it was $222. 25 To read into this a problem of affordability, however, would be erroneous. A great many of today's owners bought their homes during the late 1970s and 1980s when interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate conventional mortgages were in double digits. By contrast, the rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages currently are about 8.5 percent and, for a time late last summer and early fall, fell to the 6.7 percent to 7.0 percent range, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), which, among other things, tracks mortgage rates on a weekly basis. Remarked Freddie Mac chief economist Robert Van Order last summer, "The last time interest rates fell below 7 percent was back in 1968."26 Thanks to failing home mortgage interest rates, there has been a surge in the popularity of 15-year and 20-year fixed-rate mortgages. 27 The Federal National Mortgage Associa- tion ("Fannie Mae') and Freddie Mac each reported that in 1993, close to half of all mort- gage refinancings consisted of 15-year or 20-year loans-the highest ratio ever. This trend has helped homes be more affordable for long-term ownership. Not only is the cu- mulative interest on a 15-year loan far lower than on a 30-year loan, but lenders charge interest rates about 0.5 percent lower as well. The homeowner stampede during 1991-1993 to refinance existing mortgages, though slower by now, is one of this decade's more remarkable housing stories. Fannie Mae data released last year indicated that 31 percent of current homeowners have refinanced their mortgages, with almost 20 percent having done so in 1992 or 1993 alone. Another 14 per- cent were considering refinancing. 28 Some 56 percent of the $1.1 trillion in mortgage loan originations in 1993 took the form of loan refinancings, according to Robert Rosenblatt, director of surveys for the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. 29 America's homeowners know a good bargain when they see one. The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies data actually provide strong evidence that homeownership is becoming more in reach, not less. Working with the American Housing Survey and other data, the Center's researchers estimated that the annual cost of owning a home (in constant 1989 dollars) fell from $8,895 to $7,077 during 1992-1992. This decline would have been even steeper had expected price appreciation levels not been flat in the last few years. 30 The past decade has been more a buyer's than a seller's market.
Data from Chicago Title and Trust's annual homebuyer survey provide further evi- 31 dence that rising costs, in and of themselves, mean little. During 1980-1993, repeat buy- ers saw the median home purchase price increase from $75,750 to $159,600, or by 110.7 percent. During the same period, however, their median incomes increased from $31,820 to $67,500, or by 112.1 percent. For first-time buyers, median prices increased from $61,450 to $121,100 (97.1 percent) while incomes increased from $27,430 to $53,400 (94.7 percent). Thus, incomes kept pace with prices. That incomes were not higher is due largely to the higher ratio of nonmarried households in the first-time and repeat homebuy- ing populations. Indeed, from 1991 to 1993, the proportion of first-time buyers who were single rose from 21.2 percent to 32.3 percent, according to the survey. These households, as Census figures earlier revealed, have lower incomes than married households. The survey also revealed that although the average mortgage payment as a percentage of income during 1980-1993 rose slightly from 30.3 percent to 30.7 percent for repeat buyers, it fell substantially from 35.6 percent to 32.2 percent for first-time buyers. The argument that a homebuying affordability crisis exists is refuted most thoroughly by examining figures from the National Association of Realtors' monthly publication, Home Sales, which tracks the affordability of existing homes throughout the nation. In 198 1, when President Reagan took office, an existing home cost $68,900; in February 1993 it cost $103,600, an increase of 50.4 percent. Yet price rises are not, in fact, cause for alarm in the context of income growth. NAR has a "Housing Affordability Index," which relates home price to buyer income, given a certain down payment ratio. The Index indicates what proportion of the income needed to qualify for a conventional 30-year mortgage on a median-priced home with a 20 percent downpayment would be possessed by a median-income family. Any Index figure above 100 means that a median-income household has more than enough to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home.
In 1981 the Index for all buyers was 68.9. This meant that a median-income family that year had only 68.9 percent of the income necessary to qualify for the purchase of a me- dian-priced home. During the fourth quarter of 1993, the Index had reached a record-high 141.9. In 'other words, taking into account the cost of mortgage credit and growth in real income, a typical home in the U.S. has become more than twice as affordable in a little more than a dozen years.33 For first-time buyers (renters seeking to buy), the Index im- proved markedly from 49.9 to 92.3 from 1981 through the fourth quarter of 1993.
Renters are less well off than owners. That is why most are not owners in the first place. Yet if the cost of ownership is not preventing today's renters from becoming tomor- row's owners, neither is the cost of renting. Between 1980 and 199 1, the median monthly rent (including utilities), according to the American Housing Survey, increased from $243 to $462, or by 90.1 percent. Yet during thisperiod median renter income rose from $10,500 to $20,300, or by 93.3 percent. Housing activists typically employ a rule of thumb for rental affordability. If rent takes up 30 percent or more of a household's gross (pre-tax) income, the dwelling is "unaf- fordable." Superficially, Ta- Tabie 4 ble 4 shows why they have Monthly Rental Costs as a Ratio of Income: 1991 an effective case. According Cost/income All Renter Poor Renter to American Housing Sur- Raft Households Households vey data, some 45.9 percent of all renter households and LM t1lon 6% 22LOW 14com 5% to 9% LOX= 4M000 69.0 percent of below-pov- 10%1o14% Z7XOOO 114000 erty-line households pay at 15% to 19% 4,2MOM 219.0W least 30 percent of their in- 20% to 24% 42MOM 37&WO conics in housing costs. In- 25% to M% Oftwo 547,0M 30% to 34% ZW3,0W 467.0W deed, 2 1.0 percent of all 35% to 39% zwolow W5,0W renter households and 48.0 40% to 49% 2&9.000 71&OM percent of poor renter house- 50% to 59% 1,707,000 637,000 60% to 69% 1,071,000 W3,000 holds pay at least 50 percent 70% or 3.567.000 Z384000 of their incomes on housing Zero or Negalive Income 547.000 490,000 costs. No Cash lient z5MOM 9&000 Median Rcft 28% 55% Using such Census data, (excwhg w two iines) liberal research organiza- Scum 'Arnek= Houft WW tions like the Center on Note 7he %pros In this table are used by advoooles of a huge boost In federal rert subsidlim 7hey clolm that these Ures tow Mat 459 percal of oil rerftm ord 69.0 Budget and Policy Priorities percent of all Poor refto (ockxft Izero or negaft WcorrW and Im cash wr howeholds)M at least 30 percent of their hmm for "r dwWWV. kft the concki- conclude that rental af- don that mod of the poor cormot afford ftr hou*v arid exlst an the pmctke of homd- fordability is slipping from emm Is wroM. AmorV other reasom reported Wcomes of the poor do not account for enorrnow arrmft from bereffiVn4dnd nich as Medloold food d=pL rert subsidies. and even cash. InckidlM these payrnerils as heome would lower the wit burdem of the grasp of the poor.-4 below-poverty Wo households uWantidy
From this, they conclude Tabie,9 that only large increases in Average Annual Income and Expenditures of government support can pre- Households Among Persons 14 and Over 1991 vent the crisis from worsen- ing. QuIntiles Income Total Total Housing of Income Before Taxes Expenditures Expenditures According to the U.S. De- wd 2o p..t $5,981 $13,4M $ 4,9W partment of Labor's Con- Sscmd 20 penent 14,821 1&986 6.178 sumer Expenditure Survey, 1hkd 20 permt 26,073 26,144 7,975 which measures how much Fwrffi 20 pawl 4OM8 36,151 1Q6M the households of different N9W 20 permt 81,594 57,597 16,898 income levels spend on key consumer items (food, hous- Soumr U.S. DWaftWdLabm, anm&mdAminixi, @LSReW835,Dmff6er1M.) ing, etc.), 35 per-household I I expenditures in 1991 averaged $13,464 among the lowest-quintile-income households, with pre-tax incomes averaging $5,98 1. In other words, the typical "poor" household, ac- cording to the Labor Department's statistics, spends well over $2 for every $ 1.00 it re- ports as income. Table 5 shows expenditures of households in the bottom quintile as a percentage of their reported "total income." Showing housing costs as a proportion of reported income thus gives a grossly mislead- ing impression. Using such methods, one can "prove' that the lowest-income households barely eat since they have spent 82 percent of their "incomes" on housing. Similarly, one could prove that these households have no money to spend on housing and utilities since well over 100 percent of their incomes are spent on other items.36 Something obviously is wrong with the use of rent-to-income ratios as a basis for estimating rental affordabil- ity. Why do government surveys systematically underestimate "incomes" of low-income households? Because most spending is not counted as income. Of the over $300 billion spent in 1992 by federal, state, and local governments on welfare programs for low-in- come persons, most was not included as household income by the Census Bureau.37 Benefits the Census Bureau does not count as income include food stamps, Medicaid, housing subsidies, and various social services. The second major problem is that government income data fail to include the tens of billions of dollars earned by persons working "off the books" to avoid taxes and regula- tion. The Department of Labor has ppt the total value of unreported earnings at about 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product. 38 As long as the government grossly underreports the incomes of poor and near-poor households, claims that these households spend too high a share of their incomes on housing are meaningless.
THE GROWFH IN FEDERAL AssiSTANCE
Housing assistance has become an increasingly significant part of the welfare state. Ac- cording to an Urban Institute study, about half of all rental subsidies consists of cash wel- fare payments; the other half is federal housing assistance. 39 American Housing Survey data for 1989 (the most recent year available irr such tabulations) indicate that median gross rent (including utilities) for unsubsidized poor renters was $300; for subsidized 40 poor renters it was a little over $150 . The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, building on American Housing Survey data, has estimated that almost 40 percent of all households with incomes below 50 percent of the area median receive HUD housing sub- sidies, up from just under 30 percent in 1989. 41 Such subsidization is gradually becoming a welfare entitlement, something likely to be- come more pronounced. For example, according to the General Accounting Office, the cost of renewing contracts between private landlords and public housing authorities un- der HUD's largest tenant assistance subsidy program, "Section 8," will grow from an esti- mated $6.3 billion in fiscal 1994 to $15.2 billion in fiscal 1998-a jump of almost 150 percent in just four years. 42 Additionally, HUD spent some $6 billion-a record high- in fiscal 1993 on development, modernization, and operating costs for public housing pro- jects. In 1992, a federal commission recommended $7.5 billion in new HUD spending over ten years on "distressed" public housing, which constitutes about 6 percent of all public housing units and, according to the commission, is "Unlivable. ,43 Yet the rental housing stock overall is increasingly affordable. For example, the American Housing Survey for 1987 revealed a median cost-income ratio for poor house- holds of 66 percent; in 199 1, as Table 4 indicates, this ratio had dropped to 55 percent. The portion of all renter households spending 30 percent or more of their incomes on rent in 1987 was 48.4 percent; in 1991 it was 45.9 percent.
The House and Senate housing committees have prepared their versions of an ex- panded federal presence in the housing market for floor debate. With record-high levels of funding, sponsors of the bills say they want to tackle a crisis in the nation's communi- ties. Part of that crisis, they insist, stems from a large and growing lack of affordable housing. Yet the data demonstrate that neither homeowners nor renters, as a whole, face such a shortage. The congressional proposals assume far too easily that HUD must supplement or supplant the workings of the housing market. Some activities would put the taxpayer in a state of heightened financial liability for risky projects and loan practices. If Con- gress and HUD officials really want to promote affordable housing at minimum taxpayer expense, they should focus on eliminating barriers to market efficiency and on expanding opportunities for low-income residents to take greater control over their living environ- ment.
Clinton Administration officials also should use HUD and other relevant federal agen- cies as "bully pulpits" for eliminating unnecessary state and local regulations that inhibit housing construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance. When Jack Kemp was HUD Secre- tary, he appointed the Advisory Commission on Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Hous- ing to address these issues. The Commission's final report, released in July 199 1, re- vealed that numerous forms of housing and land use regulation were making housing less affordable without necessarily improving housing quality." It outlined over 30 practical recommendations for government at all levels, often working in conjunction with devel- opers, to reduce unnecessary regulation. Lawmakers and officials also should expand residential choice among those least able to exercise it: the poor. Secretary Cisneros, on the surface, recognizes this. Yet the sub- stance of what he and congressional housing advocates support would foster greater de- pendency by low-income households on taxpayer largesse and housing bureaucrats at all levels of government. Rather than pour additional funding into building, maintaining, and modernizing public and subsidized housing projects and restricting opportunities by the private sector to buy and manage such properties, the federal government should be bringing such properties back to the market as quickly as possible. This includes enabling low-income residents themselves to be managers and owners. Such a strategy has turned around Washington, D.C.'s Kendworth-Parkside, now resident-managed and owned, and other low-income projects. HOPE gives tenants of public and privately built, government- held (usually through foreclosure) projects a chance to bypass public agencies in using federal money. 45 About 500 organizations, representing some 45,000 people, partici- pated in the program at the beginning of this year. 46 Yet under Clinton, the program is all but terminated, with planning grants eliminated from the 1994 budget and implementa- tion grants almost dry. No new funding is contemplated for fiscal 1995. Government at all levels, however, can take a big step in turning around low-income urban areas by making crime control a top priority. Fear of crime has transformed many urban neighborhoods and housing projects into no-man's lands. 47 Nothing restricts resi- dential choice mom than crime. When an area is a zone of fear, rather than a real commu- nity, people will not want to live there, no matter what the quality of its housing
The reauthorization bills now before Congress unfortunately ignore the real state of the housing market in America. And although the measures do address some concerns, they include provisions that would add to the problems which do exist while overlooking ac- tions that would tackle these problems.
The House and Senate bills do contain some beneficial provisions that would enable HUD programs to be operated in a more efficient manner. To their credit, both bills: V Modify a provision in the 1987 Housing and Community Development Act that requires public housing authorities (PHAs) to replace, on a 1-to-1 dwelling ba- sis, any obsolete projects they demolish. This requirement has been tying the hands of PHAs. Authorities cannot raze these largely vacant properties, many of them public eyesores, since they lack funds or suitable alternative sites to build replacement units. The new provision grants PHAs waivers from that stipulation, and thus should result in the demolition of obsolete units and the better use of existing HUD subsidies. se Broaden HUD's Drug Elimination Program for public housing into a larger Community Partnership Against Crime. Aside from mismanagement by housing authorities, the number one problem in public housing today is crime. The new pro- gram, among other things, would allow a PHA to obtain a record of any prior criminal convictions of a tenant or applicant as a way to help keep projects fire of dangerous offenders. V Consolidate the several programs under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless As- sistance Act of 1987 into a block grant program that would give states, locali- ties, and nonprofit groups more say over how to use existing funds. Because these grantees are closer to the problems of the homeless than is the federal govern- ment, they will be able to reach more of these people. In addition, the Senate bill rejects a proposal by HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros to al- low PHAs to replace obsolete projects by using spending authority to leverage borrowing against future HUD modernization funds. If such loans default, which is especially likely in larger, troubled authorities, taxpayers may end up paying a large tab. Even if the loans are paid on schedule, political pressures to build new projects on vacant sites ensure a high program cost. Congress should be more concerned with selling off existing projects than with building new ones.
The House and Senate bills, unfortunately, also contain proposals that should not be en- acted. The bills, for example, mistakenly would: Increase loan limits on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family mortgages. Since its creation in 1934, FHA has been charged with insuring mortgage lenders against the risk of default in their underwriting. Periodically, to adjust to price rises in the housing market, Congress has raised the limits. But H.R. 3838 goes too far, raising the basic FHA ceiling from $67,500 to $101,575 and the high-cost-area ceiling from $151,725 to $172,675. The Senate bin, by contrast, wisely increases the basic limit only to $77,500 and leaves unchanged the high-cost area cap. Cisneros, ag- gressively urging passage of the House version, believes FHA will be able to create 2 million new homeowners over the long run. More likely, given IFHA's recent history and the fact that private mortgage insurers account for most mortgage insurance is- sued, the House version would help young households who eventually would be able to buy anyway, and heighten an already high risk of default. Eliminate the requirement that public housing residents who have or acquire a job, or who undergo job training, must pay 30 percent of their incomes toward rent While motivated by a desire to transform public housing into a more stable liv- ing environment, this measure would leave housing authorities with less rent-derived income with which to operate. The taxpayers would have to prop them up even more than is now the case.
In addition, both bills are significant for some essential provisions they omit. The bills should: V Eliminate the requirement that HUD subsidize rents of low4ncome residents of foreclosed FHA-Insured multifamily rental projects for at least IS years. Some of these projects, especially in Texas, are eyesores. This provision has contributed to- ward HUD's slow property disposition process and this year alone is costing taxpay- ers some $450 million in "Preservation" rent subsidies. V Fund the Homeownership and Opportunity for People for Everywhere pro- gram, or HOPE, to enable lowincome residents to manage and ultimately to own public housing (HOPE 1) and both privately built, publicly held multifa- mily (HOPE 2), and privately built, publicly held single-family (HOPE 3) pro- jects. This program, enacted in 1990 at the strong urging of Cisneros's predecessor at HUD, Jack Kemp, is an innovative anti-poverty program that bypasses local housing bureaucracies to reach the poor. Cisneros, however, has chosen to cancel the program, and Congress has eliminated fiscal 1994 funding for HOPE planning grants, a necessary precondition for rehabilitation and property transfer. Without a vigorous reversal, the program appears dead. V Give HUD authority to pressure other federal agencies and state and local agencies, to reduce excessive regulatory requirements on land use and housing construction. A HUD-sponsored commission three years ago concluded that over- regulation has been imposing serious costs on building and rehabilitating housing and that HUD could play a key role in alleviating the problem. Yet neither Congress nor Secretary Cisneros sees a real need to follow through on such efforts.
Despite what has become conventional wisdom, America is not reeling from a nation- wide housing shortage. Today's mortgage interest rates alone render such an argument specious, if not absurd. Cost barriers do exist, especially in California and Northeast met- ropolitan markets; clearly, finding good, affordable housing in Boston or Los Angeles is more difficult than finding it in Cincinnati or Atlanta. But even the most expensive areas have become more affordable in the 1990s as prices and rents alike have exhibited slow rises. Super-luxury homes in Southern California have stood vacant for months, even years, something unthinkable for most of the 1980s. Unfortunately, the temptation continues for Congress to boost federal housing subsi- dies. The Cranston-Gonzalez legislation of 1990, for example, all but locked the federal government into subsidizing permanently the rents of some 360,000 multifamily rental dwellings whose project owners are eligible to prepay their 40-year mortgages after 20 years. HUD's mounting inventory of FHA-foreclosed privately built apartment projects, some of them vacant eyesores, is incurring needless costs of hundreds of millions of dol- lars annually in subsidized maintenance and debt service, thanks to excessively strict re- sale requirements (although Congress last year eased these requirements somewhat). 48 The Clinton Administration should acknowledge that real housing problems exist but that they have more to do with the absence of market incentives and the lack of work-de- rived income among the poor than with the supposed "neglect" of these problems by the federal government. The bills before Congress contain items of merit. Too much in them, however, merely pours old wine into new bottles. Even under the guise of "choice" and "investment," expanding subsidy programs would invite more, not fewer, problems at HUD. Prepared for The Heritage Foundation by Carl F. Horowitz, Ph.D.
The author, fonnerly housing and urban affairs policy analyst with The Heritage Foundation, currently is aWashington correspondent with the Los Angeles-based Investor's Business Daily.


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Tough to beat the Habs-Bruins rivalry
There are a lot of great rivalries in the world of sports, but it's hard to beat Canadiens vs. Bruins.
And there's probably nobody who understands the Montreal-Boston rivalry better than Steve Kasper, a St. Lambert native who grew up cheering for the Canadiens before being drafted by Boston in 1980 and playing nine seasons for the Bruins. He also coached the Bruins for two seasons, beginning in 1995-96.
"The importance of the game was always magnified when we came to Montreal," Kasper recalled when I spoke with him a few years ago. "For a Saturday night game, we'd fly out of Logan (Airport). In those days, we weren't flying charter … we'd be flying commercial. We'd leave Logan at 3 o'clock on a Friday afternoon and the plane would be full of Boston fans who were coming to Montreal. That created quite an atmosphere since they had already started partying before the plane even took off."
In the 1970s and '80s, a Canadiens-Bruins playoff series was almost a rite of spring, with the teams meeting 10 times between 1971 and 1989. The Canadiens won nine of those series.
"I think at the time I was playing, it was one of the biggest rivalries in hockey, if not in all of sports," said Kasper. "It made for great intensity. For a long time, we came up short against them. It wasn't that we were a bad club … they were just a little bit better. It was nice to finally switch that in '88."
That was the year the Bruins beat the Canadiens in the Adams Division final, after being eliminated by Montreal in their previous 18 playoff meetings, dating back to 1946. The Bruins would eventually lose to the Edmonton Oilers in the 1988 Stanley Cup final.
"To show you how important it was to Boston fans at that time to beat the Canadiens, when we flew back to Boston there were literally thousands of people at the airport to greet us, and that was only a second-round playoff series," Kasper recalled.
"Beating Montreal in '88 was huge. Maybe it had added importance for me because I spent a lot of time in the Montreal area during the summers, and to come back after losing three or four playoff series to them in the early '80s and always hearing: 'What happened? You did it again. Why can't you guys get over the hump?' It was personally gratifying to finally eliminate them and take the proverbial monkey off your back, so you didn't have to listen to people say: 'What happened? What's the matter with you guys?' "
(Photo by John Mahoney/The Gazette)


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To begin with I would laud Varun Gandhi for a well-rehearsed article on universal healthcare. The intention was good, statistics was there, fundamental points were touched. There were tinges of modernism and shades of nostalgia.
From Soviet Union, to United Kingdom to the adoption of the term 'Affordable' (I am not sure why he stopped short of endorsing President Obama's Affordable Care Act ) the urge for a socialized medicine was unmistakably present. Nothing new. For these are all reminiscent of all that was started right after Independence by his own lineage heading a country that was hopelessly leaning toward a communist regime.
However, a deeper probe, a second read, and one would realize that an Indian hope has nothing to do with any universal expectation. Individual brilliance notwithstanding, Indian Medicine has persistently failed on rural policies.
Given a disease, and we have done splendidly, be it Polio or AIDS. But call it sort sightedness or plain and simple bigotry, we as a nation have failed the rural sector by ages.
So all that Varun Gandhi proposed, in terms of insurance coverage, capping drug prices and public private partnerships, will fall into dead waters unless a basic equivalence is reached. In short, our problem is not in the resources but in the mindset.
A trigger happy, urban biased and based health care system continues to advance at tandem with some of the most horrific figures and statistics rolling out from our rural areas. Truth be told, be it infant deaths or communicable diseases, we are the worst offenders when it comes to comparison to a global cohort.
Thus the word 'universal' in an Indian context is woefully is out of breath as in India, urban and rural health systems are two totally different beasts. To cite examples of health systems from various countries is redundant as none of those countries have such disparities as it exists in our nations.
But Varun Gandhi is bang on the target when he emphasizes the absolute necessity of a central governmental plan. Some of us physicians who have endorsed Obama Care saw the rationale behind such a centralized thought process. Caught in the mayhem of private insurances, many who could not afford the luxury fell into the cracks. An unemployed diabetic young individual invariably entered into end stage renal disease. A canopy of universal and affordable health care thus sutures such hiatuses. As a matter of fact, Boston paved the way, where a mandatory health care insurance drastically pulled down cases of colon cancer secondary to colonoscopy.
This will take long to be implemented in our nation. There is absolutely no accountability when it comes to deliverance. All these despite bludgeoning advances made in the field of science and technology. Hands on, user friendly, innovative thoughts are missing. Theoretical wisdom is totally different from pragmatic policies.
Allow me to cite two such examples that have flourished in the United States: Realizing the necessity of specialized assistants to surgeons, both in urban and rural sectors, a Surgical Technology program was pioneered that was cost effective, profitable, with a direct transition of education to employment. At this point of time, this program has become one of the fastest growing employments in the country.
Secondly, in response to the not so far away economic recession and to thwart the inevitable leakage of finances in patient care, a Crimson Project was launched that got quickly adopted by the private hospitals. Areas of potential improvements were targeted, including unnecessarily long length of stay, over utilization of resources and over indulgence on consultants. Married to an effective digitization, every physician is held accountable in terms of patient care and hospital performance.
In India, the problem is not in brilliance. That we have in plenty. Our challenge is in our
unwillingness to implement anything that is pragmatic, equal and congruous. Good looking hospitals are not akin to improved patient care.


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Five Tips for Creating Your Own Home-Based Project Welding Workshop
Whether you're a professional welder, welding student, or just a handy-around-the-house project kind of person, setting up your own home project welding workshop is a fun and functional way to work on your own projects, improve your skills, in addition to making home and automotive related repairs.
Before you fire up your welding torch and dig into your first project, there are a few important questions you need answer, as well as a bit of strategic planning you should undertake before striking out with your new endeavor.
Your budget, the space available to house your welding project work shop, and your skill level are all important factors to keep in mind as you formulate your plans for your new home welding workshop.
The following is a list of five tips that will guide you in creating a home-based project welding workshop tailored to your particular needs:
If money is no object, well hey, this project just got a whole lot easier – you've probably got an extra, un-used garage or large work shed you can dedicate to your new work shop, and you can undoubtedly stock your new welding project headquarters with all the best, top of the line equipment – brand new Miller and Lincoln welding machines all around!
Chances are, however, financial independence is not a reality in your life. In that case you need to sit down and evaluate your finances to determine how much you can realistically afford to spend on your new welding workshop. The amount of money you can spare will ultimately guide most of your decision from this point on.
If your like my grandpa Russell (a farm born raised in Western Michigan now residing on 80 acres with a pole barn larger than his house) and you have the luxury of a pole barn or some other large structure detatched from your home, then you've already got the perfect spot for your home welding workshop. If your not as lucky as good ole Russ, you need an alternative space for your project welding workshop.
Though appealing because they are a separate space and detached from your home, small structures such as garden or utility sheds are not a good idea. Hazardous, toxic fumes (a byproduct of the welding process) can accumulate in small spaces very quickly, even with better than average ventilation.
Basements are another bad idea. Your average basement is almost never well ventilated, and just as in a small shed, toxic fumes can build up very quickly, with no where to go. Or even worse, toxic fumes from your basement welding workshop make their way upstairs to your main house, which is obviously a detriment to your roommates, spouse, children, pets or whoever else happens to be present.
Generally speaking, a garage with bay doors (preferably detached from your house, or with at least a breezeway between the garage and main house) is your best bet. Whenever you weld, keep the bay doors open, and invest in some type of fume extractor – you can find a number of low-cost do-it-yourself fume extractor options.
Basic Tools
There are three essential tools every home project welding workshop should have, in addition to a basic welder's tool kit that every home-based welder should have.
The Home Welding Workshop Essentials:
- Handheld Grinder
- Cordless Drilling
- MIG Welder
- Combination pliers
- Adjustable locking pliers
- Adjustable wrench (preferably chrome)
- Ball pein hammer (preferably hardwood handled)
- Wire brush
- Cold chisel (preferably alloy steel)
- Center punch (preferable round head)
- Combination square (preferably cast iron)
- Steel ruler and folding steel ruler
- Solid spring nut
- Tape measure
- Swiss Army or multi-purpose utility knife (the more attachments, the better)
- Welding helmet
- Heavy duty tool box with tray (and you may want to consider a padlock)
Welding Machine
The section above outlining a home-based welder's essential tools references welding machines but as your welding machine is your home welding workshops most important and most expensive tool, it commands its own section.
A MIG welder is the best welding machine for a home project welding workshop. You can definitely pick up stick welding and oxy-acetylene welding setups for less money than a MIG welder but the degree of difficulty with both of the afore mentioned options is much greater than MIG welding, and oxy-acetylene welding presents a number of safety issues a home based welder should simply just avoid. The relative ease of use in working with a MIG welding machine far out weights the cost benefits offered by any other alternative welding process.
Welding is serious business and can be extremely dangerous, particularly if you don't know what you're doing.
If you're totally new to welding or only possess limited knowledge or experience, I strongly suggest you at least take a basic welding course at a local continuing education program, community college or trades school.
You can also find tons of invaluable welding related resources online. If want to grow as a welder and improve your technique, I recommend you check some of the resources out!


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My oldest, Lennon, is sick. He is 2 1/2. He has a horrible cough, fever of 101.7, and really out of it. His Dr is closed today so im making an apt first thing tomorrow but is there anything I can do for him tonight? He coughs so bad he throws up. I feel so bad for him :(
Tylenol/Motrin. Sounds almost like he has pneumonia or the flu. Just keep him well hydrated and relaxed tonight and call first thing tomorrow. Hope he feels better fast!
Is there an "Urgent Care" center around where you live? They check kids for symptoms like that. You can also run a REALLY hot shower and close the door to the bathroom. Sit in there with him for a few mins and the steam will usually help with a cough, helps to break it up so they can cough it out sometimes. Worth a shot. Hope he feels better soon.


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While plenty of high-yield opportunities exist, investors must always consider the safety of their dividend and the total return potential of their investment. It is not uncommon for a struggling company to suspend high-yielding dividends and subsequently result in precipitous share price declines.
TheStreet Ratings' stock rating model views dividends favorably, but not so much that other factors are disregarded. Our model gauges the relationship between risk and reward in several ways, including: the pricing drawdown as compared to potential profit volatility, i.e. how much one is willing to risk in order to earn profits?; the level of acceptable volatility for highly performing stocks; the current valuation as compared to projected earnings growth; and the financial strength of the underlying company as compared to its stock's valuation as compared to its stock's performance.
These and many more derived observations are then combined, ranked, weighted, and scenario-tested to create a more complete analysis. The result is a systematic and disciplined method of selecting stocks. As always, stock ratings should not be treated as gospel — rather, use them as a starting point for your own research.
The following pages contain our analysis of 3 stocks with substantial yields, that ultimately, we have rated "Buy."
Six Flags EntertainmentDividend Yield: 5.00% Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE: SIX) shares currently have a dividend yield of 5.00%. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation owns and operates regional theme, water, and zoological parks. The company's parks offer various state-of-the-art and traditional thrill rides, water attractions, themed areas, concerts and shows, restaurants, game venues, and retail outlets. The company has a P/E ratio of 16.37. The average volume for Six Flags Entertainment has been 555,200 shares per day over the past 30 days. Six Flags Entertainment has a market cap of $3.6 billion and is part of the leisure industry. Shares are up 3.9% year-to-date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. TheStreet Ratings rates Six Flags Entertainment as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity, expanding profit margins and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income. Highlights from the ratings report include:
- SIX's revenue growth has slightly outpaced the industry average of 4.2%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 4.0%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
- The company's current return on equity greatly increased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of significant strength within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry and the overall market, SIX FLAGS ENTERTAINMENT CORP's return on equity significantly exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
- The gross profit margin for SIX FLAGS ENTERTAINMENT CORP is rather high; currently it is at 66.10%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Along with this, the net profit margin of 23.86% is above that of the industry average.
- Compared to where it was a year ago today, the stock is now trading at a higher level, regardless of the company's weak earnings results. Looking ahead, unless broad bear market conditions prevail, we still see more upside potential for this stock, despite the fact that it has already risen over the past year.
- SIX FLAGS ENTERTAINMENT CORP's earnings per share declined by 43.6% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. We feel it is likely to report a decline in earnings in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, SIX FLAGS ENTERTAINMENT CORP turned its bottom line around by earning $3.04 versus -$0.25 in the prior year. For the next year, the market is expecting a contraction of 71.4% in earnings ($0.87 versus $3.04).
- You can view the full Six Flags Entertainment Ratings Report.


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Reviews - Cove Bay Hotel
Customer Reviews
Our reviews are from genuine LateRooms.com customers. We verify that the customer has stayed before leaving a review.
50% would recommend it to a friend
Customer service
Food quality
Room quality
I have stayed at the hotel twice now and each time the experience has been positive.
I find the hotel to be friendly, when you see staff, but also very private if you require that.
You can come and go as you please, usually not seeing a soul, which is nice. The rooms are lovely; everything you need and very clean. The beds are so comfortable and bedding of a high quality. One of the only hotels I've stayed at were you are not disturbed by ANY noise. and no lights glimmering in your room through the night. The breakfast is second to none; good quality and nice portions. I do recommend it to anyone visiting Aberdeen.
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Reasonable hotel
The weekend we stayed there was a wedding party, so some noisy guests leaving past our ground floor room at 1.15 in the morning.
Poor noise insulation and could hear residents in room above. Bar and restaurant were good and friendly service.
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