Today, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) supported the health care reform plan which includes the public option.

“Millions of Americans will be able to reestablish control over their lives,” AARP CEO Barry Rand said, in a broadcasted news conference.

The AARP organization has 40 million members, and their support is something that President Obama welcomed.

“They (AARP) would not be supporting it if they really believed it would lead to government bureaucracy making decisions that are best left to doctors,” Obama said.

Rand said that the House plan, “protects the right of people to see the doctor of their choice” and it “aggressively cracks down on waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicare system.”

“The bill focuses on quality of care and not the quantity of tests being ordered,” Rand added.

The American Medical Association (AMA) also supports the health care reform plan.

The legislation “isn’t perfect” but is “consistent with our goals to warrant our support to keep the process moving,” AMA President James Rohack said.

In his speech today, Rand from the AATP was very critical of the insurance industry, its rising rates, and denial of insurance for those with pre-existing conditions.

“We cannot continue to let insurers price older Americans out of the market, just as we cannot stand idle while millions of Americans are forced to choose between their groceries and their prescriptions,” Rand said.

AARP Website

There is a beef recall that has been extended to all Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states (the original recall applied to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Massachusetts and North Carolina).  There has been an e.coli. realted death in New Hampshire and related illnesses in other states.

Here’s the list of recalled products, all packaged products with sell-by dates of 9-19-09 to 9-28-09 (unless specified):

Acme Markets. Lancaster Brand Ground Beef 90/10, 1-pound and 2-pound trays. Lancaster Brand Extra Lean Ground Beef 96/04, 1-pound tray. Wild Harvest Natural Angus Ground Beef 85/15, 1-pound tray.

BJ’s Wholesale Club/Burris. Fresh Ground Beef Patties 85/15, 5-pound tray. Lean Ground Beef 93/07, 3-pound and 5-pound trays. Meatloaf and Meatball Mix, 2.5-pound tray.

Ford Brothers Fresh Ground Beef Patty 80/20, 3-pound tray.

Giant Food Stores. Giant Meatloaf & Meatball Mix, 1-pound tray. Giant Nature’s Promise Ground Beef, 1-pound tray. Giant Nature’s Promise Ground Beef Patties, 1-pound tray. Giant Extra Lean Ground Beef 96/04, 1-pound tray.

Price Chopper. Price Chopper Meatloaf & Meatball Mix, 1-pound and 2.5-pound trays. Price Chopper Extra Lean Ground Beef 96/4, 1-pound tray. Price Chopper Fresh Ground Beef Chuck for Chili 80/20, 1-pound tray.

Trader Joe’s. Brick packs with sell-by dates of 10/06/09 or 10/07/09): Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef 85/15, 1-pound brick pack, and Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef 80/20, 1-pound brick pack. Packaged Products with sell-by dates of 9/19/09 to 09/28/09: Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Beef Patty 85/15, 1-pound tray, and Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef 96/4 Extra Lean, 1-pound tray.

Shaw’s Supermarkets. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Beef 93/7, 1-pound and 2-pound trays. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Beef 80/20, 1-pound, 2-pound, 3-pound trays. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Beef 75/25, 1-pound and 3-pound trays. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Sirloin Beef Patties 90/10, 1.3-pound tray. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Round Beef Patties 85/15, 1.3-pound tray. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Beef Patties 80/20, 1.3-pound tray. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Beef Patties Family Pack 80/20, 3-pound tray. Shaw’s Angus Ground Beef 85/15, 1-pound tray. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Round Beef 85/15, 1-pound, 2-pound, 3-pound trays. Shaw’s Natural Ground Beef 90/10, 1-pound tray. Shaw’s Natural Ground Beef 85/15, 1-pound tray. Shaw’s Fresh Ground Sirloin 90/10, 1-pound, 2-pound and 3-pound trays. Meatloaf & Meatball Mix, 1-pound tray.

Other products. Cases of 10-pound Fairbank Farms Fresh Ground Beef Chubs. “These products had a sell date of 10/3/09, 10/4/09 or 10/5/09, but will likely not bear those sell-by dates on their package labels,” according to the processor. “These products were distributed to retail establishments in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia for further processing.”

For more information, call the USDA hotline at 1-888-674-6854, the Fairbank Farms consumer hotline at 1-877-546-0122, or go to www.fairbankfarms.com.

Meb Keflezighi wins NYC Marathon - AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Meb Keflezighi won the New York City Marathon this morning and completed it with a personal best time of 2:09:15.  An American hasn’t won the NYC Marathon since 1982.

Meb Keflezighi, 34, emigrated from Ethiopia to San Diego, California in 1987 and became a US citizen in 1998. Keflezighi has been running most of his life and won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics. 

Meb Keflezighi’s Career Highlights:

• 2005 ING NYC Marathon 3rd place
• 2004 Olympic Marathon Silver Medallist
• 2004 ING NYC Marathon Runner-Up
• 2000, 2004 Olympic Trials 10,000m champion
• 2004 Marathon Olympic Trials runner-up
• 12th in 10,000m at 2000 Olympics
• 3-time U.S. 10,000m champ (2000, ’02, ’04)
• 2-time USA 12km XC champ (’01, ’02 )
• 3-time U.S. 15 km champ (’01, ’02, ’04)
• 4-time NCAA champion
• American 10,000m record holder
• Olympic Trials 10,000m record holder
• U.S. Championships 10,000m record holder

 Source: www.usatf.org

Derartu Tulu, 37 from Ethiopia was the first female to finish the NYC Marathon this morning with a completion time of 2:28:52. Keflezighi and Tulu will each receive $130,000 in prize money.

Dennis Hopper cancer headlines deal with Dennis Hopper’s prostate cancer. After Dennis Hopper discovered he had prostate cancer, he cancelled all trips and entered a “special program” at the USC Medical Center, according to LA Late.

 Dennis Hopper just completed filming season two of “Crash.”  In addition, Dennis Hopper was set to appear in Australia at an art exhibit entitled “Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood.”  The exhibit was to display art and photographs by Dennis Hopper.

 Dennis Hopper cancer headlines have made many people sad.  When actors such as Dennis Hopper have issues such as cancer, it touches the hearts of their fans.  Of course many people will be bummed that Dennis Hopper will miss some events, but Dennis Hopper’s cancer battle is far more important.

 According to the American Cancer Society, in 2009 approximately 192,280 new cases of prostate cancer (the cancer Dennis Hopper has) will be diagnosed, and 27,360 men will die as a result. However, more than 2 million men diagnosed with prostate cancer are still alive.

 Although prostate cancer is the 2^nd leading cause of cancer deaths in men, Dennis Hopper has a good chance of beating his cancer.  Dennis Hopper’s cancer is serious, but with the right treatment he should experience a recovery. The 5 year survival rate is nearly 100% and the 10 year survival rate is 91%.  The 15 year prostate cancer survival rate is 76%.  Modern advances are expected to increase these rates.

 Dennis Hopper cancer headlines are undoubtedly sad.  Many fans feel bad after finding out about Dennis Hopper’s cancer.  However, Dennis Hopper’s cancer is treatable, and hopefully Dennis Hopper will experience a full recovery.

H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu) from the CDC

The H1N1 influenza is widespread in 46 states in the US, and many people have raised concerns that the H1N1 vaccine itself is dangerous. There are reports that four people in Sweden have died in past few days from the H1N1 vaccine, but the CDC has not confirmed this information.  All four people received the shot a few days before they died.

As with any flu shot, you are being given a small dosage of the actual flu, and some people get flu like symptoms for a few days after getting the shot. Some people feel like they have the full blown flu after they get a flu shot. The decision to take the shot is up to you. If you have specific questions about what is best for your particular health concerns, your doctor can help you decide.

The US H1N1 vaccine is different than the vaccine received in the US.  The CDC reported that some H1N1 shots contain the preservative thimerosal, and other H1N1 vaccines do not.  Some people have expressed concern about thimerosal for children because it has a mercury-base, but the CDC states there is no scientific evidence the preservative is harmful.  If you decide to get the shot, the person who gives it to you can show you the ingredients.

The CDC has recommended a flu shot for those who may experience problems if they contracted the swine flu these groups include: pregnant women, caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months, everyone between the ages of 6 months and 24 years, and people ages 25 to 64 with existing health problems.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) chief stated last week that the H1N1 vaccine is “remarkably safe” and that there is nothing scary or unique about it that should keep anyone from getting the vaccine. The NIH reported that 11,000,000 H1N1 vaccine shot and nasal sprays shipped as of October 21st, and they expect everyone who wants the vaccine will have it within the next month. 

The new flu season just started on September 1, 2009 and over 1,000 people have died nationwide since that start date.  That does not include the number of people who died earlier this year from the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Walmart Caskets

Walmart made a little under $100 billion in revenue last year, and they added two more products to their sales list…caskets and urns.  None of the 7,900 Walmart stores are selling any funeral accessories in the stores, but are for online

Costco has offered caskets online for quite a while, and Walmart just started a week ago. 

The website lists dimensions, the type of material, photos and the price of the caskets range from $999 to $3,199, and they are all made by Star Legacy Funeral Network, Inc.  They currently have 27 different caskets listed.  And they will arrive in just a few days. 

See this link for the Walmart caskets website:  Walmart Caskets

Flu Shot

There are some unconfirmed reports (the CDC has not verified the data) that people have died from the H1N1 vaccine.  In any given year, roughly 35% of the population receives the flu shot, and this year 50% anticipate getting the H1N1 vaccine, according to a CBS News poll.  The Early Show also conducted a random study of 100 doctors around the country and asked them if they would recommend the H1N1 vaccine to patients, 91% said yes, but 9% said no.

According to Associated Content, in Sweden four people have taken the H1N1 vaccine shot and have died within a few days.  It is important to note that the shot received in the United States is different than what is being given outside the United States. 

The four people who have died in Sweden include: a 74-year-old heart and lung disease patient, a 90-year-old patient, a female patient (no age given) with a history of muscle disease, and a 50-year-old man with a heart condition. Once again, the deaths of these four people in Sweden have not been directly linked to the H1N1 vaccine, but each of them did receive the shot and died within a few days.

In the United States, several different shots containing different ingredients have been issued; the only way to know what you are getting is to ask your doctor for the specific ingredients in your shot.

Is the vaccine safe?

“In medicine…we can never say with 100 percent certainty that anything is safe,” according to Dr. Ashton on the Today Show. “There are always risks. … You have to balance proposed risks versus proposed benefits, and the risk of this virus, we know is particularly high for younger people, including children. The risks of the vaccine, which you can never say are zero as all government health officials and scientists have told us are so low, they are (immeasurable).”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) chief stated last week that the H1N1 vaccine is “remarkably safe” and that there is nothing scary or unique about it that should keep anyone from getting the vaccine.

The Flu.gov website includes a nationwide list of of who has the H1N1 flu shot, once you choose your state then a list of clinics with contact information will be shown for your area.  The swine flu shot is being given first to people considered high-risk (this includes pregnant women and young children).  To see who has the flu shot available in your area, click here for the Flu.gov website.

Flu Shot

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) chief stated this week that the H1N1 vaccine is “remarkably safe” and that there is nothing scary or unique about it that should keep anyone from getting the vaccine. Actually finding a clinic that has the shot is a little more difficult.  The NIH is reporting that 11,000,000 shipped as of October 21st, but the demand is still greater, and there are enough shots for everyone that wants one, but asked for patience on the part of the public. 

President Obama declared a national emergency on Saturday as the number of swine flu victims swelled to over 1,000 deaths so far, and 100 of them have been children. Since April, millions of people have been infected with the virus in the US, and over 20,000 have been hospitalized, according to CNN. The swine flu is now widespread in almost every state in the country, to see the CDC map of the states, click here. They are working on getting the vaccine out to everyone as soon as possible.

In a statement written Friday night, Obama said: “The 2009 H1N1 pandemic continues to evolve. The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities, thus, in recognition of the continuing progression of the pandemic, and in further preparation as a nation, we are taking additional steps to facilitate our response.”

Baby Einstein Blocks

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Kids II Inc. announced the recall of “35,000 Baby Einstein Discover and Play Color Blocks because surface paint on the blue block contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.”

The recall is for Model # 30726 and Model # 30881 with date codes of GE7, GF7, and GG7. They were made in China and were sold between June 2007 and September 2007.  

For more information on the block recall, click here.

There is also a recall on the Baby Einstein DVDs.  The Baby Einstein company will refund $15.99 for up to four “Baby Einstein” DVDs per household, bought between June 5, 2004, and Sept. 5, 2009, and returned to the company (specific titles have not been listed, so one assumes it is any baby Enstein DVD). 

A class action lawsuit was threatened for unfair and deceptive practices unless Disney agreed to refund the full purchase price to all who bought the videos since 2004.

Submissions must be mailed and postmarked by March 4, 2010.  For more information about the DVD recall including where to send your DVDs, click here.

Three new prescription drugs are currently being reviewed by the FDA for possible release to aid in weight loss.   

Dr. Jorge Vazquez of Allegheny General Hospital said, “This is an exciting time because we have an epidemic of obesity and we have very few options for treatment available. The expected weight loss with these type of drugs would be 10 percent of the initial weight.”

Qnexa is a combination of two prescription drugs that have already been approved; a diet drug and a headache pill.

The second drug is called Lorcaserin Hydrochloride and on chemistry in the brain.

The third drug is called Contrave, is a combination of two prescription drugs that have already been approved: an anti-depressant and a pill that help to fight alcohol addiction.

These drugs would help with impulse control, a major factor in obesity control.  As with any weight loss drug, diet and exercise and behavior modification are still needed.  These medications are for the treatment of obesity, and are not meant for people who need to lose five pounds.