Parenting Plus: August 28, 2009

Project Rebirth

In the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on America, several artists joined together to produce a soft cover book entitled 9/11: Artists Respond. The book of graphic art showcases the artists’ responses to the terror that befell the world. One nine-frame piece by Jeph Loeb and Scott Campbell entitled “Please Stand By…” features a girl of about eight years of age watching cartoons on television. By the third and fourth frames, the image on the screen changes to a live feed of the Twin Towers ablaze. As the little girl stands transfixed, stuffed animal in hand and her face less than 12 inches from the screen, the commentator announces, “We interrupt this program to take you live…” the little girl turns away and calls, “Mommy…” The next three frames show her mother dropping a basket of laundry. Then, with her face contorted in anguish, the mother embraces her daughter to shield her from the unrelenting images. The final frame is a close-up of the little girl asking, “Mommy, when are the cartoons gonna come back on?”

Letter: L.I. Sierra Club Applauds House Passage of Clean Energy and Security Act

Burdened as we on Long Island are by high energy costs and dirty air, we should applaud the recent passage by the House of Representatives of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). ACES sets forth clean energy and efficiency goals for America to achieve - goals that have already been reached and surpassed by other countries around the world. The release of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum products, and even “clean” natural gas) has started a process of rapid global climate change.

Liver Lines: August 21, 2009

One of the complications of cirrhosis can be the development of hepatic encephalopathy. This may manifest as full-blown disorientation or stupor but there are also subtle changes that can occur. Difficulty sleeping, problems with short-term memory and the inability to answer seemingly simple questions such as simple math or spelling may be signs of a problem.

From the Desk of Legislator Dave Mejias: August 14, 2009

Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet

This summer I sponsored and passed legislation in Nassau County that protects children on the Internet by banning all convicted sex offenders from social networking and Internet dating websites. Working closely with nationally renowned advocacy groups Parents For Megan’s Law & the Coalition Against Child Abuse and Neglect we were able to pass this important legislation to provide a safer environment for our children to surf the Internet. While researching this legislation it became apparent how dangerous a place the Internet can be for unsupervised children. Sexual predators are using the Internet and websites like MySpace and Facebook to prey on children. They are also using online dating services like Match.com to identify single mothers to exploit their children.

County Executive’s Column: August 7, 2009

Nassau’s ‘Next Generation’

On July 22, I held a forum with Nassau’s “Next Generation” of current and former residents between the ages of 20-35 to discuss the county’s future. Some of these young adults currently reside in Nassau, and some have moved away, to places nearby like New York City, and even as far as Switzerland. It was a great opportunity for all of us to discuss Nassau County’s future and how to attract young professionals like themselves to Nassau.

Letter: How to Fight Rate Increases

Aqua-New York Water customers now have a way to fight Aqua-New York Water’s plan to raise the average monthly bill by 12 percent.

To make sure that Aqua-New York Water customers have the chance to speak publicly on this issue, I urged the New York State Public Service Commission to hold public hearings within the community. The PSC, which must approve this rate increase before it takes effect, has agreed and will be holding two local public hearings:

Letter: Transaction Fees Hurting Small Businesses

Have you ever wondered why some of your favorite small stores ask you not to use your credit card for low-dollar purchases? It has to do with a huge, hidden credit card fee that costs Americans $48 billion a year – more than annual fees, late fees and over-the-limit fees combined.

Unless you’re a retailer, you’ve probably never heard of it, but it’s costing you and us money on everything we buy, whether you use plastic or not. And it’s crippling thousands of Long Island small businesses, even as they’re already struggling to survive this economy.

From Sustainable Long Island

Secession Might Not Be L.I.’s Solution to Recession, But a Regional Agenda Is

Times have changed. From what seems like our never-ending economic downturn, we are all facing new insecurities about what the future holds for ourselves and our children. We’ve been engulfed in chaos, gloom and swarms of inconsistent responses to this crisis. We are questioning even more, what will it take for us to be better equipped, more prepared next time a recession hits?

Parenting Plus: July 24, 2009

Hello Dalai

The Dalai Lama and the New York State Senate

On May 9, 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate the Dalai Lama offered an invocation for the New York State Senate, calling for compassion during tough times. The 73-year old spiritual leader of Tibet spoke from the chamber floor about honesty and transparency and told the senators and spectators about his deep respect for American values. “This house,” he said, “I think demonstrates the American democratic system.” Ya think?

Liver Lines: July 24, 2009

Many people have been concerned about cholesterol levels in liver disease, especially in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. People with primary biliary cirrhosis or simply, PBC, have elevated cholesterol levels in the blood. In the early stages of the disease, the good cholesterol or HDL is markedly elevated. As the disease progresses, the paradigm switches and LDL or the bad cholesterol becomes more dominant. The ramifications of an elevated serum cholesterol in PBC are not clear. In the absence of other risk factors, most studies show that elevated cholesterol in this condition is not associated with an increased risk of heart disease. This should be good news for the many people in our area with PBC.