Everyday, millions of spam artists send out billions of spam emails to people who would rather not receive even one of these - sometimes x-rated - messages, let alone a dozen (or more) everyday of the week.
When left alone, these unwanted messages get in the way of legitimate and important messages from your family and friends and they can quickly fill up a box with limited space. And we all know it is time-consuming to delete them day after day.

There are things that you can do and precautions you can take that will help to cut your unwanted emails down to a trickle.

These steps can greatly reduce the amount of emails that you have to go through to get to the good stuff.

http://www.NecessaryInfo.info Information For Your Life

Springtime is a good time to lighten up. With the sight of green grass and clear streets, it is the perfect time to start thinking about that running or walking program that you may have abandoned sometime in October, and also a great time to evaluate your dietary habits.

Depending on where you live, your food mood may sway with the seasons. In summertime you gravitate toward lighter foods, salads, fresh fruits, grilled meats; in the fall, you may favor more rustic fare like squash, roasted poultry and potatoes; in winter, stews and soups are appealing, as are casseroles and comfort foods of the like. Come spring, you want yet another change of pace. Warm, yet light foods, like grilled meats, baked fish, rice, fresh asparagus, and mixed green salads are appealing.

Springtime is also a good time to trim calories from your diet. Remember to consider portion size as well as food preparation in setting goals to reduce your calorie intake. Baking or grilling meats is a low fat cooking method that saves calories. By adding less fat while you cook, you can trim calories considerably. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t add any fat, just less.

Limiting or eliminating the butter or margarine you add to cooked vegetables can save calories too. Fresh spring asparagus that is steamed just right requires nothing more than a pinch of salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. When cooking at home, balance out high calorie menu items with lower calorie ones (for instance, Fried chicken with steamed broccoli; or baked fish with an au gratin potato dish).

Don’t forget to plan for some snacks. Healthy snacking is a great way to keep yourself satisfied and it helps you control your appetite at meals. If you allow yourself to get too hungry, you are bound to overeat.

Spring ahead into a healthier diet and lifestyle. Get outside for some fresh outdoor activity and make some simply dietary changes for the better.

Rust, a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in clinical nutrition, is a licensed provider for Real Living Nutrition Services® at www.reallivingnutrition.com

Rosanne Rust, MS, RD, LDN
Registered Dietitian
Nutrition Consulting, Writing, Lectures
Licensed Provider for Real Living Nutrition Services®

Tired of dieting?
Try a new approach to weight management:
http://www.reallivingnutrition.com/RosanneRust.aspx

We self-publishers fight a lonely battle, finding readers for our wit and wisdom. We write alone, and now we sell alone and search for ways to market our work. How do we entice readers to open their wallets?

Those questions are often premature. Before asking how you’re going to cope with all those book orders, you need to make sure you have a quality product. So here are ten tips to make your book, fiction or non-fiction, the best it can be.

#1 Use a spell-checker, but only as a first line of defense. Then you look for misspellings the spell-checker won’t catch, such as then/than, to/too/two, tail/tale, or its/it’s.

#2 Read your manuscript critically, as though you weren’t the author. Some things to check include complete chapters, well-organized paragraphs, complete sentences, and accurate punctuation.

#3 Be consistent. If you capitalize a word once in the text, chances are you always want to capitalize it. Decide whether you want one space or two at the end of a sentence, and stick with it. Never change your font or type size without good reason. If your work consists of more than one file, be sure that every file is formatted identically.

#4 Get honest, competent critiques. Leave your mother and spouse alone; your family has better things to do than fawn over your work. Avoid critiques from anyone who has an emotional stake in making you happy, because that isn’t what you need. The Internet Writing Workshop (http://internetwritingworkshop.org) is an excellent source of constructive, informed criticism.

#5 Use your judgment. Even good critiquers may give you conflicting advice. Remember that it’s your project, so the final decision is always yours.

#6 Refer to a style manual such as the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the most widely accepted guide for standard writing.

#7 Make a style sheet. A novel or other large manuscript can involve lots of small stylistic decisions by the author. Keep a pad of paper with a running list things you don’t want to have to keep looking up. For example, a cartoon I liked showed a bank robber writing a note and asking the teller, “Is holdup one word or two?” Think of words you often misspell or don’t know how to capitalize, and write them correctly on the list.

#8 Follow your publisher’s guidelines religiously even if they don’t insist.

#9 Repeat tip #2.

#10 Review the publisher’s proof carefully. When you receive the publisher’s proof isn’t the time to look for typos; you should have done that already. At this stage, the publisher may even charge you if you fix many of your own mistakes at this stage. Instead, look for their errors. Are illustrations in their proper places? Are pages and chapters numbered properly? Look at every page’s overall appearance. Is each one properly aligned? Is any text missing?

If you follow these simple (but not always easy) tips, I can’t guarantee best-sellerdom for your book, but I can promise you this: Your book will be far superior to the vast majority of self-published books. You will have a quality product.

Bob Sanchez is a retired senior technical writer who recently self-published his comic novel When Pigs Fly (iUniverse, 2006). Kirkus Discoveries declares that “Sanchez’s breakneck narrative never lets up,” while Midwest Book Review states, “Bob Sanchez writes like Carl Hiaasen on speed.” He is working on his next novel and plans to self-publish again.

Are you looking for a way to safely build up your strength and muscle mass up without breaking the law or growing “bitch tits”? My husband is, and informed me that he was going to start taking a muscle & strength building supplement called Halodrol Liquigels.

In the interest of keeping him out of jail (and my bras), I decided to research this product before giving him the green light to start taking it. After all, I’d heard some negative things about another product called Halodrol-50, so I wanted to be sure that this was a different supplement. I also wanted to make sure that it was legal, find out what the possible side effects are, and who could safely use it. In this article I’ll share with you exactly what I discovered about Halodrol Liquigels.

Is It The Same Supplement?

No, Halodrol Liquigels and Halodrol-50 are not the same thing. Halodrol-50 was a very popular strength & muscle building prohormonal supplement that was voluntarily discontinued by its manufacturer, Gaspari Nutrition, after a newspaper article claimed the supplement contained anabolic steroids. It was replaced with Halodrol Liquigels, a non-prohormonal product that promises to deliver results similar to the original product.

Is It Legal?

Yes, Halodrol Liquigels is legal. Halodrol-50 had one active ingredient, a prohormone, which is a substance very similar to anabolic steroids. Currently, anabolic steroids and prohormones are illegal in the United States. Halodrol Liquigels is not prohormonal, and it’s 5 active ingredients are all legal.

What Are The Possible Side Effects?

There really wasn’t much information about possible side effects on Gaspari Nutrition’s website, so I scoured the bodybuilding forums for actual user side effects. I did not find any user complaints of gynecomastia, (a.k.a. “bitch tits”), the enlargement of male breast tissue, which is a common side effect of anabolic steroids and prohormones like Halodrol-50. I did, however, find reports of oily skin, minor acne outbreaks, and an increased libido.

I also found some interesting information on these forums about one of the main ingredients, Arachidonic Acid. Several posts cautioned against taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements and anti-inflammatories while using Halodrol Liquigels. There were also several warnings about avoiding red meat and healthy fats, as Arachidonic Acid inhibits the body’s ability to absorb them.

Who Can Safely Use It?

Halodrol Liquigels is definitely NOT for everyone. If you

• Are under the age of 21
• Are a woman
• Have any type of auto-immune or systematic inflammatory condition
• Have ever had any type of cancer

You can NOT take this supplement!

Overall, I was fairly satisfied with what I learned about Halodrol Liquigels. It’s not a prohormone or anabolic steroid, it’s legal, and the side effects appear to be negligible, or even positive (increased libido? Works for me!). As my husband is a healthy man in his 30’s with no history of cancer, I see no problem with him taking it. That does not, however, mean that you should. You need to do your own research and talk to your doctor before taking Halodrol Liquigels or any supplement.

Taylor Castoldi is a free-lance writer married to an aspiring Mr. Olympia. Concerned about the health and safety of her husband, she devotes a great detail of her time to researching and writing about the bodybuilding industry and performance enhancing supplements. To learn more about Halodrol Liquigels, and other legal performance enhancing supplements, visit Taylor’s site at http://www.halodrolreviews.com

A growing number of people suffer the pain and discomfort of heartburn or reflux on a regular basis. It has been estimated that up to twenty percent of the population are affected at least once a week. Acid reflux and heartburn occur when the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) allows the acid content of the stomach to flow back up into the esophagus. The esophagus is a tube like structure that connects the mouth and throat to the stomach. The LES is a valve which naturally protects the delicate esophagus from harmful acids. It is almost like a trapdoor, which opens up to allow the food we eat to enter the gut. Hydrochloric acid is then produced by the body to help break these substances down.

When heartburn or acid reflux strikes it is an indication of the LES temporarily relaxing, or in more serious cases, of it not functioning properly. If a person suffers from more regular or even constant heartburn and reflux, it may be a symptom of a far more serious condition called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease.) The symptoms of GERD are; heartburn, chest pains (especially at night), regurgitation of foods and liquids, a feeling of ’sourness’ in the mouth and at times a sore throat and coughing and wheezing. If you suffer from any of the above symptoms on a regular basis, an appointment should be made with your doctor as soon as possible. GERD can lead to severe medical complications and should not be ignored. Pregnancy is often the cause acid indigestion. If you are pregnant, always consult your doctor or obstetrician before taking any heartburn or reflux remedy. Both antacid and herbal treatments can be harmful to an unborn child. If however, you only experience occasional heartburn or acid reflux, there are many natural remedies which can help to ease your symptoms. These include;

• Aloe Vera Juice
• Chewable DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice)
• Marshmallow root tea
• Peppermint tea
• Aniseed or anise
• Lavender
• Digestive enzymes that contain pepsin or betain
• Papaya digestive enzymes
• Chicory root
• Pineapple juice, which contains an enzyme called bromelain (bromelain can also be bought in tablet form)

Taking herbal remedies, rather than antacids, to relieve the symptoms of heartburn or reflux, can be extremely beneficial. Nevertheless, herbal remedies may also have side affects, particularly if you have been prescribed pharmaceutical drugs from your regular doctor. In such cases, a reputable herbalist should always be consulted if any form of medication is being taken. Certified Herbalists can be sourced in your local business directory, or on the internet. Remedies that include herbal teas, aloe vera juice and digestive enzymes are usually found in health stores and are not generally thought to have many side affects. Always speak with a store assistant before you purchase a treatment. They often have a vast knowledge of herbal remedies, as well as their uses and effects. The most common causes of heartburn and reflux are the foods we eat. Food and beverages to avoid include;

• Spicy foods
• Citrus fruits and juices
• Vinegar
• Garlic
• Fatty foods
• Coffee
• Carbonated drinks (sodas)
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Black peppers
• Chillies (hot and spicy capsicums)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Fatty foods
• Foods high in sugar
• Bread
• Raw onions

There are several other foods which can cause a reaction. Some people are more sensitive than others and may even have food allergies. If you think you might have an allergy to food, the best course of action is to consult your doctor or a dietician, before you modify your diet. To achieve optimum health, eat a sensible, balanced diet and try not to consume too much food in one sitting. Meals that contain carbohydrates, meat, processed foods, sugar and fats can aggravate the causes of heartburn and reflux. Eat slowly and make sure that you chew each mouthful properly. Undigested food will often create excess acid in the stomach, producing gases that can put pressure on a weakened LES and result in a painful bout of heartburn or reflux. As with all medical conditions, treating the cause rather than the symptom is the most logical way to control the discomfort of acid reflux and heartburn.

Sophie Cosic is the mother of twin girls and author of numerous articles on childcare, education, natural health, parenting and pregnancy. She is a European distributor of Colic Calm, the acclaimed Homeopathic Gripe Water available for babies with href="http://www.coliccalm.com/baby_infant_newborn_articles/baby_colic_treatment.htm">colic, gas and href="http://www.coliccalm.com/baby_infant_newborn_articles/acid-reflux.htm">infant reflux. More information can be found by visiting http://www.coliccalm.com

GINGER PICKLE

Eat before lunch to help you digest

Ingredients: for 4

2″ Fresh grated ginger
1/2 Lemon juice
1/4 tsp Rock salt
Honey to taste

Take one teaspoon a few minutes before you eat to increase your digestive fire.

Or make a larger quantity and keep for next meal(s)

SESAME LADHU

Better than chocolate!

Vata-balancing. Traditionally also good for ladies for regular periods, PMS

Ingredients: makes 10 balls - 1 ball a day

100g Sesame seeds - * lightly roasted
50g Jaggery sugar - grated
25/50g Coconut - grated from block,or use dessicated
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Cardamom - powder or seeds ground)
1/2 tsp Ginger - ground
1-2 tsp Ghee - warm and runny

Mix in a blender

** Roll into small balls. Store in container in cool place.

*Note: Roast sesame seeds at low heat (electric 2) until they are golden brown; any darker gives a more bitter taste.

** For a luxurious flavour, sprinkle with Maharishi Almond Energy

LASSI Drink before or with lunch to aid digestion

Lassi is fresh yogurt blended with room temperature water. Whereas yogurt by itself can clog the channels of the digestive and elimination systems, once it is transformed into lassi it aids digestion. Thinning yogurt with water and blending it makes it more easy to assimilate.

Sweet Lassi:

Blend to taste:

1 part cold yogurt
3 parts water
Pinches of cardamom, sugar and rosewater

Digestive Lassi:

Blend to taste:

1 part cold yogurt
3 parts water
Pinches of ginger, cumin, Rock Salt and black pepper

DAL

Nutritious addition to a meal

Especially with basmati rice and vegetables

During or at the end of cooking, add Vata Churna, a Vata-balancing

Ayurveda spice blend of cumin, ginger, fenugreek, turmeric, sugar, salt and Hingu (asafoetida). Vata Churna is also suitable with Vata-increasing food such as cabbage, broccoli, grains and salads.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 small handfuls of organic yellow Mung Dal
1 tsp Vata Churna
1 tsp Organic Ghee
Tiny pinch Hingu
Rock Salt or Black Salt to taste (added at the end of cooking, or at table)

Optional to taste:

fresh Coriander leaves
lemon juice
bay leaves
finely sliced spinach
Preparation: 30 minutes

Wash Mung Dal

Add boiling water
Cook just above simmering for 20 minutes until soft
Melt ghee on low heat
Add Vata Churna (and bay leaves)
Cook very gently at low heat for 30 seconds
Add spice mix to dal
Add finely sliced spinach
Cook at gentle heat for 3-4 minutes
Add a little lemon juice and some finely chopped coriander leaves
Cook for 1-2 minutes
Serve

In 1956 the film “Blackboard Jungle” launched “Rock around the Clock” upon the world and the austerity of the post-war 50s suddenly ended when Bill Haley and his Comets brought Rock n Roll to UK shores giving the young people of the day something to identify with and also something that would change their lives for ever. By the early 60s this new “devils” music had taken the country by storm and artists such as Elvis, Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran along with UK sound alikes such as Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard had gained huge followings.

Rock n Roll was a combination of white country and black blues music and the one common factor was that practically all the RnR artists were white except Little Richard, who was the best of the lot by far in my opinion. In the UK most people were unaware of the oppression of black Americans and how their music was derided and shunned by white middle class America. One man, Alexis Korner, made it his lifetime’s mission to make sure the British youth knew and understood where the roots of this music came from.

Alexis was in his early 30s and had a band called Blues Incorporated. He was a competent but not great guitarist with a distinctive gravel voice that would serve him well later as a broadcaster. Alexis had started out as a member of Chris Barber’s band playing skiffle and trad jazz in the early 50s and Chris also shared Alexis’ love of black American blues. At that time the Chris Barber band was highly successful and it was Chris’ clout and wealth that gave Alexis the opportunity to introduce some of these bluesmen to the UK.

The performances, and colourful names, of such artists such as Howlin’ Wolf, Lighting Slim, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Bo Diddley and BB King totally captivated British audiences and started a love affair with the blues that has never really waned over the decades. Ironically Chris Barber’s generosity and goodwill meant he had committed musical suicide as the once hugely popular trad scene became uncool and never really recovered.

Blues Incorporated became the Kornerstone of UK blues, a solid oak that produced so many fine acorns such as: John Mayall, Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Keith Richard (Stones) Keith Relf, Jeff Beck (Yardbirds) Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton (Cream) Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin).

Blues clubs, predominantly in the south, sprang up everywhere and one of the most famous was “Klooks Kleek” based in a flock wallpapered, velvet curtained room above the Railway Hotel in West Hampstead. This former jazz club was named after some obscure Jazz drummer, “Klook” being his nickname. The main man was Dick Jordan who was quick to see what was happening and started a regular Tuesday night Rhythm & Blues night getting Alexis and other well known musicians to kick it all off. Klooks was unique, there was no stage, no sound checks or sound/lighting engineers, the musicians just set up and played. The Victorian furnishings made for great acoustics, it was like being entertained in your own front room and I often returned home stiff necked peering over someone’s shoulder all night.

The line up of superstars that played here is impressive including, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Georgie Fame,The Who, Cream and strangely enough next door to the pub was the EMI studios where the Beatles were denied a recording contract as they were not deemed good enough. The backbone of this R&B scene however were the lesser known bands with wonderful sounding names such as Zoot Money’s Big Roll band, The Graham Bond Organisation, Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band and Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds. It was also the place where Cream played their first gig and I left unimpressed, never going to amount to much I thought - oops!

By the late 60s the UK music scene was the envy of the world, the North, in particular Liverpool, became awash with guitar bands influenced by music brought in by black American sailors whilst the South were much more into 6-7 piece bands with Hammond Organs and horns. Sadly time and music moved on and Klooks today is a trendy bar where DJs ironically still mix in some James Brown with their dance music.

It was also time for Alexis to move on and he came to the notice of the BBC who offered him some broadcasting and TV work which he took up enthusiastically and used the opportunity to present unknown up and coming musicians to the masses. His only real recording success was in the 70s with a jazz rock big band called CCS (Collective Consciousness Society) a brainchild of pop mogul Mickey Most. Their version of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” became an enormous hit and was the theme tune of “Top of Pops” right up until its recent demise. Whilst all of the Blues Incorporated “acorns” gained fame and fortune in the music business Alexis glided along happily in the background gigging, broadcasting and finding new talent. His distinctive gravel voice was also in great demand for advertising voice-overs. In 1977 he became a DJ presenting a weekly “Blues and Soul” show on Radio 1 and such were the audience ratings it ran continually right up to early 80s.

On January 1st 1984 Alexis, aged 56, died of throat cancer and the music world mourned one of its most pioneering spirits. In the mid 60s the Mods and Rockers era exploded on an unsuspecting nation and although short lived created havoc with the authorities for a while. Rockers were all about leather, motorbikes and Rock n Roll. Mods, me among them, were about sharp suits, scooters and soul. Alexis Korner was a blues & soul historian and had he failed in his quest to get his message across I cant help but wonder if the mod scene would have happened at all and history may well have been vastly different.

Allan Ashton is an experienced author and musician now living in Spain. Still gigging and writing he is also the editor of http://www.electrodrum.com a site dedicated to electronic drums featuring unique Edrum and acoustic drum auctions

Panama is a birder’s paradise. From walking the trails of its numerous jungle canopies, to exploring the paths of Metropolitan Park (located within Panama City limits), to even simply meandering around Panama City itself, you are bound to be impressed by the country’s aviary array.

Sitting on the rooftop deck of a popular hotel in Panama City, I saw what appeared to be two bullets, whiz past my head. I ducked and shouted that someone had a gun, but after asking the experienced birder beside me they were, we investigated and discovered them to be masked tityras: velvet red heads and a light gray wash on their backs. I couldn’t believe these kinds of tropical species were hanging out, like me, at the downtown hotel pool deck!

This was not the first time I had seen a rare bird on the roof deck before. As almost every time I’m up there, a new and colorful flying friend appears in what seems like some sort of show. They’ll sit on a palm tree branch, chirp a little bit as if to call my name, then fly off with the same swiftness they arrived. I’ve seen a gamut of birds up there this way: Blue-crowned Manakins, Green Shrike-Vireos, Rosy Thrush-Tanagers, Slate-colored Grosbeaks. They’re all there, just hanging out waiting for their day to unfold.

I was up in the mountainous region of Boquete last weekend when I saw three quetzals. The Trifectors I called them. I had never before seen a quetzal, including all my time in Costa Rica where you’re supposed to be able to see them left and right. These three quetzals though were just hanging out, doing this absurdly acrobatic reach that they’re known for. They were so close that I felt like I could reach up and touch them: you know, tap them on the back and ask why they’re such Machiavellian little creatures. I snapped several photos and left with a little tingle in my heart.

I have lots of birding friends who come to visit all the time and they agree: Panama is an unknown and unexpected birders paradise. My favorite place to catch views is at The Canopy Tower: this beautiful structure reaching up from dense jungle. The views are outrageous and it was there that I saw my first Crested Owl, a bird that I have the utmost respect for. Kingbirds float around this place all the time, as do various other rare birds that you’d never expect to be fluttering so close to cosmopolitan Panama City.

Because tourism in Panama is not fully booming, you can still find tremendous deals and if you’re like me, you’ll appreciate being one of the only birders in the area. Regions like Boquete, Volcan, El Valle, and various other mountainous regions can offer tremendous birding experiences not yet exploited by development or loud foreigners. Try it out, and you may see me there too, with binoculars around my neck and a guide wedged beneath my belt. Simply enjoying the scene.

Matt Landau is a strong individual, his weekends spent bending spoons and boards. He is on a permanent Panama vacation and he lives on Panama Land

In a recent New York Times/CBS survey, access to affordable health care was identified as the primary issue on the public’s domestic agenda. According to the Times, a majority of respondents favor a federal guarantee of health insurance for every American, and they voiced a willingness to pay as much as $500 in additional taxes a year and forgo future tax cuts to accomplish this. The Times added that “Americans remain divided, largely along party lines, over whether the government should require everyone to participate in a national health care plan, and over whether the government would do a better job than the private insurance industry in providing coverage.”

Clearly, something needs to be done to streamline or overhaul health insurance coverage nationwide. The most current federal data notes that 44.8 million Americans are without health insurance. This is nothing short of a crisis, says Andy Stern, international president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU). SEIU is partnering with AARP and the Business Roundtable in a campaign called “Divided We Fail,” which is pushing for fundamental change in the health care system using the influence of their combined 50 million members.

While the “Divided We Fail” partnership seeks bipartisan solutions to the health care debate, others see solutions emerging outside the political arena. In late March, Richard Berner, chief U.S. economist for Morgan Stanley, wrote in The Wall Street Journal that he believes the solution is to “get health-care financing out of the workplace and require coverage, more personal responsibility and market incentives.” Berner believes that a consumer-driven health care model with universal mandated basic coverage would provide “a safety net for the disadvantaged.”

We recently surveyed some of our Best Bosses to get their perspectives on this complicated issue. Of the 16 leaders we surveyed - encompassing a wide range of industries, with IT and telecommunications being most prevalent - 63 percent feel that employees are most responsible for ensuring that they receive adequate medical coverage. Thirty-eight percent feel this responsibility falls on the shoulders of the federal government, and 25 percent say it is up to insurance providers.

The bosses’ comments related to this issue appear split between wanting the government and insurance providers to take responsibility and provide real solutions. The president and CEO of a hosted VoIP phone system provider on the East Coast says he would “make transparent the crappy service of insurance providers.” Meanwhile, the president of a New England-based custom publishing and creative services company says that “If the insurance and health care providers cannot solve the problem, then I do think it is the responsibility of government to do so on behalf of employers and employees alike.”

Despite the fact that rising health care costs have hit small businesses especially hard, these leaders are doing what they can to offset costs and keep their health care benefits attractive enough to retain employees. Sixty-three percent of the bosses provide a PPO benefit for their employees, 21 percent provide an HMO benefit and 8 percent allow employees to choose between the two benefits.

To minimize health insurance rate increases, 63 percent of the leaders we surveyed have increased employee co-pays in the last two years. Twenty-four percent have created health savings accounts (HSAs) for this purpose. One leader who put HSAs in place at his Midwest-based staffing agency also increased deductibles. This has helped manage costs while mitigating out-of-pocket expenses for his 12 full-time and 300 part-time employees.

One link in the chain of providing health care coverage that bridges federal government- and insurer-provided solutions is state-mandated health insurance benefits. According to recent data by the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, the number of state-mandated benefits grew by 3 percent in the last year. There are now over 1,900 such benefits nationwide. While Initiatives in Illinois, Massachusetts and California have been most visible, these benefits are quietly influencing how insurance companies cover specific health care providers and patient populations in every state.

Yet, without universal oversight and communication, many business leaders are left wondering how their employees are affected by their state’s mandates. Sixty percent of the Best Bosses said they were unsure as to the impact of state-mandated benefits on their business. One leader, the co-owner of a computer and peripheral sales firm in Vermont, says that “with greater enrollments better economies of scale would help with efficiencies overall.” However, he admits that state-sponsored health care is “not the ideal solution … since the burden of paying for this would in essence be a regressive tax on businesses.” The leader of the staffing firm previously mentioned, on the other hand, says he has “zero confidence” in his state’s ability to manage health insurance, since they have bankrupted their own unemployment insurance program.

One thing is clear: If state governments are unable to step up their efforts on the health care front, and if the federal government does not put forth universal direction, then the onus for providing adequate coverage for employees falls fist on employers, then on workers themselves. And considering that small organizations account for 99.7 percent of all employer firms (according to the latest Small Business Administration estimates), even if they remain partially responsible, it is an unduly large burden to carry.

“Health insurance is a basic right of every citizen and should not be affected by their current employment status,” the business manager of a professional services firm on the East Coast tells us.

___________________________

By the Numbers:

Winning Workplaces’ goal is to provide small and midsize employers with proven, practical, and affordable people practices. Too often, the information and resources needed to create a high-performance workplace are out of reach for all but the largest organizations. Winning Workplaces is changing that by offering employers affordable consulting, training and information. We help employers assess needs and develop strategies to improve their workplace practices.

For more information, please contact us at: http://www.winningworkplaces.org

I guess I’m like most people: I find myself intrigued by the Britney Spears saga and yet, I have no idea why. Really, what’s the big deal? So she got divorced, whoopee; half of American marriages will meet the same fate. So she shaved hear head. Again, who cares: I shave my legs (regularly if I’m dating someone) and no one every really seems to notice. I simply don’t get why we as a society care so much about what Britney Spears is doing.

Yet, we are always like this - wide eyed and bushy tailed each time a celebrity falls on their face, breaks the law, or gets caught doing something to tarnish their public image. Britney certainly isn’t the first celebrity to be at the center of a tabloid circle, she is merely one of the latest.

Now, part of me thinks that Britney, and really celebrities in general, ask for this. After all, they wanted to be famous and this comes as part of the package. And, with their million dollar contracts and 2007 Bentleys, they are more than compensated. However, with Britney I can’t help but think that our obsession has gone a bit too far and I find myself wondering how she snowballed into a tabloid poster child. She, so it seemed, used to seem so normal.

Britney started her career conventionally. After a stint on The Mickey Mouse Club and Star Search, she made a name for herself with the release of her first album, Baby One More Time; it was an album that went all the way to number one to the top of the Billboard charts. Her second album, Oops..I Did it Again was also largely popular, setting records and helping Britney obtain nominations and awards. So far, so normal, but that was about to change.

After being amid a bit of controversy - thanks to breast implant rumors and a hairy breakup with Justin Timberlake - Britney dove head first, or rather lips first, into much more. At the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards, Britney, Christina Aguilera and Madonna appeared on stage to perform, “Like a Virgin.” The song ended with Christina and Britney each sharing a passionate kiss with Madonna. Though both kissed Madonna, it seemed that Britney’s kiss was the lip lock that locked the attention of both press and public.

Britney’s encounter with Madonna wasn’t the only merger that would end in controversy. In 2004, Britney married Jason Allen Alexander, a friend of hers from childhood. The till-death-do-we-part union lasted a total of fifty five hours. It ended in an annulment.

Britney soon began a relationship with Kevin Federline. She married him three months later, while Kevin’s former lover was pregnant with his child. Soon, Britney decided to also become pregnant with Kevin’s child and she gave birth to her first son, Sean Preston Federline, on September 14, 2005.

Shortly after, divorce rumors began to circulate. These rumors were compounded by questions regarding Britney’s capacity for motherhood, questions that arose after she was photographed driving with her unrestrained son in her lap. It was an incident Britney chalked up to simply wanting to get away from paparazzi in a hurry.

On September 2006, Britney delivered her second son, Jayden James Federline. Two months later, she filed for divorce from Kevin.

Since ending their marriage, Kevin and Britney have been in a heated custody battle, a battle that came to an apex when Britney entered drug rehab in February of this year. She left after staying for less than a day, found a hair studio, and shaved her own head. A few days later, Spears admitted herself to rehab once more. After leaving for a brief period of time, she returned and stayed, eventually completing the program. She left rehab on March 20th.

As Britney begins to put her life back together, I can’t help but feel for her. None of her past actions have been that much worse than what other celebrities, or even regular people, have done, what they have done without the world eye’s fixed relentlessly upon them. She’s made mistakes but so has everyone else. She’s made poor choices, but we all do. She has a weird hairdo but think of all the money she will save on beauty products. What it comes down to is that nothing she has done is unforgivable and nothing is career ending. For someone as young as she is, I hope she can rebound and surprise the world by doing it again, baby one more time.

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://iturbocharge.com. Possessing an infatuation with pop culture - and a gift for stalking - she keeps up on the latest news of the musical world.