No Ifs, Ands Or Butts
September 23, 2009
City smokers are being snuffed out, and if Mayor Bloomberg has his way, soon there may be no place left to inhale but your living room.
In 2003, New York City implemented in a smoking ban in all restaurants and bars, severing the sacred bond between nicotine and liquor and forcing the 17 percent of New Yorkers who classify themselves as smokers to take their habits to the curb. [Read more]
Krueger’s Keeping the Faith
September 23, 2009
Liz Krueger, who won a hard-fought special election in 2002 to claim State Sen. Roy Goodman’s seat for Democrats, has been focused on another fight this year. As one of her party’s most prominent advocates for legislative reform, she spent the early summer trying to negotiate an end to the State Senate deadlock, and has since been planning for a productive fall in Albany—and a way to restore voter faith in state government. Our Town recently sat down with Krueger to talk about the deadlock, recent legislative developments and office décor. [Read more]
Race to the Run-off
September 23, 2009
Just a handful of Democratic voters will likely choose the city’s next comptroller and public advocate, in what is expected to be a very low-turnout run-off on Sept. 29. On primary day, Sept. 15, only 11 percent of the city’s voters bothered to come out. The races for public advocate and comptroller were the nail-biters of the day, with no candidate broaching the 40 percent mark needed to avoid a run-off. And in a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a large margin, the winners of these two contests next Tuesday will likely cruise to an easy victory in November. [Read more]
Understanding Chest Pain
September 23, 2009
Q: My understanding is that angina is not as serious as heart disease. Is this true?
A: Angina pectoris—or simply angina—is the medical term for chest pain or discomfort usually caused by coronary artery disease. Angina is a sign that someone is at increased risk of heart attack, cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. If you get angina, you should get medical attention immediately.
Angina (pronounced “an-JI-nuh” or “AN-juh-nuh”) hits when the heart doesn’t get enough blood. This usually happens when there is a narrowing or blockage in one or more of the vessels that supply blood to the heart. [Read more]
Prepping for Long-Term Care
September 23, 2009
Q: What is long-term care insurance?
A: Long-term care insurance is custodial care insurance. It covers care generally not covered by health insurance or Medicare insurance. Long-term care insurance generally covers home care, assisted living, adult day care, respite care, hospital care, nursing homes and Alzheimer’s facilities. When home care coverage is purchased, long-term care insurance pays for home care from day one. It will also pay for a visiting or live-in caregiver, companions, housekeepers, therapists or private duty nurse. [Read more]
No Props for the Eco Girl
September 23, 2009
It’s not easy bein’ green.
I must confess, I am not an environmentalist by nature. But after careful consideration I figured I would give ecology a go, beyond the mandatory bottle and can recycling demands of my co-op.
When I go grocery shopping, I’ve started using my many free cloth bags that I’ve accumulated from various street fairs, my husband’s job and a couple of clothing stores that encourage the demise of the plastic menace. I am also making a conscious effort to remember to fold one up and carry it in my handbag, in case I make an impromptu Gristede’s pit stop for milk or bread. Sure I want to help maintain the planet, but I’m also in it for the acclaim, which I thought came with the territory. [Read more]
Since ’69
September 23, 2009
While 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, man on the moon and the Miracle Mets, it is has also been four decades since my 10th birthday, making me reflect on how childhood has changed since then.
Gone: the anticipation of waiting for your favorite movie to appear on television. My favorite was The Wizard of Oz, which was broadcast once a year. Every morning of the week The Wizard was scheduled to air, my father would sing songs from the movie, working me into a frenzy. One year a rainbow appeared the afternoon the film played, and I was certain it was a message from the heavens. Today’s children have DVDs of their favorite movies, so watching them is no longer a special event. [Read more]
Disenchanted Voters
September 23, 2009
To the Editor:
Unless you’ve been living in a cave all summer, between campaign mailings, newspaper ads, radio and television commercials, debates along with articles and editorials, everyone knew there was a primary election. With 3.2 million registered Democrats, only 10 percent, or 351,000, voted. Ninety percent, or 2,849,000, stayed home, making “None of the Above” the real winner. Bill Thompson (mayor), John Liu and David Yassky (comptroller), and Bill de Blasio and Mark Green (public advocate) all failed to close the deal with voters on the merits of their respective candidacies. [Read more]
Lung Cancer 101
September 23, 2009
To the Editor:
Most women do not know that lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer and will kill nearly twice as many women (40,000 in 2009) as breast cancer (70,000 in 2009) (Healthy Manhattan, Sept. 10). Nor do women know that two out of three new cases are being diagnosed in women who are former smokers or who have never smoked. Indeed, lung cancer in [people who were] never smokers is the sixth biggest cancer, and non-smoking women with lung cancer outnumber men nearly three to one. [Read more]
Step Up, Schumer
September 23, 2009
To the Editor:
Now that Senator Max Baucus’ quest for bipartisanship on a healthcare “reform” bill has churned out a mish-mash that neither Republicans nor Democrats support, is it possible for the committee to vote to replace him temporarily with a Democrat to shepherd this bill through? The Senate Parliamentarian says, gee, what a good a question. [Read more]
