Boardwalks Under Water?

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A few weeks ago, we had a freakishly hot, early Spring day.  Maybe you recall.  It was close to 90 degrees and had been predicted by the TV weatherman.  So we decided to play hooky for a day and hit the Jersey Shore for a day of early beachery.  I know many of our NY based student body probably considered doing the same.  Let me tell you, it was sublime!  Uncrowded (due to it being the 1st week in April) and gloriously warm.  But I couldn’t help noticing how much of the beach had been eroded over the Winter due to heavy storms and surf. It was as if half the beach was gone.  The municipality of the little coastal town had a huge bucket loader on the beach, building up artificial dunes to stop the encroaching seas from inundating the town.   Today, I read an article that quoted EPA expert Jim Titus explaining what will become of the Eastern Seaboard beaches.  Read the fateful predictions here.

Wednesday Humor: How Will This Be Billed?

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Brazil Discovers an Even Better Exercise Program than Soccer

OK, so you’ve heard Wednesdays referred to as “hump” day because it is the middle of the work week and once it’s over, the diligent worker has made it over the metaphorical hump and it’s a downhill run to the weekend.  Well, the Brazilian Health Minister has called for everyday to be hump day in his country in the name of public health.  Follow over the fold for the best piece of legislation I have heard proposed by any government official in years. Continue reading…

To Land the Interview/Job: Think Inside the Box?

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Standing out from the competition is always a challenge in a job search.  And, although it is said that “there is nothing new under the sun,” there are those individuals who come up with novel ideas for breaking through in terms of getting noticed by a hiring manager.  Follow me over the jump for some truly innovative strategies for getting noticed in the sea of resumes. Continue reading…

Healthiest Fast Food Joints

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OK, so after blogging about the horrific KFC Double Down “sandwich”  I wanted to follow up with some information about healthier fast food options.  You know, I am not one of those folks who thinks no one should eat fast food (consider my pathological addiction to In-n-Out burgers as evidence).  So I am happy to provide you all this Friday afternoon with a list of the top 10 healthiest fast food eateries which includes another one of my faves: Chipotle.  Click here to read the list as published in Health magazine.

Making a Difference

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Students of medical billing and coding, you are entering a field that holds enormous potential for you to do good works and make a positive impact on the lives of your fellow man.  People like you who dedicate their course of study and their careers to advancing public health are to be commended and celebrated.  It is a noble thing that they do.  Here’s the story of one student whose committment to study in the field of medicine has yielded an astonishing breakthrough that will surely help countless people in poor parts of the world struggling with wounds.  Read how this student created a suction device that costs a mere $3.00 to manufacture and the impact this breakthrough will have on medicine worldwide.  Then feel good about what you’re working to achieve and know that every one of you shares the exact same potential to effect greatness through your course of study and the work you will be doing once you graduate.

KFC’s Double Down – C’mon Now!

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In case you haven’t seen it, Kentucky Fried Chicken has launched its new “sandwich” called the Double Down.  It is essentially two fried chicken breast fillets masquerading as bread.  In between is bacon, cheese and special sauce.  I imagine the name Double Down refers to the bet you make with yourself about whether or not you will suffer a myocardial infarction from eating this mother of all gut bombs.  I cannot imagine who was responsible for the market research that supported the roll out of such a disgustingly over indulgent piece of processed junk food.  Now don’t get me wrong, my culinary sensibilities aside, I can enjoy some good ole fried chicken as much as the next guy.  But this “sandwich” seems to revel in being obstinately opposed to being even the slightest bit health conscious when it comes to diet.  What do you think?  At the very least, it will certainly contribute to the volume of people who need to seek medical care.  And that’s good for people pursuing a career in medical assistance.  Here’s another, more scathing review of this monstrosity from the SF Gate newspaper in Frisco!  Enjoy.

Jobs: Turning the Corner

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They say employment figures are a “lagging indicator” which is stock market speak for measurements that we look back on for perspective.  That is, economic growth happens first, then employment picks up.  This makes logical sense because obviously, companies don’t start hiring before new business picks up.  But once new orders come rolling in for all manners of products and services, companies scramble to hire in order to accommodate the increasing demand.  This is why it is so heartening to see the following chart showing the employment figures over the last two years.  Follow me over the jump for analysis. Continue reading…

In-N-Out in NYC? – April Fools!

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In what has to be among the cruelest April Fools Day pranks I have seen in years, some practical jokers dressed up as In-N-Out Burger employees appeared in Manhattan’s Union Square this morning.  They had a printed banner saying that In-N-Out was preparing to open its first New York outlet.  For those uninitiated, NYC-based Allen School Students, In-N-Out Burger is about the very best burger joint ever!  There is no East Coast analog to speak of.  (Shake Shack is good, but not in the same ballpark I am afraid.) But to give you Northeasterners a point of reference, it would be like telling a West Coaster that Famous Ray’s Pizzeria (or insert your favorite NY pizzeria here) was planning to open up outlets in Los Angeles.  Did you know there is no New York style pizza to be had in California?  I spent 10 years driving thousands of miles around the Golden State without finding any decent pie.  Anyway, now that my burger dreams are crushed, Allen School Online students in California and Nevada: Do me a favor.  Go have a Double Double animal style and animal fries for me please!  Oh and chocolate shake!!!

10 Immediate Effects of Health Reform Bill Passed Last Night

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The following was posted by Congressman John B. Larson, Democrat from Connecticut after last night’s historic passage of health insurance reform. As soon as health care passes, the American people will see immediate benefits. The legislation will:
  • Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans;
  • Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool;
  • Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans;
  • Lower seniors’ prescription drug prices by beginning to close the donut hole;
  • Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage;
  • Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans;
  • Require plans to cover an enrollee’s dependent children until age 26;
  • Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing;
  • Ensure consumers have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal new insurance plan decisions;
  • Require premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs.
By enacting these provisions right away, and others over time, we will be able to lower costs for everyone and give all Americans and small businesses more control over their health care choices. If you are interested in joining the health care industry or learning more about the medical assistant profession, check out the Allen School of Health Sciences. Are you satisfied or mortified by the bill’s passage?  Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Springing Ahead – Winter Draws Near Close

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I know not all of our readers are located as I am in the Northeast.  However, if the news reports have been even partly accurate, this Winter season has been one of the more brutal ones in recent memory.  Snow totals in the Northeast have been on the high side of the spectrum and my relatives in Southern California have been getting more rain there than they see in five years combined.  So it is with great anticipation that I await the 14th of March.  This coming Sunday, March 14th, at midnight, we all set our clocks one hour ahead.  While we lose one hour of sleep in the transaction, we gain one more glorious hour of evening sunlight to use outside, after close of business hours.  That’s one more hour to spend walking, studying, reading or washing the car.  Of course, it is still probably too cold in many parts of the country to spend much of this extra daylight time out of doors.  But rejoice!  For the last day of Winter is not far behind this Sunday’s “Spring Ahead”.  The Vernal Equinox happens on March 21.  This marks the first day of Spring and not a moment too soon.  I dreamed last night that we were taking to cover off the swimming pool.  Can you tell I am ready for swimming and barbecues?  How about you?