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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumers anxious over tight insurance deadlines and lingering computer problems during the holidays will get extra time to pay their premiums under President Barack Obama's health care law, insurers announced Wednesday.
The board of the industry's biggest trade group _ America's Health Insurance Plans _ said consumers who select a plan by Dec. 23 will now have until Jan. 10 to pay their first month's premium. That's 10 extra days beyond a New Year's Eve deadline set by the government.
The voluntary move comes as insurers and the government try to head off anticipated problems around the first of the year, when new coverage options for the uninsured take effect under Obama's law, and when several million people whose existing policies were canceled must switch to new plans.
Expect even bigger political trouble for the president if consumers who made a good-faith effort to get covered through the government's balky website show up at the pharmacy and can't get prescriptions filled, or if they turn up in the emergency room and there's no record that they are enrolled. The stakes would be higher this time because someone's health could be jeopardized.
The administration applauded the industry decision. It will "ultimately make it easier for consumers to enroll" through the new online insurance markets, said Health and Human Services spokeswoman Joanne Peters. The federal HealthCare.gov website is now working reasonably well, but insurers still report accuracy problems with enrollment information the government is sending about their new customers.
Karen Ignagni, CEO of the industry group, said the decision was taken "to give consumers greater peace of mind about their health care coverage." AHIP represents about 95 percent of the industry, including the major national carriers and nearly all the BlueCross BlueShield plans.
There may be a few insurers who do not follow the group's lead, so consumers are advised to check with their carrier. Consumers must pay their first month's premium on time for coverage to take effect.
The move burnishes the industry's image and has no real downside, said Dan Mendelson, CEO of Avalare Health, a market analysis firm. "It's useful for the consumer and not a problem for the plans," he said.
Insurers will still get paid for January. "They can book the revenue, and they don't need to worry about the cash flow," Mendelson said.
But the announcement does more than grant extra time. It also reduces the risk that consumers switching plans could suffer an interruption in coverage because of the technology woes encountered by the federal sign-up system, and some state-run websites.
That's particularly important for at least 4 million people whose existing individual plans were canceled because they did not meet standards under Obama's law. Disruptions in coverage for those consumers could have major political consequences for Obama and beleaguered HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Back in 2009, Obama had promised that people who liked their insurance would be able to keep it under his health overhaul plan. But that guarantee was shredded by the wave of cancellation notices, which crested right around the same time that HealthCare.gov was refusing to function for millions of potential customers. Obama's poll ratings took a nosedive.
Under the industry announcement, consumers still must select a plan by Dec. 23 _ next Monday.
But instead of having to pay their first month's premium by New Year's Eve, they now have until Jan. 10. That would let them have coverage retroactive to Jan. 1. Patients who get a pharmacy or medical bill during that period can later submit it to the insurance company for payment.
Insurers have complained that a significant number of the enrollments they have gotten from HealthCare.gov have problems that could prevent a consumer from getting covered on Jan. 1. That includes missing or incomplete information, duplicative entries and garble. The administration says its technical experts are aggressively tackling the problems, and that errors have been cut dramatically. But insurers say useless or corrupted files are still getting through. Government and industry are working together to clean up the records.
Without the extra time granted Wednesday, a consumer who paid in early January would have had to wait until Feb. 1 for coverage.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Well, that went by fast! That's right, readers, today is my one-year blogiversary. On this day last year, I wrote my first post - just a short hello - and sent it out into the interwebs. When I look back on my early posts, I can see clearly how blogging felt like an awkward proposition at times. (I'm still embarrassed by the way I addressed my audience as "darlings" in my first post. I never talk like that!) I wasn't quite comfortable in my writing voice or the medium, but that's okay. Keeping this blog current on a daily basis has certainly made me a stronger writer - or at least one who's confident in my own voice.
But the amazing thing is how many of you stop by on a regular basis now! I don't know if I can adequately express my gratitude for that. I look forward to your comments and e-mails every day (even if I've been a little lax in responding to all of them lately). I always had high hopes for this blog - and I continue to feel that ambition. I think constantly about what I can do to improve it, and what people want to read.
I really have you readers and commenters to thank for guiding me during this year. My first post on feminism was sparked by a reader comment, and the response was immediate. That post lit a spark for me: here was the intersection of two areas I felt passionately about. I had no idea so many others wanted to hash this stuff out too! We've dealt with some tricky territory in past posts. Thank you for doing so with grace and compassion.
But, of course, what really unites us all is a love of sewing. I'm still working on my initial goal of sewing all 14 fashions from Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing, and there have been a lot of other projects thrown in the mix as well. I know for sure that my sewing has improved! Getting involved in the sewing blogosphere is like having a huge, built-in network of sewing buddies. I've been saved by your expertise many a time.
So what's on the plate for year two? Most importantly, I want to complete my VoNBBS project. Beyond that, the goal is just to keep on trucking here. I continue to strive for a good mix of technique, discussion, and fashion posts, but that's often easier said than done. I would love to do more tutorials, but they're quite labor-intensive and I fear burn-out if I get in over my head. But tips and technique are a huge part of what we talk about here, and that definitely won't change.
Anyway, the point of this post is really to say thank you all for an amazing year. I have met (virtually and in person) so many awesome new friends. Here's to the next year!
I'll be having an anniversary giveaway, which I'll announce later today. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say there will be two prizes from an independent sewing business that everyone adores - and for good reason!

subset: commoncrawl


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NAND flash memory seems to be invading nearly every electronic devices that we use today. Everything from cameras to smartphones to notebook computers to digital media players make use of the storage technology.
So it should come as no surprise that companies are always looking to new process technologies to not only lower the cost of production for NAND flash memory, but also to improve performance and storage densities.
Samsung has made an announcement today that should be sweet music to photographers and smartphone users around the globe. The Seoul, Korea-based company has announced the production of 20nm MLC NAND flash memory for use in Secure Digital (SD) cards and smartphone storage. The new 20nm NAND will usher in the mainstream use of 32Gb MLC NAND and will result in storage devices ranging from 4GB to 64GB.
"In just one year after initiating 30nm-class NAND production, Samsung has made available the next generation node 20nm-class NAND, which exceeds most customers requirements for high-performance, high-density NAND-based solutions," said Soo-In Cho, president, Memory Division, Samsung Electronics. "The new 20nm-class NAND is not only a significant step forward in process design, but we have incorporated advanced technologies into it to enable substantial performance innovation."
According to Samsung, SD cards based on new 20nm technology will be 30 percent faster than the company's existing 30nm-class products. In addition, the new 20nm-class devices will be capable of 20MB/sec read speeds and 10MB/sec write speeds (Class 10 speed rating).
Samsung hopes to have full production-spec modules running off the assembly line later this year.
Samsung made headlines late last week over concerns that some of its plants have been linked to cases of leukemia in workers.
Source: DailyTech


text: Wine in Coleharbor is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Various types of yeast are required to ferment crushed grapes to produce grape wine. Yeast consumes the sugars in the grapes and converts them into alcohol. Wines, however, may also be made from other fruits such as apples and berries, and are generically called fruit wine or country wine. Others, such as barley and rice wine, are made from starch-based materials and resemble beer more than wine. Ginger wine is fortified with brandy.


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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Bloomberg Way
Doctoroff & Bloomberg
What is the Bloomberg Way?
It's a notion of governance in which the city is run like a corporation. The mayor is the CEO, the businesses are clients, citizens are consumers, and the city itself is a product that's branded and marketed. And New York is a luxury product.
This is all about class. Bloomberg and many in his administration are asserting their right to both govern and shape the city into a place for corporate elites and high-level professionals. This is the culmination of a major shift in policy, underway since the 1970s, away from the post-war idea that working-class people are the heart of the city.
Sure, they're saying, we need people around to fight fires and serve sandwiches, but it's not their city. It's really a city for the well-off. Bloomberg realizes this vision through a privatized, top-down, outcome-based notion of government.
What effect does the Bloomberg Way have on the city?
Bloomberg's administration is corporate, technocratic—and a touch authoritarian. Its development agenda is Robert Moses-type stuff. A complete transformation of the city is underway. Bloomberg's rezonings are about creating high-end commercial and residential districts. His administration aims to create an urban environment conducive to the people you call "yunnies."
His development model is a corporate model, in which growth is a good in itself. It's the fetishization of growth, constantly accumulating more and more and more. This leads to real problems, as the basics—especially infrastructure—have not been maintained and expanded adequately.
Many people will say: What's wrong with that? Shouldn't we let the Bloomberg Way continue?
The reason we keep having fiscal crises in the city is because we're so dependant on the unstable industry of finance. Bloomberg has not diversified the city's economy enough to protect it. In fact, he made it worse. He created a place where only super-profitable companies, namely finance, can buy into the city.
Bloomberg is very good at short-term fiscal management and he might be able to get the city through the next couple of years of fiscal crisis. But in the long term, he isn't the person who's going to be able to address the basic problem of New York's inequitable and unstable pattern of economic development.
Basically, it's a very bad time to be one of the financial centers of the world. The next few decades are likely to see finance decline as the leading edge of capitalism. New York's economy will suffer from this.
Which brings us to the term limits issue.
Right. It fits right in with the whole corporate governance model for three reasons:
One, the argument goes: Bloomberg's an excellent CEO, he's getting things done, so why shouldn't he continue? It's not about making decisions in a democratic way. Democracy doesn't matter in his model of governance because the CEO makes the decisions.
Two, it's personalistic. Only Bloomberg, they're saying, only this corporate superman, a God-like figure with some internal, personalized quality that makes him exceptional, can govern the city. The idea that in a city of 8 million people, Bloomberg's the only person who can govern the city's affairs is wrong and alarming.
And three, there's the class element. Bloomberg helped to solidify the class shift in the city. A coalescence of billionaires around Bloomberg basically asked themselves, Who among us can govern the city? Richard Parsons, the CEO of Time Warner, was a possibility, but then he decided to tend his vineyards in his retirement instead. Bloomberg was the guy interested in the job.
Billionaires for Bloomberg: dnblog1
Most people in New York aren't billionaires. So why aren't we seeing a large-scale protest against Bloomberg and his policies?
Nobody's causing a ruckus because, in Bloomberg's vision of the city you're not a citizen, you're a consumer. Citizens get rowdy. They protest in the streets, they don't make complaint phone calls. Now we have 311, which provides great customer service, and basic services are being delivered well—no small accomplishment. But the consumer model diminishes political action because it's so emotionally seductive.
A lot of mid-level professionals--teachers, academics, urban planners, people in publishing and non-profits, people like you and me, basically--identify with Bloomberg because they identify upward. They are so happy to be living in this shiny, elite city, that the fact they're amassing thousands of dollars in credit card debt or are desperately house-poor to fit into the New York standard of living escapes them. They're getting screwed. Eventually, these people will just leave.
Marx said about the peasantry that they are "incapable of enforcing their class interest in their own name." These professionals are the peasants here. They're allowing themselves to be led by Bloomberg without a sense of their own class interest. These people are the most deluded of all.
Is there any hope?
Don't overestimate the degree to which the Bloomberg administration has changed the city. New Yorkers are still citizens—not consumers. People are agitating against it. Political action is not dead—it's just not being articulated in a coherent way on a city-wide level. It's hard to tell where a coherent alternative would emerge from right now. But it's hard to believe it will not.
Check out the book here.
The following images are from a brochure Brash received at a Doctoroff speech in 2004. The brochure is entitled "Bloomberg Administration Major Economic Development Initiatives." It outlines a massive plan to transform the city. Click to enlarge:
48 comments:
- Ken Mac said...
Fantastic post. I forwarded to an architect friend who thinks Bloomie is great and doesn't understand my rants against endless development. This is an important post.
- October 22, 2008 at 9:35 AM
- Jeremiah Moss said...
thanks ken. i agree, it's hard to explain to people why bloomberg is so bad for the city. his policies are indeed "seductive." i think brash gives us good ammunition for debate.
- October 22, 2008 at 9:39 AM
- Barbara L. Hanson said...
People in publishing identify upward? I've been in publishing my entire professional life, and I can honestly say that that's one of the most ludicrous statements I've ever heard. Great piece, though.
- October 22, 2008 at 10:19 AM
J, great piece! The "consumers" are living on plastic; that bill will also come due. I've read that Venice was once the financial capital of the world; now it's for tourism. Europe no longer considers NYC the financial capital but don't tell that to the Elf Mayor. His term limits denial exemplifies his hubris. Get him out of office.
- October 22, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Fantastic piece. It puts into words so many ideas I've had forming about Bloomberg and why the non-elites are complacent with their lives as citizens being taken away.
Though of course obviously this is bigger than Bloomberg. As Brash noted Bloomberg embodies the culmination of the 70's policy shift. Term Limits Extension or not, I am not so sure that the next mayor will serve Citizen Interests any better. We could just be looking at Bloomberg II, Giuiliani III.
Anyway, yes, great ammunition for debate.
-Max - October 22, 2008 at 12:05 PM
I think Nero is fiddling in New York. You cant have a city exculsively for the rich...ultimately the support staff will move to Raleigh and Portland ME.
- October 22, 2008 at 1:06 PM
- Unknown said...
Can you advise those of us who have seen the development train wreck coming for the last 5 years.......the most affective way we can use our voice and energy, keeping this man out of office? Does he stand a chance of being reelected?
Architect's love Bloomberg. They tote the "we need housing" line. We do...but we need it for working class folks with thoughtful City Planning and infrastructure and responsibility to the future.
84,000 permits were issued in 2006 with only 207 DOB inspectors. Hmm surprised about buildings falling down? Mr Bloomberg increased the DOT (Parking ticket department)in 2007 or 2008 (wish I new the exact figure........
And he has the audacity to say that the building collapses and resulting deaths are average, acceptable and par for the course? That says to me that collecting revenue through parking tickets is more important than safety or lives.
I really see Bloomberghs reign, as negligence.
Fabulous observations. I hope people will read and be enlightened by this post. - October 22, 2008 at 1:38 PM
baha, I also have spent my life in publishing and think that there is truth to Dr. Brash's statement. I do think many "identify upward" in the sense that we feel there is a refinement, an honor to our work (in the worst cases breeding elitism). I wholeheartedly agree that we do NOT identify with Bloomberg! He's a billionaire! Publishing pays nothing! We do it for the love. ;)
Dr. Brash, question: What do you think is the future of rent control and rent stabilization in New York City? - October 22, 2008 at 1:47 PM
- Barbara L. Hanson said...
anon @ 1:47pm: I definitely identify upward intellectually and, yes, there is honor in our work, but no money! I was referring solely to identifying with the glass-tower- occupying so-called elite, which I could never do. I think we're more or less in agreement.
- October 22, 2008 at 2:45 PM
- Jeremiah Moss said...
i have known many in the publishing field, especially editorial assistants, who aspire to a "sex and the city" lifestyle, as if publishing were glamorous. which, i guess, for some people, it is. depends on what you're publishing. the tables at barnes and noble are loaded with aspirational chick-lit and shiny covers.
- October 22, 2008 at 3:36 PM
- Bob Arihood said...
Unfortunatlyy what this book is about should be obvious to most New Yorkers today .This has happened right before our eyes as so many of us were giving this mayor the benefit of the doubt for much too long a time .
The comming to this situation here today in our city has also all been written about many times before ,at least since the late sixties .It has all been right befor our eyes for years now . What is wrong that so few noticed . We allowed a few wealthy ones to just take this city and do what they wanted with it . they made numerous fortunes doing so .
This mayor has done massive damage to this city .The economic diversity that we need to survive , especially in catastrophic times , has been radically reduced by the implementation of his policies .It was the Economist that said several years ago of these policies that they were responsible for " a colossal misalocation of capital .
Back in the 70s Christopher Lasch wrote a book titled "The Culture of Narcissism".This mayor and the crowd that he has hustled and sold our city to are all in Lasch's book .
Rather than reelect this man to mayor we should be tarring and feathering him and riding him out of town on a rail . - October 22, 2008 at 3:42 PM
- Barbara L. Hanson said...
Jeremiah, I work in nonfiction (I'm freelance), which doesn't seem to draw a glamorous crowd. No SATC girls; they all work in publicity.
- October 22, 2008 at 4:32 PM
This is such a great piece and such great information to work with - it's like every germ of an idea most of us had been grappling with put into a concise, understandable framework. It's such a breath of fresh air! thank you !!
Washington Sq Park Blog - October 22, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Nicely done, Jeremiah, as usual. This loud braying by the many admirers of Lord Bloomberg, extolling the necessity of his remaining in office, is but a continuance of the sentiment expressed by then mayor Benito Guiliani on Sept. 11 towards George Bush. On that sorrowfull day, Little Benito remarked, "Thank god George Bush is our president." And so, in this present crisis, we are hearing that it is only Bloomberg who can steer this failing city to safety. Americans love these kinds of paternalistic narratives.
- October 23, 2008 at 1:32 PM
It's not YOUR city, and it's not dying. If you don't like the New York see today, free of all the filth that has plagued it since Ford said "NO", move to Jersey. All you NIMBY's can find a condo in Edgewater so you can foolishly lament about the great city turning for the better before your eyes, while staring at a city you cannot afford. Work harder, or move out. - October 23, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Sheesh, talk about someone jealous of people doing better in life than he is. This post makes me sick. I suppose we should bring Ed Koch or David Dinkins back? Pathetic. For those of you looking at those before and after shots above in the proposal and actually agree with it - are seriously delusional.
- October 23, 2008 at 1:57 PM
You know what, let's just keep the sites in the third picture as is ant try to improve them. Cause that's definitely great for NYC.
Ridiculous. - October 23, 2008 at 1:58 PM
To anonymous, 10:54 -- NYC was being overshadowed by London in recent years but that is sure to change as that city will undoubtedly suffer more of a shock from this crisis than New York. They're already struggling across the pond and the crisis hasn't formally "hit" them yet.
- October 23, 2008 at 2:00 PM
@ 1:06PM - The boroughs and fringes of Manhattan are for the working class.
- October 23, 2008 at 2:01 PM
"Massive damage"?
What Kool-Aid have you been drinking? - October 23, 2008 at 2:02 PM
- Jacob Felson said...
Goodness... am I the only one who thinks this guy really has no idea what he is talking about?
The post reflects a fundamental luck of understanding in economics in general, and in trade-offs in particular.
The reason that real estate prices are so high in NYC is that there is a tremendous demand to live here. (I, for example, live in a very run-down building for 1,300, which is very high for me -- I wouldn't do that anywhere else.)
To the extent that Bloomberg has made the city more desirable, I suppose he has raised the cost of living by indirectly increasing demand.
But of course demand is only one side of the equation. There is incredible demand in places like Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV, and the suburbs of Atlanta, GA -- indeed those are several of the fastest growing parts of the country. But despite that demand, housing prices in those locations are *very* low compared to New York. In those places, someone with a middle class living can easily afford to buy a home. Why? Because supply has kept pace with demand -- and in fact has likely exceeded it, with the housing bubble.
But unlike those locations of course, space in NYC is at a premium. First of all, of course, NYC is already the densest city in the nation. But there is still a lot of room to build up. What also limits supply are zoning laws that are stricter in NYC than many places, in part due to the fact that many of us (me included) see many parts of NYC as "museum" like and important to preserve. Also of course, because of the density of NYC, we all "rub shoulders" a lot more, and so private development has a bigger impact on all of us. Unlike much of the country, we won't be racing by a new development at 60-70 mph, but rather will have to walk by it every day. So the process of approval is complicated and lenghened tremendously, in comparison with much of the country. The result is that building in NYC is much more costly. In part for this reason, we unfortunately get very little new housing for poor, working class, and now even for middle class people. Today, when do you see an ad for a new building that does not have "luxury" tacked on to it? People like myself who never envision making over $100K / year have virtually written off the idea of raising a family *and* owning a home in the city.
This frustrates me, but I also understand that this is part of the price that one pays for living in a place that is an icon, a place where aspirants in nearly every field flock to every year. A place like that couldn't be cheap! An unfortunate downside to the decline in crime in NYC in the 1990s is that the city is even that the city is now desirable to people who would have written it off.
But part of the reason for the high prices has to do with the relative *lack of development*, not too much development. Holding demand constant, the more condos that are built, the lower that prices will be. In places that many define as "sacred" -- the Village, for example, land use restrictions (whether by law or by process) are so strict as to prevent a hospital that serves many indigent clients from expanding as it sees fit. In that sort of environment, prices are bound to skyrocket. The only way out is to let more townhouses be replaced by tall towers. If there were no zoning restrictions, and a very quick approval process, the amount of construction we would expand dramatically, and soak up all that extra demand.
Now, I agree with many others in that I want to protect much of the Village as it is; I cherish that neighborhood, and others, as national treasures, even though I will most likely never be able to afford to live there.
However, land use restrictions in other neighboorhoods that are much less picturesque, seem to bringer greater costs than benefits. I know it is always painful for people who have lived in a neighborhood in a long time to see that neighborhood completely change before their eyes, in scale or socioeconomic status. Although I am white, I would like the neighborhood where I live, Washington Heights, to remain mostly Dominican. I like the history that has been built up in the neighborhood. Change is heartwrenching.
But I also know that the kinds of rules that prevent dramatic change from occurring -- such as height restrictions, and rent stabilization, also come at a huge cost to newer cohorts of people trying to settle down and find roots in NYC. One can make an argument that someone who has lived in a neighborhood for 30 years has some right to stay, rather than be forced to move due to rising. But one can also make a persuasive case that young people have a right, or a claim, to more affordable housing than is currently available in the city.
The interests of old timers in maintaining stability in prices and scale are in fundamental conflict with the interests iof newcomers seeking affordable housing. My sense is that many people do not recognize, or at least do not pay sufficient attention, to this fundamental trade-off. Instead, the issue is often perceived in terms of the greedy developers versus the current occupants of the neighborhood. But of course, just about everywhere we live in NYC was built by one of those greedy developers at some point. The benefits of new development do not accrue to developers only. Actually, the more development that is permitted, the less that individual developers will be able to benefit from their projects. In the current climate, in which it is incredibly difficult to build, only the politically-connected, and extremely well-capitalized developers are able to build. And only luxury housing! If building approval processes were streamlined, more low density areas were opened to midrise construction, and midrise areas were opened up to highrise construction, we would see much more housing for the middle class. We would see prices come down, as the amount of supply was more in line with demand. The city would be less "for the rich" only. But the only way to get there is more development, not less.
One argument in opposition is primarily aesthetic. People often say that they would hate to live in Midtown with all the skyscrapers. But there are several problems here. First, people usually miss things that they had, but when you come into a neighborhood for the first time, you take it as it is. The tall buildings don't look out of place. Many people's ideal might be 4-7 story buildings, but there is incredible diversity in preferences. And many places in the city with good subway access and an unimpressive built environment -- e.g. Williamsburg -- would not suffer aesthetically if they were replaced entirely with 6-20 story buildings. Some might say this is already happening. I suppose -- but at a snail's pace.
So in the end, its very tempting, very easy, to want to find individual culprits to blame for problems. But the explanations for these problems are more subtle and nuanced, and require an understanding of the trade-offs we make. - October 23, 2008 at 2:27 PM
I agree with Jacob. I understand that there is alot of frustration & struggle when it comes to finding house & seeing your neighborhood changed. However, on one hand, NYC can be kept as a musuem as Istanbul or endless construction as Beijing. In fact, we are between the two which isn't bad.
Have anyone here attend NYC public school in the late 80's or late 90's? It is much better to live than before. - October 23, 2008 at 5:37 PM
- October 23, 2008 at 5:39 PM
Reverend Billy said something very interesting last at the "Celebrate Union Square: 10 years as a designated historic landmark" Event. When people argue about how the city was, going back to the 70's or 80's, it's as if nothing has happened between then and now and those are your only two options.
Jacob, the Mayor focused so much on real estate and Wall Street sectors to the detriment of our city.
This totally could have been played another way. Instead of giving tax breaks to developers who were building endless luxury housing, he could have NOT done that and also focused on affordable housing. He wants Manhattan to be exactly as it is. Glitzy. Glass. Exclusive. He does not get or care about the diversity or the 'little people' -- he didn't admitted to not even bothering to listen to ANY testimony from public hearing over term limits. I don't even think he can see how bad he is looking right now because he's in a bubble. He is a billionaire from Boston who is used to getting his way - as the term limit issue showed.
Everything he's been doing that was a bit shady during his two terms has been hidden - until now.
Our whole city, the things that make it great, is falling apart - particularly to our neighborhoods and communities which are all starting to look the same as VNY covers so well.
Here is an article from the Wall Street Journal that challenges the Mayor's reputation as a good financial wizard and states that he could have - and didn't - prepared the city for the lean years which anyone who knew anything would have seen coming: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122412001244939117.html - October 24, 2008 at 7:17 AM
I agree that Bloomberg should have done more to diversify the city's economy. I think there should have been much more of a push to lure green industry and other technologies here, which could have been tied to his other industrial retention policies, most notably the IBZs (Industrial Business Zones are areas where there is a "promise" to keep it zoned industrial).
I also think that there should have been less rezoning of industrial land not located in IBZs - once that land is lost to residential development, it's pretty much impossible to get it back for more intensive uses in the future. That said, the Morrisania mixed use district in the Bronx has been successful at mixing industrial retention with new housing development; but this is an area that has had much less development pressure than other areas in the city, and new development in the neighborhood is predominately (much needed) affordable housing, not high-end condos.
Since future industrial development will look and function differently from the industries that built this city, Bloomberg's policies of rezoning areas along the waterfront in return for public access and parkland is a good one. But all this thinking about increasing housing capacity should have been done alongside efforts to diversify the city's job base. There should have been a progressive industrial policy that went hand-in-hand with rezoning industrial land. We should have been hearing more about what the business models of the future are (and not just in the service sector), and how the city can attract them. As we are all witnessing, tourism and finance will not cut it.
But this is where I get more critical of Bloomberg's critics. Rezonings cannot dictate whether or not the condos being built are affordable (at least not without mandatory affordable housing requirements, which opens a land use law can of worms), nor can rezonings dictate whether or not the units are rentals or condos, or the retail is a mom-and-pop or a chain. Zoning is a blunt tool. The only zoning mechanism of any real significance is the (optional) inclusionary housing program, where developers get a floor area bonus for providing affordable housing. The city could try additional creative approaches to zoning (and in many ways is, as with the waterfront zoning), but that is always easier said than done in a city as big and complex as New York.
And all those contextual rezonings that residents keep screaming for (and the city keeps churning out) just keep housing costs up by reducing the pool of potential development sites. Another thing New Yorkers love, off-street parking, can increase development costs as well, especially for smaller development projects (this is a huge zoning policy flaw that so many New Yorkers seem to love).
Still, I am a critic of the simple notion that the answer is simply to increase housing capacity, because the reality in New York is so much more complex, with rent stabilized and rent controlled units, unwavering (at least until recently) international demand, rampant speculation, high land development costs, and on and on.
The point in all of this? These issues are bigger than Bloomie, and he's not a villain, nor a savior. Critics need to be more specific about his failed policies (and his successful ones) and stop the silly King Bloomberg refrains. - October 27, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Dear Jeremiah,
By massively rezoning areas of the city where middle and working class people currently live to enable the development of luxury condos and hotels, I am actually helping the middle class.
Mayor Bloomberg - November 7, 2008 at 11:33 PM
Well, I for one applaud J. Why? Am I against progress? No. Do I think people should be forced to live in squalor? No. Do I think we have a right to mandate how people live? No.
He is not wrong about what has been lost. And the boors that have bothered to post clearly were not around in the glory days. They therefore have no idea what has been lost.
What follows is just one man's view.
I am an ex-New-Yorker. I left because the character of the city was being lost every day and I had watched this happen for 10 years before I decided it was time to go. Every bit of cool drained from my neighborhood with every new bit of construction. Eventually, it was simply no longer my neighborhood. The reasons I had come to love it were gone. Quite literally.
There is much that has improved since the dark days of the early 80s when I first arrived. The city was mean and dangerous back then. It was also cheap, exciting and full of people with great ideas to share. There was a creative charge to the city that is in my opinion gone. Why?
For the most part the improvements have come at the expense of what made New York a place of diversity. It is without doubt becoming whiter, richer, insanely expensive and boring. For that reason I saw no reason to stay. To me it had all the character of Miami. With shittier weather and that's saying something. The awesome small neighborhood places were displaced by chains meaning I really could be living in AnyCity USA, but paying a premium. My artist friends scattered in what might be the biggest diaspora of creatives since the late 1930s / early 1940s.
The flood of people that were charmed by the city has done the one thing that always happens. By arriving in large numbers with different values, they've changed it completely without meaning to. By being here, they displaced the very things they came for. That has been going on through all of NYC's history.
I know for a fact that those who pioneered the West Village in the late 50s (the neighbors I met in the 1980s) loathed me for being able to afford my filthy railroad style apartment all by myself. I was the very transformative scum, a guy with a good job, they had always feared would arrive.
Know what? They were right to fear me. I ended up being an influencer who publicly proclaimed in newspapers and television how great the creative resources were in the city. I got a startup off the ground. I helped bring in people that would never have considered living in the city before.
And guess what?
Within less than a decade those cranky neighbors had had to move on. The writers, painters and poets got the boot in favor of people that could pay up.
They were displaced by me and my cohorts. Just as I would later be displaced by the marauding hordes of Wall Streeters who helped eliminate the last vestiges of the city as it had been. And now they have died off leaving the city with a real problem. It has in the last 25 years managed to progress to the heights of excess and glory last seen in the 1920s. It has by its simple rise squeezed out the creatives that once thrived. But guess what? We now have arrived at a moment where the excess is about to meet its just end. It is only a matter of time before the rich whites will abandon ship.
And the whole cycle will start all over.
It might take another 10-15 years but it will happen. It always has in NYC. It always will.
But J is not wrong about what has been lost. And I mourn the passing with him. With that, I can only hope that whatever rises next will be as quirky and awesome as what was lost. That too has always been the way it has worked. - November 30, 2008 at 2:44 PM
J: Thanks for your illuminating post.
I detest Bloomberg and his "I am the Emperor of New York City" attitude. I am a middle class New York native who owns a small condo and my RE taxes have gone up 123% in the past 6 years. And yet - no outcry.
I plan to work against his reelection - but as far as I can tell, no one else is running because no one has the money to run against him. - August 3, 2009 at 3:25 PM
Bloomberg makes Rudy look like a supporter of the arts. He and his 'advisors' and commisioners have drained the creative life out of this city and passed it on to the real estate developers and corporate sponsors. Like London, Paris and Rome these clowns have made NYC 'another' museum city.....old, dead and stuffed.
- August 4, 2009 at 12:07 AM
- J:Lai said...
You have at least make some effort to understand reality if you want to be taken seriously at all. Bloomberg is not terrible, nor is he responsible for many of things you dislike about current NYC.
First of all, most of the trends that this blog opposes got started in the 90's during the Giuliani administration. Bloomberg, while he certainly has many flaws, is far better than Giuliani. Now that was a guy that you could legitimately hate.
It is popular to claim that Bloomberg runs the city like a private corporation, but there is really no evidence to support this. He's a politician in his role as Mayor, and a surprisingly effective one. Hizzoner is not all-powerful, and Bloomberg has had to work within the constraints of the city council and Albany.
It's true that a disproportionate share of the city's economy is in the finance/real estate industry, but this was true since at least Koch and the Mayor has limited power to change that. One thing the mayor can influence, that Bloomberg has definitely emphasized, is growing the tourism industry. I think this has been a terrible idea, but it was sort of the obvious choice to capitalize on the larger trend of falling crime and global affluence.
Bloomberg's administration does tend to be Manhattan centric, consistent with his view of NYC as a "luxury product", but he has also supported development of the entire East River waterfront from Coney up to at least LIC and will probably go all the way to Soundview if he can manage it. Now you could argue that NYC waterfront re-development should include more industrial use and not be just residential and parks, and you might be right, but you have to admit it beats the hell of the Bob Moses plan to just cover it with highways.
When it comes to real estate development, its true bloomberg must take a lot of the blame for the over-development of the last 5-10 yrs. Again, though, you can't have it both ways. You want to diversify the economy, and all these construction projects have certainly provided a lot of jobs and investment, and eventually the market will absorb them just fine because there is a chronic under-supply of housing here. The developers will suffer, but we who live here will actually benefit in the long term by having more options for housing.
In addition, Bloomberg's PlaNYC (terrible name, but not all bad in terms of the actual content) propses creating massive new capacity for middle income housing by developing areas such as Sunnyside Yards. If you're not familiar with the plan in particular, you should check it out - it is a pretty amazing proposal to build a platform over the rail yards in north western queens and zone it for what is essentially a whole new neighborhood. Like grand central but better.
Things like getting the schools under mayoral control may seem "dictatorial" in some sense, but he took a system that was broken and has shown signs that he is fixing it. I know it can be a slippery slope, and there is something a bit unsettling about ceding too much power to the Mayor, but you can't paint him with a broad brush and say everything is in service of commodifying the "luxury product" that is NYC.
I think Bloomberg has a genuine vision for fixing some of the big problems in the city. I think some what he wants to do is good and some of it I disagree with strongly. I also think he does a horrible job articulating his policy goals to the public, but that just shows he didn't spend his life in politics.
To sum up, while there is much to criticize, there are also positive things that have come out of the Bloomberg administration. And you should look at the city council, Albany, the MTA, NYPD, all the various bureaucracies with just as much scrutiny since the Mayor doesn't work in a vacuum. Bloomberg is hardly the worst Mayor of the last few decades, and if you look at his competition in the upcoming election, they are a pretty depressing bunch. - September 1, 2009 at 9:36 PM
Jeremiah, pieces like this are why I read your blog. And the comments after(absent douchebaggery) are also quite informative.
- October 15, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Frankly, Bloomberg is a tyrant in the way he weals "Zoning Tools". There is no room in his power scheme plans that allow for any democratic processes. Under Bloomberg, the Will of the People is no match for the moneyed elite armed with redevelopment plans. And development plans are good even as they obliterate what is of value in a community, so long as they make money for those developers.
(As planning teacher at Yale pointed out in a recent publication, that for every new dollar of revenue that a city gets from a redevelopment project, the city will have to spend 3 dollars in additional city services to accomodate those new developments. So we know these efforts aren't about long term fiscal responsibility.)
And much of what appears good in the PlaNYC is "green washing" that doesn't actually take the problems of climate change to heart.
And can anyone explain why the mayor is so strongly opposing the EPA cleanup of the Gowanus in Brooklyn? How was it the city was planning to rezone this area for high rise developments without addressing the toxins in the water here--not to mention the toxins leaching from the land? - October 17, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Thanks so much for this terrific piece. Will by ordering the book (from a BOOKSTORE, thank you) in the next day or so. It's funny but in my emotional state about this topic I always refer to Bloomberg as a King creating his wealthy, land owning crew around him; turning our city into an elitest thing of the past--past centuries, that is. I appreciate the author's cogent arguments so neatly laid out with passion but not emotion. I shall use, and credit them. The sad thing is, it will all be too late. It's already almost impossible for the middle class to live in this city and unless we have a major real estate catastrophe (well, for the landlords, NOT for the citizens; for the citizens it equalled things out a bit) I don't see that changing. This building, destroying old neighborhoods, building these stupid malls that can only be navigated if you travel by private car service on aregular basis are horrifying. History will judge him but, again like Bush, it will be too late.
- January 7, 2011 at 11:37 AM
Additionally, lest we forget, in his infinite arogance the man STOLE the Mayorship.
But one need only think back to what the city was like pre-9/11 but at the end of Giuliani's term as opposed to what it is like now to see what horrors have been wrought on this city.
Interesting question: would he have been elected had it not been for 9/11? I don't think he would have. We were in mourning, recovering from one of the worst incidents in this country's history and we weren't paying attention.
Sure, I want to be wealthy, too. Who doesn't? But I don't want to see my city so changed that it looks like some generic shopping mall or giant housing complex and I think people who are not wealthy should not have to spend an hour on a train twice a day to come in to work to support the lifestyle I want.
This is lunacy. And I ahve nothing against the guy except this issue: but it is huge. - January 7, 2011 at 11:47 AM
The comments here perfectly illustrate the difficulty in pinning Bloomberg to any one way. He has certainly overseen the destruction of more old NYC neighborhood favorite small businesses, while constructing more large scale luxury buildings. But then he goes to and tries to be Mayor Green with all the bike lanes and pedestrian plazas (which I find overbearing and obnoxious, but that's just me). He also has lots of plans for "affordable housing," although that term is so baffling to me. Who decides what is affordable and what is not? And if affordable housing means less than market value, who is paying the difference?
- January 7, 2011 at 1:13 PM
OMG...I freakin' luvvvvv you!!!I can't believe this blog exists. I thought it was just MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I found you doing a google search for "gentrification destroys" and the results gave me another blog that linked to this one.
Dude, I thought it was just me. I hate this artificial plastic crap non-New York City and all of these phony, corporate rat bastard settlers that they've bussed in from the Twilight Zone or Soulless Republican Creep Bloodlustville or wherever they're from. I've been a NY'er all my life, from way way back when 42nd street was the Deuce, Fort Greene was the 'hood, the Village was gay and creative and alive with rebellious energy, Harlem was uptown and the only white people found there after dark were buying drugs. From back in the days when you started out in Flushing and worked your way up to your dream crib on Central Park West. When there were bad neighborhoods (graffiti, trash and liquor stores,) better neighborhoods (private houses, catholic schools, nice parks) and great neighborhoods (Riverside Drive, Brooklyn Heights, Jamaica Estates) - you know, before the Borg. I HAAAAAATE that the Big Apple doesn't exist anymore!!! I hate that there are no blocks, no neighborhoods, no communities anymore. I HAAAAATE this neoliberal POS tourist trap the Forces of Evil have made of OUR city.
And damn it feels good to know I'm not the only one. Salute, bredren!!! Keep fighting the good fight and we'll get it back... - May 22, 2011 at 7:36 PM
- Jeremiah Moss said...
hey, glad you found us. always good to know you're not alone.
- May 22, 2011 at 8:33 PM
The people who speak of the change being good do not really have an idea of what it was like originally and what was lost. Change is one thing but to be basically unrecognizable is another. When I go bellow 14th street were I lived for 20 years it is a different world I feel like I am the tourist (great) the buildings are there but everything else is gone, it all looks the same and feels more like a stage set. Everyone whats to be safe and not have crime but there is no life left (unless a wealthy suburb is your thing) and the creative people now replaced with money and a wild and crazy type. Yes it is the suburbs or Hollywood and it has lost allot of the charm and the pricer areas of Brooklyn are not much better.
- August 4, 2011 at 2:00 AM
Occupy Wall Street! You said people aren't getting angry in the streets...well they are now!
Great blog man, absolutely great. Grew up in NYC as a pro musician and left for the midwest as you can't make any money in NY anymore as a musician. They passed some crazy law that mandates a $10k insurance fee to hire a wedding band at any catering hall. that means no more wedding bands. Can you believe that? NYC is an awful place, and in the midwest, we actually don't have to get searched everywhere we go, and we're allowed to carry weapons. Down with NYC! - November 4, 2011 at 5:48 AM
- SadEnding said...
Never read so much short-sided, ignorant, and ill-informed blather than in the responses to this article.
Look people, there are many "types" of cities you can have: you can have a city of the upper middle and upper classes, filled with glass and chrome hotels on every other block, high rents, and lots of clubs. OR, you can have a city that was New York for 300 years, with all the elements that made it a great city. I'm not talking about the filth and drug addled 60's which so many ageing hippies romanticize about. I'm talking about the 300 years of history before that, a city of working (hello? WORKING) classes, families, churches, clean (mostly) parks, a zoo, fabulous, affordable theater and live music, and indeed, all the arts.
Which one do you want?
Doesn't matter. It has been chosen for you. - February 13, 2012 at 11:15 AM
- revrev_nyc said...
DEB asks, "Sure, I want to be wealthy, too. Who doesn't?" I do not. It is far from my mind. With Bloomberg, Doctoroff (now scuttled, thank god) and Romeny, amassing money is ALL that life is about. This is a sick way to exist. How can people elect hoarders and think that they will give anything to citizens? These uber rich creeps believe in keeping everything for themselves. They literally do not understand any other way. Look how Bloomberg responds to criticism: "My plan B is better than your plan A" is his typical retort. My god, the man is blind. I live my life so that I do not even NEED a plan B. But this sad, sick person - who once stated that he wanted the 2012 olympics here so he could see his daughter ride - is an uncaring narcissist. Unless the topic is money. Then he cares to the nth degree. New Yorkers were idiots for electing him. That they did it three times shows a warped system of values.
Mr. Big Successful Businessman not only runs the lowest rated radio station in the city, but he has yet to balance a budget. And the millions he has squandered to keep tabs on peaceful gatherings of citizens will pale beside the millions that the city will soon be paying out for false arrest judgments. He is a perfect example of the fallacy that rich people are smart. He is a dope. As an example, the man has repeatedly justified tax hikes by saying, "Unlike the federal government which can print money to cover deficits, the city cannot." See? Only an ignoramus would think that the govmin (as he mispronounces it) has NO DEFICIT because it printed money to cover the shortfall. Inflation is at 1.7% as I write this. It would be north of the Weimar Republic inflation rate if the feds printed cash to cover the budget. The man is a know-nothing boor. - August 16, 2012 at 2:53 AM
Thank you!! Your words bring a weird sense of relief. I moved here over a year ago and feel "lesser" in every way for having made that choice.
- November 21, 2013 at 10:51 AM
Bloomberg reptoids, anti human British empire Buffon junkie tranny for the nasty new world order takeover of planet earth. He is no climate change expert and has killed many humans
- February 7, 2014 at 7:43 AM
bloomberg bashing is a waste of time. it is also not correct. this is happening world wide, everywhere. a mayor is just part of the foodchain. the corporate developers are in charge. so much of the USA is run in saudi arabian $ as an example. occupy wall st. is another waste of time. if they are going to demonstrate they should be in washington in front of the white house. then again, those people are just part of a foodchain- front men. relax & think of moving to bushwick, while that lasts.
- June 5, 2014 at 1:56 PM
- Walter said...
Holy crap, Jeremiah
Somebody resurrected a nearly 6 year old post. Congratulations on your staying power.
Uncle Waltie - June 6, 2014 at 12:41 AM
waltie, jeremiah is one of a kind, hes not just a flash in the pan. his eassays are so amazing that we keep going back to them, commenting & updating.
- June 7, 2014 at 3:34 PM
This makes me want to cry. I know it's an old post, and maybe I'm just feeling emotional today, but I could not stand what the city became under Mayor Mike. A city ( a country for that matter) is not a business, and should not be so run. I think the last ten plus years have destroyed the myth of CEO's as efficient (or even logical.) I liked Guilliani (sp.), and the city needed him at that time. But Bloomberg treated a city of eight million souls as his erect-a-set project, with all the contempt and hubris of a, 'self made man.' It's been said but he really sucked the heart out of this place. I was here in the seventies and eighties, and don't fancy a return of the criminal element, but law and order should not be synonymous with crushing the little guy.
I'm not a flaming liberal at all, but Bloomberg was such that I have hopes of De Blasio, even if it's merely for the change of ethos. There was something stultifying in Bloomberg's reign. It was almost like a personal revenge of some kind (no, I can't qualify that statement.) Anyway, not sure what provoked this, except that I don't think that good government should be such a far out concept. I don't think we need a progressive, or a conservative, or an idependent so called, I just think we need someone with integrity, who cares, feet on the ground, head in the clouds...tra-la-la-la...boy, I better do some tai chi! - July 6, 2014 at 2:17 PM
- Skeptic said...
What's the Golden Age that's longed for? When there were pushcarts in the streets instead of "big box" stores? When, instead of high finance folks ther were stogie makers and garment workers? When, instead od high-rises, there were hot, overcrowded tenements? There seems to be a longing for artists and poets, but not electricians, plumbers, or truck drivers. Want to live cheaply with no high rises and "big box" stores? Move to the myriad small towns struggling to survive since the industries that supported them are gone. Places change. Some get richer and bigger; some poorer and smaller. That's life. Get used to it.
- August 5, 2016 at 9:27 AM


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I recently came across the concept of steak with blue cheese that sounded like a really nice combination. I had heard of this in the past but that was back when I did not fully appreciate a good blue cheese. Now that I have been enjoying blue cheeses I could not resist one of my favorite treats, a nicely seared medium rare steak, with blue cheese it quickly made it to my meal plan. While I was searching for recipes I came across one that combined another of my favorite foods, mushrooms that had me sold immediately. I eventually ended up going with this recipe for steak in a mushroom and blue cheese sauce . The only real change that I made was swapping the rosemary for some thyme which I think goes better with mushrooms. For the blue cheese I went with a nice creamy gorgonzola dolce. The steaks cooked easily and quickly and the mushroom and blue cheese sauce was nice and straight forward to make. The results were absolutely amazing!! There was a nice slightly crisp crust on the outside of the steaks and the insides were nice and moist and tender and perfectly medium rare. The mushroom and blue cheese sauce was nice and creamy and tangy and oh so lick your plate clean good! I will definitely be making this mushroom and blue cheese sauce again! I served the steak in the mushroom and blue cheese sauce with some herb roasted onions and some roasted squash with gorgonzola and maple syrup .
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This is a cinnamon laced tea bread made with garden fresh zucchini.
You can make this lovely gluten-free zucchini bread with or without eggs. And it's dairy-free. Its delicate flavor comes from a secret ingredient. Coconut milk.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 9-inch loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper. Lightly oil it.
- 1 rounded cup of fresh, grated zucchini (I partially peel my zukes, in stripes)
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch (or tapioca flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup light olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 free-range organic egg whites, beaten or egg replacer (1/4 cup liquid)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or orange juice
- 1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla
Optional: 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- Press the grated zucchini with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can. After pressing, fluff with a fork. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, and cinnamon. Add in the brown sugar.
- Add the oil, lemon juice, egg whites or egg replacer, and the coconut milk. Beat to combine and continue to beat on medium high until the batter is smooth- about two minutes.
- Add in almost all of the shredded zucchini (I save out a few shreds to decorate the top of the loaf) and stir by hand to combine. If you are adding nuts, stir them in to distribute.
- Scoop and scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and using a silicone spatula , even out the top. Add a few shredded zucchini strands to the top.
- Bake in the center of a preheated oven until the top is golden and firm, yet gives a bit when lightly touched. It should feel slightly springy. This may take anywhere from 50 to 60 minutes. Test with a thin sharp knife or a wooden pick- either should emerge with no crumbs or batter.
- Cook time: Approx. 1 hour
- Yield: 1 9-inch loaf
- Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
GFG Tips on gluten-free bread baking:
Make sure your batter isn't cold when you put it into the oven. If you keep your flours in the fridge, for instance, this will cool down your batter quite a bit.
If you find your batter is cooler than room temperature, allow the batter to rest in the pan near the pre-heating stove and let it come to room temperature before you place the bread pan in the oven to bake (I also do this with cakes sometimes).
The first time I tried making gluten-free zucchini bread I did not press the moisture out of the shredded zucchini and my loaf was gummy in the middle from too much moisture.
If you find your tea breads and cakes turning out gummy, or falling after baking, you may want to take your oven's temperature- some ovens never quite reach the proper temperature. You can combat this by baking longer, or upping the temp a bit. If the oven temp is not the issue, then start adding a tablespoon or two less liquid to your batters (you may live in a humid climate and your flours may be absorbing moisture; too much moisture can make for a gummy product).
Compliments of Gluten-Free Goddess posted August 2010 by Karina Allrich.


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What is vaginitis?
Vaginitis refers to any inflammation or infection of the vagina. It's common in women of all ages. One-third of women have at least one form of vaginitis at some time during their lives.
When the walls of the vagina become inflamed, because some irritant has disturbed the balance of the vaginal area, vaginitis can occur.
What causes vaginitis?
Bacteria, yeast, viruses, chemicals in creams or sprays, and even clothing can cause vaginitis. Sometimes, it occurs from organisms that are passed between sexual partners. Also, a number of different factors can affect the health of your vagina. These include your overall health, your personal hygiene, medicines, hormones (particularly estrogen), and the health of your sexual partner. Changes in any of these factors can trigger vaginitis.
These are the most common types of vaginitis:
Candida or "yeast" infection
Bacterial vaginosis
Trichomoniasis vaginitis
Viral vaginitis
Noninfectious vaginitis
Your healthcare provider will consider other causes of vaginal discharge such as gonorrhea and chlamydia. These organisms don't infect the vagina directly. If left untreated, they can lead to serious conditions, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID increases a woman's risk of infertility, pelvic scarring, chronic pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S., although it often goes undiagnosed.
What is candida or "yeast" infections?
Yeast infections, as they are commonly called, are caused by one of the many species of fungus known as candida. It normally lives in the vagina in small numbers. Candida can also be present in the mouth and digestive tract in both men and women.
Yeast is normally present and well-balanced in the vagina. Infection occurs when something upsets this normal balance. For example, taking an antibiotic to treat another infection may upset this balance. In this case, the antibiotic kills the bacteria that normally protects and balances the yeast in the vagina. In turn, the yeast overgrows, causing an infection. Other factors that can cause imbalance include a weak immune system, pregnancy, and diabetes.
What are the symptoms of a yeast infection?
The following are the most common symptoms of a candida infection:
A thick, white, cottage cheese-like vaginal discharge that is watery and usually odorless
Itching and redness of the vulva and vagina
Pain with urination or sex
The symptoms of a vaginal candida infection may look like other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Who is at risk for yeast infections?
Any woman can get a yeast infection. A woman may be at an increased risk if she:
Has had a recent course of antibiotics
Is pregnant
Has diabetes that is not well-controlled
Has HIV
Is taking an immunosuppressant medicine
Is using high-estrogen contraceptives
Is undergoing corticosteroid therapy, which weakens the immune system
How is a yeast infection diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will review your medical history and do a physical and pelvic exam. He or she may also examine the vaginal discharge with a microscope.
Treatment for yeast infection
Treatment for candida may include:
Antifungal vaginal creams and suppositories
Vaginal tablets
Oral antifungal medicines
What is bacterial vaginosis?
Bacterial vaginosis is the most common type of vaginitis in women of reproductive age. This infection is caused by bacteria, not yeast. With a bacterial vaginosis infection, certain species of normal vaginal bacteria grow out of control and trigger inflammation.
What are the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis?
These are the most common symptoms for bacterial vaginosis:
A milky, thin discharge at times, or a heavy, gray or green discharge
"Fishy" odor (may become more noticeable during sex)
The symptoms of bacterial vaginosis may look like other conditions. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
It is important to get prompt treatment for this condition if you are pregnant. Bacterial vaginosis can cause complications during pregnancy and, in some cases, has been linked to preterm delivery.
Treatment for bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis is caused by bacteria; therefore, it is generally treated with antibiotics.
What is trichomoniasis?
Trichomoniasis, trichomonas, or "trich" as it is commonly called, is a sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by a one-celled parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis that passes between partners during sex. Since most men don't get symptoms with trichomoniasis, the infection is often not diagnosed until the woman develops symptoms of vaginitis.
What are the symptoms of trichomoniasis?
The following are the most common symptoms of trichomoniasis:
A frothy, often musty-smelling, greenish-yellow discharge
Itching or burning in and around the vagina and vulva
Swelling or redness at the opening of the vagina
Light bleeding, especially after sex
Burning during urination
Discomfort in the lower abdomen
Pain during sex
Some women with trichomoniasis have no symptoms. The symptoms of trichomoniasis may look like other conditions or medical problems. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Treatment for trichomoniasis
Both partners must be treated for trichomoniasis to avoid reinfection. Treatment generally involves taking oral antibiotics. If a woman has more than one sexual partner, each partner (and any of their other partners) should also be treated.
It is especially important for pregnant women to get prompt treatment for trichomoniasis. This type of vaginitis can cause complications during pregnancy and, in some cases, has been linked to preterm delivery.
What is viral vaginitis?
Viruses are a common cause of vaginitis, with most being spread through sexual contact. One type of virus that causes viral vaginitis is the herpes simplex virus (HSV, or simply herpes). The main symptom is pain in the genital area associated with lesions and sores. These sores are generally visible on the vulva, or vagina, but may be found inside the vagina during a pelvic exam. Often stress or emotional situations can be a factor in triggering an outbreak of herpes.
Another source of viral vaginitis is the human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus that is also transmitted through sexual contact. HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer in women. This virus also causes painful warts to grow on the vagina, rectum, vulva, or groin. However, visible warts are not always present, in which case, the virus is generally detected by a test for HPV done with a Pap test.
Two HPV vaccines are effective in preventing infection by the particular strains of HPV that cause most cervical cancers, but they do not treat existing HPV infection or genital warts. One of the vaccines also is effective against genital warts as well as some cancers of the vulva, vagina, and anus. Both vaccines are approved for use in females between the ages of 9 and 26. One of the two vaccines is available for boys and men, ages 9 through 26, and protects against most genital warts. The vaccines are given as a three-dose series.
What is noninfectious vaginitis?
Noninfectious vaginitis usually refers to vaginal irritation without an infection being present. Most often, this is caused by an allergic reaction to, or irritation from, vaginal sprays, douches, or spermicidal products. It may be also be caused by sensitivity to perfumed soaps, detergents, or fabric softeners.
Another form of noninfectious vaginitis, called atrophic vaginitis, usually results from a decrease in hormones because of menopause, surgical removal of the ovaries, radiation therapy, or even after childbirth--particularly in breastfeeding women. Lack of estrogen dries and thins the vaginal tissue, and may also cause spotting.
What are the symptoms of noninfectious vaginitis?
The following are the most common symptoms of noninfectious vaginitis:
Vaginal itching
Vaginal burning
Vaginal discharge
Pelvic pain (particularly during sex)
The symptoms of noninfectious vaginitis may look like other conditions or medical problems. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Treatment for noninfectious vaginitis
Treatment for noninfectious vaginitis depends greatly on the cause. If the cause is a reaction to an irritant, the irritant should be avoided.


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Date Added: | 2016/09/28 |
Total Downloads: | 1,825 views |
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Class Central Tips
Learners will deepen their understanding and appreciation of ways in which race, ethnicity and cultural diversity have shaped American institutions, ideology, law, and social relationships from the colonial era to the present. Race and ethnicity are ideological and cultural categories that include all groups and individuals. Hence, this course is designed in significant part to take a broad look at the ideology of race and cultural diversity in America's past and present. The primary focus is on the historical and social relationships among European Americans, Native Americans, African Americans, Latino/as, and Asian/Pacific Americans. Issues of race and ethnicity are examined across different ethno-cultural traditions in order to interweave diverse experiences into a larger synthesis of the meaning of race and ethnicity in American life. In this course, we conceive of "race" and "diversity" as references to the entire American population, even as we recognize that different groups have unique historical experiences resulting in distinctive and even fundamental cultural differences. We treat race and ethnicity as dynamic, complex ideological and cultural processes that shape all social institutions, belief systems, inter-group relationships, and individual experiences.


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MEXICO CITY – This mayoral hopeful in Mexico promises to eat, sleep most of the day and donate his leftover litter to fill potholes.
Morris, a black-and-white kitten with orange eyes, is running for mayor of Xalapa in eastern Mexico with the campaign slogan "Tired of Voting for Rats? Vote for a Cat." And he is attracting tens of thousands of politician-weary, two-legged supporters on social media.
"He sleeps almost all day and does nothing, and that fits the profile of a politician," said 35-year-old office worker Sergio Chamorro, who adopted the 10-month-old feline last year.
Put forth as candidate by Chamorro and a group of friends after they became disillusioned with the empty promises of politicians, Morris' candidacy has resonated across Mexico, where citizens frustrated with human candidates are nominating their pets and farm animals to run in July 7 elections being held in 14 states.
Also running for mayor are "Chon the Donkey" in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, "Tina the Chicken" in Tepic, the capital of the Pacific coast state of Nayarit, "Maya the Cat" in the city of Puebla and "Tintan the Dog" in Oaxaca City, though their campaigns are not as well organized as that of Morris.
Politicians repeatedly rank at the bottom of polls about citizens' trust in institutions. A survey last year by Mitofsky polling agency ranking Mexicans' trust in 15 institutions put politicians and government officials among the bottom five. Universities and the Catholic Church were the top two, respectively.
Morris' cuteness, the clever campaign and promises to donate money collected from the sales of campaign stickers and T-shirts to an animal shelter has attracted cat lovers, but Chamorro said most of his supporters are citizens tired of corrupt politicians and fraudulent elections.
"Morris has been a catalyst to show the discontent that exists in our society," Chamorro said. "Our message from the beginning has been `if none of the candidates represent you, vote for the cat' and it seems people are responding to that."
Xalapa, a university city of 450,000 people, is the capital of the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, where residents have in last two years been beleaguered by drug violence, corruption scandals and the killings of at least nine reporters and photojournalists.
During last year's presidential election, a video posted on social networks showed a massive warehouse in Veracruz stuffed with election give-away groceries. Authorities also seized $1.9 million in wads of cash found when police decided to search passengers of a private plane arriving from Veracruz to Toluca, the capital of the home state of now-President Enrique Pena Nieto. Officials later said they had found no wrongdoing and the money was returned.
Giovanna Mazzotti, a 48-year-old university professor from the city of bright colonial buildings and steep streets, said she supports Morris' campaign and plans to go to a party for him being held Friday. The candidate is not expected to attend.
"In this state there is no rule of law, there is no respect for human rights, there are no institutions," Mazzotti said. "It's great that this campaign is showing the fiction in our elections. Every three years politicians laugh at us, it's good to laugh at them a bit, too."
Morris has a website, a Twitter account and a Facebook page with more than 115,000 `likes,' that makes him more popular in social networks than the five human mayoral contenders. Americo Zuniga, the candidate for the ruling party who is leading in election polls, had 33,000 Facebook `likes' as of Friday.
His website has a collection of memes that picture Morris yawning while describing his "ample legislative experience," an image that mirrors photographs of lawmakers sleeping during congressional sessions.
Morris' campaign managers are asking supporters to write-in `Morris' or draw a cat's face on the ballot to send a message to authorities, who are not taking the cat's growing popularity lightly.
Members of the Electoral Institute of Veracruz this week called on voters not to waste their vote on a cat.
"We are asking for people to participate by voting for those citizens registered on the ballots," electoral institute president Carolina Viveros told local media this week. "Everything else is part of expressions happening in social media and I respect that, but you have to vote for the registered candidates, please."
Morris also has international supporters.
On Friday, the animal-welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote Morris congratulating him for his campaign.
Stubbs, a cat that has been the honorary mayor for more than 15 years of the sleepy Alaska town of Talkeetna, has shown support for Morris by posting his fellow feline candidate's spot campaign on its Facebook page.


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I'm sure that by now, a bunch of people have piled on to this instantly notorious Casey Mulligan blog post. But let me add my voice to the chorus.
Mulligan's thesis is that because poverty rates didn't rise in the Great Recession (once you factor in government transfers), poor people now face an effective 100% marginal tax rate on their income; make one dollar more, if you're a poor person, and your government benefits go down $1. Here's Mulligan:
When measured to include taxes and government benefits, poverty did not rise between 2007 and 2011, and that shows why government policy is seriously off track...
[W]hen someone loses $10,000 by not working, he should get some help from the government or from others in the forms of reduced taxes and enhanced benefits but still should bear a portion of that loss himself...
If people with declining incomes found them entirely replaced by government help, that amounts to 100 percent taxation (providing more benefits as income falls is sometimes called "implicit taxation")...
Erasing incentives is not the way to a civilized society but rather to an impoverished one.Casey Mulligan's general point - that the expiration of government benefits is a form of implicit taxation - is a good one. But I don't agree with his conclusion about the Great Recession. Just because poverty rates didn't rise doesn't mean that the government imposed a 100% implicit tax rate.
Why not? Because individual incentives don't (necessarily) depend on aggregate outcomes.
Suppose that the government gave out cash to poor people in order to keep the poverty rate at or below 15%. Would that make it impossible to become poor? No. Because you'd still have a chance of becoming one of the 15%. If you work less than the poor guy next door, it's possible that you'll fall into the 15% and he'll rise out of it. The aggregate poverty rate will stay the same, but now you'll be poor. In other words, there is still an individual incentive for people to work, even if the aggregate poverty level is held fixed.
Or take another, even simpler example. Suppose the poverty level is $10,000 per year. Suppose the government decided to hand every citizen exactly $10,000 per year (raised with an income tax on people making above the median income). The poverty rate would then be permanently fixed (at 0%), and yet for everyone in the lower part of the income distribution, the implicit marginal income tax rate would be unchanged from whatever it was before the policy.
(Now, if poor people could somehow coordinate - if they could get together and say "Hey guys, let's all not work, and then the government will give us all bigger checks!" - then the government policy would indeed produce a 100% tax rate. But poor people can't coordinate like that in real life. And if somehow they did, the government could probably see them doing it, and change the policy to avoid getting ripped off.)
Note that in my example, the antipoverty programs are permanent. They are not temporary recession-fighting measures. My argument does not depend on the temporary nature of the incentive structure.
But in real life, the programs that Mulligan is talking about are temporary, and that actually makes my argument even stronger. Programs to keep the poverty rate constant during a recession are like bank bailouts - they are only likely to be used in a time of systemic crisis. If the overall economy is doing well, the government will be much more likely to allow the poverty rate to grow (this is basically what happened in the Bush years). And poor people know this. Since incentives depend on the future as well as the present, this means that we can't just look at what happened during the Great Recession in order to make conclusions about incentives.
In other words, I think Casey Mulligan makes two mistakes here: 1) He confuses individual incentives with aggregate outcomes, and 2) He assumes that poor people are not forward-looking.
Now, remember, Mulligan's more general point is still correct: The phase-out of antipoverty programs as income rises acts as an implicit marginal tax. But there is little we can deduce about the strength of this incentive just by looking at aggregate incomes during the Great Recession.


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