| Wall Street, October 1929
Claud Cockburn, writing for the "Times of London" from New-York, described the irrational exuberance that gripped the nation just prior to the Great Depression. As Europe wallowed in post-war malaise, America seemed to have discovered a new economy, the secret of uninterrupted growth and prosperity, the fount of transforming technology:"The atmosphere of the great boom was savagely exciting, but there were times when a person with my European background felt alarmingly lonely. He would have liked to believe, as these people believed, in the eternal upswing of the big bull market or else to meet just one person with whom he might discuss some general doubts without being regarded as an imbecile or a person of deliberately evil intent - some kind of anarchist, perhaps."The greatest analysts with the most impeccable credentials and track records failed to predict the forthcoming crash and the unprecedented economic depression that followed it.
Obesity-surgery bill is pulled for lack of support
The 23-year-old Midvale woman, who now weighs 150 pounds, implored legislators Wednesday to pass a bill requiring insurance companies to cover the surgery for morbidly obese Utahns. Before her operation, she endured sleep apnea, acid reflux, a diseased gall bladder and joint pain.
"Without this tool, I would not be alive today," she said.
But people rallying for the legislation will have to wait until next year.
Sensing the bill would fail to garner enough support, Rep. Steve Mascaro, R-West Jordan, asked a House committee to send his bill back for study this summer. The panel agreed.
Salt Lake City surgeon Steven Simper said the gastric bypass procedures cost less than treating heart attacks, strokes and other health problems related to obesity.
Larry Elder: Couric's got the blues
CBS news anchor Katie Couric, invited to a recent briefing at the White House, complained about being the only journalist in attendance "wearing a skirt." Her colleagues included ABC's Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos; NBC's Brian Williams and Tim Russert; CBS's Bob Schieffer; CNN's Wolf Blitzer; and FOX's Brit Hume. Presumably, Couric's complaint concerned her status as the lone female in that room, rather than the restrictive dress code. Few viewers, I suspect, wish to see Tim Russert in a tutu or Brit Hume sporting a bra. So let's deal with Couric's complaint. Couric, on her CBS "Couric & Co." blog, thought it astonishing that, in the post-1970s women's liberation era, she found herself the only female news anchor in the room. In her blog entry, called, "Katie: A Woman at the Table," she wrote that women "only" comprise 16 percent of Congress but account for 51 percent of the population.
Food matters
Dear Chuck: I work nights and don't know what I can eat to keep from being so hungry when I get off work in the morning. I eat a big breakfast before going to bed but I know this is not helping with my weight problem. Any ideas? Night Owl Dear Night Owl. Working nights can be very difficult on the body and can lead to poor health. When someone first starts working nights the body gets out of whack until it gets used to the abuse. Even those with the best intentions find it difficult to stick with a healthy routine because their schedule is constantly changing. When someone works nights they may not get an adequate amount of good sound sleep, often no more than four or fivehours. Their only good sleep may be on their day off. They also may be more stressed out because they try to still function in a daytime world while working in the night.
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