Netroots in Pittsburgh This Weekend; Pancreatic Cancer Walk on Sunday

Hello World Family,
There are some pretty cool events in Pittsburgh this weekend, and some food for thought from one of my favorite brothers. If you are in the area:


Important Reminders for Pick Up the Pace

Please double-check these event details!
Registration opens at 9:00 a.m.
Event begins at 10:00 a.m.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network invites you to Pick Up the Pace for Pancreatic Cancer this Sunday, August 16, 2009! Join us at the North Park Boathouse in Allison Park, PA as we create awareness, raise funds and meet others who share the same goal: to find a cure for pancreatic cancer!

Pick Up the Pace for Pancreatic Cancer includes a 1- or 3-mile walk, live and silent auctions, a raffle and live music. Activities for kids include face painting and balloons. New this year will be a survivors' tent, children's tent and organized team photos. Registration and check-in begins at 9:00 a.m., and the walk's opening ceremonies begin at 10:00 a.m.

There is no parking at the boathouse; parking will be provided in the surrounding lots, and shuttle buses will take participants from the swimming pool parking lot to the event beginning at 8:00 a.m. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

Register online for this event. Online registration will close today at 5:00 p.m. EDT, but you can also register at the event beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. T-shirts will be available while supplies last. Pancreatic cancer survivors register for free! After registering, your very own personal fundraising site will be created for you to customize and share your story. We encourage participants to fundraise and you can earn fun prizes for doing so!

Pick Up the Pace for Pancreatic Cancer will also feature an honor wall at our event. If you would like your loved one's picture on the memory wall, bring your photo the day of the walk. You can also include information about your loved one to post alongside the photo.

For more information, please contact Theresa Dukovich at tdukovich@pancanvolunteer.org.

Pick Up the Pace for Pancreatic Cancer
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Registration opens at 9:00 a.m.
Event begins at 10:00 a.m.
North Park Boathouse
Pierce Mill Road
Allison Park, PA 15101


Netroots in Pittsburgh at David L. Lawrence Convention Center-food for thought

Falcon has been covering a booth, and talking to a lot of people about a lot of things. This article by our Brother Garrison came to my attention this week, and it provides some interesting food for thought: about blogging, the Internet, and how the New Media revolution is changing the face of communications…for the better. There are also some comments about Healthcare Reform. Thanks to Tribune Media. I will contribute my own at the end of this piece:

The tragedy of the Internet
By Garrison Keillor
http://www.salon.com/opinion/keillor/2009/08/12/new_media/


Aug. 12, 2009 | You know it's going to be a difficult day when you wake up with "Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera, Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera" going around and around in your head and it won't stop. You know that probably you should not tackle healthcare reform today though brainlessness has not stopped other people from weighing in on it. (FALCON’S NOTE: I haven’t heard that song in years).


Here are mobs of flannel-mouthed robots denouncing Socialist Gummint Takeover as Medicare goes rolling along rather tidily and the private schemes resemble railroads of the early 19th century, when each line decided its own gauge and each stationmaster decided what time it is. Anyone who has tried to coax authorization for payment from Federated Amalgamated Health knows that, for incomprehensible standards and voluminous rules and implacable bureaucrats, the health insurance industry carries on where the Italian postal service left off. But don't mind me, I'm a man with a viral song in my head and I should go soak it.


The goons who go to town hall meetings and shout down the congressmen are museum pieces. They can shout until the bats fall off the rafters, but if you really want to know about health insurance, you just look around on the Internet and it's all there and more. The president gave a good solid tutorial on the subject back in June to the AMA, and you can still find it at YouTube. When you come to choose between him and the goons, you don't have to think too hard.

This is the beauty of new media: It isn't so transitory as newspapers and TV. Good stuff sticks around and people e-mail it to friends and slowly it floods the country.


What the new media age also means is that there won't be newspapers to send reporters to cover the next war, but there will be 6 million teenage girls blogging about their plans for the weekend. There will be no TV networks to put on dramas in which actors in costume strut and orate and gesticulate, but you can see home video of dogs and anybody's high school graduation anywhere in America. We will be a nation of unpaid freelance journalists and memoirists. This is not necessarily a bad thing.


It comes too late for Richard Nixon or Bill Clinton. In the new media age, there would not be a Watergate or a Monica Lewinsky. The president could conspire to break the law or canoodle with anybody within arm's reach and likely there would be nobody in the forest to hear that particular tree fall. And that would be just fine. All we got from those enormous Old Media events, frankly, was entertainment. They were no more enlightening than a Harold Robbins novel.


I'm an old media guy and I love newspapers, but they were brought down by a long period of gluttonous profits when they were run as monopolies by large, phlegmatic, semi-literate men who endowed schools of journalism that labored mightily to stamp out any style or originality and to create a cadre of reliable transcribers. That was their role, crushing writers and rolling them into cookie dough. Nobody who compares newspaper writing to the swashbuckling world of blogging can have any doubt where the future lies. Bloggers are writers who've been liberated from editors, and some of them take you back to the thrilling days of frontier journalism, before the colleges squashed the profession.

The Internet is a powerful tide that is washing away some enormous castles and releasing a lovely sense of independence and playfulness in the American people. Millions of people have discovered the joys of seeing yourself in print -- your own words! the unique essence of yourself, your stories, your jokes, your own peculiar take on the world -- out there where anybody can see it! Wowser.


Unfortunately, nobody is earning a dime from this. So much work, so little pay. It's tragic.


But one door closes and a window opens. The healthcare industry is wide open and there's a need for writers. Old people are lonely, old people want to be listened to and their stories written down, old people need entertainment. That's why I am opposed to the current healthcare reform bill -- there is nothing in there for creative therapy and the artistic fulfillment of the sick and elderly. A humorist in every hospital ward. Laughter is the best medicine. Sick people need distraction. When you wake up in the morning with "Guantanamera" going around in your head, you forget about your troubles except for that one.


(Garrison Keillor is the author of "77 Love Sonnets," published by Common Good Books.)
© 2009 by Garrison Keillor. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Falcon thinks the Healthcare Reform issue has been focusing on the wrong things. Here is what I have been thinking:

One: When that pandemic breaks out, are we going to be arguing about who gets the vaccine first? The guy next to you on the morning bus or subway train…the child next to your child in class…or at a university? The pregnant woman who just moved to a new state? The person in front of you at the coffee shop?

Answer: Well, I know one thing: I would be a lot more concerned about the 43 million people who don’t have any access to healthcare and pay whatever it takes when a pandemic could take us all out, indiscriminately.

Two: Socialized medicine? Yes, we have had it for quite some time: seniors, children in some states, handicapped, SSI, those on public assistance. Frankly, they have better healthcare than I do. Bring it on!

Three: Do you really want the current bunch in charge of deciding whether you get the life-saving drug or not? How about that ‘experimental’ drug not approved for your child, but has been in use in other countries for years, and your insurance company won’t cover treatment? Yeah…what about that scenario?

Four: What about those with pre-existing conditions that can’t get health care? Whole families denied because of one person’s illness in the group…what do we do about them? This is why having something concerned with health and profits are mutually exclusive goals; you can’t serve two masters. I say serve the former and screw the latter!
There are other ways to make money; making it on the backs of the most needy is most repugnant.

Five: If integrative therapies are not included, this is all still a sham…just a smaller one. Alternative therapies work, have been in use for literally thousands of years, and save big bucks. If we are talking about saving money, why hasn’t this been said more loudly? Oh, yeah…big pharma…shhhh…they may hear me….

Food for thought, World Family…I hope you eat well. Have a great weekend!

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Memorial Day Weekend: Honoring Ancestors, Family, Friends, Fun!

Hey World Family,
Falcon here, wishing you all a great weekend, and a happy Memorial Day weekend to our U.S. family, and Victoria Day to our Canadian Brothers and Sisters!

There are plenty of things to do this weekend, outdoors and in: movies (Terminator: Salvation opens and is a magnificently terrifying trip), get out to many festivals (eat all those foods you never allow yourself to have the rest of the year, in moderation), get out to the park, pool, or just clean up the yard (like Falcon), and remember what Memorial Day is for: honoring our war dead, and those who served who have passed on. Falcon and Dove honor all ancestors during this period, and we hope you will have some reflective time to do the same.

One important point about this weekend is history. Our holidays frequently honor our history, yet many don’t really know that much about why we honor what we celebrate. Keeping up the places that help remind us of our wonderful, tragic, mournful, and triumphant history is something that goes overlooked frequently. Falcon and Dove love history, so we are going to do our part to support organizations that support education us all on the history that has brought us to where we are...and reminds us to remember the lessons of that past lest we repeat the most challenging lessons our that past due to inattention to those lessons.

Falcon visited the Derry Area Historical Society this week, for a wonderful presentation and screening of Andy McAllister’s important film, Out of the Ground”, which we have told you is an extremely moving and important film. Again, it will be shown as part of the Film and Wine Festival in Johnstown, PA on July 11, and we hope you can come out and see it, meet the director, and have some serious fun!

DAHS is in a wonderful cabin in Derry, PA of course. It is a wonderful trip back into history, and is in great hands with John Matviya. He is warm and thoroughly informed about the history of the region. Get out this summer, visit Pennsylvania and make sure you stop there and say hello. The region is so stunningly beautiful (this is the shire, after all), you may never want to leave. Can get here, but still would like to help out, here is a way to help. Falcon got this fine invitation from John:

357 Pittsburgh Street
P. O. Box 64
New Derry, PA 15671
724 – 694 – 8808
www.derryhistory.org

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A DAHS INNKEEPER
This is the fourth year that our historical society has been able to conduct its business and maintain the historic Fulton House without continual fundraising efforts due to the great success of our Innkeeper Patron program. The “Innkeepers” are a generous group of people and businesses who have each donated $175.00 to cover the monthly costs of running our society during the course of the year. Our 2009 Innkeepers, listed on the back, agreed last year to fund our general operating expenses in 2009 allowing our general membership dues and other donations to go directly into outreach and educational activities in our community. Because of their generosity, the DAHS Board of Directors does not have to waste time worrying about how to pay the utility bills each month!

Our historical society continues to be very active and involved in numerous exciting initiatives. This year we have expanded to the corners of the Derry Area with the relocation of our Family and Community Research Center to the New Alexandria Public Library. The relocation allows us to be open and available to our members and visitors 5 days a week, every week, while freeing up the Fulton House to provide more historical exhibits throughout the warmer season. A separate fund drive, when completed, will fulfill our dream to reconstruct the Fulton House’s fireplace, encouraging better use of that facility in the cooler months.

Without our 2009 Innkeepers none of what we have accomplished could have been undertaken. We sincerely thank them and appreciate their interest in our society’s mission. It is now time to sign up to become one of the 2010 Innkeepers. If you would like to help by being a 2010 Innkeeper, please send your tax-deductable contribution of $175 by June 1st to the address below. If you have questions, please contact me, John Matviya, via email at jjmatv@comcast.net. A fantastic Innkeepers’ Dinner awaits you! Thank you!!
357Pittsburgh St.
P. O. Box 64
New Derry, PA 15671

General meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00p.
www.derryhistory.org


NEW MUSIC NEWS

Soihadto

Has had a fierce week! They have signed with Grape Juice Records, and are recording right now with J. Robbins! There will be a tour, beginning in June! Stay tuned. There are some amazing new pics on their My Space page! Check it out!
www.myspace.com/soihadto

Queensryche

They did an amazing Internet live concert performance for two hours and are now immersed in a major tour. Check out their My Space for some additional information:
www.myspace.com/queensryche

BROTHER

On May 28th, BROTHER will return to the Waterfest Concert Series at the
Riverside Park in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It's been a couple of years since the fellas have played in Oshkosh and the guys say they are looking forward to it.

Keep in touch by visiting the band at BROTHERmusic.com, on myspace,
Twitter, and the BROTHER blog.
BROTHER
http://www.brothermusic.com/


Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye, Alan White

TODAY-release of CIRCA : Overflow! These are 7 previously unreleased songs that did not appear on either the debut or on Circa: HQ CD. It is on iTunes now! Search ‘circa overflow’. Sweet!!! BTW, CIRCA :LIVE DVD is also available on iTunes. They do a killer version of the Yes anthem, “The More We Live”.

Rik Emmett

Has been a busy guy: new album coming out with co-troub Dave Dunlop, Push and Pull, available beginning May 26 in CD form (Tuesday), but can be preordered now through Maple Music (www.maplemusic.com), socially networking for new peeps ‘cause he is now on Facebook and Twitter, in addition to the My Space page and his website, www.rikemmett.com. There’s a new contest for members and friends. Details on the blog: www.myspace.com/rikemmettnetwork

Push and Pull harkens like their debut project of Strung-Out Troubadours, and has a similar mix of instrumental and vocalized pieces. One tune, “A Deeper Kind of Blue” appears both as a dueling guitar instrumental and as a p.s. version with Rik’s emotional tenor conclusion. Most of this project is fun stuff, with extremely impressive pieces like “52 Pick Up” and “Red Hot” burning up the axes like only Emmett can. Dave gets a more balanced presentation and the load seems more evenly split on this project, including his surprising lead vocals on “Only Time Will Tell” (original, not an Asia cover; I only mention this because three people have already asked me that question). “Way, Way Kooler (a nod to Way Cool from the late 1990’s Swing Shift) actually is, and “Declaration” seems to be an anthem-like affirmation of daily renewal. “Miracle of Love” is a nice piece that would make a good mainstream rock single, although Falcon has to admit that the version done with Orchard Studios live from Brampton on the Internet broadcast with just Rik and Dave is more favored that the retro background vocals on the studio recording. The first single from this project, “Why, Baby” had been out since December, and it is now joined by these and one more masterpiece, “And The River Still Runs” which thematically has its origins in the same vein as “Dos Arroyos” from the debut Troubs (“Two Streams”, although this piece flows like water or consciousness, depending on your mood) which also brought about the construction of “State of Grace”, from the same project- which was one of the most elegantly constructed songs Emmett has written in his solo career. Overall, Push and Pull should be added to your collection.

RAISE THE CURE

I received this message from our Sister Julie, the President and CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network:

You’re making a difference.

Through your continued support, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is making progress on several fronts. One of the areas where we have had the most impact is heightening awareness among elected officials about the urgent need to do more about fighting pancreatic cancer. Due to our advocacy efforts, Congress is now considering the first-ever substantive bill regarding the disease: The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act, H.R. 745. This landmark legislation will dedicate more federal funding towards research and finding a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Although we are moving forward, much remains to be accomplished. If you have not already done so, click on this RAISE THE CURE campaign link and make a donation to become a part of finding a cure for pancreatic cancer.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION GROWS THE RESEARCH THAT GROWS CURES.
Your contribution to RAISE THE CURE will be put to work on two fronts. You’ll be directly funding more private research to ensure the development of early detection diagnostics, improved therapies, more clinical trials, finding key biomarkers and expanding the scientific understanding of pancreatic cancer. You’ll also help us ensure that Congress passes The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act, H.R. 745. Once enacted and fully funded it will provide a greater focus on this disease and will provide the National Cancer Institute with the tools it needs to develop the diagnostic methods and treatments that are currently lacking for pancreatic cancer patients.

Jai Pausch, the wife of the late Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch, PhD, whose fight against pancreatic cancer inspired millions through his book, The Last Lecture, remains committed to our mission. "Through research, patient support and advocacy, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and all of its supporters are making a real difference in the lives of pancreatic cancer patients and their families,” she said. “Together, we can raise the cure and make every day matter in the fight against pancreatic cancer."

Please join Jai and support the effort to find a cure. Your generous donation will provide real hope for pancreatic cancer patients and keep progress moving forward in the fight to find a cure.
Best regards,
Jason Kuhn, Board Chair
Julie Fleshman, JD MBA, President and CEO

https://netcommunity.pancan.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=537

To donate by phone, please call Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at 877-272-6226

Falcon has to run, it is time to put her talons into the dirt for some serious gardening this weekend (yes, Falcon and Dove prefer our own organic fruits and veggies when we have them). Stay strong, World Family; have a great weekend!

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Good News from Frito-Lay, Cancer Research Grants; Bad News about Poverty in PA

Hello World Family,
What a busy week it has been! Falcon has a variety of stories for you this weekend.
Good news for chips, bad news for PA; research money for Pancreatic Cancer. Read and enjoy! Oh, there have been some updates in previous posts, so make sure you check them out. Have a fantastic weekend!

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Frito-Lay Introduces Compostable Snack Chip Bag

Frito-Lay’s popular line of multigrain snacks, announced today that in 2010 it will introduce the first fully compostable snack chip bag made from plant-based materials. The change is designed to significantly improve the environmental impact of its packaging.
This month, the SunChips brand is taking the first step towards this transformational packaging. The outer layer of packaging on 10 ½ oz size SunChips snacks bags will be made with a compostable, plant-based renewable material, polylactic acid (PLA). By Earth Day 2010, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division plans to rollout a package for its SunChips snacks where all layers are made from PLA material so the package is 100% compostable.
“We know environmentally-friendly packaging is a priority for our SunChips consumer,” said Gannon Jones, vice president, marketing, Frito-Lay North America. “Today’s launch of packaging made with 1/3 renewable materials is an important first step towards having a fully compostable chip bag in market by Earth Day 2010.”
Current snack food packaging has three layers: a printed outer layer with packaging visuals/graphics, an inner layer, which serves as a barrier to maintain the quality and integrity of the product, and a middle layer that joins the other two layers. When the packaging is 100% compostable, it will fully decompose in about 14 weeks when placed in a hot, active compost pile or bin. NatureWorks LLC is providing the PLA, which is trademarked under the Ingeo name.
“Packaging is clearly the most visible interaction consumers have with Frito-Lay’s brands,” said Jay Gehring, vice president, packaging R&D, Frito-Lay North America. “To make packaging that would interact differently in the environment we had to change the composition of packaging and invent key technologies. Using plant-based renewable materials, we have a promising solution that will transform packaging and significantly impact the billions of snack food bags produced annually.”
Once the 100% compostable bag is introduced, the company anticipates the switch will lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the production of the packaging and the elimination of petroleum-based packaging material.
Over the past few years, Frito-Lay’s packaging initiatives have made some significant strides. This includes reducing the amount of plastic in packaging by 10% over the last five years, and thereby eliminating 12 million pounds of materials annually used to make the snack bags. In addition, Frito-Lay will be the first snack food company to fund the collection and upcycling of its used packaging through a program in conjunction with TerraCycle.
To inform consumers about the new packaging initiatives, the brand will be communicating through traditional marketing efforts, including print, TV and digital advertising. As part of the current packaging change, the front panel of the current 10 ½ oz size SunChips package features a callout, “Renewable materials make up 33% of this bag.” To communicate the next improvement, the digital strategy includes a video showing how the bag decomposes over 14 weeks. Also, samples of the 100% compostable material will be distributed at major retailers across the country and as part of a special People magazine ad.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Research Grants

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network combines its push for increased federal research funding with direct research support of Fellowships/Young Investigator Awards, Career Development Awards, and Pilot Grants for pancreatic cancer research through a peer-reviewed grant system.

Fellowship Award: One-year grant totaling $45,000 that is awarded to a postdoctoral or clinical research fellow at an academic facility, teaching hospital or research institution who is sponsored by a mentor. The intent of the award is to attract young scientists to a career in pancreatic cancer research.

Career Development Award: Two-year grants totaling $100,000 per award that are provided to junior faculty at academic and medical institutions. The intent of these grants is to support and encourage young scientists to establish a career path in the field of pancreatic cancer research.

Pilot Grant: Two-year grants totaling $100,000 - $200,000 per award that support innovative research in pancreatic cancer. This research may be basic, translational, or clinical in nature. Particular consideration is given to projects that are non-duplicative and have the potential for national application.

In 2009, nine grants were awarded, totaling $1.2 million in research funding. This year’s portfolio includes three Fellowship Awards, two Career Development Awards, and four Pilot Grants. Collectively, these grants support junior and senior scientists and provide funding for research in diverse fields of inquiry, including: the origin and causes of pancreatic cancer; the biology of the disease, including underlying physiological and biochemical processes; discoveries in detection, staging and diagnosis; and novel therapeutic strategies.

Since introducing the Research Grants Program in 2003, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has provided nearly $5 million in funding for research. This includes nine Fellowship/Young Investigator Awards, 25 Career Development Awards, and 13 Pilot Grants.
2009 Grant Recipients
Fellowship Awards
Philippe Foubert, PhD
Eric Humke, MD, PhD
David Ting, MD
Career Development Awards
Maxence Nachury, PhD
Marina Pasca di Magliano, PhD
Pilot Grants
Qingshen Gao, MD
Brian Lewis, PhD
Jiayuh Lin, PhD
Kapil Mehta, PhD

FALCON and DOVE say kudos to these fine winners!

Poverty In Pennsylvania, new report

One in Four Pennsylvania Families with Young Children Can't Afford Basics

A surprising 535,000 Pennsylvanians live in working families that have one to three children under age 12 and do not earn enough to pay for basic necessities such as food, housing, child care and health care. Even in this period of national prosperity, that is 24 percent of such families, roughly one out of every four.
"Hardships in America: The Real Story of Working Families", released yesterday by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, DC and analyzed by Pennsylvania’s Keystone Research Center, shows that the majority of families that can’t afford basic necessities are two parent families, often with one or more workers, and for the most part earning incomes above the official federal poverty level.
The report examines the cost of living in every community nationwide and determines separate basic family budgets for each community.

In Pennsylvania, basic family budgets for a two-parent, two-child family range from $33,193 in Erie, to $39,312 in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. In all of Pennsylvania’s communities, two-parent two-child family budgets are within range of the national median of $33,511, which is roughly twice the official federal poverty line of $17,463 for such a family.

"The official poverty line is a grossly outdated yardstick of what’s needed to keep a family afloat, as this report powerfully shows," says Stephen Herzenberg, Executive Director of the Keystone Research Center. "Families need to be well above the poverty line to cover the cost of the basics." Nationally, two-and-half times more families fall below basic family budget levels than below the federal poverty line, according to EPI.

The report documents the kinds of hardships faced by these low-income families
Nearly one-third of families with incomes below twice the poverty threshold -- a close proxy for the basic family budget level -- faced at least one "critical hardship," such as going without food, getting evicted or having to "double up" in housing with another family, or not having access to medical care during an acute illness.

Nearly three-quarters of families below twice the poverty threshold faced at least one "serious hardship," like worrying about food, failing to pay rent, using the emergency room as their main source of health care, having the telephone disconnected, or having children in inadequate child care arrangements.
Food insufficiency is the most common hardship. Eighteen percent of families below twice the poverty line missed meals involuntarily. Forty percent worried about having enough food to keep from going hungry. For single-parent families, food insecurities were experienced at rates of 23 percent and 57 percent, respectively.
Of families with incomes below basic budget levels,

• half include a parent who works full-time;
• nearly 60 percent are two-parent families;
• more than three-quarters are headed by a worker with a high school degree or more; nearly half are headed by a worker over the age of thirty; and
• about one-third live in the suburbs, one-third live in cities, and one-third live in rural areas.

"Our safety net is full of holes," says KRC Research Fellow David Bradley. "We phase working families out of supports for health care, child care, housing and other basic necessities well before they can afford them on their own."

"Work alone doesn’t ensure a decent standard of living," said Heather Boushey, an EPI economist and lead author of the study. "This report provides strong evidence of the need for policies that strengthen our social safety net and boost wages."
The EPI report includes policy proposals for raising the earnings of low-income and poor families, including a minimum wage hike, an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit, more comprehensive job training programs, and stronger pay equity policies that help to ensure that women are paid as much as men.

Policies to boost income, however, are only part of a plan to ensure that all American families can afford a safe and decent standard of living, according to the report. Families that earn enough income to be ineligible for Medicaid, for example, are still often unable to afford private health insurance. These experiences indicate that Americans at all income levels need a stronger social safety net, including:

Universal health insurance.
Families that lack private health insurance are far more likely to face other kinds of hardships. They are over twice as likely to miss meals and fail to pay housing or utility bills, even after accounting for income. The problem becomes a cycle when, for example, poor nutrition leads to other health problems.

Federally funded child care for children of all ages.

Families at all income levels have a hard time finding day care centers with the adult-to-child ratio recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 49 states, child care costs are greater than the tuition to public colleges.
Affordable housing and economic development. Affordable homes must be closer to work. One way to accomplish this is through "transit lead development," where mixed-use, high-density developments are built near transit hubs. Increased funds for affordable housing should also be made available, since national housing policy is biased in favor of middle-income homeowners.

"Even high school graduates working full time may not be able to support a family," said Boushey. "If the American Dream is to become a reality for all Americans, then there is a role for government in helping working families meet their basic needs."
---------------------------------
The Keystone Research Center is a Harrisburg-based research and policy center dedicated to improving economic performance and economic opportunity in Pennsylvania.
Summary
20% of the 3.4 million households lack income to meet basic needs

6% receive public cash assistance

75% spend more than 30% of their income on housing

Fayette and Somerset counties hardest hit

PANCREATIC CANCER SYMPOSIUM - PHILADELPHIA

Hello, World Family!
Falcon here. I received this notice this morning, and I wanted to pass it on to everyone in the Falcon and Dove family. As you know, our beloved Randy Pausch, the CMU professor who, among other many talents developed the computer program Alice (that Dove did as a grade school student) was struck down by this cancer. This horrible cancer knocks down many wonderful souls every year, and any additional information that can be shared to help those directly affected by this... patients, family members, friends, caregivers...should attend this event to gain a greater understanding and updates on the progress being made to overcome this illness.

This is a FREE event; there is also one in Atlanta about 10 days later. Check the enclosed information below, and feel free to check out their website.

Stay strong, Brothers and Sisters!
Falcon and Dove

PANCREATIC CANCER SYMPOSIUM - PHILADELPHIA
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown

The Pancreatic Cancer Symposium – Philadelphia is a complimentary educational event for patients/survivors, their caregivers, family members and friends. Advance registration is required.

Click here to view the agenda –includes speakers from Thomas Jefferson University, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Fox Chase Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Beth Israel Medical Center.
WHEN
Saturday, April 4, 2009
8:45 am - 5:00pm

LOCATION
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
1201 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has arranged for rooms at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown at a special rate of $239/night for a single/double, $259/night for a triple, and $279/night for a quad occupancy plus applicable taxes and service charges. For reservations, visit our website at http://www.pancan.org/phillysymp09/, or by calling 215-625-2900 and tell them you are with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network group. These special rates are only available until Thursday, March 3, 2009. Limited rooms are available!

For any additional questions, contact us: symposium@pancan.org.