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Happy New Year!

A History of the New Year

The celebration of the new year on January 1st is a relatively new phenomenon. The earliest recording of a new year celebration is believed to have been in Mesopotamia, c. 2000 B.C. and was celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox, in mid-March. A variety of other dates tied to the seasons were also used by various ancient cultures. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new year with the fall equinox, and the Greeks celebrated it on the winter solstice.

Early Roman Calendar: March 1st Rings in the New Year

The early Roman calendar designated March 1 as the new year. The calendar had just ten months, beginning with March. That the new year once began with the month of March is still reflected in some of the names of the months. September through December, our ninth through twelfth months, were originally positioned as the seventh through tenth months (septem is Latin for "seven," octo is "eight," novem is "nine," and decem is "ten."

January Joins the Calendar

The first time the new year was celebrated on January 1st was in Rome in 153 B.C. (In fact, the month of January did not even exist until around 700 B.C., when the second king of Rome, Numa Pontilius, added the months of January and February.) The new year was moved from March to January because that was the beginning of the civil year, the month that the two newly elected Roman consuls—the highest officials in the Roman republic—began their one-year tenure. But this new year date was not always strictly and widely observed, and the new year was still sometimes celebrated on March 1.

Julian Calendar: January 1st Officially Instituted as the New Year

In 46 B.C. Julius Caesar introduced a new, solar-based calendar that was a vast improvement on the ancient Roman calendar, which was a lunar system that had become wildly inaccurate over the years. The Julian calendar decreed that the new year would occur with January 1, and within the Roman world, January 1 became the consistently observed start of the new year.

Middle Ages: January 1st Abolished

In medieval Europe, however, the celebrations accompanying the new year were considered pagan and unchristian like, and in 567 the Council of Tours abolished January 1 as the beginning of the year. At various times and in various places throughout medieval Christian Europe, the new year was celebrated on Dec. 25, the birth of Jesus; March 1; March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation; and Easter.

Gregorian Calendar: January 1st Restored

In 1582, the Gregorian calendar reform restored January 1 as new year's day. Although most Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar almost immediately, it was only gradually adopted among Protestant countries. The British, for example, did not adopt the reformed calendar until 1752. Until then, the British Empire —and their American colonies— still celebrated the new year in March.

For more New Year's features see New Year's Traditions and Saying "Happy New Year!" Around the World.

Read more: A History of the New Year — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearhistory.html#ixzz19ispeP29

Borgna Brunner

Simple Home Security and Safety Tips For Seniors

Senior citizens are a valuable part of our society. Reaching retirement and enjoying the later years can be a wonderful time for many people. There are, however, new security and safety concerns that must be considered. Whether you have an elderly parent that is coming to live with you, or you are helping an elderly person that you care about set up there home, there are certain issues that must be addressed. Most elderly people are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, but there are still some concerns to deal with.

Sadly, many senior citizens are the targets of crime because they are seen as vulnerable and unable to defend themselves. It is heartbreaking to think of your elderly parent or neighbor becoming a victim, but this has become a reality in many neighborhoods and communities. Aside from concerns with crime and home security, seniors also face many dangers around the house that those who are younger do not necessarily contend with. As we get older, even basic household objects become a danger, and that is why it is so important to take the time to make your home a safe place for an elderly guest, or to help an elderly parent or friend live independently.

Here are some tips for making sure the elderly person that you love stays safe while at home:

- Whether the senior is staying with you, or on their own, make sure there is a home alarm system installed. This is particularly important for seniors who are living alone, because as mentioned before, they often become targets for burglars or robberies. The alarm system does not have to be state of the art, but make sure it at least monitors all downstairs windows and doors. It is also important that it is not too complex of a system, because if it is too difficult for them to use, they will be much less inclined to set it. If it is not set, then it is basically useless, and this defeats the point of installing a home alarm.

- In terms of safety around the house, prepare your home or your loved one's own environment by considering any possible dangers. Slippery surfaces should be covered by non-slippery mats or carpets, and all rugs should have tracking placed on the bottom. It is easy for seniors to slip and fall on non-secure surfaces, and this can result in broken bones or more serious injuries.

- Aside from a home security system, you should also make sure that the home is equipped with a working smoke detector. Seniors cannot move quickly, and therefore they can quickly fall victim to a house fire. By installing a smoke detector, you can be sure they have fair warning if there is smoke in the house, and the fire department can be quickly alerted.

- If your loved one has chosen to live independently, make sure you have contact with a trusted neighbor. A neighbor can keep an eye out for anything suspicious or that might cause concern, so it is a good idea to have a friendly relationship with at least one neighbor.

-Levi Mortenson

Alpine joins a directory of oxygen providers on the web.

Get listed: Directory of oxygen providers hits the web
'I can't even imagine being stuck somewhere and not being able to breathe properly. That would just freak me out.'
By Liz Beaulieu Editor - 12.28.2010

OCEAN BEACH, Calif. – Bill Ray says he’s not sure why he thought of developing a website to help oxygen users find providers when they’re away from home.

“I don’t know anyone who uses oxygen,” said Ray, who developed www.o2delivery.net. “I was having a conversation with a friend over dinner and drinks one night and all of a sudden it just popped into my head, ‘Bill, you need to build a website for people who are looking for oxygen.’ It was the strangest thing.”

The website, which currently gets about 130 hits per day, lists oxygen providers across the country. It recognizes a person’s location and autofills his or her city, state and zip code, and lists providers within 20 miles. It uses Google map to show their proximity.

While Ray’s main goal is to help people who use oxygen, he’s also trying to make the website a sustainable business. For $19.95, providers can become “prime listings,” meaning their name, addresses and phone numbers will float to the top of the list in their area. For $39.95, Ray will work with them to develop a video to go along with their contact information. He also sells banner ads.

“This is the oxygen yellow pages is what it is,” Ray said.

Along the way, one of Ray’s biggest supporters has been none other than Ron Richard, CEO of SeQual Technologies, which manufactures portable oxygen concentrators. The two met when they began playing in the same band in San Diego. SeQual gave Ray the names of thousands of providers who sell its POCs so he could plug them into his directory. The manufacturer also ships its POCs with information on www.o2delivery.net. Additionally, SeQual has a banner on the website.

“With all of the changes going on with competitive bidding, the number of providers who are getting out of the oxygen business or contemplating getting out of it is increasing, and patients who are traveling are finding it harder and harder to find a provider, particularly with liquid oxygen,” Richard said. “This is a portal that makes it easier to connect patients to providers to either rent or purchase refills or tanks as they travel across the country.”

While Ray’s not sure why he thought of developing the website, it might have something to do with a traumatic childhood event.

“I almost drowned and I remember gasping for breath and right before passing out, thinking, I just want to breathe,” he said. “I can’t even imagine being stuck somewhere and not being able to breathe properly. That would just freak me out.”

Keeping your brain sharp--an article for individuals of all ages

Keep it sharp

Share your thoughts about competitive bidding with AAHomecare

Would you like to share you thoughts about competitive bidding? AAHomecare is giving you an avenue to do so. http://www.aahomecare.org/

Economist on competitive bidding: 'Current approach is not going to work and will not continue'

Economist on competitive bidding: 'Current approach is not going to work and will not continue'
By Liz Beaulieu Editor - 12.17.2010

WASHINGTON - Economist Peter Cramton, a vocal critic of the current competitive bidding program for HME, gave a presentation on his new design to AAHomecare and state association leaders during a teleconference last week.

Cramton, a University of Maryland professor, also took questions during the call, which AAHomecare organized.

"From AAHomecare's perspective, we have under way a couple of efforts to develop alternatives to the current bidding program, so that's a reason to have a better and full understanding of (Cramton's) proposal," said Tyler Wilson, the association's president and CEO, at the start of the call. "Whether we borrow from his proposal, build on his proposal or go in a completely different direction, remains to be seen. At this point, the association hasn't endorsed, in any way, his design."

In all, 150 stakeholders participated in the call.

Cramton's design departs from CMS's in two big ways. The first: Prices would be set where supply and demand meet, a process he calls "a clearing price auction." The second: The design would require financial guarantees (in the form of bid bonds or deposits proportional to a bidder's size) and performance guarantees.

Here are some of the questions that industry stakeholders asked Cramton about the current program and his new design:

How will your design prevent a bidder from continuing to submit unrealistically low bids?

"First, to place a bid, they have the bid bond, and if they just walk away, there is real consequence," Cramton said. "They forfeit their bid bond. Then if the price turns out to be unsustainable--it's below everyone's costs and they're a winner--well, they have performance obligations. If they walk away, then the performance bond is lost. That's why the bidders are on notice that, 'Ah, the bids really mean something,' unlike in the CMS auction where they mean nothing."

Is your design appropriate for such a service-intensive industry as HME?

"Auctions are used where there are strong service components. For example, consider construction," Cramton said. "Most construction contracts and pretty much 100% of government construction contracts are awarded through competitive bid and auction, and believe me construction is one area where service and quality are important aspects. So auctions and service are not incompatible, nor is quality. What has to be done in those environments is, first, a good statement of what quality service is and what quality products are, and then ways of measuring that the quality products and services have been delivered and that is something that will require some future work. But yes, absolutely auctions work in environments where services and quality play a role."

Do you think the current competitive bidding program could be tweaked to work?

"No. It definitely can't work as it's currently designed," Cramton said. "It's fundamental reform that has to take place. CMS could get busy on it right away and develop and adopt reform. What I would recommend is a 12-month time-out. In those 12 months, we get busy coming up with an approach that works and works well. From my end, in terms of the auction, there's absolutely no problem in, say, conducting sensible auctions in the third quarter of 2011 for a Jan. 1, 2012 start. I think the biggest problem is going through all the regulatory aspects."

How quickly do you think we'll see problems from the current program?

"That's one where I suspect HME providers on the phone have more information than I do," Cramton said. "All I can say is, the Round 1 re-bid was extremely problematic, that the outcome was seriously flawed and that problems will appear. Whether they appear in the first week of January or not until July of 2011, I don't actually know, but I do know that the current approach is not going to work and will not continue. I just can't imagine, no matter what, if CMS is simply going to try to keep doing this again and again, it will definitely end."

For more specifics on Cramton's design, go to http://www.cramton.umd.edu/auction-papers-with-abstracts.htm#Medicare.