tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-345952672011-07-29T04:10:51.609-05:00Musings on news around the world.Kimnnoreply@blogger.comBlogger471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-47674678666808059272010-03-24T14:05:00.007-05:002010-03-24T20:03:01.634-05:00

Too many journalists and news agencies have neglected to include, or do not provide, any reference to the name and legislative number of the healthcare reform bill signed by Obama on Monday, 3/22/10. So here it is: H.R. 4872 - "Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010" - announced here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/pending-legislation/h.r.-4872 Read the

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-1322294597823735632010-03-24T11:05:00.001-05:002010-03-24T11:07:45.518-05:00

Check out my new post about healthcare reform on my other blog, "Getting Your Financial House in Order."

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-18130093542008088182009-10-21T05:41:00.011-05:002009-10-21T07:39:34.005-05:00

I cried in the shower Monday morning when I learned about Dr. Ponseti's death. He passed away Sunday, Oct. 18th, after complications following a stroke he'd suffered while quietly working in his office (pictured above) at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics last week. He was 95.I've known Dr. Ponseti since 2004 when a friend invited me to accompany her and her 10-year-old son for a

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-48539090377245353822009-10-03T17:16:00.002-05:002009-10-03T17:17:30.525-05:00

With all the bad news lately, we needed something a little silly. Source: Stacy's Random Thoughts, written by my sis, Stacy.

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-55831602133120494932009-06-04T17:07:00.004-05:002009-06-04T17:12:43.479-05:00

Future Town Hall Teleconference Meeting Dates - All town hall teleconferences will be held from 1:00pm to 3:00pm EST, unless otherwise noted.June 9 - Liability (including Self-Insurance), No-Fault Insurance and Workers' Compensation Policy - Q&AJuly 1 - Liability (including Self-Insurances), No-Fault Insurance and Workers' Compensation Technical Support Q&AJuly 8 - GHP (Group Health Plans) NOTE:

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-87495274992120920932009-06-04T14:09:00.026-05:002009-06-04T16:38:01.506-05:00

I just finished my first live Tweet reporting of a teleconference hosted by Medicare (technically, the "Centers for Medicare and Medicaid," or CMS). It was about the new federal requirement for employers to send quarterly reports of all subscriber personal information. I will create a report of my Tweets and post them where you can read them, or feel free to browse twitter.com/WriterMom08. In the

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-84486230796299059972009-06-04T06:06:00.023-05:002009-06-04T09:28:38.714-05:00

ALERT: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a branch of the Health & Human Services department of the federal government, is requiring employers under stiff penalites to gather and report all employee social security numbers, PLUS the SSNs of their SPOUSES and CHILDREN. Normally, an employer does not have the SSNs of an employee's family members as most health care benefits are

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-30809712573472345672009-03-17T20:37:00.018-05:002009-03-21T13:49:46.327-05:00

Overlooking Elliott Bay in Seattle, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has been a fixture of Seattle since 1863. I worked at the P-I in the early 1990s. No, not as a reporter, but just before I began my freelance career. I worked on the P-I business staff as the benefits specialist, serving under Dianne Marr, the human resources director. Just the two of us representing the entire human resources

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-1944381338478555162009-01-20T07:00:00.010-06:002009-06-04T17:15:12.943-05:00

Barack Obama will be sworn in as President of the United States today during the Inauguration Ceremony that begins at 9am EST. Watch the inauguration and speech here:Inauguration Schedule: National Mall to open for citizens wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony Swearing in ceremony and celebrations to start at 10 AM ET on the West front of the US Capitol building Musical Selections: The

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-12910400732661651132009-01-01T22:17:00.003-06:002009-01-01T22:19:13.406-06:00

See my new post about the lie perpetuated by Herman Rosenblat about meeting his wife while in a concentration camp during the Holocaust: Ink-spots.blogspot.com.

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-25732078517585110742008-12-01T18:58:00.006-06:002008-12-01T19:16:48.760-06:00

To celebrate the generosity of the season, I am offering one signed FREE book to the first person to follow this blog ... your choice from one of these titles (one book per person):Getting Your Financial House in OrderChicken Soup for the Soul: Great and Grand (NEW release!)Chicken Soup for the Christian Woman's SoulGod's Abundance for a More Joyful LifeBeanie Baby Stories for the Heart Check out

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-39754054939278802252008-11-28T08:49:00.007-06:002008-11-28T09:26:55.103-06:00

...is TODAY, November 28, 2008. "For the first time, federal legislation has set aside the day after Thanksgiving for this year only to honor the contributions American Indians have made to the United States." Read the rest of the story here. Notable American IndiansNative American proverbs and wisdomStates and places with American Indian namesSacagawea dollar coin with information on the

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-63957523798718103952008-11-25T16:29:00.015-06:002008-11-25T21:09:12.367-06:00

Bloomberg Report, 11/24/08: "Russian Professor Says U.S. Will Break Up After Economic Crisis"The Drudge Report, 11/25/08 (with more details from the interview): "Russian Analyst Predicts Decline and Breakup of USA." And then this startling development...USA Today: "Venezuela's Chavez welcomes Russian warships" So a Russian professor predicts the break-up of the U.S. into six regions as a result

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-10891455897542374512008-11-12T16:35:00.010-06:002008-11-12T19:48:43.010-06:00

To celebrate the historic presidential win of Barack Obama, enjoy browsing the front pages of America's newspapers announcing his victory, all available online through the new interactive Newseum in Washington D.C. Actually, the site contains 735 front pages from 67 countries. Look for your hometown paper here. In honor of my two hometowns, these front pages come from the Seattle Times, the

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-16204802412305540072008-11-06T08:08:00.014-06:002008-11-12T18:18:05.902-06:00

I am very proud that America elected our first African-American president. What a monumental moment in history! We've come a long way, America. Congratulations, Barack Obama. You have been charged with the people's trust. Please honor that trust.In my journalism class, supporters of President-elect Obama unanimously expressed how John McCain's concession speech moved them and deserved more

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-71568702329275855692008-11-06T06:56:00.092-06:002009-06-04T17:46:52.252-05:00

Barack Obama in his own words:On the Constitution: "When we get in a tussle, we appeal to the Founding Fathers and the Constitution's ratifiers to give direction. Some, like Justice Scalia, conclude that the original understanding must be followed and if we obey this rule, democracy is respected. Others, like Justice Breyers, insist that sometimes the original understanding can take you only so

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-27737955617694209542008-11-03T17:38:00.006-06:002008-11-03T17:53:03.158-06:00

Barack Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died early this morning of cancer. She also suffered from a broken hip after a fall earlier in October. It took mainstream media about two hours to verify the news, since I noticed bloggers talking about it at 3pm CST but I couldn't find a verifiable, credible source and did not want to report rumor or gossip earlier today. But the terribly sad news IS

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-27941516177847855232008-10-09T10:34:00.019-05:002008-10-13T22:00:55.384-05:00

You know it's fall when campaign signs litter the lawn like leaves. Photo by K.S. Gollnick (10/8/08), taken on the drive to school in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-87308032130683264622008-09-18T21:00:00.057-05:002008-11-03T17:55:16.797-06:00

John McCain and Sarah Palin spoke to an enthusiastic crowd today at the PS Air hanger on the west end of the Eastern Iowa International Airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I arrived late with several busloads of other attendees, delayed by the crush of traffic crawling on I-380 this morning between 9 and 10am trying to get to the airport (some who certainly missed flights and most for the rally,

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-75931808154058217652008-08-26T16:25:00.006-05:002008-10-11T17:57:17.464-05:00

The body of UI political science professor Arthur Miller was identified during an autopsy this morning using dental records, ending a week of wondering what heppened to him and increasing speculation as to his guilt or innocence over his actions toward four students during finals week in May."Miller is accused of offering higher grades to female students if they would let him see or fondle their

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-24360927727661809892008-08-20T16:46:00.006-05:002008-08-20T17:08:55.255-05:00

Breaking news: University of Iowa political science professor Arthur H. Miller was reported missing by his wife early this morning and police located his red BMW this afternoon at Upper Hickory Hill Park in Iowa City near the UI campus. He was charged August 10th with four counts of bribery for soliciting sexual favors from female students in May 2008 in exchange for better grades. He purchased a

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-68153184282786812102008-08-13T22:30:00.008-05:002008-08-13T22:57:51.969-05:00

Today I drove through a few neighborhoods near I-380 in downtown Cedar Rapids. The devastation is still overwhelming. I plan to post photos as soon as I upload them from the camera. In the meantime, consider the costs of what the city of Cedar Rapids has spent thus far on flood recovery, posted at my financial blog, "Getting Your Financial House in Order."

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-81934173169046416882008-08-08T23:21:00.004-05:002008-10-09T13:59:04.996-05:00

I had to blog today simply for the purpose of mentioning August 8, 2008, which must be newsworthy in a numerical sort of way, wouldn't you say?

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-86952048819923188792008-07-03T15:18:00.020-05:002008-12-09T07:36:31.679-06:00

Yesterday I reported for volunteer work with Serve the City to distribute the city's newsletter for flood victims downtown. About 50 of us showed up and after some instruction and a word of prayer, we divided into five groups to tackle five areas in the flood zone. I paired up with another volunteer and she drove to our section, dubbed "Area C," encompassing the neighborhood west of I-380 to 4th

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-3446921167220245062008-07-01T22:23:00.010-05:002008-12-09T07:36:32.548-06:00

People's pets--the smallest victims of the Cedar Rapids flood--found themselves rescued and temporarily housed in the Kirkwood Community College Equestrian Center until their owners can reunite with them or while families who lost their homes in the flood can make new living arrangements. This is a view inside the shelter. The guy in the yellow T-shirt is Quinn, one of the volunteers with whom I

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-67284709095730732492008-06-28T11:45:00.011-05:002008-12-09T07:36:32.702-06:00

I volunteered my time this past week with the American Red Cross, Mission of Hope and Meals On Wheels assisting flood victims and the needy. It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.Photo by K.S. Gollnick, taken at Sam's Club, Blairs Ferry Rd., Cedar Rapids (June 24, 2008).Then I decided to gather my flood photos online, at least to share the shocking scenes of high water and

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-52176115408848814592008-06-26T13:31:00.008-05:002008-06-26T13:49:13.463-05:00

Jay Leno announced he will contribute all proceeds from his Wednesday and Friday night shows this week in Las Vegas to the flood recovery effort here in Iowa. Dan Baldwin, president and CEO of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, estimated the flood caused about $25 million in infrastructure damage for about three dozen nonprofit organizations that were in the flood zone. Last night's

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-11415169716839322292008-06-18T07:07:00.005-05:002008-10-11T17:58:33.215-05:00

National Weather Service meteorologist Donna Dubberke says the final answer will be the same as the answer they gave on Monday:"It is a function of too much rain in the wrong spot again and again," Dubberke said.Click here to read the full article.

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-33644146647160634752008-06-17T17:53:00.003-05:002008-10-11T17:56:24.815-05:00

President Bush commented officially on the Midwest flooding, published this morning in the local paper, the Iowa Press-Citizen.

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-86220346012624834842008-06-17T17:13:00.003-05:002008-10-11T17:56:39.939-05:00

WASHINGTON—President Bush pledged housing help and other federal aid to the Midwest victims and said he would inspect flood damage in a trip to Iowa on Thursday.

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-88587765255795706952008-06-17T14:28:00.000-05:002008-06-17T18:01:10.764-05:00

Editor & Publisher announced today the creation of the Iowa Journalists Flood Fund for local news reporters and staff who lost their homes in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City floods.

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-84072152021392252962008-06-16T16:14:00.002-05:002008-10-11T17:59:00.489-05:00

Deaths from flooding: 5Evacuees: Roughly 36,000 Iowans in 11 counties, including 25,000 in Cedar Rapids.Counties declared federal disaster areas: 24. A total of 83 counties are covered by a disaster declaration by Gov. Chet Culver.Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed: 2,500Sandbags: 4.8 millionGallons of drinking water distributed: 180,930Acres of soybeans lost: 2 millionAcres of corn lost: 1.3

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-34648025820798719422008-06-15T12:05:00.001-05:002008-12-09T07:36:33.081-06:00

By Friday night, the Cedar River hit an all-time high flood stage of nearly 33 feet above normal, breaking the old record set in 1929 by 11 feet. This flooded over 400 blocks and filled beloved businesses and buildings, including the historic Paramount Theater and the downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library where I've spent much time in browsing and research. The water has receded remarkably in the

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-77907000483946760962008-06-13T09:00:00.001-05:002008-06-18T07:13:03.476-05:00

My hero and close friend, Laurie Haldeman, saved a 95-year-old man by calling for help when she discovered him trapped by flood waters on the second floor of his home in the Edgewood area of Cedar Rapids yesterday. He had refused to leave during the mandatory evacuation order issued Tuesday. She told me she couldn't sleep Wednesday night and went to check on him Thursday morning when she

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-5567160146508004702008-06-12T21:30:00.001-05:002008-10-11T18:00:07.876-05:00

"April showers bringMay tornadosbringingJune flooding..."Pictures to come soon. Pictures posted here. Today my sons and I ventured out after 3 straight days of flooding in Cedar Rapids, to stock up on water, milk, bread and other essentials. While we shopped, yet another major thunderstorm erupted overhead and we drove home in axle-deep water. Fortunately, our home in Marion is on high ground (

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-35806864888298602322008-04-13T18:49:00.001-05:002008-06-18T07:14:22.055-05:00

Wanna see the new 250,000 square-foot "Newseum" that just opened April 11, 2008 in Washington D.C.? USA Today created an interactive, floor-by-floor model of the place! Take a peek here.

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-37949389774000257622008-03-24T18:25:00.000-05:002008-12-09T07:36:33.854-06:00

While getting ready for class this morning I received a Hawk Alert from the University of Iowa. The message stated that an "active shooter" was in Iowa City, a male driving a 1998 Toyota Sienna tan minivan, and that if spotted, witnesses should call 9-1-1 from a safe location.I jumped online to get more information from local news sites. They did a very good job providing details, but I noticed a

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-83744825874841643562008-02-29T15:13:00.000-06:002008-06-17T18:03:20.761-05:00

Could global warming actually be an ice age in disguise? And for those who think Iowa is made up of only cornfields and baseball diamonds, here's a shot of yesterday's traffic in a snow storm near Cedar Rapids. I drove home in that exact mess--I left the University of Iowa at 5:00pm and it took nearly 2 hours to drive 35 miles, due to the umpteenth snowstorm this year (I've lost track at this

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-75498872617613785972008-01-03T20:17:00.000-06:002008-01-03T21:34:14.748-06:00

My first Iowa caucus! What a night. It's a downright balmy 21 degrees outside, but windy. Brr. Our precinct, 4-2, met at Oak Ridge School with four other precincts. Precinct 4-2 shared the gym with Precinct 4-3, packed with probably 250+ people. Here are the results of the votes by these two precincts:Precinct 4-2Huckabee 52Romney 30Thompson 23McCain 15Giuliani 11Paul 10Hunter

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-82048149525669752222008-01-01T07:28:00.000-06:002008-01-03T21:14:20.247-06:00

Okay, the Iowa caucuses are coming in two days and I'm going. However, I'm alarmed--I thought I finally found a candidate I could support until I learned this week about the "Fair Tax" legislation backed by some of America's presidential candidates (and click here to see who in Congress supports it from the Fair Tax Web site). If you haven't heard about it, the "Fair Tax" act will eliminate

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-62042932527596854232007-12-28T13:02:00.000-06:002008-12-09T07:36:34.540-06:00

Just in time for Christmas.... My family has made Iowa our home for eight years next month, but never before have we seen this kind of ice storm in which ice encases every twig, every blade of grass, every power line, every mailbox.It rained liquid ice (literally) for nearly twelve hours straight on December 11th, followed by several snow storm systems since. Right now, we're hunkered down in our

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-17174089769179977982007-06-01T14:51:00.001-05:002008-10-11T18:00:52.629-05:00

A comment I posted on John Mack's "Pharma Marketing Blog" is getting some attention. Art Harrison of Harrison Instruments emailed me with his appreciation for my post in which I reacted to Dr. Jarvik's television ads for Lipitor, where he breezily claims to be the inventor of the "Jarvik artificial heart."However, the TRUTH is, his research is based on another man's work, a man Jarvik refuses to

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-78180132521950895722007-04-18T22:29:00.000-05:002008-06-17T18:03:55.268-05:00

It's been two days since 32 students and faculty members were murdered by Cho Seung-Hui, the 23-year-old loner who once signed a class list of names with only a question mark. He left everyone behind asking a lot of questions.I have a few of my own:First, although we're tempted to call Cho names like sicko, insane, psycho, disturbed, freaky, bizarre, twisted (and frankly, we'd be right)--isn't

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-1168695387412558192007-01-13T06:57:00.000-06:002008-06-17T18:04:22.804-05:00

Ben Ownby, the 13-year-old boy who disappeared while walking home from his school bus stop Monday afternoon, was FOUND alive and well yesterday, just four days later in an apartment 60 miles from his home in rural Missouri. But he was not alone. Miraculously, officials found another boy, Shawn Hornbeck, who had been missing for four years since his abduction while riding his bike to a friend's

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-1166450000998057512006-12-18T07:42:00.000-06:002008-06-17T18:04:43.772-05:00

Hooray for us! Bloggers and YouTubers became subject of concern in my journalism classes this year, which I suspect is true across the country. Why? Traditional journalist "gatekeepers" can't control the grass root reporter, and in my observations, you broke more stories more accurately more often this year (or at least more meaningfully) than big media.Time Magazine announced last week: "...for

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-1166403823359397162006-12-17T18:19:00.000-06:002008-06-17T18:05:37.634-05:00

James Kim died alone of hypothermia after hiking 15 miles in the wilds of Oregon in a desperate attempt to get help for his wife and two small daughters stranded in their car on a logging road blocked by snow and ice. I feel a bond--I'm from the Pacific Northwest and have traveled a similar route with my husband, trying to get from I-5 to the Oregon Coast. It's not easy. I'm also a parent and can

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34595267.post-1163392545902050802006-11-12T22:34:00.001-06:002008-06-17T18:06:14.007-05:00

When my Honors English professor announced last week that we must watch Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, for discussion in class next week, my heart sank. I posted my response on the class blog, and then decided to share it here, too.Borat on YouTube was enough for me to "get it." But when the movie became an assignment, I did some research. (If

Kimnnoreply@blogger.com0