Category Archives: Anatomy

Read all the election coverage.

Sullivan, according to aides, had returned to Washington, D.C.

Bridenstine was reporting for duty in the Navy Reserve, said campaign manager Erik Zoellner.

Zoellner said the Bridenstine camp went into election day thinking their candidate would probably win. If so, they were about the only ones who saw the eight-point victory coming.

"We all missed this," said University of Oklahoma political science professor Keith Gaddie.

"You could see something like this happening to Sullivan eventually, but nobody saw this time. If they say they did, they're lying."

Any loss by a congressional incumbent is rare. It last happened in Oklahoma in 1994, when retired school administrator Virgil Cooper defeated 2nd District U.S. Rep. Mike Synar in the Democratic primary and in so doing helped launch the political career of Tom Coburn.

Cooper, a protest candidate, did not really contest the general election and even encouraged people to vote for Coburn, who became the first Republican in 70 years to represent the 2nd District.

In that instance, voters had become discontented with what was perceived, at least, as Synar's increasingly liberal voting record at a time when conservatives were seizing control of Congress.

Long-time state political observer Bill Shapard said Sullivan had no similar ideological break with the electorate.

Read the original here:
Anatomy of an upset: How Jim Bridenstine beat Rep. John Sullivan

On the streets of Philadelphia, Wallace Pop Morris Sr. ran a limousine service. It was a lucrative business carting patients to and from medical appointments. However, his real money was made with a tow truck and a scheme that landed him in prison for being the mastermind of a million-dollar insurance fraud conspiracy.

Morris would race to car accidents to be the first to arrive. He then towed the cars to a body shop for repairs and received a commission for bringing in the damaged vehicles. He typically made about 20 percent of the repair bill.

Once the vehicle was in the garage, the body shop owner would inflict more damage before repairing the car. This practice, known as damage enhancement, allowed the auto shop to bill insurance companies for more money.

However, Morris didnt stop there. When he wasnt making enough money off car accidents, he created his own. Working with a partner, he staged accidents and found people to pose as crash victims. After intentionally damaging the cars and creating false accident reports, Morris would file fraudulent claims with insurance companies in the victims names.

Crimes like Morris are hitting Americans in the wallet. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the total cost of non-health insurance fraud is estimated to be more than $40 billion per year thats $400 to $700 a year per family due to increased premiums.

A runner or wreck chaser like Wallace Morris looks for car accidents and encourages those involved to seek medical treatment whether they need it or not.

If a runner comes and finds you and says no, no, no, you need treatment and you go get $100,000 worth of unnecessary medical treatment, someone is paying for that, New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said. That is the pool of money that the insurance company has to pay for that treatment. The people that are in that pool with you, with the insurance company trying to determine its risk, are going to have to, at some point, account for that additional money."

They are pushing up the price of auto coverage at a time when people are paying more for gas, and now we have to pay more for auto insurance so that really hurts, said Dennis Jay, executive director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.

If an accident occurs, consumers should be vigilant to avoid being scammed. Jay said its important to get the names of everyone involved in the accident and to pay attention to details.

Take photographs because often times the injuries reported are not consistent with the amount of damage on the car. Thats a huge red flag, Jay said. Sometimes we see cars get into accidents that have a lot of existing damage, so if you see the car is beat up already you might be a little hesitant.

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Crash for Cash: Anatomy of an Insurance Fraud

RALEIGH, N.C. -- With their elderly parents seated across the octagonal oak table, Donna and Jim Parker were back in the kitchen they knew so well -- the hutch along one wall crammed with plates, bells and salt-and-pepper shakers picked up during family trips; at the table's corner, the spindly wooden high chair where a 7-year-old Jim had tearfully confessed to setting a neighbor's woods ablaze.

It was Christmastime, but this was no holiday gathering. Now, it was the parents who were in deep trouble, and this was an intervention.

For the past year, Charles and Miriam Parker, both 81, had been in the thrall of an international sweepstakes scam. The retired educators, with a half-dozen college degrees between them, had lost tens of thousands of dollars.

But money wasn't just leaving the Parker house. Strangely, large sums were now coming in, too.

Their four children were worried, but had been powerless to open their parents' eyes. Maybe, Donna thought, they'd listen to people with badges.

And so, joining them at the family table that late-December day in 2005 were Special Agent Joan Fleming of the FBI and David Evers, an investigator from the North Carolina attorney general's telemarketing fraud unit.

The home was littered with sweepstakes mailers and claim forms, the cupboards bare of just about everything but canned soup, bread and crackers. Charles Parker acknowledged that he'd lost a lot of money, but expressed confidence that

Evers and Fleming showed the couple a video of other elderly scam victims, then played a taped interview of a former con man describing how he operated. Charles was alarmed by what he was seeing and hearing, but his wife seemed to be barely paying attention.

With the couple's permission, Evers installed a mooch line on the kitchen phone so they could capture incoming calls. The Parkers pledged their cooperation.

After gathering up some of the mailings for evidence, the officers left, encouraged by what seemed a few hours well spent.

Read more:
Anatomy of a scam: One couple's losses and hard lessons

Express-News boxing writer John Whisler breaks down the three scorecards from the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley fight on June 9. Bradley won in a controversial split-decision. Bradley won 115-113 on two scorecards, while losing by the same margin on the third:

- Most rounds in boxing are scored 10-9, meaning the fighter winning a round receives a 10 from judges while the loser of the round gets a 9. In rounds with a knockdown, a point is deducted every time a fighter is knocked down. Note that all rounds in Pacquiao-Bradley were 10-9, as there were no knockdowns in the fight.

- According to CompuBox statistics, Pacquiao landed more punches than Bradley in every round but one, the 9th (26-25). Note that all three judges awarded that round to Bradley, even though Pacquiao was busier and landed more power shots (22-21). One round, the 10th, was even in punches landed with 14 apiece.

- The scoring in Round 5 was highly questionable. Note that C.J. Ross and Duane Ford both scored it for Bradley even though Pacquiao outlanded Bradley 22-8 in the round, including 18-4 in power punches. Pacquiao landed a clean left in the final 35 seconds and Bradley had to hold on.

- The fact that all three judges scored Round 7 for Bradley seems unfathomable. According to CompuBox, Pacquiao outlanded Bradley 27-11 in the round, 22-9 in power punches. Pacquiao clearly won an exchange at the end of the second minute and drilled Bradley clean on the chin repeatedly in the final 30 seconds.

- In Round 8, Ross and Ford favored Bradley, despite CompuBox statistics showing Pacquiao landed more punches, 15-9, including 12-7 in power shots. What were Ross and Ford watching? One plausible explanation although flawed could be activity. Bradley was busier in the round, throwing 70 punches to Pacquiao's 59. But a round should be scored on punches landed, not punches thrown.

- In Round 12, all three judges scored it for Bradley, even though Pacquiao landed 20 punches in the round to 15 for Bradley. Is this plausible? Yes. CompuBox statistics show Pacquiao landed just one more power shot (11-10) than Bradley. But Pacquiao appeared to land the more significant punches, including a right hook flush on the jaw of Bradley in mid-round and a straight left with 10 seconds left, which seemed enough to carry the round.

Original post:
Anatomy of a scorecard: Pacquiao vs. Bradley

Monday, June 25, 2012

SINCE its conception as House Bill 4224 or an Act providing for a Comprehensive Policy on Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development during the 15thcongress, the so-called RH Bill has been a topic among Filipinos that is approached with much controversy. It was so polemical that it has divided the nation at proximate proportions into Pro and Anti - RH bill.

Anthropologically speaking, the nature of the topic itself or the RH bill has so many implications as far as culture is concerned. And this may explain among the many reasons why the resolution on the said bill is tardy. According to social scientists, culture is the expression or subtotal of mans behavior. They maintain that it is a design for living that guides the behaviors of members of the society. Furthermore, culture, experts claim, has both tangible and intangible components. Tangible components are those that are palpable or that are material in nature like the acceptable manner of clothing, the gadgets, computers and technology people of a society use, the architecture of homes, buildings, among others. On the other hand, intangible components are those that are non-material in nature that include the words people use, the habits they follow, the ideas, customs, values and behaviors that they strive to conform in the society where they live in. In sum, culture defines the social norms that serve as ideal models of behaviors that tell an individual what is appropriate or inappropriate. It is the total way of life. It works as a regulatory mechanism that sets the societys standards of propriety, morality, ethics and legality. Any violations of the norms will result in a strong disapproval and severe punishments. The Philippines, being the only predominantly Catholic country in Asia, has a long established conservative culture to the extent that any topic relating to sexuality is considered taboo. This may explain, at least in my personal assumption, why there are people who oppose the enactment into law of the RH bill no matter how scientific the advantages of such a would-be law has been presented. Anthropologists share that there are at least five theories about culture. I suggest that lawmakers may want to consider them in their understanding the division between the pros and antis RH bill. First, culture is learned. The habits, behaviors, belief systems of a person are learned primarily through the parents or primary caregiver. A person born and raised in a conservative family will learn the ways of living a conservative life by their parents and ancestors. Another example would be an Anti-RH bill parent of a child would naturally teach or influence his child of the negativity of the said bill. Second, culture is shared by and transmitted among the members of a social group. In this process, the common culture that is shared by the members of a society will prevail as the dominant culture representative of such a society. Let us say for example in the Philippines where majority of the citizenry are still conservative in thinking. Naturally, the larger proportion of people sharing this culture will mirror the kind of society they live in and thus, our country becomes or is identified as a conservative one. Third, culture is adaptive. By this, anthropologists mean that culture is dynamic and adjusts to the needs of the society in terms of the physical environment and bio-social environment. Customs that derive benefits for the society are generally adapted. Else, the culture is said to be maladaptive. For example, if RH bill, when enacted into law, will solve issues pertaining to poverty, economic crises and population, then generally it will be adapted easily by the people. On the contrary, if there are no actual benefits derived from the said would-be law, yet it has been acculturated by the society, then such a culture is said to be maladaptive. Conversely when there is an actual benefit that can be derived yet no changes has been made for the realization of the gains, then such a culture is also said to be maladaptive. Fourth, culture is integrated. Anthropologists claim that culture and its elements are consistent and are not mutually exclusive and thus it affects all institutions of the society at once. Going back to RH bill, such an issue does not just concern the polity or religion but rather it also involves other social institutions like the family, the economy and health sector. If lawmakers want to approve or disapprove the RH bill, they must understand that either way, their decision will affect these other social institutions or sectors as they are all integrated together, creating a domino-like effect. Fifth, culture is always changing. If one may notice, the belief systems in the past, especially superstitions, are no longer common in the present. Some may have been modified, while others have been completely eradicated. Social scientists claim that since culture is a mental abstraction of man, the latter creates, discovers, and invents new ways of doing things that if proven to be beneficial, will replace the old familiar ways creating a new culture. Example, in the 80s and earlier on, most, if not all, Filipino parents do not discuss matters relating to sex to their children as it had been very effective as a social regulation in keeping their children from engaging into premarital sex and experimentation that would lead teen and unwanted pregnancies at that time. If such custom of conservatism is no longer effective in regulating the behaviors of our teens today, then by this theory or assumption, such a culture will have to be modified to answer to the emerging needs of the present time. If lawmakers want to make grand changes -- including the passing of the RH bill -- that involves the society, they should not forget to deal with the culture first above anything else. (Comments may be sent to polo.journalist@gmail.comor follow me on twitter @ polo_socio)

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Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on June 26, 2012.

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Vesagas: The cultural anatomy of RH bill

ABC

"Grey's Anatomy's" Sandra Oh

Sandra Oh has five Emmy nominations under her belt for her role as Grey's Anatomy's meticulous Dr. Cristina Yang, but it's the ABC medical drama's recently concluded eighth season that the actress feels has provided her best material yet.

This past season on the Shonda Rhimes-created show, Cristina faced the emotional fallout from an abortion when her marriage to Owen (Kevin McKidd) crumbled after the couple swept their baggage under the rug for too long. The story arc, which slowly progressed over the season's 24 episodes, culminated with an emotional scene in which the stoic doc threw a bowl of cereal in her husband's face before they were able to address his infidelity and begin moving on.

As if that weren't already enough, the drama also concluded its year with a plane crash that left claimed the life of one of Seattle Grace's own and left Cristina, Meredith, Derek, Mark and Arizona stranded and facing injuries both big and small. The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Oh to discuss Cristina's challenging moments of the season, saying farewell to two castmembers and the benefits of filming on location.

STORY: 'Grey's Anatomy' Recap: Who Met Their Maker in the Deadly Season Finale?

The Hollywood Reporter: This season has been particularly grueling for Cristina: an abortion, a broken marriage and infidelity, all topped off by a plane crash. Which scene did you grapple with the most? Sandra Oh: It has been an extremely challenging year that has had a lot of ups and downs, both challenging and exhilarating. A lot of the scenes that Kevin McKidd and I did of Owen and Cristina arguing in their apartment was like its own story line. We would shoot all our scenes for a day or two straight, and that was extremely challenging because emotionally and physically it becomes really exhausting. Our finale was extremely challenging physically and emotionally. So, I'd say two things -- our finale and those apartment scenes where Cristina and Owen lock themselves in and just go at it.

Cristina tosses a bowl of cereal on him, which isn't a reaction that Cristina is typically prone to. Wasn't that good? Kevin had to have cereal thrown on him eight, 10 times for that one because we did a bunch of angles. There is that one shot -- and we only did it once -- which was his close-up, which was also my best and most direct hit. He was a great sport about that. Mark Jackson directed that episode, so we had special effects make a soft bowl because I'm not actually throwing an actual ceramic bowl at him. But that was real milk and Grape Nuts. I really liked that scene because that's her first actual moment of connection with him after he tells her the truth. Even though it's physical and it's violent, it's also a connecting moment between them where she looks at him and connects again.

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Cristina rarely expresses so much emotion, which she did a lot of this season. It was a slow burn that started with the season premiere and carried throughout the season, which is different that the Grey's we've seen in the past. You see her express her emotions with only two people: her best friend Meredith and her husband Owen. To see someone being pulled apart so intensely, which honestly most everyone goes through in their life in some ways, if you're lucky you're completely pulled apart and then you have to pull yourself together, which hopefully will be the exploration within hopefully the next season. It's not like we played this in a couple of episodes; we've played this throughout the entire year, and the reality of the resentments building and things not being dealt with building and betrayals happening is closer to real time in the way that we played it. Being on a show for this long, you don't have to do things boom-boom-boom because you have eight years of history and developing the character. So you can take your time with things and let it soak in, in a different and deeper way. I'm super-proud of this year. Having been on a show eight years, for me to have the richest storyline now, I'm extremely grateful.

Originally posted here:
Emmys 2012: 'Grey's Anatomy's' Sandra Oh on Cristina's Emotional Season