"All things are bound together; all things connect."

map of binge drinking

2012-01-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

I wrote a book chapter celebrating (?) the 75th anniversary of the publication of Andrew Carnegie's commissioned book, "Alcohol Control." His book was written by his commission, funded by him, to show state governments how they could control the sale and distribution of Alcohol once prohibition was repealed. He was an alcoholic, leading member of the anti saloon league. (I got paid $3000 for a 31 page chapter, the most i have ever made at writing.) anyway, as you can see from the map, Pennsylvania is one of the biggest binge drinking states in the US. Who cares? ATOH (alcohol) is one of the few drugs that can penetrate the blood brain barrier, the only drug i believe that can be purchased over the counter, if you are 21 yrs old, or have a fake ID. So what? Alcohol can sedate the vagus nerve, which controls breathing. so you can die from binge drinking, because you can stop breathing. as someone who once had an allergic reaction and almost stopped breathing, i can testify that breathing is very important, especially if you ever faced not breathing and lived to tell about it. Woody Allen once said that his brain was his second most favorite organ: after my anaphylactic shock, i can safely say that my brain is my third most favorite organ, and my lungs my most favorite. you can guess at number two. anyway, binge drinking is a killer, and anyone who binge drinks needs counseling fast. binge drinking is 5 drinks for a man, or 4 for a woman, drunk in a short period of time. binge drinking can be minutes (chugging contests) or days. binge drinking can be a measurement of society's decay, or social depression or social anxiety; for example, after the fall of the soviet union, binge drinking in Russia dramatically increased, life expectancy decreased, diseases of alcoholism (coronary and heart disease, cirrohsis), increased. So what is wrong Pennsylvania? how come so many of us are sedating ourselves with over the counter alcohol? state wide depression? Social anxiety? Freud wrote a book, "Civilization and its Discontents" about societal mental illness, how a society can become psychotic (think Nazi Germany, think.....Khmer Rouge, the 700 club, Oral Roberts University, PA state system of higher education....) can there be a societal anxiety in PA that leads its citizens to sedate themselves? jesus, just writing about this makes me want to drink, but i am trying to lose the 8 lbs i gained last semester so nooooooo)

Just noticed: binge drinking increases with longitude. binge drinking increases the further north you go. this is also true around the globe: highest levels of alcoholism in countries closest to the artic circle.

And south dakota and tennessee have no data, i guess the state statiticians were too drunk to send in the numbers.

The Rabbi's Gift: A Parable about building a culture of respect

2012-01-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

The story concerns a monastery that had fallen upon hard times. It was once a great order, but because of persecution, all its branch houses were lost and there were only five monks left in the decaying house: the abbot and four others, all over seventy in age. Clearly it was a dying order.

In the deep woods surrounding the monastery there was a little hut that a rabbi occasionally used for a hermitage. The old monks could always sense when the rabbi was in his hermitage. It occurred to the abbot that a visit the rabbi might result in some advice to save his monastery.

The rabbi welcomed the abbot to his hut. But when the abbot explained his visit, the rabbi could say, "I know how it is" . "The spirit has gone out of the people. It is the same in my town. Almost no one comes to the synagogue anymore." So the old abbot and the old rabbi wept together. Then they read parts of the Torah and spoke of deep things. When the abbot had to leave, they embraced each other. "It has been a wonderful that we should meet after all these years," the abbot said, "but I have failed in my purpose for coming here. Is there nothing you can tell me that would help me save my dying order?"

"No, I am sorry," the rabbi responded. "I have no advice to give. But, I can tell you that the Messiah is one of you."

When the abbot returned to the monastery his fellow monks gathered around him to ask, "Well what did the rabbi say?"

“The rabbi said something very mysterious, it was something cryptic. He said that the Messiah is one of us. I don't know what he meant?"

In the time that followed, the old monks wondered whether the significance to the rabbi's words. The Messiah is one of us? Could he possibly have meant one of us monks? If so, which one?

Do you suppose he meant the abbot? Yes, if he meant anyone, he probably meant Father Abbot. He has been our leader for more than a generation. On the other hand, he might have meant Brother Thomas. Certainly Brother Thomas is a holy man. Everyone knows that Thomas is a man of light. Certainly he could not have meant Brother Elred! Elred gets crotchety at times. But come to think of it, even though he is a thorn in people's sides, when you look back on it, Elred is virtually always right. Often very right. Maybe the rabbi did mean Brother Elred. But surely not Brother Phillip. Phillip is so passive, a real nobody. But then, almost mysteriously, he has a gift for always being there when you need him. He just magically appears. Maybe Phillip is the Messiah.

Of course the rabbi didn't mean me. He couldn't possibly have meant me. I'm just an ordinary person. Yet supposing he did? Suppose I am the Messiah? O God, not me. I couldn't be that much for You, could I?

As they contemplated, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the chance that one among them might be the Messiah. And they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect.

People still occasionally came to visit the monastery in its beautiful forest to picnic on its tiny lawn, to wander along some of its paths, even to meditate in the dilapidated chapel. As they did so, they sensed the aura of extraordinary respect that began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate out from them and permeate the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, they began to come back to the monastery to picnic, to play, to pray. They brought their friends to this special place. And their friends brought their friends.

Then some of the younger men who came to visit the monastery started to talk more and more with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join them. Then another, and another. So within a few years the monastery had once again become a thriving order and, thanks to the rabbi's gift, a vibrant center of light and spirituality in the realm.r

others, and expects to receive the best from others in return. It is the type of culture everyone deserves, and it is up to us to make it happen. In our daily lives, we can create a culture of respect with every personal interaction we have, whether it is with a store clerk, a dignitary, or a colleague.

Iron Lady: film about Margaret Thatcher, starring Meryl Streep

2012-01-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

Meryl Streep never makes a bad movie (wait i will have to research that) and this film, Iron lady, is no exception. the film is not so much about PM Thatcher and the 1980's, though that is shown, but it is more about maggie, the grocer's daughter, who had to rise up against a male dominated government and prejudice against her modest background (she actually waited on customers at her father's grocery store before going to Oxford.) Much of the film is about Margaret as a senior lady, grieving the death of her husband, and of becoming slightly (?) dementia prone. It begins with the Prime Minister visiting the local grocery store for a pint of milk, thoroughly out of touch with the diverse, modern London. Or so it seems. I really enjoyed the performance of ms. Streep, but wonder how the director, producers, selected her. Its a british film, with an
american actor. then again, I think Meryl has probably appeared on the London stage, and American actors enjoy a good presence in London (I am thinking about woody allen and the three films he made in London). anyway, great film. Much better than i anticipated. And there was no Ronald Reagan appearance in it either - so much is made of Reagan and Thatcher by the reagan lovers - she was uniquely British, ronnie had nothing to do with her policies. but she was an admirer of the american enterprise spirit.

heart and vascular test 4

2012-01-28T13:06:00.001-08:00

Heart and Arteries

Mean arterial pressure MAP must be 60 mm Hg for adequate blood flow

CVD leading cause of death women

Preload amount blood return to heart from both venous system and pulmonary system (right and left)

BP amount pressure against vessel walls

Afterload pressure ventricles must overcome to eject blood through semilunar valves into aorta

BP = CO times vascular resistance

CO= HR times stroke volume

BP depends on autonomic system (chemo and baroreceptors) , kidneys RAAS, and endocrine system hormones (catecholamines, serotonin histamine sympathetic system)

Baroreceptors – aorta

Peripheral chemoreceptors carotid arteries vagus nerve

Pack years = packs per day times number of years

Syncope – unconsciousness

Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea – how many pillows at night?

Intermittent claudication – cramps when walking

Right side failure: jaundice, generalized edema (anasarca) , congestion of liver,

HTN 140/90 or higher

Normal BP 120/80

Pulse pressure diff between systolic and diastolic p

JVD jugular vein distention rt side failure

S3 in ventricular gallop Left ven failure

Cholesterol < 200 mg

Trigylcerides < 150 mg

HDL > 40

LDL < 70

Statins: Mevacor, Zocor Lipitor lower LDL and triglycerides. Reduce cholesterol synthesis in liver. Contraindicated patients with liver disease or pregnant cause they cause muscle myopathies and lower liver function. Stop if cramping or elevated liver enzyme.

Malignant HTN systolic > 200

Essential HTN : age over 60, history HTN, calories high, inactive, ATOH, Hyperlips, AA, salt, lower K, Ca or Mg; obese; smoke; stress

Secondary HTN: renal, adrenal medulla; Cushings syndrome glucocorticoids excreted from adrenal cortex,

0ne in three have HTN

Treatment HTN:

ALLHAT antihypertensive Lipid lowering treatment heart attack trial:

Calcium channel blockers: verapamil hydrochloride Calan, and amlodipine Norvasc lower B P and vasodilates

ACE inhibitors: block angiotensin convert enzyme from angioten I to II. Vessels constrict less. Capoten and Vasotec. Get out of bed slowly; postural HTN

ARBs: angiotensin antagonists, blocks angtiotensin to its receptor, DN inhibit ACE. Atacand and Cozaar. Good for patients with nagging cough from ACE or those with hyperkalemia;

Once a day drugs

Diuretics: Thiazide such as hydro diuril prevents Na and H2O reabsorption distal tubule;

loop diuretics lower Na reabsorpt in loop Henle promote NA K excretion Lasix;

K sparring Aldactone (Spironolactone) act on distal tubule inhibit reabsorp NA in exchange for K.

Diuretics work well with multiple drug therapy : diuretic, ACE and beta blockers

Beta blockers; reduce cardiac rate and output. Fatigue, weakness, depression sex side effects. Can be used in connection with ACE inhibitors or ARBs, combination of of beta blockers ACE inhibitors or ARBs and aldosterone antagonists plus management of lipids and use of aspirin.

Side effect diuretic: low K, Eat bananas OJ

Vascular disease:

Intermittent claudication: walk with limp, pts usually initially seek treatment

Inflow; lower back, buttocks, thighs

Outflow: cramping calves ankles feet toes

Ankle brachial index: ratio of brachial and ankle BP less than 1.0 diagnostic PAD

Non surg treat: exercise and positioning

Warmth: wear socks or insulated shoes DN apply heat!

NO tobacco

Drugs: antiplatelets such as Plavix or aspirin

Angioplasty: balloon in artery

Stents

Laser angioplasty

Artherectomy: rotational abrasive therapy

Arterial revascularization: use pts saphenous vein; synthetic material; below knee not successful; aoretoiliac, aortofemoral, axillofemoral (pts cant stand abd surgery)

Post care: breathing, coughing, spirometer; pain and BP;

Thrombectomy: emergency removal clot

Antiplatelet drugs: aggrastat or integrilin

Compartment syndrome: ischemia lead tissue damage death of tissue

Acute Peripheral Arterial Occlusion

Embolus: piece of clot

6 P’s: pain, pallor; pulselessness; paresthesia; paralysis; poikilothermia (coolness)

Thrombectomy or embolectomy surgery removal of clot

Arteriotomy surgery opening artery

Fasciotomy open tissue

Aneurysm dilation of artery

Raynaud’s disease: vasospasm of arterioles unilaterally is phenomenon , but when it is bilateral it is disease. Ages 17-50 cyanosis develops; drugs: Procardia; dibenzyline; vasodilate arteries wear gloves warm clothing. Color changes in skin.

Buerger’s Disease: small and medium size arteries damaged inflammation of peripheral arteries: tobacco smoking; slow, sluggish blood flow; hair loss in area; diminished pulses; vasodilators;

THROMBOEMBOLISM

Venous Thromboembolism VTE blood clot from endothelial injury, venous stasis or hypercoagulability. Called Virchow’s Triad.

Thrombophlebitis is thrombus with inflammation. DVT is most common most serious

Phlebothrombosis is thrombus without inflammation

Heparin: does not treat clot, but prevents clot from growing. Prevents future clot formation. Body absorbs clot. Monitor PTT. Assess bleeding. Bruising, hematoma.

Low molecular heparin: lovenox and fragmin have a consisten action preferred for prevention and treatment DVT

Protamine sulfate; antidote for heparin

Thrombocytopenia is platelet count <150,000 white clot syndrome

Warfarin Coumadin after Heparin. This thins blood. Not an anticoagulant. Blood thinner

Venous insufficiency: venous HTN stretches veins damages valves. Stasis dermatitis reddish brown color. Stasis ulcers usually ankles. UNNA boot. Zinc Oxide. DuoDerm dressings. Artificial skin. Treat infection, heal ulcer, prevent stasis. Elevate leg. Compression stockings. JOBS are air compression stockings. TEDS are elastic stockings

NSS dampened gauze dressings.

Antibiotics

Hydrocolloids pastes, powders sheets

Varicose veins: distended protruding veins. Trendelenburg test: elevate feet, if veins fill up from proximal end, then diagnose.

Phlebitis: IV therapy, inflammation only not infection: warm area, pain, soreness swelling: warm moist soaks, dilate vein.

Karen Santorum, Rick Santorum's wife, and her abortion history

2012-01-22T06:26:00.000-08:00

Dr. Tom Allen, an obstetrician gynecologist, was a pioneer in abortion rights in Pittsburgh even before Roe v Wade 1973. His story is here So what? He was the doctor who delivered Sen. Rick Santorum's wife, Karen Garver. Forty some years later, Dr. Allen and Karen began a live in relationship while Karen was a student at Duquesne Univ School of Nursing. As the story here tells, Karen at one point accompanied a woman to an abortion performed by Dr. Allen.

Ok, so what? Can people change their opinions? Sure. Only she has written a "book" about abortion, and she is married to a Presidential candidate who regularly preaches against abortion and alternative relationships.

Why hasn't this been publicized more? It probably will if Santorum is more than a spoiler candidate.

Newt and Calista Gingrich's sordid past: more details from a Meme

2012-01-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

by now you have read about the sordid details of Newt Gingrich's life, including his sexual affairs and his penchant for "open" marriages (whatever that is...). Turns out, Newt and Calista's history is far more sinister, they were photographed as a loving couple at Auschwitz but a Google search shows additional photos (a Meme) that show a sinister side of their past involvement: yes, they were there in Haiti, they were there at the JFK assassination, even at Lincoln's assassination (Abe was too generous to African Americans, the Freedman's Bureau was just a precursor to the Food Stamp rip off, Abe had to be eliminated), and even at the tragic results of global warming. Are these two traveling in Dr. Who's tele booth? With these two in the White House, it will be Armaggedon.

Sabrina shows her projection equipment: nuff' said

2012-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

marine snipers urinate on dead enemy

2012-01-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

Ok i admit its gross, but these guys are marine snipers, trained to be killers. there is a great book about how to train normal, regular people to be killers called On Killing: the Psychological Cost and its by a retired Lt. Col. His point is that normal people dont want to kill, and training them to kill, esp killing up front and personal, is very difficult. Marine snipers are normal people who have been put through intensive training to spot a person, and kill him at a long distance. by surprise, usually. they are killing people who want to kill them. On journalist asked a sniper what he feels after he kills a terrorist, the answer? "Recoil." the mistake the marines made is (1) making that dumb video (2) sharing it with anyone. what is more obscene, killing or peeing? Ok its over the top to pee on someone after you kill them, then again, i have never been trained to become a killer by my government, so I dont know what kind of dehumanization i might feel for a bad guy i just killed. Its war. What do people think happens in war? Of course, the marines involved will get punished, but not their high ranking officers who probably knew about this.

early results new hampshire

2012-01-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

Looks like Mitt is outpolled by the the alternative conservative candidates, Gingrich, Santorum (surging from behind) and Ron Paul. We shall see what South Carolina holds. Santorum will probably surge some more down there. After SC the republican race will be clearer, and Mitt's position as front runner will be clearer. Big question is what happens when its just Mitt and 2 others, or just one other republican - will Mitt be outpolled then? Mitt will do better in Nov than any other republican candidate, but will he get the nomination? Or will this be a Barry Goldwater year? (popular conservative gets republican nomination but nation rejects candidate)

Romney and Santorum (surged from behind) fight, Ron Paul third

2012-01-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

I think Romney will have a tough time in New Hampshire and South Carolina with Santorum. Rick Santorum (surged from behind in Iowa) is conservative alternative to Romney, he might give Romney a long nomination race. If Romney drops out, then what happens to Ron Paul? Ron will stay in for the long haul, he has no problem raising money, and he has fanatic supporters, and he knows how to run an inexpensive campaign if he has to. So this republican race may go on for some time. Ron Paul will survive past South Carolina, the longer he survives his improbably nomination becomes less improbable. Romney i think is in trouble. Even if he gets the nomination, he has little chance of beating Obama, unless the Republican party unites behind him, unless the Republicans can convince voters Romney really is conservative (Romney-Santorum ticket?).

Headquarters Gentlemen's club closed New Year's Day!

2012-01-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

what is this world coming to when NYC's premier gentlemen's club is closed New Year's Day ?? Did Tony Soprano close Badda Bing titty bar on holidays ? The only good thing about this is that it gives Dennis Rodman a day off to field his topless women's basketball team. Turns out there is already a topless team from a strip club in texas (I dont know who they play if they are the only team...does it matter? the whole idea is watching them run and jump up and down) and Dennis wants to challenge them to a game. On the one hand, its good to see Dennis back in basketball (great rebounder) but why the strip club thing? Why doesnt he just hand over his money to Goldman Sachs - thats a safer investment than a strip club. Dumb question i guess.

"Santorum surges from behind..." in Iowa

2012-01-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

This is a real headline, "Santorum surges from behind...." The article refers to Santorum's recent increase in the alleged public opinion polls in Iowa. Wait a minute: a rural, conservative at time populist state, has an important role in selecting a Presidential nominee for a global empire, and we pay attention to public opinion polls based on hundreds of republican voters (those who identify themselves in some way as republican voters) even though there is constant instability in the polling results. And even if Santorum does well in the caucus votes, so what? That means he isn't nuts? That he doesn't say offensive, at times, intellectually stupid things? That he could never provide a challenge to Pres Obama? Can you imagine Santorum in a debate with Obama? He would have a better chance playing pick up game of basketball against Obama, one on one. The joke is of course Dan Savage's web site devoted to Santorum: Dan is an advice columnist, and is gay. His columns are ....well...entertaining, not exactly Dear Abby stuff. I read Dan Savage's column every week in Pittsburgh's city paper, and learn something everytime. We need Dan Savage. At any rate, Dan has a web site that has been hit so many times, that anyone who does a google search for "Santorum" gets his site, which is devoted to exposing Rick Santorum's intolerance, and ignorance, toward anyone with a sexual orientation different than Rick's. I just can't believe that Rick doesn't have some kind of kinky, weird, elicit sexual outlet that hasn't been exposed so far: there has got to be an teenage intern, a pregnant staffer, a transgendered prostitute somewhere who has a story to tell about Santorum, i mean, Rick Santorum. The real question is how Santorum will ever distance himself from his crazy anti gay remarks, equating the Supreme Court's decision on state sodomy laws with man on dog sex, with child abuse (anything other than man-woman sex is wrong, is the same as man-dog, man-boy, sex). Can a gay man have oral sex with a woman and not have it be considered sodomy? OMG...it just struck me....has Rick Santorum ever had ......I won't go there. To understand Santorum, you have to understand his unhappy childhood (see above picture) - does that picture look hetero?

Michelle Bachmann and Oral Roberts University

2012-01-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

This is strange: Occupy protesters gathered outside of several republican candidates' headquarters in Iowa, including Michelle Bachman's HQ. She was advised to use a side door to enter her HQ, since the front door was blocked by protesters. She said the protesters were Pres. Obama's advance team, and showed how frightened Obama is of her campaign. So she enters the building and is met by applause from her volunteers, many of who are volunteers from Oklahoma - what???? It turns out that volunteers from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa are helping Bachman, since she received her JD (law degree) from Oral Roberts University, back when ORU had a law school (it used to have a medical and dental school, and a large hospital). Thats why she wears so much makeup: ORU women always wear lots of makeup to look "feminine" (seriously, the slutty look is considered feminine by right wing christian men). A joke: what is Oklahoma's greatest oxymoron? "Oral Roberts University." Another joke: the praying hands were once at the entrance to the hospital (moved when the hospital was sold), and intended to be open, welcoming people to enter the campus, however, during construction a worker on top of the hospital lost some loose change from his pocket, the coins fell down to the big open hands, and the hands mysteriously closed shut to catch the money. That's how they became the praying hands."

One student told Bachman:

"I appreciate your Christian faith," said Afame Ooceeh, a 29-year-old pre-med student. "I support you with all my heart."

Ooceeh, originally from Nigeria, is part of a contingent of 42 students from Oral Roberts, a Christian university where Bachmann attended law school. The group, which arrived Thursday, is chaperoned by Winston Frost, a professor who was in Bachmann's class.

"She was one of the most diligent students in the class," Frost told NBC News.

You can read about her law school days, and her curriculum, here. Michelle was brainwashed at ORU. Her positions on the Constitution, law, and christianity are nuts. Flawed reasoning. She makes statements that are historically inaccurate.

Iran demonstrates 1950's technology - probably based on the missiles Reagan sold them

2012-01-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

Pres. Reagan secretly sold surface to air missiles to Iran, during the Iran- Iraq war, ostensibly to free hostages in Lebanon, but also make profits and use the money to support the Contra rebels in Nicaragua who were fighting against a Parliamentary democratic socialist government. So Iran launches surface to air missiles in the straits of Hormuz - so what? I dont get what the big deal is about. The technology is from the 1950's. I remember surface to air missiles in place on lake shore drive in chicago during the cold war, to protect the city from a nuclear attack (seriously, this is no joke). included is a picture of Nike missiles in Hyde Park, Chicago, from the 1950's - to defend chicago against a russian nuclear attack ! too funny....

Sen. Jane Orie of Pennsylvania - soon to be convict

2011-12-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

This is Jane Orie, a state senator from PA. Her sister is an elected judge. Jane used state funds to employ her relatives (not a crime, its common) but not only did they not do the work they were hired to do but they engaged in campaign re election work. She is on trial, calls the trial a vendetta against her family, the prosecutor is also elected and has had a family in PA politics. At her trial Jane's attorney introduced evidence, clearly doctored, and the judge declared a mistrial. It wasn't looking good for Jane, former staff members testifying against her to avoid prosecution themselves, and so she and her lawyer attempted to fool the judge with forged evidence. The forgery was pathetic, easily recognized and the judge declared a mistrial. Now she is facing another trial, with additional charges, but she can keep her lawyer the judge ruled (the lawyer is being investigated as well). She is going to jail, for sure. She has changed her hair style, from the Snooki puff to straight hair, i can't find a current photo to post, but she doesn't look so scary anymore. But she is going to jail for sure. Her sister probably won't get re elected. the Orie family is out of politics. Jane is the author of a bill that will regulate abortion clinics according to laws for health care clinics, which might mean some clinics will close due to increased costs, staffing. Jane says its to prevent sleazy abortion clinics like the one operating in Philadelphia, but her hidden agenda is anti abortion. Our right wing Governor Tom "frackin' Tom" Corbett will sign it into law.

Creepy abortion docs, or champions of privacy-abortion rights?

2011-12-31T08:29:00.000-08:00

this is really bizarre: two OB GYN's from other states are performing late term abortions in Maryland. Is this some kind of abortion rights- right to privacy issue for the doc's, or just a way of making money? Cant they make enough money without conducting late term abortions? Is this ideological for them? Or are they just really creepy doctors? This just gives the anti abortion nuts a case to make for banning all late term abortions, that abortion doctors are creepy, that abortion clinics need to be regulated more. In Pennsylvania, a state senator (who is currently on trial for fraud, producing false documents at her earlier trial - that's another story - she is definitely going to jail) introduced a bill to regulate abortion clinics as any other health care clinic, which would require abortion clinics to greatly expand their services, equipment, staff and so forth, ostensibly to prevent nightmare abortion clinics like the one in Philadelphia, but the hidden agenda is to close down as many abortion clinics as possible (the state senator soon to be convict is roman catholic).

Authorities say two out-of-state doctors who traveled to Maryland to perform late-term abortions have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder, an unusual use of a law that allows for murder charges in the death of a viable fetus.

Dr. Steven Brigham, of Voorhees, N.J., was taken into custody Wednesday night and is being held in the Camden County jail, according to police in Elkton, Md. Authorities also arrested Dr.Nicola Riley in Salt Lake City and she is in jail in Utah. Each is awaiting an extradition hearing.

A grand jury indicted the two doctors after a 16-month investigation, police said.

The investigation began in August 2010 after what authorities say was a botched procedure at Brigham's clinic in Elkton, located near the border of Maryland and Delaware.

An 18-year-old woman who was 21 weeks pregnant suffered a ruptured uterus and an injured bowel, according to documents filed in a previous investigation by medical regulators. Rather than call 911, Riley drove her to a nearby hospital, where both she and Brigham were uncooperative and Brigham refused to give his name, documents show.

A search of the clinic after the botched abortion revealed a freezer containing 35 late-term fetuses, including one believed to have been aborted at 36 weeks, the documents show.

Brigham, 55, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder, five counts of second-degree murder and one count of conspiracy. Riley, 46, faces one count each of first- and second-degree murder and one conspiracy count.

The botched 2010 abortion led regulators to order Brigham to stop practicing medicine in Maryland without a license, and Riley's Maryland license was suspended. Brigham's New Jersey license was also suspended, leaving him without a valid license in any state, and New Jersey authorities are pursuing revocation of his license there. New Jersey authorities have cooperated with the Maryland criminal probe, said Thomas R. Calcagni, director of the State Division of Consumer Affairs.

According to regulators, Brigham would begin abortions in New Jersey and have his patients drive themselves to Maryland to complete the procedures, taking advantage of Maryland's more permissive laws. Brigham was not authorized to perform abortions in New Jersey after the first trimester, and regulators called his actions manipulative and deceptive.

Tips for Single Women - good advice

2011-12-28T19:02:00.000-08:00

I agree with the advice this photo essay gives, except the one about wearing brassiere - if you need to wear one, don't, its not necessary, and your boyfriend will appreciate it.....

Priests fight in Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

2011-12-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

Armenian priests fight over who sweeps what in the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. And it was the Palestinian police who had to break up the fight - there is lots of irony here....

Fat ass big tummy fat face dumb shit congressman Sensenbrenner criticizes the First Lady's physique

2011-12-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

Look at Mrs. Obama, the First Lady, then look at the picture of this big belly fat ass congressman, and evaluate what he has to say. You know how men get a big abdomen like that? eating like an idiot, and drinking lots of booze. I bet he has sleep apnea, no woman dares sleep in the same room with him because he snores like a rhinoceros.

terminating the US Postal Service

2011-12-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

this should be good: the postal service is going to be cut drastically next year, they are just waiting for xmas delivery to be over. What does this mean? no saturday delivery, so what. Most importantly, all those small post offices in obscure rural towns will be closed. the USPS is classic government, even though it is a corporation ( a gov corporation, like the TVA). It has to accomplish a congressional mandate, to deliver mail everywhere, regardless of cost. Rural american enjoys a post office in every small town, regardless of need or cost. they will be the first to go. Post offices in NYC will not be closed; however, the post office in Perkins, OK ( i used to rent a small ranch house there) will be closed. the irony, is that those most affected by the USPS closures will be rural residents, those who support conservative republican efforts to cut government and the USPS. the USPS has been subsidizing small town America for eons, and now this is over. Our government subsidizes farms, small town post offices, and rural residential mortgages - without the US government, those anti government rural, fringe cult christian communities would have become ghost towns decades ago. Does this mean an new exodus to the cities? Will rural America become decimated? Will Congress be reapportioned, and become more urban and Democratic? Will the republicans self destruct by eliminating the USPS? What a zoo.

SRU graduate, political leader of Nigeria, Mr. Olisa A. Ozoewulu

2011-12-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get someone to publish this book review for one year, the damn local papers won't do it, even though it is about a very courageous SRU graduate who started a reform political party in Nigeria. The Butler Eagle, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, even the ROCK Pride magazine all declined. I have now sent it to the Rock student newspaper and to Allied News out of Grove City. This guy really accomplished alot - and SRU cant seem to give him credit. WTF??? Olisa is the guy in the middle holding the big book.

Book Review, by Mark Daniels, Professor of Political Science at Slippery Rock University.

The Sad Event: The Struggle for the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria…a positive learning experience, by Olisa A. Ozoewulu, Gold Press Limited, Ibadan Nigeria 2009 (978-978-088-277-8). (“Finalist: Current Events Political/Social, International Book Awards” competition, sponsored by JPX Media, Los Angeles, California, USA.)

Olisa A. Uzoewulu is an alumnus of Slippery Rock University, a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and author of a book discussing his experiences founding and organizing a political party in his country’s struggling democracy. Despite observing graft, corruption and fraud in Nigerian politics, Olisa has continued to see politics as a higher calling to public service that can provide for the common good and also lead to inner satisfaction and spiritual fulfillment. His experiences and observations of democracy in a third world developing nation reflect many characteristics of mature democracies, like the United States, and provide lessons for idealistic participants in emerging democratic governments.

Nigeria is a federal constitutional republic composed of 36 states and the federal capital territory of Abuja. In 1997 Olisa decided to run for an elected position as Chairman of the Municipal Area Council of Abuja as a member of the Democratic Party of Nigeria. Nigeria’s three main ethnic groups are Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba. As a native Igbo, Olisa organized to secure the support of his fellow Ibgo voters, but also reached out to other ethnic groups for support. Winning the election would not mean just getting the most votes, but also receiving at least one third of the votes in two thirds of the wards in the council district which would show widespread support for the winning candidate among different ethnic groups throughout the district. The results of the election were inconclusive: The candidate with the most votes failed to meet all the requirements for an electoral victory. Olisa received the second highest number of votes, and under the rules of the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria a run-off election was required.

Olisa and his supporters petitioned for a run-off election, but the party of the leading candidate proposed a negotiated settlement. The idea of an extra-constitutional settlement of an election is not unusual with emerging democratic governments, or with mature democratic governments either. Recent elections in Afghanistan and Iraq have been followed by negotiations among leading parties for governments that are more representative of the diverse populations of their nations. Even the United States has had negotiated settlements of contested elections, for example, the 1876 Presidential election. In this case, however, Olisa’s party insisted on a run-off election. Despite the rules of the Electoral Commission, the Minister of Abuja refused to conduct a run-off election and instead installed Olisa’s opponent into office. Olisa took his case to the local tribunal court, and the court judged that the office should be vacated pending a run-off election: the government ignored the court decision, there was no run-off election, and Olisa’s opponent continued to hold the position of Chairman in defiance of the local tribunal court’s decision. Olisa’s response was to start a new political party that would compete for power on a national basis: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also referred to as the “Wulus” party.

Eventually a run-off election was conducted, and the new Wulus party participated along with other, well established parties. The Wulus party resulted in a realignment of many factions in the electoral district. Olisa recounts the intrigue of secret meetings, divided loyalties, attacks and betrayal that led Olisa to withdraw his candidacy for the position of Chairman, and in his place he recruited a new slate of party candidates and continued to direct his political party in the run-off election. One amusing anecdote is the offering of St. Remy Brandy liquor as an inducement or bribe by leaders of factions seeking alignment with the PDP, something Olisa always declined. Nonetheless, it is amusing to note that in a picture of an Abuja Municipal Area Council campaign session, a bottle of brandy is clearly visible in the background!

The Wulus party was successful and won the Chairmanship in the run-off election, and Olisa continued to develop the PDP to win races in other electoral districts. Similar to party organizations in other settings, like Chicago, Olisa used the ward unit as the beginning level for party organization. Olisa decided to conduct an issue oriented campaign with as much interaction with voters as possible in order to expose voters to the public policy plans of the party and to expose candidates to the unique socio-cultural and economic conditions of the voters. The opposing parties had greater financial resources to wage highly visible campaign tactics such as campaign trains of motorcycles, buses and cars that often drove past Olisa’s house in an effort of intimidation. In response, the PDP engaged in charity works and donations to the poor in children’s homes, orphanages and hospitals, as well as an environmental campaign to clean up garbage in villages, markets and towns, in order to generate good coverage in the print media of their candidates. They invited the press to cover the symbolic planting of a tree of “truth and justice.” And similar to Democrat Rahm Emmanuel in the 2006 US House Congressional Elections, the PDP distributed funds to many candidates to achieve the maximum number of seats in area councils. The PDP was successful in many races, but Olisa soon found that victory is often followed by disillusionment.

As with many third world nations, and some developed nations also, politics is often the most attractive profession for those seeking money, power and fame. Olisa observed corruption, tribalism, nepotism and the looting of public treasuries during his years in Nigerian politics, as well as many coup de tats. He wonders if the money spent on the Nigerian military on training and weapons actually encourages the military leaders to seek political power by establishing military dictatorships. Nigerian military leaders usually steal national resources to deposit in foreign financial institutions, and see politics as a form of patronage and employment for their family, tribe and loyal supporters. These leaders, Olisa explains, are “idealess” leaders who see politics as a source of personal enrichment, and who only offer prayers to the common people for improvements in living conditions instead of sound planning and public policies.

He concludes his book with suggestions for “sanitizing” and improving the quality of life for Nigerians through the reform of political parties. He recommends that the government stop funding political parties, for this results in citizens viewing political parties as sources of employment or welfare. He thinks political parties should search for or create funding to sustain their operational activities. He may have overlooked the problem of self funded parties in the US that involves contributions from vested interests and the “buying” of influence from donors. Perhaps Olisa should consider having the Nigerian government fund candidates, similar to our funding of Presidential elections, or the funding of state wide candidates for office in some selected states, such as New Hampshire. Olisa also calls for political parties to become organs that will articulate new ideas and develop concepts that could develop the nation. In addition, he thinks political parties should be involved in the intellectual training of members as a process of grooming future leaders.

Olisa concludes that his PDP “Wulus” party eventually succumbed to the entropy of the Nigerian political atmosphere and became an appendage of the government in power. Supporters became more interested in what he describes as the “dramatis musicology” of the party slogan and motto, heard at rallies as: “PDP! PDP! PDP! Power! Power! Power!” then “ Power to the People! PDP, power to the elders, PDP, power to the women, PDP, power to the youth PDP!” He thinks this may only be PDP’s brand of Obama “yes I can or we can” but he seems to think these enthusiastic chants suggest a shallow message of the party that results in the attractiveness of the party for reasons other than relevant issues. But most importantly he is disillusioned by the emerging leaders who became the most corrupt. Many of his observations are very representative of the dynamics of politics in other third world nations, but at times his experiences reflect the corruption and disaffection of politics in developed nations such as the US.

Olisa’s faith in an eventual Nigerian government as good as its people is a reflection of his own personal religious faith. As a Roman Catholic Christian, Olisa discusses the role that faith has played in his life, providing him with strength and vision and courage in the political arena. One of the pictures in the book shows Olisa participating in a Muslim prayer session, and this also provides hope that there are political leaders in Nigeria that recognize the importance of religious tolerance in a country as religiously diverse as Nigeria. Olisa concludes by expressing the hope that a nation so blessed by material and human resources as Nigeria will attain economic growth through democratic processes. The book itself is challenging to read because of its sophistication, and also because the vocabulary Olisa uses are his translations of adjectives, adverbs or noun phrases in his native language that sound awkward in English.

Slippery Rock University should be proud that it had a role, however small, in creating a Nigerian political leader who is dedicated to democratic principles and a set of high moral ethics. Olisa A. Uzoewulu is one of SRU’s noblest alumnae.

The best holiday gift? Oakmont's Police Chief says "Forgiveness" - fantastic!

2011-12-19T14:56:00.000-08:00

My blogs recently have been awful, nasty and cynical. so here is a happy one: Oakmont's police chief wrote his most recent column in the community newsletter entitled "The Best Holiday Gift? Forgiveness!" Here is an excerpt:

As this holiday is upon us I reflect on the act of forgiveness as a special gift which can be given at this holiday season.....in law enforcement we are privy to much of the pain which our community members endure. I hope that in this holiday season many of you will decide to lay down the bad feelings you have for others, release the burden of hate and resentment, and make a fresh start in the New Year by the simple act of forgiveness...while forgiveness may lift a burden from someone else, its main power lies in the release of burden from the one who forgives...."

Wow. Unexpected. I really am impressed by this message, a good one from law enforcement. You know, police officers in Pennsylvania are actually called "peace officers" (The PA state police are called that as enacted in law by Gov. Pennypacker last century). And i agree with Chief DiSanti, forgiveness can lead to peace, and lift a burden from a family and community. Thanks Chief DiSanti for a wonderful holiday message, brilliant !

Calista helps Newt to achieve patriotism

2011-12-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

"There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate," said Gingrich during an interview with CBN's David Brody. He was screwing Calista because of his patriotism. I love it. Gingrich has also said in the past that Clinton's impeachment was not about Clinton having extra marital sex, but LYING about it. So its ok to screw around on your spouse, as long as you don't lie about it under oath, and God will forgive you (not understand you, but forgive you). Never since Joseph Goebbels have we had someone so good using language to manipulate truth, emotions, and passion. He also says in interview that we are under "attack" on two fronts, one, a Godless, atheistic secularism, and second, radical Islam: and BOTH want to destroy our civilization. The pics show Calista as a young Congressional intern (a virgin from Luther College, even though she is Roman Catholic - hey wait - if they are Catholic, then they don't practice birth control, so why no kids? have they used abortion as birth control? someone call the Pope) and as an angry bird looking for prey. Nice face lift BTW, hopefully the sutures will hold and her face won't fall down during a press conference. One last thing: she gave him oral sex in his car? I mean they had to meet somewhere - supposedly during their decade plus affair they had sex in his car-limo. (this post is beginning to sound like a letter to Penthouse....)

Southern Airways: great planes Martin 404

2011-12-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

remember taking a Southern Airways flight from Athens GA to Atlanta, connecting flight. It was a Martin 404, first flew 1950's, there were cards on board to show safety exits, women had bobbed hair, really dated. This was mid 1970's. On one flight i ordered a drink, Bourbon of course (its the South), they showed me the bourbon mini bottles, one was "Rebel Yell," I had to order it. So i was drinking Rebel Yell bourbon while flying on a martin 404, Southern Airways. great moment. Cool plane. it used to fly over the campus of UGa, I would see it and say, "one day when i get a letter of transport, i'll be on that plane, the plane to Lisbon," an obvious quote from Casablanca, lost on most people. But Professor John Gist got it, laughed, good guy.

Sloths babies documentary coming to Animal Planet next week

2011-12-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

Documentary on sloths soon to be released on Animal Planet. Is it legal, ethical, to own a sloth as a pet?

Mary's pregnancy test surprises her....now to find a husband

2011-12-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

yeah i heard some carpenter named joseph is looking for a wife. I mean, he's got a job, from a good lineage, doesn't ask too many questions. He's gotta go to Bethlehem in a few months though....

Ron Paul is the professor of republicans

2011-12-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul at Iowa debate, just Ron Paul, the guy is amazing, he is the professor of the republicans. The only republican who makes sense. I disagree with his position on abortion, he is not libertarian on abortion. with the exception of abortion (I am pro choice, pro privacy) i agree with his other positions.

Ron Paul has a chance

2011-12-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

Gingrich is gaining ground with the right wing religious republican primary voter nut cases, and this may be a diaster for the Romney campaign. Mitt is supported by big money but they will throw their support behind the primary winner. If Gingrich dumps Romney in Iowa (he probably will), comes in strong second in New Hampshire (if he doesnt actually tie Romney) and then wins South Carolina and Florida (he probably will) the big question will be finances for Romney. He is rich, but will he throw his own money away in a futile bid for the white house? If Gingrich is the sole survivor, the only viable alternative will be Ron Paul and Rick Santorum - Santorum is nuts, way nuts, not to mention incredibly stupid (he actually has a law degree, that is unexplainable, other than law school must be easier then we think). Ron Paul may be the only alternative to Gingrich, and i think Ron would be a great opponent to Obama. It would be an ideological race, a good policy issues debate race, and 99% dissatisfied with wall street might bond with the tea party and libertarians, and it would be an exciting race. Ron Paul might just win if this happens, if the economy doesnt improve, and Iraq and Afghanistan continue to melt down. I just gave ron paul $50 - does that make me a libertarian? Or just a mischievous political scientist?

there may be 500,000 "earths" in our galaxie alone: "Beam me up Scotty!"

2011-12-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

seems like scientists now believe there is life off of earth, at least half million planets in our galaxy that could support life as we know it (or don't know it?). In the words of james Tafficant, former congressman from Ohio, "Beam me up Scotty!" he used to say that on the floor of the House, in the Congressional Record. He quoted Star Trek in the House of Representatives. James is out of prison (bribery, election fraud) and looking to run for elective office, might i suggest Republican Nomination for President? He could join the other nut cases who are running. Actually his quote was "Beam me up, there is no intelligent life here." BTW, he received 15% of the vote in a Congressional election in 2002, while he was in prison.

Saudi incest - rape father sentenced to 13 yrs, 2,080 lashes

2011-12-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

An official Saudi newspaper says a man convicted of raping his daughter has been sentenced to receive 2,080 lashes over the course of a 13-year prison term.

The court in the holy city of Mecca found the man guilty of raping his teenage daughter for seven years while under the influence of drugs.

The Okaz newspaper reported Saturday that the man will receive the lashes in stages throughout his prison sentence. The man's name was not published.

I don't normally agree with Sharia law, but this sentence seems more than fair. My verdict? Chinese justice: take him out back and give him one bullet to the back of the head (why waste bullets?). But I think all Saudi men who rape, especially members of the Saudi family who rape their phillipino or bangladesh maids, should also be punished. But i guess its good once in awhile to set an example, even if the Saudi royal family continue to be exempt from the rule of law (like the entire Bush family too). At least this time they didnt order the rape victim lashed too ! Or order her to marry her father !

Nixon was on drugs

2011-12-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

As to drug use, the book reports that Jack Dreyfus, eccentric founder of the Dreyfus Investment Fund and a longtime Nixon pal and financial supporter, gave Nixon 1,000 capsules of Dilantin in 1968 as part of his personal promotion of the drug. Dreyfus has confirmed this, saying he did so when Nixon's "mood wasn't so good." He said he later provided Nixon with another 1,000 capsules.

Introduced in the 1930s, Dilantin is a mood-altering, anti-convulsive drug most often used to control epileptic seizures. The book cites no direct evidence that Nixon ever used the pills.

Nixon loved martinis, another drug. He would drink a pitcher and listen to the soundtrack of Victory at Sea on a portable Hi-Fi.

He also walked through the white house, drunk, with Henry Kissinger, talking to the portraits of past Presidents, asking Andy Jackson about his own travails as President - "they mocked your wife, Andy, how did you endure it?" Then he asked Kissinger to knee and pray for guidance, god only knows who they were praying to.

Former American CIA intelligence officer continues imprisonment

2011-12-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, Manuel Noriega continues his imprisonment, first in Florida, then France, and now back to Panama. His crimes? Drug trafficing, murder, pissing off the Bush administration. Noriega was an important part of our anti communist policies in Latin America, after all, our Canal (even though we gave it to the panamanians during the Carter Administration) couldnt fall into commie hands. But things change, and Noriega actually thought he was an independent ruler and not owned by the US. So we invaded, which gave Bush a chance to test new military hardware (the B1 bomber, the B2 bomber - both of which were failures during the invasion and not needed to begin with), and then faulty intelligence led to the deaths of an entire SEAL team (they were supposed to kidnap Noriega at an airport but walked into a heavily armed camp and were basically ambushed by poor intelligence - they fought bravely but were decimated) and once the invasion looked bad, Noriega became an even worse bad guy. When we buy a foreign leader, they are supposed to stay bought. One of his charges was rape - imagine, the US Congress charging someone with rape, with all the sex going on in Congress they actually fantasize about a rape in Panama - and Noriega killed 11 officers to tried to stage a coup (probably with CIA backing, our former CIA agent was killing our latest CIA agents). So our man in Panama became a pariah, and as a signal to other leaders of central america we bought off, we imprisoned him and now he heads back to Panama for another prison sentence. We backed some really evil people during the cold war, were responsible for deaths and misery around the world to protect our "freedoms," and i think Noriega is long overdue for a US Government pension and a Section 8 apartment in Miami. Aren't we providing million $ pensions to the Bush presidents now that they are out of power?

American Spring?

2011-12-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Now we are hearing about the Russian spring, compared to the Arab spring, where russians are protesting the election of Putin. What a surprise, Putin won: his party controlled the election, kinda like Bush's win in Ohio and Florida in 2000, and his win in Ohio in 2004. So its compared with the Arab uprising in Tunisia, Libya, Syria, and I guess Yemen (although we support the Saudi troops fighting in Yemen against those for democracy, I think they are for democracy....). But i havent heard the US press mentioning the American Spring - demonstrations against the 1% of the Americans who control the economy and the country. Is this OUR Arab spring? Could it be that democracy movements across the world are finally coming to the US? But we only perceive democracy movements in foreign countries, like Russia, or Libya - are we really democratic here? The people who contol the US, arent they the ones who supported Putin? Who were working with a reformed Ghaddafi?

Iran doesnt have NUKES but it does have a super hi tech spy plane....

2011-12-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

CIA says it had a remote plane malfunction while flying over Afghanistan, originally they said it crashed. Then Iran shows picture and CIA says its a fake. Now Iran shows a video, and CIA admits its their plane. Obviously, CIA has planes like this in Afghanistan to fly over Pakistan and Iran, not Afghanistan. Imagine the billions we spent on this tech, just to give it to the iranians, they say they downed it with electronic jamming, landed it themselves. Kinda like a radio controlled toy plane, only this is hi tech stuff it would take Iran billions to develop themselves. more tax money pissed away........

Top Gun: gayest movie ever says Quentin Tarentino

2011-12-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

according to quentin tarentino, Top Gun is the gayest movie ever. Swordfight !!!!!!

after thinking about this, he might be right. i mean, the whole volley ball on the beach scene, the shower scene, the "you can be my wingman" (ride my tail) at the end. Whoa!

crucifixtion at 2:30, every 30 min! The Holy Land Experience!

2011-11-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

what a vacation getaway! You can buy stuff at the gift store, get baptised, see jesus get whipped and nailed to a cross, even see the resurrection, and get discounts and group sales prices too! And its next to Disneyworld ! The whole thing is creepy, esp the part of emphasizing judaism - the Temple, Jerusalem, the ten commandment (mitvahs) and the roman soldiers and centurians (I dont get the whole sword fight between the roman soldier and centurians, arent they on the same side?) You can get your picture taken with jesus, or pose with a jesus riding a Harley cycle. Can i get his autograph? "To mark, best wishes, JC" There are similar places like this, in the Ozarks for example, but not on this scale. Where do all the profits go? To Pat Robertson's diamond mines in Cote d'Ivorie? You know Pat Robertson tried investing in blood diamonds a couple decades ago.......he had child militia's working for him....funded with??? contributions? Profits from bizarre theme parks like this one?

Melancholia: great movie, very Bergman, very Swedish

2011-11-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

Director Lars von Trier is the new Ingmar Bergman, his film Melancholia is about the human condition and our only salvation: caring about and loving one another. I think the Buddhists call this "loving kindness." The film is in two parts, first a wedding where all the human dysfunction is played out, and the second part that shows how the family is reacting to the imminent galactic disaster of the planet Melancholia crashing into earth. This is described as a sci fiction movie, but its really an updated Ingmar Bergman type Swedish film, and reminds me of "Cries and Whispers." The cinematography is fantastic, with hand held cameras, beautiful settings, this film is really a work of great art. Kirsten Dunst has come a long way from her cheerleading movies, she received best actress award at Cannes film festival for her performance, and she deserved it.

Republicans try new publicity tactic

2011-11-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

You have heard of Clown Ministry, where church members dress up as clowns and spread the news of salvation and love to nursing homes and so forth - well, the republicans now have Clown Conservatism, trying to put some joy and fun into their bleak, morally tight assed messages. Here is John Boehner and Michelle Bachman in their new clown makeup. I dont think this works: its freaky, it scares me, they look like zombies, wait.....they actually look better with this makeup on......

sleep apnea: lose weight

2011-11-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

for those obese men who have sleep apnea, and have to go to a physician for referral, then to a sleep clinic for testing, then wear a device at night I have advice: LOSE WEIGHT. You know who you are. Stop eating a nutritionally poor, high calorie diet, including alcohol, exercise (and i mean really work out none of this 30 min three times a week crap) alot, and slim down. It will take months, and i mean months, to lose a significant amount of weight, but you can do it, and you dont have to go through all sorts of tests, wear devices, and sleep down the hall from others because of apnea. this isnt rocket science (or rock science, as paris hilton says....)

woman covers herself in rotting food to attract her raccoon friends......

2011-11-16T19:56:00.001-08:00

Ed wood script made into film staring Chritina Ricci

2011-11-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have got to see this,"I woke up Early the Day I Died," (1998) includes Kathy wood (his wife) and Vampira in walk on roles. What is funny is that his screenplays, and novels, survive his death. He is know for writing, producing and directing the worst movie of all time, Plan 9 From Outer Space. Johnny Deep did a movie about wood called, "Ed Wood," which was a fantastic movie.

anyway another Ed wood novel recently made it to the big screen, "Devil Girls" in 1999.

Ed wood was an alcoholic and evicted drunk just before he died, and he wrote under a pseudonym "Akdov Telmig" which translates with minor effort into "Vodka Gimlet." great name.

i support the protest, but this encampment looks kinda sketchy

2011-11-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

360 view of occupy wall street.

Syria Human Rights Watch Report "We live As In War" - Intervention by Arab states needed

2011-11-11T03:42:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Aleppo, second largest city in Syria, a beautiful country with great people, remarkable history, a great vacation destination for those into history, esp Roman history. here is another picture of Syria
At what point will there be intervention? Arab league states need to give Assad an ultimatum - reform or get out. looks like removing Assad is the only alternative at this point. The message should be sent to Assad's generals, get rid of Assad and maybe you generals can keep your jobs. But here is the latest report from Human Rights Watch, 12 page report on war crimes, abuses against Syrians by their government.

Maybe Human Rights Watch should also watch the demonstrations in the US against Wall street, and monitor police brutality against US citizens. James Madison (and John Locke earlier ) warned against rebellion of governments against their people - they didnt believe people could rebel against government, because government rests on the consent of the governed, so when people "rebel," and the government cracks down, its really the government that is in rebellion. (I know my political theory, dammit!)

George Carlin's opinion of Rush Limbaugh - not to be missed, Classic !

2011-11-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

George Carlin's opinion of Rush Limbaugh, not to be missed ! Freud said, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, but other times........

Nuclear Armaggeddon assembles around Iran: middle east will soon be destroyed by the US and then no one gets the oil

2011-11-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a news report from the net, so "it must be true," but i really think it is true: "Iranian naval forces have detected a US nuclear submarine in the Persian Gulf Waters, amid growing concerns over the safety of one of the most important energy routes in the world. An Iranian patrol spotted the nuclear armed and powered submarine in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which allows the passage of 90 percent of the oil produced by Persian Gulf states to Asia, the US and Western Europe. There are currently 48 logistic and 18 combat US vessels in the Persian Gulf waters."

But I also read that Israel is having disaster drills simulating an air attack, suggesting that Israel is serious about striking Iran's nuclear plants and anticipating a retaliatory strike by Iran. Supposedly, Iran doesnt have nuclear bombs yet, but Israel does. What will US do if Israel strikes Iran?

First, Israel wont strike Iran without the US's approval. I mean, we sell Israel most of its weapons, we give Israel more money for its welfare state than we do any other country, so damn right they better tell us. Besides, it will be coordinated by US intelligence, and backed up by the 48 war ships we already have in the Gulf.

Second, If Iran attempts to respond, the US will unleash all hell on Iran - we dropped nukes on Japan, and we will do it to Iran if there is an attempt to destroy Israel.

Third, ........what happens after that? Israel strikes Iran with the help of the US, the US attacks Iran because it tries to retaliate against Israel, and then what? An even more radical regime takes power in Iran, the Shia take control of Iraq, Saudi Arabia becomes even more paranoid (dictatorships and paranoia go hand in hand, for example, the US under Richard Nixon), and we are left with a middle east that is a mess.

All this because we want oil.

And because we wanted an Israel homeland, but not in Europe (lets put it in the British Empire occupied Palestine, where only arab peasants live, and what really could they do about it if they dont like it? great thinking Churchill ....) As a great grandson of a Jew from Alsace Lorraine, I think a jewish homeland away from the fascists in Europe is a great idea, but someone forgot about the arab homeland that was there before.

We need: green technology, less reliance on oil; coal instead of oil until we fully develop green technology (which exists BTW, it just needs to be marketed by our gov and implemented over the objections of the oil companies and the f'in politicians); and we need diplomatic relations with Iran, a key to eventual peace with Israel (assuming there are any self serving politicians in Israel anymore who actually wants peace).

Kim - call me, i am single and need money and i can put up with you for 72 days

2011-11-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

i wanted to show a picture of Kim's unattractive body, and some pictures were so horrible i was afraid some of you might get sick, so this is a good picture, showing her incongruous hips and ass. in my nursing assessment studies, we learned to watch out for anything with a lack of symmetry, so i guess that means Kim Kardashian would be a good assessment case for students in the emergency room next time her personality gets stuck up her rectum

goodness ! that was cruel. But supposedly Kim made $18 million off her wedding, and that doesnt include DVD sales of the wedding night porn video she must have made. I want Kim to know, I am available for marriage: I will put up with her, appear on her dumb reality show, go through with the whole thing, put up with her hideous face and ass for 72 days, and even have sex with her on our wedding night (just once - so she can videotape it for direct marketing $19.95 a copy plus S&H). But i would want 1/3 of the proceeds ( I am not greedy) - that would be about $6 million gross, about $3.5 million after taxes.

This is a good deal Kim - after 72 days I would take the divorce with style and grace, agree not to write a tell all book, just as long as i got the cash you promised. thats it. Email me Kim, this offer will be good only so long - i have already contacted Paris Hilton with a similar offer.

Presidential race 2012 should be close? I dont think so.....

2011-11-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Obviously the Presidential race is heating up and candidates are seriously positioning themselves for the upcoming primaries - even sarah palin got a face life, so to speak, getting those nursing boobs photogenic - does this mean she plans to enter the race now? So will the race be close? the alleged news sources all say it will be a close, and negative race. I agree about the negative part - already the racism is in full gear (google Presidential race 2012 images) and all the republicans are going far right with fear and nutty accusations. So Obama will be the voice of reason, he will remain calm, unemployment will be lower, the stock market will be higher (esp when it is clear Obama will cruise to another term) the troops will be home from Iraq, the dems will have a convention love fest of unity, while the republicans will host the tea party nuts, allow crazy people to speak (remember GHWB #41's renomination convention, and the nut cases they allowed to speak? It was like the a bunch of snake handling southern white trash preachers taking over the party). So i anticipate an easy re election. the real question is what will happen to the republican party after 2012 - it will have to reinvent itself, since the radical religious right will have made the republican party unelectable on the national level (although they will continue to win senate and house races).

so have you read this analysis anywhere? of course not. that would mean these republican candidates are losers, there is no point in watching their train wreck, that would mean less to cover (esp since Kim Kardashian's wedding is over) so they have to create interest in the election by selling the american people a bunch of bullshit stories, backed up by paid political operatives who also have a hidden agenda (act as consultants to these losers to make money off them).

Birth Tourism (Anchor babies): Facts not fiction, there is no issue here......

2011-10-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

Less than 2% of births in Arizona were to non resident mothers, most right over the border. that is the issue of birth tourism, about 1500 babies. but the US Congress is actually considering clarifying the 14th amendment to prevent "birth tourism babies" to be citizens. Which is probably unconstitutional anyway. There are moms who come from China, and Turkery (the two most popular destinations) to give birth: they are usually 5 months pregnant or so, not showing much (INS may prevent pregnant women from entering country) and they pay up front about $50,000 to stay at a birth center and have their baby (doctor included). then they fly home with their baby. the objective, is to have a baby who is a US citizen, so the baby can come and go to the US someday at will. The objective is not necessarily for the mom to somehow stay here. Basically, they purchase US citizenship for their baby, and then take the baby back home. Given the crappy US economy, i'd say this is a great product we can sell, at about $50,000 a pop. The idea of Mexican moms, wading across the Rio Grande, with their 8 month old belly swelling, murmuring over and over in the hot Sonora desert, "must get to Tucson, have baby, get on welfare, get free college tuition......" isnt true. Mostly, its affluent women who pay a lot of cash to have their baby here, and then leave.

But yeah, some women do cross over the Arizona border, have their baby, in order to have a better life. Wait.....isnt that what my ancestors did? Immigrate to chicago to have kids and a better life? What is so Un american about that?

And dont forget, if an illegal alien gives birth in US, she wants to report it, so the baby has a birth certificate that proves the baby was born in US and therefore a citizen. so if thats true, where are all these so called anchor babies? Answer: anchor babies are so small a % of births, its silly to even consider it an issue.

Birth tourism is real, but there is little proof the practice is widespread, even in border states such as Arizona, where last year less than 2 percent of babies were born to non-resident mothers.

In 2008, slightly more than 7,400 children were born in the U.S. to non-citizens who said they lived outside the country, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The figure was the most recent available. The number includes children born to women studying at U.S. universities, international visitors as well as so-called birth tourists.

It does not include a much larger number of children born to undocumented parents residing in the U.S., which supporters of limiting birthright citizenship also point to as a problem. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 350,000 children with at least one undocumented parent residing in the U.S. were born in the U.S. in 2009. That is about 8 percent of all births that year.

By comparison, birth tourism is a much smaller issue.

Although up nearly 50 percent since 2000, the 7,462 children are still just a tiny fraction of the 4,255,156 babies born in the U.S. that year.

"I feel a little like they are chasing the Loch Ness monster," said Angela Maria Kelley, vice president for immigration policy and advocacy at the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning research group in Washington, D.C.

Statistics murky

Arizona does not keep statistics on births to non-U.S. residents, but in 2010, 1,534 children were born to mothers who did not live in Arizona. That is less than 2 percent of the 88,100 total births at all hospitals in Arizona. The number includes children born to women who were residents of other states, such as California and New Mexico, as well as children born to mothers who are from Mexico or other countries.

Most of the births to non-state residents occur at hospitals close to the border, which some suggest is evidence of birth tourists.

And nearly half of all the non-resident births occurred at three hospitals: Yuma Regional Medical Center, with 283; Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales, with 277; and the Tucson Medical Center, with 188.

Python killed in Florida everglades - why?

2011-10-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

so a python ate a deer and then had to be killed? whats wrong with this story? first of all, the deer was dead, the python was just cleaning up the everglades. second, its what pythons do. third, this is the middle of nowhere, people are not here on foot, they are safe from the python, unless they fall out of the swamp boat, drown, die, and the python eats their corpse. Last, how did the python get there? someone dumped their pet? It obviously was there a long time, since it was 18 feet long - obviously thriving, minding its own business. the story said, they didnt want pythons to move further north....what? you mean there are more pythons? My impression is that there was just this one, and it takes two pythons to mate, unless you are Tia Tequila (who is that anyway?) So a solitary python, who cant reproduce, who has lived in the swamp long enough to grow to 18 feet, eats a dead deer, and has to be shotgunned to death? Why? who will eat the dead stuff now? Bubba and his friend? WAIT ! I figured it out! the python was competing with Bubba for dead deer meat - it had to be killed !

"He carried yellow flowers...." brilliant Herman Cain campaign ad.

2011-10-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Billiant Herman Cain campaign ad - too long, but brilliant. He has to connect to ordinary people, at least, those who consider themselves "ordinary" during focus group discussions. This commercial is very well thought out - dramatic, plays on lots of prejudices (not race, i mean phony politicians, scripted messages, empty slogans). of course this is also very well scripted and phony, but it still works. Truly a great political commercial, not the "daisy girl," but damn good. Here's another cain commercial, the "smoking" one.

and here is John stewart parody.

Mitt Momney's underwear: 'nuff said !

2011-10-26T02:29:00.000-07:00

I prefer Lindsey Lohan's underwer to Mitt's ....

Bowling in Afghanistan!

2011-10-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

"The Strikers" bowling lanes in Afghanistan, the Dude, Donny and Walter would love this!

post war LIbya: freedom or more exploitation? Condi Rice's biography on Freedom?

2011-10-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

here is a story about european and United Arab Emirates (european arabs) plans for post war Libya. Don't forget, Italy and Britain stole billions $ from Libya before Ghaddafi did, in fact, Moamar was the last in a long line of thieves. At least Moamar nationalized the oil companies and kicked the colonialists out - turns out he wasn't much better as far as stealing from the Libyan people. But Libya is a tribal area, even more unstable than Iraq, so we shall see what democracy brings forth there. Of course, the plans are not for a democracy: ex Ghaddafi loyalists who flipped sides will be running the police and government services in the short term, in fact, the UAE has plans for that to happen long term. Libya has no experience with democracy: remember, just because you have elections, doesn't mean there is democracy (just look at the US in 2000!)

Condi Rick just came out with her Mea Culpa biography of the Bush years: guess what? Condi is responsible for the Arab spring, she says democracy after dictatorship can bring out anger, so lets move on after the violence of Iraq and Libya. Does she really think there is any democracy brewing in Iraq or Libya? She didn't mention our ally Saudi Arabia, or the UAE dictatorship, or Yemen dictatorship supported by the Saudi's (and the USA).

And Newsweek gives her a pass: doesn't question a damn thing in her book. So much for investigative journalism. Condi Rick is not smart: she is ideological, she sucks up to the right people, she acts like an expert on everything, but she is shallow when it comes to comparative politics and diplomacy. I mean she hung out with Bush for 8 years, was his closest advisor. And parts of her book are such bullshit, how she was afraid of a 2nd wave of terrorist attacks on 911, how she saw a plane coming in for a landing weeks later at Reagan Internatinal Airport and thought it was going to hit the White House (the US Congress passed a law making an exception for coast to coast and international flights to land at Reagan airport, so they could be closer to the bars when they got off i guess, they couldn't commute from the other airport like most of us). so come on, condi, you feared for your life????? give me a break.

"Will Obama Declare War on Iran because of Attempted Assassination of Saudi Ambassador??!!"

2011-10-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

Time Magazine headline above: what idiots. First of all, the plan was dumb, a used car salesman attempting to hire someone from the Zeta Mexican cartel for $1.5 million to kill the Saudi Ambassador...there is more money in drugs for the Zetas than killing an ambassador, and subsequently pissing off the US and resulting in a war again the Zetas. I mean, the Zetas make billions each year running drugs to the US, why fu*k with that? for $1.5 million? Thats like Dr. Evil wanting $1 million dollars in ransom money.

Second, its not clear if the "government of Iran" even knew about this plot. First, the government is fractured, with religious leaders and gov leaders not being open with each other, the Iranians dont know what is happening to their right hand and left hand. Second, if Iran really wanted to kill the Saudi ambassador, then why not pick a an easier Ambassador? There are easier hits on the saudi's than the us ambassador.

And why would Iran want to kill a member of the saudi royal family? Maybe because of Saudi Arabia's role in putting down a popular rebellion in Yemen? A Shia muslim country? Saudi Arabia is Sunni muslim, and has provided military support to yemen to put down a popular uprising by Shiites against the minority run Sunni Yemen government.

So does this have anything to do with the US? No. Other than oil. Saudi Arabia is our Oil bitch, or, the US is Saudi Arabia's oil bitch - take your pick. So the Saudi's support repression against Shiites in Yemen, Iran counters by trying to kill a member of the Saudi royal family (who happens to be the Ambassador to the USA living in DC) and that means the USA has to declare war on Iran!!!!????? Way to go Time Magazine! What insightful coverage. What ever happened to investigative journalism?

The US sees the dictatorship of the Saudi royal family as the stabilizing factor in the middle east, an assurance that the US will always have access to oil, and this means we are stuck with the Saudi's, even when they piss off millions of other Arabs who hate the Saudi royal family. And the US will go to war over this?

I mean, Iran has oil too. Why dont we just switch sides and become Iran's bitch? I mean, its all about oil, isnt it? Who cares where it comes from?

My vote: tell the middle east to go to hell. Have the US become energy independent. Its possible. Every house in the US can be energy self sufficient, we have the technology now, and its not rocket science (or "rock science" as Paris Hilton says). The problem? Powerful, wealthy interest groups that want the energy dependence of the US on the middle east to continue, for additional windfall profits for the stock holders and politicians who are their bitches. Like the Bushs, the Cheneys, like all members of the US Congress, and even.....yes even.....the Obama administration.

Irwin Mainway, designer of unsafe Halloween costumes !

2011-10-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

just in time for Halloween, new costumes for the kids.

Human Centipede 2 Ban in Britain Reversed ! "English Ones" can now watch the sequel to the Human Centipede!

2011-10-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

he Human Centipede 2 had been denied a rating but has now been rated 18 after its distributor agreed to 32 cuts.

BBFC president Sir Quentin Thomas said many would find it "difficult" to watch but that the cut film could "properly be classified at the adult level".

Two minutes and 37 seconds have been removed ahead of its DVD release.

The BBFC said the cuts "address all the concerns raised when the board refused a classification" in June.

Those concerns, it went on, included those "relating to sexual violence, graphic gore and the possibility of breach of the law relating to obscenity".

I am sure we are all breathing a collective sigh of relief to know that our friends across the pond can now watch Human Centipede 2. Why should only north Americans have the freedom to watch such wholesome entertainment? I thought the South Park satire on Human Centipede was great....disgusting....but funny.

4 Amish guys go nuts and cut off beards of other Amish men in home invasions.....

2011-10-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

here is news report: Four Amish men have been arrested, charged in one of four bizarre attacks on other Amish people.

The attackers barge into homes and use scissors to cut the beards and hair of the victims.

Investigators believe members of the “Bergholz Clan,” which has been described as a group of religious castoffs, are responsible.

Who are these guys? The Glen Becks of the Amish world? you mean there is a cult of Amish who attack others in the regular cult of Amish? Actually the Amish are no different from the rest of us, just dress differently, avoid use of modern technology that may compromise their close knit community, but they have jealousy and meanness just like everyone else, but this story really is bizarre.

damn rhinovirus!

2011-10-10T03:29:00.000-07:00

caught the rhinovirus from daycare last week. but it was worth it: the children were wonderful. I wonder if they realize its all downhill from 5 yrs old onward.......I would stay home today from class but i can't lie down without choking, so.......i am wearing a surgical mask today.

Film: Cry of the Snow Lion, about Tibet

2011-10-10T03:26:00.000-07:00

here is a great film about tibet, Cry of the Snow Lion. I havent shown it in political film, although it would be good to show. No "plot" so to speak, but shows the beauty of the country.

JJI Exile Brothers: Tibetan Rock Band

2011-10-10T03:21:00.000-07:00

here is a Tibetan rock band, although they play traditional music on traditional instruments too. This isn't rolling stones type "let it bleed" rock, but its good, and their lyrics explore the culture and politics of their homeland. There has been a recent election of a government in exile for Tibet, pissing off the chinese even more i guess. they aren't asking for independence (not practical, given location of their homeland and the size of chinese military) but at least some autonomy and an end to the repression of their culture. Of course, reincarnation is against the law in china: the Dalai Lama will be the last Lama, i guess. or else the future Lama will get arrested (for being reincarnated).

and then there is the pressurized train that goes to Tibet from Beijing......a train into the clouds....

romney ad becomes its own parody on SNL

2011-10-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is a real Romney ad, the laughter is from SNL audience. Its a real ad. no need for satire, he supplies his own satire.

Favorite planes i have flown- and my dream plane

2011-10-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Piper Turbo Arrow, 200 hp, with AC and window curtains. I cruised at 13,500 feet and descended at 231 mph. sweet ride. the turbo light would come on when the boost was too high (psi) and that made me nervous - idiot light, but annoying. like the engine would really disintegrate (well....if you are stupid enough.....)
1941 Piper Cub Clipped Wing, 80 hp engine. a hot rod. almost killed myself in it. Stalled on short final. Pushed in the throttle with a death grip, pushed stick forward, applied back pressure just as ground came up, bounced off the grass strip, stalled again, recovered, plane ok, just separated skin on my hand holding onto the throttle. I flew missed approach (missed is an understatement) went around traffic again, landed, taxied over to gas pumps, the owner straightened out the throttle with two adjustable wrenches (I bent it when i shoved it forward) and cleaned up blood on throttle with windex, got me a bandaid, and told me to do 3 more landings. It had plexiglass roof, so on a 30degree bank turn, i could look out the roof, and see if the airspace was clear. very cool.
dream plane: i found one for just over $50,000, less than 3000 total time, 240 hrs since major overhaul. Sweet. I also found a Piper Arrow, 180 hp, for less than $40K, really good shape. but for another $10k i could get a mooney! I might buy this when i retire, and just plan on living in a trailer the rest of my life. I have lived in trailers before, they can be nice, esp if I own a Mooney i can escape with on the weekends...........these are only 180 hp but cruise fast due to airframe and get great fuel consumption (gal/hour).

65 yr old pilot ditches plane 13 miles from Hawai'i departing Monterey Ca

2011-10-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Story below: how could this guy fly 2300 miles and then ditch with 13 miles to go? he couldnt conserve 13 more miles of fuel from the plane? He didnt plan ahead for a trip OVER OCEAN 2300 MILES????? Extra fuel tank in back seat? What about a raft? Pilot from Spain, delivering the plane to Hawai'i from Calif. Still, he had enough experience to avoid this - he was experienced pilot, should have planned this much better. i mean yeah, there might be unexpected head winds flying 2300 miles over OCEAN!!!

Dramatic video released by the Coast Guard shows the plane gliding low over the water and then splashing down. Within seconds the pilot climbs out onto a wing as a helicopter lowers a rescue swimmer, who helps him enter a basket and is hoisted to the hovering aircraft.

The 65-year-old man, who was not seriously injured, was flying solo from Monterey, Calif., when he radioed authorities Friday afternoon that he was running low on fuel about 500 miles from his destination of Hilo, Hawaii, the Coast Guard said. The cities are about 2,300 miles apart.

The Guard sent a plane to rendezvous with the two-engine Cessna and dispatched a ship and helicopter to be ready for a possible rescue, spokesman Lt. Gene Maestas told The Associated Press.

After meeting up with the plane over the Pacific, the Guard's HC-130 Hercules flew alongside for more than an hour, until the aircraft's fuel gave out and it went down 13 miles off Hawaii.

"To Train Up a Child" by Micheal and Debi Pearl: Premeditated child abuse, this book should be banned!

2011-10-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

By now you must have heard of the parents of the 13 yr old adopted Ethiopian girl (named Hannah, pictured above) who beat her, starved, made her sleep in a barn, and then left her outside to die of hypothermia. We all know that we have to obtain a drivers license to drive a car, but anyone (and i mean anyone) can become a parent just by engaging in the primitive mammalian fertilization ritual. THIS BOOK IS NUTS. THE PEARLS ARE NUTS. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE BANNED. ok, now you are thinking, this guy (me) is a political scientist and i want to ban a book? Yes. Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote the 1 st amendment decision that included the concept "you can't yell fire in a crowded theater" (or as Woody Allen says, "you can't yell theater outside a crowded fire"). This concept is imminent danger. Creating a stampede, creating fear, which results in injury or death is not legally possible. My opinion: this book is no different than yelling FIRE inside a crowded theater.

There is a fear that exists in this country, (esp in isolate, rural areas), that the greatness of our nation, our American culture, has past, and that we are living in a permissive period symbolized by indulgent parenting, a lack of discipline, "spoiled children" resulting in narcissistic children and adults. Sending children to secular schools and even traditional christian schools results in undisciplined, uncontrollable children who make themselves, and (most importantly) their parents miserable. The answer????

"Train up a child." First of all, grammatically incorrect. Its from a bible passage first written in Aramaic, then translated into Greek, and then King James had it translated in medieval English, and the result is the grammatically incorrect "Train up a Child." Comparison? Gov. Sarah Palin has recently said, "America needs Fixed." Also grammatically incorrect, and on top of it she is a communications major ( I still wonder what communications majors learn, because most professors with PhD's in communication have pathological communication skills, kinda like Joseph Goebbels, but i digress).

This book IGNORES EVERYTHING WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR, MOST IMPORTANTLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT, SINCE THE RISE OF HUMAN BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH EARLY IN THE 20TH CENTURY. (I have read excerpts from this book, not the whole book, I plan to read it just to find out how sick these two Pearl idiots are, but i don't want to buy it and contribute to their profits, so I will look for it at the library, assuming the library actually buys dumb books like this).

Psychologists and other mental health experts have successful practices thanks to the ignorant, abusive, selfish approaches to parenting that many of us, (most of us?), experienced as children. How can parents be so ignorant? Well, first of all they know how to f**k but don't know what to do when the baby comes out. Secondly, they think parenting comes naturally (I guess like an orgasm) and education or knowledge is not necessary. Third, if they have trouble parenting (they probably shouldn't be parents in the first place) they want help, quick and easy. And what is easier than reading a book that basically says, everything you need to know is in some old book written thousands of years ago for a nomadic tribe wandering around in the Sinai desert, and it can be summarized in one book written at the 6th grade level. Simple, easy, even a dumb shit can become a "successful parent."

Of course, I am an intellectual, so my opinions about this book are obviously "biased." But the truth is: PARENTING IS HARD TODAY. Yes, we have fractured families, we have a global world where so called traditional values that provided a shell for isolated social groups are no longer reinforced, and children are exposed to a materialistic, capitalist world where marketing targets them from birth onward, telling them what they need to buy or have to be happy, have status, be popular, and enjoy life. Quite frankly, i think our materialistic society makes children, and subsequently adults, unhappy.

The answer???? Love. Education. Children need to fell secure, safe, and loved. They need a very good education so they can reason and make judgements in a very existential world. Or else? They end up reading a dumb ass book like TO TRAIN UP A CHILD and engage in creating another abused, screwed up human being who will be miserable during their short time on earth.

My advice to parents? Love your child, make him or her feel safe, wanted, special, let they know what miracle they are, and make sure they have a strong education to survive in this confusing and cruel world. Children need to learn intelligent, informed judgement from birth onward, and this is the responsibility of their parents. All new parents should take a course in Child and Human Development from their local community college, and be required to earn continuing education credits in the same subject.

At least the Pearls didn't title their book, "Children Needs Trained Up!"

Flu shots! Very busy Wednesday giving flu shots to Duquesne Univ Priests !

2011-09-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

My favorite pals, Tonto Tarzan and Frankenstein wish you season's greetings!

2011-09-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tonto, Tarzan and Frankenstein sing Season's Greetings

Tonto Tarzan and Frankenstein are thankful for Thanksgiving

KGB analyst predicts demise of USA

2011-09-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

Russian analyst predicts economic collapse, civil war in US, breaking country into five or more pieces. I understand the basis for his analysis: marxist-leninist theory is all about economic collapse of the capitalist societies, and the old soviet union was really a collection of regional ethnic nationalities. Doesnt really translate well to the us, but that is how marxist-leninist theory works. I think the nation will eventually look like the lower map - the red area is a nation called JesusLand, and the blue area is canada. This makes more sense.

2011-09-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Deshon Marman is the football player from Univ of New Mexico who got kicked off a US Airways flight for "baggy pants," however, earlier US Airways allowed the top guy (who doesnt look like a football player) to board a plane. So what gives? Dressing in a naughty nightgown transvestite is ok, but a black college student with "baggy" pants is no ok? What BS !

flood storm pittsburgh aug 19th 2011

2011-08-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

Driving back to oakmont from Duquesne Univ took 2 hrs, didnt realize the city was flooded. Forbes ave was closed, i couldn't get out of downtown, finally ended up in Bloomsfield, got caught with 40th st bridge traffic, drove BACK into city to get on Butler and ended up stuck at Route 8 by the Zoo - turns out, a flood there KILLED three people. didnt realize this until i got home. I was listening to internet radio, and forgot my phone. I still cant believe that pittsburgh would flood so bad, or get hit so hard by a T storm. god bless us all. very very tragic. made me very humble and thankful i got home late but safe.

Doug Lamborn Jackass from colorado - dumb, racist, clueless

2011-08-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

GOP Representative Doug Lamborn from Colorado decided to stir the racial fire in the recent debate over the debt crisis this past weekend. In his remarks about President Obama, Rep. Lamborn said that being associated with President Obama is “like touching a tar baby.”

John Boehner, (big belly, skinny legs) screwing the Pooch: from Newsweek

2011-07-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

As Washington seems paralyzed, our economy stagnates, and America's full faith and credit is on the brink, it is useful to recall how we got here. This was not an act of nature. There was no unforeseen earthquake, no tsunami, no hurricane that wiped out our surplus. It was instead a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and a Republican president who squandered the surplus. In full possession of the federal government for the first time since Eisenhower, the GOP—with, to be fair, some help from some very foolish Democrats—systematically dismantled the economic and fiscal policies that produced the strongest economy and largest budget surplus in our history.

Specifically, they did four things: cut taxes (with a heavy tilt toward the rich), waged two wars on the national credit card (one of which was against a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and posed no serious threat to America), passed a prescription drug benefit with no pay-for (the first entitlement in American history without a revenue source), and deregulated Wall Street (which helped turn the American economy into a casino and touched off the Great Recession).

I recap all that not to further depress you, Dear Reader. But it is striking how absent that history has been from the coverage of our current crisis. I can understand why the GOP doesn't want to remind folks of how they screwed the pooch. Indeed, they have a competing myth—that Washington went on a spending binge; radical young President Barack Obama went crazy with the national credit card. That, of course, is nonsense. But too few Democrats—and almost no media commentators—have countered the mendacious right-wing storyline.

As the economy teeters on the precipice of a double-dip recession, as millions of Americans search in vain for a job, as tens of millions of homeowners are underwater, as poverty soars and the middle class is hammered, the Speaker of the House is pushing a proposal that—let me repeat Greenstein's analysis—“could well produce the greatest increase in poverty and hardship in modern U.S. history.” Deep cuts in every domestic priority—from education for disabled children to food safety to homeland security to clean air and water. Followed by painful cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. But not a dollar in new revenue. Not one corporate loophole closed, not one billionaire asked to pay one penny in higher taxes.
Oh, and if they don't get their way they will cripple the Treasury's ability to pay the debt—the debt, I hasten to add, that their policies created.
It has become a trope of the right to accuse Obama and the Democrats of trying to remake America in the image of Europe. That, of course, is silly as well as insulting to the people who gave us the Magna Carta and the Enlightenment, not to mention spaghetti. But in whose image would the radical Republicans remake us? Certainly not in the image of the Founding Fathers. The Republicans are already seeking to make Swiss cheese out of Mr. Madison's masterpiece, littering the Constitution with amendments on budgeting, the line-item veto, gay marriage, abortion, school prayer, restricting birthright citizenship, and more.
Seems to me the GOP seeks a banana republic: a toxic blend of right-wing populism, anti-intellectualism, debt defaults, and an end to the ladder of economic opportunity. They would divide us into a few Haves and a lot of Have-Nots. And they would slowly crush the heart of progressive America—the rising middle class created by Democratic economic policies of education and empowerment. All while preserving, protecting, and defending a tiny oligarchy of millionaires and billionaires.

Pilot ditches in Lake Huron, survives

2011-07-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

He says he was flying a 1966 Cessna 150, a two seater plane with a small HP engine (150 hp) and he was FOUR HOURS into his flight ! Wait !!!! that plane has 5 hrs fuel max. You should have 1 hr reserve, and 30 min extra just in case. thats 3 1/2 hrs before you land, refuel. besides, after 3 hrs in a small plane, you need to land and stretch, pop your ears. And this guy is flying OVER WATER! I would never fly over water, unless i could glide to land from where i was (depending upon altitude etc). He ends up ditching, but doesnt leave plane with a life preserver ! He SHOULD HAVE HAD A RAFT ! you can rent them from Sporty's Flight Shop - this guy is really lucky to be alive. amazing survival story. Now he is bullet proof - whats the chance that anything like that would happen to him again?!!!

Obama's speech on budget breakdown and default

2011-07-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

Pres. Obama gave a great speech tonight, one of his best. he has great speech writers. but i think it really expresses his sentiments. but look at his gray hair - the job is really aging him. He is still physically fit, but appears much older. anyway, if you read the entire text of his speech, it was great. even referred to ronald reagan. reminded everyone about George W. and his spending, his tax cuts, how the burden of taxes increased on the middle class and working poor under George W.

John Boehner, on the other hand, gave a speech that can only be described as demagogic. he said things that were patently false, or in the words of the congressman from SC, Joe Wilson, "that's a lie!" To show that joe wilson is not the only emotional immature member of congress, John Boehner (who oftens cries when he gets emotional) sounded like a 12 yr old brat who is nah nahing someone during recess. read his full text, and you can see the absolute false hoods. BTW, take a good look at John: he gets tanned, his hair is tinted, his shirts are custom fitted, and his ties must cost a small fortune (several $ hundred a piece at least). And THIS is a guy worried about working people? His "small business" he ran that he refers to was a restaurant bar he inherited from his parents - all he had to do was pop out of the womb. This is a guy who paid $150,000 in golf fees last year, he belongs to an exclusive all male club in ohio ( no blacks or jews) and he has playing rights at 16 resorts compliments of his rich cat friends. This guy is a slick looking Newt Gingrich - where do the republicans GET these guys? Central casting? "Get me a congressman who is vain, dresses in expensive clothes, is a member of a sexist-racist country club, someone who has done absolutely nothing in life to achieve success other than emerging from his mother's womb" and voila! John Boehner shows up : someone called me?

Michelle Bachman kidnapped by gay nun in women's restroom

2011-07-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

In 2005, the congresswoman ended a town hall event early and rushed to a nearby public restroom when questions arose about her support for a proposed Minnesota constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. Pamela Arnold, a lesbian, and Nancy Cosgriff, a former nun, followed the Minnesota Republican hoping for some answers.

"Help me! Someone get me out of here!" Bachmann reportedly screamed from the bathroom. "Help! You're holding me against my will!"

"I was amazed and concerned when she erupted in this emotional outburst without provocation... I tried to apologize for any misunderstanding," Cosgriff told theHerald.

"Arnold, who is just over 5 feet tall, was stunned, and hurried to open the door," according to The Daily Beast's Michelle Goldberg. "Bachmann bolted out and fled, crying, to an SUV outside."

Bachmann later told police that she was "absolutely terrified and has never been that terrorized before as she had no idea what those two women were going to do to her."

Declining to prosecute, the Washington County attorney wrote, "It seems clear from the statements given by both women that they simply wanted to discuss certain issues further with Ms. Bachmann."

TrollHunter ! Norwegian film

2011-07-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Trolls !!!!!!!! yelled the trollhunter. This is a "documentary" taken from some film that belonged to three college students, presently missing, that shows their activities up until their disappearance. Turns out, they were stalking a TrollHunter and eventually joined him in his Troll hunting pursuits. According to this "realistic footage," Norway has a government agency that kills Trolls when they wander into territory inhabited by humans and begin killing cattle, destroying homes, forests, and killing people. this is of course a secret agency because the "official policy" of the government is that Trolls do not exist. The film is a very elaborate pseudo documentary, and its really funny at times, and at other times, very realistic. The director makes you almost believe you are seeing footage from some college students who are documenting a real life Troll Hunter. Great film, funny at times, and realistic at times due the details included in the dialogue. For example, a scientist examines the blood of a troll, the TrollHunter has the skin and fur of Trolls in his trailer, the goo from the Trolls looks real - very clever movie, a must see. Also provides beautiful scenery of norway, and an insight into nowegian folklore.

great arab films about Algerians and France

2011-07-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

wonderful film, kinda depressing at end, the injustice of racism, practiced by the French (of all people, esp after they had to put up with the superiority of the german occupation). Jamel Debbouze stars (Angel-A) and also Roschdy Zem who was in Outside the Law, a great film about the fight for Algerian independence and very controversial in france.

Ghadaffi's fashions: Boutique to open in NYC !

2011-07-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, Pres. Obama has made an offer to Ghadaffi: leave Libya now, and the US will assist him in opening a boutique in NYC so he can sell his fashions. He will also be allowed to pitch a tent in central park.

I think this is a great offer: gets him out of Libya without us spending more on NATO campaign; starts a good business in NYC and creates jobs; his millions of $ could be invested in Goldman Sachs, helping to jump start stock trades; his virgin bodyguards would arrive with him, and NYC hasn't seen adult virgins for decades.

Ghadaffi's female snipers and bodyguards

2011-07-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

here is report about Ghadaffi and female snipers from Columbia. Not a bad gig - cool uniforms, weapons training, salary, prestige, - of course you have to kill civilians, and you might get killed yourself, then again, if you were an impoverished woman in Columbia, this job might be attractive.

Or, a woman could sign up to be his bodyguard. Requirements include being a virgin (i guess they check that?)

I still think Ghadaffi should leave Libya, immigrate to NYC, and open up a boutique featuring his designs. It would be a hit. the US government would spend less if they would just offer to set him up in business in NYC. All he would need is a tent in central park......

"tell them we are being attacked and denounce pacifists as unpatriotic"

2011-07-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

It's "guess this quote" time! Here it goes:
"Naturally the common people don't want war...that is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

Ok, time to guess - was it Dick Cheney? Donald Rumsfeld? one more guess....Richard Nixon? NO!!! It was Hermann Goering ! (seen as a young pilot in WWI, and in his Fokker...no jokes about the Fokker...)

You know, Hermann thought that after Germany surrendered, he might be called upon by the allies to lead Germany against a war with Russia - he actually thought the allies would want him, and continue the war only this time against their soviet allies (Stalin at this time was called "Uncle Joe" and affectionate name...)

I don't know about you, but this quote reminds me of 2002 and the run up to the Iraq invasion, and the 2004 re election campaign.

watch Al Jazeera English

2011-07-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here is great documentary about US Medevac teams in Afghanistan: proud of those guys! and Gals too! This was filmed by british director, for Al Jazeera, the middle east world news network. Very positive video about US troops, shown by Al Jazeera, watched by millions around the world. Here is more info on watching other news from Al Jazeera: (they have live broadcasts 24/7, also on You.Tube - take that CNN or FOX!!!)

On their web site

On You.Tube

'nuff said...na na na na, goood byyyeeee

2011-07-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

War profiteers: The Bush Profit Machine THIS IS CRIMINAL !!!!!

2011-07-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

A member of Jordan’s royal family is accusing an American oilman and former GOP fundraiser of bribing the Jordanian government to facilitate his fuel shipments through the country to U.S. forces in Iraq.

The allegation emerged in a civil lawsuit pitting the billionaire American businessman, Harry Sargeant III, against an ex-business partner, Mohammad al-Saleh, the brother-in-law of Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Al-Saleh, the plaintiff in the case first reported by NBC News in May 2008, claims that he was cut out of a lucrative one-third share in Sargeant’s firm, the International Oil Trading Co., based in Boca Raton, Fla., and replaced by an ex-CIA official with deep contacts in the Jordanian government.

The crux of the bribery allegation involves a $9 million wire transfer from Sargeant’s firm, directed to a mysterious figure in Jordan’s intelligence agency identified in court documents only as “Pasha.”

Let me interpret this for you: Our Republican President invades Iraq, his Vice President arranges no bid contracts for his former firm Halliburton (and KBR) and the head of the Republican Party of Florida gets a no bid contract to Harry Sargeant III and his International Oil company to supply OIL TO OUR TROOPS and Harry arranges a $9 million bribe to Jordan to allow him to ship the oil across Jordan into Iraq. (and someone in Jordan is suing Harry because they didn't get their piece of the action- yes, suing for their share of the bribe-what lawyer took that case???) We are talking billions of dollars here, to republicans, friends and fundraisers of George W and Cheney. They invade Iraq and their friends receive massive war profits. This is obscene. Why isn't the Justice Dept prosecuting? Why is there no a select committee on investigating war profiteering perpetrated by the Bush administration? I mean, even Argentina prosecuted its previous General for war crimes....what gives with the USA? Would it seem to "partisan?" oh, those democrats, playing politics by investigating and prosecuting bush and cheney and their friends......we are talking about billions of dollars. And what about the irony??? We invade the nation with the second most oil reserves in the world and we have to pay this SOB billions to IMPORT OIL TO IRAQ across Jordan. Where did this jerk off get the oil? From the Saudi's? He buys oil on the market, probably sitting in supertankers of shore somewhere, they filled up in saudi arabia, he negotiates any kind of price for oil (no bid contract) he charges USA price plus (his pre arranged % profit, probably 30% just like KBR's contract) and then the ships sail back to middle east, unload and ship oil across Jordan to Iraq, and the oil ends up a few hundred miles from where it was originally drilled, in Saudi Arabia. That way there are lots of middle men to price gouge and lots of profits all around for all the Bush/cheney friends. See the picture of Gov Crist of Florida, and King Abdullah of Jordan, and the guy in the middle is Harry Sargeant III, the CEO of International Oil Trading Inc. this SOB should be in jail like that scum Madoff. But thats not the only investigation: Italy is investigating oil companies that supplied oil to Iraq and bought it from other countries (Kuwait) and supposedly bribed their way into the contracts. It seems like bribery is the way to go for business success, especially if you have friends in high places.

I am moving to Quebec asap - I am so sick of the BS we are fed by our government, the lives lost in Iraq, and the billions made by friends of Bush/Cheney. How do these bastards sleep at night? With drugs?

Real life "Hurt Locker" - bomb goes off in Thailand

2011-07-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

A real life bomb went off while a bomb expert was trying to defuse it. He survived, but is injured. Turns out there were 3 bombs on that street, each designed to go off slightly after one another. Bomb one goes off, responders arrive, bomb two goes off and hurts more people, then they think its safe and bomb three goes off. Bastards! Islamic militants were blamed. If Islamic militants want to demonstrate their moral outrage over the Thai government and society, why don't they target the sex trade? Try to close down sex harems? Instead of blowing up cars they could be closing places of prostitution, including child prostitution, sex slavery. That would be constructive, and it would show the moral superiority of their religion. But i guess that wouldn't get as much attention as car bombs. BTW, cars and buses are the perfect platform for bombs: their chassis is strong, but the body is weak, esp buses to save weight, so the bomb goes off sideways and up, not so much down, and does the most damage, esp to the inside of the vehicle, like a bus. You can search bus bombs israel on you.tube and find deeply disturbing pictures of bus bombs (you have to be 18 yrs old or at least say you are to view). Bastards!

Common Cold - Day 8

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is day 8 of my cold, still congested, fatigued. Colds last 7-10 days so i am waiting for this to be over. i haven't been sick for over a decade, so i guess my time was up. Don't know what kind of virus this is but it is something i obviously have not been exposed to before. BTW, viruses prove evolution if you define evolution as adaptation (which the textbooks do) - cold viruses mutate constantly, so once your B cells recognize one type of virus it morphs into another kind and the body just doesn't have the antibodies T cells to kill it. It takes the body a while to recognize the new virus and get rid of it. Remember in 2008, the Republican Pres primaries, candidates were asked who doesn't "believe" in evolution and half of them raised their hands? and i bet at least one of them had a cold at the time. Idiots.......

Michelle Bachman even with Romney in Iowa poll - so what?

2011-06-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

So she is even with Romney in some Iowa poll - so what? The primary is way off, lots could happen, its a caucus primary too, and success in Iowa means little for national fund raising, and running for national office is all about fund raising and money. Here are some crazy things Michelle Bachman has said. She obviously has a thing about gays and gay marriage. I wonder what her views are on other topics? She has a bunch of children, foster children, kinda like Angelina Jolie only more so. Is this a family or a residential center for in need of treatment children? sorry, that was cruel. Bachman is great with the one liners, great with saying things to excite the conservative fringe. She is even with Romney in Iowa...so what? its a long nomination and Romney has the money, the fund raising ability. The big fear is that these nut candidates will turn off voters when the republicans finally select a candidate, like Romney. And that the nut supporters will not turn out and vote for the romney-esque nominee. I am assuming it will be Romney. The country is split into Urban and Rural voters: Bachman attracts the rural voters. the republicans need a candidate who can do that, but also reach out to some suburban and urban voters - that and some funny ballot counts in Florida. Romney is the closest thing to George HW Bush (#41) that the republicans have, but i think they prefer #43 to #41.

Plantation loses another slave

2011-06-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

ok, i know, i went overboard. Terrelle Pryor is not a slave. but, everyone knows that NCAA football (esp div 1, 1a, 2) are to the NFL what the minor leagues are to baseball. Only the football players dont get paid, and the minor leaguers get paid. of course, football players get an education....sure. If they can handle academics, if they dont get injured.

Look at the rosters of the NFL - they list the colleges of the players, not that they graduated, but they "attended." of course some graduate, but i can tell you what the average chance of graduating is for NCAA football players (less than 50%) and the chance they will play in the NFL (less than 5%).

Majority of college football players dont graduate, dont play for the NFL, and deal with injuries the rest of their lives.

So Terrelle is out, after getting free tattoos in exchange for signed jerseys, and cashed in bowl rings. and he wont graduate. If the NFL ever settles the strike he will play, eventually, and make millions. of course, those millions will have to stay with him for life - what else can he do?

There should be a category of football teams in the NCAA that have paid players, say, maybe 75 programs. the top programs. i dont know how to select them. maybe ask for applications? have separate rules for paid NCAA players and their colleges?

who makes money off college football players? the colleges, the networks, stock owners, advertisers. the colleges also get additional applications, more contributions from alumni. the only people not making money are the players, and half of them dont even get a degree.

I mean come on, a black football player, with injuries, doesnt get drafted by NFL, maybe does graduate with a degree in fitness, or sports, or health or something - what kind of job does he get? Black man with a vague college degree, has some injuries, "football player" type, good luck.

My eldest son once had a biology professor tell him to change his major from biology, because biology is a hard major - he knew my son played football, soooooo, dumb football player, change your major, to something simple that you dumb football players can learn......thats how they are treated.

At Slippery Rock University we just had couple of players drafted by NFL, we also have a coach with a PhD, he is a tenured professor, and a graduation rate higher than average, over 65% (which is good). SRU is division II football, which means the players are really student athletes. and we have had some really talented players. and they are really good students too.

but with Ohio State and D-I football, the competition is fierce, Jim Tressel has to recruit nationwide, has to keep his players, has to get to bowl games, generate lots of income for the univ, it is very big business, and he has run a clean program except for some free tattoos, i mean come on, - why doesnt jim apologize, take a cut in pay or something, and get on with the next season. BTW, i think Terrell needs another year before going in draft - couldnt he apologize, get the tattoo burned off, maybe miss a couple games, and get on with his life. maybe he could even stay at OSU long enough to graduate.

I KNOW i could get some grad students, have them brainstorm, and come up with a better arrangement than exists now for these semi pro players. As it is, its a sham, phoney. Lets fix this!

and Jim Tressel is welcome to coach at SRU as soon as our coach retires. and Terrell could play out his final eligbility at SRU, we'd love to have him - he has political science major written all over him.

iraq withdrawal: here we go again, JUST LEAVE!

2011-06-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

Even as the American military winds down its eight-year war in Iraq, commanders are bracing for what they fear could be the most dangerous remaining mission: getting the last troops out safely.

The resurgent threat posed by militants was underscored Monday when rockets slammed into a military base in eastern Baghdad, killing six service members in the most deadly day for American forces here since 2009.

OK Here it is: leave everything there, bring the troops home. the strykers in this picture are beat to crap, driven more miles than designed, the cost of repair too great, costs too much to fly them home. just leave the tanks, the vehicles, everything, in Iraq - disable them somehow, cheaply, quickly. bring the troops home. Do what we have done so far in pacifying areas: engage in bribery, payoffs, pay insurgents not to shoot at the troops. Honestly, i could assemble a group of graduate students to come up with a withdrawal policy, that would protect our troops, be cost effective, and quick. this picture above is nuts: we dont want the vehicles, the equipment - just leave it there, disable the weapons systems, blow up the remaining bombs and ordinance - everyone knows (yes, everyone in the Pentagon) that our Army and Marine corps is broke, troops exhausted, too many tours of duty, the equipment is crapped out, obsolete, lasted much longer than designed, - our attention should be on manufacturing new equipment that we need for our new wars (small, elite units, temporary conflicts, quick response), helping exhausted troops to recover, recruiting new troops, and caring for our injured, caring for the families who have lost members. Who are these reporters who come up with such lame news stories? besides, we will always have some troops in Iraq, that was the idea all along. why withdraw all troops when we have such a great strategic location? Look on a map - we are edged in between Syria and Iran, with our troops, thats like Syria or Iran having troops in canada and mexico, why would they ever withdraw them? So yeah, we are never going to withdraw all the troops, and further withdrawals should be people only, leave the beat up equipment there its not worth bringing it home.

way to go Israel! Undermine anti Syrian protests, support the Syrian gov!

2011-06-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Israel opened fire on pro Palestinian demonstrators, who were attempting to cross the "border" of Syrian and Golan. Obviously, there are demonstrations against the Syrian government by Syrians, and the gov has brutally suppressed these demonstrations, killing hundreds of their own citizens. nothing could undermine the anti gov efforts in Syria more than Israel killing Syrians - rally round the flag, rally round the government, rally round Pres. Assad in standing up to the Israelis.

the anti Assad demonstrations in Syria are good for Israel, just think if the syrian gov was overthrown, Assad is out, and a new gov is in that would recognize Israel, negotiate for some peace treaty including the disputed Golan area, it would be to Israels advantage.

but killing Syrians only increases support for Assads regime. Israel is self defeating itself. Poor leadership. israel is its own worst enemy - some Israelis understand this, but the leaders dont.

sarah palin and American history

2011-06-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

She's done it again: Sarah Palin insisted Sunday that history was on her side when she claimed that Paul Revere's famous Massachusetts ride was intended to warn both British soldiers and his fellow colonists.

"You realize that you messed up about Paul Revere, don't you?" "Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace asked the potential 2012 presidential candidate.

"I didn't mess up about Paul Revere," replied Palin, a paid contributor to the network.

"Part of his ride was to warn the British that were already there. That, hey, you're not going to succeed. You're not going to take American arms. You are not going to beat our own well-armed persons, individual, private militia that we have," she added. "He did warn the British."

The British were marching to Lexington and then Concord, they had two ways to getting there from there HQ in Boston, the long way around the bay, or across the bay on boats. depending on their route, they would arrive in Lexington earlier if they went by boat across the bay, rather than march around it. Paul Revere's job, along with other riders (yes there were others) was to alert other "sons of liberty" members (a domestic terrorist group) which route the british were taking. He rode a race horse named Brown Beauty, a borrowed horse, because he didnt own his own horse. Horses were expensive, only rich people had horses to ride, esp horses like brown beauty . Farmers had horses to help with farm work, they didnt "ride" them. Revere wasnt a farmer, he had no horses, he was a relatively unsuccessful tin-iron monger, living in a small house with a shit load of children. He was stopped by a british patrol, because he was out late (after curfew) and he was obviously riding a race horse (the soldiers recognized brown beauty, because they would bet on her in races). They took Brown Beauty, and revere went on ahead on foot. he ended up at Lexington mass, just before the british arrived. there were two other members of the Sons of Liberty at lexington (they didnt live there). the Lexington Militia was drilling on the town square when the british arrived, they were ordered to disperse. they did. their guns were not loaded, since they were muzzle loaders, and the powder would get wet if it stayed in the rod too long, esp in the morning with morning dew. A shot rang out - still a mystery. the british troops started firing, oddly enough, they either marched with loaded muskets (which would have been strange) or they stopped prior to entering Lexington and loaded. It was not policy for the british to march with loaded weapons, or to have loaded weapons among colonists (they were british citizens, not an enemy, they were not at war). the lexington militia members who were shot were mostly shot in the back, they were walking away when the british opened fire. who fired the first shot? There were "outside agitators" from Boston, revere and some other sons of liberty, among them Sam Adams (a real prick) - could THEY have fired the shot? did they fire a shot to start an incident? Could revere have been a catalyst behind the lexington massacre, or sam adams, who wanted to start a war, so the extent that they would fire a shot and cause the british to open fire? Sarah Palin has no idea whatsoever about Paul Revere, jesus, i mean, few people do, most history books are inaccurate, but academicians have research revere and sam adams and the whole lexington and concord events, and the conclusion is that the British march was stupid, unnecessary, nothing was accomplished by the british, the Lexington militia was not poised for trouble, the initial shots were an accident, no british officer gave the order to shoot, but there was a mysterious "shot" that started the firing, and it DID NOT come from either the lexington militia, or the british. that is for sure. My opinion? Sam Adams shot a round off while hiding off the village green, or maybe it was Revere, with the intention of forcing the british to open fire.

Sarah Palin fires shot at Mitt Romney at Bunker Hill

2011-06-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

"In my opinion, any mandate coming from government is not a good thing, so obviously ... there will be more the explanation coming from former governor, Romney, on his support for government mandates," Palin told reporters today. She was referring to Romney's health care plan for massachusetts, when he was governor. actually, its a good plan, better than anything else that could have been done. it provides for universal coverage, everyone is required to be covered, there is a "tax" for those who are not covered, and it relies primarily (if not exclusively) on private sector docs and health care providers. Mandates? Does sarah mean mandates like: seat belt laws in cars? education for children? clean drinking water? Did she ever hear of the Tragedy of the Commons, where individual action results in harm for the public interest, which is why we HAVE mandates in the first place. and BTW, the big battle of Boston was not Bunker Hill, it was Breeds Hill, the Americans kick british ass on Breeds Hill, then retreated to Bunker Hill. it was only when reinforcements arrived that they left Bunker Hill and retreated. to this day, seriously, the british regiment that fought at Breeds Hill is still honored for their courage (or stupidity) charging up a steep hill against intrenched pissed off Americans who shot them down like fowl in the barnyard (sorry for comparison- James Longstreet at Fredericksburg when Gen Lee asked him if the union charge up hill would succeed, longstreet said, "even a chicken couldnt survive our crossfire" or something like that).

Romney is the only hope of the Republicans to have a rational, credible candidate that could somehow put the Republican party back together again. I dont think even Romney could win, the economy should improve by 2012, we will be out of combat roles in both iraq and afghanistan, Katrina hasnt happened so far, Obama seems to be a mentally health well adjusted husband, so he should get re elected. the only question is, will the Republicans nominate someone who is rational, or will they nominate a nut case?

The Human Centipede: so horrible i couldn't wouldn't go see it

2011-05-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

My son noah wants me to review The Human Centipede. this movie is German, about a couple whose car breaks down, you know the plot, they go to a house ask for help and bang! crazy psycho guy terrorizes them. Sounds like the Texas Chain Saw Massacre only in Germany, so it has to be every grosser right? I mean this country invented Xylon 3 or whatever it was, gas chambers, oven, death wagons, so it only makes sense they can make a movie WORSE than Texas Chain Saw Massacre. anyway, the mad psycho cuts up people, cuts their legs off at the knees, and connects them together mouth to anus to form a human centipede. truly disgusting. I absolutely refused to go watch it when it was at the Regent Square theater, i mean, i watched Dead Snow (Danish zombie movie with zombie nazi's) and Let the Right One In (Swedish vampire movie, the best vampire movie ever) and showed them in my political film class (zombies? 12 yr old vampires? political? sure, why not, the students loved it). But i refuse to watch this film. If i showed this in class i am sure there would be complaints. Of course its political (everything is political) because the centipede is....is....let me think....the proletariat being exploited by cruel capitalists, yeah thats it....its an allegory about the proletarian nightmare, trapped in a capitalist cage, forced to eat one another's feces, crawling on their knees.......forget it.... this movie is just awful. I think.. it got good reviews in City Paper. Supposedly its good. somehow. if you can stomach it. i dont think you should buy popcorn or anything to eat if you watch this in a movie theater.......South Park had an episode based on the the human centipede concept, poor Cartman was number two in line, the Indian guy in front of him wanted to eat something spicey, poor Cartman yelled, NO Dont eat that!!!!

Game Plan: upcoming movie about McCain-Palin ticket controversial

2011-05-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

here is teaser about upcoming movie about the McCain-Palin campaign. its conversial because Ed Harris plays McCain and Julienne Moore (Maude Lebowski) plays Palin. they both look very identical to their real life characters. Why a film about them? some conservatives feel its another liberal ass hollywood movie beating up on conservatives, making fun of them, trying to destroy Sarah's campaign. After all, Tom Hanks produced the movie. however, its a great plot: because it has a tragic hero.

why doesnt tom hanks make a movie about Obama, making fun of him? well, because Obama won, and he is not tragic, right? who want to see a movie about a decent guy, with a beautiful intelligent wife and beautiful daughters, who runs an uphill campaign, avoids attempts to destroy him, and emerges a modest and cool leader of the world? we like movies with irony, pathos, tragedy. I mean, is there a happy Shakespeare play? I guess Midsummer Nights whatever....but my point is that the greatest play he wrote was Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet.

John McCain tragic hero? You bet! here he is, a real kick ass maverick who gets shot down in 'nam, tortured, imprisoned six years (he was punched and knocked down every morning because he refused to bow, count the days, 365 times 6 years, thats a lot of punches) returns home, divorces wife, drinks too much, meets a young rich woman much younger than he is, gets remarried, settles in Arizona, runs to replace Goldwater, Goldwater doesnt like him but McCain emerges as an independent figure in the Senate. He runs against the republican establishment in 2000, but loses primaries after T boone Pickens finances a negative campaign against him in South Carolina, a phoney push poll campaign where telephone "interviewers" identify McCain supporters and then asks them "Would your opinion of McCain change if you knew he was the father of an out of wedlock black child?" ...."if you knew his wife was a convicted drug addict and thief?" Of course, McCain and his wife DO have an out of wedlock black child, they met a baby in Calcutta on one of their travels, and adopted him. and yes, he is black because Indians from calcutta are very dark. and yes, Cindy was convicted of drug theft, she had a prescription for back pain, got hooked, was a nurse, started stealing medication - she confessed cooperated had a plea deal that involved treatment and community service, and now she is well, and is a good person. so he loses to George W. and obviously he would have won a solid victory in 2000 because he would have attracted independent voters and Reagan Democrats, it would not have been a cliffhanger like Bush's election. There would have been no Iraq invasion, Afghanistan
would have been pacified much earlier, thousands of troops would still be alive, Saddam probably would have been overthrown by now (like Mubarek), but instead mcCain had to run again in 2008, saddled with the god awful record he inherited from Bush, and impossible task. He picks Palin against his own better judgement, and she turns out to be a nightmare opportunist. And he loses, big time. and then faces a challenge for re election from the right wing of his own party in Arizona.

Tragic? you bet. Much more interesting than the Obama success story. McCain is one of the best Presidents we never had, like Alexander Hamilton, Adlai Stevenson, Robert Kennedy, so year, tragic story. cant wait to see it, esp Maude Lebowski as sarah Palin!

Mark Ruffalo: kick ass Boston Southie petty mobster movie is GREAT

2011-05-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

i really like Mark Ruffalo, i am watching ALL his movies on netflix. He is an actor's actor, as they say. He loves acting, has appeared in many films, great performances, but his love is local theater in california. He runs a local theater, appears in his own plays. That is his love, not hollywood. He is considered one of Hollywood's greatest actors, but he carefully picks his films and works around his own local theater schedule. anyway, this is an incredible movie: ethan Hawke is also in it. these guys are petty crooks, since childhood, they spend time in the joint. Ruffalo's character wants to go straight, because he loves his wife and child too much to go to jail again, and if he gets another conviction, they throw away the key. he is hounded by a parole officer who is convinced he is no good, a loser. his buddy Hawke wants one more heist, an armored car robbery. Will he go along? Will he risk everything for one last big haul? he works at menial jobs, since he has no skills at anything other than mob work. His bosses treat him like crap, he barely has money for the landlord, lives in a crap rented flat, but, and this is it: he is with his wife and child. what choice! living in poverty, being treated like an inferior, a loser, hounded by a parole officer or......one last big job that will set him up forever. What a movie! Ruffalo and hawke really play two Boston southie punk ass wanna be mobsters, they are tough, kick ass tough, great acting. i mean great acting. Ruffalo is amazing. i cant stop watching him on camera.

Love story? Never let me Go

2011-05-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Keira Knightly stars in this movie about a group of children who are being raised for a peculiar purpose: to be organ donors. Its the future, and humans now live for well over 100 yrs of age, longer than that, because of organ transplants. these children are clones of people who are considered outcasts, such as prostitutes, drug addicts, criminals - i guess having a double of people like this would lead to fewer complications. but something is missing: these children are cloned so they are not exactly a copy of the original person - something is missing from their brains, i guess you could say, a soul, feelings, love. the rumor is, if two of them fall in love, real love, they can get a reprieve from being a donor. at a mature age (18 i guess) their bodies are "farmed" until they die. Three operations is about it, four max before their own bodies no longer function, nothing left to take out. But if they fall in love, they may get a few more years. It gets more complicated - there are questions about what it means to be human, what it means to have a soul, and who is truly human. are the humans who created these clones superior? or are they the real mutants? Who really has a soul? This is a fascinating movie, very philosophical, but i warn you, very very sad, heartbreaking.

Chinese movie leads to Director's ban: Devils on the Doorstep

2011-05-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Wen Jiang is a controversial filmmaker from China. he directed "The missing Gun" which is a good whodoneit about a police officer in a small municipality in central china who gets drunk at a wedding, and loses his gun. Of course, guns are very controlled in china, and losing a gun means someone bad has it. murders start, and the police officer must find his gun before more are killed, and he is fired and disgraced (or worse). it has a good ending, very cool movie. there arent many movies from central or interior china, so its a good portrait of life in a small city in china. anyway, i read that his works have been banned, denied work, all because of of his film "Devils on the Door Step." I was curious, what could he have filmed that was so wrong to the government? well, the film is really good, very complicated, about morality i guess. a peasant is visited by the resistance during the japanese occupation and is given a blindfolded prisoner, he is threatened with death if he doesnt keep the prisoner for later, the captor will return. however, the resistance fighter never returns for the prisoner, and this poor peasant is now stuck with a Japanese prisoner of war. If discovered, he will be killed, the whole village destroyed by the japanese. soon the village comes to his aid, and they help keep the prisoner alive. they bond with one another. the prisoner explains he will tell his superiors about the kind treatment he has received, so they let him go. the japanese are grateful, prepare a celebration thank you dinner for the village, however, its a trap. the evil japanese general kills the villagers and the former prisoner of war (for letting himself be captured, and for bonding with the inferior chinese). the sole survivor is the peasant who was initially given the prisoner. he plots his revenge. after the japanese surrender, he arranges to attack the surrendering army at the headquarters of the allies (american, british). He slashes his way to revenge (chinese movies are great with slashing swords). in the end, however, its the allies who kill our hero, for killing the japanese. get it? this poor guy is terrorized by the japanese, gets his revenge as any patriotic chinese man should, but then is punished by the americans-british (the colonialists) for his patriotic deeds. Now the american-british allies are seen as the new occupiers-enemies. Mao would soon kick them out. Wen Jiang thought this was a positive film about Chinese morality, and eventual justice. also about the misery inflicted on chinese by japanese and americans and british (they're all the same, occupiers, colonialist). But the chinese gov felt the bonding of the village with the japanese prisoner was counter revolutionary or something, so Wen Jiang was banned for awhile. he is now back making movies, but he is very very careful about the content of his films.

Israeli leaders offer peace (at least some of them, anyhow)

2011-04-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

best peace deal israel has offered in years - good point of departure for peace talks. I esp like the return of Golan to Syria. this might be the best beginning of peace in a long time. I dont think it can get better than this, given current Israeli leadership (self serving politicians) and the uncertainty of arab regimes. this might also help Syria and Assads popularity with his own people (return of Golan, fresh apples, and peace). not sure if Hamas will go along with this, or Hezbollah, or many of Israel's leaders, but hey, its a positive move.

I think future generations would praise current middle east leaders if this goes forth.

here is Tom Waits song, Road to Peace

Snooki-Mania! Don't mess with girls from Jersey Shore -

2011-04-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here is my dream angel, Snooki, taking names and kickin butt on wrestle mania -

Jar City

2011-04-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Great film from Iceland, a murder detective movie. very dark. very existential. i get the impression that icelanders are very existential people, always waiting for that next earthquake, the next avalanche, the next volcano.

day after tomorrow by tom waits

2011-03-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

wow. what a song. tom waits is poet laureate of USA.

oakmont begins train service to slippery rock via pittsburgh

2011-02-05T13:13:00.000-08:00