There’s still no change in my status. I’m current with replies. This has to end sometime.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:39 (average 4:52) To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From MoveOn: Jon Stewart Asks ‘What Would Anyone Who Isn’t An A**hole Do?’
What would anyone who isn’t an asshole do? They would oppose the Republican Party.
From NY Times: An authoritative report issued by the Institute of Medicine this week found that, on average, Americans experience higher rates of disease and injury and die sooner than people in other high-income countries. That is true at all ages between birth and 75 and for even well-off Americans who mistakenly think that top-tier medical care ensures that they will remain in good health. The study found that even upper-income Americans with health insurance and college educations appear to be sicker than their peers in other rich nations.
The study was commissioned by the National Institutes of Health, the federal government’s top medical research agency, and was carried out by experts appointed by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, two units of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. It is the first analysis to compare the burden of multiple diseases and injuries in the United States and 16 other affluent democracies, including Western European countries, Australia, Canada and Japan.
American men ranked last in life expectancy among the 17 countries and American women ranked next to last. The United States also ranked at or near the bottom in nine areas, including heart disease, chronic lung disease, obesity and diabetes, injuries and homicides, and sexually transmitted diseases.
This is a byproduct of emphasizing profit over health in US health care delivery. Multi-payer for-profit coverage and fee-for-service delivery are both obsolete. The best way to overcome this shameful state of affairs is to switch to single-payer coverage and fee-for-patient or fee-for-outcome delivery.
From MSNBC: Ed Schultz interviewed Bernie Sanders on financial inequity.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The statistics show how absurd it is to balance the budget on the backs of the 80% of Americans who own just 5% of the wealth. Bernie made it clear that is exactly what Republicans are trying to do. To do this they are telling the lie that spending is the problem, when the bulk of the problem stems from keeping the share of revenue paid by the very rich at an all-time low and failing to make sufficient investment in economic recovery, Bernie is right that filibuster reform is an absolute necessity.
Cartoon:
15 Responses to “Open Thread–1/11/2013”
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3:27 I must really relate to this guy's wrinkles! He needs Oil of Olay or something! Well is Cujo (Patty Monster) going to get me? or Jerry?
It obviousky was not I. My money is on the monster.
4:01 So far your bet is looking good, TomCat.
And here I thought your lovely city of Portland was an oasis of sanity … but it looks like I was WRONG:
Portland residents panic as men armed with assault weapons ‘educate’ the city
Men armed with rifles walk through Portland to 'educate'
Actually, it is rfelatively sane Nameless. In a red city, it would not just be two wingnuts. Baggers would bring their gund from far and wide to join. Such lunacy id so foreign to Portland that that tghe witnesses freaked out.
I looked at this yesterday Nameless and found myself being disturbed by the open carry of assault weapons. Of course such things do not happen here north of the 49th because we have gun control, and for the most part, a totally different mentality about guns of any kind. There is no need for such weapons in the hands of the general public.
Hefe in Oregon, one cannot get a concealed weapons permit, without which open carry is also illegal, without a thorough police check, and jumping through sone fairly difficult hoops. I don't think that the powers that be predicted that anyone who had obtained the permit whould be so irresponsible.
Excellent video with Ed Schultz and the always wonderful Bernie Sanders – God bless them both! Does anyone know if Bernie has a successor for the dreadful day (hopefully far off) when he will retire?
So sorry you are still so horribly ill TC! Am praying for you – obviously not hard enough – will try and redouble my efforts!
Pat, sadly he does not. He is an Independent Socialist, the only admitted socialist in office.
Thank you so much.
Personal — Is it time for me to remind you that I wear size 9's that could very easily be planted on your south side? Or maybe I'll send your nephew, Dr Winnie, down to make sure you look after yourself. I know you have a doctor's appointment, what on Monday? And I hope you're drinking lots of plain water (not the 'coffee-inated' kind) so as to flush the toxins out. For New Year's, I resolved to drink mostly plain water and after a week, I already notice a difference. My poison was diet Coke though since I am allergic to coffee. So shut your eyes and repeat after me: "size 9's, size 9's, size 9's, size 9's, size 9's, size 9's".
Puzzle — 3:27 I must really relate to this guy's wrinkles! He needs Oil of Olay or something!
MoveOn — Unfortunately, I don't know what date that was so I couldn't see the video on The Comedy Network. However, I have to agree with your answer to the question of "What would anyone who isn’t an asshole do? They would oppose the Republican Party."
NY Times — Shocking that the US should be at the bottom. I saw a news piece yesterday about a man from North Vancouver, BC who became ill in Palm Desert with pneumonia. He was in hospital for 4 days before being transfered to a Canadian hospital by air ambulance. He got a bill for $112,000 which he is unable to pay and his out of country medical insurance denied his claim. While he said that his care was very good, a bill like this may be part of the reason for the poor showing in life expectancy — the bill promotes a heart attack!
MSNBC — Bernie is so right — reform the filibuster and get the revenues up where they should be from the right sources — NOT the 80% of Americans who own 5% of the wealth. Here is an article that I posted to Care2 with Bill Moyers speaking to Paul Krugman. Actually, most of it is a video and well worth the time to listen to.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/11/krugman-recession-gratuitous-because-if-congress-created-jobs-program-it-would-all-be-over/
Here is a link to Bernie's article 'The Soul of America' — http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/15480-the-soul-of-america
Cartoon — Yup, the GOP and the NRA are two peas in the same pod. This is one pea pod I dislike intensely!
I am drinking the water. I have to guzzle the stuff to minimize the possibility of more kidney stones. And I have a doctor appointment tomorrow. So take off the shoes. 😉
We await the monster.
Sorry.
Sadly, that is all too typical.
Great links.
Bingo!
Read this quote on another blog about the gun issue:
“I have to admit, I am not a gun owner. But with what all the talk and attention I probably will be soon. It seems the ferver of (what I perceive) as unfair criticism of gun owners is motivating me to be a gun owner.”
Steve, that not realistic. Saying that gun owners are being unfairly criticized, is like saying that attempts to keep drunk grivers off the road are unfair criticisms of all car owners.
It's the dumbest reason I've ever heard for buying a gun. Showing just how wacko someone's thinking on this issue is, yet, gun sales have gone through the roof since the Newtown massacre.
I agree completely. Ironically, the ones buting them most are the ones least likely to to keep and use them rtesponsibly.