Judge Judy on Special Needs Students

Locked in a closet with a broken door for hours. And this is what passes for Christian education?

"What special training do you have to deal with children who have special needs? You don't have anything. You have nothing."

"How dare you. How dare you take children who have special needs."

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-most-satisfying-judge-judy-episode.html

Businesses should pledge to help our society, like in the olden days (50 years ago.)

The reason we originally allowed businesses to do business in this country was that some benefit would come to society from it. But since the era of New Deal economics was replaced by Reaganomics, the principal rationalization we use to give limitations of liability and privileges to corporations and their masters has changed from, “What is best for society?” to, “How can somebody best get rich quick?”
This is a perversion of the entire concept of why nations allowed people and corporations to do business, and why we facilitate that activity by providing at public expense: stable currencies and a stable banking system; predictable and fair court systems; transportation, electrical, water, septic, and communications infrastructure; a criminal justice system to enforce the rules of the game of business; and a workforce educated at the public expense and protected with a public pension called Social Security. We do all these things so the business will provide some good to the public while, in the meantime, enriching its owners.
But a new business model has emerged in the United States. Companies still get the privileges, but they no longer have to conduct themselves in ways that inure a net positive to the public.


http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/thom-hartmann-case-corporate-death-penalty

Amazing Goats - pretty great

Those are goats on that dam - amazing.

http://www.viralnova.com/hidden-dam/

Diebold: Charged with 'Worldwide Pattern of Criminal Conduct' THEY COUNT OUR VOTES!

These are the people front and center during the stealing of the election during Bush vs Gore.  Votes disappearing is a continuing problem - this does not surprise me at all.

Despite at least $1.75 million in bribes said to have been paid the company around the globe, nobody will go to jail for what U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach describes as their "worldwide pattern of criminal conduct," because they are a corporation --- and you are not.

The $50 million the company has agreed to pay is a mere fraction of the firm's $3 billion in annual revenues. That, even though Diebold is a repeat offender --- which may be describing it mildly...

http://truth-out.org/news/item/19623-diebold-charged-with-bribery-falsifying-docs-worldwide-pattern-of-criminal-conduct?fb_action_ids=10202001227488746&fb_action_types=og.likes&action_object_map=[751656448193982]&action_type_map=[%22og.likes%22]&action_ref_map=[]#.Upox9aXKyRY.facebook

100 Arrested Black Friday at Walmart Wage Protests

Even Santa was arrested.

A protest on behalf of Walmart workers in Ontario, California led to the arrest of up to 10 people Friday, among them Karl Hilgert, who dressed up as Santa Claus for the event, according to The San Bernardino Sun. The protest was one of around 1,500 planned nationwide Friday blasting Walmart for poverty wages, and unfair working hours.



http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/arrests-made-wal-mart-black-friday#sthash.i1XWCrHw.dpbs

The steady economic recovery under President Obama after the GW Bush Crash

'The Long Slog: Economic Growth Following the Great Recession'

Speaking of the Dallas Fed, here are two figures from a report documenting how slow this recovery has been relative to the recovery from past recessions:

http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2013/11/the-long-slog-economic-growth-following-the-great-recession.html

Polar Bear Migration: How Climate Change has Altered it

But today the Hudson Bay population—and the rest of the world's 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears—is being affected by changes. Since 1979, sea ice cover has declined by about 30 percent in the Arctic. As greenhouse gases continue to warm the Earth, Amstrup says, polar bears are being forced ashore for longer periods of time.

The bears of Hudson Bay, for instance, now spend an average of nearly 30 days longer on land than they did 30 years ago. Stirling and his colleague Andrew Derocher found that bears lose nearly two pounds of body weight each day they're on land—meaning the bears here are, in effect, 60 pounds lighter on average than they were three decades ago.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131122-polar-bear-migration-in-hudson-bay-science/

Wall Street: Everyone breaks the rules but NOONE GOES TO JAIL. They get a bonus.

After the crash of 2008, regulators finally did exactly that. What has resulted is a wave of scandals with odd names; LIBOR fixing, FX collusion, ISDA Fix.
To outsiders they sound like complex acronyms that occupy the darkest corners of Wall Street, easily dismissed as anomalies. They are not. LIBOR, FX, ISDA Fix are at the very center of finance, part of the daily flow of trillions of dollars. The scandals are scarily close to what some on Wall Street believe is standard business practice, a matter of shades of grey.
I imagine the people who are named in the scandals are genuinely confused as to why they are being singled out. They were just doing what almost everyone else was, maybe just more aggressive, more reckless. They were doing what they had been trained to do: bending the rules, pushing as far as they could to beat competitors. They had been applauded in the past for their aggressive risk taking, no doubt. Now they are just whipping boys.


http://www.alternet.org/economy/wall-street-ethics?page=0%2C1&akid=11202.294211.vqZDqm&rd=1&src=newsletter930687&t=11

The Growing Resistance to the 'Walmartization' of our Economy IS WORKING, slow and steady.

Walmart could easily provide a living wage. A recent study by Demos shows it would even be in their best interest to do so because it would stimulate the whole economy. And there are signs that Walmart is feeling the heat. The CEO, Michael Duke, announced this week that he will step down. And Walmart hired a public relations firm to smear Walmart protesters. Our sense is that this effort will backfire as it shows the desperation of this Goliath that will fall to mobilized Davids. We hope that you will support the Walmart workers and press for real transformation. Imagine what a better place the world would be if Walmart began to pay workers at a living wage and had to compensate communities for the damage it has done.
In fact, Walmart is not the only corporation that mistreats its workers; it’s just the largest one. Here is a list of ten American companies that pay the least. In addition to Walmart employees, other workers are fighting for a living wage. Fast food workers and those who make supplies for the fast food restaurants have also been holding strikes and rallies.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/corporate-elites-are-witnessing-growing-wave-resistance-walmartization-our-economy?page=0%2C2&akid=11202.294211.vqZDqm&rd=1&src=newsletter930687&t=9

Innovative Housing in Bush Alaska

New building designs show promise to save money in the Bush Areas.

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20131128/rural-alaskans-hope-save-big-bucks-innovative-housing-design

Tennessee Man Shoots and Kills wife after arguing over dead mans shoes.

She wanted her husband to take off her dead father's shoes and he shot her.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/29/tennessee-man-shoots-and-kills-wife-after-argument-over-dead-mans-shoes/

Saturn Images

From the Cassini Space Ship - wonderful images.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cassini+images&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Great Signs on telephone poles - funny

Very Funny - you have been warned - PUT DOWN THE COFFEE

http://justsomething.co/30-hilarious-street-posters-you-certainly-havent-seen-around/#

Putting Thanks back into Thanksgiving or I am Thankful that Sarah Palin is not elected to anything

Sarah Palin is a joke but it amazes me that she is allowed to always pop up on TV and answer questions (make noise) about things she knows nothing of.  It is scary that quite a few people think she actually makes sense.

http://malialitman.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/putting-the-thanks-back-into-thanksgiving/

People are liking the Affordable Care Act! As people sign up, they are more and more pleased.

The first came from Jeffrey Zients — the Obama administration point person in charge of fixing Healthcare.gov — who told reporters on Friday that the site will be able to handle 50,000 users at a time and 800,000 users a day by the the end of next week. That’s double the current capacity, and right in time for an expected surge in demand just before the end of the year.
The second came from the pro-reform group Families USA, which examined options available to 15 million people who are currently covered on the individual market (many of whose policies have been canceled and will lapse by the end of the year) under the Affordable Care Act.
According to Families USA, over 70 percent of those currently insured will either qualify for premium tax credits on state-based insurance exchanges, or become newly eligible for Medicaid coverage under the healthcare law.


“Nationally, 71 percent of people in the individual market under age 65 have incomes at or below 400 percent of poverty,” according to Families USA. “Under the Affordable Care Act, these people are income-eligible for financial help to purchase an insurance plan, either through new premium tax credit subsidies or through expanded Medicaid.”
Together that combines all of the ingredients any marketplace needs to be successful:
1) An appealing product.
2) A large population of motivated shoppers.
3) Affordable prices, either by design or by discount.
4). A fast-moving checkout counter.



http://www.salon.com/2013/11/25/right_wing_extremists_face_new_moral_conundrum/

Pope Francis speaks against inequality which is seen today

In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting. To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or to sustain enthusiasm for that selfish ideal, a globalization of indifference has developed. Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own.

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/pope-francis-culture-prosperity-deadens-us

Massive Pipeline Explosion in Missouri

NEAR HOUSTONIA, Mo. — An overnight explosion at the Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company near Hughesville, Mo. in Pettis County lit up the sky for miles around early Friday morning. Fox 4 viewers from more than 30 miles away have reported seeing the fireball in the sky.
A spokesperson from Panhandle Eastern says a 30″ pipeline ruptured just before midnight, causing the explosion. Vicki Granado says there were evacuations overnight, but that the Pettis County Sheriff’s Department was coordinating that effort.


http://crooksandliars.com/breaking-news/massive-pipeline-explosion-missouri

The TPP, Trans Pacific Partnership, agreement is dangerous for us regular folks, it will cost us much money.

the whole agreement was hammered out in secret and we only started finding out details by Wikileaks.
The notion that a corporations could say Your insisting on Clean Water cost us Millions in Profits so we, the ones who drink the water OWE THE CORPORATION MILLIONS because of the potential profits they lost.  Crazy Stuff.

http://www.alternet.org/world/trans-pacific-partnership-extends-tentacles-corporate-power?akid=11197.294211.80F-1L&rd=1&src=newsletter930388&t=11

Money and Happiness; Giving it away or spending on yourself make you happy?

Interesting discussion on happiness and money.

http://www.upworthy.com/before-you-go-shopping-today-listen-to-this-harvard-guy-talk-about-spending-money-and-happiness?c=ufb1

8th grade student shot at school and killed. He had a gun

I am not feeling safer with everyone having access to guns, including this 8th grader.

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/cops-shoot-kill-armed-8th-grade-teen-in-texas/news/2012/01/04/32768

61 year old gets his gun then stabe a man FOR A PARKING SPACE at Walmart

That is a serious need to park.  I don't feel safer with a guy like this having a gun.

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/1-thanksgiving-61-year-old-wields-shotgun-stabs-35-year-old-over-walmart-parking-space/news/2013/11/29/79449#.UpiwqcyAbOc

Junk Studies funded by Corporations and Billionaires - We are being manipulated

The Koch Brothers as well as Big Corporations and other Billionaires make studies which they use to put more money in their pocket by taking it out of ours.

http://expressmilwaukee.com/article-22239-masters-of-manipulation.html

WalMart Workers Protesting Low Wages - very good, DON'T SHOP AT WALMART

Workers stage a very novel protest inside a Walmart.

http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/black-friday-join-walmart-strikers#sthash.dlLqMFBO.dpbs

house built out of cargo containers

This shipping container home might be the ugly duckling on the outside, but the inside screams beautiful swan. Design meets function meets artistic style. It may not look spectacular on the outside, but what it lacks in appeal on the exterior, it more than makes up for inside. It’s not really ugly on the outside, and in fact it’s actually rather quaint, and slightly appealing in a recycled kind of way. The “Wow Factor” factor strikes you when you view the interior. It just goes to show you that you should never judge a book by it’s cover. In this case don’t let the outside fool you. This is a home worth a second look.

http://www.offgridworld.com/ugly-duckling-shipping-container-home-built-by-artist-is-a-beautiful-swan-on-the-inside/

10 herbs for fibromyalgia

Actually, it covers many conditions.

http://www.herbs-info.com/herbal-remedies.html

Koch Brothers Bad Day: Along with a few other Billionaires.

Poor Kochs and other Billionaires:  There are new rules to follow which hinder their unlimited gift giving while being anonymous.  Poor Guys

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/billionaires-bad-day-new-rules-would-rein

4 Environmentally Favorable Policies Implemented this past year.

A little progress is being made.

http://billmoyers.com/2013/11/28/four-climate-policies-were-thankful-for/

Alices Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie

The 23 minute version - very great.

http://www.themudflats.net/archives/41258

Guns: Another old man shot and killed - a burgler?

The old man was mistaken for a burgler and was shot and killed.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/28/georgia-man-fatally-shot-neighbor-with-alzheimers-after-mistaking-him-for-a-prowler/

SARAH PALIN'S TURKEY SPEECH! Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving would not be real without the word salad from Sarah Palin while turkeys were being killed behind her.  Have a great Thanksgiving.

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/is-it-thanksgiving-already-well-you.html

Grizzly bear killed by SUV in Juneau

They feel it is a different Grizzly that was seen a few weeks ago by Mendenhall Lake.  It is weird because we see Black Bears often but I never hear of Browns around here.

http://www.adn.com/2013/11/27/3200326/suv-strikes-kills-grizzly-on-juneau.html#emlnl=Morning_Newsletter

How to cure a fat lip fast

A grandson has a fat lip so I found some cures.  He got it by going to the dentist and getting numb.  He chewed on his lip when it was numb.

http://www.top10homeremedies.com/how-to/how-to-get-rid-of-a-swollen-lip-fast.html

Whale stays by side of tangled whale as what is cut loose

Great Video

http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/whale-waits-his-tangled-friend-be-rescued-then-celebrates.html

Round Ice turning in a river - interesting

North Dakota River has  round chunk of ice spinning in the middle in of a river.

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/amazing-ice-circle-found-spinning-atop-north-dakota-river-2D11664968

Jesus: They found the place where Jesus turned tricks

The young Christ, like many adrift Hebrew males, is believed to have turned to sex work around 19 A.D. as a coping mechanism during a bout of homelessness. Though implicitly prohibited by Jewish law, prostitution was prevalent in ancient Judea, with sex workers trading their services for cloth, fowl, wine, and small coins, a transaction that Christ is believed to have executed hundreds of times during a short period of time in his 20s.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/archaeologists-discover-site-where-desperate-jesus,34689/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:3:Default

Methane Emissions far greater than believed from Natural Gas production

A major new study blows up the whole notion of natural gas as a short-term bridge fuel to a carbon-free economy.
Natural gas is mostly methane (CH4), a potent heat-trapping gas. If, as now seems likely, natural gas production systems leak 2.7% (or more), then gas-fired power loses its near-term advantage over coal and becomes more of a gangplank than a bridge.


http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/25/2988801/study-methane-emissions-natural-gas-production/

Reasons you may want to drink coffee (for health)

There are health considerations on why you may want to drink coffee.  Good Info

http://www.diynatural.com/is-coffee-good-for-you/?awt_l=Kv4fk&awt_m=3XK_SYS8EEtFQkt

Wild Turkey vs Factory Farmed Turkey

Charts show the difference in numbers of a wild turkey vs a farmed turkey - interesting,

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/11/charts-turkey-farmed-wild

Gun goes off in Church with a 'No Guns Allowed policy.'

The idiot with the gun that went off had an enhanced carry permit so he could ignore the 'no gun allowed' sign.  It was an accident of course and fortunately no one got hurt when the bullet went off.
I do not feel safer with these crazy gun laws.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/25/mississippi-woman-struck-by-bullet-shell-after-man-ignores-no-guns-sign-at-church/

GOP: 5 REASONS why the GOP are hated by more and more

The Republican party often has people scratching their heads and it's not just "liberals" who are doing it. With The Republican party splitting into multiple factions, the once proud political party has been thrown into disarray Here are five reasons why the American people can't stand the Grand Old Party.

http://www.examiner.com/article/5-reasons-why-the-american-people-can-t-stand-the-republican-party

Pres Obama Accomplishments: with Citations (quite long)

If you’re one of those folks who thinks President Obama is a “disappointment,” you haven’t been paying attention the last few years. And those of you who try to draw comparisons with the Bush Administration should put away the hallucinogens and have your memory checked.  If you were in a coma for the eight Bush Years, I apologize and forgive you. But please join the real world. So far, this president has done most of what he said he would do if elected; imagine what he could have done by now if progressives had supported him and not given him a Congress that doesn’t look at him as if he’s the demon seed.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/02/15/a-long-list-of-president-obamas-accomplishments-with-citations/

Arkansas Oil Spill: The People Left Behind - screwed

On March 29, 2013, an ExxonMobil oil pipeline that runs under a tiny residential neighborhood in Mayflower, Ark. split open and spilled 210,000 gallons of Canadian dilbit across backyards and streets and in waterways.
InsideClimate News spent months reporting the spill on the ground. In Part 1 of "Shattered by Oil"—an ICN co-production with This American Land—Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth McGowan returns to Mayflower, Ark., to explore the fate of residents who are living with the effects of the oil disaster and trying to piece together their lives.


http://crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/shattered-oil-exxon-arkansas-spill-and

Car out of ice - very ingenious, worth seeing

In Russia, someone was driving on a frozen river and the car fell through the ice.  The ingenuity they showed in getting the car out is pretty amazing.  Well worth the two minutes.

http://www.snowaddiction.org/2013/11/you-will-not-believe-how-these-russians-get-this-car-out-of-a-frozen-lake.html

Demographics and the GOP

LA Times poll has dire warnings for the minority party
If you look at the composition of the legislature, or the voter registration numbers, you'll quickly see that we are in a pretty gloomy era for Republicans. But, wait, darker days are just around the corner: a LA Times poll shows just how poorly the CRP is situated in front of the demographic wave.


http://www.calitics.com/diary/15321/demographic-doom-for-california-republicans

Polar Bear Cam

Capturing polar bears on live video isn’t easy, as they can wander more than 930 miles in a season. The polar bear cam is made possible in part by the unique geography of Cape Churchill in Manitoba, Canada, which causes the normally solitary bears to gather in the region by the hundreds every October and November.

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20131125/churchill-canada-polar-bear-cam-offers-amazing-live-footage

How Republicans Rigged Elections and paralyzed our Government

How Republicans Rig the Game

Through gerrymandering, voter suppression and legislative tricks, the GOP has managed to hold on to power while more and more Americans reject their candidates and their ideas

How is this possible? National Republicans have waged an unrelenting campaign to exploit every weakness and anachronism in our electoral system. Through a combination of hyperpartisan redistricting of the House, unprecedented obstructionism in the Senate and racist voter suppression in the states, today's GOP has locked in political power that it could never have secured on a level playing field.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-republicans-rig-the-game-20131111#ixzz2liE9RZdc
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-republicans-rig-the-game-20131111

Horrible Distortion of Facts: Richard Berman: The poisoning of US Politics.

Richard Berman makes millions by sueing to make sure unsafe products can be called safe.  He will sue you if you declare an unsafe product dangerous.  American politics at its worst and the leader of the pack.

http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/richard-bermans-propaganda-wars-take-us-politics-gutter

WalMart could pay $5.80 more per hour WITHOUT RAISING PRICES!

The report, titled “A Higher Wage is Possible: How Walmart Can Invest in Its Workforce Without Costing Customers a Dime,” found that Walmart could raise wages by $5.83 per hour without raising prices. The report revealed that Walmart spends $7.6 billion annually buying back shares of its own stock. Amy Traub, co-author of the report, said share buybacks are “Wall Street financial maneuvers” that are unproductive, and often fail, in the long run, its goal of making its shares worth more. The report quotes a Wall Street Journal business analyst,

http://www.alternet.org/labor/why-walmarts-plan-pit-low-wage-workers-against-low-wage-consumers-failing

Christian Nation: Betty Bowers explains

Betty Bowers is America's best Christian and she explains (poorly) that the US is a Christian Nation.

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/betty-bowers-americas-best-christian.html

Obamacare VS Single Payer - REAL TIME Debate, quite good

If you're a fan of HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, you're probably already familiar with the Overtime segment they run on the web immediately following each show every Friday. This week, it was actually a lot more interesting than most of the panel segment during the show, with guests Dan Savage and Paul Begala laying into their Republican cohort on the show, Bob Ehrlich for complaining about the Affordable Care Act, when the law came straight out of Republican think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation along with being modeled after Mitt Romney's health care law in Massachusetts.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/real-time-overtime-panel-debates-obamacare

Gun Control - a 4 year old speaks, easy peasy

The story of the bad guy and background checks.

http://www.upworthy.com/a-little-kid-explains-a-solution-to-gun-violence-makes-sense-to-me-2?c=bl3

10 Films to watch - especially Conservatives

If you have Conservatives around the next few weeks, have these movies on your tv.

http://www.examiner.com/article/10-documentary-films-that-conservative-republicans-must-watch

Illinois Man films a tornado taking apart his house

Man has created Climate Change and has altered the weather patterns with the adding of Carbon into the atmosphere.  We can expect more extreme storms in the future because we are doing little to limit Carbon into the air.  Big Oil and the Koch Brothers are paying multi million dollars to continue polluting with no concern for the environment.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/22/1257563/-Illinois-man-films-tornado-hitting-his-home?detail=email

Home made whitening toothpaste and kills germs too

I am running into a few home made recipes and will put them here.

http://www.diynatural.com/whitening-tooth-powder/

13 Food Ingredients that are banned in much of the world but legal for use in the USA

Big Bucks and lobbying sure distorts what is allowed in the US.  It is not what is healthy for consumers but it seems to be more of what is ignored or mistated by lobbyists which allow for dangerous ingredients to be allowed.  Those with real information about the ingredient are often not allowed to speak about the dangers - weird.

http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/these-13-banned-food-ingredients-are-still-allowed-in-the-u-s-a/

President Kennedy Assassination - Conspiracy Theories

There are many Conspiracy Theories regarding the President Kennedy Assassination.  I am putting this out just to cover some of those theories.  We will never know what happened because Oswald was killed and he is the one who is the accused shooter.

I would also like to mention that recent ballistic tests show that it is quite possible that one shooter shot President Kennedy and Gov Connelly.  I saw the study on TV and it seems very realistic.

http://frozenjustice.blogspot.com/2013/11/reflections-upon-five-decades-of-lies.html

A Foot of snow melted in 24 hours.

We had a foot of snow and in the last 24 hours it has melted.  We have had a constant rain which has been a deluge at times.  The snow is melting fast.  My plan was to cross country ski this weekend but this rain ruined that idea.  North of Juneau they have freezing rain so we are fortunate to just be dealing with rain and not super slick ice.

Our fluffy and light snow turned into wet and heavy snow as soon as the temp warmed and the rain began.  My car just wanted to slide sideways yesterday.  I had to dig out all the wheels to get down go gravel before I would get it to move forward to the parking area I had cleared of snow.  The wet snow sucks.

Sarah Palin: When are you going to apologize to Gabby Giffords, Jews, Levi and President Obama?

Sarah is trying to get Martin Bashir fired for comments he made about Sarah regarding her definition of Slavery.  He pointed out the historical brutality of slavery which is uncalled for according to Sarah because it makes her look bad.  Sarah, when are you going to apologize to those you have harmed with your crazy talk?

http://sarahpalinhasaserpentsheart.blogspot.com/2013/11/so-sarah-palin-when-are-you-going-to.html

HEADACHES: 18 natural remedies

Certain herbs and spices, like cayenne and feverfew, are thought to be effective in easing headaches and soothing the factors that trigger their occurrence. Aside from herbs, one good way to deal with headache is to relax and engage in exercise in fresh air.
Some studies have revealed that fish oil intake can be beneficial in treating migraines and headaches. Applying an apple cider vinegar compress may also help. Modern day studies revealed that this powerful tonic is useful in treating scurvy, hay fever and headache.
Other tips that can help relieve headache include improved water intake, reduced chocolate consumption, and increased intake of foods rich in Vitamin B3. Also known as niacin, Vitamin B3 plays a vital role increasing the flow of blood by dilating the blood vessels. Insufficient amount of Vitamin B3 in the body is thought to be responsible for the occurrence of vascular headaches.
Applying (diluted) peppermint oil may also work. Peppermint is known for its soothing effect that may help people suffering from headache and migraine. You might also want to munch on a slice of ginger root. Ginger is known for its ability to help people with inflammatory conditions as well as headaches and nausea.
We’ve discussed just a few. Here is the link to the full list of 18: http://everydayroots.com/headache-remedies
PS. For those interested in researching further, we also have a page which may be of interest – Top 10 Herbs For Migraines.


http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/18-natural-remedies-for-headaches/

Mike Tyson returns Holyfield's ear

Be nice folks - forgive.

http://www.examiner.com/play-video/video-portal/tyson-returns-ear?cid=PROG-TrendingTopic-TysonEar&CID=examiner_alerts_hot_topics

WalMart: A national outcry for fair wages is forcing changes

Walmart workers are not backing down in their fight for better working conditions, and the nation is beginning to join them.

“People across the country are starting to see the real Walmart,” said Q Knapp, a Texas Walmart worker who went on strike Wednesday. “And that’s why I will continue to stand up because the time for change is now.” 

http://www.alternet.org/activism/7-signs-national-outcry-against-walmart-will-lead-big-changes?page=0%2C2&akid=11177.294211.UTPmsy&rd=1&src=newsletter928098&t=7

Land Tax: If we really want the 1% to pay their fair share of taxes

Tax Land value. If we want a real overhaul/simplification of the tax code, the way to do it is to tax land value. It might be the only tax we need. No sales tax. No income tax. No payroll tax to fill a Social Security trust fund. No corporate income tax that, as we can plainly see, offshores profits. No need to tax labor and industry at all. Just tax the stuff that humans had nothing to do with creating, and therefore have no basis to claim ownership over at all. You’ll find that almost all of it is “owned” by the fabled 1 percent.

http://www.alternet.org/tax-land-end-1-percents-plutocracy?akid=11177.294211.UTPmsy&rd=1&src=newsletter928098&t=17

New Rules: Bill Maher

Reagan and Kennedy

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/bill-maher-jfk-vs-reagan-our-kennedy-is-ke

What is wrong with our school systems? It is not the teachers.

Common Core standards were created to equalize education across incomes — to make the quality of education that students from affluent families get available to students from poor families.

However, the extreme focus on testing might be creating an education system that lacks a whole lot of things that are really, really important. This kid nails the problem with Common Core in a new way, claiming that we're ruining the way we teach and learn. It's keeping teachers from doing what they're so good at and students from being real human learners.

http://www.upworthy.com/a-student-explains-whats-wrong-with-our-school-system-and-why-we-mistrust-teachers-nails-it-6?c=bl3

How to win the argument about the ACA at Thanksgiving Dinner

Here at HuffPost we believe in news you can use, so we've put together a guide we hope is just as useful to Hank as it is to Emily. Because what good is having a political opinion if you can't prove it's the right one in front of your extended family on Thanksgiving?
Whether you're Hank or Emily, here are some handy Obamacare talking points that will drive home your argument.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/obamacare-facts_n_4303837.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Friday Toons - Juanita Jean

The past week in cartoons.

http://www.juanitajean.com/2013/11/22/lotsa-friday-toons-2/

Stewart Mocks McConnell for Warnings to Democrats Over Nuclear Option

Daily Show host Jon Stewart poked fun at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) warning to Democrats that ending the long-standing abuse of the filibuster by invoking what pundits insist on calling the “nuclear option” would come back to haunt them.
“Mark my words,” Stewart boomed on Thursday. “One day you Democrats will want to be obstructionist a*sholes making a mockery of our system of government. And who’ll be laughing then? Turtle Man.”
Stewart also mocked media coverage of Senate Democrats’ move to have non-Supreme Court nominations and other procedural matters be decided by a simple majority, rather than by having to get at least 60 votes to pass.


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/22/jon-stewart-mocks-mitch-mcconnells-warning-to-democrats-someday-you-will-want-to-be-obstructionist-asholes/

The Biggest Problem with the ACA Rollout is being caused intentionally by Republicans

The media have been buzzing with stories — many of them wildly exaggerated — of people facing higher premiums as a result of Obamacare. But there’s a story about rates you may not have heard: According to Jonathan Gruber, a leading health care wonk at MIT, all private insurance premiums in the 25 red states that are refusing to expand their Medicaid programs will be 15 percent higher as a direct result of that decision.

But those numbers don’t capture the human cost. The reality is that conservatives are complaining about insurance policies being cancelled and the ACA’s error-plagued exchanges at the same time as they actively work to keep millions of poor Americans from gaining coverage under the law’s Medicaid expansion.

The victims of Obamacare’s implementation problems being hit the hardest, by far, are those whose incomes fall between the federal poverty line and the eligibility cutoffs in those 25 states rejecting Medicaid expansion. Not only will they be left uncovered, they won’t even be eligible for the generous subsidies that people earning slightly more than they do can use to buy insurance. It’s brutally unfair. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 4.8 million poor adults may fall into that coverage gap — about twice the number of people expected to pay more for their insurance when their substandard policies are cancelled.

http://billmoyers.com/2013/11/21/the-biggest-problem-with-obamacares-rollout-is-being-caused-intentionally-by-republicans/

Crossroads: The buying of the US Government.

I give 100 bucks and the Right Wing Wealthy person gives 10 million.  The government is being bought folks.


The dark money giant Crossroads GPS, launched by Republican strategist Karl Rove, told the IRS it raised almost $180 million in 2012, including one donation of $22.5 million, another of $18 million and another of $10 million. Fifty donations were for $1 million or more.  Because the group is a social welfare nonprofit, none of the donors have to be made public.
The details come from the group's 2012 tax return, which Crossroads made available today at their Washington office. We picked up a copy and you can see it here.


http://crooksandliars.com/propublica/crossroads-tax-return-shows-big-donors

90 Companies make 2/3 of the Carbon Pollution that warms our atmosphere

According to a new report by the Climate Accountability Institute in Colorado, just 90 companies caused two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions.
To be published in the journal Climatic Change, the report says the vast majority of the emitting firms were in the energy business, including Chevron, Exxon, BP, and state-owned and government-run firms.
According to the research, 90 companies on the list of top emitters produced 63 percent of the cumulative global emissions of industrial carbon dioxide and methane between 1751 to 2010, amounting to about 914 gigatons of CO2 emissions. Aside from seven cement manufacturers, the rest of the emitters were energy companies producing oil, gas, and coal.


http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/21/2977001/companies-responsible-thirds-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

Amazing: 40 foot wood carving

Truly Amazing carving

http://www.viralnova.com/tree-trunk-carving/

Abstinence Only Sex Ed Exposed - It does not work. You want a high pregnancy rate, go Abstinence only.

Since the abstinence-only movement was conceived, more than $1.5 billion has been spent on programs whose sole focus is to preach the social, psychological and health benefits that could come from abstaining. It took me five years of therapy, a failed first marriage and dozens of embarrassing questions along the way, to erase the “benefits” that abstinence-only education gave me.

http://www.alternet.org/gender/my-abstinence-only-education?page=0%2C2&akid=11168.294211.ySwQb1&rd=1&src=newsletter926953&t=15

People are dying from treatable diseases because of no insurance.

UTMB is no longer the state-subsidized charity hospital it used to be. The changes began before Hurricane Ike in 2008. But after the storm, UTMB administrators drastically  cut charity care and moved clinics to the mainland, where there are more paying patients. The old motto “Here for the Health of Texas” was replaced by “Working together to work wonders.” Among those wonders are a new surgical tower and a plan to capitalize on Galveston’s semi-tropical charm by attracting wealthy  healthcare tourists from abroad. Medical care for the poor is not, apparently, among the wonders. Whereas UTMB accepted 77 percent of charity referrals in 2005, it was only taking 9 percent in 2011.

http://www.alternet.org/i-watched-my-patients-die-treatable-diseases-because-they-were-poor?page=0%2C1&akid=11168.294211.ySwQb1&rd=1&src=newsletter926953&t=3

Charter Schools: Just another Rip Off. Charters are wrecking Public Education.

Charter schools are another one of those policy ideas that sound great on paper, but end up being more destructive than constructive. The original idea was to allow schools within the public school system to innovate and more closely tailor curriculum and instruction techniques to student needs. But somewhere along the way, the mission and intent behind charters changed, to the detriment of public schools.
AlterNet:

There are many factors that make charters an unsustainable strategy for improving public education. Unlike most charter schools, traditional public schools accept all children, including much larger numbers of high-needs students. In most states, charters do not face the same public accountability and transparency requirements as public schools, which has led to serious problems of mismanagement, corruption, and profiteering.

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/charter-schools-are-wrecking-public

Elizabeth Warren gets it right: WE SHOULD NOT BE FIGHTING EACH OTHER OVER THE CRUMBS!

Elizabeth Warren showed again yesterday how she has become our country’s leading fighter for the middle class and those in poverty. In a passionate speech about Social Security, she tore apart the phony argument that greedy seniors were taking money away from our kids, and she showed why we should be increasing Social Security benefits right now, not cutting them. Warren laid out the facts about a pension system in tatters, that those retiring have less savings and wealth in their homes, and how the necessities of life- food, groceries, energy costs, health care- are running higher than the general inflation number, not lower. She took on the chained CPI cut that the President has proposed directly and took it apart point by point.

http://crooksandliars.com/mike-lux/elizabeth-warren-nails-it-we-shouldn-t-be

SOCIAL SECURITY DOES NOT INCREASE the deficit

Just about everybody else in America is against cutting Social Security, as poll after poll demonstrates. The people have continued to speak loudly and clearly, and yet Washington can’t seem to get the message. This is obviously because a lot of media people and politicians rely on money from the two groups mentioned above. So they have to come up with arguments to try to convince the public that up is down and red is blue. It’s a war of attrition: repeat lies and distortions often enough and maybe they’ll come to be taken as facts.

http://admin.alternet.org/economy/fact-check-social-security-does-not-increase-deficit?akid=11165.294211.WF5QOG&rd=1&src=newsletter926394&t=5

Rep. Bachmann calls herself a Genius: Colbert says, not so much

Michele Bachmann is just running out the clock on being a congresswoman, so why wouldn't she go around and do things like call herself a "genius" since a major Obama policy has failed?
Stephen Colbert decided to prove her point by rolling a montage of Bachmann's greatest hits that prove exactly what kind of genius she is: The kind who calls Planned Parenthood the "Lenscrafters of big abortion" and thinks the Founding Fathers ended slavery, for starters...


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/stephen-colbert-michele-bachmann-genius_n_4301837.html

Values not math! Why Sen Warren's Latest Speech Matters

This week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts gave an important speech on the floor of the United State Senate. Said Sen. Warren, "the conversation about retirement and Social Security benefits is not just a conversation about math. At its core, this is a conversation about our values." Sen. Warren knows her values.
She knows her math, too. As co-author of The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers Are Going Broke, Warren helped document a phenomenon which most Americans had observed but few had fully recognized: Typical two-earner middle-class families today can't maintain the standard of living which single-earner middle-class households enjoyed in the 1950s and 1960s.
Why? Because real wages have fallen, mortgages are more expensive, education costs have skyrocketed, and out-of-pocket health care costs have risen dramatically for families with employer-based insurance.


http://crooksandliars.com/richard-rj-eskow/values-not-just-math-why-sen

Opponents of stand your ground propose new law: DON'T SHOOT ME FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON

 TALLAHASSEE (The Borowitz Report)—Opponents of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law are attempting to mobilize support for a new law called Don’t Shoot Me for Absolutely No Reason.
The proposed law, which faces major opposition in the Florida legislature, would make it illegal for people in the state to shoot each other for no reason whatsoever.


http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/07/opponents-of-stand-your-ground-propose-new-law-dont-shoot-me-for-absolutely-no-reason.html

Majority oppose Affordable Care Act Repeal AKA: Obamacare

Despite sharp divisions over the long-term impact of President Obama's health-reform law, fewer than two in five Americans say it should be repealed, virtually unchanged since last summer, the latest United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll has found.

Why are the majority of Americans still against the GOP call to repeal Obamacare? Despite the MSM's best efforts at obfuscating, by now the benefits should be clear. The Affordable Care Act will help millions of Americans who've been locked out of the insurance market. We can’t go back on a law that stops insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, that prevents the bankruptcy of cancer survivors by ending lifetime caps on coverage, and that no longer forces women to pay double for the same care men get.

http://crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/poll-majority-oppose-obamacare-repeal

Republican Geography 101 What the hell do they mean? Now you know.

There is a revolution occurring in our schools. Traditional learning is being replaced with more contemporary and relevant lessons. Texas is leading the way with these “improvements” to our text books by promoting the importance of religion in government and removing known atheist/Socialist Thomas Jefferson altogether. Kansas is re-introducing Creationism to the science class after years of unfair discrimination. These are exciting times!
In keeping with this new wave of innovation in education, Glenn Beck even has his own online college! Republicans are also spreading the word via home schooling texts like “Of Pandas and People.” Heck, even Mike Huckabee has his own edutainment cartoon series! Let’s take a look at how we’ll see the world in the Republican future:

Local Geography –

• Church – Where to go to show love and devotion for Baby Jesus[i] but only on Sundays and special occasions. Our preacher tells us how helping the sick and poor isn’t the American way and Jesus wants us be rich! Also, God hates fags…

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/09/republican-geography-101/

GOP excuse for doing nothing - NY Times

With unrestrained glee, Republicans are using the calamitous debut of the Affordable Care Act as their latest justification for undermining all of health care reform. But they’re not stopping there. The Obama administration’s fumbling is apparently a good excuse for them to do nothing on immigration reform, on a budget agreement, and on any other initiative coming out of the White House.      

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/opinion/a-new-gop-excuse-for-doing-nothing.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Jon Stewart on the Katrina comparison

While Jon Stewart went to town on Monday on media outlets for parroting Republicans and comparing the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) troubled implementation to Hurricane Katrina, he stopped for a second to address Fox News Chris Wallace for saying Katrina “ended within a week,” while the new law could affect people “for years to come.”
“Are you out of your –” Stewart began to say, before stopping once he heard his audience’s collected grown. “Do you know you’ve disappointed our audience? They think you might be out of your f*cking mind.” [...]



http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/stewart-skewers-media-comparing-obamacare

4.8 Million people to lose Unemployment Benefits Jan 1, 2014

Congress needs to extend the benefits to stop the suffering of those without a job.

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/48-million-lose-jobless-benefits-dec

George Zimmerman is back in jail.

George Zimmerman has been arrested in Florida, NBC News has learned. 

A Seminole County Sheriff's Office statement says Zimmerman was arrested Monday afternoon after deputies responded to a disturbance call at a house in Apopka, Fla., about 15 miles northwest of Orlando. 

Zimmerman will be transported and booked into jail pending arraignment. 

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-perhaps-least-shocking-news-of-day_18.html

Katrina Deaths vs Affordable Care Act Computer Mess - compare?

“Comparing the law that will save millions of lives in this country to these two dark events is absolutely despicable,” Schultz continued. “George W. Bush’s negligence in the handling of Katrina cost American lives. The botched war of choice, may I remind all Americans, in Iraq resulted in over 4,000 Americans being killed, for what?”

“Comparing these two horrible chapters in American history to a law that will save lives is truly unbelievable,” he concluded.

http://field-negro.blogspot.com.br/2013/11/a-sad-comparison-and-republican-that.html#.Uoo0gsyAbOc

Shootings, race and self-defense: Color of skin plays a part

Interesting look at the color of skin and a person being killed: The Renisha McBride case.  Her car breaks down, she goes to a house to get shot and killed.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/11/the-killing-of-renisha-mcbride.html?utm_source=tny&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyemail&mbid=nl_Daily%20%2862%29

Turkey: 9 creepy things to know about your holiday bird.

Antibiotics and more - What could go wrong?

http://www.alternet.org/prozac-arsenic-and-beer-your-turkey-9-creepy-things-know-about-your-holiday-meal?page=0%2C2&akid=11153.294211.upez3N&rd=1&src=newsletter925306&t=3

PTSD: Marijuana is reducing suicide among Vets with PTSD

"Using state-level data for the period 1990 through 2007, we estimate the effect of legalizing medical marijuana on suicide rates. Our results suggest that the passage of a medical marijuana law is associated with an almost 5 percent reduction in the total suicide rate, an 11 percent reduction in the suicide rate of 20- through 29-year-old males, and a 9 percent reduction in the suicide rate of 30- through 39-year-old males.
We conclude that the legalization of medical marijuana leads to an improvement in the psychological wellbeing of young adult males, an improvement that is reflected in fewer suicides." 

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/medical-marijuana-can-be-much-needed-miracle-vets-ptsd?akid=11153.294211.upez3N&rd=

The Story of Us

Every step we take forward into our future, is one more step away from the fear and uncertainty which once frightened us into accepting supernatural explanations for the natural miracles all around us.

We are explorers, we are creators, we are humans. And we have just begun to show what we can do.

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-story-of-us.html

OBAMA: 'Everyone can keep their crappy damn insurance, I give Up!' Borowitz

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Faced with a barrage of new questions about the Affordable Care Act, President Obama cut short a White House press conference today, telling the stunned press corps, “You know what? Everybody can keep their damn insurance.”

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/11/obama-says-americans-can-keep-their-damn-insurance.html?utm_source=tny&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=borowitz&mbid=nl_Borowitz%20%282%29

Fukishima Plant may blow up tomorrow. This procedure has never been tried before. If it goes wrong - we have a Nuclear Meltdown.

Why isn't this on the US news?  We have radiation on the West Coast and Fish being caught are radioactive -  This is much worse than all that happened before if it does not go well.  I think it should be front and center on the news.

The most dangerous situation humanity has ever faced is upon us and no one is watching. Only a few have reported on what is about to happen starting in November. The operation, to remove 400 tons of highly irradiated spent fuel beneath the plant’s damaged Reactor No. 4, could set off a catastrophe greater than any we have ever seen, independent experts warn. An operation of this scale, says plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company, has never been attempted before, and is fraught with danger.

https://www.facebook.com/OccupyChicago/posts/540968089323415

Mayor Rob Ford Seeks Show Where His Lies will Be Believed - GREAT

This was a great way to start SNL last night.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/mayor-rob-ford-seeks-show-where-his-lies

Robin Hood Tax: I support it - could you? Let Wallstreet and the wealthy help pay for the US recovery.

I SUPPORT THE ROBIN HOOD TAX!

This is a transaction tax (very small - less than 1%) on Wallstreet which would raise over 350 Billion Dollars.  These are the folks who crashed the economy and they should help pay for it's recovery.  This seems totally reasonable.

I also feel that Billionaires and Corporations should pay at least 20% income tax on their income.  That would still be less than I pay.  (Any taxing of wealthy or corporations less than 20% would only be allowed if they provided living wage jobs HERE IN THE US.)

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10943

White Separatist Craig Cobb arrested in ND for following citizen with a gun.

I am so pleased to see this idiot got hand cuffed and arrested.  People have the right to walk down the street without being followed by 2 or 3 idiots with guns out.

http://freakoutnation.com/2013/11/17/white-separatist-craig-cobb-in-custody-after-approaching-another-resident-in-leith-n-d-with-firearms/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=white-separatist-craig-cobb-in-custody-after-approaching-another-resident-in-leith-n-d-with-firearms

10 Crazy Statements by Right Wing Whack Jobs this past week.

1  One-woman parade of idiocy, Sarah Palin: The Pope is too liberal; social programs are similar to slavery.
Sarah Palin was on book tour this week, telegenically spewing some of the stupidest nonsense we’ve heard since she announced she could see Russia from her house. We’d like to ignore her, but the fact is she’s hugely popular among a certain segment of the population, and her book about the “war on Christmas,” Good Tidings and Great Joy, is destined for best-sellerdom. Just don’t wish her “Happy holidays!” That is waging war, my friend.


http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/10-deranged-dispatches-right-wing-wackosphere-week?akid=11152.294211.WZ-ogE&rd=1&src=newsletter924997&t=3

5 Myths about the Affordable Care Act AKA Obamacare AND WHY THEY ARE WRONG!

The Affordable Care Act will inconvenience a few while helping millions who need insurance at a reasonable cost.  It is interesting that Insurance Company profits have shot from 2.5. Billion to 12 Billion in the last 15 years.

http://youngprogressivevoices.com/2013/11/07/five-myths-about-obamacare-the-gop-wants-you-to-believe-and-why-they-are-wrong/

People Helping Each Other: 15 Acts of Kindness - inspiring

This world seems fixated on MORE GUNS, TAKING AWAY INSURANCE FROM THOSE WHO ARE POOR AND SICK, Taking away Food Stamps from the Poor, as well as TAKING AWAY REPRODUCTIVE CHOICES FROM WOMEN.  I think it is pretty sad.  I came across this little video which is very inspiring.


http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/sunday-morning-bobblehead-thread-247

Colleges = Lack of Diversity, Interesting short video

How many minorities attend UCLA?  How diverse are our Universities?  Interesting.

http://www.upworthy.com/i-wish-i-was-more-surprised-at-what-a-student-exposed-about-his-school-but-im-not?c=bl3

Maher: Palin and the Pope - Twitter wars

The incredibly silly, fake Twitter feud included Palin disparaging the Pope’s “liberal values… over there in Vatica,” and His Holiness begging Palin for “a little more silent meditation.” 

The fake Palin tweeted back, “Bring back Pope Benedict!” to which the Pope said, “You WOULD prefer the one who quit in office.” And after getting too many tweets from the fake Palin, he finally sighed, “Listening to you, I’m reconsidering my stance on birth control.”

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/bill-maher-parodies-sarah-palins.html

Maher: Lara Logan How did she get sucked into Benghazi.

Maher wondered how a good reporter like Lara Logan got “sucked into the right-wing fantasy machine” with the minimally credible report, and asked why all the Republicans and Fox Newsers who touted this report as the definitive proof Fox was right all along aren’t coming out and apologizing.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bill-maher-how-did-lara-logan-get-sucked-into-benghazi-right-wing-fantasy-machine/

Someone should Sh*t in Sarah Palin's mouth. Bashir

In his “Clear the Air” segment, Bashir lit into Palin straight away, referring to her as America’s “resident dunce” and characterizing her remarks as “scraping the barrel of her long-deceased mind, and using her all-time favorite analogy in an attempt to sound intelligent about the national debt.”
He then played a clip of Palin’s comments from last weekend, in which she told a crowd at Iowa’s Faith and Freedom Coalition event, “Our free stuff today is being paid for by taking money from our children, and borrowing from China. When that note comes due — and this isn’t racist, so try it. Try it anyway. This isn’t racist. But it’s going to be like slavery when that note is due.”


http://www.mediaite.com/tv/martin-bashir-says-someone-should-sht-in-sarah-palins-mouth/

Bill Maher on Sarah Palin - A good one.

The incredibly silly, fake Twitter feud included Palin disparaging the Pope’s “liberal values… over there in Vatica,” and His Holiness begging Palin for “a little more silent meditation.” 

The fake Palin tweeted back, “Bring back Pope Benedict!” to which the Pope said, “You WOULD prefer the one who quit in office.” And after getting too many tweets from the fake Palin, he finally sighed, “Listening to you, I’m reconsidering my stance on birth control.

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/bill-maher-parodies-sarah-palins.html

Maher on the Supreme Court and crazy decisions for corporations the last few years.

New Rules

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/maher-lets-supreme-court-justice-roberts

Medicade Expansion: Improves Health and saves lives.

Looking at 19- to 64-year-olds over the five years before the three states expanded Medicaid and the five years after, the study group comprised about 500,000 new enrollees, Sommers said.
"Overall, the decline in mortality amounted to about 2,800 deaths prevented per year in these states," Sommers said. "For every 176 adults that gained coverage through Medicaid, our study identified a decline of one death per year."

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/11/15/3178899/study-found-medicaid-expansion.html#emlnl=Morning_Newsletter#storylink=cpy

http://www.adn.com/2013/11/15/3178899/study-found-medicaid-expansion.html#emlnl=Morning_Newsletter

Federal Judge slams the DOJ refusal to jail bankers

The "'too big to jail excuse' is mindboggling in what it says about the department's disregard of fundamental legal principles," said Rakoff

A federal judge with a history of slamming the regulatory system issued scathing remarks against the Department of Justice on Tuesday for allowing Wall Street executives to escape criminal prosecutions.
Speaking at an event hosted by the New York City Bar Association on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff of Manhattan said the DoJ's "unconvincing" excuses for not prosecuting individuals were "technically and morally suspect."
"[Not] a single high level executive has been successfully prosecuted in connection with the recent financial crisis, and given the fact that most of the relevant criminal provisions are governed by a five-year statute of limitations, it appears very likely that none will be," Rakoff said
- See more at: http://thecontributor.com/economy/mindboggling-federal-judge-slams-doj-refusal-jail-bankers#sthash.x4i6xV5s.dpuf

A Federal Judge made a speech about how terrible it is that no bankers have gone to prison even though people have had Trillions of dollars taken from them.  The little guy gets prosecuted but the Big Fish just buy their way out of trouble.

http://thecontributor.com/economy/mindboggling-federal-judge-slams-doj-refusal-jail-bankers

40 Quotes demonstrating the Conservative Values Republicans Want to Destroy America With

3. “You don’t have a right to a house, you don’t have a right to a job, you don’t have a right to medical care.”
~Ron Paul, saying that Americans have no right to have jobs and health care.
4. If we took away the minimum wage—if conceivably it was gone—we could potentially virtually wipe out unemployment completely.”
~Michele Bachmann, advocating for slave wages.


http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/04/40-quotes-demonstrating-the-conservative-values-republicans-want-to-destroy-america-with/

Obamacare numbers are looking OK really. Website needs work but the demand for ACA is there.

 That confirms two things we’ve long known to be true: the website is a disaster, and short term enrollment figures are a serious political problem for the White House and Democrats. But to Larry Levitt, a vice president at the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, another very telling number is this one: over 975,000 have been determined eligible for a marketplace but haven’t yet chosen a plan. 

“That’s one of the most telling numbers — a million people have been determined eligible,” Levitt tells me. “That means if the website had been working well, and a million people had gotten to the end of the process, we’d be looking at a very different trajectory now. We heard about the surge in traffic when HealthCare.gov went live. This suggests there is in fact a lot of interest.”

http://zandarvts.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-good-news-about-obamacare-numbers.html

1800 died during Hurricane Katrina - Zero deaths because of the ACA: No Comparison

Katrina isn’t shorthand for “bungled administration policy.”  It’s an actual tragedy in which at least 1,800 people lost their lives. Thousands of others were left stranded without food or water in their flooded neighborhoods, on freeway viaducts, in hospitals and nursing homes, and in the televised hell-hole of the Superdome. A million people were displaced, some of them permanently. Whole neighborhoods remain unrestored eight years later. There was at least $123 million in destruction, twice as much as in Hurricane Sandy.
In the ACA holocaust, by comparison, an undetermined number of people may lose health insurance policies they like. Many more, perhaps millions, have been frustrated by a kludgy website. On the other hand, at least 100,000 have signed up for insurance through the exchanges and another 500,000 or so have been newly covered by Medicaid expansion.
Oh, and there have been zero deaths as a result of the ACA woes — unless you count the death of credibility among journalists and pundits who would make such a lame and cruel comparison.


http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/most-outrageous-inaccurate-right-wing-smear-obamacare?akid=11151.294211.7nji_H&rd=1&src=newsletter924817&t=9

14 Habits for highly miserable people

Here are... 14 ways to make yourself miserable. You don’t have to nail every one of them, but even if you succeed with just four or five, make sure to berate yourself regularly for not enacting the entire list. If you find yourself in a therapist’s office—because someone who’s still clinging to their love for you has tricked you into going—make sure your misery seems organic. If the therapist enlightens you in any way or teaches you mind-body techniques to quiet your anxious mind, make sure to co-opt the conversation and talk about your misery-filled dreams from the night before.

http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/14-habits-highly-miserable-people?page=0%2C4&akid=11151.294211.7nji_H&rd=1&src=newsletter924817&t=7

More Americans have died in Domestic Gun Deaths than have died in wars.

Let’s start with the number: 1,384,171. 
1,38,171 people have died in the most devastating war fought by Americans. Which war, you ask? World War I? World War II? The Civil War?
None of the above. This number is from the war being fought on the streets, in the neighborhoods, private homes, schools, and work places of the United States of America. Deaths by gunfire. Domestic gun deaths perpetrated by criminals, the mentally ill; enraged husbands, angry children, and some by unfortunate accident or suicide. And the number only reflects gun death statistics since 1968.


http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/20/more-americans-have-died-from-domestic-gunfire-than-all-wars-in-u-s-history-is-that-true/

Chris Hayes: The only way out is to work it through

Chris Hayes opened his show with an editorial tonight and I'm right there with him. I'm sick to death of the media coverage comparing the rollout of the Affordable Care Act to Katrina. I've had it with the Republicans doing everything in their power to do real damage to real people's lives with their sabotage and obstruction and like Hayes, I'm fed up with these weak kneed Democrats thinking that they can distance themselves from the law politically if they wanted to.
As Hayes noted during the opening to his rant, Media Matters had a very simple rebuttal to the talking point about Obamacare vs. Hurricane Katrina. Here's some of the rest and it was definitely a breath of fresh air from what has dominated the better part of his own network's broadcast time.


http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/hayes-only-way-out-through

Jon Stewart: Toronto Mayor: 'This F**king guy is a One-man Episode of COPS.'

Toronto's wingnut, crack-smoking mayor opened himself up once again for criticism by the late night comics after his recent and very crude denial that he'd had sex with a former staffer, and The Daily Show's Jon Stewart was more than happy to step right through that door this Thursday evening.
As Jon noted as he wrapped things up during the segment above, there's probably one person out there who is very distraught after watching Ford's continual meltdown while remaining in office, and that's his friend, Anthony Weiner.

STEWART: Somewhere, in a basement, through his tears, Anthony Weiner is going... what the f**k??!!

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/stewart-blasts-toronto-mayor-fking-guy-one

Driving in Alaska can be challenging - watch out for bears

I have seen bear by the side of the road and I have slowed down because moose were coming onto the road and I have hit 2 deer.  I wonder what the car looked like after the bear confrontation?

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-challenge-of-driving-in-alaska.html

TPP: Capitalism takes on Democracy (Democracy is losing though)

This agreement sounds terrible for us regular people - another way for Corporations to pick our pockets.

Unlike treaties and conventions, these agreements have a key third party: investors and corporations. Lambert notes (emph. in orig.) “the tribunal can order your government to pay an investor for damages to their investment which may, as we saw in the definition of investment, include expectations of a return” (lest you think he’s being alarmist, he also links to a couple of examples). A major trade agreement, negotiated in secret, in anticipation of being hustled through Congress does not smack of democratic process - even if all the forms are technically observed.

http://www.pruningshears.us/pruning-shears/2013/11/14/capitalism-takes-on-democracy.html

Underground Home - awesome place

This place is just awesome.

http://inthralld.com/2012/04/unconventional-earth-homes-in-switzerland/?utm_source=hexagram.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hexagram.com

A passenger falls out of an airplane near Florida

weird but true

http://news.yahoo.com/passenger-falls-plane-off-florida-coast-235439057--abc-news-topstories.html

Brown Bear seen in Juneau, AK - rare for Juneau

We have black bears in Juneau but Browns are very rare.  One was seen Nov 14, 2013.  They had to make kids from an elementary school by Mendenhall Glacier leave the playground during a recess because the Brown Bear was close by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_KPKmF4mag&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D2_KPKmF4mag&app=desktop

How the Republicans have destroyed the Middle Class the last 30 years.

When Ronald Reagan was elected president, he started the United States down a path of economical and social destruction. In his first four years in office, from 1981 to 1985, Reagan lowered the top income tax bracket from 70% to 50%. Over the next four years, Reagan took the top bracket from 50% and cut it down to only 28%. With the lack of revenue coming into the federal government, the national debt tripled and to make up for the loss, Reagan raided the Social Security trust fund and went on to raise taxes eleven times, primarily on working Americans.

http://www.examiner.com/article/from-reagan-to-bush-how-the-gop-has-broken-the-american-dream

Texas: Natural Gas Pipeline EXPLODES! 800 Evacuated

A whole town is evacuated.


A massive explosion of a 10-inch Chevron natural gas pipeline near a drilling rig in Milford, Texas, led the company to ask law enforcement to evacuate the entire town on Thursday. Milford, in rural Ellis County, is about halfway between Dallas and Waco. The cause is still unknown, and the fire is expected to rage for another day.
At 9:30 a.m. CST, huge gouts of flame shot into the air at a what appeared to be a drilling rig, according to local affiliate FOX 4. Black smoke was visible for at least 20 miles around. Some vehicles at the worksite appeared to be seriously damaged. No injuries have been reported so far.
Chevron’s statement simply describes an “incident at a Chevron pipeline” and offered no further details.


http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/14/2942781/massive-pipeline-explosion-texas-evacuation/

Republicans blast Obama's support of their idea!! Borowitz

 Moments after President Obama said he would allow insurers to continue health plans that were to be cancelled under the Affordable Care Act, leading Republicans blasted the President for agreeing with an idea that they had supported.
“It’s true that we’ve been strongly in favor of Americans being allowed to keep their existing plans,” said House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). “But now that the President is for it, we’re convinced that it’s a horrible idea.”


http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/11/republicans-blast-obamas-support-of-their-idea.html?utm_source=tny&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=borowitz&mbid=nl_Borowitz%20%281%29

Sarah Palin is NOT recist! She is just plain Super STUPID! Jon Stewart

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) was let off the hook — slightly — by a special panel on racism convened by Jon Stewart Wednesday night, as a group of Daily Show staffers and comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele found her remarks comparing the federal debt to slavery were not racist.
“Okay, alright, spoke too soon,” Key conceded, having pronounced her as “racist” the moment Stewart mentioned her name. “Not racist.”
“Just stupid,” Peele said in agreement, with correspondent Jessica Williams chiming in by calling her statements “super stupid, hella stupid.” Aasif Mandvi assesed her as “moronic,” with Jason Jones — the lone dissenting vote — pronouncing Palin as “adorable.”


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/14/jon-stewarts-panel-agrees-sarah-palins-not-racist-just-super-stupid/

Chris Hayes Reports on the Texas 40 BIG GUN Little Penis Guys in Texas who kept a close eye on 4 scary women talking about GUN Laws.

Men piling out of cars with rifles and automatic weapons, in response to four women meeting to talk about gun control.

A woman so frightened that she refuses to reveal her identity on television.

THIS is the group of people who believe that they deserve to be allowed to walk around armed in this country?

And I have a question, why would these morons need to get out the "self defense tools" if they were not needed for self defense? (And by the way that is the DUMBEST name for weapons that I have ever heard.)

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/11/chris-hayes-reports-on-armed-response.html

10 Reasons I love Alaska Winters

A picture (or 10) is worth a thousand words times 10.

http://www.themudflats.net/archives/41021

Colbert - BENGHAZI, BENGHAZI, BENGHAZI - Hillary did it.

While some in our corporate media have decided to circle the wagons around CBS and 60 Minutes for airing their bogus Benghazi story, the same can not be said for Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who gave them the skewering they deserve following their bogus apology this weekend.
I especially enjoyed the shot he took at Steve Doocy over at Faux "news" for his remarks to Sen. Lindsey Graham that "60 Minutes just doesn't cover phony scandals."

COLBERT: Yes, another network covered it. That's how you know Fox News' reporting is accurate. It's just like their motto: "We Report, But You Should Really Check With Someone Else."

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/colbert-lampoons-60-minutes-bogus-benghazi

Anarchists: The new term for people wanting to help the poor, children and the elderly.

Now we’ve entered a new distinctive era of protest — the pushback against economic inequality, stagnant wages, attacks on public programs, and two-tiered justice that’s popped up in Wisconsin, the Occupy Movement, and, most recently, North Carolina’s Moral Mondays, a progressive charge against a wave of knuckle-dragging GOP legislation that seeks to turn the state into a Mid-Atlantic Mississippi.

  Anarchist is now the term for any person with the temerity to suggest that the poor deserve compassion, that all children deserve decent schools, and that a widening gulf between haves and have-nots is not good for the country.
Mom would probably be comfortable with the label “Democrat” or “Christian” or even “uppity female.” But I doubt that the term “anarchist” ever crossed her mind.

http://admin.alternet.org/activism/anarchist-and-communist-labels?akid=11133.294211.o3iVy3&rd=1&src=newsletter922618&t=3

Hateful Teaparty Politics is here to stay: It comes from the Old South.

The TeaParty owns the Old South.
While movements and ideas may die, a land mass does not, and while that southern land mass is occupied by a people who are willing to destroy the country in order to get their way, and while the GOP remains dependent on its "Southern strategy," the South’s fixation on everything related to controlling race, sex, religious practice, abortion laws, and dismantling the federal government will remain the revolutionary fervor of not only the Tea Party but also the GOP.

http://admin.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/why-hateful-politics-tea-party-isnt-going-anywhere-hint-its-region-us?akid=11133.294211.o3iVy3&rd=1&src=newsletter922618&t=5

Shootings this past week!

The child victims of GunFAIL this week were ages 4, 4, 5, 14 and 16. And like most weeks, plenty of guns were found in school, this time in: Norfolk, VA; San Antonio, TX; San Antonio, TX; Bethesda, MD; Little Rock, AR; Riverview, FL; Blountstown, FL; Knoxville, TN, and; Bartlesville, OK.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/11/1252676/-I-don-t-know-how-my-friend-got-shot-by-the-gun-I-was-cleaning-while-doing-bong-hits-GunFAIL-XLIII?detail=facebook

As a veteran, I can tell you that we really don’t want “thank you’s”. We want cash.

Active Duty Military in the lower ranks qualify for Food Stamps.  

W. C. Peterson says:

November 11, 2013 at 7:47 am

War is the ultimate waste. We can’t pay our soldiers enough to keep their families off food stamps, yet we buy $600 million airplanes that can’t fly in a light rain? It looks like simply preparing for war is a huge waste of resources, too. Maybe we should adopt the pentagon as the International symbol for waste.

http://www.juanitajean.com/2013/11/10/guest-post/

Veterans: The mistreatment is staggering. Fight and quietly disappear please, even the injured.

Ann Jones has a low-key, first-hand account of how we treat our soldiers, from battlefield through hospital to home and -- sometimes -- death at their own hand. Sometimes they just slip away from lack of medical care.
I defy you to read what she has to say without weeping.  Here's an excerpt:


http://prairieweather.typepad.com/big_blue_stem/2013/11/oh-right-the-glories-of-war.html

4 Creeping Ways: Capitalism is killing us

The profit motives of this system offer little incentive to feed the hungry, treat the sick, secure us in retirement or provide job opportunities.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/4-creeping-ways-capitalism-killing-us

Education: The problem never was the teachers

a little-noticed study released last week provides yet more confirmation that neither the “education crisis” meme or the “evil teachers' union” narrative is accurate.
Before looking at that study, consider some of the ways we already know that the dominant storyline about education is, indeed, baseless propaganda.

 we know that many of the high-performing public schools in America's wealthy locales are unionized. We also know that one of the best school systems in the world—Finland's—is fully unionized. These facts prove that teachers' unions are not the root cause of the education problem, either. After all, if unions were the problem, then unionized public schools in wealthy areas and Finland would be failing.

http://inthesetimes.com/article/15849/teachers_were_never_the_problem/