USA Flunks Health EXAM: US is worse in most health areas than other countries.

The USA rated poorly on health care when compared to other countries!

Some of the reasons involve choices make at a personal level. We eat too much, abuse drugs too often, wear seat belts too rarely and commit violence against each other to often.

A just-released report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council is making news by clearly illustrating that Americans have "shorter lives and poorer health." This is somewhat shocking, given how much we spend on health care each year — more than any of the 16 other rich countries surveyed in the study. What's even more upsetting is that this report focused quite heavily on people who are young. In the United States, even that group fared poorly.

Why is this?

Systemic issues are also to blame. We have higher levels of poverty than comparable countries, and our safety net programs are less capable of catching people when they fall. And too many also have too much trouble accessing the health care system, resulting in inefficient, ineffective and often absent care.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/opinion/carroll-health-study/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

The Original Intent of the 2nd Amendment - Interesting! The NRA distorted the 2nd Amendment to make money folks.

Here is a bit from the article:  Interesting.

The Second Amendment was never intended to give individuals a personal right to own whatever weapons they desired. It was certainly not intended to enable groups of individuals to use deadly force against their own government. Instead, it was intended to enable government-led groups of white men to put down slave rebellions and to steal real estate from the Indians.

...The problem of gun violence in the United States is complex, and as H.L. Mencken observed, "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." Advocating that we arm elementary school principals and kindergarten teachers is not only wrong but insane. We must stop allowing this kind of insanity to prevent us from having reasonable gun control legislation.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Unspeakable-Original-I-by-Laurie-Endicott-Th-121216-899.html?fb_action_ids=455923134456672&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22455923134456672%22%3A177910449018085%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22455923134456672%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=[]

Jack Lew, Treasury Secretary Nominee - he was in charge of the budget for Pres Clinton the 3 years we had surpluses!! Impressive.

Jack Lew, the Nominee for Treasury Secretary has an impressive record.  Here, Rachel Maddow talks about his years of working with Reagan and Clinton in making serious deals and being in charge of the budget the 3 years we had a budget surplus under Clinton.

I am quite impressed.

http://www.politicususa.com/rachel-maddow-obama-deficit.html

Aurora Shooter bought assault weapons, bomb making stuff, 6000+ bullets and bullet proof clothes legally

During testimony today a police officer said that the Aurora Theater Shooter bought all of his killing material legally.  There was nothing which could have been done legally to stop him with the current laws.  I am looking forward to the Biden recommendations and hope President Obama makes changes with Executive Order instead of going through the Congress which is bought and paid for by the NRA.  The 2nd Amendment also says A WELL REGULATED MILITIA which is part of the 2nd Amendment.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/01/james-holmes-legally-bought-arsenal-of-guns-chemicals/

Private Prisons = A money maker. Drugs get people arrested and increase the Profit.

This is a good report on how the Drug Wars is basically a means of making big Profit for the Private Prisons as well as for Police Departments.  They get more money for drug arrests than they do for robbery, etc.  Interesting Information.  The more the drug arrests, the more the money to be made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fRKiRJBzIA

2 Judges found guilty of sending kids to jail and the judges getting paid from the Private Jail.

Two Judges in Pennsylvania sent kids to jail and got kickbacks from the Private Prison.  The probation officers were against the kids being sent to prison but making money was more important than what was best for the child.  Prisons are filling fast and people are getting rich off of it.  Studies find that public prisons are cheaper with as good or better of a rehabilitation of inmates.  We are wasting taxpayer money on these Private Prisons.  It is also known that the very difficult and costly prisoners are not taken by the Private Prison Systems.  They take the kids who can make a lot of money for them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4q7p3ME95E

Guns - What are reasonable changes that will prevent future tragedies.

People talk about reasonable changes to current gun laws but what are they?  This article goes over 3 changes and the reasons she feels they will make a difference.
Change 1:  The Aurora shooter bought over 4000 bullets for a Semi-Automatic assault weapon without bringing attention to himself for buying those bullets.  he also bought multiple guns, and body armor without notice.  I read  elsewhere where an 18 year old boy bought 20 AK15 Semi Automatic guns by showing his driver's license and the ATF could not legally ask him what the assault guns were to be used for.  Some felt he was getting the assault guns for a drug cartel.  (The laws which forbid Government Agents from inquiring about massive purchases are the result of pressure put on by the NRA.)
Change 2:  Mental Health issues.  If someone has known Mental Health Issues, they could be prevented from buying a gun.  Note:  This could easily apply to Military who have PTSD issues from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Change 3:  Banning bullet magazines which have more than 10, 20 , 30, 100 bullets (You pick the number)  Big Clips are for killing is my thought.  For a person to shoot off 30 bullets in 25 seconds just makes it easy to kill.  Semi-Automatic weapons ban - I think it should be done.  Those are assault weapons and should only be legal for the Police and Military in Military operations.


http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/three-sensible-ways-aurora-shooting-c

Who is Jack Lew, the nominee for US Treasury Secretary.

Who is Jack Lew, the Treasury Secretary Nominee and what does his past tell us?  This article tells us about him.

http://www.franklycurious.com/index.php?itemid=3614

Paul Krugman speaks!!

Paul Krugman - more information from a man who is anti-austerity:  If you look at global economies, those  have done the austerity economy approach, you will notice they are the countries with shrinking economies and up to 20% unemployment.

This is the man to include when the US economy is discussed.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/11/krugman-recession-gratuitous-because-if-congress-created-jobs-program-it-would-all-be-over/

NRA idea of an officer with a gun in each school proved wrong yesterday.

Martin Bashir checks out the shooting of 2 people yesterday at a High School in California.  The rules which the NRA wanted, cop in every school, would have made things worse.  Talking settled the incident not more guns.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/50437044#50437044

The deficit mess has been solved - largely, Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman is someone I listen to - he makes sense.  We have had changes to our financial situation put on us and then you have to consider the results, which is what Krugman does.  He says with the changes which have been taking place the past few years and the improving economy, our budget downfall has improved.  He has some great charts to make his case.

Thank You Paul Krugman.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/paul-krugman-hey-weve-already-solved-deficit-problem

NRA is Suing Tucson for having a VOLUNTARY GUN BUY BACK PROGRAM! This is just crazy!!

Rachel Maddow explains how a Republican City Councilman got a Gun buy back program set for the 2 year anniversary and the NRA wants to Sue to stop it.  I cannot believe it.  The person turning in a gun would get a $50.00 Debit Card for Groceries.    The NRA insists that all of those guns being turned in NOT BE DESTROYED but be sold to the highest bidder.  I want to turn in a gun and have it destroyed and get $50.00 but the NRA wants to deny that right.  Pretty sad in my mind.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/50416215#50416215

51 Gun Shows will NOT ALLOW loaded guns even with a concealed carry permit!! Guns are safe enough for schools?

Irony:  51 Gun Shows in the USA, WILL NOT ALLOW any loaded guns for SAFETY reasons.  Yet, we are now talking about arming teachers?  We will not allow those most comfortable with guns to carry them around loaded but we will allow staff to have a loaded gun around our kids and grandkids.  I find this ironic.

If loaded guns are good enough for schools, they should be good enough for Gun Shows and Court Houses and Hospitals and even Police Stations, it seems to me.  Here is a bit of the article:


At most shows, if an attendee brings a personal firearm, he or she must check it at the door and use a tie “so that they cannot be operated, be breached or loaded.”
Some events, like Bill Goodman’s Gun & Knife Shows across Ohio and Tennessee, even threaten prosecution for those who try to enter with a loaded weapon. “Patrons who bring loaded magazines or weapons into the show will be refused entry and may be subject to prosecution,” their website reads.


http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/01/11/1435631/gun-show-safety/

Juanita Jean has a Small Winkie Day!! Good!!

I will let Juanita Jean explain - she does it so very well.

http://juanitajean.com/2013/01/11/hey-yall-its-i-have-a-small-winkie-day/

NY Times closes Environmental Desk - A HUGE issue for our time and it is being ignored.

The NY Times closed their Environmental Desk on 1/11/13.  This is a major issue and it is an ever increasing problem.  Australia has record high temperatures now.  The past 10 years have been increasingly hotter in the US but media is ignoring so hand full of Billionaires can make more money.

Pretty Sad really. California set a record for electricity produced by alternative energies though,

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/11/1433971/january-11-news-new-york-times-closes-its-environment-desk/

Jon Stewart on Al Gore selling Current TV

Jon Stewart discusses the Current TV sale.  He is so very good and makes some great points with his pointed humor.  FIRST BONER ALERT for 2013.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/stewart-gores-sale-current-tv-al-jazeera-f

Should Teachers carry guns in class?

Here is a teacher who is taking a class to be able to carry a gun at school.  As a teacher, this scares the crap out of me.  If I happened to shoot a child or parent while trying to take out a 'bad guy' would be terrible and very difficult to live with.

why do we have clips of more then 10 bullets where a deranged person can shoot 30 plus shots in 25 seconds?  Big Clips and semi-auto assault weapons are meant to kill, they should be for police and military only.

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/ed-schultz-interviews-utah-teacher-who-want

A ghost drives a car through drive throughs - funny

This is very funny.  A car without a driver goes through a drive through

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/drive-thru-prank-leaves-workers-questioning-reality-214808352.html

A 17 year old child care worker is beheaded because her charge died under her care.

A girl babysits and the baby dies under her care.  She is convicted of murder and beheaded.  She did not speak the language and had not interpreter until just before she was beheaded.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/opinion/saudi-arabia-sri-lankan-maid-opinion/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

How Powerful is the NRA? Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow discusses the recent losses of the NRA politically.  They did poorly this last election.
99 percent of the money spent on Politicians in 2012 was wasted.  They lost most of the elections they were pushing.

http://egbertowillies.com/2013/01/10/rachel-maddow-blows-up-mystique-about-the-need-to-fear-nra-video/

Stephen Colbert on Gun Control - point by point

Stephen Colbert does a great job in talking Gun Control point by point.  He and Jon Stewart are great!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/10/1177779/-Another-keeper-Stephen-Colbert-takes-apart-the-NRA-s-gun-arguments

"I am ready to start killing people" This guy is crazy and he has lots of guns. He is ready to shoot when we talk about the realities of babies being killed in schools

The crazies are coming out of the wood work and it is scary.  The "I am ready to kill people" crowd is getting ready.  This fellow says he will not stand ANY CHANGES in the present gun laws.  After hearing him, I question whether a fellow like him should have a semi-automatic gun.  He is working a lot on emotion and an emotional person with a gun can flip and hurt (or kill) a lot of people.

This tells me we need to limit large magazines and semi-automatics.  Leave those weapons for the military and police.

Why does the average person need a gun which can discharge 33 bullets in 27 seconds?  The only reason is to kill and hurt people, like happened at the movie theater in Aurora. Colorado.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/unhinged-tactical-response-ceo-threatens-sta

Mr, You cannot take my guns - ever, is found dead with a bullet wound to the head. He was surrounded by guns.

So, having a gun or 10 or 50 may not keep you alive after all.  Dang- Getting shot in the head makes for a bad day and bad publicity for your cause.

Juanita Jean talks about Mr. Gun for all man who gets shot and killed in his gun shop.

http://juanitajean.com/2013/01/09/the-only-way-to-stop-a-bad-guy-with-a-gun-is-a-dead-guy-with-a-gun/

KBR Corp poisons our troops in Iraq and insist that the Government pay for their screw up

KBR is a part of Haliburton, (Dick Cheney's company before he was VP).  KBR exposed soldiers to a carcinogen in Iraq and the soldiers end up with cancer.  KBR is making the Government pay for their mistake of poisoning our soldiers.  Sad but true.  There does not seem to be any Corporate Responsibility anymore.  They do whatever, whenever and then expect others to pay for their mistakes.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/kbr-wants-taxpayers-foot-bill-after-being-f

An Aurora Survivor talks to Bashir and will talk to VP Biden regarding Gun Laws.

I am so glad that Vice President Biden is leading the talks about Gun Laws.  Since Aurora, there have been 640+ people killed by guns.  That is like a Big Airplane crashing and there are major studies after any crash.  The Republicans are very upset at 4 Diplomats being killed but totally ignored a Congressmen being shot in Arizona and 8 people died there.  We had 20 babies killed in a Kindergarten but we are told not to talk about semi-automatic guns.  We need to have sincere discussions and VP Biden will allow real discussions taking place.  Thank You President Obama and Vice President Biden for this first step.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/50413342#50413342

Drilling in the Arctic - Bye, Bye clean environment for sea life and wildlife.

The perils of drilling in the Arctic are huge.  Every attempt to this point has had problems.  We just had a drilling rig crash on a reef.  (It was being towed to avoid paying Alaska taxes on the rig and a storm crashed it.)  Another rig is facing multiple violations for safety.  I found this to be an interesting read.  An oil spill in the Arctic will be a disaster.  I have spent time with Yupik Eskimos and they are hanging on with the current less than adequate supply of Salmon, whale, bear, moose and caribou - covering the
Arctic with oil will make a bad situation even worse for a people who rely on nature to keep them alive.


http://yellowfringe.blogspot.com/2013/01/sarge-you-are-ok-with-arctic-drilling-i.html

Another Jon Stewart Gun Control Discussion

Here is another Jon Stewart talk about Gun Control.  He does such a good job of taking on the issues point by point.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-8-2013/scapegoat-hunter---gun-control

Jon Stewart on Gun Control

Jon Stewart talks about Gun Control and dealing with an issue which is killing our kids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Ddb3oa5CE&feature=player_embedded

Alex Jones - a crazy gun whack job on Piers Morgan

Alex Jones wants Piers deported because Piers is asking questions about why people need Semi Automatic guns questioned.  Alex Jones is just nuts - I am for deporting Alex Jones.  We need background checks for all guns!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Ddb3oa5CE&feature=player_embedded

Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly are on the team who want responsible gun legislation!!

Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly have joined in the effort to make reasonable and responsible gun legislation.  The second amendment also says:  A WELL REGULATED MILITIA in it and we are far from that.  Gen McChrystal recently said that semi-automatics were weapons of war and should NOT BE AVAILABLE to the average citizen.  It is time to make ban any clip over 10 bullets and to ban semi-automatic assault weapons.  In the Aurora Colorado shooting in 28 seconds there were 40 bullets shot - why does the average person need such a gun of mass killing?

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2013/01/gabby-giffords-and-mark-kelly-to-take.html

The World According To Monsanto

Mansanto makes GMO products and change laws to make genetically engineered foods legal and are pushing hard for not disclosing what foods are GMO.  The studies on GMO's by Monsanto are not released if there is negative results.  Clearly, Monsanto puts profit above the safety of consumers.  If a scientist talks or does studies which shows Monsanto in a negative light, Monsanto gets them fired.

This movie is an hour and a half.

http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/gmos-genetically-modified-food-1/the-world-according-to-monsanto.html

Racism at an elementary school. The sign tells minorities, they can be arrested for having their children play on a school playground.

This is very sad.  A playground for whites kids only.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/06/delaware-elementary-school-posts-new-form-of-whites-only-signs/

Why Congress Sucks

This is a good little video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0CvmK0dVcI&feature=player_embedded

Why the Republican Right Wing hates Hagel as Secretary of Defense.

Chuck Hagel is a Republican who was not all gung ho on  GW Bush starting the war in Iraq among other policies which bother the Republicans.  The more I read about him, the more I am thinking he might be the right pick.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/war_stories/2013/01/chuck_hagel_for_secretary_of_defense_republicans_wants_to_block_him_from.html

2 crazies with guns shoot up a town - KILLING 2 POLICE!

Can we talk teality about guns and semi-automatic guns yet?  According to the NRA and Republicans the answer is no.  With the logic they have, "Guns don't kill people, people do" and cutting money for mental health services.  It is like us going back to Cigarettes don't cause cancer, the stupid addicted people who smoke the cigarette cause cancer argument.

Reality:  People are dying at an ever increasing rate because crazy people have access to guns because 40% of guns bought DO NOT REQUIRE BACKGROUND CHECKS.  I also question why the average person needs and can legally buy semi-automatic guns, 30 and 100 bullet clips and body armor.  To be able to buy 10 or more semi-automatic guns by showing a driver's license in AZ is just crazy.  Then the person can legally carry those guns concealed legally - death waiting to happen.

We need a real discussion on guns folks.  The safety of our society is at stake.

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/two-more-police-officers-killed-two