Thursday, December 12, 2013

Well, I hope it is as successful as "Christmas Candle." No Golden Globe nominations, huh?

Mitt Romney Documentary to Premier on Netflex (click here)



Dec. 10, 2013

...“I couldn’t believe I was filming inside rooms and situations I had no business being in,” said director Greg Whiteley, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Whiteley had extensive access to the campaign....

Really? 

Does the State of Michigan automatically cover inmates with Rape Insurance?

ents
That must be a real dilemma for Snyder. I mean for man that doesn't believe in sex, how does he deal with the fact young girls were raped by his employees and/or other adults. Do you tell the girls they can have an abortion or do you have to consult with the parents first or do you simply say abortions not allowed with prison inmates?

Lawsuit accuses MDOC guards of having sex with juveniles, allowing them to be raped (click here)

By Kyle Feldscher
on December 12, 2013 at 5:30 AM
updated December 12, 2013 at 5:48 PM

...The lawsuit filed Monday in the Washtenaw County Trial Court names the Michigan Department Of Corrections, numerous officials in the department and Gov. Rick Snyder as defendants.

The crux of the plaintiffs’ allegations comes from their assertion that the MDOC has failed to adequately separate juvenile prisoners from adult prisoners, as required by law....


Is this like unbelievable or what? They must have been terrified of his power. That was a lesson not forgotten any time soon.


Judge Boyd has made the world less safe.

By Arturo Garcia
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 22:53 EST



...“For 25 weeks, (click here) I’ve been going through a healing process,” Eric Boyles told CNN host Anderson Cooper Wednesday night. “And so when the verdict came out, I mean, my immediate reaction is, I’m back to Week 1. We have accomplished nothing here. My healing process is out the window.”
Boyle’s wife and daughter, Hollie and Shelby Boyles, along with two other people, were killed on June 15 when 16-year-old Ethan Couch’s pickup slammed into them while they were trying to help a stranded motorist. Couch’s blood-alcohol level was measured at the time at 0.24, more than three times the adult limit. Another victim was left paralyzed and one more suffered broken bones and internal injuries...
But while not disputing that Couch had broken the law by drinking as a minor and driving under the influence, a psychologist testifying on his behalf argued that he had developed a condition called “affluenza” because his family’s wealth had led him to grow up with a feeling of entitlement.
District Judge Jean Boyd...
He was intoxicated. His alcoholism wasn't addressed by the Judge? The decision needs to be appealed by the prosecutor. The judge is wrong and isn't making the community safer. I can't believe there are at least 323 family district courts. That is amazing. It must be an out of control state to need that many courts to handle community problems. Wow.
...Jean Boyd of Fort Worth (click here) serves as the 323rd Family District Court judge. She is chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas and has previously served as Chair of the Juvenile Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. She is a past board member of the Tarrant County Bar Association and a past president of the Tarrant County Women Lawyers Association, the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, and the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court. She is also a board member of Gill Children’s Services, Inc., and a past board member of Child Advocates of Tarrant County and Alliance for Children. Boyd received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and a law degree from South Texas College of Law. Reappointed to board 5/2/08....
Not being able to quit drinking or control how much you drink

A potential criticism of the idea of affluenza is that it presents subjective social critique as an objective, inevitable and debilitating illness.

Additionally, how many times is affluenza used for a mental health defense of drunken driving? Not every drunk driver can be suffering from affluenza. He is not the teen to do this. Why should this teen be considered a different case from that of a teen suffering from alcoholism? There is no difference, the judge is very wrong.

The teen was witnessed on surveillance video stealing beer from a store, driving with seven passengers in his Ford F-350, speeding, and had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit (0.24). A defense psychologist testified in court that the teen was a product of affluenza and was unable to link his bad behavior with consequences due to his parents teaching him that wealth buys privilege. The rehabilitation facility near Newport Beach, California that the teen will be attending will cost his family $450,000.00 annually over a 10 year period/

It is unconstitutional. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act prohibits gender discrimination.

I didn't know Pro-Lifers are into bondage. They shouldn't worry so much, there is no law against it, unless they suffocate during the rougher variety. Come to think of it, they don't use contraception and maybe that is what it takes. At least it wouldn't be their fault. Oh. The sex. They wouldn't be a fault for having sex. They'd still be good with god.


When I really think about it, they are the ones that really need the rape insurance in case hubby gets out of hand. So, in a way these Republicans make complete sense. At least from their point of view.

Did I get it wrong? That is a demonstration? Well. She's awfully good at it, must feel like home.

‘Rape Insurance’ Michigan Law Triggers Backlash Against State Republicans (click here) 

By Christopher Zara

December 12, 2013
State Republicans in Michigan are facing a backlash after passing a law Wednesday that will require residents to purchase additional health insurance if they want abortion coverage. Dubbed the “rape insurance” bill by opponents, the initiative will require most insurance plans to offer a separate benefit rider for abortions. But those riders will not be available to women after they become pregnant by any means, including incest and rape....

Got to love this though. The Michigan Republicans want to be sure there is profit in being raped.

Before you know it, someone will say Santa is a shapeshifter.

December 4, 2013
Santa Claus has many forms all over the world, (click here) but the most popular version is how he's evolved in the United States. Our version is an amalgamation of many worldwide traditions. The popular image of Santa Claus was established by the end of the 19th Century, mainly by Clement C. Moore's famous poem, "The Night Before Christmas" and the the drawings of Thomas Nast....

It is really difficult to nail down the FACTS and TRUTH about a person that doesn't exist except once a year and only by gossip about a man that comes down the chimney leaving good tidings behind after he has eaten the cookies.

Do not lower SSI or CPI, it would hurt Seniors.

Chained CPI would hurt the Nursing Home industry and possibly limit the choices our Seniors have to make.

The Seniors in this picture are real. They use county transportation services with their peers to stay at home and continue their quality of life. 

Please don't make their lives more difficult.

How many older people live in nursing homes in the United States?According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, slightly over 5 percent of the 65+ population occupy nursing homes, congregate care, assisted living, and board-and-care homes, and about 4.2 percent are in nursing homes at any given time. The rate of nursing home use increases with age from 1.4 percent of the young-old to 24.5 percent of the oldest-old. Almost 50 percent of those 95 and older live in nursing homes.

Linda Breytspraak, Center on Aging Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City 

Florida and Arizona aren't the only places with older populations (click here)
January 9, 2013
Emily Brandon
...The 65-and older population jumped 15.1 percent between 2000 and 2010, compared with a 9.7 percent increase for the total U.S. population. People age 65 and older now make up 13 percent of the total population, compared with 12.4 percent in 2000 and 4.1 percent in 1900.

Females significantly outnumber males at older ages, but the gap is narrowing. In 2010, there were 90.5 males for every 100 females among people age 65 and older, up from 88.1 males per 100 females the same age in 2000. "Women outnumber men in the older population at every single year of age," says Werner. "Males showed more rapid growth in the older population than females over the past decade." In the 2010 Census, there were approximately twice as many women as men beginning at age 89. This point occurred about four years older than it did in 2000, and six years older than in 1990....

What it CostsBrace yourself. (click here) Most people already know nursing home care can be expensive. Although the average cost is more than $50,000 a year and climbing, it can vary widely depending on where you live. Employee health insurance does not pay for nursing home care. About a third of nursing home residents pay all of their nursing home costs from their own funds. Extended nursing home care can eat up your or your loved one's savings quickly—many people exhaust their finances after just six months. A fraction of them—about 5 percent—buys long-term care insurance, which covers the cost of a nursing home or other extended care. Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older persons and some younger ones with disabilities, pays for short-term nursing home stays.

So what about the rest? The greatest share of residents, about two-thirds, pay for their care with money from Medicaid, a federal and state health insurance program for people with low incomes. Medicaid picks up the cost of nursing home care once people have used almost all of their savings—spouses are allowed to keep some assets including income, savings, and their home. However, Medicaid will only pay for nursing home care that is provided at a facility certified by the government.

Eligibility for Medicaid varies by state, so if you think a loved one may need care years from now, you should gather information as soon as possible. Learning early about the requirements ensures the care comes quickly when you or your loved one need it.

As more people live longer and nursing home costs rise, so too does the urgency to deal with these issues.

AARP is committed to supporting new laws that will guide the development of an affordable, quality long-term care system for 

No longer needed or simply trying to remove attention from public opposition?

How many pipelines does the world need? Enough to contaminate every body of water?

TransCanada (click here) has begun putting crude oil into the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, which eventually will carry up to 700,000 barrels of oil a day between Cushing and refineries on the Gulf Coast

By Jay F. Marks 
Modified: December 9, 2013 at 6:06 pm 
Published: December 10, 2013

...“The Gulf Coast Project is a significant step forward in the move to transport oil from Cushing to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries,” Howard said.
He said the pipeline was built using advanced safety standards featured in no other pipelines in operation.
Howard said testing of the pipeline is ongoing, but he was unable to provide any details about when it will go into commercial service.

The pipeline will carry up to 700,000 barrels of oil a day.

Harold Hamm: Keystone XL no longer needed (click here)

By Jay F. Marks 
Modified: August 27, 2013 at 12:05 am
Published: August 26, 2013

...Oklahoma’s pre-emiment oilman, Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm, joined the chorus after developer TransCanada agreed to add an on-ramp to transport oil from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota and Montana.
But apparently Hamm has changed his mind on the project.
“It’s not critical any longer,” Hamm told National Journal Daily‘s Amy Harder. “They just waited too long. The industry is very innovative, and it finds other ways of doing it and other routes.”
Hamm said he does not expect the Obama administration to approve Keystone XL, but there are other options for oil producers....
...A TransCanada spokesman said Keystone XL remains a vital project....

What? How about too big to exist at all! Madoff and Chase? Wow.



JPMorgan Chase is nearing settlements (click here) with federal authorities over its ties to Bernard L. Madoff, reaching tentative deals that would involve roughly $2 billion in penalties and a rare criminal action, Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Ben Protess report in DealBook. The government plans to use a sizable portion of the money to compensate Mr. Madoff’s victims, according to DealBook.
The settlements, coming together on the five-year anniversary of Mr. Madoff’s arrest, would fault JPMorgan for turning a blind eye to his huge Ponzi scheme, according to people briefed on the case who were not authorized to speak publicly. “A settlement with federal prosecutors in Manhattan, the people said, would include a so-called deferred-prosecution agreement and more than $1 billion in penalties to resolve the criminal case. The rest of the fines would be imposed by Washington regulators investigating broader gaps in the bank’s money-laundering safeguards,” Ms. Silver-Greenberg and Mr. Protess report....

New lifestyles are accompanied by shorter longevity.


The rising burden of cancer is being driven by a rapid shift in lifestyles in the developing world to more closely reflect industrialised countries.
Rising rates of smoking and obesity as well as people living longer are contributing to the rise.
Lung cancer, which is mainly caused by smoking, was the most common cancer globally, with 1.8 million cases - about 13% of the total.
The WHO also described a "sharp rise" in cases of breast cancer. Both the incidence and mortality have increased since 2008. The disease in now the most common cancer in women in 140 countries.
Dr David Forman, from the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, said: "Breast cancer is also a leading cause of cancer death in the less developed countries of the world....

I caution about lumping mental health into the category of dangerous.

Schizophrenia can exist without violent behavior. Not all schizophrenics are Paranoid. When I first heard about this I didn't devolve into "OMG a nut case." 

JOHANNESBURG Thu Dec 12, 2013 8:00am EST
(Reuters) - A South African sign language interpreter (click here) accused of miming nonsense as world leaders paid tribute to Nelson Mandela defended himself as a "champion" signer on Thursday, but said he suffered a schizophrenic episode during the event.
The interpreter, 34-year-old Thamsanqa Jantjie, told Johannesburg's Star newspaper he started hearing voices and hallucinating while on stage, resulting in gestures that made no sense to outraged deaf people around the world.
"There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation. I tried to control myself and not show the world what was going on. I am very sorry. It's the situation I found myself in," he told the paper....

From the National Institute of Mental Health:


Schizophrenia (click here) is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has affected people throughout history.
People with the disorder may hear voices other people don't hear. They may believe other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. This can terrify people with the illness and make them withdrawn or extremely agitated.
People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk. They may sit for hours without moving or talking. Sometimes people with schizophrenia seem perfectly fine until they talk about what they are really thinking.
Families and society are affected by schizophrenia too. Many people with schizophrenia have difficulty holding a job or caring for themselves, so they rely on others for help....



...The last of the more than 400 racehorses seized (click here) during a raid on an Oklahoma ranch owned by the brother of suspected Mexican drug lords were auctioned at the weekend.
Five horses, including a quarter breed horse called Tender Dash, were sold for$3.1 million at a public auction.
The racehorses belonged to Jose Trevino Morales, who is serving a 20-year sentence for money laundering.
Morales was found guilty of investing $16 million of drug money in the buying, training and racing of horses on behalf of his brothers Miguel Angel and Oscar Omar Trevino Morales, alleged leaders of the hyper-violent Zetas drug cartel....

Grace Wyler
JUN. 21, 2011, 2:20 PM 

  • A joint investigation by Italian and American officials has revealed deep links between Mexico's Gulf Cartel and the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal organization that controls Italy's Calabria region and traffics drugs between New York and Europe.
  • According to Europol, Mexican cartels have increased their presence in the European markets. The agency notes a "striking" increase in cocaine trafficking from Mexico to Spain and Portugal.
  • Japanese authorities have noted an increase in methamphetamine trafficking, primarily from Mexico via Africa and Iran. 
  • U.S. authorities have detected significant ties between the Peruvian mafia and the Sinaloa and Los Zetas cartels. Peru is the world's second largest cocaine producer. 
  • Law enforcement officials have also established links between Mexican traffickers and drug rings in Malaysia, India and other parts of Southeast Asia.
U.S. and international law enforcement agents also report that Mexican cartels have established a presence in Africa to gain easier access to the European markets. United Nations officials said today that there is evidence Mexican cartels are now using "narco-submarines" to smuggle growing quantities of cocaine to the European markets via poor nations in West Africa....

When heat in the USA is increasing

Vindictive attacks on ANY political figure that seeks gun control to make their nation's safer.

The NRA is about power and cares nothing about people and safe neighborhoods. Every time there is a campaign like this, the members dump more and more money into the coffers of the NRA. Political power and money. Those elected need to stand up to the NRA in numbers that destroy their ability to hold legislators and executive branch members of governments hostage to their profiteering.


Australia legislated to control semi-automatics in 1996. The semis are the 'real money' to the industry.

Sandy Hook Massacre: Gun lobby targets Australia (click here)
December 12, 2013
Nick O'Malley

...In the piece, titled "Standing Guard", the organisation’s increasingly strident public face, executive vice president Wayne LaPierre, argues that elements of the American media back Mr Obama’s alleged plan to create “a US version of the Australian/British tyranny”.

As evidence Mr LaPierre cites an editorial by Mr Howard published by The New York Times after the Sandy Hook massacre entitled “I Went After Guns. Obama Can, Too.”

“Virtually no US media outlet was honest enough to describe what actually happened to our formerly free English-speaking cousins as a direct result of mass murders committed by lone, criminally insane killers,” wrote Mr LaPierre....

NRA Editorial

"Standing Guard" (click here)

By Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President
Obama’s Obsession With Our Gun Rights
...Obama revealed his gun control endgame in a Sept. 22, 2013, political speech at a solemn memorial for the 12 Washington Navy Yard victims murdered by a deranged killer on Sept. 16, 2013.
Obama coldly used the madness of a delusional lone mass-murderer to claim that the rampage “ought to lead to some sort of transformation … it ought to obsess us.”
In the same breath, Obama defined his personal “obsession” and his notion of “transformation” for ordinary American gun owners:
“That’s what happened in other countries when they experienced similar tragedies. In the United Kingdom, in Australia … they mobilized and they changed.”
The Washington Post praised Obama’s demand for “transformation” to an Australia-style gun roundup and destruction as “commonsense.”...

The Sydney Morning Herald has an interesting interactive. It is noted that mass shooting are increasing in the USA while Australia has had no such events in their society since the gun buyback there.











The New York Times Op-Ed
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
I Went After Guns. Obama Can, Too. (click here)

Toyota to receive bailout in Australia. I guess. Toyota has a lot of substandard quality problems.

Mark Hawthorne, Benjamin Preiss

Toyota (click here) stands to become one of the most heavily subsidised car manufacturers since the birth of Holden in 1948, as federal and state governments enter desperate negotiations to try to keep the Japanese company operating.
In the wake of Ford and Holden's announcements they will shut their Australian operations, Toyota stands to become the primary beneficiary of the federal government's $2 billion Automotive Transformation Scheme.
Toyota has stated that Holden's decision to quit Australia ''will place unprecedented pressure on the supplier network and our ability to build cars in Australia''.
Toyota made 101,000 passenger cars in Australia last year and about 104,000 this year - almost half of all local production. If Toyota continues to make similar volumes through to 2020, the ATS subsidy works out to $3000 a car.
Car industry expert Stephen Longley of accounting firm PPB Advisory - who has overseen the collapse or restructure of more than a dozen parts suppliers over the past decade - said Toyota had ''effectively won gold'' by simply being the last local car maker standing....