Idiocy and Death-Enabling Irresponsibility Out of the Florida Statehouse

Florida Senate rejects ban on assault weapons, 

votes to arm teachers

Idiots. Irresponsible, death-enabling, Right Wing, Republican idiots. On top of an extremely recent shooting death of 17 students, this is what they do.

Then there's also the thoughtlessness. And heartlessness.

Think of it.

Think of your teachers from school.

Now think of them armed. With weapons.


What part of that even SEEMS like a good idea?

President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize?

Just announced this afternoon:

Iran Agrees to Framework of Nuclear Deal 

Now, if the Republicans put their political party before the nation and negotiations and some little fragment of world peace and try to squirrel this...

Something we need more of in the US

There was an interesting article yesterday, at the Reuters news site on a corporate development of late.

The article:

Retooling capitalism for the social good

And here's what's happening, at least in one state:

This week, the state of Delaware, which has made corporate governance its regional cuisine, approved a new form of incorporation, the B-corp, or benefit corporation. These are companies explicitly charged with a dual mission: to earn profits for shareholders, the traditional businessgoal, and also to pursue the social good in other ways, ranging from protecting employees to safeguarding the environment — even if these goals come at the cost of short-term financial gain.

Here's hoping it catches.

And spreads, widely, quickly and wildly.

I could see these being very well invested in, should it spread. People would like that the companies are based on both profit and on doing what's best for the environment and otherwise. With man-made climate change, it becomes more and more obvious and necessary, I think.

Here's hoping.

Here's your American health care system

Here's the latest on our American health care system:

U.S. scores dead last again in healthcare study

(Reuters) - Americans spend twice as much as residents of other developed countries on healthcare, but get lower quality, less efficiency and have the least equitable system, according to a report released on Wednesday.

The United States ranked last when compared to six other countries -- Britain, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand, the Commonwealth Fund report found.

The highest cost in the world with the least, worst results for what we pay for in that same health care.

Yet so many of us are pushing back on the attempt at a fix that was and is the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

Maddening.

Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/06/23/us-usa-healthcare-last-idUSTRE65M0SU20100623

Question of the day

"Why is the response to economic crisis not more serious?"

Link to original article, well worth reading: http://blogs.reuters.com/anatole-kaletsky/2012/07/12/why-is-the-response-to-economic-crisis-not-more-serious/

Missouri in the news, for better or worse

Yes, we're in the news, all right:

Missouri town hopes to have first U.S. horse slaughter plant

Oh, joy.

(Reuters) - "A town in Missouri is trying to be the first of several in the United States to get a new plant to slaughter horses now that Congress has overruled animal rights groups to allow the killing for the first time in five years.

U.S. slaughter of horses ended in 2007 when Congress, at the urging of animal rights groups, halted funding to inspect processing plants. The unintended result was thousands of horses abandoned or neglected, and even more enduring hundreds of miles of travel to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.

After a government report last year detailed the abuses of horses, Congress restored inspection money to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for this year.

"People are giving away horses every day because they can't sell them," said Wayne White, president of the Missouri Equine Council. "All the rescue places are over-populated."

Horse meat is sold for human consumption in China, Russia, Mexico and other foreign countries, according to Unified Equine, a Wyoming company proposing to open a horse-slaughter plant in Rockville, Missouri. Horse meat is also used for zoo animals...

...Residents of Rockville, a town of about 150 people 100 miles south of Kansas City, turned out in force at a meeting last month to support the new plant, said Mayor Dave Moore."

Face it, some of us will do anything for a job.

Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/11/us-usa-horses-idUSBRE86A1GT20120711

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Senator Roy Blunt!

I'm stunned.

I saw this, last evening:

Republican senator says time for compromise

(Reuters) - A top Republican lawmaker said Monday it was time for Washington to learn how to compromise again so the country can solve its deepening problems.

"I'm bothered by our politics generally that suggest that if you don't get exactly what you want, that's somehow a failure," said Senator Roy Blunt, a member of his chamber's Republican leadership and the former second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives.

Blunt, who is Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's liaison to the Senate, spoke at the Reuters Washington Summit, where political leaders are discussing the pressing issues currently confronting U.S. politicians.

Wow.

That is refreshing.

A Republican--our own Senator, no less--calling for true compromise in Washington.

You apparently can teach these old ones new tricks.

More seriously, thank you, Senator. Please keep this up, if you would and legislate for all of us and not the corporations, instead.

Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/25/us-washington-summit-blunt-idUSBRE85O18I20120625

Happy International Women's Day!

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. The first national Women's Day was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Links: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day

Quote of the day--on how not to run a nation

Actor, comedian Bill Murray, "said both Republicans and Democrats were failing Americans. 'They spend all their time just trying to destroy the other guy, not to work together, but to humble and humiliate the other so that they can't have success.'" And frankly, we--virtually all Americans--are sick of it. This is no way to run a country. Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/10/us-billmurray-idUSTRE8191SJ20120210

China vs. the USA

Okay, here's the Chinese part:

China tests 500 km/h super high-speed train A train that goes 500 kilometers per hour. In the meantime, we, here in the USA aren't even working on such technology, I don't think. If we are, I'm certainly not aware of it. Some company may be working on some superspeed train but they aren't being tested or installed anywhere here in the States, between our cities. Here's our current train, as we know:

What is that? At least 40 year old technology, isn't it? 50? Are we the "world's leader" in much anymore? I mean, except in war and warmongering, anyway. Link to original article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/26/us-china-train-idUSTRE7BP04N20111226

America loves the young, rich, brilliant and/or beautiful

Further proof today that America likes to support, help and be with the young, rich, brilliant and/or beautiful, to the exclusion of the rest: Mentally ill flood ER as states cut services (link at bottom) If you're poor, black, Hispanic, gay, homely (yes, I'm serious), a child, mentally- or physically-challenged, hungry, sick, or otherwise downtrodden or deprived in some way, America is not going to beat a path to your door. We reward success, unabashedly. Sure, there are some people and organizations that do help some downtrodden, but by and large, as a society, if you're "down" in some way, America is not for you. At least America is not really for you since the 80's. We seem to have lost our way about then. We love kowtowing to the rich and beautiful above all other, too. We know far more about Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian than the hungry or sick or others in our society. I only point it out so a) we recognize it and b) we change. Here's hoping. Links: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/24/us-usa-health-psychiatric-idUSTRE7BN06820111224; http://pdf.reuters.com/pdfnews/pdfnews.asp?i=43059c3bf0e37541&u=2011_12_22_10_29_7ee9cb1cb9ef4d1bbe110e706e416290_PRIMARY.gif; http://pdf.reuters.com/pdfnews/pdfnews.asp?i=43059c3bf0e37541&u=2011_12_22_11_17_5e768f52c85343ed9bbdc4ee19921da7_PRIMARY.gif

Great KC mention right now at Reuters

(Westport Cafe') Yep and here it is: The Spirited Traveller: Why Kansas City should join the cocktail big league (Reuters.com) - "What do mean, you haven't been to Kansas City? Haven't you heard that it's one of the next great cocktail cities?" Who knew? Go here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/12/uk-the-spirited-traveller-why-kansas-cit-idUSLNE7BB01V20111212

Reports out now say Gaddafi's dead!

There is a late-breaking report out right now saying Moammar (or however you spell it) Gaddafi (again, however you spell it) is dead, according to The Washington Post and the Libyan Prime Minister: http://www.washingtonpost.cohttp://www.bing.com/m/world/middle_east/gaddafis-home-town-overrun-conflicting-reports-on-his-fate/2011/10/20/gIQAMwTB0L_story.html?wpisrc=al_national. According to Mother Jones Magazine, "Qaddafi's death neutralizes the possibility of him leading a revanchist insurgency and prolonging the violence in Libya for months or even years to come." Here's hoping.

Norway? Oslo, Norway?

First someone blew up a bomb in Oslo today, now come reports of a gunman opening fire, just North of there. What on Earth is going on? In the early article I read, they said this, too: "There was no clear claim of responsibility and while the attacks appeared to bear the hallmarks of an Islamist militant assault, analysts said it was too early to draw any conclusions." Wait. First, what are "the hallmarks of an Islamist militant assault" and second, isn't that statement itself, drawing conclusions? Link: http://news.yahoo.com/explosion-rocks-central-oslo-norway-pms-office-134903379.html

Texas Governor Perry complains about Obama, blah, blah, blah

It seems Texas Governor Rick Perry isn't "feeling the love" from Washington right now so he's upset and complaining:

Governor says Obama leaving Texas in the dust

By Jim Forsyth

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – Texas Governor Rick Perry criticized the Obama administration on Thursday for not responding to a request for a disaster aid for the parched state, where wildfires have scorched nearly 2 million acres.

Waaaaahhhh, Governor Perry.

I thought you didn't like Federal dollars from Washington?  You've said as much.

I thought you wanted to secede from the country?  You said that, too.

Now, when you have these wildfires, it's okay to go back and ask for Federal assistance and complain about a lack of attention from the President?

As President Obama so aptly put it, "Governor Perry helped balance his budget with about $6 billion worth of federal help - which he happily took - and then started blaming the members of Congress who had offered that help," Obama said, referring to 2009 federal stimulus funds.

So what is it, Governor Perry?  When you don't need anything, you'll talk big about trashing the Federal government but when you need help, THEN it's okay?  Is that how this works, Governor?  Let us know, will you?  Because that's certainly how it looks.

You bloody hypocrite.

Link:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110429/pl_nm/us_usa_texas_obama

We're all going to end up vegetarians yet

A new, ugly, possibly dangerous wrinkle in both our medicine and food chain was announced today:

Some bacteria in grocery meat resistant to antibiotics: study

By Aman Ali

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Researchers have found high levels of bacteria in meat commonly found on grocery store shelves, with more than half of the bacteria resistant to multiple types of antibiotics, according to a study released on Friday.

While the meat commonly found in grocery stores is still safe to eat, consumers should take precautions especially in handling and cooking, the chief researcher for the study said.

The study by the Arizona-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGRI) examined 136 meat samples from 26 grocery stores in Illinois, Florida, California, Arizona and Washington D.C.

Dr. Lance Price, the head researcher on the study, said high levels of Staphylococcus aureus (S.Aureus) bacteria were found in the meat.

"Staph causes hundreds of thousands of infections in the United States every year," Price said in an interview. "It causes a whole slew of infections ranging from skin infections to really bad respiratory infections like pneumonia."

Here are the real kickers:

Staph infections also kill more people in the United States each year than HIV, he said.

The study found that in 96 percent of the meats with staph bacteria the bacteria were resistant to at least one type of antibiotic, and 52 percent were resistant to three or more types.

"The bacteria is always going to be there. But the reason why they're resistant is directly related to antibiotic use in food animal production," Price said. "Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to public health we face today."


"The bacteria is always going to be there, but the reason why they're resistant is directly related to antibiotic use in food animal production."

And on that cheery little note, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all a great weekend.  If you're grilling out, you'd better go for medium well.

Links:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110415/us_nm/us_food_bacteria_study
http://www.foodincmovie.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQVll-MP3I

Desperation time in Japan

Does this sound like anything but last-ditch desperation to you?

Japan weighs need to bury nuclear plant; tries to restore power

By Shinichi Saoshiro and Yoko Nishikawa

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese engineers conceded on Friday that burying a crippled nuclear plant in sand and concrete may be a last resort to prevent a catastrophic radiation release, the method used to seal huge leakages from Chernobyl in 1986.

Again, I'm reminded of and quote here Kevin Bacon's character at the end of the movie "Animal House":

"ALL IS WELL!!  ALL IS WELL!!"

Enjoy your weekend, y'all.

Link to original post:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/wl_nm/us_japan_quake

Whither the economy?

This just out from NPR and the Associated Press:

Leading Indicators: Recovery Could 'Lose Steam'
by The Associated Press

A private research group's index of leading economic indicators unexpectedly slipped in April, its first drop in more than a year and a sign that growth could slow this summer.

The Conference Board said its gauge of future economic activity edged down 0.1 percent last month, the first decline since March 2009. Economists polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a gain of 0.2 percent.

The index is designed to forecast economic activity in the next three to six months.

The decline "suggests a recovery that will continue through summer, although it could lose a little steam," said Ken Goldstein, an economist at the Conference Board.


What does this mean for the short-term?

More government spending, folks. Count on it. Get used to the idea.

Or would you rather have the economy drop further and have more unemployment?

Those are our choices. Take your pick.