The problem is not the good doctor who easily sells out to marketeers. The bigger problem is the millions of Americans who are so dumbed down actually buy into the crazy hype.
Watch Dr. Oz attempt to defend his weight loss “miracles” before Congress
In what’s commonly known as the “Dr. Oz Effect,” products that the cardiologist endorses on his show — or that advertisers claim to have been endorsed by him — fly off the shelves. “People want to believe they can take an itty-bitty pill to push fat out of their body,” McCaskill scolded. “I know you know how much power you have. I know you know that.”
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Saturday, June 14, 2014
STERLING DOING NBA'S LAUNDRY
Leave it to and old rich demented white guy to drop the curtain down on a bunch of other demented old rich white guys.
Sterling has returned to true litigious form, deciding to fight the NBA—and fight dirty if necessary. The AP reports that Sterling has hired investigators to "dig up all the dirt they can find" on the other 29 NBA owners and the current and former commissioners, David Stern and Adam Silver. The investigators’ objective: to look for any evidence of any discriminatory conduct, inappropriate comments, or questionable financing and compensation practices.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
37 Political Whores (Senators) Who Voted For Millionaires Over Students
These politicians are bought by, and pander to, the rich with little or no regard to the damage it may inflict on the country or it's citizens.
Senate Republicans today sided with 22,000 millionaires over 40 million Americans with student debt by blocking the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act.
The 56-38 vote fell shy of the 60 needed to prevent the bill, sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), from being filibustered. The bill would have allowed existing student loan borrowers the chance to refinance their debt at today’s lower interest rates and would be fully paid for by enacting the “Buffet rule,” which ensures billionaires and millionaires pay their fair share of taxes.
Sen. McConnell continues to obstruct democracy in the name of special interests. Today these 37 senators joined him:
Lamar Alexander (Tenn.)Saxby Chambliss (Ga.)John Cornyn (Texas)Michael Crapo (Idaho)Michael Enzi (Wyo.)Charles Grassley (Iowa)Orrin Hatch (Utah)James Inhofe (Okla.)John McCain (Ariz.)Mitch McConnell (Ky.)Pat Roberts (Kan.)Jefferson Sessions (Ala.)Richard Shelby (Ala.)Roy Blunt (Mo.)John Boozman (Ariz.)Richard Burr (N.C.)Jeff Flake (Ariz.)John Isakson (Ga.)Mark Kirk (Ill.)Robert Portman (Ohio)Patrick Toomey (Pa.)David Vitter (La.)Roger Wicker (Miss.)John Thune (S.D.)Thomas Coburn (Okla.)Daniel Coats (Ind.)Dean Heller (Nev.)John Barrasso (Wyo.)Mike Johanns (Neb.)James Risch (Ind.)Marco Rubio (Fla.)Rand Paul (Ky.)John Hoeven (N.D.)Mike Lee (Utah)Ron Johnson (Wis.)Deb Fischer (Neb.)Ted Cruz (Texas)
Senate Republicans today sided with 22,000 millionaires over 40 million Americans with student debt by blocking the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act.
The 56-38 vote fell shy of the 60 needed to prevent the bill, sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), from being filibustered. The bill would have allowed existing student loan borrowers the chance to refinance their debt at today’s lower interest rates and would be fully paid for by enacting the “Buffet rule,” which ensures billionaires and millionaires pay their fair share of taxes.
Sen. McConnell continues to obstruct democracy in the name of special interests. Today these 37 senators joined him:
Lamar Alexander (Tenn.)Saxby Chambliss (Ga.)John Cornyn (Texas)Michael Crapo (Idaho)Michael Enzi (Wyo.)Charles Grassley (Iowa)Orrin Hatch (Utah)James Inhofe (Okla.)John McCain (Ariz.)Mitch McConnell (Ky.)Pat Roberts (Kan.)Jefferson Sessions (Ala.)Richard Shelby (Ala.)Roy Blunt (Mo.)John Boozman (Ariz.)Richard Burr (N.C.)Jeff Flake (Ariz.)John Isakson (Ga.)Mark Kirk (Ill.)Robert Portman (Ohio)Patrick Toomey (Pa.)David Vitter (La.)Roger Wicker (Miss.)John Thune (S.D.)Thomas Coburn (Okla.)Daniel Coats (Ind.)Dean Heller (Nev.)John Barrasso (Wyo.)Mike Johanns (Neb.)James Risch (Ind.)Marco Rubio (Fla.)Rand Paul (Ky.)John Hoeven (N.D.)Mike Lee (Utah)Ron Johnson (Wis.)Deb Fischer (Neb.)Ted Cruz (Texas)
Monday, June 9, 2014
MUBARAK II - THE SEQUEL
This is democracy at it's worse. US endorsed and supported. Freely elected dictators.
With ex-army chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi sworn in as Egypt's president, Washington has promised that it will cooperate with his government. Are US-Egyptian ties returning to the Mubarak-era status quo of military rule?
With ex-army chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi sworn in as Egypt's president, Washington has promised that it will cooperate with his government. Are US-Egyptian ties returning to the Mubarak-era status quo of military rule?
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Friday, June 6, 2014
THE NRA GROWS UP (IF ONLY FOR A SECOND)
NRA releases statement asking open-carry activists to stop being terrible
"Let's not mince words, not only is it rare, it's downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one's cause, it can be downright scary.
" ... Using guns merely to draw attention to yourself in public not only defies common sense, it shows a lack of consideration and manners. That's not the Texas way. And that's certainly not the NRA way."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
"It is unfortunate that an organization that claims to be dedicated to the preservation of gun rights would attack another organization fighting so hard for those rights in Texas. The fact is that the NRA hasn't been able to get open carry passed in Texas since the right was first taken away from us when Jim Crow laws were passed in the 1860s, making us one of only 5 states where it is still illegal. The NRA has refused to learn for themselves how Open Carry Texas (OCT) conducts itself other than what the liberal media and Bloomberg funded gun control extremists have falsely portrayed. The real ignorance in their statement is that it was completely unnecessary. OCT - along with Come And Take It Texas, Texas Carry andGun Rights Across America - has already changed its methods and the whole world is aware of that. The more the NRA continues to divide its members by attacking some aspects of gun rights instead of supporting all gun rights, the more support it will lose. Already, OCT members are posting pictures of themselves cutting up their life membership cards. If they do not retract their disgusting and disrespectful comments, OCT will have no choice but to withdraw its full support of the NRA and establish relationships with other gun rights organizations that fight for ALL gun rights, instead of just paying them lip service the way the NRA appears to be doing. The NRA should have instead released a statement to the effect that it applauds our groups for coming together and finding new methods to promote safe and responsible open carry."
"Let's not mince words, not only is it rare, it's downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one's cause, it can be downright scary.
" ... Using guns merely to draw attention to yourself in public not only defies common sense, it shows a lack of consideration and manners. That's not the Texas way. And that's certainly not the NRA way."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
"It is unfortunate that an organization that claims to be dedicated to the preservation of gun rights would attack another organization fighting so hard for those rights in Texas. The fact is that the NRA hasn't been able to get open carry passed in Texas since the right was first taken away from us when Jim Crow laws were passed in the 1860s, making us one of only 5 states where it is still illegal. The NRA has refused to learn for themselves how Open Carry Texas (OCT) conducts itself other than what the liberal media and Bloomberg funded gun control extremists have falsely portrayed. The real ignorance in their statement is that it was completely unnecessary. OCT - along with Come And Take It Texas, Texas Carry andGun Rights Across America - has already changed its methods and the whole world is aware of that. The more the NRA continues to divide its members by attacking some aspects of gun rights instead of supporting all gun rights, the more support it will lose. Already, OCT members are posting pictures of themselves cutting up their life membership cards. If they do not retract their disgusting and disrespectful comments, OCT will have no choice but to withdraw its full support of the NRA and establish relationships with other gun rights organizations that fight for ALL gun rights, instead of just paying them lip service the way the NRA appears to be doing. The NRA should have instead released a statement to the effect that it applauds our groups for coming together and finding new methods to promote safe and responsible open carry."
Thursday, June 5, 2014
THE MIDDLE CLASS ON LIFE SUPPORT
Americans fared better after Great Depression than today | Al Jazeera America
The national income pie and how it is sliced.
In 2012, for the first time since data became available in 1917, the 90 percent enjoyed less than half of all reported income, an analysis of IRS data by economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez shows.
From 1934 to 1980 the vast majority averaged more than 64 percent of all reported income. Since then, their slice of income pie has gotten steadily thinner. In 2012 they slipped to just under 50 percent.
At the same time, the top one-tenth of 1 percent enjoyed on average 4.5 percent of the national income pie from 1934 to 1980. Since then, their slice has more than doubled. In 2012 they got 11.5 percent of the pie.
Most telling: 95 percent of reported income gains between 2009 and 2012 went to the top 1 percent and a third of the gains went to the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent — a mere 16,000 households.
To sum up, there are some tiny improvements in the job and income numbers, but only if you limit the analysis to the last few years. Look back a decade or four decades or even eight decades, and the story changes from an America of growing prosperity to one of falling incomes, not enough jobs and ever fatter slices of the income pie for the elite.
It may be jarring to hear that the vast majority of Americans, the 90 percent, enjoyed bigger income gains in the 1930s than in recent years, but that is what the data show.
The data also indicate tandem increases in both want and wealth, with the vast majority worse off in 2013 than in 2009, while those at the apex of the economy are enjoying a much larger — and growing — share of national income.
The national income pie and how it is sliced.
In 2012, for the first time since data became available in 1917, the 90 percent enjoyed less than half of all reported income, an analysis of IRS data by economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez shows.
From 1934 to 1980 the vast majority averaged more than 64 percent of all reported income. Since then, their slice of income pie has gotten steadily thinner. In 2012 they slipped to just under 50 percent.
At the same time, the top one-tenth of 1 percent enjoyed on average 4.5 percent of the national income pie from 1934 to 1980. Since then, their slice has more than doubled. In 2012 they got 11.5 percent of the pie.
Most telling: 95 percent of reported income gains between 2009 and 2012 went to the top 1 percent and a third of the gains went to the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent — a mere 16,000 households.
To sum up, there are some tiny improvements in the job and income numbers, but only if you limit the analysis to the last few years. Look back a decade or four decades or even eight decades, and the story changes from an America of growing prosperity to one of falling incomes, not enough jobs and ever fatter slices of the income pie for the elite.
The data also indicate tandem increases in both want and wealth, with the vast majority worse off in 2013 than in 2009, while those at the apex of the economy are enjoying a much larger — and growing — share of national income.
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