Notes:: Twatwaffles of the Week for May 8, 2017 (#6)

 

“Jinger Duggar breaks Jim Bob and Michelle's dress code: Ditches long dresses and skirts for pants” https://www.yahoo.com/news/jinger-duggar-breaks-jim-bob-114014707.html

https://twitter.com/DuggarSisters/status/852288856808448000

No clue what Quiverfull is or how mom and dad Duggar brainwash and indoctrinate their kids, see also:: No Longer Quivering http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/ 

Bill Gothard http://talkingpointsmemo.com/theslice/duggars-bill-gothard-iblp

“Transgender Woman Speaks Out After Being Denied Service At Union Gospel Mission” 
http://www.kdlt.com/2017/04/24/transgender-woman-speaks-denied-service-union-gospel-mission/

http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2017/04/24/transgender-woman-asked-leave-mission/100856442/

“A Mississippi attorney actually defended an accused rapist by claiming women are ‘especially good’ at lying”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/millionaire-rape-trial-women-lying_us_58fa6480e4b06b9cb916ca13?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000021&section=crime

http://www.thenew93q.com/news/crime--law/rape-case-lawyer-says-women-are-especially-good-lying/UutfGjBFfEqZDawvj1X1zO/

http://www.oxfordeagle.com/2017/04/26/a-mississippi-attorney-actually-defended-an-accused-rapist-by-claiming-women-are-especially-good-at-lying/"

"The education of Donald Trump"

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/27/the-education-of-donald-trump-237669 

"Priebus: Trump Considering Amending or Abolishing 1st Amendment”
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/priebus-trump-considering-amending-or-abolishing-1st-amendment

“Public Prayer Protection Act of 2005” (HR 4364)
https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/4364

"Constitution Restoration Act (2004 & 2005)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Restoration_Act.

Katherine Yurica, “Conquering by Stealth and Deception:  How the Dominionists Are Succeeding in Their Quest for National Control and World Power" http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7512.htm

To get a sense of how revolutionary the political fight for power in the U.S. is, we need to look at a few quotes from what has been dubbed, “Paul Weyrich’s Teaching Manual,” the Free Congress Foundation’s strategic plan on how to gain control of the government of the U.S. Written by Eric Heubeck, and titled, “The Integration of Theory and Practice: A Program for the New Traditionalist Movement,” the document is no longer available at the Free Congress Foundation’s website for obvious reasons. But excerpts are published at the Yurica Report. The excerpts explain why the Dominionists are winning; the tactics they endorse are sheer Machiavellian:

I have paraphrased the four immoral principles of the Dominionist movement as the following:

1)      Falsehoods are not only acceptable, they are a necessity. The corollary is: The masses will accept any lie if it is spoken with vigor, energy and dedication.

2)      It is necessary to be cast under the cloak of “goodness” whereas all opponents and their ideas must be cast as “evil.”

3)      Complete destruction of every opponent must be accomplished through unrelenting personal attacks.

4)      The creation of the appearance of overwhelming power and brutality is necessary in order to destroy the will of opponents to launch opposition of any kind.

https://harpers.org/archive/2003/03/jesus-plus-nothing/

“Trump laments 'archaic' rules of Congress”
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/01/politics/archaic-system-congress-donald-trump/index.html

https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/858097715930116096

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/30/transcript-donald-trump-john-dickerson-face-the-nation-237807

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/859392449181093888
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/859393829505552385

Music:: "Wisps of Whorls" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Dystopian literature of interest

So I was asked to make this into a blog posting to make it easier to find.  As there are many listing available concerning dystopian literature, I find it rather odd.  But I aim to please!!  I have provided URLs to Amazon, but just a reminder I am an affiliate.

Some dystopian novels (not my normal reading genre) suggested to me to read besides 1984,,, If you have any other suggestions, please by all means add them in the comments.  While I would like to stick just to dystopian literature predictive of current events, non-fiction is also welcome.  I will be doing a posting doing a comparison to other fascist regimes as I find the comparison fascinating.  Accuracy will be left up to you.

Not a novel but suggested read,

George Orwell - “Politics and the English Language” https://www.utdallas.edu/~aria/research/resources/orwell.pdf

The essay focuses on political language, which, according to Orwell, "is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." Orwell believed that the language used was necessarily vague or meaningless because it was intended to hide the truth rather than express it. This unclear prose was a "contagion" which had spread to those who did not intend to hide the truth, and it concealed a writer's thoughts from himself and others.[1] Orwell encourages concreteness and clarity instead of vagueness, and individuality over political conformity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_and_the_English_Language

George Orwell - Animal Farm

But Stanford University literature professor Alex Woloch, who penned "Or Orwell: Writing and Democratic Socialism," says another book by the late British author might provide better insight for what’s happening to America today: "Animal Farm."

"In '1984,' however we’ve gotten into that situation has already occurred," Woloch says. "But in 'Animal Farm,' [Orwell is] really tracing that sense of a 'slippery slope.'"

Woloch is referring to the "slippery slope" scholars on authoritarian regimes call the transition from democracy to totalitarianism.

"And there does seem to be a sense that you're playing with fire with these kind of things — the deliberate use of falsehoods in a political context, the attacks on the media," Woloch continues. https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-01-26/our-orwellian-reality-reach-animal-farm-your-1984

George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four

Often published as 1984, is a dystopian novel by English author George Orwell published in 1949. The novel is set in Airstrip One (formerly known as Great Britain), a province of the superstate Oceania in a world of perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, and public manipulation. The superstate is dictated by a political regime euphemistically named English Socialism (or Ingsoc in the government's invented language, Newspeak). The superstate is under the control of a privileged elite of the Inner Party, that persecutes individualism and independent thinking as "thoughtcrime". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four

Philip Roth - The Plot Against America

It is an alternative history in which Franklin Delano Roosevelt is defeated in the presidential election of 1940 by Charles Lindbergh. The novel follows the fortunes of the Roth family during the Lindbergh presidency, as antisemitism becomes more accepted in American life and Jewish-American families like the Roths are persecuted on various levels. The narrator and central character in the novel is the young Philip, and the care with which his confusion and terror are rendered makes the novel as much about the mysteries of growing up as about American politics. Roth based his novel on the isolationist ideas espoused by Lindbergh in real life as a spokesman for the America First Committee and his own experiences growing up in Newark, New Jersey. The novel depicts the Weequahic section of Newark which includes Weequahic High School from which Roth graduated.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plot_Against_America

Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451

The novel presents a future American society where books are outlawed and "firemen" burn any that are found. The book's tagline explains the title: "Fahrenheit 451 -- the temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns ..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

Aldous Huxley - Brave New World

Aldous Huxley’s 1931 novel is often compared to Nineteen Eighty-Four. Where the latter shows a dystopia that rules through fear and repression, Brave New World shows an iron fist in a velvet glove. The population are kept repressed through standard acts of an authoritarian regime, such as control of the media, but also through being kept too happy to rebel. Soma, an antidepressant hallucinogen, is used by almost everyone to tackle any residual unhappiness, while hypnosis ensures that all members of the society’s caste system are happy and content with their place in society. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/13/100-best-novels-brave-new-world-aldous-huxley

Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid’s Tale

Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel is set in a near-future New England following the collapse of America into the authoritarian, theocratic state of Gilead. It was groundbreaking for its treatment of gender, depicting a state in which the advances of feminism have been comprehensively destroyed. Women are considered inferior to men, and their every behaviour is tightly controlled by the state. In particular, their role in reproduction is bound to a strict caste system: abortion is illegal, and fertile women are required to bear children for higher-status women.

Author of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: It was ‘farfetched’ when I wrote it — but Trump is making it real

According to Atwood, the rise of Trump with his boasting of sexually assaulting women on whim — as well as once saying women should face punishment if they get an abortion — is making her book more relevant now than ever with the book once again becoming a best seller.

You are seeing a bubbling up of it now,” Atwood said, referencing Trump. “It’s back to 17th century puritan values of new England at that time in which women were pretty low on the hierarchy”.

William Gibson - Virtual Light

Virtual Light, the first of Gibson’s Bridge trilogy, is set in a sprawling community living on San Francisco’s Bay Bridge following a devastating earthquake. Ever greater concentration of wealth has rendered multinational corporations miniature states in their own right, with private security forces acting like personal armies for the super-rich, while the middle class has almost entirely dissipated. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/may/03/sciencefictionfantasyandhorror.williamgibson

Brian K Vaughan and Marcos Martin - The Private Eye

Brian K Vaughan and Marcos Martin created the colourful world of The Private Eye in 2015. Set in Los Angeles in the latter half of this century, it explores a world two generations after the “cloud burst”: a catastrophic collapse of internet security that left everyone’s personal data exposed for all to see. To contain the damage, the internet is never rebuilt, and privacy becomes the new focus of society, over liberty or security. But the world still has to deal with its failures to contain the damage of climate change, and the citizens of LA are only safe from the ravages of the ocean thanks to an enormous coastal wall that keeps the waters out.

Alfonso Cuarón - Children of Men

Alfonso Cuarón’s thriller bears little relation to the PD James novel on which it is based, except for the central premise of a world in which no children have been born for decades. Cuarón shows a Britain ruled by an authoritarian regime, the last functioning government in the world, rousing the public in hatred of “fugees” fleeing the chaos in other nations.

Max Barry - Jennifer Government

Published in 2003, it is Barry's second novel, following 1999's Syrup. The novel is set in a dystopian alternate reality in which most nations (now controlled by the United States) are dominated by for-profit corporate entities while the government's political power is extremely limited. Some readers consider it similar in satiric intent to George Orwell's 1984, but of a world with too little political power as opposed to too much. Consequently, the novel can be seen as a criticism of right-libertarianism or anarcho-capitalism. Many readers also see it as a criticism of globalization, although Barry claims he is not an anti-globalist. He has created a game based on the novel: Jennifer Government: NationStates. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Government

Hannah Arendt - The Origins of Totalitarianism 

Describes and analyzes Nazism and Stalinism, the major totalitarian political movements of the 20th century.

[Novel summary's taken from https://www.theguardian.com/discussion/p/5nj69 unless noted]

1/26/17::End of the Day

The following was shared by author Chris Rodda (Liars for Jesus 1 & 2), "[i]t's a video that Bruce Wilson put together about the Betsy DeVos-funded project, Student Statemanship Institute. This should answer the questions some were asking about Devos's dominionist Christian agenda. This is the kind of indoctrination that DeVos wants to be paid for with public tax dollars."



As Chris notes, SSI isn't the only such program as David Barton and his sidekick Rick Green run one in Texas called "Patriot Academy." There is also the "mission" of Patrick Henry College, "to train Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding". [See also: God's Next Army https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfdFZG8lYJE Listen very carefully to part 3 and especially part 4. In part 3 they do clips of their classes, each class is like a mini Sunday indoctrination session. In part 4 they talk of the internships, listen to what the issues are that they're attacking - privatization of soc security, estate taxes - think "Jesus Camp" on steroids with much broader implications for all of us.] And who can forget Sarah Palin and the Master's Commission [also from Bruce Wilson https://vimeo.com/1679097]

This is what DeVos and her ilk believe and are striving for in our schools. They want to go the charter or voucher route as gov't oversight is very lax to begin with as well as the belief that the "gov't" doesn't have jurisdiction for oversight.


Trump's voter fraud probe could pave way for tougher voting rules

One of the biggest issues to come out of this push for an investigation by Trump into the possibility of "voter fraud", is tougher voting rules. One aspect being more restrictive voter ID laws. We'll leave the discriminatory BS out of the mix for the moment.

Regardless of the fact that Trump's claim is bogus, it is more fuel for the GOTP. Let's throw a kink in that plan and instead of waiting 2 years (mid-term elections). Whether - your Green, Dem, Independent, or whatever - let's get those without proper ID the assistance they need to secure documents needed.

It took me 10 months to replace my BC. I lived 1500 miles away from my home state and I was adopted. Because I lacked photo ID (stolen) I had to rely on my father to secure a certified copy. My roadblock was simple, for others it's not so easy.

South Dakota's antiscience bill passes the Senate | NCSE

Kentucky bill seeks to make the bible part of public school curriculum

Religious freedom bill dies in Colorado House – The Denver Post

This is a good thing people. Simply put, had this bill passed it would have legalized discrimination against LGBTQI people.

",,,a thinly veiled attempt to legalize discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. And, they fear a slippery slope — how far could someone go in claiming religious belief to justify ignoring anti-discrimination laws?"

The Reich has hijacked the phrase "religious freedom", there is no such thing in these type of bills. Remember SB1062 in AZ or the debacle in IN? It's the same.

EPA Scientists' Work May Face 'Case By Case' Review By Trump Team, Official Says : The Two-Way : NPR 

Any review would directly contradict the agency's current scientific integrity policy, which was published in 2012. It prohibits "all EPA employees, including scientists, managers and other Agency leadership from suppressing, altering, or otherwise impeding the timely release of scientific findings or conclusions."

It also would likely have a chilling effect on the agency's ability to conduct research on the environmental issues it is charged with regulating.

Ericksen's comments come just days after Trump's team ordered agencies to limit their external communications to the public. Employees at the EPA, the Department of Agriculture and the Interior Department, among others, have been instructed not to post on social media accounts. At the EPA, the staff was told not to speak to the news media.

_____

PS::  Going back to an old format to see if that will kick-start my writing juices!!

Tony Perkins Agrees '100 Percent' That Donald Trump Would Be Better For The LGBT Community Than Hillary Clinton | Right Wing Watch

I am just not sure what realm of reality Perkins and his ilk operate on.  This is coming as defense to a man who yesterday announced the most viral and vitriolic, anti-gay advisory board to support Trump on issues important to religious fucktards in America.

"What he was saying is no American, regardless of your political ideology or your life choices, should be living under the threat of a terrorist attack on the streets of the United States of America," Perkins said. "I agree 100 percent with that. No American, no American, which they are under Barack Obama, living in fear because of Islamic terrorists coming to this country; so yes, LGBT, Catholic, Protestant atheist — as one who wore the uniform as a United States Marine and was a police officer, no American, no American should live in fear and that is exactly what Donald Trump was saying and evangelicals believe the same thing."

Tony Perkins Agrees '100 Percent' That Donald Trump Would Be Better For The LGBT Community Than Hillary Clinton | Right Wing Watch

Donald Trump Taps Michele Bachmann, James Dobson & Other Far-Right Leaders For Advisory Board | Right Wing Watch

Ya know that whole underwear changing thing I was talking about with Trump?  If this is this man's "advisors" I would hate to see who he considers the "enemy" so to speak.

According to Bachmann, the September 11 attacks represented God’s judgment on America; President Obama and gay rights advocates are bringing about the End Times; homosexuality is “personal enslavement” and “part of Satan”; gay people want to change laws “so that adults will be able to freely prey on little children sexually”; and Obamacare death panels will literally kill people any day now.

Texas-based televangelist Kenneth Copeland is also on the advisory board even though God told him that Ted Cruz would be the next president. Like Trump, Copeland has been implicated in financial scandals and preaches against vaccines, which may have been a reason that one of his churches suffered a measles outbreak.

Dobson, who once said that he could not support Trump, has a long history with the anti-LGBT Right, warning that gay marriage will lead to a second civil war and pastors going to prison, as well as ushering in the destruction of religious freedom, God’s judgment on America and the transformation of the U.S. into Nazi Germany. He even linked same-sex marriage to the Sandy Hook shooting.

It's like a Whose Who list of anti gay hate.  Only ones missing are Scott Lively, Rick Warren, and Peter LaBarbera.

Donald Trump Taps Michele Bachmann, James Dobson & Other Far-Right Leaders For Advisory Board | Right Wing Watch

Donald Trump, Who Opposes LGBT Rights, Claims Mantle Of LGBT Community | Right Wing Watch

There are so many loons to choose from, but Trump is the last man I would currently want to align with concerning LGBTQI issues.  This man flip-flops his stance faster than I can change underwear.

RWW  sums it up well, "Trump is not interested in promoting LGBT rights. He is simply opportunistically trying to use a community hit by tragedy as cover for his own bigotry."

Donald Trump, Who Opposes LGBT Rights, Claims Mantle Of LGBT Community | Right Wing Watch

GOP Frontrunner Donald Trump Vows to Undo Nationwide Marriage Equality | Human Rights Campaign

"It has been ruled upon. It has been there. If I’m elected I would be very strong in putting certain judges on the bench that maybe could change things, but they have a long way to go," he said on Fox News Sunday. "I disagree with the court in that it should have been a states' rights issue."
,,,

But Trump isn’t the only GOP Presidential candidate to attack loving, committed same-sex couples. Marco Rubio has similarly vowed to try and overturn last June's decision. And eight candidates -- Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee -- have pledged their support for the discriminatory First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) -- or similar legislation -- to open up broad loopholes and put LGBT Americans at risk for discrimination in their daily lives. 

GOP Frontrunner Donald Trump Vows to Undo Nationwide Marriage Equality | Human Rights Campaign

This Shady Trump-Supporting Preacher Gave a Sex-Scandal-Plagued Nigerian Pastor $1 Million and a Rolls-Royce - The Daily Beast

Mike Murdock wants you to plant a seed.

Theoretically, it can be a seed of anything you need or want more of. But in practice, Murdock wants you to plant a seed of money.

He says you have to trust that it will grow and return to you a hundred times more than what you planted. Ten dollars will come back to you as $1,000. One thousand will become $100,000.

Fifty-eight dollars, a popular sum based on Murdock’s 58 blessings, will bring you back $5,800.

In reality, it probably will grow with Mike Murdock. From there it just might end up as a seven-figure gift to a fellow sex-scandal-embroiled Nigerian pastor. But that hasn’t stopped people from giving Murdock their last $100, because God doesn’t care about need. “God has never responded to pain,” Murdock says. “He only responds to faith.”

The prosperity preacher became the latest evangelical leader to endorse Donald Trump this month, calling the upstart presidential frontrunner damn near a “genius.”

But the true genius lies in the tax-exempt business model Murdock has built for himself in the name of God—no tax disclosures, a sprawling Texas megachurch, and a fabulously tacky home that he put on the market for $3.5 million.
,,,

Far more recently, Murdock found the cash to give his friend Biodun Fatoyinbo, a Nigerian pastor, $1 million and a Rolls-Royce during a January 2014 visit to his COZA church in Abuja.

“This 68 year old Wealthy Prominent and Adept Preacher released a Million-dollar Gift to the Senior Pastor of COZA,” a gospel blogger who reportedly witnessed the exchange wrote. “The Gift of a Rolls-Royce threw the Church into Shouts of Celebration and moved the Pastor and his wife to tears.”

(Reports don’t indicate whether the gift was in U.S. or Nigerian currency.)

Fatoyinbo has been accused of infidelity for years, before the pricey gift from Murdock. A Nigerian X Factor contestant publicly accused Fatoyinbo of engaging in extramarital sex with her in 2013, while another woman accused Fatoyinbo of taking her to his hotel room and then trying to bribe her to delete the evidence. The first woman, Ese Walter, claimed the pastor had singled her out for a leadership role in the church, and then propositioned her while on a trip to London, where she was enrolled in graduate school.

This Shady Trump-Supporting Preacher Gave a Sex-Scandal-Plagued Nigerian Pastor $1 Million and a Rolls-Royce - The Daily Beast

February 16-18, 2016::End of the day round-up

Trump and Hitler

While I have great difficulty in making such a comparison, it has been done by many. Myself included. Muholland makes an interesting point, "I realized why globalism is such a good thing. A world connected economically and electronically is a much safer place. I’m glad to live in a world where the death of fourteen in San Bernardino is a national tragedy and the words of Trump are scandalous. Perhaps Trump’s biggest mistake is to point us backwards. As long as we can still see the smoke rising from Auschwitz and Dresden, there is little attraction to the past or to people like Donald Trump."

When one asks me whom I will vote for, I can confidently state it won't be for a GOT/P party member or Donald Trump. But it does not mean that I will automatically vote for Hilliary. It does not mean I will automatically vote for Sanders. I really am undecided.

You see this election is mega important for ideological reasons. We have the status quo versus the theocrats. (And there is some argument as to what camp Clinton actually stands in.) We have the one percent versus 99 percenters.
All other issues aside, it boils down to this, a point Morton makes well.

When you ask me to vote for Hillary

If this doesn’t make sense to you — if you think it is reasonable to fear the opposition more than to hope for having a better life — then I’m guessing you live a fairly comfortable life and don’t feel strong motivation to change it. Perhaps it’s been a long time since you had to decide not to take your spouse to the emergency room because you were worried it would wipe out what little savings you have. Maybe you don’t have full-blown anxiety attacks every time you see that your medical insurance company has sent you something in the mail. Do you remember the last time you cried thinking about how you can’t afford to get a job, because it will knock you off of the meager insurance assistance you have and put you even further behind than you started? Would your place of employment and the welfare of hundreds of employees be ensured if only we could sort out the insanity that is private insurance? Has there been a time in your life when nearly all of the stress you experience in life comes, one way or another, from trying to navigate the private medical-industrial complex?

As sad as it may sound, the morass I have had to navigate since my stroke has become the biggest deciding factor in choosing a possible candidate. How either candidate handles this will be a major factor. Right now, the advantage is Sanders, though it is still early and I have a month to decide in regards to primaries.

One point not touched on but still important, insurance issues aside, what about recovery,,,hmmm? You see, I went back to work way sooner than I should. I had to rely on the generosity of others to survive the three months (and then some) I couldn't work. Insurance is nice, but there are other issues not being looked at. 

A financial update for those that have asked,,,

I never was in the best shape financially prior to my stroke, I'll be honest. I lived very simply and as frugally as possible. My job choice due to pre-existing issues forced that decision upon me. I can live with that.

My stroke, on the other hand, has caused major issues. Thanks to the generosity of many I was able to battle through those issues (primarily rent) and seven months out, I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My tax refund has helped immensely and if things continue, I will be able to put a wee bit away for a rainy day.

I don't know if I am out of the woods, at minimum wage one never is, but my bills are paid. Right now my focus is off the financial and back on to where it should be - my physical recovery.

I am back to working my "normal" 6 days/week, though reduced hours and responsibility, but still struggle. I have some decisions to make in that regard but from what many have told me, "it's still early". Thursday's eye appt (and possible follow-up) will go a long way in deciding the future; as will my neuro appt in March. [My surgeries have finally  been scheduled - 4/27 and 5/11]

That, in a nut shell, is where I am at!! BTW, post-stroke depression suks donkey dick,,, but that too is lifting!

 
I am well aware that numerous laws and legislation have come forth concerning the Syrian refugee debacle. The constitutionality of which is questionable at best. Florida's 1095 is just another example.

FL Bill Would Give Rick Scott The Right To Use Military Force On ‘Invaders’

Florida Republicans voted to pass HB 1095, the “Prevention of Acts of War,” through a committee on Wednesday and the bill is so outrageous it looks like Donald Trump wrote it. It would allow Governor Rick Scott to use military action on all immigrants or refugees who attempt to seek safe haven in the state:

[People who] are organized or affiliated with armies presently holding and administering territories outside the United States and insurgencies engaged in capturing such territories… the State Constitution and Florida law fully empower the Governor, as commander-in-chief of all military forces in Florida not in active service of the United States Armed Forces, including the general militia, to defend the state against the entry and actions of such persons.

The bill even goes as far as to call refugees “invaders”:

“Restricted person” means a foreign refugee or immigrant for whom there is reasonable cause to believe that he or she originates from, or has been in close proximity to, any location in which invaders or prospective invaders are known to originate or organize or train for violent acts of war.

The bill also states that any person or group helping the “invaders” must turn their infomation [sic] over to the state government so that authorities can monitor them. It also gives Rick Scott the right to sue the federal government if they try to place the refugees in the state. This part is especially interesting because states do not have the right to pass this law and FLORIDA KNOWS IT.

H/T:: Danielle Muscato for this article, well said.

Hillary Clinton Gets $13 Million From Health Industry, Now Says Single-Payer Will “Never, Ever Come To Pass­”

The crux of the matter for me is this point,,,

Only Bernie Sanders supports single-payer, universal health care (and has for a LONG TIME). Hillary used to support it—she even wrote a letter to Bernie Sanders in 1993 praising his efforts fighting for it—but she changed her mind after receiving $13,200,000 in donations from health insurance companies and related organizations. Further, a December '15 scientific poll found that 58 percent of Americans support expanding Medicare to cover everyone. So why aren't we already doing this?

Not the money mind you, it's politics what do you expect, but the fact that Clinton has change her mind. I remember the 1993 battle, the ACA as we have it today is a direct result,,,but, she changed her mind.

February 14-15 2016::End of the day round-up (pg 2)

 Bryan Fischer: 'The Proper Christian Response' To A Gay Couple's Wedding Is 'Grief And Sorrow'

"If you have a biblical worldview, you'd be grieved for them," he said. "You'd be grieved for what they're heading into, grieved for the way in which homosexual behavior separates them from God, the risks that it's putting them at, the risk that it's going to put children to if they're adopted into that household. So the proper response would not be joy, it would not be celebration; the proper Christian response would grief and sorrow over what these two people are doing to themselves and also to others."

Although this is pre-Iowa in date, it highlights the split or implosion that is occurring within the Reich. You have evangelicals that are bonkers against Trump and say to support Cruz but yet the support for Cruz does not align with the entire GOP.


The Fate of the Religious Right May Be Foretold in Iowa

Speaking at the rally, Vander Plaats invoked his severely disabled son, Lucas, and said he was outraged to see “a candidate for president of the United States openly mocking and insulting people with disabilities.” (He was referring to Trump’s scornful imitation of the disabled New York Times reporter Serge F. Kovaleski.) Vander Plaats recalled that only a week before, at an event in Sioux Center, Iowa, Trump boasted that he wouldn’t lose support even if he shot someone.* The crowd in the packed hall hissed. “Right away I thought of John Lennon and the Beatles saying, ‘We’re more popular than Jesus,’ ” Vander Plaats said. “That’s a pride, and an arrogance, and a temperament that is a roll of the dice to be president.” 

Soon it was Cruz’s turn to speak. He promised that on his first day as president, he would instruct the Justice Department to open an investigation into Planned Parenthood. Cruz said he’d appoint judges who would overturn last year’s “shameful” and “fundamentally illegitimate” Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage. He asked the assembled to pray. “Father God, please, continue this awakening. Continue this spirit of revival, awaken the body of Christ, that we might pull back from this abyss,” Cruz said. His cadences were those of a preacher.

The near-forgotten history of the Holocaust's gay victims

To this day, the number of homosexual men interned and killed in concentration camps is unknown; it is estimated to lie between 10,000 and 15,000 people, of whom at least half died in the camps.

It can’t take into account the lives of those arrested and detained for other reasons – the gay Jews, Gypsies, and ‘Antisocials’ whose sexuality was considered the least of their ‘crimes’.

In the film Paragraph 175, highlighting the plight of the Holocaust’s homosexual victims for recognition of their suffering, Heinz F. recounts his ordeal in the camps, starting with a call from the local police station.

‘”You are suspected to be homosexual. You are hereby under arrest.” What should I do?’ he says.

‘And then it was straight to Dachau. From there, without a trial, I was immediately sent to Dachau.’

Without knowing why, he spent one and a half years in the concentration camp; just days after he was released, Heinz was arrested again, on charges of homosexuality, and sent to a prison to wait for a trial.

‘I couldn’t understand all of this. And while I was there, nearly all the homosexuals were deported to Mauthausen,’ he says.

‘And nearly all of them were killed.’

Heinz himself was sent to Buchenwald, where prisoners were first labeled with ‘Paragraph 175’ on their jackets, before the pink triangle was introduced.

In the camps, a majority of gay men were supposed to be re-educated – but only Germans were spared the gas chambers.

Instead of sending them to their immediate death, the Nazis selected the Germans in their camps for slave labor, castration or forced them to take part in human experiments.

Almost two thirds of the men held in the camps died.

[Please note the film Paragraph 175 can be found online!!]

From what I can tell, this bill has been withdrawn (for now) but still important as it seeks to amend "Section 9-703 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Special Assembly Occupancies," by providing for additional types of activity to be regulated, amending the application procedures and increasing the fee for a Special Assembly Occupancy license and for Promoter registration, clarifying the role of the Police Department in approvals of licenses, and making other technical changes; all under certain terms and conditions."

This treads dangerously close to the types of censorship that Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), achieved in the 80s-90s, and continuing today.  To borrow from Frank Zappa, "the PMRC proposal is an ill-conceived piece of nonsense which fails to deliver any real benefits to children, infringes the civil liberties of people who are not children, and promises to keep the courts busy for years dealing with the interpretation and enforcement problems inherent in the proposal's design."

New bill would create a registry of all the bands and DJs that play Philly: ‘It’s become necessary’

A new bill from Philly City Councilman Mark Squilla would require owners of nightclubs, cabarets, bars and restaurants in the city to collect the names, addresses, and phone numbers of entertainers — bands, rappers and DJs — in a registry, and to share that personal information with police upon request.

The proposal, which was introduced last week and is headed to a committee hearing, would directly involve the Philadelphia Police Department in the approval process for so-called “Special Assembly Occupancy” licenses — giving law enforcement de facto veto power over whether shows can be held at venues that hold 50 or more people.

Police spokeswoman Denise James would not comment, instead referring Billy Penn to the department’s public affairs office, which did not respond.

Police would factor into their decision-making things like “crime, traffic, litter, noise, parking and hours of operation; as well as any community concerns, particularly those of neighbors in the immediate vicinity,” according to the bill. The bill even covers live-streaming of shows.

 ‘The bill will be amended’: Squilla, Oh respond after artist registry uproar

Comments from other city officials seemed to echo Oh’s words. Commissioner Richard Ross’s legal advisor, Captain Francis Healey, claimed the bill was being “misinterpreted and the department was only interested in getting advanced notice so police can be properly prepared for shows or other events,” according to a report on Philly.com.

Kenney spokeswoman Lauren Hitt told the site the Mayor would “work with the community and City Council to make any changes to the legislative language necessary to make the intent clear and assuage public concerns.”

Squilla, in his statement, stressed that “this provision is NOT intended to restrict artistic expression or any kind of entertainment, but rather is aimed at addressing public safety and quality of life issues.”

Like previous remarks he made to Billy Penn, Squilla did not cite any specific incidents that may have prompted this legislation; why collecting information on performers playing venues hosting 50 or more audience members improved “public safety”; nor why police involvement in license approval was necessary. Squilla also did not address opponents’ concerns about his proposed annual licensing fee hike from $100 per year to $500 every two years.

Home remedy for 18-month-old's case of lice ends in tragedy

Though the Head Lice Center says it hasn't been scientifically proven that mayonnaise helps treat head lice, it's an oft-used technique that many people have claimed success with. Mayonnaise is used because it contains oil, which suffocates the lice.

It's a simple enough treatment, and an inexpensive one: Spread full-fat mayonnaise on the scalp, and then cover the coated area for about eight hours. Something like a shower cap or plastic wrap would work well, but the Head Lice Center reminds parents that plastic wrap should never be used on children.

That's the fatal mistake that the unnamed Massachusetts couple made, resulting in their young daughter's death. CBS reports that the toddler fell asleep with the bag on her head. Investigators suspect that it then slipped down over her mouth. At the time of the CBS report, no charges had been filed against the parents.

The Netherlands has recognised the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster as a religion

A spokesman for the Dutch arm of the group said: ‘The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is since today officially registered as Denomination!

‘Our church stands for equality for all. Therefore, anyone can sign up free of charge and without obligation.
‘To express our faith we put a colander on our heads. Also on official government documents.

‘We come together in local churches and at events. Our services are especially devoted to socialising. So we eat pasta, we drink beer and discuss faith.’

Albino woman murdered in Kasungu: Malawi Police hunt for killers | Malawi Nyasa Times Malawi breaking news in Malawi

February 5-9, 2016::End of the day round-up (pg 2)

From KnowPolitical!!  It is a repeat of Kevin Swanson's so-called rally that included then presidential hopefuls Mike Huckabee, Piyush Jindal, and of course Ted Cruz.  It is important to repeat, so I am (I think):

Ted Cruz joins surreal anti-gay event with screaming pastor

"It's NOT a gay time! These are the people with the sores — the gaping sores! Don't you DARE carve happy faces on OPEN PUSSY SORES!" Last fall Ted Cruz and two other GOP presidential hopefuls joined screaming bigot pastor Kevin Swanson at his two-day religious conference where he opined repeatedly about how gay people were worthy of death— all under the guise of "religious liberty." Between blaming Harry Potter and contraception for the scourge of gay marriage, Pastor Swanson told attendees he would rather sit in front of a church, smear himself in manure and wail lamentations if his son were gay and invited him to his wedding. Swanson also spoke of how a gay kiss caused wildfires and floods in his home state of Colorado and declared that the state's socially progressive policies had made it "more evil" than communist China and North Korea.Bonus end clips: Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson campaigns for Ted Cruz in Iowa, calling gay marriage evil and wicked saying, "We have to rid the earth of 'em." Ted Cruz's evangelical pastor father Rafael Cruz stating that gay marriage was not about gay rights, but an objective to destroy the traditional family…. while also adding that evolution is a lie that goes hand-in-hand with communism. "If they can convince you that you came from a monkey, it's much easier to convince you that God does not exist." Rafael Cruz is not only Ted Cruz's father, he is also his closest personal and professional mentor who is actively campaigning for his son among evangelical voters. Rafael Cruz subscribes to Dominionist theology, a school of thought that says Genesis gives true men of faith the right to seize control of government and run the country by biblical mandates.
Posted by KnowPolitical on Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Ted Cruz Trumpets Endorsement From a Man Who Thinks God Sent Hitler to Hunt the Jews

In a 2011 speech, Bickle suggested that millions of Jews were killed during the Holocaust because they didn't accept God's gift of Jesus. At this event, he read from Jeremiah 16:16 and used this passage from the Bible to explain why Hitler executed millions:

The Lord says, "I'm going to give all 20 million of them the chance to respond to the fishermen. And I give them grace." And he says, "And if they don't respond to grace, I'm going to raise up the hunters." And the most famous hunter in recent history is a man named Adolf Hitler.

 In Iowa intro, First Baptist Dallas’ Jeffress says he can’t “officially” endorse Trump, however … 

Robert Jeffress, whose First Baptist Dallas downtown the Associated Press now considers a “megachurch,” flew to Iowa over the weekend to introduce Donald Trump at a packed rally at Dordt College. It’s becoming something of a regular gig: Jeffress, you may recall, also intro’d Trump at his American Airlines Center rally in September. And when he’s not introducing Trump, Jeffress is laying hands on the man.

Jeffress once said that “no evangelical I know is expecting Trump to lead our nation in a spiritual revival.” But on Saturday, he essentially endorsed The Donald without, you know, endorsing The Donald, since that would threaten the church’s status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Trump Embraces Radical Anti-Catholic, Anti-Gay Pastor


Although I can not help financially, sharing is the best I can offer.  Many of you were able to help me, maybe you can help these folks,,,

Can't pray the pain away

Can’t pray the pain away. We’re a good hearted Atheist couple going through a rough time. A lot of people offer “Thoughts and prayers” but that doesn’t quite pay the bills. Some people told us to pray ourselves, but, of course, that would be as helpful of other people’s prayers, and pretty hypocritical. We'll stick to science and doctors.

Honestly, all this is kind of confusing to me. I build fire trucks for a living, not people. Surgery really isn’t my thing, but I’ll try to explain a bit. Bear with me and try to read through to the end of my ramblings.

Man who spent 22 years in prison for rape he didn't commit faces long legal battle with NYC over $18 million jury award

They took away his freedom — and now they keep trying to take away his money.

The city is doubling down its efforts to stop Alan Newton, who spent 22 years behind bars for a rape he didn’t commit, from collecting the $18 million verdict a jury awarded him in 2010.

“This is a journey that started in 1984, and it’s still going on because the city refuses to take any responsibility,” Newton told the Daily News on Thursday.
,,,
The city Law Department claims in new court papers the Second Circuit didn't weigh “whether the amount of the damages was appropriate” and “did not address the question whether the separate verdict on damages was excessive.”

All the appeals court did was decide whether the city was at fault for Newton’s wrongful incarceration, the city lawyers argue — and they now want Scheindlin to reduce the award.

Congressional GOP ‘unwilling to even talk about the budget’

“It says a lot of things, I think. It certainly does raise some questions about how serious Republicans actually are about governing the country. It also raises some questions about how confident they are in the kinds of arguments that they could make about the budget. Maybe they’re taking the Donald Trump approach to debates about the budget – they’re just not going to show up.”

February 2-5, 2016::End of the day round-up

Oregon woman fights Idaho faith healing laws

A former church member, Linda Martin, is trying to convince lawmakers in Idaho to do what Oregon did.

“These are not things children die of in our time, this is what children died of back in the 1800s, not in the 2000s,” says Martin. Martin grew up in Idaho as a member of the Followers of Christ. Now, she lives in Oregon, but often travels to Boise to lobby lawmakers to remove faith healing protections that prevent parents from being prosecuted for the death of a child.

This is her third attempt to reach lawmakers like Lee Heider. The Republican is chair of the Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee.

“If someone approaches me wanting to carry that legislation, then yes, I’ll hold a hearing. I can’t guarantee the outcome of the hearing. I can’t tell you what the other members of my committee would choose to do with that legislation but if someone chooses to do that I would be the first to stand up and give them the right to bring that legislation forward,” Heider says.

Huckabee Drops Out Of GOP Race

BREAKING: Rand Paul Suspends Presidential Campaign

CNN: Rick Santorum Suspending Presidential Campaign

Tony Abbott's speech to far right group in US not 'intentionally secretive'

"For us, it was never intended to be a public event.

"It was a dinner ADF was having and Tony Abbott aligned on some of these issues, and I think they thought he would be an interesting fella to hear from, so they invited him to come."

Mr Abbott is also reportedly scheduled to meet News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch in New York.

The ADF is surprised by the media interest in their event.

"It is going to be in New York, we have invited variety of people," Mr Trent said, declining to detail who would attend.

"It's a private gathering and Tony Abbott will be there."
,,,
Mr Abbott's sister, same-sex marriage campaigner Christine Forster, said his decision to address the group was "disappointing".

Kevin Andrews skips Parliament to address conservative lobby group in Washington on defence

Established in the 1970s, the Foundation was a key policymaker for Republican president Ronald Reagan and was a loud supporter of the original Iraq war. In recent years it has campaigned aggressively to defund Obamacare.

The Foundation's current president is former Republican senator Jim DeMint, a leading figure in the Tea Party movement and a pro-lifer who opposes same-sex marriage.

According to the Foundation's invite, Mr Andrews will cover Australia's key defence challenges, including in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

"Australia is in a unique position, straddling the line between Asia and the West. It faces global security and defense challenges from the perspective of an Alliance partner with the United States. It, also, focuses on the challenges that confront both nations, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region – especially the China Seas – and the Middle East," the Foundation said in promoting Mr Andrews' presentation.

The Foundation lists its mission as "to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense."

Trump Touts Endorsement From ‘Reverend Jerry Fallwell Jr.,’ Who Is Not A Reverend

While Falwell is certainly a prominent figure in the evangelical community, he is not actually a reverend, a title specific to members of the clergy who have completed religious training.
,,,
Fallwell, who helped parlay his late father’s televangelism career into running one of the biggest Christian colleges in the country, fits into a category of religious figures known as “entrepreneurial evangelicals.” Falwell appreciates a good business sense and has been candid about his admiration for Trump.

In a statement announcing his decision to endorse the hotel mogul, Falwell referred to Trump as “a successful executive and entrepreneur, a wonderful father and a man who I believe can lead our country to greatness again.”

Former Pentagon chief Robert Gates: Republicans’ grasp of national security is at a child’s level

"The level of dialogue on national security issues would embarrass a middle schooler,” Gates said of the Republican contenders at a Politico Playbook event in Washington on Monday . “People are out there making threats and promises that are totally unrealistic, totally unattainable. Either they really believe what they’re saying or they’re cynical and opportunistic and, in a way, you hope it’s the latter because God forbid they actually believe some of the things that they’re saying.”
,,,
Gates, promoting a new book, A Passion for Leadership, said “one of the greatest, most appealing aspects of Ronald Reagan was his optimism about this country and about the future, and these guys all make it sound like we’re going down the drain.” All the candidates, he argued, should “try to communicate better to the American people that these are complicated, difficult problems that are going to be difficult to solve and are probably going to require some sacrifice”.

February 1, 2016::End of the day round-up

Trapped In His Body For 12 Years, A Man Breaks Free : Shots - Health News : NPR

What would you do if you were locked in your body, your brain intact but with no way to communicate? How do you survive emotionally when you are invisible to everyone you know and love? 

That's the first question asked by NPR's new program on human behavior, Invisibilia.

The first show tells the story of Martin Pistorius, who fell into a mysterious coma as a young boy. He had only one thing left as his mind began to function again — his own thoughts. Here's a glimpse into his story.

Is there pus in milk?

Dairy farmers are paid more money for milk that has a low SCC, if our cell count raises above normal levels they will dock the amount we get paid for our milk, if it raises even higher they stop taking our milk and we can’t sell it. So not only do we not want our cows to be sick, it would cost us a lot of money and could cost us our farms if we were to ignore a high SCC. Recently the dairy industry lowered the acceptable SCC level from 750 to 400. Most dairy farms aim for a SCC under 200. So does this mean that we are allowing some pus into your milk? No. All milk is going to have some white blood cells in it, that’s the nature of a product that comes from an animal, cells happen. It does’t matter if it’s organic milk or regular milk. The presence of some white blood cells in milk certainly doesn’t mean that the animal is sick or the milk is of poor quality. Again, white blood cells are normal. Additionally when you buy milk from the store it has been pasteurized which kills off any white blood cells or bacteria that are present in the raw milk.

So the anti milk folks want to you to be grossed out by milk, but think about this… A steak has white blood cells in it, because it has blood and white blood cells are a part of that. The anti milk people aren’t going around saying that your steak has pus in it because we can see with our own eyes that it doesn’t. However, since we can’t see into our milk like we can see a steak, anti milk activists use bad science to scare you into believing their view point and that’s just not right!

Instead of using facts to persuade people to not drink milk they are literally trying to make you terrified to eat or drink anything beyond what they feel you should be eating and drinking. It’s time to take back our food from the activists and let them know that it is not ok to use false information to slander a food they don’t agree with. My cows are mad and so am I!

‘Have you repented?’: Christian leaders criticize Trump’s endorsement by Jerry Falwell Jr

“The late Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. would be rolling over in his grave if he knew the son who bore his name had endorsed the most immoral and ungodly man to ever run for President of the United States,” Stemberger said in a statement to Politico. “It is one thing to allow the free exchange of ideas, even bad ideas, among college students on a Christian campus. It is quite another to give a glowing endorsement-like introduction calling Donald Trump … This in no way represents the legacy of Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr.”

The Flint disaster is Rick Snyder’s fault

Bush was attempting to muddy the proverbial water by portraying the Flint debacle as a failure of government at all levels. Snyder attempted the same diffusion of responsibility last week, saying that “government failed you — federal, state and local leaders — by breaking the trust you placed in us.”

But the Flint disaster, three years in the making, is not a failure of government generally. It’s the failure of a specific governing philosophy: Snyder’s belief that government works better if run more like a business. 

No doubt, the federal Environmental Protection Agency deserves blame for failing to sound warnings more loudly and publicly, and for being too deferential to state authorities, once it learned last year that high lead levels in Flint were poisoning children.

But EPA had no role in the decisions that caused the problem, nor was it supposed to. That was entirely the responsibility of Snyder’s administration and his appointees.

Ted Cruz: God Is Helping Me 'Bring America Back From The Abyss

"I fear for America," he said. "If we keep on this path there comes a point of no return and my prayer is that this awakening continues, that the body of Christ rise up to pull us back from the abyss."

January 31, 2016::End of the day round-up

Gah!!  Now Gawd can cure type 2 diabetes,,,WTF,,,and Charisma is pushing the bullshit like it is true.  Next they'll being saying they can "cure" the effects of a stroke,,,holy fuck!!

To good not to share!!

 

Don't Believe in Christian Privilege? These 15 Examples Will Leave No Doubt — Everyday Feminism

Gary Cass Explains That Only Christian Men Are Qualified For Political Office

Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission released a new video today aimed at helping his fellow right-wing Christians understand "the biblical qualifications for political office," by which he meant that all of our elected leaders must be Christians ... and men.

"What should be look for in our elected officials?" Cass asked, rhetorically. "The first qualification is they must be a Christian ... What a candidate professes about God is absolutely critical, it will profoundly shape his leadership. 

Genuine reverence for the Lord is the foundation of knowledge ... so we need a leader who is alive spiritually and who will lead in the fear of God."

And those leaders, Cass explained, must be men.

A monster the GOP could’ve avoided: The conservative establishment created Trump—and now they can’t destroy him 

Another Gruesome Attack At A Place Of Learning In Pakistan

More than twenty were killed in an attack on a university in northern Pakistan on Wednesday. The attack took place after a group of gunmen scaled the walls of a university in a city before the morning fog had lifted and opened fire on students and staff at the co-ed Bacha Khan University.

“They were directly shooting at the heads of the students,” Naseer, a student and witness to the carnage who gave only his first name, told the Guardian.

He said that he counted more than 50 bodies strewn across the campus. With fifty of the most gravely wounded moved to a larger hospital in nearby Peshawar for treatment, there are fears that the death toll could rise as victims of the attack succumb to their injuries.
,,,
For many in Pakistan, however, the attack is painfully reminiscent of a similar Taliban-led siege on an army-run school in Peshawar last December. In that case, attackers similarly scaled the walls surrounding the campus and killed more than 130 students and teachers.

Havoc and Chaos: January 10, 2016::End of the day round-up

Trump campaign style harkens back to George Wallace in 1968 (VIDEO)

Maddow in her usual style brought many good comparisons between Trump and Wallace. Trump is a novice politically, Wallace was a master, marking the "beginning" of the Southern Strategy.

South Carolina Bill Targets Viagra to Get People Talking About Anti-Choice Laws

South Carolina’s legislative sessions begin next week, and on the agenda in the Republican-dominated house could be a much talked about pre-filed bill regarding men’s reproductive health.

State Rep. Mia McLeod (D-Richland) pre-filed a bill in December mandating that men seeking medication for erectile dysfunction jump through the same legal hoops as women seeking basic reproductive health care, including abortion care.

“Oh, I don’t think it’ll pass,” McLeod told South Carolina’s NBC affiliate, WCBD. “I really just want to broaden the discussion and get people thinking about and talking about some of the issues that women face who are seeking legal abortion services in this state.”

WATCH: @realBenCarson confronted at Staten Island town hall: "Do you think I chose to be gay?"

If it wasn't for Carson's prior idiotic statements, I could possibly pass this off as a "caught off guard moment". BUT,,,

"Because a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight -- and when they come out, they're gay. So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question."

his "history" of stupidity runs deep and as a candidate he should be "prepared". It is moments like these when the true colors begin to fly!

10+ Independent Online News Sources and Why America Needs More of Them

Lumosity to Pay $2 Million to Settle FTC Deceptive Advertising Charges for Its “Brain Training” Program

The creators and marketers of the Lumosity “brain training” program have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges alleging that they deceived consumers with unfounded claims that Lumosity games can help users perform better at work and in school, and reduce or delay cognitive impairment associated with age and other serious health conditions.

As part of the settlement, Lumos Labs, the company behind Lumosity, will pay $2 million in redress and will notify subscribers of the FTC action and provide them with an easy way to cancel their auto-renewal to avoid future billing.

“Lumosity preyed on consumers’ fears about age-related cognitive decline, suggesting their games could stave off memory loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “But Lumosity simply did not have the science to back up its ads.”

Projection much,,,

Why Don’t More Scientists Believe in Creation?

Also, most people go through the public school system, and they hear from an early age just evolution. They never hear, and they are not taught even to consider, an alternative hypothesis. So they are taught from an early age to suppress the truth, and so this is just the fruit of an educational system that ignores the opposition.

Also, by and large, they just don’t read our literature. They’re ignorant. Now, sadly, the professing Christians who hold evolution (for example, the BioLogos community) also seem to practice the same thing. In the few interactions I’ve had with their scholars, whether it’s theologians or scientists, they are clueless about anything scholarly that we’ve written. I’ll ask them, “Name the last young earth creationist scholarly book you’ve read.” The response: “I don’t know.” Have you read Coming to Grips with Genesis? No. Have you read Earth’s Catastrophic Past? No. So why don’t more people accept this? Because they’re totally ignorant of what we’ve printed. And they don't want to consider it.

And so to me that’s the answer to the question, “Why don’t more people believe it?” They never consider it; a lot of them probably don’t want to consider it because this obviously strikes at the very heart of their worldview, and Romans 1 says that it’s not just that there’s some indirect “Oh, I might have to think about Christianity.” No, the things of God are clearly seen from what has been made, so the creation issue strikes at the heart of their cherished beliefs, and they have to suppress it.

It’s practically impossible to define “GMOs”

Debates rage over what to do about genetically modified organisms, but we rarely stop to ask a more basic question: Do GMOs really exist? It’s an important question, because no one in this debate can tell you precisely what a GMO is. I’ve come to the conclusion that “GMO” is a cultural construct. It’s a metaphor we use to talk about a set of ideas. It doesn’t map neatly onto any clear category in the physical world.

GMOs, like other cultural constructs — think of gender, or race — do have a basis in reality, of course: We can roughly define “male” or “Asian,” but when we try to regulate these divisions, all kinds of problems crop up. And definitions of “GMOs” are much messier — “nerd” might be a roughly equivalent category. You know what a nerd is, but things would break down fast if you were required to label and regulate all the nerds. The definition of a nerd depends on the context; it depends on who’s asking. Same with GMOs.

As one researcher put it, “It is theoretically and practically impossible to precisely specify a supposed common denominator for all these [GMO] products.”
,,,
Like porn, GMOs defy strict definition because, like porn, GMOs are a cultural construct with borders that shift with the times. Perhaps the most accurate definition of GMO is social and contextual: Organisms breed in a way that people find threatening. Before GMOs, people objected to cross-pollinating flowers, on the grounds that gardeners were playing God. If that were a concern today we’d surely consider these engineered flowers GMOs. This cultural definition doesn’t make for firm borders, but there is a fuzzy collection of attributes — a gestalt — that we can all comprehend.

Let's see what the Reich is up to today shall we,,,

Pat Robertson: You Can Get AIDS From A Towel

“Not in Kenya. You might get AIDS in Kenya, the people have AIDS, you got to be careful, the towels can have AIDS,” he said.

Rev. Billy Graham: ‘America is Just as Wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah Ever Were’

Reverend Billy Graham, arguably the most well-known and respected evangelical preacher of the last 50 years, said in a recently published commentary that America was “founded by men who believed in prayer” and that prayer can turn “the tide of history,” adding that while “America is just as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah” and deserves “the judgment of God,” this judgment can be lessened through prayer.

“Even though America is just as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah ever were, and as deserving of the judgment of God, God would spare us if we were earnestly praying, with hearts that had been cleansed and washed by the blood of Christ,” said Rev. Graham in his commentary for Decision magazine, published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

“The problems of the world will never be settled unless our national leaders go to God in prayer,” he said. “If only they would discover the power and wisdom that there is in reliance upon God, we could soon see the solution to the grave problems that face the world!”

Louie Gohmert: Nurses infected with Ebola are part of the ‘Democrats’ war on women’

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) declared on Thursday that Center for Disease Control (CDC) Director Tom Frieden was in charge of “the Democrats’ war on women nurses.”

[,,,]
“You know, it’s a shame that the CDC head, Frieden, is apparently the commander of the Democrats’ new war on women nurses,” Gohmert opined. “Because, goodnight, they set them up, and then they throw them under the bus.”

“The idiot comes out and says that clearly she had violated protocol,” the Texas congressman continued. “At least in football, they have to tell you what you violated.”

John Hagee Says Ebola Is God's Judgment On America Because Obama Is Trying To Divide Israel

On yesterday's broadcast of the "Hagee Hotline," televangelist and Christians United For Israel founder John Hagee issued a stark warning to America that the Ebola crisis is God's judgment on America for President Obama's failure to adequately support Israel.

"I want every American to hear this very clearly," Hagee said, citing Joel 3 to warn that God will judge any nation that seeks to divide up Israel and declaring that "our president is dead set on dividing Jerusalem. God is watching and he will bring America into judgment."

Donald Trump: Ebola-Infected Immigrants Will 'Just Walk Into The Country' Over Mexican Border

Donald Trump appeared on “The Steve Deace Show” this week to discuss his upcoming fundraiser on behalf of Rep. Steve King, who is facing a tight re-election battle.

After lashing out at President Obama’s fondness for golf, claiming that the president shows “a level of arrogance that’s absolutely disgusting,” Trump said that he was attracted to King’s hardline anti-immigrant stance.

Glenn Beck's Advice On How To Stay Safe From Ebola: 'Whatever The Government Says To Do, Don't!'

Ever since the first case of Ebola appeared in America a few weeks back, Glenn Beck's response has steadily become more and more schizophrenic, as he has begun spending show and show utterly freaking out about how the disease will soon kill hundreds of thousands of people and destroy the U.S. economy while occasionally reassuring his audience that he is actually strangely calm in his "spirit," which makes him think that the outbreak won't turn into a unmitigated crisis and complete global disaster.

The target of most of his rage has been the federal government and especially the Centers for Disease Control, both of whom he has routinely accused of not only utter incompetence but outright criminal negligence. As such, Beck offered a bit of life-saving advice to his listeners today: "Whatever the government says to do, don't."

"Listen to me carefully, America," Beck said. "Listen to me. This may actually save your life someday. I want you to remember this: whatever the government says to do, don't!"

Larry Pratt: Obama Will Use Undocumented Immigrants As His 'Praetorian Guard'

Gun Owners of America’s Larry Pratt is convinced that President Obama is destabilizing the U.S. military while lifting up undocumented immigrants, and Pratt thinks he knows why: the president is trying to create his own personal paramilitary staffed by undocumented immigrants.

Pratt, who once wondered if Obama will have a private army to fight in his looming race war, told a listener on the conservative radio show “Crosstalk” this week that the president will enlist immigrants in his private “Praetorian Guard.”

“Bring them in from out of town, they don’t have any connectivity with the folks in the area and they’re only going to be loyal to the guy who brought him,” he explained.

Erik Rush: 'Diabolical' Obama May 'Want Ebola To Spread In The United States'

In yet another column suggesting that President Obama wants to infect people with Ebola, Erik Rush writes today in WorldNetDaily that the Ebola virus may be part of “various escalating crises in America being orchestrated by the White House in order to ultimately ‘legitimize’ a declaration of martial law in America.”

Rush argues that “given how manifestly diabolical I know this president and his administration to be,” there is a strong chance that administration officials actually “want Ebola to spread in the United States.”