Five myths about healthcare, and the facts

It can be difficult to find honest information in the sea of scare tactics surrounding health care reform in the United States. Certain parties are counting on a massive campaign of lies and fear to stop any reforms. Salon.com has tackled five of the most prevalent myths and falsehoods being deliberately passed among our citizens.

Obama wants to kill your grandma

Over the last few weeks, opponents (of health care reform) have managed to get out their spin on the bill through talk radio, blogs, chain e-mails and other channels. And their talking points depend on a notably elastic approach to the truth. Here's a fact check of some of the more alarming claims that the right is making about healthcare reform, claims that are already hardening into myth.

Give it a fast read to educate and protect yourself from the insurance company attacks.

Gay to Straight Camps/Therapy Don't Work

If you deal in reality and know any gay people this one won't surprise you. For the rest of you I present the following:

Programs to change gays to straights don't work, report says

The American Psychological Association concluded Wednesday that there is little evidence that efforts to change a person's sexual orientation from gay or lesbian to heterosexual are effective.

In addition, the 138-page report -- covering 87 peer-reviewed studies -- said that such efforts may cause harm.

These "reprogramming" camps and counselors follow typical pattern behavior for some religious conservatives. If the world doesn't match your religious beliefs, homosexuality and evolution for example, then you deny reality and work to convince others of the lie, even to their detriment.

How people with this sort of detachment from the world can claim the moral high ground is beyond me. Is the fear of being wrong really that powerful?

Refuting Birthers for Dummies

Those smart cookies over at Salon have created a guide for refuting all of the Obama birther babble that the tinfoil hat crowd is screaming all over the internet.

Personally I think it doesn't matter what anyone says, these people won't care. They hate the president and this is their vehicle to express that hatred. It could be because of race, politics, ideology or just dementia but no amount of evidence will change things in their minds. Pretty scary.

Salon's handy-dandy guide to refuting the Birthers

In the spirit of public service, Salon has compiled this list of the most popular Birther myths, along with all the debunking you could ever ask for. Now you can just e-mail this list to Uncle Floyd and get on with your life.

Good idea. Maybe I can head-off my relatives for once.

58 percent of GOP Doubt Obama's Citizenship

The results of the following poll are funny but the gold lies in the comments to the article. These birthers are absolutely hilarious and a goldmine for any center or left leaning person.

58 percent of GOP not sure/doubt Obama born in US

A whopping 58 percent of Republicans either think Barack Obama wasn't born in the US (28 percent) or aren't sure (30 percent). A mere 42 percent think he was.

That means a majority of Republicans polled either don't know about -- or don't believe the seemingly incontrovertible evidence Obama's camp has presented over and over and over that he was born in Hawaii in '61.

I hope they never, ever stop.

Single Payer Now!

It makes me so happy to see a representative actually say this out loud:

Dem asks, "Why do we even need the insurance companies?"

The congressman added that he believes medicare works so well and is so simple that America does not need the health insurance companies at all.

“Why do we even need the insurance companies?” he asked. “What constructive role are they playing? They’re taking tens of billions of dollars each year and putting that into profits when that should have been going into healthcare.”

He declared that only a “true single-payer system” will work and said he plans to introduce legislation that would accomplish those ends. “It’s simpler and we know it works,” he said.

The answer is simple. We do not need the insurance companies for health care, at all. Single payer is the only way to go. Get on board people!

Organic Food Has No Health Benefits

Currently the only thing I buy marked as "organic" would be eggs, mostly because I like the idea of free range birds. It does not shock me that organic food is nothing special but the organic veggie folks at work are not going to like it.

Organic food has no health benefits, study finds

Shoppers pay more for organic fruit, vegetables, chicken, beef and milk but the food gives no nutritional enhancement to people’s diet.

Why pay more?

Sunbeds Carcinogenic to Humans

Tanned skin is attractive but the idea of squishing myself into a box of sun lamps always seemed a bit dangerous. Apparently it's more than a "bit" dangerous...

Study: Sunbeds as harmful as cigarettes

It followed a review of research which concluded that the risk of melanoma -- the most deadly form of skin cancer -- was increased by 75 per cent in people who started using sunbeds regularly before the age of 30.

Seventy five percent increase in the risk of melanoma for sunbed users. That sort of a number is hard to ignore so perhaps we shouldn't ignore it.

Come on Raw Story...

Reading Raw Story today I came across the following article:

Detroit family dead after "glitch" led to power shut-off

Falling behind in your bills can be deadly, as the tragic story of a Detroit family shows.

I used to really like Raw Story until I noticed a pattern of bait and switch with regard to their headlines. Frequently I see articles like the one above which may lead someone to believe that the power being shut off killed this family. That an evil corporation is responsible for the deaths.

Reading a bit further into the article, though, you come across the REAL reason for the death:

Vaughn Reed, 46, and his three children, Markeisha, 17, DeMarco, 12, and DeMarte, six, died in the early morning hours of Friday from carbon monoxide emitted by a generator in the basement of the family’s two-story home on Detroit’s west side.

So, this family died because the father took a gas powered generator, which I'm sure had "DO NOT USE INDOORS.", "DO NOT USE IN A CONFINED SPACE" stamped all over it and put it in his basement. He then sealed the windows and ran the generator.

On Thursday night, the family had sealed all the windows to run the air conditioning, the Detroit Free Press reports. By the time the house began to fill with carbon monoxide at around 3 a.m., it was too late.

So basically he duplicated what a suicide does when he runs a hose from his tailpipe into his drivers window and seals himself inside. How is this the fault of the power company? This is blatant stupidity, the inability to read standard warning labels and lack of 6th grade science knowledge.

Is it sad? Yes, very sad, especially that the children died. Is it the fault of the power company? Oh HELL no! So how about it Raw Story? Would you care to start labeling your headlines accurately or is it all about manufactured drama?

Pretty lame.

Estimated 1.4 Billion Dollars for California from Pot Tax

Mr Governor please read this and pay attention. Get this thing passed and you'll see a lot more money than 1.4 Billion from the taxes. Our tourism dollars are going to go through the roof!

Legal pot could generate $1.4B in revenue, tax board says

Calif tax officials: Legal pot would rake in $1.4B

California tax officials have found that a state bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue.

This is money that we, as residents of California, are owed but which is not being collected by the state. Get a move on!

Swearing Lowers Pain

Cursing to distract myself from pain has always been an effective strategy. Perhaps some other voices will convince my mother.

[BLEEP!] That hurts!

Thankfully, Dr. Richard Stephens and his team at Keele University in the United Kingdom just published a study that says swearing actually has a pain-lessening effect. (See Mom? It’s healthy!) When we swear, we increase our threshold for pain, meaning we can bear it longer and don’t feel it as much. Stephens is not sure why this happens, only that for some reason, “swearing appears to increase our pain tolerance.”

Dr Stephens is unsure as to why this effect takes place but I will take a shot. If you are busy cursing your face off then there is no remaining energy to focus on the pain. Works like a charm.

Republicans Aren't the Enemy of Science?

We'll let this quote from a recent Pew Research Center survey report speak for itself...

Public Praises Science; Scientists Fault Public, Media

Most scientists identify as Democrats (55%), while 32% identify as independents and just 6% say they are Republicans. When the leanings of independents are considered, fully 81% identify as Democrats or lean to the Democratic Party, compared with 12% who either identify as Republicans or lean toward the GOP. Among the public, there are far fewer self-described Democrats (35%) and far more Republicans (23%). Overall, 52% of the public identifies as Democratic or leans Democratic, while 35% identifies as Republican or leans Republican.

Yes you read that right, only 6% of scientists identify as Republican. Pretty clear message that science and conservatism don't mix.

California TV Stations Censor Marijuana Tax Ad

Apparently certain California TV stations think they know what's best for the community and are refusing to show a legal and legitimate political advertisement:

California TV Stations "Just Say No" to Drug Policy Ad

Censorship in California: Marijuana Ad Campaign Rejected by TV Stations

It would appear that marijuana legalization is a legitimate political topic in California, but that's not what a number of the state's major market TV stations think. At least six stations have rejected or ignored the ads. Oakland NBC affiliate KTVU and San Francisco ABC affiliate KGO declined to air the ad, as did San Jose NBC affiliate KNTV. Three Los Angeles stations, KABC, Fox affiliate KTTV, and KTLA also refused to air the ad.

Please take a moment to send a message to these stations and inform them that their censorship is not needed or wanted.

KTVU Oakland - General Manager
KGO San Francisco - Contact Form
KNTV San Jose - Contact Form
KABC Los Angeles - Contact Form
KTTV Los Angeles - Contact Form
KTLA Los Angeles - Station Management

Free Speech in Alabama

A family member in Alabama tipped me off to the following article:

I-20 billboard message 'Imagine No Religion' stirs emotions

It's not surprising that a southern company refused to place the billboard message:

Gaylor said she wanted a billboard near the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, but a billboard company, Lamar Advertising, declined to accept the advertisement. "We got censored by Lamar," Gaylor said.

"It was offensive to me," said Tom Traylor, general manager of Lamar Advertising in Birmingham. "We have the autonomy to decide what's in the best interests of our company and what's offensive. I don't think it was the kind of message we wanted to stand behind.
...
Traylor said the "Imagine No Religion" slogan is unpatriotic. "It flies in the face of how our country was founded," he said.

My problem with this is the choke hold on free speech. If a company owns all the billboards in a certain area and refuses to accept a legally protected advertisement how is this not a restriction on free speech?

An editorial from the Talladega Daily Home does a great job breaking it down in a simple way:

Freedom of speech trumps billboard petition

No matter how many people find the billboard offensive, no matter how many of them sign a petition, the Freethought Association members have every right to express their opinions.

So there is no question here — The Daily Home is not taking any position agreeing with (or disagreeing with) what the sign says — just that it is protected speech under the Constitution.

Very powerful and courageous words from a publication rooted in the deep south. The post is wrapped up nicely as follows:

Since billboards line our highways all over the state, many of them of a religious nature promoting traditional Christian values, such advertisements as the Freethought Association’s must also be allowed.

Removing the sign would not only be a direct violation of the freedoms guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, it would very likely open the door to legal action based on civil rights violations.

Much respect and admiration to the publishers and staff of the Talladega Daily Home for their defense of freedom and expression against negative public opinion.

Stimulus Performing as Expected

Watching The News Hour last night I was fortunate enough to catch Mark Zandi talking about the stimulus. You can listen to an audio recording of the segment here.

I found his comments refreshing as he seemed fairly non-political and well informed. This morning I located Mark's recent analysis (June 22nd, 2009) that explains his position in a bit more detail:

U.S. Fiscal Stimulus Revisited

• The stimulus that became law in February should reach its point of maximum economic benefit this summer.

• Most of the benefit so far comes from checks to state and local governments and expanded unemployment insurance benefits to workers.

• The plan is performing about as expected, but policymakers should be prepared to do more if the economy flags.

During the program last night Congressman Cantor (R - VA) repeatedly stated that the stimulus has failed solely because unemployment numbers have risen higher than expected. This seems to be a disingenuous attempt to criticize the President and the stimulus pack for the simple reason of obstruction but I acknowledge that he is probably doing what is expected of him by his party, if not his constituents.

It was continually pointed out by Congressman Van Hollen (D - MD) that the stimulus is a two year plan making it too early to gauge success. That being said Mr. Zandi's comments indicate that the plan, at this point, seems to be performing as expected regardless of any fear mongering.

Campaign Finance Reform Under Seige

President Obama breaking his campaign promises shouldn't be a surprise to me or anyone else. He is a politician and that's what they do, religiously. Still, I hope that he takes some action to save campaign finance reform and reverse the tide of treating corporations like people in this country.

Barack Obama could preside over demise of modern campaign finance

Decades of lawmaking and court decisions restricting the flow of cash into U.S. elections are on the verge of coming undone, placing President Barack Obama in the unexpected position of presiding over the possible demise of the modern campaign finance regime.

One of the largest problems with our system of democracy is money in politics. Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold are leaders on this issue but lack of backing from the White House and our other representatives is very disappointing.

In the past couple of months alone, a bitter partisan deadlock has escalated at the Federal Election Commission, resulting in the reversal of enforcement precedents and dismissal of case after case of alleged violations. The Supreme Court has signaled it will consider overturning a key pillar of the seminal 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, and the White House and congressional leaders have ignored increasingly frantic calls to buttress the campaign finance system.

One of my greatest desires is to have money completely removed from politics as a deciding issue. All candidates should use the same amount of money and the same resources to seek election. Money is not speech and should not be treated as speech. Money is influence and power, which primary factors of division within our society.

Free speech and advocacy should be protected. Allowing those with the biggest bank accounts to buy elections should be banned entirely.

Stretching - Good for Therapy, Bad for Exercise

When participating in sports and exercise, warming up and performing activities at half-speed is recommended. Traditional stretching is still beneficial for increasing flexibility and medical therapy based on this article:

Traditional stretching doesn't help, studies find

In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed 361 research studies done by the epidemiology program office and found no evidence that stretching before or after exercise prevents injury or muscle soreness. Specifically, they were looking at traditional stretching, also known as static stretching, which involves holding a stretched pose for several seconds or more. Think splits or toe touches.

Looks like no more goofy looking stretches for me at the golf course.

Ignorant People Should Not Be In Charge

I only have one little problem with the creative fiction posted recently on Hot Air:

It Always Has Been About Trig

Upon reading this bold headline my first thought was "What has it always been about and who the f- is Trig?". It only took a few seconds of reading to find out the post was about Sarah Palin and her Down Syndrome son, the main thrust of the article is as follows:

I do know why the left hates her so much. And it keeps coming back to Trig.

Some advice to other readers:

- Be highly suspicious of a person who claims to speak for or understand the views of another person.

- Be extra, highly suspicious when listening to a person speak about their opposition.

- If you want to know how a person feels, don't assume you know or trust hearsay, ask them yourself.

My opinion:

I do not hate Sarah Palin and have no opinion of her family members.

I have a problem with an ignorant person being in charge of anything, especially someone who is proud of this ignorance.

I have an additional problem with a person who asks for the trust of the public yet demonstrates a very loose connection to the truth.

These do not seem to be difficult points to grasp. My guess being the author is manufacturing a distraction which is thinly disguised as an invented attack on her child. Pretty lame.

Palin Gives Up With a Year and a Half to Go

Are you really shocked that this inept person finally gave up?

Palin stepping down this month

Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ed Rollins said, to a certain extent, Palin's announcement makes her look "terribly inept."

"I think everyone is shocked by this, and I think to a certain extent everyone is going to assume there's another story. You don't just quit with a year and a half to go. You certainly don't do this as a stepping stone to run for president. You finish the job that you're in, and obviously she's not doing that," he said.

"I think people are going to be very suspicious because of the timing. You don't quit on the Friday of a three-day holiday. If you are going to do this, you think it through, you give a good speech," Rollins said.

This isn't really surprising. She bailed on the people of Alaska and would obviously do the same thing to the people of the United States if given the chance and subjected to a harsh David Letterman joke.

Personally I think it was the Vanity Fair article that finally pushed her over the edge. I could go on about how this should have happened a long time ago but Matt Damon did it best so let us revisit:

Anti-smoking Drugs Carry Suicide Risk

Those with family or friends using one of these anti-smoking solution should take notice and consider an alternative.

FDA: Boxed Warning on Serious Mental Health Events to be Required for Chantix and Zyban

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it is requiring manufacturers to put a Boxed Warning on the prescribing information for the smoking cessation drugs Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion). The warning will highlight the risk of serious mental health events including changes in behavior, depressed mood, hostility, and suicidal thoughts when taking these drugs.

“The risk of serious adverse events while taking these products must be weighed against the significant health benefits of quitting smoking,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States and we know these products are effective aids in helping people quit.”

Similar information on mental health events will be required for bupropion marketed as the antidepressant Wellbutrin and for generic versions of bupropion. These drugs already carry a Boxed Warning for suicidal behavior in treating psychiatric disorders.

Indian Court Strikes Down Anti-Gay Law

It seem that the swell is building across the world with regard to promoting Gay Rights. The Biased Bully would like to applaud Anjali Gopalan, head of the Naz Foundation and all of the activists, lawyers and volunteers who help in these efforts.

Indian Court Legalizes Gay Sex

In the past decade, gay rights activists and lawyers have strived hard to abrogate Section 377, calling it "inhuman", and as the Naz Foundation, which filed the petition to abolition 377 in 2001 argued, a violation of constitutional rights to privacy and equality.
...
In its ruling today, the Delhi High Court affirmed that claim, saying that Section 377 violated basic human rights. The same court however, had dismissed a similar petition in 2001. It is clear that this latest ruling is a reflection of increased activism by gay rights groups and high profiled supporters like Bollywood actress and Former Miss World Celina Jaitley, along with a more progressive government.

Obviously the struggle has just begun:

There are also other hurdles to consider: the decision is valid only in New Delhi, and doesn't apply to the rest of the country; it can (and in most probability will) be challenged in the Supreme Court; and it doesn't legalize homosexuality, only decriminalizes it.

Good luck to Naz India in their future efforts and much respect for fighting the good fight.

Iceland's Financial Collapse Mirrors Wall Street

I've just finished a lengthy and interesting article about the financial collapse in Iceland. There are many, many parallels between their situation and our own here in the United States. Perhaps this article will reinforce the alarms which should sound in every single person when they are offered something for nothing.

Wall Street on the Tundra

Iceland’s de facto bankruptcy—its currency (the krona) is kaput, its debt is 850 percent of G.D.P., its people are hoarding food and cash and blowing up their new Range Rovers for the insurance—resulted from a stunning collective madness. What led a tiny fishing nation, population 300,000, to decide, around 2003, to re-invent itself as a global financial power? In Reykjavík, where men are men, and the women seem to have completely given up on them, the author follows the peculiarly Icelandic logic behind the meltdown.

Particularly interesting is this indirect argument for regulation:

One of the hidden causes of the current global financial crisis is that the people who saw it coming had more to gain from it by taking short positions than they did by trying to publicize the problem. Plus, most of the people who could credibly charge Iceland—or, for that matter, Lehman Brothers—with financial crimes could be dismissed as crass profiteers, talking their own book.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that kids playing together with no supervision will not do what's best for the group as a whole. The same thing applies to any system driven by self interest and promotion (i.e. unregulated markets). Independent regulation and oversight is a must for any long term balance and safety to be maintained.

Chris Dodd Flips On Gay Marriage

Respect to Senator Dodd (D - Conn) for having the stones to "come out" and change his position on Gay Marriage.

Dodd flips on gay marriage

“Public officials aren’t supposed to change their minds,” he writes. “But I firmly believe that it’s important to keep learning. Last week, while I was in Connecticut meeting with members of the gay and lesbian community from across the state, I had the opportunity to tell them what I’ve learned about marriage and about equality.”

Personally, I feel this is another example of how the "stay the course" mentality is nothing more than a demonstration of incredibly static thinking and the inability to react to changing circumstances, new information and personal experiences.

Bravo Mr. Dodd!

The "Intelligent Design" Back Pedal

Sometimes I get the feeling that things in England are about two years behind the curve. This feeling was reinforced recently by Melanie Phillips, an writer for Spectator Magazine , as she belatedly tried to consider and defend the concept of Intelligent Design.

Her initial article provoked an immediate and warranted response from people who are actually up to date on this particular issue. Let's just repeat the basic response to her article:

Intelligent Design is not science but simply a re-branding of Creationism by Christian followers working to insert religion into public schools.

For those who are unsure about this particular response I would offer the following documentary by PBS:

Judgment Day: Intelligent Design On Trial

"Judgment Day captures on film a landmark court case with a powerful scientific message at its core," says Paula Apsell, NOVA's Senior Executive Producer. "Evolution is one of the most essential yet, for many people, least understood of all scientific theories, the foundation of biological science. We felt it was important for NOVA to do this program to heighten the public understanding of what constitutes science and what does not, and therefore, what is acceptable for inclusion in the science curriculum in our public schools."

Her answer to the criticism is a partial back pedal which has been covered beautifully by Jerry Coyne here:

Poor beleaguered Melanie Phillips

"She mentions Michael Behe as one of the scientific IDers, asserting that “He is not a Creationist.” Does she know that he once said that new species were “poofed” into being by the designer? If that ain’t creationism, I don’t know what is."

Educating herself on this issue rather than penning another article demonstrating her lack of knowledge on this particular topic would be much more rewarding.

Big ups to Charles Johnson over at Little Green Footballs for the link to Coyne's article and for fighting the good fight.