Stomach flu—Norovirus

Use soap and water, not hand sanitizer to protect from the flu virus.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers may stop bacterial infections and even cold and some flu strains in their tracks. But when it comes to norovirus, they don’t do much good. That’s because alcohol in the sanitizer can rupture the "envelopes" around viruses like the flu, according to the New York Times. Norovirus doesn’t have such an envelope, so the alcohol doesn't destroy it.

A CDC study of long-term care facilities published in 2011 found that those where the staff primarily used hand sanitizer to disinfect were six times more likely to have a norovirus outbreak than those where staffers lathered up with soap and water.

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/stomach-flu-prevention/#ixzz2keSzMDzF

50 shades of grey porn--yuk

Two Belgian university professors recently decided to submit the 10 most borrowed books at the Antwerp library to bacteriology and toxicology tests.

Traces of cocaine were found on all 10 books. The traces were small enough that readers would not feel the effects, but significant enough that they could test positive for cocaine.

But the real case of life imitating art was revealed when the scientists discovered traces of the herpes virus in the pages of the erotic tale Fifty Shades of Grey.

Brietbart.com

How we got Common Core, spoken by a high school student

Good information.  Did you know the Common Core background?  Untested.  Not even from the Department of Education. Few educators.  Why should Bill and Melinda Gates have more to say about the education of your children than your teachers, your local school board, your state board of education and the Department of Education? It’s right here: “develop next-generation instructional tools and assessments.” 

“. . . the Gates Foundation underwrote the organizations writing the Common Core standards: the National Governors Association, Student Achievement Partners (David Coleman), the Council of Chief State School Officers, and Achieve. She sums up what she found: "In total, the four organizations primarily responsible for CCSS -- NGA, CCSSO, Achieve, and Student Achievement Partners -- have taken $147.9 million from Bill Gates." Huffington Post, 10/10/13

“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation intends to continue investing in the assessments and tools that will make the standards real and productive—primarily those targeted for classroom use. This commitment is crucial to our goal of substantially increasing student achievement. One way we hope to further this important work is by investing $250 million over eight years to develop next-generation instructional tools and assessments that will help states and school districts implement the standards. We will also fund research that uses hard evidence to identify ways that states can adjust standards and assessments to better help students succeed.”

http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/2678/BREAKING-National-Catholic-Educational-Association-Responds-to-Common-Core-Concerns-and-Gates-Foundation-Grant.aspx

Are you listening, Syrians?

I hope that if President Assad, the Syrian Kurds and the Syrian rebels were monitoring yesterday's press conference with President Obama, they realize he can't be trusted, will promise anything about things he knows nothing about and was out of the room when it came up, and will do anything he can to politically advance his cause, but not theirs.

"He knows everything. And yet he seems to know nothing. He’s passionate about the details of domestic policy but wasn’t privy to the details of his own legacy law. He’s an academic with a command of every issue at once but seemingly only finds out what his administration is doing in news reports. He’s so brilliant every normal endeavor he’s tried has bored him, but he couldn’t bother to entertain himself with more than one monthly meeting on the make-or-break program of his presidency. He’s the captain of the Culture of Competency who has overseen the most incompetent rollout of an entitlement program in history." Mary Katherine Ham, at Hot Air, Nov. 14.

Ohio adoption laws discriminate

No one has to tell me about the discrimination and injustice of adoption laws in Ohio. But maybe you didn't know--there are adopted citizens born in Ohio who are discriminated against and then there are regular type citizens, who have all the usual rights. And the adopted citizens are in 3 classes, 2 free, and one in bondage:

The Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, houses birth and adoption records of persons born in Ohio and adopted anywhere in the United States. Below is the list of Adoption laws and procedures that are used in Ohio:

•Adoptions Prior to January 1, 1964 - Adoption records open to people who were born and adopted in Ohio, with proper identification.
•Adoptions Between January 1, 1964 and September 18, 1996 - Adoption records are sealed and only opened by a probate court order (H.B. 84)
•Adoptions After September 18, 1996 - Adoption records are open to adoptive parents when the adopted person is between 18-21 years of age. If the adopted person is 21 years or older, the records are open to the adoptee. Records will only be opened if the required documentation and releases are on file.

Why should someone born in 1996 or 1957 have more rights than someone born in 1964 or 1995? Supposedly, it's about privacy, about promises made to some nameless person 30-50 years ago. I don't believe that. I say, follow the money. Someone in the legislature in 1963, or someone with money and influence, didn't want to be found, was afraid for his reputation or feared his "legal" children would face an inheritance challenge at some point in the future. If you have a better answer, I'd like to hear it justify such an unfair, discriminatory law that crosses all races (except American Indians who have special rights of their own), genders, life-styles, religions and economic classes.

http://www.odh.ohio.gov/vitalstatistics/legalinfo/adoption.aspx

Who’s the maverick now?

At Huffington Post, a left wing source, just 2 months ago: "Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ripped Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) after he gave an anti-Obamacare speech that lasted over 21 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. The speech, which was not techinally a filibuster because it did not delay any votes, was labeled an "extended oratory" by McCain, who spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday. McCain said he took issue with some of the content of Cruz's speech, including a Nazi comparison." At the very least, McCain needs to apologize and hand over his "maverick" mantle to Cruz.

Obama tells insurance companies to sell illegal products

“This is a staggering display of a reckless president cavalierly instructing states to ignore federal law. President Obama is shifting the blame by saying it's up to states and state insurance commissioners to fix the massive problem his signature law has created for millions of Americans who are losing their health insurance. President Obama did succeed at one thing today: making a bad situation worse with a ‘fix’ that will create more confusion for consumers and threatens to destabilize the health insurance industry. Obamacare is an abject failure; it's time to overturn this ill-conceived, job-killing nightmare that ultimately will bankrupt this country.” - Governor Rick Perry http://bit.ly/gl50dhc3

Imagine you’re the buyer.  Obama has told the insurance companies to sell an illegal product. Would you buy it, and then later if you had a problem, who would you go to?   He didn’t change the law; didn’t ask Congress.  Just told them to ignore the law because he said so.  Well, he’s said a lot of things the last 5 years that were lies, so who is going to fall for this one. 

Obama is a bully about insurance

If I own a sensible van and avoid driving like a jack rabbit, I save money on gasoline. If I do my own food preparation and don't eat every meal in a restaurant, I save money on food. If I shop at Kohl's or Macy's instead of Crucinelli or Savannah, I save money on clothes. If I don't color my hair, I save money at the hair dresser. If I'm careful about water and electricity usage my utility bills are low. But if I don't smoke or drink, keep my BMI and exercise at a healthy level, am monogamous, prefer reading a book to deep sea diving, have a college education and attend church regularly, Obama believes I should not be allowed to pay less for my health insurance than someone who has a life style and behaviors very different from mine. And if I choose to pay for my own health care, select my own doctor, and insure only for crisis or emergency situations, Obama demeans my choice and calls that insurer substandard and bad.

The President’s faux fix

I listened to the news conference (which sounded like a commercial for the Affordable Care Act) and almost gagged. At last, some of that transparency we were promised.

Remember when Obama lied about his mother losing her health insurance? He told some more whoppers today. If insurance was as bad as he says, the media would be interviewing these people daily to shore up his argument. I doubt that he's been persuaded by citizens losing their insurance, or even Democratic politicians who have to run in 2014. He promised in the short run the insurance companies would have all these new customers because people would be forced to buy it thereby making huge profits, and I'm guessing that's where the pressure is coming from.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/11/14/obamas-cancellation-fix-violating-law-short-term-public-relations-move/

President Obama has told Obamacare’s critics that the law is “settled” and “here to stay.” But today he is saying he’ll violate the law to put a Band-Aid on it for another year. That’s in addition to the one-year delay in the employer mandate and numerous other “fixes” and delays.

Winter came early

this year.  We just aren’t ready.  It seems we just got back from Lakeside.  Tuesday morning we awoke to white puffs on trees and bushes still bursting with fall color, or at least they were on Monday.  Then the sun came out, but the temperature didn’t rise much.   My childhood friend, Lynne, sent this poem.  Expresses very much how I feel.

The tree has blossomed overnight,
For every twig is frozen white
And garlanded with crystal sprays
That sparkle in the sun's bright rays
And on the window I can trace,
Where silver branches interlace,
A picture on the pane embossed:
A fairy orchard white with frost.

Lynne Fleming Wilburn

Peeping while you are sleeping . . .

Dan McCall, a young graphic artist, was interviewed on the Glenn Beck show last night.  He’s in trouble with the government for this t-shirt which says the NSA is the only part of government that actually listens.

With the help of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, he is suing the NSA for violating his First Amendment rights.

Megyn Kelly interviews Dr. Emanuel twice on Fox

If you wanted to throw something at the TV watching Megyn Kelly's interviews with Zeke Emanuel, you'll love what he said in 2008--his audacious views and rationing beliefs were all out there, and he was Obama's main advisor on this death trap called PPACA. Oh yes, and he claims it's Fox News and Republicans' fault. Sorry, Zeke, but as you blame, your own words point 3 fingers back to you and the advice he got from you.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203706604574374463280098676

http://therightscoop.com/round-2-megyn-kelly-interviews-ezekiel-emanuel-again-and-hes-blames-fox-news-for-failure-of-obamacare-rollout/

It’s not a failed “roll out;” it’s a terrible law.

Feinstein has to leave the plantation—briefly

If she believed that “the majority of Americans with coverage continually say they are happy with the coverage they have” then why did she vote to change it? For the small percentage that didn’t have insurance, wouldn’t buy it, or didn’t need it?  So everyone would have equally poor insurance?

http://www.humanevents.com/2013/11/13/obamacare-kills-a-million-insurance-plans-in-california-feinstein-bails/

http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-obamacare-2014-elections-democrats-senate-2013-11

Stage four cancer

And she’s lost her insurance that was working very well for her.  Thank you, President Obama.

Next on the chopping block—employee health insurance

“Right now, most people getting cancellations bought plans in the individual market. Wait until the other shoe drops in 2014 and millions more people who had coverage through their job lose it. The truth about Obamacare will become so painfully obvious that even the White House lie machine won’t be able to cover it up.” Betsy McCaughey is a former Lt. governor of New York

The Jimmy Kimmel dust-up

Just a follow up on Jimmy Kimmel's China comment. Last night Glenn Beck interviewed Pastor Bob Fu, a former Communist and atheist from China, and now a Christian. He and his wife left China to save the life of their unborn child. We've all heard of the one child policy, but he said Chinese women have to carry a "birth permit" which records their periods, insertion of birth control device, etc., because they need government permission to conceive, even for the first child. The document he showed to the camera sort of looked like a passport with the woman’s photo, and stamps, and notes. Pastor Fu and his wife hadn't obtained the proper permit and could not get medical assistance. So even 8 and 9 month old babies can be aborted against their parents' wishes. So if ABC or Jimmy Kimmel want a come back to the racism charges, let them do some investigative reporting and tell the truth about the Chinese government continuing to kill its own citizens.

The Omnibus Final Rule

It’s just not good to read “conundrum,” “new regulations,” “administrative and technical challenges,” “impede innovation,” and “contentious issue” all in the same article about HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.  Not after the sloppy, struggling, and insecure roll out of Obamacare.  The Omnibus Final Rule.

There are a few hot button words for me in the JAMA September 18, 2013 article, “The HIPAA Conundrum in the Era of Mobile Health and Communications.”

• mandates
• redefined
• expanded
• now considered
• now required
• can be held criminally liable
• pose technical challenges
• estimated cost $114-225 million for start up
• underestimates compliance costs
• may impose unfunded mandates
• may impede innovation
• in theory. . .
• in practice. . .
• actual security will rely on user’s behavior
• important hurdles
• employing consultants has become the norm
• can be costly
• down stream contractors
• poor guidance
• impose
• shift
• refuse
• trapped
• impassable requirements
• penalized
• landscape is rapidly evolving

Evolution explained cold

1984 all over again

"Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult…. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working hours or shorter rations. And when they become discontented, as they sometimes did, their discontentment led nowhere, because being without general ideas, they could only focus it on petty specific grievances.”

“Substandard” insurance

Obama loves to call your current health insurance "substandard." But insurance, like banks, is very highly regulated--by the government, and especially the state governments. And those regulations benefit the big guys who spend millions on lobbying the most. That's the same for all industries whether insurance, banking, agriculture, entertainment, toys, snack food or academia. The regulations are specifically written (many drafted by the industry itself) to keep the little guy from being competition. So the next time he tells you that, throw something at the TV and don't forget to vote in the next election.

Insurance agents are required to have extensive training, and continuing education. They have to have back ground checks and finger printing. Obama's navigators? Nothing.

Undercover video of navigator guiding a citizen to sign up with Obamacare. Not only have so-called “Obamacare navigators” not been properly vetted by Enroll America, but they are actively encouraging consumers to lie to the IRS in order to get more money in Obamacare subsidies and in fact themselves are admitting to defrauding the government. And what makes this even worse is that Enroll America, ostensibly a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, seems to be sharing information with Battleground Texas, which is described by its regional field director as “a grassroots organization dedicated to turning Texas blue.”