Hate speech is verbal communication that induces anger due to the listener’s inability to offer an intelligent response.

Mike Adams

For those interested in the history of media and self-serving cries that the sky is falling, read Fire and Ice (provided under the Fair Use Act for educational purposes). I remember the media trying to scare me as a kid with stories of the upcoming Global Ice Age, which is one of the many reasons why I laugh at the Gorekins who tell me that mankind is causing the Earth to overheat. When discussing this with a senior friend years ago, he told me that he remembered the media trying to sell news about the Earth getting too hot sometime between the World Wars. The Fire and Ice report not only documents these cases, but points out one to which I was unfamiliar.

It was five years before the turn of the century and major media were warning of disastrous climate change. Page six of The New York Times was headlined with the serious concerns of "geologists." Only the president at the time wasn’t Bill Clinton; it was Grover Cleveland. And the Times wasn’t warning about global warming –it was telling readers the looming dangers of a new ice age.

The year was 1895, and it was just one of four different time periods in the last 100 years when major print media predicted an impending climate crisis. Each prediction carried its own elements of doom, saying Canada could be “wiped out” or lower crop yields would mean “billions will die.”

This particular case received what press it did because the lesbian killer then chopped up her dead victim with a chainsaw in a vain attempt to hide the evidence. Both women were also deaf, which raised the media interest level. I am linking to several stories because I will want to find an active link the next time some politically correct liberal says we need a hate crimes law. Punish murders because they are murderers, not because of their motivation. I’ve quoted from several of the stories to give you a summary.

Wright is black, deaf and a lesbian. Her victim, Darlene VanderGiesen, was white, deaf and heterosexual.

Prosecutors said that Wright was jealous of the friendship VanderGiesen had with Wright’s former lover and that it turned to rage that drove Wright to kidnap VanderGiesen, kill her, burn the body and cut it apart with a chain saw.

The jury had to decide unanimously that Wright’s mind was depraved at the time of the crime before even considering whether death is appropriate. After about eight hours of deliberation, jurors found that Wright had the depravity of mind, but they decided that she should not be executed for it.

It means Wright will spend the rest of her life at the women's prison in Pierre or the penitentiary in Sioux Falls.

Hop is one of the four key ingredients in beer. Thus, if estrogen is present in hops, it will be present in beer unless the distilling process manages to eliminate it. If estrogen is present in beer, males who imbibe beer may start displaying feminine characteristics.

To test this theory, 100 men were provided with nine 12 ounce cans of beer within one hour. It was then observed that 100% of the subjects:

gained weight
talked excessively without making sense
became overly emotional
could not drive very well
failed to think rationally
argued over nothing
had to sit down to urinate

No further testing was considered necessary. Male beer drinkers should take a concerned look at their beer consumption.

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E.Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m . traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River .

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are known to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

A new study shows zapping sponges and plastic scrubbing pads in the microwave can kill bacteria, such as E. coli, that can cause illness.

”People often put their sponges and scrubbers in the dishwasher, but if they really want to decontaminate them and not just clean them, they should use the microwave."

The results showed that two minutes in the microwave at full power killed or inactivated more than 99% of all the living germs and the bacterial spores in the sponges and pads, including E. coli.

After an additional two minutes -- a total of four -- none of the bacterial spores survived.

Before you zap your sponges in the microwave, researchers offer the following advice:

Microwave only sponges or plastic scrubbers that do not contain steel or other metals.

Make sure the sponge or scrubber is wet, not dry.

Two minutes should be enough to kill most disease-causing germs.

Be careful in removing the sponge from the microwave because it will be hot and should not be handled immediately after zapping.

Bitton recommends that people microwave their sponges according to how often they cook, with every other day being a good rule of thumb.

Dr. Berry only accepts payment from his patients, so he works just for the patient. His PATMOS (Payment At TiMe Of Service) may sound unrealistic in today’s insurance-heavy culture, but in just six years his clinic now has a roster of over 7,000 patients. He likes to point out that his typical bill to a patient is similar to what a person would pay for a lube job or brake job on a car. Berry’s bills are about one-third to one-half of what patients would pay at a standard practice where insurance pays (and thus hides from the consumer) the direct cost of medical practice.

Dr. Berry stated that his income for the last two years was equivalent to the average practicing doctor, despite spending 20% less time on patients than the national average (Dr. Berry spent this time advocating the benefits of a pay as you go clinic). His operation is more profitable than most because his employees do not need to spend vast amounts of time handling insurance paperwork. In his own words, The clinic requires three fewer employees and costs two-thirds less (or about $200,000) to operate than similar clinics that take insurance. Our fees are little more than the $32 that Governor Bredesen’s consulting group, McKinsey & Co., recommended able-bodied TennCare recipients contribute as a co-pay for office visits.

I wish and hope more physicians would follow in Dr. Berry’s footsteps. I also want readers to note that this market solution, while far more efficient, does not preclude insurance. In fact, if many clinics followed Dr. Berry’s leadership, I would advocate two things. One) People should give these clinics a try and see for themselves if they can receive great care for less money. Two) People should buy low-cost catastrophic insurance with very high deductibles. This would protect people from low probability events that could be devastating (such as a coma), but would not be used for common low-cost events (such as a normal checkup or a cold). I would also advocate that the insurance would only pay the patient. The patient would then pay the doctor, so he or she would be directly involved in deciding how his money was spent.

I encourage you to hear Dr. Berry speak. Scribe Media has a video of Berry speaking (jump to exactly 5:00 to hear Dr. Berry).

Well, from my readings I believe it works better in the UK than it does in almost any other socialized nation. And it doesn't work too well in the UK. In the past I've told my friends that wealthy individuals from countries with socialized medicine frequently fly to the US for medical treatment. I ask them if this is a natural consequence of socialized medicine. Usually they shrug and say wealth will always have privilege, but socialized medicine is fairer for the average person than the US system.

I have never believed the facts bear this out. Indeed, I believe the facts show the opposite, but most people are rarely convinced by facts. So I've decided to use my blog to capture a few real-life stories and see if stories are more effective. So let's review the case of Gordon Cook. Gordon is a 55-year-old man in the UK. For the last three years he has been unable to see a dentist under the UK's socialized medicine benefit because too many dentists have abandoned the system and only take private patients. Gordon didn't want to spend the ~$150 to fix a loose crown with a private dentist, so while he searched for an available NHS dentist covered by his taxes, he used superglue, yes the hyper adhesive sold in hardware stores, to glue his crown to his tooth. Each application lasted approximately two months and then he had to reapply the glue.

After three years of waiting (and after his story made the press), Mr. Cook finally has found a NHS dentist and hopes to have his problem professionally treated. Wonder how long it would have taken if the press had not publicized his problem? Wonder how many other average Brits suffer for years waiting for their turn to see a medical professional? The US system has major problems, mostly induced by either the government or a too litigious society, but I'd rather have a medical problem here than in any country suffering from socialized medicine.

I thought it appropriate on this day of Thanksgiving to lookup our first proclamation of Thanksgiving. On June 20, 1676, the religious colonists to the New World proclaimed their thanks to God. By a unanimous vote, the governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts appointed June 29 as a day of Thanksgiving. Note: This is the oldest surviving proclamation of Thanksgiving. Many historians hold that the first Thanksgiving was held in the fall of 1621 (the fall after the Mayflower pilgrims arrived). They are almost certainly correct, but unfortunately no one captured their words of thanks. At any rate, I hope you find this bit of American history interesting and appropriate on this special day. God has truly blessed this nation and we have much for which to be thankful.

The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present War with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgments he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being persuaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and souls as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ.

11/8 update: Unfortunately the precincts that hadn't reported were most the urban (i.e. liberal) ones. So Amendment 2 barely passed. My prediction: We'll see an Amendment X to ban embryonic stem cell research on the 2008 ballot.

Constitutional Amendment 2 - Stem Cell Research

A "yes" vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to allow and set limitations on stem cell research, therapies, and cures which will:

ensure Missouri patients have access to any therapies and cures, and allow Missouri researchers to conduct any research, permitted under federal law;

ban human cloning or attempted cloning;

require expert medical and public oversight and annual reports on the nature and purpose of stem cell research;

impose criminal and civil penalties for any violations; and

prohibit state or local governments from preventing or discouraging lawful stem cell research, therapies and cures.

A "no" vote would not ensure that stem cell research permitted under federal law is allowed to be conducted in Missouri and that Missouri patients have access to stem cell therapies and cures permitted under federal law.

This measure will have no impact on taxes.

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

This amendment is so misleading it is difficult to know where to start, but I'll try. First of all, there are two types of stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research (where the stem cells are obtained from an embryo and destroy the embryo in the process) and adult stem cell research (stem cells obtained from all sources other than embryos, such as from umbilical cords). This amendment is strictly about using public money to pursue embryonic stem cell research.

Adult stem cell research has been very promising and lots of private and federal money is pursuing this research because they expect this research to pay off. Despite the ads that exploit sick people to beg for a cure, embryonic stem cell research has yet to cure a disease while adult stem cells are already used in various therapies around the world and show great promise for truly revolutionizing medicine. After doing their homework, most private venture capitalists think embryonic stem cell research will not pay off, so they don't invest in it. So where does that lead people who want to do research on embryonic stem cells? They can either be satisfied with the few dollars going their way or they can convince the taxpayer to pay for their research.

If you read the ballot description above, you will not see the word embryonic anywhere in the description. However, if you read the actual amendment, you will see that the word embryonic appears at least seven times.

Let's look at the five claims made in the ballot box.

ensure Missouri patients have access to any therapies and cures, and allow Missouri researchers to conduct any research, permitted under federal law;

But wait, what about the second part of this phrase, allowing researchers to work in Missouri?

It may surprise many people in Missouri, but both adult and embryonic stem cell research already takes place in Missouri in both private and public labs. The labs that invested heavily in embryonic stem cell research need state funding to grow since most private and federal funds are chasing adult stem cell research. So, again, this claim misleads people. In fairness to the amendment, there is one part of this bill that would provide a service, although the writers are not honest about their intentions. Some legislators in Jefferson City (Missouri's capitol) have proposed legislation to prevent embryonic stem cell research in Missouri. It never passed, but this amendment would head off any future attempts of this nature.

There are people on both sides of the embryonic stem cell debate (using falling along the same lines as the abortion debate), but voters should be told the specifics upon what they are voting. Missouri has a very large (majority) pro-life population and the supporters of this bill know if they honestly portrayed the impact of this bill, they would lose. Thus they use misleading information to confuse the issue and make people think this is about all stem cell research.

You may wish to stop reading here. As I will show, the rest of the ballot measure is just as misleading. However, the main point is that this bill is about ensuring embryonic stem cell research remains legal in Missouri and receives state funding. I think issues of this importance should be left up to the voters and Missouri should be applauded for discussing the issue. However, the writers of this amendment have no faith in the popularity of their cause and are deliberately misleading the public in an attempt to snooker voters into voting for a cause in which they would oppose if it were presented honestly. For that, Missouri's Amendment Two wins the most deceptive marketing award for 2006.

OK, let's look at the rest of the amendment.

Only one problem. Currently only 33% of medium to large sized employers currently provide benefits for retirees and this percentage is declining (it was 84% in 1980). Even generous companies are moving away from future benefits, preferring instead to help employees fund 401k programs or other similar programs that the employee controls. I applaud this trend for many reasons (for example, if your company goes bankrupt, it will not impact your 401k unless you only invested in your own company).

However, I am concerned about the number of people who are expecting retirement benefits from their firm when their firm does NOT provide these benefits. Unless the EBRI did a poor job in their research and surveyed a very unrepresentative group, there are going to be many surprised people as they near retirement.

I took a few minutes to look around the EBRI site. Some very interesting trivia there, useful for people like me who love reading statistics about people.