Another crazy debate!

Facts Got Twisted Again In Last Debate

MARK MEMMOTT, SCOTT MONTGOMERY and MARK STENCEL
October 23, 201212:05 AM


Fact checkers got a shout out Monday night from President Obama when he declared that Republican challenger Mitt Romney had repeated "the biggest whopper that's been told during the course of this campaign."

"Every fact checker and every reporter who's looked at it, governor, has said this is not true," the president pointed out — correctly — during Monday's debate after Romney charged that Obama went on an "apology tour" during his first year in office.

Indeed, PolitiFact called the "apology tour" such a baseless claim that it earned that fact-checking website's worst ruling: "pants on fire."

But while Romney may have gotten the harshest review of the night for repeating that allegation, the fact checkers from news outlets and independent organizations had some negative things to say about the president as well.

During a discussion about the bailout of the U.S. auto industry, Romney drew Obama into overstating his case in much the same way that Obama had done to his rival over Libya in the last debate.

Obama insisted over Romney's objections that Romney's recipe for a managed bankruptcy of Detroit automakers didn't include any role for the federal government.

But, as several truth sleuths tweeted in the midst of the debate, Romney's now-famous New York Times column on the subject did include in its final sentences the statement that "the federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing ..."

Like Romney on Libya, Obama may have had a point in that some economists have said the plan Romney outlined for Detroit wouldn't have worked in the midst of the financial crises that froze private credit markets. But did Romney propose federal loan guarantees? Yes.

Some of the other claims and counterclaims that got checked:

— Romney repeated a line he has used before that the U.S. Navy has the smallest fleet it's had since 1916. The Washington Post checked this before and called it a "nonsense fact" because the Navy of today is nothing like the Navy of a century ago.

— Obama said that "we've cut our oil imports to the lowest level in two decades." Butthe Times pointed out that although that is technically true, the trend predates Obama's term in office.

— Romney had the facts and the context on his side in an exchange over troop withdrawals from Iraq. Obama tried to argue that Romney has waffled on his position about having troops remain there. More important, The Washington Post fact checker said Obama has glossed over the fact that he tried to arrange a deal with the Iraqi government to keep more troops in the country.

— Obama claimed that exports to China have doubled since he came into office, but National Journal found that to be an optimistic assessment. Exports have grown — from $69.5 billion in 2009 to $103.9 billion in 2011 — but not as much as Obama said.

— As PolitiFact previously noted, Romney was correct that Obama has not visited Israel during his time as president. However, PolitiFact also pointed out that Obama visited Israel twice before his election — trips the president described in his reply to Romney Monday night.

And, the Post's Fact-Checker noted that seven of the 11 presidents who served since Israel's creation never visited the country during their time in office: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Gerald R. Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

— In the "gaffe" category, meanwhile:

Romney said at one point in the debate that Syria is Iran's "route to the sea." That country, of course, has an extensive coastline along both the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.

Moderator Bob Schieffer made a slip many have made in recent years when he said that "Pakistan has arrested the doctor who helped us catch Obama's — bin Laden."

— And in the "only in a Twitter world would this happen" category:

President Obama's zinger in response to Romney's claim about a smaller Navy immediately lit up the micro-blogging website and had amateur fact checkers out in force. The president quipped that "we also have fewer horses and bayonets." Some conservatives, claiming Obama had said the military no longer uses any bayonets, started tweeting that Marines still use them in training. But as the transcript shows, the president didn't say bayonets had been eliminated.

As for horses, we expect we'll hear from their fact checkers in coming days.



http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/10/22/163442153/facts-got-bent-again-in-last-debate

Politics...down to the nitty gritty!!! Round 1 of the debate

Romney Goes On Offense, Pays For It In First Wave Of Fact Checks

by MARK MEMMOTT and SCOTT MONTGOMERY

In their first of three debates, President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney "traded barbs" and stretched some facts,say the nonpartisan watchdogs at PolitiFact.com.

Similarly, the researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center's FactCheck.org found examples of truth-stretching by both men.

Overall, it was a debate packed with facts, a wonk's delight. From the very first remarks, with President Obama saying 5 million jobs have been created in the private sector over the last 30 months, the debate was very number focused. So there were some things to check. And because Romney made more factual assertions, he's getting dinged more — at least in the early hours after the debate — by the fact checkers.

Here is a sample of what's being reported about the truthiness of what Obama and Romney had to say Wednesday night on stage at the University of Denver:

 

— One of the biggest disputes was over tax cuts. Obama argued that Romney's plan to stimulate the economy includes a tax cut totaling $5 trillion that, Obama said, isn't possible because the Republican nominee is also promising to spend money in other places.

Romney flatly disputed that number. "First of all, I don't have a $5 trillion tax cut," he said.

Who's right? The Washington Post's Fact Checker says the facts on this one are on Obama's side. The New York Times notes that Romney "has proposed cutting all marginal tax rates by 20 percent — which would in and of itself cut tax revenue by $5 trillion."

FactCheck.org has weighed in too, tweeting during the debatethat "Romney says he will pay for $5T tax cut without raising deficit or raising taxes on middle class. Experts say that's not possible."

PolitiFact has given a "mostly true" rating to the charge that "Romney is proposing a tax plan "that would give millionaires another tax break and raise taxes on middle class families by up to $2,000 a year."

— Has the president put in place a plan that would cut Medicare benefits by $716 billion? Romney says yes. The president says no. According to PolitiFact, Romney's charge is "half true."

"That amount — $716 billion — refers to Obamacare's reductions in Medicare spending over 10 years, primarily paid to insurers and hospitals," says PolitiFact. So there is a basis for the number. But, it adds, "the statement gives the impression that the law takes money already allocated to Medicare away from current recipients," which is why it gets only a "half true" rating.

The New York Times writes that Obama "did not cut benefits by $716 billion over 10 years as part of his 2010 health care law; rather, he reduced Medicare reimbursements to health care providers, chiefly insurance companies and drug manufacturers. And the law gave Medicare recipients more generous benefits for prescription drugs and free preventive care like mammograms."

Still, as NPR's Julie Rovner has reported, "some of the money does indeed reduce future Medical spending, and the fact is, you can't reduce health care spending and preserve Medicare for 78 million baby boomers without slowing its growth."

— In listing his objections to the Affordable Care Act, Romney said it "puts in place an unelected board that's going to tell people, ultimately, what kind of treatments they can have. I don't like that idea."

But the Times and National Journal have reported that the board in question wouldn't make treatment decisions, a point Obama made during the debate. National Journal calledRomney's characterization of what this board would do "one of the biggest whoppers of the night." PolitiFact gave Romney's claim a "mostly false" rating.

Under the law, the board's job would be to keep Medicare spending within a particular target (not a dollar figure, but as a factor of GDP) but the board is prohibited from choosing the benefits to be restricted to achieve savings, so it cannot make treatment decisions.

FactCheck.org, which has likened the charge about this panel to the earlier claim from Republicans that Obama would create "death panels," writes that "the board, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, cannot, by law, 'ration' care or determine which treatments Medicare covers. In fact, the IPAB is limited in what it can do to curb the growth of Medicare spending."

— On cutting the federal deficit, PolitiFact writes, "Romney claimed that Obama had said he would 'cut the deficit in half.' That's the case. ... Obama said he put forward 'a specific $4 trillion deficit reduction plan.' That's true if you combine the 10-year impact of his budget with the 10-year impact of cuts already approved. (For that reason, we've previously found his claim that his budget plan would 'cut our deficits by $4 trillion' Half True.)"

— As for Obama's claim that under his watch the economy hascreated 5 million jobs in the past 30 months, NPR's John Ydstie says that's true. But it also ignores an inconvenient truth (for the president), that about the same number of jobs were lost during Obama's first year in office.

— And on a lighter note, the debate opened with a tender moment and a fact that soon was disputed on Twitter. In acknowledging his wedding anniversary, Obama said that "20 years ago I became the luckiest man on Earth because Michelle Obama agreed to marry me." An astute tweeter noted that 20 years ago, the first lady's last name was Robinson.

For the full article and more info visit:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/10/03/162263539/romney-goes-on-offense-pays-for-it-in-first-wave-of-fact-checks

Boy writes letter to Gov. Romney

This passage is from a 12 year old boy in Colorado, who has a little sister with a pre-existing condition, coming from a middle class American family, and who is concerned for our country.  This boy can figure it out, but why can our population not???  It is not about this side and that side, but all of  us a whole, and we as people are fighting for survival and to move forward not to go back 50/75 years where Men rule over Women and have the right to say who and what is okay for society.  


Dear Governor Romney,

I’d like to say congratulations on winning the republican nomination. But, I wish you stayed in Massachusetts. You’re plan for America isn’t what we need, and would hurt us more than it would help.

First, repealing Obama care and other health plans he’s put in place have helped families across America, including mine. I live in a middle class family, and two years ago my little sister; Kennedy was denied insurance because of her pre-existing condition. This was a huge emotional stress and financial burden on my entire family. Under Obama Care, insurance companies can no longer deny Kennedy and kids like her, the coverage they need and deserve. Because of Obama care my little sister was able to have the several surgeries she needed that helped save her life. Once the President was elected he put Obama Care into action, just like he promised and made it so that you could get insurance with pre-existing conditions. This has made a direct impact on my family. My family is with out a doubt better off now, than we were four years ago!

It is to my understanding that you stated that you were going to repeal Obama Care, including the part I have mentioned, which will take away the insurance we have and need for my sister Kennedy. Why do you think she doesn’t deserve health care? Also, when you were interviewed on “Meet the Press”, you stated that you would NOT repeal this part of Obama Care, but then your campaign backpedalled and on the “Tonight show with Jay Leno”, you said that you WOULD repeal this.

Also, you’re domestic plans (birth control, gay rights etc.) are horrible! Women should get to manage their own health, and if you wonder why you’re not appealing to many women voters, rethink your birth control and women’s’ rights plans. And people should be able to marry whom they want. We built this country so people could have freedom, and not have religious beliefs control them to that length. This country was in no way built on any religion, so we should not create laws that repress the American people in a religious way and hurt our most vulnerable.

Sincerely,
Jackson Ripley, age 12

UN calls for action to reduce health and environmental risks posed by use of chemicals

Chemical 'intensification' of economies in developing countries means greater risk of exposure to hazardous substances. Photo: UNEP

5 September 2012 – Governments must urgently act to reduce the health and environmental hazards posed by the increase in use of chemicals in industries worldwide, says a United Nations report launched today, which stresses that more sustainable management policies are needed to address this growing risk.

Produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Chemicals Outlook report argues that a shift in the production, use and disposal of chemical products from developed to developing countries has made it essential to establish better management policies to avoid diseases and pollution caused by weak regulations.

“Communities worldwide – particularly those in emerging and developing countries – are increasingly dependent on chemical products, from fertilizers and petrochemicals to electronics and plastics, for economic development and improving livelihoods,” said UNEP’s Executive Director, Achim Steiner, in a news release.

“But the gains that chemicals can provide must not come at the expense of human health and the environment. Pollution and disease related to the unsustainable use, production and disposal of chemicals can, in fact, hinder progress towards key development targets by affecting water supplies, food security, well-being or worker productivity,” Mr. Steiner said, adding that improving chemicals management is a vital component for countries to transition into a green economy.

The report highlights not just the damaging consequences to the environment and human health, but also the economic burden of treating chemical poisoning for many countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the estimated costs of poisonings from pesticides now exceeds the total annual overseas development aid given to the region for basic health services, excluding HIV/AIDS.

From Sudan and Ecuador, to bigger economies such as China and the United States, the costs of pesticide poisoning, water pollution, and toxic waste, among other issues, are not being borne by manufacturers and industries, but by social welfare systems and individuals, the report notes. It calls for sustainable chemical management policies not just to combat these costs, but also to improve livelihoods and develop green technologies.

“The economic analysis presented in the Global Chemicals Outlook demonstrates that sound chemicals management is as valid an area as education, transport, infrastructure, direct health care services and other essential public services,” said the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director for Public Health and Environment, Maria Neira, in a news release. “This could foster the creation of many green, decent and healthy jobs and livelihoods for developed and developing countries.”

Some of the recommendations put forward by the report include the integration of chemicals management into national social and economic plans, the development of policies focused on risk prevention and promotion of safer alternatives, and encouraging the private sector to play a more active role in development safety policies in conjunction with governments.

“To harness the economic benefits of sound chemicals management, closer cooperation and better planning is required between government ministries, public and private sectors, and others in the chemicals supply chain,” Mr. Steiner said.

“This requires broad and ambitious efforts, underpinned by strategic financing. Such action can elevate chemicals management to the top of the international policy agenda and help deliver inclusive sustainable development,” he added.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42803&Cr=Sustainable+Development&Cr1=#.UEjkNI2PVXI

Lice Prevention and treatment

Dear friend,

When I started my publishing company back in 1994, it was with the goal of educating consumers about the harms of toxic chemicals in household products. At the time Melaleuca was one of the only companies offering safe options in household cleaning and personal care products. Since then our slogan has been "because educated consumers make healthier choices." Over the years, Melaleuca has continued to be the leader in developing naturally-based household and health-related products. And our mission is still the same -- to help consumers make healthier choices by providing them with timely and relevant information. This newsletter is our latest attempt to help you make healthier choices for your family.

I sincerely hope this information will be helpful to you or someone you know.

Regards,
Richard M. Barry

Lice Prevention and Treatment

(Please read our disclaimer)

The Centers for Disease Control report that in the United States, an estimated six to twelve million lice infestations occur each year, among children three to eleven years of age.

It is normal to feel distress at the thought of tiny blood sucking insects crawling though your child's hair. But there is no need to feel ashamed, or embarrassed. Getting lice is not related to cleanliness. Instead some experts report that lice are actually attracted to clean unscented hair. Since lice cannot jump or fly, they spread by close head to head contact. And even though they only live about a day or two without feeding, it is possible to catch lice by sharing hats, clothing, combs, and brushes. Symptoms of an infestation include intense itching, a "something is crawling on my head" feeling, and some kids will scratch so much that they can develop a bacterial infection.

If you think your child has lice, do not panic. There are three basic things you will need to do: 1. Kill the living lice. 2. Remove the attached eggs, also known as nits. 3. Avoid re-infestation.

There are safer alternatives than using a pesticide on your child's head. Chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and inhaled, by both the child and whomever is applying the chemicals. Using a pesticide to kill the lice can be more dangerous than the lice infestation.

An Australian study compared the efficacy and safety of three lice treatments. 1. A formula with Melaleuca oil and lavender oil. 2. A lice 'suffocation' product. 3. A product containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide (pesticide). The results demonstrated that the Melaleuca oil and lavender product, and the lice 'suffocation' product, did a better job eliminating lice than the pesticide product.

After killing the lice, attention needs to be focused on the removal of the lice eggs (nits). Nits are laid by the adult louse at the base of the hair shaft, nearest the scalp. Nits are very tiny, and tightly cemented to the hair shaft. The nits hatch in seven to ten days. The CDC tells us nits located more than 1/4 inch from the base of the hair shaft may already be hatched, or be empty nits. And while those nits probably will not hatch lice, some schools still have a no-nit policy, requiring that the child stay home until all traces of a lice infestation, especially the nits, are gone.

The Melaleuca Wellness Guide recommends that immediately upon suspecting or seeing evidence of lice, shampoo with Melaleuca Original Shampoo, and bathe with one ounce Sol-U-Mel and one ounce Renew Bath Oiladded to the bath water. Afterwards massage T36-C5 into the scalp and hair to soften and dislodge the nits. Comb the oil through the hair. To fumigate the live insects, wrap oiled hair in a hot, moist towel for ten minutes. Repeat every other day for at least five treatments (ten days). Generously applyingSei Bella Leave-In Detangling & Smoothing Spray, or one of the Affinia Moisturizing Conditioners, will make it easier to run a fine tooth comb, or nit comb, from the scalp to the hair ends. The nits should comb off easily.

For prevention: In a four ounce spray bottle of water, add three drops of T36-C5, and three drops of lavender oil. In the morning lightly spray your child's hair. The scent will be pleasant to you and your child, and unattractive to lice. Melaleuca and lavender oils are natural insect repellents, and as we have learned from the above cited Australian study, this combination also kills lice. Another simple preventative measure is washing hair regularly with Melaleuca Original Shampoo, which is rich in pure T36-C5 Melaleuca oil and natural conditioners, like sunflower and silk amino acids.

The start of a new school year is an exciting time. Along with shopping for all those needed back-to-school supplies, make sure to have a supply of natural lice killing and prevention products because "lice happens."

~ Richard M Barry

Lice Success Stories

The people below will receive a free copy of The Melaleuca Wellness Guide for submitting their stories.

The first time I ever saw head lice was two years ago on my nine and ten year old daughters! I immediately called a friend who had dealings with lice before (she has five children), to verify that what I was seeing were actually head lice! She only knew the traditional way of getting rid of them......

I ran for The Melaleuca Wellness Guide and quickly gathered all the products I needed. No home with children should be without these products: T36-C5, Sol-U-Mel, and Original Melaleuca Shampoo.

My husband went on the internet to gather information, while I put the number one kid in the tub.  I added Sol-U-Mel to the water, washed hair with the shampoo, added some extra oil, left it on for a bit, then had her lay back in the tub. Would you believe it? Presto! All the bugs slid right off her head! Dead! My daughter was so relieved! Then, kid number two, same process, with the same great results! I have to say it was pretty gross, but I was thrilled to see them all dead.

I then made sure the tub and bathroom was fully cleaned. I sprayed extra Sol-U-Mel around just in case. Next, I went to work on thoroughly cleaning the house. I washed all the bedding, pillows, etc., with MelaPower laundry detergent in hot water. Spayed beds and carpets with Sol-U-Mel, then vacuumed everywhere. I washed some of their stuffed animals and ran them thru the dryer. I took all the remaining stuffed animals and dolls, put them in plastic bags, and stored them away for a few months. It was hours of work.

I repeated the process on my daughters heads daily, along with adding T36-C5 to the hair, and combing it with the lice comb. It's very difficult to see the eggs that they lay, but the oil and the Sol-U-Mel did the job, and made it a lot easier.

I checked their heads daily for weeks. It was amazing! No signs of them anywhere! I found out afterwards that the neighbors had them. (They never informed us that we could be at risk. They had our girls over to their home while they were in the battle of bugs!!!) That family used four or five treatments of the traditional chemicals.  Suffering months of frustration. At our home, lice came and went, thanks to our wonderful Melaleuca products!

I used the same products on a puppy we took in that was flea infested, and had skin mites. It took care of it in one application. The dog is now almost two years old and has never had a problem since. I have many testimonials of how awesome Melaleuca products work. Thank you Richard M. Barry for publishing such a great book.

~ Judy and Family

I was called by the school nurse on the second to last day of school. My daughter had lice. I was horrified! I never had any experience with lice, but I knew they could be very difficult to get rid of.  So, with Melaleuca products and The Melaleuca Wellness Guide in hand, I knew this must be another opportunity for the products to prove themselves.

Prior to picking up my daughter, I looked up 'Lice' in The Melaleuca Wellness Guide and decided to tackle the house first. I gathered all of her sheets and clothing, and dumped them in the washing machine in hot water with MelaPower and Sol-U-Mel. I sprayed diluted Sol-U-Mel anywhere I remembered her sitting to ensure that any lice in the house were destroyed.

When I brought my daughter home, I sprayed her hair with diluted Sol-U-Mel and used the Naturals Melaleuca Oil Shampoo to wash her hair (I always have the shampoo at home because I use it all the time to keep scalp psoriasis at bay). After fifteen minutes of soaking in the shampoo, we rinsed her hair out. You could see all of the lice go down the drain. She had a full infestation! I combed through her hair to remove any remaining nits, and this went really well. The next day, she was checked by the nurse and was cleared to finish her last day of school. Everything was gone!!

We are so thankful for Melaleuca. Our three kids are rarely sick, but when they are, with the use of our Melaleuca products they improve very quickly. As far as the lice, our daughter continued to use the Naturals Shampoo over the next couple of weeks as a precaution, and we never saw them again. I don't know what we would have done if not for Melaleuca products and The Melaleuca Wellness Guide!! They go hand-in-hand

~ Valery

This is our "lice story". About a month ago we got a call saying most of our extended family had head lice. Being a very close family, I thought "oh darn!" Our family gets together at least once a week, and we just had a couple of kids for a sleep over (one ended up having lice).

We started checking each other, and our kids. We couldn't find any lice or eggs. We were not taking any chances, I washed EVERYTHING! Then I called Melaleuca to find out if anything killed lice and their eggs. I was told that, although no research had been done, customers have always called in and said that Melaleuca oil will kill lice and eggs.

I added a few drops (ok, a lot of drops, I was worried) to our Affinia shampoo and  we lathered up. We let our hair soak for a few minutes every day until we thought we were safe. We never did get lice. Now we use our Melaleuca Original Shampoo every day to prevent head lice. We tell everyone how to prevent head lice!!!! Thank you Melaleuca!!!

~ Londa and Family

Good Luck and Best Wishes for the many fighting for the Gold!

Monsanto's GMO sweet corn KILLS

Just a comment for thought.  Monarch butterflies and other "insects" that are part of our ecosystem are being destroyed.  Bees and butterflies have a place in this world, but are being wiped out due to these chemicals.

I recently took my 5 year old daughter to the doctor with stomach pains.  So bad that I was crying for her.  She went through every type of testing out there for months.  My poor thing went through so much just to come up with nothing conclusive.

Six months ago we switched everything to organic, and now boycott all foods with Monsanto products.  Go figure, we have not had ONE single issue with her stomach...until we went away for a few weeks and she had to eat all non-organic.  The poor thing was so horribly sick again, and of course with no answers.  This past 2 weeks we have been back to all organic, and no more belly aches or stomach problems.  If that is not enough to convince me, I don't know what is.

Boycott foods that use Monsanto Products!!!

It may seem difficult at first, but if you value your health and the health of your children, it is definitely worth the little research to find foods that will not harm.

Autism, Cancer, and Death is on the rise, yet no one wants to take blame.  When ingesting foods with antibiotics or other chemicals that is exactly what they are doing.

Protect yourself, since the government and most definitely Monsanto is not!!! 

Chemicals in Plastics

Plastic is everywhere—it's used in consumer products and packaging of all kinds. And while it solves a lot of problems for manufacturers and can seem convenient to consumers, there are also serious risks to human health and the environment from its widespread use.

Three plastics have been shown to leach toxic chemicals when heated, worn or put under pressure: polycarbonate, which leaches bisphenol A; polystyrene, which leaches styrene; and PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, which leaches phthalates.

And for more specific information about these and other chemicals found in plastics, including what they do and why they're bad for you, look below.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Even though plastic is everywhere, there's a lot you can do to reduce your use of the most toxic plastics.

Tips for protecting your family from plastics >

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most pervasive chemicals in modern life. It's a building block of polycarbonate (often #7) plastic and is used in thousands of consumer products, including food packaging. Research shows that BPA exposure is linked to breast cancer.

Phthalates

Phthalates are a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in PVC or #3 plastic. Phthalate exposure has been linked to early puberty in girls, a risk factor for later-life breast cancer. Some phthalates also act as weak estrogens in cell culture systems.

Vinyl Chloride

Vinyl chloride is formed in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or #3 plastic. It was one of the first chemicals designated as a known human carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It has also been linked to increased mortality from breast cancer among workers involved in its manufacture.

Dioxin

Dioxin is formed in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or #3 plastic. Dioxin has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known human carcinogen, and is also an endocrine disruptor.

Styrene

Styrene can leach from polystyrene or #6 plastic and is found in Styrofoam food trays, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, carryout containers and opaque plastic cutlery. It has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a possible human carcinogen.

Found http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/chemicals-linked-to-breast-cancer/plastics/

Kate Beckinsale On Why You Should 'Open Up Your Legs And Let The Government In'

*This video is not for children, Republicans, or the faint of heart.*

It is a satire of what the republicans of our country want to do to women.

"Republicans, Get in my Vagina"

http://front.moveon.org/kate-beckinsale-on-why-you-should-open-up-your-legs-and-let-the-government-in/#.T7VZ_MHPRH4.facebook


Yay us.  So, vote republican today, and we can have this happen too!!!

Bill on Student Loans in Limbo

On Tuesday, the Senate voted on the future of Stafford Loan interest rates. The rates for subsidized loans are currently at 3.4%, but without action from the government, will jump to 6.8% come July 1, 2012. A majority of 60 votes were needed to pass the bill which would lower these rates, unfortunately, the votes were split 52/45.

The issue between parties is not lower interest rates — most are in agreement that they should be lowered — it’s the how that’s keeping the bill from passing. The bill, written by the Democrats, attempts to close a tax loophole for high-salary workers in order to fund one more year of low-interest loans. However, the Republicans rather see this money come from elsewhere.

With both parties locked in a stalemate, it’s unclear how this issue will be resolved, but to learn more about the bill, check out this recent article from The New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/us/politics/senate-republicans-block-bill-on-student-loan-rates.html?_r=1&smid=tw-share

or read it below...

By JONATHAN WEISMAN

Republicans in Senate Block Bill on Student Loan Rates

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked consideration of a Democratic bill to prevent the doubling of somestudent loan interest rates, leaving the legislation in limbo less than two months before rates on subsidized federal loans are set to shoot upward.

Multimedia

Interactive Graphic

Geography of the Vote in the Senate

Related

• Student Loan Debate Becomes Election-Year Fight (April 27, 2012)

• Student Loan Interest Rates Loom as Political Battle (April 20, 2012)

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Luke Sharrett for The New York Times

Democrats arrayed college students to plead for a yes vote. The bill was blocked on party lines.

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Along party lines, the Senate voted 52 to 45 on a key procedural motion, failing to reach the 60 votes needed to begin debating the measure. Senator Olympia J. Snowe, the moderate Republican from Maine who is retiring, voted present.

Senators said quiet negotiations had begun to resolve the impasse, but Democrats sought to raise the political pressure, vowing to take to the Senate floor to show the cost of inaction for students in their states.

“Mitt Romney says he supports what we’re trying to do. I’d suggest he pick up the phone and call Senator McConnell,” said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate majority leader, referring to the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Republicans blamed Democrats for the impasse and suggested that they were manufacturing a political controversy instead of working out differences in private.

“We all agree we’re not going to let the rate go up,” Mr. McConnell said.

The vote was the Senate Republicans’ 21st successfulfilibuster of a Democratic bill this Congress, which started in January 2011. Republicans have blocked consideration of President Obama’s full jobs proposal, as well as legislation repealing tax breaks for oil companies, helping local governments pay teachers and first responders, and setting a minimum tax rate for households earning more than $1 million a year. Republicans say the measures were flawed and potentially harmful to the economic recovery.

But the student loan filibuster may be the highest-profile stalemate yet, because unlike those earlier bills, this one is not likely to be abandoned. Mr. Obama has elevated the issue by hammering Republicans on it for weeks. American students took out twice the value of student loans in 2011, about $112 billion, as they did a decade before, after adjusting for inflation. Over all, Americans now owe about $1 trillion in student loans. In 2010, such debt surpassed credit card debt for the first time.

The bill in limbo addresses only part of that burden. Graduate students with Stafford loans pay a higher rate, as do students with unsubsidized Stafford loans. Most undergraduates take out both unsubsidized and subsidized loans.

Republicans say they want to extend Democratic legislation passed in 2007 that temporarily reduced interest rates for low- and middle-income undergraduates who receive subsidized Stafford loans to 3.4 percent from 6.8 percent. But the Republicans would not accept the Senate Democrats’ proposal to pay for a one-year extension by changing a law that allows some wealthy taxpayers to avoid paying Social Security andMedicare taxes by classifying their pay as dividends, not cash income.

“They want to raise taxes on people who are creating jobs when we are still recovering from the greatest recession since the Great Depression,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, who instead wanted to pay for the rate decrease by eliminating a fund for preventive health care in Mr. Obama’s health care law.

Before the vote, Senate Democrats arrayed college students to plead for a yes vote, including Clarise McCants, 21, a junior at Howard University in Washington who said she pulled herself out of a troubled neighborhood in North Philadelphia and relies on $13,500 in Stafford loans for her tuition.

“I know I’m not the only one with dreams,” she said. “I’m here to ask Congress, ‘Don’t double my rate.’ ”

Republicans have not always been so averse to closing the loophole that the Senate bill addresses. In 2004, when it emerged that John Edwards, then a vice-presidential hopeful, had classified himself as a “subchapter S corporation” to pay himself dividends rather than income, conservatives criticized him for avoiding payroll taxes.

But the Democratic line of attack has been complicated by the House’s actions. Shrugging off a veto threat, the House passed an extension of the subsidized rate last month, paid for with the preventive health care fund. Thirteen Democrats voted for the bill, making up for the 30 Republicans who voted no because they opposed federal subsidies for an interest rate that they believed should be set by market forces. Those Democratic defections put the House bill over the top and fortified Republican arguments that the Senate Democrats were now to blame for the stalemate.

Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the House minority whip, said Tuesday that those Democratic votes were driven by politics, not substance. “They didn’t want that 30-second ad” attacking them for opposing a rate-subsidy extension, he said. “That was not a demonstration at all for the funding source.”

Republicans made clear they would go on offense, blaming Democrats if interest rates doubled July 1.

“Instead of compounding the problem with more bad policies that raise taxes on small businesses and raid Social Security and Medicare, we must work together to prevent a rate increase on students and make it easier for job creators to hire them when they graduate,” Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, said after the vote.

Tap -vs- Bottled water

Question of the day Tap water or bottled water???

Like so many other people of the world I have always bought bottled water.  Why? Well, because it is easy, BUT is convenience more desirable than health?
Did you know that 40% of all bottled water is just filtered tap water.  In that case I can buy my own filter and filter my own tap, while saving plastic from polluting our environment and adding more money to my pockets. Not to mention the chemicals from the plastic that is polluting me.  Plastic bottles that we drink from are 80% P.E.T.E. or Polyethylene terephthalate.  Yeah, it took me a couple tries to pronounce it too.  What it is though is more important than how it is pronounced.


Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is clear, tough, and shatterproof. It provides a barrier to oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide and is identified with the number 1. PET's ability to contain carbon dioxide (carbonation) makes it ideal for use in carbonated soft drink bottles. Take a look at the bottom of your soft drink bottle and you will most likely find a number 1 there. PET is also used to make bottles for water, juice, sports drinks, beer, mouthwash, catsup, and salad dressing. You can also find it on your food jars for peanut butter, jam, jelly, and pickles as well as in microwavable food trays.


Recent studies have shown that reusing bottles made of PET can in fact be dangerous. PET was found to break down over time and leach into the beverage when the bottles were reused. The toxin DEHA also appeared in the water sample from reused water bottles. DEHA has been shown to cause liver problems, other possible reproductive difficulties, and is suspected to cause cancer in humans.  

Where is it that these bottles end up?  In our land fills, recycling, side of the road, and, you got it, in our water supply??? The chemicals are leaking out into our fresh water system, into our ocean life as well as wildlife, and, that's it, right back into us! 


There are only a handful of states the mandate recycling and add a $.05 or $.10 deposit on each bottle, Maine being one of them.  With the deposit approximately 70% of people recycle, but that is compared to 20% who recycle in the rest of the country, where it  is not mandated.  So in my estimation these plastic bottles after the first use are sitting in our water and environment leaking out chemicals that we are then putting in our children and ourselves...ew!  Think about that the next time you want to throw a bottle on the ground!


And this, is only the plastic.  We have not even come to the water part yet...which is scary.


Water is a natural resource, so shouldn't it be a natural right to have water, to not "own" water, to share it, and to take care of it?  Most people think this, but (of course) corporations have a different view on it.  Since it can make them money by fooling the people of the world, by convincing them they are giving you a "natural" product at safer way to go.  How safe are the chemicals in the plastic?  The best part of all of this is that most bottled water is only filtered tap water...that is why they call it natural.  


Nestle, who is owned by Pepsi, also owns Poland Springs, Zephyrhills, Ice Mountain, Ozarka, and Deer Park water, believe that they can do whatever they want to.  Nestle came into Fryeburg, Maine, before any of the towns people knew, and started pumping water from the town's well, and since Maine has what is called Absolute Dominion law (whose pump is bigger), they had every right to come in and take the water from this town.  Fryeburg went two days without their water supply, until they could pump in another well to receive water.  The nursing homes, children, and animals had a horrible time during these two days.  


How is it that during a drought of 35 states, where residents were on strict water usage restriction, that Pepsi continued to pump approx. 350,000 gallons of water a day to bottle and sell, were being sold back to the drought ridden people??? 

                 Falls Lake, North Carolina


No one can say what the long term effects of destroying our environment by bottling water will have on people.  It is only since 1989 that water was being bottled in plastic.


    


Did you know that the FDA doesn't have a whole lot to do with bottled water companies?  The monitoring of bottled water in really inadequate due to the issue of the bottled water companies doing their own testing and reporting of said water.  In easy words they are self regulated.  The FDA also only covers products that are crossing state boarders, which most corporations like Pepsi and Coke, keep it locally within state.  They bottle the water from the state they sell it right back to.


Tap water is constantly being tested, multiple times a day, to see if it is drinkable.  It is a regulated system, where the water is tested by municipalities officials approx. 300 times a month.


You healthiest, safest choice is to get a refillable, non-BPA, container, and drink your tap...refill at water fountains, since they are regulated, and help educate others on the folly of bottled water!!!