Two, But No Cigar
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 10th, 2011
Good morning!
Well…we got two, but it wasn’t enough. Did putting out millions in political propaganda pay off? Did those who may have voted democratic decide to jump onboard with the republicans? I had mentioned to vote early by absentee ballots, as they are the only record of “how you voted”, unlike going directly to the polls as Robert pointed out. However, Madaline was there for support, and as long as the dems showed up and voted democratic, their vote was counted as it was marked. Evidently, in my opinion, the people have spoken and their choice is to have the republicans controlling the senate in Wisconsin. I HOPE the people are ready for what the republicans have in mind. As usual don’t expect it to be a pretty picture.
Wisconsin Recall Election Results: Democrats Win Two Seats, Fall Short Of Taking Over Senate
Six incumbent GOP state senators were forced to defend their seats on Tuesday in historic recall elections. The efforts to change the makeup of the state Senate came after Republicans passed Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) controversial measure stripping public employees of their collective bargaining rights.
Even though Democrats weren’t able to take back one of the chambers of the legislature, they touted the fact that voters ousted two incumbent Republicans as a major victory.
“The fact we’ve accomplished as much in six months as had been achieved in the 85 years since recalls were put in the Wisconsin state Constitution is a stunning rebuke to Scott Walker’s extreme attacks on middle class working families,” said Kelly Steele, spokesman for the labor-backed coalition We Are Wisconsin.
“On Tuesday night, Wisconsin spoke loud and clear with the recall of two entrenched Republicans. … The fact of the matter remains, that, fighting on Republican turf, we have begun the work of stopping the Scott Walker agenda,” said Democratic Party Chair Mike Tate in a statement.
State Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) told The Huffington Post earlier on Tuesday that losing two seats would be a “wake-up call to Republicans.”
“It creates a 17-16 Senate,” he explained. “That means they have no margin of error. They’ve got to have legislation that all 17 Republicans, without exception, are for.”
The first three wins of the night were good news for Republicans: Sens. Robert Cowles (R-Allouez), Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) and Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) all held on to their seats.
“I think the voters in northwest Wisconsin and in the 10th Senate district have spoken once again to recognize that Wisconsin’s on the right track, they want us to get our fiscal track in order, and they want us to grow jobs,” said Harsdorf in a post-win interview with WQOW in Eau Claire. “And they recognize the reforms that we’ve passed are beginning to work, and we have led the nation in changing how government operates.”
Democratic challenger Jennifer Shilling then beat incumbent state Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse), who was considered the most vulnerable candidate because of the large Democratic presence in his district.
In one of the most interesting races of the night, Democrat Jessica King beat state Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac). It was déjà vu for the voters in the district: In 2008, King and Hopper also ran against each other, but in that contest, Hopper beat his opponent by just 163 votes.
The final race of the night wasn’t called until after midnight, due in part to late results from Waukesha County, whose clerk, Kathy Nickolaus, botched the results in the state Supreme Court race in April. State Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) managed to hold on to her seat.
Tate accused Nickolaus — who has a long history of errors — of “tampering with the results,” although he later backed down and said the party “will not pursue questions of irregularities.”
It’s unlikely that Tuesday’s results will stamp out Democratic enthusiasm for recalling Walker when he becomes eligible in January. Additionally, next year will bring a new round of lawmakers who weren’t eligible for recall this year.
Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) said it will be interesting to watch not only how Walker reacts to losing two GOP members in the state Senate, but where the citizens of Wisconsin take the movement next.
“I keep reminding people, it wasn’t the legislature that started these recalls,” said Barca. “These were people across the state who just showed up in throngs and were very upset with the policies that were trying to roll back the clock on Wisconsin values — 50 years of collective bargaining, 40 years with the University of Wisconsin system, 30 years of women’s health, 70 years of environmental policies like recycling and clean water. This is a citizens’ movement, not a politicians’ movement.”
After the election results came in, Walker put out a statement saying that it was “clear the voters also want us to work together to grow jobs and improve our state.”
“With that in mind, earlier this evening I reached out to the leadership of both the Republicans and Democrats in the Assembly and State Senate. I shared with them that I believe we can work together to grow jobs and improve our state. In the days ahead I look forward to working with legislators of all parties to grow jobs for Wisconsin and move our state forward,” he said.
Three Democrats — part of the “Wisconsin 14″ who left the state for 21 days in order to delay their GOP colleagues from pushing through the bill — also faced recall elections.
State Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) handily won his reelection on July 19. Sens. Jim Holperin (D-Conover) and Robert Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie) will face off against their challengers next week.
“I’m out doing the same things I’ve done every day for the past four or five months,” said Holperin on Tuesday afternoon, “and that’s attending community events and going door to door, and participating in various civic organizations’ meetings about the race.”
Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt said that while there is always a significant focus on elections — and labor certainly invested heavily to win — the results won’t change the labor movement’s focus.
“We’re trying to build an economy that works for working families, that gives people the right to collectively bargain, that gives people the right to have a fair system of shared sacrifice, shared prosperity, and so on and so forth,” he said. “So we will continue to organize, we will continue to build a coalition, whether we win or lose. It would be silly to win the election and figure, well, we’re done.”
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I have more to say, but I’ll save it for another day. You? If so, say it here. Blog me.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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August 10th, 2011 at 11:14 am
Do You Stink?
Dr. Mark Stengler solves your embarrassing problems
Mark A. Stengler, NMD
Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine
Do you have a little medical problem that you’re too embarrassed to talk to your doctor about? Maybe you worry that your breath is bad or you pass gas in public? Here, natural solutions that work…
BODY ODOR
A high-fat diet, or a diet that’s high in processed foods, interferes with normal digestion and can cause a strong body odor. So can an overgrowth of fungus in the intestine. Fungus overgrowth can occur when antibiotics kill bacteria in the intestines. High sugar intake also can cause overgrowth.
Solutions: One teaspoon of liquid chlorophyll (available at health-food stores) taken orally once or twice daily with a meal. This plant pigment helps remove odor-causing toxins from the body. Milk thistle — 200 milligrams (mg) to 250 mg daily, taken orally — also is helpful because it promotes healthier digestion. Foods that are high in probiotics, such as live-culture yogurt, can help restore a healthier balance of bacteria in the intestine, as can a probiotic supplement. Probiotics help control fungi.
FLATULENCE
The average adult passes gas between eight and 15 times daily. Normally gas doesn’t smell, but it can be embarrassing when it does… and too much gas can cause pain and bloating.
Solutions: Ginger or chamomile. They improve intestinal motility, the ability of the colon to move stools out of the body at a normal rate. They also reduce the amount of gas that forms in the intestine. Drink one cup of chamomile or ginger tea after meals or whenever you feel gassy.
Also helpful: Dandelion (taraxacum) supplements, 250 mg to 500 mg three times daily, taken with meals. Dandelion increases the flow of bile from the liver to the intestines, which improves digestion and reduces gas.
COLD SORES
Caused by a herpes virus, cold sores can be unsightly and painful.
Solutions: L-lysine, 1,000 mg, taken three times daily between meals at the first sign of the tingling/burning that precedes an outbreak. It’s an amino acid that aids in tissue repair and can help cold sores heal more quickly.
Avoid foods that are high in the amino acid L-arginine, such as peanuts, almonds, whole wheat and chocolate. L-arginine makes it easier for the virus to thrive.
Also helpful: Apply lemon balm cream to the area four times daily at the first sign of an outbreak. One double-blind study found that people who did this had less discomfort and fewer blisters during outbreaks than those who used a placebo.
CONSTIPATION
It’s among the most common digestive complaints, yet many people are too embarrassed to discuss it with their doctors. This is unfortunate because it’s usually simple to treat.
Solutions: Try ground flaxseed (one to two tablespoons daily with eight ounces of water). It adds to your daily fiber intake and also breaks down in the intestine to form mucilage, a soothing gel that promotes more frequent and more comfortable bowel movements.
An ancient remedy called Triphala also stimulates digestion and promotes the passage of stools through the colon. Triphala, meaning “three fruits,” is made from the fruits of three trees (amalaki, bibhitaki and haritaki) that grow throughout India and the Middle East. Add one-half teaspoon of Triphala to one cup of warm water, and drink it once or twice a day after a meal. Use it daily if you have chronic constipation. Triphala is available online and at health-food stores.
BAD BREATH
Persistent bad breath can indicate gum disease, a sinus infection or digestion problems… or it can be a sign of excessive toxins in the body. Bad breath that doesn’t clear up with natural remedies should be evaluated by a doctor.
Solutions: One teaspoon of chlorophyll taken orally after meals. It’s a traditional breath freshener that helps neutralize strong odors and remove toxins from the body. Supplements that contain chlorella, alfalfa and spirulina have similar effects.
Also helpful: A probiotic powder supplement that contains at least 4 billion organisms per dose. Mix it in water, swish it around your mouth and then swallow it. The beneficial organisms can prevent the buildup of odor-causing mouth bacteria. Taking probiotics also promotes the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria that improve digestion and help improve breath — as well as reduce body odors.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Mark A. Stengler, NMD, a naturopathic medical doctor who is the founder and director of the La Jolla Whole Health Clinic in La Jolla, California.
He has served on a medical advisory committee for the Yale University Complementary Medicine Outcomes Research Project and has been associate clinical professor at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Portland, Oregon.
He is author of Bottom Line’s Prescriptions for Natural Cures (Bottom Line Books) and the monthly newsletter Bottom Line Natural Healing. http://www.DrStengler.com
August 10th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Note: When I first started interviewing Veterans for this project, I frequently found reluctance from WW II veterans. For the most part, they were not interested in telling their story since they felt that they had done nothing to warrant being written about.
After constant urging, I finally was able to have a few of them talk to me. I have found some amazing facts from these men men who said : ” I did nothing special in the war, I was only doing my job” If you have read my previous post about Chet Furtek, you will see that he did more than his job on D-Day.
These men of WW II are growing older. Many stories have been lost and untold. As i continue to post these WW II tales and other stories, I hope that the reader, if at all possible,can provide me with a story to post or put me in contact with a WWII, Korean or Vietnam Vet with something to share. He or she does not have to be a hero or done anything spectacular to have a story told. Any one who serves their country deserves recognition.
I want to be able to share with my readers these stories. So, please email me at bobstar101@gmail.com, if you have anything for me or if you have any questions. Thanks!!! Bob Staranowicz
August 10th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
In the past two months, nine Major League Baseball teams have changed the sporting world by making or agreeing to make “It Gets Better” videos to stand up against anti-gay bullying.
What you may not know is that all of the teams who’ve made videos so far — the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and Orioles — did so after being petitioned by their fans on change.org. Now an Oakland A’s fan, Chris Beermann, has asked the A’s to make an “It Gets Better” video — and he needs your help.
Unfortunately, the sports world is often called the “home of homophobia.” Currently, there are zero openly gay men playing pro sports — and it’s no wonder, as anti-gay slurs are frequently used to taunt opponents and officials.
The A’s have an important opportunity to show LGBT kids that their sports heroes are willing to combat homophobia by making an “It Gets Better” video.
The San Francisco Giants were the first team to join this momentous campaign — now is the time for the A’s to join them and stand up against anti-gay bullying.
More than 20,000 “It Gets Better” videos have been uploaded to YouTube since Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller recorded their compelling personal story in response to an epidemic of suicides last year by gay kids, and kids perceived to be gay.
Will the Oakland A’s join nine other teams and courageously stand up against anti-gay bullying of kids? Please join Chris and ask the A’s to step up to the plate and make an “It Gets Better” video:
Thanks for being a change-maker, -
Eden and the change.org team
August 10th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Jim Hightower, Op-Ed: “By downgrading the government’s credit rating, they add to the absurd hysteria over the deficit. “It’s the cause of America’s economic stagnation,” they wail, “and the only way to fix it is to take sledgehammers and chainsaws to programs that the middle-class and the poor rely on.”
Yoo-hoo, Wall Streeters — it was not workaday folks who crashed our economy, it was you! Your financial collapse wrecked the livelihoods of millions and jacked up the federal deficit you now decry.
These elites are hoping that we can’t keep up with the fact that they’re using their own failure as an excuse to go after essential public programs needed by the very people they’ve knocked down.”
August 10th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
We have suffered a core 7 deluge. Please advise as to set parameters for element 44,3991.
Also check element tag for error.
M//79nA
August 10th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
There are rumor galore that Murdoch has made kiss-ass overtures to Anonz in an effort to get him to allow him to keep his media empire in the family.
No word yet on Anonz’s decision.
Robert
August 10th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Amy Goodman, Op-Ed: “The history of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is itself the history of U.S. military censorship and propaganda.
In addition to the suppressed film footage, the military kept the blast zones off-limits to reporters.
When Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist George Weller managed to get in to Nagasaki, his story was personally killed by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett managed to sneak in to Hiroshima not long after the blast and reported what he called “a warning to the world,” describing widespread illnesses as an “atomic plague.”
August 10th, 2011 at 7:49 pm
WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES
The weather outside is frightful, inside it’s so delightful… it’s awfully early in the year to sing this song, but it’s what came to mind as I was researching this story on a particular hazard of summertime weather — lightning.
It’s far more “frightful” than snow or ice — lightning can kill you instantly. While some of us may already know exactly what to do when there’s lightning around, it’s remarkable how many people don’t know or simple don’t take lightning seriously enough. I decided to seek out the latest information on staying safe.
A BOLT FROM THE BLUE
In the summer months, lightning is predictably unpredictable — there’s lots of it and you don’t always see it coming.
You’ve heard the term “a bolt from the blue”… it derives from the fact that lightning has been known to light up a bright blue sky (though not so often as a dark and stormy one), and it can travel as far as 10 miles, not only vertically but horizontally as well.
Hot summer weather raises the likelihood of thunderstorms, which always bring lightning (whether you see it or not).
According to the National Weather Service, lightning strikes ground some 25 million times a year here in the US, hitting an estimated 400 people and killing about 40, who typically die from severe burns, cardiac arrest and/or respiratory arrest.
While 90% of those who have been hit by lightning survive, they often suffer serious side effects that can include paralysis, internal and external burns, deafness, ringing in ears, amnesia and/or confusion, personality change, depression, sleep disturbances, memory dysfunction, headache, fatigue, joint stiffness and muscle spasms.
To learn how to stay safe and what to do if you’re ever with someone struck by lightning, I consulted our contributing medical editor Richard O’Brien, MD, an emergency physician in Scranton, Pennsylvania, who told me he sees lightning victims every summer.
While everyone seems to understand that lightning is dangerous, many are unclear on what they need to do to protect themselves. So, one by one, we went through the facts that are most important to know…
ARE YOU GROUNDED?
The most important thing to understand about lightning, said Dr. O’Brien, is that it wants to find a way to get into the earth — it’s called “grounding.” The human body, water and metal all are excellent conductors of electricity and will get it to ground very effectively. Rubber, concrete and wood, on the other hand, are protective.
“When thunder roars, go indoors.” This is the catchy phrase that the National Weather Service uses to educate people on the most important thing you can do to stay safe from lightning — get out of its way.
Get inside a safe building (one that is fully enclosed with a roof, walls, electricity and plumbing) or seek shelter in a car with a metal roof and the windows up (not a convertible, even with the roof up). “There is no such thing as being safe outdoors in a thunderstorm,” said Dr. O’Brien.
Even if you are inside, remember that lightning has been known to strike through glass. Stay as far away as possible from windows and skylights.
Lightning also has been known to strike through electrical outlets. If it hits an outside wire (phone/cable/electric), it can conduct into the jacks in the house, Dr. O’Brien explains.
Stay dry and disconnected. You can use a cell or cordless phone safely during a thunderstorm as long as the handset is not plugged in or attached to the base.
Note that by using a cordless phone you still risk drawing an electrical surge to the base and destroying it.
Under no circumstances should you talk on a landline.
Any electrical device, handheld or otherwise including an electric stove, is a magnet for lightning, especially when it is using power.
Stay out of the shower or bath and don’t use the sinks. “Lightning can come through the plumbing,” notes Dr. O’Brien.
“If it hits the house, it looks for ground (your metal pipes) and if you’re in the shower, naked and wet, you’ve had it.”
If you must go outdoors, remember there is no such thing as safe phone use — even a cell or cordless.
Be patient. Wait to go outdoors until you’ve heard no thunder for 30 minutes.
IF LIGHTNING STRIKES …
If you or someone near to you is struck by lightning, get help immediately. Call 9-1-1 (from a safe location if there is one!).
If the person is unconscious and without a pulse, perform CPR. The 911 operator can help with advice as well.
As a quick guide to CPR, the American Heart Association says to use both hands and push on the chest “hard and fast” to the tempo of the old Bee Gees song Stayin’ Alive.
There’s no need to fear being electrocuted yourself if you touch a person who has been struck by lightning, said Dr. O’Brien —
but you do need to protect yourself from another bolt of lightning. Take whatever measures you can to get yourself and the victim out of danger as fast as possible.
During these summer months, it’s important to be aware that lightning is a clear and present danger — take it seriously!
Source(s):
Richard O’Brien, MD, attending emergency physician at Moses Taylor Hospital, and associate professor of emergency medicine at The Commonwealth Medical College of Pennsylvania, both in Scranton.
August 10th, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Anonz,
my two sense is to let his empire go to shit, and make sure he and his family have their day in court…I would imagine that most of the workers will remain when someone like you enters the field and buys up the empire for pennies, to spread, perhaps, some more needed left wing fauxness…give the world a break and tear him apart!
That is certainly what I would do.
August 10th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
The Superior Experience and Knowledge will be made available to a man or woman in exact accordance with his worth, capacity, and earning of it.
Hence, if a donkey sees a melon he will eat its rind; Ants will eat whatever they can get hold of; man will consume without knowing that he has consumed.
Our Objective is to achieve by the understanding of the Origin, the Knowledge which comes through experience.
This is done as with a journey, only with those who already know the Way.
Roi
August 11th, 2011 at 9:11 am
Roi:
That was very philosophical, but who was your comment aimed at?
How does one know their worth, capacity, and earning of it?
I think I understand your parable about the eating of a melon. Humans eat foods that contain poisons to their systems, therefore not knowing what they have consumed, as apposed to the donkey or the ant which eats what it is intended to eat.
As far as journeys go, many do not know the way it will take them beforehand. Before you became TAO, you did not know the way, you came here to party, but shit happens and now you are an asset to the TAO because of your heroic deeds.
You have come a long way on you personal journey and I respect you for that.
HOWIE