Jailed For Missing School?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on May 30th, 2012
Good morning!
Many hot topics from yesterday’s post. I think I’ll leave Romney, Trump, and the face-eating alien alone for now. Although I have to say: JH-1: Hilarious!
Today I want to focus on a topic that Henrietta brought up, (thank you!) as well as change.org, (And thanks to you!) because I just can’t believe that this happened to this girl. I say EVERYONE, go to change.org and support this girl – click on the link and donate if you can.
Diane Tran, Honor Student At Texas High School, Jailed For Missing School
Diane Tran, a 17-year-old honor student in Texas, was forced to spend the night in jail last week after missing too many classes, KHOU-11′s Sherry Williams reports.
The Willis High School junior, who helps support two siblings, has both a full time and part-time job. She said that she’s often too tired to go to school.
“She goes from job to job from school,” Devin Hill, one of Tran’s classmates, told KHOU-11. “She stays up until 7:00 in the morning doing her homework.”
In an interview with KHOU-11, Tran said she takes AP Spanish, college level algebra and dual credit English and history courses. Her parents divorced and no longer live near her, so she lives with the family that owns the wedding venue where she works on weekends.
According to Texas law, if a student has ten or more unexcused absences within a six-month period, the school district may refer the student to a juvenile court. “In such cases, resolution of the issue is entirely in the hands of the court,” reads a statement on the website of the Willis Independent School District.
After being warned by a judge in April about missing too much school, Tran was arrested in court on Wednesday and required to spend the night in jail, according to the above video from KHOU-11. She has also been fined $100.
Tran’s case has spread online, with dozens of news outlets across the country picking up her story. HelpDianeTran.com, a site set up by the Louisiana Children’s Education Alliance in partnership with Anedot and Gatorworks, has raised over $28,000.
A petition at Change.org that calls for the judge to revoke the teen’s fine and sentencing was approaching 26,000 signatures on Monday afternoon.
“This remarkable young woman doesn’t deserve jail,” wrote a Change.org commenter going by Letitia Gutierrez. “She deserves a medal.”
Williams, the KHOU-11 reporter, visited the judge who sent Tran to jail. Watch the video above to hear the judge’s reasoning behind the punishment.
This post has been updated to reflect the number of signatures on the Change.org petition as well as the amount of money raised.
******
Readers: Moriarty wanted to make an example of her. “If you let one of them run loose, what are you going to do with the rest of them?” Judge Moriarty told reporters. “A little stay in the jail for one night is not a death sentence.” ”…One of them…” - What a racist ass.
I agree, she doesn’t deserve jail, she deserves a medal.
Elsie: Nicely said. Let’s HOPE those you describe heed your good advice.
Bob: My fave medicine.
Oops my time is up. Got to run. Blog me.
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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May 30th, 2012 at 9:41 am
What Your “Explanation of Benefits” Really Means
Think back to the last time you received one of those forms from Medicare or your health insurer that’s marked “THIS IS NOT A BILL.” Chances are you stuck it in a pile or even tossed it in the garbage, never really looking at it.
But if you take the time to understand and review these forms, you may save a lot in out-of-pocket expenses. I once saved $9,500 because of an error on the form—more on that later.
What’s the form all about? This form is called your “Explanation of Benefits,” or “EOB” for short. By law, Medicare or your insurance company must send it to you every time a medical practitioner or hospital submits a claim for services provided to you.
Sometimes, a single form will include a long list of services rendered—especially if you were hospitalized. While the form does not go into detail about the services listed, the EOB is for you, the patient, to review and know what portion, if any, of the charges you will have to pay out-of-pocket—and to spot errors.
What should you look at first? Every EOB must have the policyholder’s name (which may be your spouse if he/she has the insurance through his/her employer)…the patient’s name…and the patient’s insurance ID number (the number on the patient’s insurance or Medicare card).
It will also name the doctor, the practice or the hospital that submitted the claim. Don’t worry about every column on the form.
Pay particular attention to “Total Charges,” which is what the hospital or doctor submits to the insurer, and “Allowable Amount” (or “Medicare or Insurance Approved”), which is the amount the doctor or hospital has agreed to accept as full payment.
Also check the columns under “Patient Responsibility” that explain what you may have to pay as part of your insurance deductible or copayment.
For example, if a hospital submits a bill for a total charge of $10,000, and your insurer or Medicare lists an allowable charge of $4,000, that means the hospital has agreed to accept $4,000 as total payment.
If your policy requires that you pay 20% of the bill, the EOB will show that the hospital is allowed to bill you for up to $800 (20% of $4,000)—and no more. If you get a bill for more than that, call your insurer—and do not pay it until the situation is resolved.
What can go wrong?
In my case, my insurer had disallowed a $9,500 charge on the EOB because it claimed that my one-night hospital stay had not been preapproved. But I knew that it had. I called the insurer and pointed out the mistake. The representative told me the error would be corrected and not to pay any bills from the hospital until it was.
Other common mistakes include mixing up patients who have similar names, so make sure that your name and identification number are both correct.
Also check the EOB for charges from doctors or hospitals that you don’t recognize and look for duplicate charges—such as the use of two operating rooms on the same day. These simple steps can save you a bundle!
Source: Charles B. Inlander, a consumer advocate and health-care consultant based in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania.
He was the founding president of the nonprofit People’s Medical Society, a consumer advocacy organization credited with key improvements in the quality of US health care in the 1980s and 1990s, and is the author of 20 books, including Take This Book to the Hospital With You: A Consumer Guide to Surviving Your Hospital Stay (St. Martin’s).
May 30th, 2012 at 11:40 am
If that kid had been white, we would be hearing her lauded. She would be called a saint. But she is NOT white so their jUStice punishes with indifference to the particular situation.
The white boy uses the law to exercise his bigotry and racism. And as Robert,RT points out so often the 2nd 30% ignores his actions or pretends that the law would have done the same thing regardless of the race before the court.
Hypocrisy at best, pure fucking evil any other way.
Juanita
May 30th, 2012 at 11:43 am
You have until 06June12 to complete your typhoon path in that area of the Pacific.
/.54
May 30th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Romney has a new 2.5 minute ad entitled “A Better America” with only white people in it. This type of ad worked for Reagan when he said in one that he wanted to go back to the days when there were no race problems.
If that ad had played today the incompetent buffoon would not have won because the demographics are now different. The ability of the white population to totally disregard the voting power of the OTW is not there today.
But that second one third, that ignores that kind of in your face racism by the racist one third that Robert,RT often refers to, continues to pretend that they don’t see the racism.
I personally think we should give them a title. I nominate WEASELS. The definition of a weasel is : a sneaky, untrustworthy, or insincere person.
Alycedale
May 30th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
I just got a report with some frightening new numbers: Republican groups are outspending Democratic candidates 3-to-1 right now.
================================
Spending Democratic Republican
Sherrod Brown, Ohio $2,500,000 $8,000,000
================================
Tim Kaine, Virginia $385,000 $1,900,000
================================
We have a choice.
Either stand up in support of, and to contribute to candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Tim Kaine;
or let Republicans drown them out with attack ads. When up against a critical FEC deadline, Sherrod Brown isn’t depending on billionaire bankers and special interest groups to have his back. He’s calling on individuals like us.
We can’t let Democrats be forced into silence because they don’t have the funds to fight back. We need to wake up, stand up, and show the GOP that there is power in numbers.
Let’s win this,
Jason Rosenbaum
DSCC Online Communications Director
May 30th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Dealing with Addiction
Dear Reader,
Chances are you know an addict. The person may not be addicted to an illegal substance like heroin or cocaine.
In fact, it’s far more likely that you know someone who is addicted to a perfectly legal prescription medication — and probably doesn’t even know it.
You may find this shocking — I know I do — but the truth is, although most of us associate drug abuse with illegal substances,
the majority of addicts today are simply people who have become dependent on medications like tranquilizers, antidepressants, stimulants, or sleep aids.
It’s a rare day when I don’t see a patient who is asking for something a little stronger, because the original prescription just isn’t working any longer.
I hear this many times from patients who insist, “But the other doctor told me to take it. How could it be bad?”
Warning Signs of Drug Dependency
• Needing to increase the dosage of a medication, particularly a pain reliever, to achieve the same effect
• Missing work, neglecting responsibilities, or having legal difficulties
• Avoiding people or situations that may interfere with taking drugs
• Rationalizing the drug problem or denying it completely
How Getting Hooked Happens
Addiction rates in this country are at an all-time high, largely because the pharmaceutical industry has helped create millions of substance-dependent individuals who physically
and/or psychologically rely on medication. For example, patients who are dealing with pain, emotional difficulties,
and/or sleep problems may experience not just relief from symptoms but a comforting “high” as well.
Achieving the high, however, often becomes more difficult when drug tolerance sets in and requires increasing amounts of the medication.
In other instances, quitting a drug is next to impossible without professional help.
Certain antidepressants and antianxiety medications can cause serious withdrawal symptoms that sometimes require hospitalization.
Let me make one thing very clear: If this topic is uncomfortable because it applies to you or someone you care about, please do not feel ashamed or guilty.
Addiction to or dependence on prescription medication is not your fault, and you should not feel like you’re a bad person or you’ve failed somehow.
Many doctors do not have the time to discuss all the ins and outs of specific medications with each patient. Nor do they always ask if a patient has addiction issues before writing a prescription.
And in all fairness, oftentimes patients don’t have an addiction problem before starting certain drugs.
But clever direct-to-consumer advertising, which the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) permitted in 2000, has created millions of consumers/patients who are convinced the solution to their problems is inside a prescription drug bottle.
Unfortunately, as I’ve said here many times, the vast majority of prescription drugs treat the symptoms, not the real problem.
And the drugs often have serious side effects, including things like memory loss, weakness, dizziness, nausea, weight gain, vision and hearing difficulties, nutrient depletion, and much more.
If you feel you may be having a problem with one or more of your medications, please don’t blame yourself, but do read on. There are many helpful options available.
What Addiction Means
There are various definitions of addiction, which usually include these elements:
• An uncontrollable desire for the pleasant effects of a substance, despite adverse consequences
• An overwhelming need to avoid the painful effects of withdrawal
• A psychological dependence that creates the feeling of panic or desperation when the substance is not available
Addiction is extremely common today, and frequently used drugs (including caffeine [the most popular drug in the world], alcohol, and tobacco) play only a small role.
Gambling, fast food, the Internet, shopping, video games, indoor tanning, exercise, or devices like the Blackberry (or “Crackberry,” as one patient calls it) have all proven to raise the levels of endorphins or other feel-good chemicals released by the brain.
So even though there are no drugs or other substances involved, addiction can happen.
When Prescriptions Go Wrong
One of the trickiest addictions to identify and treat involves prescription medication. As a patient I’ll call Bert discovered, just because a doctor gives you a prescription doesn’t mean the substance is harmless or nonaddictive.
And it may take some time for the drug to become a problem. Initially, patients may find relief from symptoms with the prescribed dosage.
But since the actual cause of the ailment is not being addressed, the symptoms don’t really go away.
So just as a light drinker with a sleep problem may find that it takes an ever-increasing amount of alcohol to get to sleep, people taking pain or sleep medication often develop a tolerance to the drugs and end up needing far more than the recommended dose.
Increasing dosage to overcome tolerance is bad enough. But there’s another situation that’s even worse — mixing medications with alcohol or other drugs.
There’s no way to tell what will happen if you take a Valium with cold or flu medication and then down a drink or two.
Add to it the fact that each of us metabolizes differently, so a combination that is harmless for one person may prove lethal for another, as the glaring tabloid headlines often remind us.
The problem is especially serious for the elderly, who often see multiple doctors and have to manage five, ten, or more prescriptions and the side effects that go with them.
How to Handle Substance Abuse
So what should you do if you suspect you or someone you know has a drug-dependency problem? First, I suggest speaking with the prescribing doctor.
If the individual is taking a highly addictive medication, such as Vicodin, Valium, or another (benzodiazepine, for example), ask the doctor about safer alternatives.
If you would like to quit taking a drug, your physician should be able to help through a process called titration, which steadily decreases the dose until it’s safe to quit completely.
Stopping any drug suddenly — a process sometimes called cold turkey — is not recommended.
Meanwhile, you can build the foundation for improved health with the following steps:
• Add a multivitamin: Take a quality multivitamin daily, if you don’t do so already, because many drugs deplete the body of essential nutrients.
• Upgrade your diet: Be sure to eat nutritious whole foods, focusing on vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and whole grains. Choose organic food whenever possible.
• Drink more water: Drink at least eight glasses of fresh, filtered water daily.
• Get adequate sleep: Make certain you’re getting sufficient deep, restful sleep each night. There are many effective combination remedies for insomnia, including herbs such as valerian, hops, and passionflower, as well as natural sleep aids, such as melatonin (I recommend 2 mg for women, 3 for men, before bedtime).
• Take brain-supportive supplements: Consider taking supplements that support healthy brain neurotransmitter production or that relieve stress. Look into the following:
º Magnesium (400 mg daily)
º 5-HTP (100 to 400 mg daily
º 7-Keto (100 mg twice daily)
º Tyrosine (500 mg up to three times daily)
º L-theanine (200 mg once daily)
º DL-phenylalanine (750 mg twice daily, preferably at breakfast and lunch) — individuals with a rare disorder known as phenylketonuria (PKU) should not use phenylalanine
º Purified fish oil containing about twice as much DHA as EPA (1,000 mg twice daily)
º B complex (search for a balanced formula containing at least 50 mg of the “major” Bs)
• Join a support group: Find a support group for people with similar issues. Twelve-step programs have expanded beyond Alcoholics Anonymous and now include groups targeting a wide range of addictions, including narcotics, overeating, gambling, sex, shopping, Internet, gaming, and other problem behaviors.
Addiction is often considered a personal failing, when it is anything but. If you feel you may be suffering from a drug or substance dependency, please don’t let embarrassment get in the way of treatment.
These issues do not go away and tend to get worse if nothing is done. If you’re at a loss about how to proceed, ask your physician or pastor for recommendations.
Addictions can be conquered and your health restored but only if you take the first step of asking for help.
Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.
May 30th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Hi Mischa, I read this story and just shook my head, it is exactly this kind of bs that makes my friends from other countries call me asking me to explain idiotic crap like this, and I cannot.
I had a Spanish woman tell me the other day that she thinks blacks in America are racist, they have a chip on their shoulder bc they were slaves here, she claimed European blacks are much ‘cooler’ – any of you Spaniards/Europeans care to comment on that? It’s rare when I’m speechless but since she engaged me in debate at a friends office, I smiled and nodded at my friend, got what I came by for and left…again, head shaking…
RobertRt, thanks for your commentary re my question about Obama from last week, most if it I knew, some I didn’t, again – thanks for the cut-to-the-chase answer.
Ro-money IS a weasel, perfect…
Tracy, thank you. I will elaborate when the timing feels right…there’s lots more where that came from, if it is one mission I am on, it is to get people and women in particular to engage themselves in a more full and visceral experience of life, and the days of depending on men to provide/support/validate and all of that kind of caged thinking are gone and with that you will feel the independence you were meant to embrace all along, the opposite of what McMillan is touting. A woman’s worth is not gauged by her association (or marriage to) with a man, it is through her appreciation of herself no matter what others think of who and how she is. Frankly, it is not our job to care what others think about us, woman or man.
My disclaimer to the above: as we all know – I am always FOR relationships that feel good (marriage not so much though), or feel meaningful and productive in some personal way. Sometimes a person we are in it with for a time is simply there to teach us some specific life lessons, try not to shoot your messengers, (all lessons are not created equal) especially if they have some special redeeming quality you like ; )
Gotta roll, Luv, Zen Lill
May 30th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
I haven’t heard anyone discussing one of the biggest new diseases around, Chagas.
========================
Worldwide, Chagas still infects between eight to 10 million people, mainly in Latin America, and kills around 12 000, most die from heart problems. The insect vector, in fact, pricks men transmitting the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which enters the bloodstream and triggers a progressive deterioration of heart tissue, causing disability and death in severe cases. This insect hides in cracks and crevices of brick, reeds, straw and logs, including the materials of the most humble lodgings in the towns and settlements. However, the transmission of the disease also occurs through blood transfusions, organ transplants and through the placenta. Boys and girls are particularly vulnerable to infection.
Most of the 14 000 born each year affected by the disease are infected by maternal transmission.
==========================
I hope you will spark some interest it what is out there.
Paola
May 30th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
The TAO are amenable to contact being made with Susan Rice.
May 30th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Zen Lill, you have to be more specific when you use the term “spanish” woman. Spanish is the second most natively spoken in the world, after Mandarin Chinese.
My own experience is that OTWs who say that about blacks are either white ass kissers or those who are ignorant to what black sponsored Equal Rights for OTWs in America did for ALL the OTWs in America.
If not for that none of those “spanish” would be in a position where there opinion would even matter because they would be second class citizens in America.
Hence ignorance would be by guess. And second only whites interested in dividing and conquering the growing influence of a united OTW force in the US are that interested in the bias of a few OTWs against other OTWs.
There is no great divide between spanish speaking peoples and blacks. That would be apparent if you knew that most spanish speaking peoples are as dark skinned as any american black.
I think that person told you that to either ingratiate herself to you or to test your feelings concerning blacks. Your response would alert her to how you really feel about her race since most OTWs believe if a white person is bigoted against one OTW race they are just as bigoted against their race.
Your lack of an attempt to disagree(I am not saying you reacted that way) would tend to lead her to believe that you would belong to the WEASEL third of the white race at the least if you encouraged her in her belief that would put you in the first third of racists.
I’ve used that test myself, often to clear up any suspicions I have had about a white persons racial bias.
Jose
May 30th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Anonz it has come to fruition. My state Pennsylvania has just passed laws that are designed to steal the election. I have discovered that there are no federal laws that can be appealed to to change this before the election. Will this cause Obama to lose the state not because of the people of Pennsylvania didn’t want Obama to win but because the republicans engineered who could cast a vote.
I hope Obama gets a clue on this before it is too late.
Elliot
May 30th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Zen Lill, I agree with Jose. Perhaps the person had some doubts about your bigotry and used that as a pretense to see how you would react.
I too have said it to whites to get their reaction. Most agreed with me that blacks were racists. That told me that the bastards were bigots and would low rate me and my race as soon as my back was turned to blacks and fellow whites.
Maria
May 30th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Zen Lill I am an spanish speaking arab from Morocco. I have used that same question many times to visitors to my country. When they agree with me I put tiny bird or lizard poop in their meals the next time they come to our restaurant.
I know they are the kind of whites that call us camel niggers when they return home. Only bigots would or Weasels would respond with acceptance of such an accusation.
Aybak
May 30th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Everyone should get their computers checked for the virus FLAME. Flame, at its core, is spyware. It has the ability to log key strokes from an infected user’s computer, use the computer’s sensors such as the microphone and Web cam to record what is being said around it, and take screenshots. It can also sniff a network to steal passwords, be spread through USB drives and local networks, and transfer data to command-and-control servers. It can infect Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 computers.
This is not your ordinary spyware, though. While it does have some simple and basic elements of spyware (which can key log and use the microphone as well), its sheer girth betrays a more sophisticated approach. It can record from your camera and screen very thing in its view. It can turn your computer on and off at will once it has infected your computer.
This spyware has the ability to leave after it has stolen all your secrets without leaving a trace.
May 30th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Zen Lill, by brother said that he often ask whites what they think of another race. He says he uses the chinese because here in LA it is a group most whites feel free to down. He says the way they respond tells him what to expect from them concerning our race.
I can see the logic. A white person that encourages my bigotry is certainly full of his own.
Isabel
May 30th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Zen Lill I have heard some Filipinos say the same thing about blacks. I think it is ignorance about how much racism blacks are exposed to by whites and their stereotyping blacks a criminals and complainers using the race card.
I have my differences with blacks because I belong to a rival shall we say “club” in my barrio. But for certain even if I thought blacks were racists I would not care for a white person’s opinion on it because we latinos know that if a white person hates blacks he hates us too.
So the point of telling you that by a “spanish” person sounds like she was checking out your stand on minorities in your country.
Diego
May 30th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Zen Lill it seems to me that unless we know whether the person who said that was latino, cuban, european or what.
Not knowing that, makes your question meaningless to me.
Carlos
May 30th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Mitt Romney’s father,former Michigan governor and one-time Republican presidential candidate George Romney, was born in Mexico.
There wasn’t the big deal made about a white man that was actually born in a foreign country because he was white. Romney knows this yet he released his birth certificate to pander to the racists using the lie against Obama to win.
It is interesting how many whites came out for the right of this man born in Mexico to be president of the US. Bu then he was white.
Robert, rt
May 30th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Romney is a GOP nightmare. The GOP are believed to be the ‘perfection by deflection’ Party and Romney is out of their mainstream on almost every issue they currently espouse because he carries the same elements in his bio that they damn the POTUS for (Harvard educated, foreign born father, poor job growth while in office, nonmainstream religion, healthcare for all, etc.).
May 30th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
From Spain, sorry and I politely disagreed by asking her how so? I’m sure she knew I wasnt on board with it but I felt it was an inappropriate place fr the convo anyway. Thanks to all who responded. She gave me her how so answer…I left and if she wants to.measure me within 2 minutes, ill let that be her call, remember it is not my job to care what this stranger thinks of me.
May 30th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Does it occur to these people that the Republican Senates’ abuse of the filibuster and the 2010 teaparty house has done everything in its power to keep Obama from enacting job creating policies and addressing the debt by letting the Bush tax cuts expire?
May 30th, 2012 at 3:42 pm
FOX is a Propaganda organization for the 1%, not a news organization.
May 30th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Do Beans Deserve Their Stinky Reputation?
If you’re like many people, you enjoy eating beans but often take a pass on them—because you worry that if you don’t, you’ll soon be passing something else. Yet it’s a shame that fear of flatulence makes people shy away from beans. These fiber-rich, protein-packed legumes have abundant health benefits, including reducing cholesterol, improving digestion, preventing constipation, controlling appetite, increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing chronic disease risk overall.
With so much to gain from eating beans, it’s great to learn about new research showing that the common reports on beans’ odiferous consequences have been grossly inflated. Here are the real facts on beans and gas…
In three separate studies, participants were asked to consume one-half cup per day of either pinto beans…navy beans…black-eyed peas…canned carrots…or chicken soup. (The carrot eaters and soup eaters served as control groups, since these foods do not contain any known gas-producing ingredients.)
During the eight- to 12-week study periods, participants filled out weekly questionnaires indicating whether they had experienced any increase or decrease in flatulence or bloating and/or any changes in stool.
Results:
In the first week, fewer than half of the pinto and navy bean eaters and only 19% of black-eyed pea eaters reported any increase in flatulence. By the third week, those numbers had fallen significantly…and by the eighth week, only 3% of bean eaters reported increased flatulence. As for bloating, 13% of bean eaters perceived an increase in week one…by week eight, only 2% reported this effect.
Bottom line:
Beans get a bum rap they don’t really deserve—and their health benefits make them well worth learning to love. To minimize gassiness as your body adjusts to eating beans, start with varieties that are lower in fiber than other beans, such as black-eyed peas—at 4 g of fiber per half cup, they have twice the amount of fiber as a slice of whole-wheat toast.
Then work your way up to higher-fiber varieties, such as pinto and navy beans (7 g of fiber per half cup). Check package labels for fiber content and experiment to see which types of beans your body handles best. Also, begin with quarter-cup servings, gradually increasing to half-cup or one-cup servings over several weeks.
Source: Donna M. Winham, DrPH, is an assistant professor in the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University in Phoenix and coauthor of a study on beans and flatulence.
May 30th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Zen Lill, I wasn’t trying to put you on the spot. I was only answering your question. I don’t think you are a racist or a bigot.
Jose
May 30th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Zen Lill, I am Danish. Often white americans come to my country complaining about their minorities. We tend to see them for what they are bigots.
Caia
May 30th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Zen Lill, we Greeks are so financially depressed that even your racists tourists will be accepted. So if you racists are tired of listening to your OTWs whine about how your race is treating them come to the land of real white people.
Come to Greece. Please don’t think that although we would love to see you too Zen Lill, I know that you are not a bigot or racist.
I love your article.
Éabha
May 30th, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Scott #8 May 29:
This one’s for you:
I hope this answers your question about the “Zombie” in Miami.
He was an Alien, not a Zombie. He was a Yuplertian. They, like many aliens here, feed on humans.
He lost the ability to hold back his appetite. He was extremely hungry because he was experiencing his 23rd day without food. Most of his energy went to maintaining his form.
He had to eat , , , so he did . . . And it made the news. He was caught completely naked on the side of a causeway, by Miami Police while eating a human man’s face and head with extreme gusto.
A Police Officer screamed “Stop” and shot him once but this did not stop him so five more bullets did the trick and killed him.
The federal government has already confiscated the real body. His body began to dissolve about 12 hours into their departure.
May 30th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Oh, my God you’re back. WELCOME.
Wow.
May 30th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Glad to see you have returned also. Sorry if you thought I was pressuring you. I will be more circumspect in the future.
Welcome back indeed.
Kent
May 30th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
The state of America is just so pathetic when a joke running for president is running neck and neck with a man that saved his nation and perhaps the world from financial ruin; brought the civilized countries together again; gave his nation’s people a health program to prevent them from being rejected by their insurances companies wily nilly as the corporations see fit; provided regulations on industries that were bent on poisoning his nation’s people:got Bin Laden and several other terrorist; ended the war in Iraq; ended inequality to americans serving in the military; stood up for equal rights for gays, lesbian and transgender americans, etc, etc.
What does he have to do for the white america to say, he is better than a man who’s sole asset is his being a Bain corporate raider and having white skin?
The rest of the world must think us mad.
Carol
May 30th, 2012 at 9:06 pm
SInce Governor W. Mitt Romney released his birth certificate today, did anyone else notice it indicates that his father former Governor George Romney was born in Mexico? At issue is the fact that his grandfather renounced his US citizenship and moved to Mexico to retain his three or four wives and avoid felony bigamy charges.
Given this, it is possible that George Romney illegally re-entered the US with his father when war broke out down there and subsequently Governor Mitt Romney may not actually be a “natural-born US citizen” unless George Romney was naturalized.
He, mitt Romney, may be a “potential dual citizen” of the US and Mexico and thus, not eligible to run for president. We should look in to that. This is not the same as John McCain being born in the Panama Canal Zone.
May 30th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
I think Donald Trump is willing to say anything to feed his own ego by getting more news coverage. The same people who actually believe the Birther position are the same people who believe the president is a Muslim.
Given the fact that Reverend Wright is a controversial Christian pastor, being a member of his congregation would count as proof that the president is Christian. The fact that all the proof doesn’t sway some people just proves that some people are bigots who see anyone who is of the wrong race as an enemy to hate.
President Obama will continue to be labeled by some as anything bad that can be thrown at him simply because he is black.
Sam
May 31st, 2012 at 6:17 am
The New Drugstore Sperm Test
Hey, men—how would you like to buy a cheap kit at your drugstore that quickly tells you whether your sperm are up to snuff?
The kit is supposed to help couples figure out whether the man is the reason that they are having trouble getting the woman pregnant.
Up until now, the only way to have your sperm checked was through a doctor—you’d have to make an appointment to discuss your fertility concerns, the doctor would order a lab test,
you’d provide a semen sample, and then about one week later you’d get the results of a thorough examination of your sperm’s quantity and quality.
The test would cost anywhere from about $40 to $200 and would sometimes (but not always) be paid for by health insurance.
The new drugstore sperm test, however, costs about $40 and gives you results in about half an hour.
But can a simple home test really measure up to the kind of thorough screening that a doctor can provide?
Some physicians are voicing concerns about this new product, so I called an expert in the field to get his take on the controversial new test.
COUNTING SPERM
The new over-the-counter test is called SpermCheck Fertility (SCF).
Starting this past April, it’s been available online at sites such as CVS.com and at drugstores such as Walgreen’s.
To use the kit, a man ejaculates into a container, waits 20 minutes and then (using a tool) adds a sample of his ejaculate to a chemical mixture and lets that stand for another two minutes.
Then he places drops of the mixture on a test strip, waits another seven minutes and reads the strip.
If the strip produces a red line, the test suggests that his total sperm count is likely in a “normal” range. If the strip stays bare, the test suggests that his total sperm count is likely in an “abnormal” range and may be contributing to the couple’s fertility problems.
To get an expert’s opinion on the test, I called male reproduction specialist Natan Bar-Chama, MD, director of male reproductive medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
“I am pleased that it helps couples focus on the potential for a male contribution to infertility, which is the case in one out of three infertile couples” Dr. Bar-Chama said. But then he pointed out the test’s major flaws.
THE PROBLEMS WITH THE KIT
Dr. Bar-Chama said that assessing only how much sperm per milliliter is in a small sample of the semen, which is what SCF does, does not accurately determine a man’s total sperm count (the entire amount that is in his full ejaculate—not just a sample).
The semen volume must also be measured, said Dr. Bar-Chama, because semen volume can vary from man to man.
For example, one man might regularly ejaculate just 1 ml of total semen, while another man might regularly ejaculate as much as 5 ml of total semen, said Dr. Bar-Chama.
A sperm count of over 40 million total sperm is considered “normal.”
So if both men provide a sperm sample that contains 10 million sperm per ml, then the person with only 1 ml in volume would have a low and “abnormal” total sperm count of 10 million, while the man with a volume of 5 ml would have a total sperm count of 50 million, which is high and “normal.”
When a man sees a doctor for a full semen analysis, semen volume is measured.
But SCF doesn’t measure semen volume—it estimates that a man’s semen volume is at least 2 ml, so if the test shows that a man’s reading is under 20 million sperm per ml (and therefore, under a total, normal sperm count of 40 million), then the test considers that result “abnormal.”
Dr. Bar-Chama’s concern is that men might get “abnormal” results from this test when they’re actually fertile and vice versa.
MEASURING FERTILITY IN MULTIPLE WAYS
So not measuring semen volume is one reason why SCF fails in Dr. Bar-Chama’s eyes.
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are two other major factors that a doctor measures but SCF doesn’t…
Motility:
What proportion of sperm are active and swim fast and straight?
Slow-swimming or nonmoving sperm are unable to travel through the female reproductive tract and fertilize an egg.
Morphology:
What proportion of sperm are shaped normally? If sperm are shaped oddly, they are hampered in their ability to fertilize the egg properly.
So instead of using this over-the-counter test, Dr. Bar-Chama advises all couples who are infertile (haven’t achieved a pregnancy after one year of trying) to go to a fertility specialist so both the man and the woman can get complete evaluations.
Source: Natan Bar-Chama, MD, director of male reproductive medicine at at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and director of the Center for Male Reproductive Health at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York (RMA of NY).
May 31st, 2012 at 6:24 am
Thanks for the info Howie. Great to have you back.
May 31st, 2012 at 6:45 am
BEIRUT — Eyewitness accounts from the Syrian massacre emerged Tuesday, describing shadowy gunmen slaughtering whole families in their homes and targeting the most vulnerable in poor farming villages. Western nations expelled
Syrian diplomats in a coordinated move against President Bashar Assad’s regime over the killing of more than 100 people.
U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan met with Assad in Damascus to try to salvage what was left of a peace plan, which since being brokered six weeks ago has failed to stop any of the violence on the ground.
===================
If peace efforts break down, and the opposing factions defeat Assad, then there will be chaos in Syria. al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups will most certainly attempt to storm Syria’s unprotected military weapons arsenal.
President Obama may have to step in and send troops to Syria to prevent the thousands of chemical and pre nuclear weapons in Syria’s military cache from being taken. That will require boots on the ground.
Syria has plenty of nuclear fuel capable of enriching a weapons grade nuclear dirty bomb. Their store of chemical weapons include Sarin, Tabun, VX, and mustard gas types of chemical weapons.They have thousands of Scud missiles and the next generation of Scud sophisticates.
If any of these weapons get into the hands of terrorists, it could mean millions of deaths in Israel, Europe, the US and the Middle East.
If the UN doesn’t send troops into Syria if its central government is over thrown, the US will have to in its own self interest and the worlds.
Anonz
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May 31st, 2012 at 6:59 am
yes, Anonz, and the Bilderberg’s, and The FED will have one more country under their debt domain. The smoke and mirrors of the covert overthrow of the Syrian government by the U.S., UN, and WMF is underway. Reminds us of the overthrow of the Shah all over again. Your whole line of “shadowy gunmen” is the point. It is a pattern of the United States to make it look like it is something it is not in order to comply with the owners of the FED to break a country and turn their people into indentured servants to the broken and collapsing capitalist paradigm…history will teach us nothing…
Living is easy with eyes closed.
May 31st, 2012 at 7:16 am
The paper trail to STARK which could show how those five were bought and paid for(BAPF) has been discovered. Whether the administration dares to expose it before the election is not certain.
They will most assuredly be accused of either trying to intimidate SCOTUS, playing politics or stacking the court.
The Right is aware of the possible imminent prosecutions of several Supreme Court Justices. That makes winning this election all the more important.
They can not afford to not to hedge their bets so they have set out to steal the elections of not just the presidency but as many of the senate and house seats as they can on both the Federal and State level.
$2.3 Billion dollars has been amassed to storm the air waves for their candidates in the up coming elections. The 2010 elections were a practice run.
The Dems were caught off guard during the 2010 elections. They have only recently put together the reason so many Republicans won in 2010.
What they discovered is that the Tea Party was put together to be a blind for the huge amounts of money that were inserted in the campaigns of the republican candidates during the last few weeks of their campaigns.
That money was used to flood the airwaves with negative ads against the republican opponents. The result was that in every instance, the Dem candidate did not have the funds to answer those negative ads and they lost.
The public was left to believe that it was the republican platform that won the day. Those candidates that won are BAPF. They know who they owe their elections to and will obey their employers to the letter.
The BAPF governors all set about setting up voter laws that will remove from the roles blacks, hispanics, and whites that then to vote democratic.
The Right has decided if the white race is destined to lose it numerical voting majority, it can still maintain it by insuring they have control of WHO gets to vote and the vote count.
To insure that they will have the vote count, the Right bought control of all the companies that provide the software AND the machines that count the votes.
Unless a miracle happens its a done deal. Presently the Right has set up polling circuits to tell the people the races are close. So that a win by their candidates will seem plausible.
Mike, TM