Rightwing Conspiracy Theories Are Lies
Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 18th, 2012
No Shit.
Good morning!
I watched Maddow last and thought this was a very good segment to post.
Rachel Maddow: Conservative Conspiracy Theories Are ‘Bull’ (VIDEO)
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Rachel Maddow railed against Republicans for what she charged as twisting facts to support conspiracy theories.
On her Wednesday MSNBC show, Maddow said that conservative conspiracy theories—including claims that President Obama isn’t really president, or that the unemployment rate hasn’t really decreased—led Gov. Mitt Romney walk into what she called “a horrible wall” during the second presidential debate.
During the Tuesday forum, Romney asserted that Obama did not call the U.S. attack on Benghazi an “act of terror” one day after the incident, as the president had indicated. After doubling down on the charge, moderator Candy Crowley interrupted with a live fact check, saying that the president did call the attack an “act of terror” during his remarks in the Rose Garden one day following the incident.
Maddow said that Romney “face-planted” at that moment because he was repeating the story about Obama’s response to the attack in Benghazi in a way that was very satisfying to conservatives.
“But the story of today,” she said, “was that the right decided that what happened to Mr. Romney there felt too bad, so they were going to make themselves feel better.”
Maddow laid into the fact-checking website PolitiFact for labeling Obama’s use of the phrase “act of terror” in the Rose Garden as only “half true.” She also called out Fox News for running a chyron on its dayside programming blaming Crowley for stepping on Romney’s “major moment.” Maddow was dissatisfied, to say the least. She said:
This infection is leaving the conservative media through purportedly neutral arbiters of fact like Politifact, these false conservative, feel-good assertions about noble facts that come from the right, end up becoming just the other side of a political issue..and that is bull.Barack Obama was born in Hawaii; the unemployment rate is below eight percent; the day after the Benghazi attack the president called it an ‘act of terror.’
Do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel better, but do not confuse yourWorld Net Daily caliber, therapeutic, conservative alternative reality fantasy babble for what actually happened. Because stuff really does actually happen, and eventually you really do need to deal with it.
******
Readers: I got so wrapped up in style yesterday, my political side posted, but I neglected to give kudos to President Obama for a job well done.
President Obama: If you are reading (How thrilling that would be!), I just wanted to give you kudos for the other night. You were good…real good.
Zen Lill: I know you’ve been out having fun- c’mon spill the beans – share. Oh…and if you missed Youtube, I posted the debate on the blog yesterday for everyone to see.
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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October 18th, 2012 at 10:57 am
Many finnish believe the USA is rapidly becoming a laughing-stock known for its Right Wing nut-jobs with extreme and backward political and social views and stances.
The growing grip of the hard-right fundamentalist religions on your country is scary and will cause great harm as Americans attempt their travel back in time. Truly bizarre. The world looks on in amazement.
October 18th, 2012 at 10:59 am
Rachel Madcow is an insult to journalism and is just another profane tool of MSDNC. She rufuses to be fair and objective or balanced and she and her buddy, “Ed” have said hateful, deplorable things about GOP candidates and spinners like calling Laura Inram a b–ch (rhymes with rich) in their little airings.
Why does Michelle’s blog not cover the Libyan coverup and the lies or pure incompetence ( it had to be one or the other) that Obama perpetrates on this country.
Microsoft has had to leave MSNBC becuse of their cadre of #$%$ journalism like having the ever intelligent and insightful Al Sharpton host a major time slot each day for news and current events. Its a joke like Cheis ( the shower spraying) Matthews who has tingles run up and down his legs when he hears Obama speak.
October 18th, 2012 at 11:04 am
Is It Riskier to Be a Thin Diabetic?
It’s well-known that obesity raises the risk for type 2 diabetes, but roughly 11% of people with the disease have a “normal” body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9.
They are what you might call “thin people with diabetes.”
If you’re one of them, you might assume that you’re at lower risk for serious complications from your diabetes—but a new study actually shows the opposite.
It has found that people with type 2 diabetes who are not overweight have a higher risk for death from any cause, compared with overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes.
How much greater was the risk? And how can that be?
I spoke with the researchers to find out…
PUZZLING PARADOX
In the study, scientists analyzed data that followed a total of 2,625 people from the time of their type 2 diabetes diagnoses for anywhere from seven to 28 years (or their death).
It showed that people who were of normal weight at the time of diagnosis had more than twice the risk of dying from any cause as people who were overweight or obese at the time of diagnosis, and this held true even after adjusting for factors such as age, smoking and blood pressure.
That finding seemed backward to me, so I called the lead author Mercedes Carnethon, PhD, to learn more.
THE SKINNY ON RISK
Dr. Carnethon said that there are several possible explanations for why normal-weight people with diabetes might die sooner than overweight people with diabetes, including…
Loss of lean muscle. As people age, some drop pounds because they lose muscle and bone—not fat. That’s a problem, though, because fat isn’t as sensitive to insulin as muscle is, so the higher your fat-to-muscle ratio, the less your body is able to use circulating glucose for energy.
In other words, it’s possible that a person with a “normal” weight who has a high fat-to-muscle ratio could have a higher risk for death than a person who is classified as “overweight” and has a lower fat-to-muscle ratio.
Other illnesses.
Diabetes is generally an obesity-related disorder, so having diabetes and a normal weight might reflect another underlying illness—and that underlying illness might be what raises the risk for death.
The researchers did exclude participants who died within two years of developing diabetes, but they were not able to account for other diseases participants may have had, such as cancer.
Less aggressive treatment.
It’s possible that leaner people with diabetes are screened less frequently and/or less carefully…or that they are undertreated once their diabetes is diagnosed, because doctors may mistakenly perceive them to be at lower risk for complications and death compared with overweight people with diabetes.
IT’S NOT AN EXCUSE TO EAT FRIED FOODS
So if you are of normal weight and have type 2 diabetes, what can you do to help prolong your life? Certainly, the results of this study do not suggest that you should just gobble food to gain weight. But there are a few things that you can do, Dr. Carnethon told me…
1. Talk to you physician about it. Make sure that your doctor fully appreciates that even though you are not overweight or obese, your diabetes still represents a risk to your well-being and you should be evaluated and treated no less aggressively than your overweight counterparts.
In fact, show him or her this article about death rates if you need to! And ask: “Do we fully understand the reason I got diabetes…and are we doing everything possible to treat that underlying cause?”
2. Make yourself strong. Exercise of any kind will help improve your blood sugar control, but strength training, in particular, is a great way to lose fat and increase muscle.
By following these two simple tips, you’ll have a better chance of living a long, healthy life!
Source: Mercedes R. Carnethon, PhD, associate professor of preventive medicine, associate chair for faculty development and mentoring, department of preventive medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago.
Her study was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
October 18th, 2012 at 11:05 am
GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE!
As Newt Gingrich told Human Events yesterday, we will find out in the next few days if President Obama moved the needle at all with his debate performance Tuesday night. Like I said, I don’t see it happening. I think this race has already been decided, and at this point, it’s all about mobilizing voters on Election Day.
The second debate showed a more invigorated president, but Mitt Romney exposed his record to the American electorate once again. From his draconian energy policy to his abysmal record on women (his own female debate coach said so herself), the president’s record was in the spotlight, and as polls from CNN, CBS, and MSNBC(!) show, the all-important undecided American voter doesn’t buy what the president is trying to sell.
Our stories our below, including Hope Hodge’s piece on what was missing from the last debate and an update from our correspondent at the GTMO trial of KSM.
Talk to you all tomorrow,
– Adam Tragone, Managing Editor
October 18th, 2012 at 11:15 am
When it comes to Romney, does this guy every stop lying? Here is the true account of his lie during the Tuesday debate about going out and recruiting women. You’ve heard mine, here’s Huff Post’s version…
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In response to a question about equal pay for women during the presidential debate Tuesday night, Republican nominee Mitt Romney boasted that as governor of Massachusetts, he was so frustrated by the lack of qualified female candidates for positions in his cabinet that he sent women’s groups out to actively recruit them.
“I went to a number of women’s groups and said, ‘Can you help us find folks?’ and they brought us whole binders full of women,” he said.
Romney’s account of that story is false, according to two women who led an effort in 2002 to recruit female candidates to high-level appointed positions in Massachusetts. MassGAP, a bipartisan coalition of women’s groups dedicated to increasing the number of women appointed to top government jobs, approached Romney and his Democratic challenger Shannon O’Brien before the 2002 gubernatorial election and pressured them to sign a pledge to appoint more women if elected.
==============================
”Amanda Henneberg, a spokesperson for the Romney campaign, said the details of who initiated the appointing of more women are less pertinent than the end result.”
It is pertinent. Because, as usual, he took credit for something he didn’t do.
Carla
“It was an initiative of women’s organizations, not to force [Romney’s] hand, but to make it be something he had to follow through on,” Carol Hardy-Fanta, former co-chair of MassGAP’s higher education subcommittee, told The Huffington Post the morning following the debate. “He didn’t go out looking for these binders.”
October 18th, 2012 at 11:23 am
How’s this for a conspiracy? A man running for president has 5 boys who have never done any military service because they have the Mormon special Minister exemption. Yet, he campaigns as a Hawk(really chicken hawk) and the Right Wing pro gun, war, wannabe patriots support this guy.
What’s that all about?
October 18th, 2012 at 11:23 am
Elections have always been and will always be a dirty business. I listened to both candidates push aside questions they were supposed to ANSWER. Their responses were for the most part prepared statements we’ve all heard before. Neither candidate impressed me.
I think to be a great President one has to be able to move forward with their agenda regardless of the opposition. I would think that behind the scene deals would have to be made in order to achieve one’s stated goals. Obama has NOT accomplished that political maneuver.
Romney smells like a hack. He is quick to throw incorrect or misleading facts out, slow to provide details of his own goals and has proven to be completely malleable to fit the situation. I am not happy with his close ties to the Mormon faith which I believe make him unfit for leadership. I reluctantly prefer Obama though I wish there were other, better choices.
October 18th, 2012 at 11:24 am
Robney does not know how to tell the truth. hopefully woman particularly are checking out his claims. It was not he who bought woman into positions in mass. His boosting as usual is more lies.
Another thing folks, does everyone know his health care bill will eliminate everyone from medicare and every insurance he wants that has pre existing conditions. Please folks do your homework.
Mr Rob me will do just that and destroy the world for the poor and middle class. The rich will get richer and oh yeh, they don’t have to worry about insurance.
October 18th, 2012 at 11:26 am
HI Misch, hahaha…yeah, this one has been good. It started Monday morning with a masseuse sent to the house by a friend, an hour and a half of hypnotic rubbing, after which I asked, ‘did we have sex just then?’ bc it felt that way…amazing and beautiful…
Lunch on the day with my girl, we both love sushi : )
Dinner at Terranea resort on the day, filet mignon and lobster with a cucumber martini – a great date, last night my bestie took me to another fave restaurant for more fabulous seafood and pomegranite martinis, tonight another newer bestie is taking me to a great westside restaurant…detes tomorrow bc I have a knack for getting into trouble at this place ; )
Anything re: repugs, my stock answer is: women are important & fact checking is important, the economy has a better chance with Pres O, and he’s not a Muslim (thank you very much, birther) and anything else can wait in a freaking ‘binder’
Luv, Zen Lill
October 18th, 2012 at 11:33 am
I’m giving up Catholicism. That racist church is willing to support a man practicing a religious cult with nothing similar to the catholic teachings about Jesus to get rid of the black man.
Racism in America is a neurosis for whites.
Diego
October 18th, 2012 at 11:35 am
Why is it that you choose to omit that Romney’s closing down businesses in America, loves firing Americans and sending their jobs to China is doing more to help keep unemployment up in America while the president is trying to create jobs?
Romney was asked about paying equal wages to women and his solution to that was he looked through binders full of women as if you can just pick them out of a catalog.
While I am on this subject he also said that if there were more jobs (maybe like the ones he shipped to China, who knows?) that then maybe people would think about hiring them. That is as if women are second class citizens and he will only hire men until there are more jobs.
He never answered the question about paying equal wages, neither did he say he hired any women. He just looked through a binder full of them like the centerfold of Playboy magazine I imagine. That is the uproar about the binder’s.
Illegals have been entering this country for decades. How you have decided to pin this problem on Obama is simply because you have put blinders (not binders) on and chose to do so. Get some education then come back on here with something meaningful to say.
October 18th, 2012 at 11:35 am
It’s really sad that all of you are making this a major issue of the campaign when the real issue is that over the past 4 years the unemployment rate has remained too high, more people are suffering than ever before, welfare soared 32% over the last 4 years and all anyone wants to complain about is a binder comment made in a presidential debate.
If you want to make this election about small issues like this, then you obviously are not living is reality or are OK with all of the above which is even sadder.
Get real people, stop letting the liberal media deflect the wrongs of this president and his administration. This is a larger problem than what we are discussing here.
I mean look at the latest jobless reports… it is amazing that AFTER the debate, jobless claims all of a sudden increased by 46,000 to 388,000 which is the highest increase in 4 months. Wake up America!!
October 18th, 2012 at 11:37 am
So serving a religious mission is more important than defending America against its enemies. Got it.
October 18th, 2012 at 11:38 am
I have yet to hear one “journalist” ask ANY questions of either Mitt or Ann Romney about their Mormon religion. Why are there NO women in the LDS hierarchy? Why were blacks not allowed in the church until the late 1970s?
Why is polygamy still tolerated in Utah? Why do Mormons harass and bother non-Mormons in every small town in Utah, Idaho, and Arizona? And where are those “goden tablets” that no one has ever seen but on which the entire “religion” is based?
Calling the Mormon “faith” a mongrel religion is a slur against mongrels.
October 18th, 2012 at 11:39 am
“My five sons have also served their mission. None served in the military.” Romney later added, “I sent them away boys and they came back rich boys.”
October 18th, 2012 at 11:42 am
When Ann Romney was asked if she knew of any Mormons who were in the military she said “we have many many members of my faith who are serving in the military”
What Ann did not say is except “Mitt, my five sons, Mitt’s dad, Mitt’s uncles, Mitts grandfather, Mitts great grand father or any other male in the ROmney family tree”
October 18th, 2012 at 11:42 am
There is a difference in being a missionary, and being a missionary in Paris, France. If he had spent his time helping the sick and starving of the world instead of laying on the beach on the French Riveria then I would cut him some slack.
October 18th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Thank you
October 18th, 2012 at 11:45 am
These wealthy white fake patriots are a danger to the mothers who love their sons and daughters but have no say in where they are sent to defend the positions of those fake white patriots.
Juan
October 18th, 2012 at 11:46 am
Nice one Whoopie – serving in the Military isn’t against their Religion, it’s below their Pay Grade
October 18th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Yeah, how about that family of boys? They aren’t willing to serve in the military but the eldest Tagg wanted to take a swing at the president.
================================
Not willing to let his dad hog all the petulant debate rage, Tagg Romney took serious offense when President Obama accused his father of being dishonest. In fact, he was so seriously offended that he wanted to punch the president. Really.
As Buzzfeed reports, the eldest of Mitt’s sons said the following in an interview with a North Carolina radio station today:
“Jump out of your seat and you want to rush down to the stage and take a swing at him,” Tagg responded, laughing. “But you know you can’t do that because, well, first because there’s a lot of Secret Service between you and him, but also because that’s the nature of the process.”
=======================
Typical hypocrisy of the gutless. No way would he confront a black man without a bunch of buddies helping him.
Paul
October 18th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Glad to know the rich, soft handed white boy wanted to punch a black guy on national TV.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Here’s what ole Tagg was really thinking:
I wanted to jump out of my seat and punch him in the throat like I do to my wife when she sasses me back. Or I was thinking of waiting until afterwards and then beating him with my belt while he was asleep, like I do with the kids.
================
We all know how tough those white boys are when they are day dreaming.
Dwight
October 18th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Don’t Let Sugar Make You Stupid
Beyond adding to the obesity problem in the US, sugar can also be harmful to our brains, according to a new study.
This research found that a diet high in fructose, a common type of sugar, may impair memory.
But before you clear out the candy drawer and swear off dessert forevermore, the same study suggests that there’s a way to protect our brains from sugar’s harmful effects.
And it’s not a difficult—or expensive—trick.
You may be able to cancel out the brain-busting effects of sugar by eating more of a certain type of nutrient.
BRING ON THE OMEGA-3S!
Previous studies had shown that omega-3 fatty acids are critical for brain development. So researchers at UCLA, led by Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, PhD, wanted to see if they might cancel out the negative cognitive effects of fructose.
They designed an experiment comparing four groups of rats that were each given a different diet—no fructose and no omega-3s…no fructose and lots of omega-3s… lots of fructose and no omega-3s…or lots of fructose and lots of omega-3s.
After each rat had eaten its particular diet for six weeks, it was plopped into a maze to see how quickly it would get through. (Yes, the good ol’ rat-in-a-maze technique!)
Results:
The rats in the lots-of-fructose, no-omega-3 group (which came in dead last) took nearly twice as long to complete the maze as the rats in the lots-of-fructose, lots-of-omega-3 group (the second-slowest group).
How come?
As the researchers later found, the lots-of-fructose, no-omega-3 rats had signs of disrupted insulin receptor signaling in the brain.
This means that the cells in the brain were less efficient at signaling neurons to release or store sugar, which the brain needs to do in order to think clearly, remember well and learn well. (The rats in the no-fructose, no-omega-3 group also had brains that showed this problem but not to the same extent.)
Overall, the rats in the no-fructose, lots-of-omega-3 group completed the maze the fastest, as you’d expect, and the no-fructose, no-omega-3 rats were second-fastest.
This means that consuming fructose—which is found not just in desserts and sugary drinks but also in ketchup, crackers, cold cuts, salad dressing, peanut butter and canned corn, among other products—might not just be widening your waistline but dulling your brainpower, too.
“In humans, this sort of memory dysfunction would likely be characterized by small things, such as forgetting where you put your keys,” said Dr. Gomez-Pinilla.
While the researchers tested only fructose in this experiment, they believe that all types of sugar would affect the brain similarly.
SUGAR FIGHTER
Since sugar is so widespread in today’s foods and beverages, and since it’s hard to resist, it’s encouraging to know that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may help to mitigate its negative effects on our minds.
So I’m not going to wag my finger at you and say, “Never eat sugar!” Instead, I’d like to propose the following workable, “real life” way for you to keep your brain healthier:
From now on, don’t allow yourself to consume any very sugary food unless you also specifically consume a food with omega-3 fatty acids at the same meal. This is easier than you might think! For example…
1. Toss ground flaxseed onto cereal. Many cereals contain added sugar…so sprinkle some ground flaxseed, which is rich in omega 3s, right on top. It adds fiber and a pleasant nutty flavor, too.
If you are new to flaxseed, start slowly with maybe a half teaspoonful, Dr. Gomez-Pinilla said, to give your system time to adjust to the fiber, and work your way up to perhaps a tablespoon.
2. Don’t have dessert unless you eat fish. Many types of fish—salmon, especially—are high in omega-3s. Dr. Gomez-Pinilla recommends eating fish three times a week.
If you limit having sweets to just these three days, you’ll likely slash your sugar intake—and give yourself a reward for eating omega-3s!
3. When you have dessert, include nuts. Walnuts, in particular, are packed with omega 3s. So when you do eat a sweet, choose one with walnuts or other nuts built in, or sprinkle them on top.
(Crushed walnuts on ice cream or frozen yogurt—very good!) Over time, you’ll come to automatically think of sweets only if you also have omega-3s—and that will do you good.
Source: Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, PhD, professor of physiological science, department of integrative biology and physiology, University of California Los Angeles. His study was published in Journal of Physiology.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Talk about conspiracies how about this true one. In a June conference call hosted by the conservative-leaning National Federation of Independent Businesses, Mitt Romney encouraged business owners to let their employees know which candidate they support and how the election’s outcome will affect their business.
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October 18th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
We’ve seen so many “First” in this Election Cycle..Starting with the unprecedented obstruction of a losing Party, dissmissing the vote of a Majority…”Citizen United”…The Vote blocking Laws all over the Country .the coming out party of all the CEO’S , usually discret and rather stay in the shadow.
It Really makes you wonder why they are so so so eager to regain power this time around.
What do they really have in the books for us?
October 18th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Noam Chomsky said recently, “The Republican organization today is extremely dangerous, not just to this country, but to the world. It’s worth expending some effort to prevent their rise to power, without sowing illusions about the Democratic alternatives.”
October 18th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
To punish Obama in this particular way, on Election Day — by depriving him of votes in swing states and hence of office in favor of Romney and Ryan — would punish most of all the poor and marginal in society, and workers and middle class as well: not only in the U.S. but worldwide in terms of the economy (I believe the Republicans could still convert this recession to a Great Depression), the environment and climate change.
It could well lead to war with Iran (which Obama has been creditably resisting, against pressure from within his own party). And it would spell, via Supreme Court appointments, the end of Roe v. Wade and of the occasional five to four decisions in favor of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Nobody is really happy with the choices but if Romney gets elected we can be sure that unemployment rates and the middle class tax rate will go up and the 4 retiring SCOTUS justices will be replaced by people who will support more legislation like Citizens United. Romney does not care about freedom for all. Romney only cares about freedom for the 1% to take advantage of the rest of US.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
It is very easy to be judgmental when we are not in Obama’s shoes. A book was written a long time ago with the title, “The Impossible Presidency.”
I think we are living in a more complex world today than when that book was written, and the older I am the more issues tend to become a shady grey and not black or white. Thus, the Presidency is more impossible than ever.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Teddy Roosevelt, the original progressive, was often attacked by those on his own left for not doing enough to push progressive causes that he professed to believe in. His response was “I believe in the politics of what is possible now”.
Sometimes, he reasoned, one must retreat on some fronts in order to concentrate force on other more achievable goals. Obama is certainly no TR, but I believe he is far more progressive at heart than anyone in the republican party. I agree with others here.
A Romney/Ryan win would be a disaster that could lead to 16 years of their collective rule.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
This President has been challenged unlike any other President in history. He took office when we were on the brink of financial calamity, he inherited 2 wars, a global reputation in tatters, a collapsed housing market and a Republican Party that very boldly announced that he was a one term President. Under the circumstances and the nature of the Congress he had to work with, I think the President has done a fine job.
It’s easy to criticize him, but I don’t think there’s one person in public office that could have delivered more under these circumstances. The best thing to do is vote him back and vote the Republicans out. That’s how we’re going to lay the groundwork for a real progressive.
I’ve had my disappointments as well, but I’ll keep that to myself. I think President Obama will still bring us a better future than the Romney ticket ever would.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Romney will destroy the economy, he will increase spending on the military industrial complex, he will eliminate health care, and he will eliminate women’s reproductive rights.
Obama will not support any of these changes. And Romney will appoint extreme right wing judges like Scalia and Thomas, and they will destroy what is left of employment/labor laws, Roe, banking regulations, etc.
The difference is the difference between Armageddon and the same old same old.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
Very well said, David#32. President Obama had to deal with a Congress that was determined to make him fail. The disrespect that he has dealt with has been disgraceful.
Yet, he still has been the “adult in the room” Many of our disapointments, I suspect, were handed down because he had to compromise to get some semblance of a bill or law passed. We all know that the Health Care Law he would have liked to deliver is not the one we got.
I will be casting my vote early and it will be for a President that works for all of the people. I believe he will win this and will finish the job he started out to accomplish. God Bless President Obama.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
I’ve looked at Match.com profiles, and apparently most women in my area/age won’t even consider you unless you earn 100k and are over 6 feet tall. If they are using this criteria to screen out potential dates then I think I can see the reason they are still single.
The guy who is 5’10″ and earns a “measly” 50-60k (for example) won’t even show up on their matches.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Both men and women lie on these dating sites. I’ve dabbled with online dating and I always start off with honesty on my profile with very minimal results.
When I fudge minor details or omit my true opinion, all of a sudden guys seem more interested. Bottom line: online dating is not the way to find a meaningful relationship. Just hook ups, if that’s your thing.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
It seems to me that people were successful at least some of the time in meeting others long before the computer. There is no way to get to know a person through these big dumb adding machines that will compare with real face to face encounters.
Besides, it seems to me that the time wasted looking for a mate on the internet would better be spent in social activities. I met my former wife in a bar, what we did before the internet. I didn’t work out ’til death, but while we were together it was glorious. Get out Tony, talk to real live women!
October 18th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
What…is it laziness that one can’t even go out and actually MEET people, face to face, anymore? All of our tech devices are turning us into bots. Everything must be done somehow, some way online? I guess it’s a good thing there is artificial insemination!
October 18th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
ive rejected at least 98% of people ive met online and the other 2% maybe rejected me , i liked all of them but get real , with all the people we see or meet in real life , finding someone you could be serious about is a very rare occasion , thus the same online , nobody is really getting rejected it more about finding that rare someone
October 18th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Rejection is part of life. I have rejected guys and guys have rejected me online. Its a tough world. You just have to keep trying to find someone in reality or the cyber world. I agree its hard to find that special one that connects you you on so many levels.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Generally doesn’t work great. Too many people and profiles, cannot really connect well with anyone, too open ended, no real way to concentrate on one person at a time.
Most people are not really there for dating but other reasons, lonely, chatting, playing the field. Fickle personalities. Best advice, avoid it if you can or stay single.
I’ve had a mental crush on this school friend of mine for years. Recently, I decided to move on. My present girlfriend doesn’t know that I dabble on line.
Wouldn’t it be a hoot if my crush met me on line. WOW! that’s a thought.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Fiona, What makes you think it’s laziness? My boyfriend and I have been together for over 2 years and we met online. I don’t like bars (I don’t drink) and I don’t like trashy clubs, so why would I go to one to meet someone?
I would rather date someone with interests like mine, so meeting online was perfect. We are both homebodies that love to relax, read and hang out.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
Where does this charge come from that Candy Crowley had the transcripts of the Rose Garden speech? Obama simply said “look at the transcripts” regarding the speech. He could have easily said look at the video. It meant that you actually could check the source to see for yourself. That’s what most reasonable people would think….
How did this get twisted into a conspiracy theory from the right? …oh yeah I did say “reasonable” people….
So the new accusation is that Candy Crowley and Obama got together and somehow lured Romney into a trap. Together they planned a way to make Romney use the words “act of terror” knowing that they would be able to take advantage of it and make Romney look stupid.
Sorry Romney supporters…if they were able to do that then you should recognize that Obama is a genius and that Romney is a backward child compared to him.
Even if you accept that she had the transcript…which I find extremely questionable…how could they know that Romney would make it an issue?
Just accept it…quit making excuses …quit trying to see everything as a liberal conspiracy….your candidate simply didn’t have his facts straight and he messed up!
October 18th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
You libs post such hilarious stuff. You act like the election’s over and obama won. Monday is the next debate, and it’s clear obama hates debating because he’s being challenged on everything he says, which is something he hasn’t experienced in the last 3.75 yrs. Mitt loves it.
And to top that, Libya will be front and center and no Candy bar to throw him a lifeline. Top that with emerging facts that Hillary was personally involved with the security at Benghazi. Oh boy, Monday night will be so much fun to watch.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Why are repubs upset?
She did EXACTLY what Myth Romney has done after every misspeak – go on the air and say what she said was not exactly what she meant.
“We learn by example.”
October 18th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
It seems like the liberals are constantly either misspeaking or outright lying.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Todd, that was tacky.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
So, the smug etch-a-sketch running victory laps over his “win” after the first debate was smacked down, and the best he can do is complain that they didn’t ask questions designed to make him look good? Really? LOL
October 18th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Typical. mitt didn’t have the best debate night so it is someone else who is at fault.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
After reading the comments from the libs here, it’s apparent that arguing with them would be like competing in the special olympics. We would win, but it would feel so unfair.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:14 pm
I smell sour grapes.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
I agree, Dun #30 and David #32.
Happy Belated Birthday ZL. Hope you had a swell celebration.
/SB
October 18th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Now that autumn is officially here, it’s time to celebrate the season’s abundance. Summer may be when gardens produce popular favorites, but fall’s harvest is filled with less well-known flavorful vegetables and fruit that should not be missed.
Unfortunately, I’ve learned that many of my patients bypass fall foods. They’re happy enough with old standbys — apples, corn, maybe some sweet potatoes. But most people skip the squash, rush past the rutabagas, and pass on parsnips, even though these foods are some of the most nutritious available in any season.
Let’s take a look at some of fall’s hidden food gems. Once you know how easy it is to cook many of these foods, you’ll see why I’m so eager for you to try them. Just remember to choose variously colored foods to maximize your nutrient intake, since the colors of fruits and vegetables contain healthful compounds known as phytonutrients that protect us against a long list of ailments.
Fruits and Roots
They may not be as familiar as tomatoes, peppers, and other summer produce, but don’t be put off by the different hues and sometimes strange shapes of fall’s fruits and veggies.
Most of them are root vegetables that have been growing underground for months, storing up nutrients and flavor. As a bonus, root vegetables have very long shelf life, so you’re far less likely to open the veggie bin and find that the beautiful produce you bought a few days ago has already spoiled.
As always, I recommend buying organic whenever possible. Organic produce may be a bit more expensive, but it’s more nutritious and has fewer toxins, so you’re actually getting more for your money than conventional produce provides.
Some of my fall favorites include:
Beets
Beets are rich in folic acid (an important member of the B vitamin family) and cancer-fighting antioxidants as well as fiber, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. In addition, beet juice can lower blood pressure. If you’re not fond of the taste of red beets, look for the golden variety, which has a milder flavor.
Parsnips
A good source of fiber, potassium, and folic acid, parsnips are low in calories, making them one of fall’s most underrated treasures. A naturally sweet-flavored relative of the carrot, parsnips can be roasted, steamed, eaten raw, or sautéed. Parsnips look like creamy white carrots. For best flavor, choose small- to medium-sized parsnips with a firm feel and unblemished skin.
Persimmons
Rich in fiber, vitamins A and C, antioxidants, and an antitumor compound known as betulinic acid, persimmons can be eaten fresh or stewed. You can also use the pulp — sans seeds — as an ingredient in baking. Look for fuyu persimmons, which you can eat like an apple, if you choose, rather than the much more astringent hachiya variety. Fuyus are rounder than the heart-shaped hachiyas. If you’re not sure which is which, check with the produce manager at your supermarket.
Pomegranates
Once primarily used as decorative element in fall cornucopias and floral arrangements, pomegranates are now hailed as a remedy for everything from cancer to heart disease and more. Major supermarket chains sell pomegranate juice, but don’t overlook the actual fruit. If you drink only the juice, you won’t get the benefits of the fiber and nutrients contained in the seeds (known as arils), including vitamins C and B5, potassium, and three important types of antioxidants.
Pomegranate arils look like tiny juice sacs. You can eat the arils fresh, right out of the fruit. The easiest way to extract them is by cutting the pomegranate in half and placing the two sections in a bowl of water. After 5 to 10 minutes, you can easily pull the arils from the white membrane with less risk of staining your clothes or hands with the juice. After all arils sink to the bottom of the water bowl, skim off the white membrane. Drain the arils in a colander, and pat dry with a paper towel.
Rutabagas
Also known as yellow turnips, rutabagas are high in vitamin C, minerals like potassium and magnesium, and fiber. They’re also low in sodium and free of fat and cholesterol. I recommend peeling rutabagas because they are usually coated with wax to prevent dehydration, and peeling is the best way to remove the wax.
Sweet potatoes
Loaded with vitamin A, an essential nutrient for healthy eyes and skin as well as a strong immune system, sweet potatoes are also very low in sodium and fat. They’re very easy to cook. Just pop them in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes or so, and use them in place of regular potatoes.
When shopping, look for the classic red-skinned, orange-flesh Beauregard sweet potato, which makes a delicious mashed-potato substitute as well as sumptuous oven fries (see recipe below). There’s also a purple-skinned, white-flesh Japanese variety that’s outstanding roasted. Here again, avoid microwaving any variety of sweet potato, as it can make them fibrous and tough.
Winter squash, including butternut, buttercup, and acorn
With fiber, vitamin A, B complex vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, winter squash is a big family of vegetables with lots of nutrients and a pleasantly mild flavor. Squash is also versatile. You can use it in everything from soups and stews to stir-fries, but roasting is the simplest and most flavorful way to prepare it. Don’t forget to save the seeds, too. Delicious roasted, squash seeds are potent sources of protein, fiber, minerals, and a type of good fat (see recipe below.)
Cooking Questions
Many times when I’m speaking to a group about food and health, there are quite a few questions about how to cook fall produce. As I mentioned earlier, I find oven roasting to be the easiest and most flavorful cooking method for vegetables. As an added bonus, roasting retains nutrients better than boiling or microwaving.
“How do I get my family to eat new vegetables?” is another frequent question. Children can be stubborn about trying something new. But in my experience, adults can be just as bad. So here’s what I suggest: Mix the new veggie into a familiar dish, like soup, stew, or a casserole.
For example, let’s say that you’re making real (not packaged or frozen) oven-baked macaroni and cheese. Chop up one cup of 1-inch chunks of parsnips or rutabagas, and mix them into the pasta and cheese mixture before baking. They’ll cook along with the pasta and add their healthy nutrients to the dish. Their mild flavor blends in nicely, so no one is likely to complain.
Here’s another recipe that you can tweak to introduce new vegetables to skeptical family members, followed by several of my favorite fall recipes:
Braised Chicken Breasts with Sweet Onion, Carrots, and Parsnips
Pair an old favorite, like oven-braised chicken and vegetables, with a new addition to encourage reluctant eaters to try something new. You could easily replace the parsnips in this recipe with a different root vegetable, such as rutabaga, to introduce it.
Oven-Baked Sweet-Potato Fries
These fries are so delicious, my family prefers them to the regular version. More importantly, sweet potatoes are a good source of magnesium, a nutrient most Americans are lacking. This essential mineral fights stress and benefits the heart, bones, skin, and more.
Roasted Root Vegetables
This easy-to-make dish not only looks great on the table but is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Roasting brings out the vegetables’ slightly sweet, distinctive flavor and minimizes nutrient loss. Save leftovers — if there are any — to reheat or use in salads later in the week.
Roasted Winter Squash or Pumpkin Seeds
Save those seeds! Every time you prepare a squash or pumpkin, set aside the seeds for snacking. They’re easy to roast, plus squash and pumpkin seeds are full of nutritional goodness, including protein, good fats, and minerals like magnesium, potassium, manganese, and the cold fighter zinc.
Arugula Salad with Persimmons
Loaded with vitamins A, B complex, C, and K, arugula is a great salad base. Here it’s combined with fiber-rich persimmon for a light but nutritious side dish or mini-meal.
Autumn-Spice Apple-Pomegranate Bread
Apples are a fall-season fruit, but since they’re so familiar, most people don’t need help figuring out what to do with them. This flavorful bread combines pomegranate arils (the little seeds inside the fruit) with fresh apples and applesauce for a nutritional powerhouse. Try it toasted for a delicious, filling breakfast.
There’s so much more wonderful produce available in autumn, I hope you take the time to make some fall-food discoveries of your own. If you shop at farmers’ markets, get to know the vendors. Most of them know their products inside and out and can provide you with nutritional information, shopping tips, and recipes if you just ask. Autumn can be so much more than a lovely season — it can also be a learning experience and an opportunity to turn your health around.
Thrive in Health & Wellness,
Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.
October 18th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Zen Lill, I read everything you write here. Love the way you construct your prose. I’d certainly spring for the Verve and dinner and it wouldn’t have to be your birthday.
Russell
October 18th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Mitt Romney’s Binders
Oct 17, 2012 | By ThinkProgress War Room
Taking Women Backwards in Every Way
The internet is abuzz with send ups of a comment about “binders full of women” that Mitt Romney made at last night’s presidential debate. Behind all the jokes, however, lies something serious: Mitt Romney’s dangerous agenda for women and their families.
Romney’s agenda would drag women back to the 1950s on everything from women’s health to workplace issues to basic economic security.
Here’s the rundown.
Dangerous for Women’s Health
Overturn Roe v. Wade:
Romney says he supports overturning Roe v. Wade, which he has called “one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history.” He has also stated that he will appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe, something he could have as many as three opportunities to do in just a single term.
Total Ban on Abortion:
Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan both support radical “personhood” amendments and other Constitutional amendments that would ban abortion in all circumstances, including rape, incest, and the life or health of the woman.
Restrictions on Birth Control:
Romney and Ryan both support a proposal that would allow employers to deny coverage for birth control (or any other service) for basically any reason, effectively putting your boss in your bedroom.
The personhood amendments that Romney and Ryan both support could also outlaw common forms of birth control and in vitro fertility treatments.
“Get Rid of” Planned Parenthood, Title X Funding: Romney has pledged and Ryan has voted to defund Planned Parenthood. In addition, Romney has pledged and Ryan has voted to eliminate the entire Title X family planning program.
This could deprive millions of women, many of whom have little or no other access to health care, of family planning and life-saving screenings for breast and cervical cancer.
Treat Women as a Pre-Existing Condition:
Romney supports repealing Obamacare and Ryan has voted to do so dozens of times. This means going back to the days when insurance companies could charge women more simply because they are women.
It also means that insurance companies would once again be able to deny women coverage based on pre-existing conditions like breast cancer, domestic abuse, and sexual assault.
Redefining Rape:
Before Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) uttered his infamous comments about “legitimate rape,” Ryan worked with him to try and redefine rape.
It’s also worth noting that access to contraception and health care are also serious economic issues for women and their families.
Dangerous for Women’s Economic Security
Won’t Stand Up for Equal Pay:
For months, Mitt Romney has consistently refused to say whether or not he supports the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first law signed by President Obama. A top Romney adviser said last night that Romney was “opposed at the time” to the bill, but wouldn’t repeal it.
Today, the Romney campaign is again retreating to its position of having no position. Romney has also refused to say if he supports the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Both bills have been opposed almost unanimously by Republicans and it’s clear that Mitt Romney is unwilling or unable to stand up for anything that will actually help women achieve equal pay for equal work.
Outdated View of Women in the Workplace: At last night’s debate, Lilly Ledbetter says Romney “talked down to the women of this country.” He explained that “if you’re going to have women in the workforce,” as if having women in the workplace remains an open question.
He added that they’d sometimes need special “flexibility” so they can go home and make dinner for their kids. Here in the 21st century we know that women make up nearly half of the workforce and that three-quarters of women who work do so full time.
Also, fathers now report more work-life conflicts than mothers do. As Ledbetter said today, she worked at a Goodyear tire plant for decades and “never asked for flexibility or special treatment because I was a woman.”
Destroy Women’s Jobs: Mitt Romney’s economic policies would be bad for all Americans except the very wealthy and would kill hundreds of thousands of jobs in just the next year alone.
Women, however, would be disproportionately harmed by Romney’s plans to cut government spending and eliminate hundreds of thousands of public sector workers. 70 percent of the public sector jobs lost thanks to the recession and GOP austerity were lost by women and Romney’s cuts would hurt women even more.
Raise Taxes on Women — Including the Poor and Their Children:
Romney wants everyone else to pay more so he can slash taxes on the wealthy and huge corporations. Romney would raise taxes on middle class families with children by $2,000, but he would also reduce or eliminate tax credits for the poorest Americans. These credits are often the only thing holding many families out of poverty.
Harming Elderly Women:
Women live longer than men and are less likely to have a pension than men, leaving them more reliant on government programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Romney’s draconian cuts to all of these programs, which are necessitated by his desire to slash taxes on the wealthy and cap federal spending, would hurt almost all seniors but would hurt the most vulnerable elderly women most.
Other elements of Romney’s record and views should be troubling for women (and men). When Rush Limbaugh attacked Sandra Fluke as a “slut” and a “prostitute,” Romney first refused to comment for days and then would only say, “It’s not the language I would have used.”
Considering Romney might have the chance to appoint as many as three Supreme Court justices, it should be concerning that his top judicial adviser has said that the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause doesn’t apply to women.
For even more on how Mitt Romney is bad for women’s health and economic security, check out this recent report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
BOTTOM LINE: Mitt Romney’s agenda is a binder full of policies that would be dangerous for women and their families.