GOOGLE PROBLEMS
I cannot connect to Google. I’ve been unable to do so for several days now. I cannot connect on Safari, Internet Explorer, or Firefox. Please let me know if you are having problems I am discovering that the other search engines are pure dodo, to put it politely.
I crashed last night and ended up with something like 10 hours of sleep. I am leaving in the morning for two weeks of travel. Most of the packing is done. I ended up running more errands this afternoon, so I am behind a little. This is all there is of the blog today.
I am so tired of pornographic trackback spam I could scream.
Rumsfeld helped me pack this afternoon. FYI – he’s not all that much “help”. Doc is extremely annoyed with me because I just couldn’t put with her antics this evening while I am working. I did get the kitties some ‘treats’ and some new toys. They will get them before I leave tomorrow.
I admit it, I am watching Shark Week! There, you know. My dirty little secret is out for one and all.
There are times when one is ashamed of ClemsonUniversity, esp, over the football scandals. Sometimes – very rarely a person can a person be proud. (Yes, that’s where I went to college) Then there are times like this. Mythbusters has already been there and done this.
TANCREDO LOSES IT!
SallyVee sent me the link to a Tancredo YouTube link about a radio caller asking him about his links to John Tanton the founder of Planned Parenthood in Michigan. The bottom line is the feud developing between Sam Brownback and Tom Tancredo over Brownback calling Tancredo down over his association with John Tanton and the approximately $25,000 in donations Tancredo has taken from Tanton, his wife, or PACs over the years. It’s all about immigration. It is hilarious, wonderful, and a thing of beauty. The best part is when Tancredo says he will take money from anyone, he doesn’t care. HE knows HE will use the money wisely. I don’t know about you but I’m loving it.
MY MINI RANT
Stanislav Shmulevich, at student at Pace University spent 24 hours in jail, FOR FLUSHING A KORAN – in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, where we do have a freedom of speech clause in the Constitution – the 1st Amendment. He shudda burned an American flag. Muslim students are thrilled because they think it is akin to burning a cross. Sorry, you don’t get arrested for cross burning. And, let’s face it, I’d much rather go hang out with the racist ranting, drunk KKK rednecks than Islamic fanatics. Bubba isn’t going to kill you (unless he’s driving drunk). The Islamic students may do just that.
I always thought I had the right to flush a Koran if I wanted to do so. It isn’t worth it because of the costs I would incur with the plumber at $25 an hour. I could understand Pace University if I went after Scmulevich over costs incurred trying to clean up the mess. It would have nothing to do with the First Amendment, but PLUMBING.
This isn’t a plumbing issue. It is a freedom of speech issue.
Do Muslims have more civil rights in America than anyone else? Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
It seems like by coddling Islam CAIR and the like we are establishing the fact that Islam is more important than any other religion. If so, this directly violates the Constitution of the United States.
These people need to get over it and themselves!
“…Shmulevich was awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on hate crime charges for criminal mischief and aggravated harassment, officials said.”
It is now rather obvious the enemy is going to use our freedoms and our court system against us. They remind me of the alien (illegal) invaders in Independence Day. They studied us for years and now know how to destroy us using our own system. This is just another "John Doe" situation. Anything anyone now does that angers a Muslim is going to result in arrest, vindictive lawsuits, and financial ruin. Wow - what a creative way to conquer a nation! Just clog up the courts with junk lawsuits, and terrorize everyone financially.
The "John Does" who reported the Flying Imams are afraid to talk. They are worried about their families and their bank accounts. This is intimidation at its worst. Talk about bullying! I think maybe the only way to stop it is to just start speaking out against all of this and quite quaking in the shadows.
Maybe we need Congress to enact a law protecting our the freedom of speech against Islam. Maybe we need some laws to prevent anyone from using religion, sociology, race, nation of origin, minority, etc. from terrorizing everyone else.
Little Green Footballs is taking the leadership role in this one. There’s a link to an article about the Muslim Student Association and is there a funding link to terror.
Flopping Aces
Wizbang
I think this piece from Hyscience about the Pope’s comments about Islam’s attempts to Islamicize the West is quite appropriate here.
Speaking of censorship – the plan to silence FOX.
ANOTHER MINI RANT
“…Health care is another arena in which biased attitudes are an issue. Very negative attitudes about overweight individuals have been reported in physicians, nurses, and medical students, much the same as in general society. Overweight individuals can be reluctant to seek medical care, especially for their obesity, because they believe that they will be scolded and even humiliated, hence screening and treatment for diseases may be delayed. It is important to know whether the bias seen in health care professionals affects the quality of care that they provide….”
Now companies have decided a person must lose weight or they will have their pay docked as much as $30 per month if they don’t. I don’t know about you, but something is just plain wrong with this. I can see a small amount for insurance purposes, as long as a smoker, runner, or someone who has an eating disorder or who drinks too much is charged the same, but I doubt it this will occur.
I’ve never been thin. I was put on my first diet when I was 7 years old. Yep, 7 years old. I have stayed on one since then yo-yoing to the point where losing weight is almost impossible. I have also reached the point where I don’t like to go out in public because of the way I feel people will think about me. Yes, I’ve experienced rampant discrimination from sales clerks. I don’t like going into stores with my thin mother to shop. Clerks just look at you as if you are from another planet, if you exist at all.
It is getting worse. Trust me, I know. The treatment is getting worse. There are things I will not do and places I will not go because I am afraid of the way I will be treated. People like me make up 40% of the population. What percentage non-thin people do you see in television or in the movies? And when you see someone who isn’t thin it is in a derogatory manner.
LOSE WEIGHT OR LOSE YOUR PAY
“…Critics of the lose-it-or-pay trend say that companies that charge overweight employees more for their medical coverage are turning the healthcare system into a police state and, just as worrisome, are working off of a false assumption that it's easy for people who are obese and have other health issues to change their situations.
According to a 2005 Stanford University study, obese people with health coverage may already be punished on the job. Those surveyed were paid an average of $1.20 less per hour than non-obese workers, perhaps because employers intentionally adjust their wages to account for healthcare costs.
"It's reprehensible to punish and emasculate someone for having a disease like obesity," said Walter Lindstrom, director of the Obesity Law and Advocacy Center in Chula Vista, Calif. "Anyone who penalizes workers for being overweight should brace themselves for a backlash."
Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, a Princeton, N.J.-based employee rights group, called the trend "a very dangerous road that could lead to employers controlling everything we do in our private lives."
"To penalize for things that are beyond some people's control is just wrong," Maltby said. "Some people are fat because that's how God made them."…
…At Clarian, employees' pay will be docked if they fail to meet certain weight-to-height ratios, and cholesterol and blood pressure levels or if they smoke. The cutoffs: a body-mass index over 29.9; blood pressure over 140/90; or LDL cholesterol over 130…
‘’’"I think it's fair for people to pay according to what their healthcare costs are," she said. She doesn't expect to have to pay the higher fee because she says her weight is normal.
In Arkansas, Deeann Gutekunst, 42, a Benton County deputy treasurer, said she understood the rationale for the county's policy.
"If you have employees who don't care about their health," she said, "what else are you supposed to do?"
According to a 2005 Stanford University study, obese people with health coverage may already be punished on the job. Those surveyed were paid an average of $1.20 less per hour than non-obese workers, perhaps because employers intentionally adjust their wages to account for healthcare costs.
"It's reprehensible to punish and emasculate someone for having a disease like obesity," said Walter Lindstrom, director of the Obesity Law and Advocacy Center in Chula Vista, Calif. "Anyone who penalizes workers for being overweight should brace themselves for a backlash."
Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, a Princeton, N.J.-based employee rights group, called the trend "a very dangerous road that could lead to employers controlling everything we do in our private lives."
"To penalize for things that are beyond some people's control is just wrong," Maltby said. "Some people are fat because that's how God made them."…
…At Clarian, employees' pay will be docked if they fail to meet certain weight-to-height ratios, and cholesterol and blood pressure levels or if they smoke. The cutoffs: a body-mass index over 29.9; blood pressure over 140/90; or LDL cholesterol over 130…
‘’’"I think it's fair for people to pay according to what their healthcare costs are," she said. She doesn't expect to have to pay the higher fee because she says her weight is normal.
In Arkansas, Deeann Gutekunst, 42, a Benton County deputy treasurer, said she understood the rationale for the county's policy.
"If you have employees who don't care about their health," she said, "what else are you supposed to do?"
A study on size discrimination.
Is it acceptable to harass a person who is not within society’s standards of appearance?
“…One study cited in Tipping the Scales of Justice: Fighting Weight-Based Discrimination found that 16% of employers admitted they wouldn't hire an obese woman under any conditions. Another 44% reported they would only hire them under certain circumstances.
Bodolay thinks stereotypes are to blame for employers' reluctance to hire obese employees.
"They see us as lazy, not motivated, self-indulgent and weak-willed. And they assume we're not good workers when really, we have to work harder and try harder than everybody else because of our appearance."
Overweight workers aren't just discriminated against in the hiring process. Mark Roehling, a Western Michigan University professor, conducted a research review of 29 weight discrimination studies.
Findings from his study, "Weight-Based Discrimination in Employment: Psychological and Legal Aspects," revealed that in many cases, even when overweight candidates do get hired, they are paid less than their leaner counterparts:
A 1990 university study found that the starting salaries of "normal"-weight people with MBAs were $3,000 higher on average than their overweight counterparts.
Another study in 1998 found that white women who were mildly obese earned 5.9% less than "normal weight" employees in comparable jobs, while those who were morbidly obese earned 24.1% less….”
Bodolay thinks stereotypes are to blame for employers' reluctance to hire obese employees.
"They see us as lazy, not motivated, self-indulgent and weak-willed. And they assume we're not good workers when really, we have to work harder and try harder than everybody else because of our appearance."
Overweight workers aren't just discriminated against in the hiring process. Mark Roehling, a Western Michigan University professor, conducted a research review of 29 weight discrimination studies.
Findings from his study, "Weight-Based Discrimination in Employment: Psychological and Legal Aspects," revealed that in many cases, even when overweight candidates do get hired, they are paid less than their leaner counterparts:
A 1990 university study found that the starting salaries of "normal"-weight people with MBAs were $3,000 higher on average than their overweight counterparts.
Another study in 1998 found that white women who were mildly obese earned 5.9% less than "normal weight" employees in comparable jobs, while those who were morbidly obese earned 24.1% less….”
THE COST OF AN EATING DISORDER
Being Too Thin Can Kill You
“…Physical consequences of eating disorders include all serious sequelae of malnutrition, especially
cardiovascular compromise.
Prepubertal patients may have arrested sexual maturity and growth failure.
Even those who “look and feel deceptively well,” with normal EKG’s may have cardiac irregularities,
variations with pulse and blood pressure, and are at risk for sudden death.
Prolonged amenorrhea (>6 months) may result in irreversible osteopenia and a high rate of fractures.
Abnormal CT scans of brain are found in >50% of patients with anorexia nervosa.
Bulimic behaviors may result in electrolyte, fluid and mineral imbalance; may be presenting cardiac risk;
gastric irritation and bleeds; large bowel abnormalities; dental enamel erosion; peripheral muscle
weakness, cariomyopathy, hypometabolism. Despite normal weights a bulimic may present cardiac risk;
gastric irritation and bleeds; large bowel abnormalities; dental enamel erosion; peripheral muscle
weakness, cariomyopathy, hypometabolism. Despite normal weights a bulimic may be starving and
severely malnourished….”
cardiovascular compromise.
Prepubertal patients may have arrested sexual maturity and growth failure.
Even those who “look and feel deceptively well,” with normal EKG’s may have cardiac irregularities,
variations with pulse and blood pressure, and are at risk for sudden death.
Prolonged amenorrhea (>6 months) may result in irreversible osteopenia and a high rate of fractures.
Abnormal CT scans of brain are found in >50% of patients with anorexia nervosa.
Bulimic behaviors may result in electrolyte, fluid and mineral imbalance; may be presenting cardiac risk;
gastric irritation and bleeds; large bowel abnormalities; dental enamel erosion; peripheral muscle
weakness, cariomyopathy, hypometabolism. Despite normal weights a bulimic may present cardiac risk;
gastric irritation and bleeds; large bowel abnormalities; dental enamel erosion; peripheral muscle
weakness, cariomyopathy, hypometabolism. Despite normal weights a bulimic may be starving and
severely malnourished….”
Most families cannot afford to pay for therapy that is extremely expensive.
You think there is no discrimination? Check the way women with eating disorders are treated.
WHY OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS
It isn’t because of obesity, it is because of the way we are treated by the medical profession. I no longer go to a doctor for anything but my bi-yearly mole exam for melanoma. (FYI – melanoma is the only serious medical problem I’ve had. It has nothing to do with weight.
“…Attitudes of Medical Professionals toward Obese Individuals
Anti-fat attitudes among health care professionals, if they exist, could potentially affect clinical judgments and deter obese persons from seeking care. A number of studies have addressed this topic. A study of over 400 physicians identified patient characteristics that aroused feelings of discomfort, reluctance, or dislike (40) . Physicians were mailed anonymous questionnaires and asked to specify five diagnostic categories and social characteristics of patients to which they responded negatively. One third of the sample listed obesity as one of these conditions, making it the fourth most common category listed (among dozens of other categories), and ranked behind only drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental illness. Physicians associated obesity and other negatively perceived conditions with poor hygiene, noncompliance, hostility, and dishonesty. The authors concluded that physicians’ responses may reflect Protestant ethic values, which emphasize self-discipline, persistence in the face of adversity, and achievement—characteristics that physicians believed were low or absent in patients with conditions like obesity and alcoholism (40) . Similarly, a study of 318 family physicians using anonymous questionnaires found that two-thirds reported that their obese patients lacked self-control, and 39% stated that their obese patients were lazy (41) .
Another study examined attitudes about obese patients in health care professionals specializing in nutrition (N = 52) and found that 87% believed that obese persons are indulgent, 74% believed that they have family problems, and 32% believed that they lack willpower (42) . Furthermore, 88% said that obesity was a form of compensation for lack of love or attention, and 70% attributed the cause to emotional problems.
These negative attitudes are not new. In 1969, Maddox and Liederman (43) addressed fat biases using self-report measures among 100 physicians and student clerks from a medical clinic. Obese patients were viewed as unintelligent, unsuccessful, inactive, and weak-willed. In addition, physicians indicated that they preferred not to treat overweight patients and that they did not expect success when they were responsible for their management.
Some research has also examined perceptions of nurses. A study of 586 nurses investigated beliefs about obesity and found that patient noncompliance was rated as the most likely reason for obese patients’ inability to lose weight (44) and that ineffectiveness of weight loss programs as the least important reason for lack of success. Yet, the nurses reported confidence in giving weight loss advice regardless of the outcome and despite spending 10 minutes or less discussing weight loss with patients.
In a similar study, nurses agreed that obesity can be prevented by self-control (63%) and that obese persons are unsuccessful (24%), overindulgent (43%), lazy (22%), and experience unresolved anger (33%) (45) . In addition, 48% of nurses agreed that they felt uncomfortable caring for obese patients, and 31% would prefer not to care for an obese patient at all.
These findings parallel another investigation of women registered nurses (N = 107), where 24% of nurses agreed or strongly agreed that caring for an obese patient repulsed them, and 12% reported that they preferred not to touch an obese patient (46) . Older nurses had less favorable attitudes than younger nurses, and dissatisfaction with their own weight was positively correlated with negative stereotypes….”
Another study examined attitudes about obese patients in health care professionals specializing in nutrition (N = 52) and found that 87% believed that obese persons are indulgent, 74% believed that they have family problems, and 32% believed that they lack willpower (42) . Furthermore, 88% said that obesity was a form of compensation for lack of love or attention, and 70% attributed the cause to emotional problems.
These negative attitudes are not new. In 1969, Maddox and Liederman (43) addressed fat biases using self-report measures among 100 physicians and student clerks from a medical clinic. Obese patients were viewed as unintelligent, unsuccessful, inactive, and weak-willed. In addition, physicians indicated that they preferred not to treat overweight patients and that they did not expect success when they were responsible for their management.
Some research has also examined perceptions of nurses. A study of 586 nurses investigated beliefs about obesity and found that patient noncompliance was rated as the most likely reason for obese patients’ inability to lose weight (44) and that ineffectiveness of weight loss programs as the least important reason for lack of success. Yet, the nurses reported confidence in giving weight loss advice regardless of the outcome and despite spending 10 minutes or less discussing weight loss with patients.
In a similar study, nurses agreed that obesity can be prevented by self-control (63%) and that obese persons are unsuccessful (24%), overindulgent (43%), lazy (22%), and experience unresolved anger (33%) (45) . In addition, 48% of nurses agreed that they felt uncomfortable caring for obese patients, and 31% would prefer not to care for an obese patient at all.
These findings parallel another investigation of women registered nurses (N = 107), where 24% of nurses agreed or strongly agreed that caring for an obese patient repulsed them, and 12% reported that they preferred not to touch an obese patient (46) . Older nurses had less favorable attitudes than younger nurses, and dissatisfaction with their own weight was positively correlated with negative stereotypes….”
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