Republican Monsters

Nice article on the direction of the extremist Republican Party.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/26/ted-cruz-obamacare-budget-showdown

Quote from the comments section:
"Democracy - it's when the loudest people get exactly what they ask for, and everybody else suffers as a result."

The Guantanamo Trap

Some of the military personnel sacrificed for the torture fiascos during Iraq/Afghanistan Wars. Their lives were ruined while the higher ups who set the policy go on book tours.

http://rt.com/shows/documentary/guantanomo-trap-people-change-309/

Acetaminophen

This weekend, This American Life had a good story on acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. Appears 150 people die each year from overdoing on Tylenol and the company views this as the cost of doing business. They make enough money off the product, which the FDA has done nothing about, to warrant 150 deaths/lawsuits per year.
Often hear people who have a headache state they need a Tylenol. Think twice!

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/505/use-only-as-directed

Original story on ProPublica:

http://www.propublica.org/article/tylenol-mcneil-fda-kids-dose-of-confusion

More on Gun Rights

Study stating the increased availability of guns leads to increased gun violence. Surprising?
Lot of discussion on mental health. Government funded mental health treatment has supposedly been cut dramatically since Reagan took office. Still, I tend to believe anyone can become mentally ill at any time so blaming the mentally ill and the system is not going to solve the problem. Making such dangerous weapons as available as they are to the masses is the problem. Tend to view about half the population as in need of help and a large percentage of those possess guns. Correlation?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/18/what-not-to-say-after-mass-shooting

Guns for the Blind

I feel safer already. :)
The gun lobby seems able to get anything they want these days.
Why they want them is another question.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/09/iowa-law-gun-permit-blind-people

Foreclosures and Corporate Criminals

Vietnam Veteran home foreclosed on and made homeless due to $134 unpaid tax bill.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/09/how-a-134-tax-bill-got-an-elderly-vietnam-vet-evicted/?hpid=z11

Why buy anything in this country when some corporation can just take it from you whenever they like.