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The Pusher Man

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commondreams has this up on the re-definition of a “pusher-man”.   How can Big Pharma get away with creating drugs that are addictive–that they know will keep permanent customers in the loop? Look at all the pharmacy robberies that have cropped up since the introduction of oxycontin?

It’s along the lines of creating a drug for one condition that causes so many side effects that the person needs another drug to combat them, and another drug to combat the second drug’s side effects…and so on…neverending customers…neverending profits…

~~~A commenter brought up the song by Steppenwolf “Pusher Man”   

I used to have a coworker who played that song on a regular basis.  He was a Vietnam vet and I think he dabbled a little in the illegal stuff, but had straightened himself out.   The amusing thing (to me) was that he played this loudly and his office cubicle was right near the front door so every client that came in the door could hear “God Damn the Pusher Man…” coming over the cubicle wall…you should have seen some of the looks on their faces…

 

 

So…it’s come to this…

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Good Grief.  

The ultimate insecure man…

…who now has the tools to feed that insecurity.  What was he hoping to do with the information?  Embarrass her?  Catch her in the act of something?  It’s not like the days of divorce before—where you had to have grounds for a divorce…so I’m at a loss as to what his ultimate reasons were…

If your marriage is that broken, it’s time to walk away dude.

Think about this technology and single women…living in apartments that their landlords have access to anytime they want…pretty unnerving.  I’ve seen ads for teddy bears with cameras in them, shower heads with cameras in them (marketed under the shady reason of a “nanny cam” )  etc. , and always wondered about certain shady individuals who use the technology for their own creepy desires.

Big Brother, indeed.

 

Victory for the kids in CPS

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DN! has a report up from Karen Lewis, President of the Chicago Public Teachers Union.  She is saying that the biggest thing that got applause for the new contract was the clause that the teachers could write their own lesson plans.  Woot!!

I saw how much the stupid No Child Left a Mind law did for teacher’s ability to conduct their classrooms according to their own intellectual, creative, and intuitive talents.  As Karen Lewis stated, teachers have been micromanaged in the classroom for things they know are harmful to their kids.

The anti-bullying clause is stunning–principals who were setting up teachers to fail.  This has been in the back of my mind with this whole evaluation process putting the full load on the teacher’s shoulders.  A school administrator could easily set a teacher up to fail by loading her/his class with students who are slow learners or have behavioral problems, etc.  Then she/he would have a failing classroom, by the impossible standards set up by these draconian laws.

The best thing that Karen Lewis spoke of was not only a longer school day, but a higher quality school day including a more well-rounded curriculum with arts, etc.  From my own experience as a substitute teacher, I could see how myopic the math and reading curriculum was–and how mind-numbing it was for kids.  The creative thought is what creates intelligence…anyone can recite numbers and facts, but to truly be able to problem-solve, one needs creative thought to look at all factors influencing the problem.

It’s very telling that President Obama, a Democrat, did not lend his support to the union.  Also very telling, but not surprising, is the Romney/Ryan ticket supporting Rahm Emanuel, a democrat in name only.   That should raise red flags as to what this is all about.

What also should raise red flags is Lewis’ assertion that the school closings are about real estate–and a school board that did not attend the school closing hearings.  See, they frame it to be about the kids, while making land deals behind the scenes.

And as Karen Lewis asks, “Where is the accountability?”  The “Accountability Movement” is geared towards one goal and one view.  God Bless her for her courage and strength.

Expanding VAWA to protect Native Women

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Turtle Talk has this blog up on a petition to expand Violence Against Women Act to protect Native American women.

Video here:

 

Here’s an article with more details on what is going on.  Be forewarned–the links to other instances of rape and people condoning it (Australia)–even participating in it (California) are tough to read. The 15-year-old gal that was raped barely escaped being murdered, if she was so brutalized that she was unconscious.  Makes me sick to my stomach.  What can possibly be going on in someone’s brain to make them treat another human being like that??

Funding for organic research questioned

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commondreams has this up on the questions of who funded this bogus study.  Knowing about how corporations are trying to influence university’s research, I was suspicious of this study from the start.

Links on the subject here. 

And here.

And here.

And here.  This isn’t shocking to me–Monsanto was giving huge amounts to Purdue University.  During a panel on the genetically modified organisms, circa 1998, they asserted there was no problem with GMO’s.  The panel was made up of three scientists–one against GM’s and the other two for them.  The technology was new and had not been tested for adverse affects not only on humans, but nature, as well.

Deer have been known to cross a road to eat organic corn if a choice were given between GMO corn.  Here’s a link to an article.

A thought struck me as I read that last article–these crops are engineered to “drink poison”.  If we put aside the genetic manipulation, and look at the ability for the gene to absorb much more pesticides, etc., wouldn’t that be multiplying the devastating effects of those chemicals on the body?  I mean, we know how devastating chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT, etc.) are…so it stands to reason that it’s exponentially more so with these GM crops.  And the Celiac thing–how much is being influenced by not only eating GM crops, but breathing in that poison from, say, corn pollen? Article here. Note that this was clear back in 1999–this stuff has been known…and yet the Monsanto monster continues to grow…

Romney still hates the poor…

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*yawn* <coming from someone who brags at paying less than his fair share in taxes who expects the gov’t to pick up the tab for feeding and care of his horse and hides money in foreign bank accounts…>

Yes, we are all victims who *love* being dependent on the gov’t for handouts.  It’s sooo much fun not being in control of your own life.  It’s sooo much fun being the object of scorn.  And it’s freaking hilarious to be sick and not have that illness recognized–so much easier to just call someone lazy…I just don’t understand why more people aren’t doing it. /snark

 

Birds of a Feather…

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I found  this on the long relationship of Benjamin Netanyahu and Romney.   So…Netanyahu appears to be part of the mindset of austerity measures, if what I’m reading between the lines is correct…

So, if we’re supposed to come running when they start bombing Iran…isn’t that asking government to interfere?

Doesn’t that go against the idea that gov’t should just get the hell out of our lives…?

Oh…I think I get it now…there’s a book out there on teenagers that goes something like “I hate you, Stay out of my life! But first, can you take me to the mall?”

Netanyahu is like a teenager…”Get out of my life, but can you bomb Iran first…?”

 

 

News from Indian Country

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Here’s a story on the continuing fight for sacred sites and the environment. Another story about it here.

Why are they making fake snow? And why are they occupying a sacred space?

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Story here on the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous.  I’m glad that the U.S. has finally signed on.  Special Rappoteur statement here.

One of the problems is that with my generation, the Boomers, we grew up with “Cowboys and Indians” …with the Indians being the “bad guys”.  Along with that, we had John Wayne movies (and others) that also portrayed them as the bad guys.  Then, when we studied history, we were told of all the brave settlers and how they were to be commended for “settling” the West…we were never told of the other side, or if there was, it was only when the “good Indians” helped whites to settle the land.

It was only when I began reading the Native Americans own account of their history that I began to realize how one-sided my history book had been.  This would also include women’s history, by the way, but that is another topic for another day.

I would learn that they were in many ways just the opposite of what I had been told:  they were spiritual; they were compassionate; they cared deeply for the environment (the “wilderness” of America was actually a carefully cultivated ecosystem); they respected their elders; they looked out for one another; they were not greedy–they took only what they needed.

We lost so much when we sought to impose our own beliefs on the Native Americans instead of trying to understand their culture.

Loyalty

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Capitan has to be one of the most loyal dogs out there.

A thought struck me as I read this story–supposing that the dog picked up his owner’s scent…

…what if the owner wasn’t really dead and the dog was trying to tell someone that?  (only half-serious…I think…)