Breaking News, People Are Worried About Paying For Homes

BREAKING NEWS?!?!

Hey folks,

Happy Thursday to you. For ME? It's FRIDAY. Remember, no Friday "From the Emails" this Week. That is why we are doing it today. There will also be no "Big Sunday Edition" this Week. Heading to St. Augustine first thing in the AM and will gone all Weekend. Going to the Haunted Lighthouse, a Jail, and an old School. Then Warehouse 13. Can't wait. Josh is excited to stay home and have a Sleep over with his Aunt and Cousin. But fret not, I will be back here on Tuesday.

So, since it's "Friday," it time to go to the Emails.

"Hey Pete, this should be in your "can't make up" category. I file it under duh. This came to ME under "Break News." All I could do is think really. This is BREAKING NEWS?!?!"

{Laughing} to some in the Liberal Media, and even some in Power, YES.

Here is the Link. The Washington Post - Most Americans worry about ability to pay mortgage or rent, poll finds By Ariana Eunjung Cha and Jon Cohen Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, October 28, 2010; 12:52 AM

A majority of Americans now say they are worried about making their mortgage or rent payments, underscoring the extent of economic anxiety in the country heading into midterm elections.

A new Washington Post poll shows that concerns about housing payments have spiked since 2008 despite some improvements in the overall economy. In all, 53 percent said they are "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about having the money to make their monthly payment. Worries are the most intense among those with lower incomes and among African Americans.

The poll results highlight the political challenge facing the Obama administration: Despite committing hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out troubled financial firms, create jobs and keep distressed borrowers in their homes, it has not been able to make many people feel better about their personal situations or even relieve fears about the cost of a need as basic as shelter.

This is Breaking News? Seriously? Poor Obama. Look, the people are not happy. He is trying so hard, by the People just do not get it. They are worried. Look at this quote in this article. I love this.

"Effectively what the consumer is saying is that we don't care what the eggheads say - this still feels like a recession," said Ken Goldstein, an economist with the Conference Board, a private research group.

Indeed, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey on consumer sentiment found that in early October personal financial expectations were near an all-time low and that views about government economic policies had dropped to their lowest level since President Obama took office.

Driving such sentiments are the lingering difficulty of finding jobs in many parts of the country and growing fear that the jobs Americans have now are less secure, analysts said.

"The unemployment rate is still very, very high, so if you think of it as being about the odds of someone losing their job and not being able to find another, there's good reason to be concerned about being able to make mortgage payments," said Karen Dynan, a Brookings Institution scholar who worked as an economist for the Federal Reserve and for President George W. Bush.

They had to find a way to through Bush into this. {Laughing} Why? Is this to say you see, it's Bush's fault? It's NOT. This is all Obama and ALL the Democrats in Congress. The PEOPLE know it. Did you catch the OTHER Poll out there? 76% Know Someone Out of Work and Looking For a Job That's 76 percent of American know someone who WANTS to Work, yet CAN'T find a job. I know someone that was making 15 dollars an hour, was out of work for TWO YEARS, now makes minimum wage. AFTER TWO YEARS.

Folks, this maybe breaking news to the Liberals and the Liberal Media, but it's NOT to REAL Americans. The People. There is NO RECOVERY going on for THEM. This is a direct result of Obama and Crew, and their Liberal Policies. It really is that plain, and that SIMPLE.

You know, I was checking my Emails, scanning the News to see what was out there just FIVE, yes 5 days away from the Elections, and all I see is how the Media and the Liberals, want to "Stop the GOP!" "Stop the Tea Party" "Extremist Senators like DeMint must be stopped." "Obama is under attack by Extremists." Blah, blah, blah. I told you, do not be fooled by all this. Do not be fooled by the MMD telling you it's a tight race, or people like Pelosi saying she will still be Speaker or Biden Predicts Dems Will Hold onto Control of House, Senate Do not be fooled by this nonsensical Panic Reporting. In FIVE days, that's 5 days, do what you KNOW you need to do, VOTE! Unless of course, you want more of the same, do not VOTE for those that got us in this mess. Vote to bring a bit of Sanity and Reason back to Government. VOTE these Idiots OUT!

See you Tuesday folks, have a GREAT Weekend.
Peter

Media Down Playing Hopes, Race Card Still On Full Display

It's called DESPERATION.

Hey folks,

Only SIX days to go. In SIX days YOU have the power. YOU have your say. YOU will speak in a way that they CAN NOT IGNORE. YOU will Vote these Idiots out. Everyone knows it. YOU know it. THEY know it. The State Run, Obama controlled Media, KNOW IT. So out of desperation, the Media is doing everything it can to depress Turnout. The Liberals are doing everything they can to rally their Kook Base.

First, the Media is NOT reporting WHY you should keep the Liberals in power. No. They are not reporting on Obama and Crew's accomplishments. They are not talking about the Takeovers, Stimulus, Obamacare. They are not reporting on the Economy, the War, Housing, or anything else having to do with ISSUES. What are they doing? Calling the Tea Party Racist, saying that the Candidates that the Tea Party are supporting are a bunch of Kooks. Now they are saying, this will not be the Blowout everyone expects. The Races across the Country are tight. The Senate is now out of play. The Democrats MAY even keep the House. Maybe Nancy is not as delusional as we thought? She came right out and said that she will continue to be Speaker.

Then you have the Race Card. Remember back on Friday, October 15, 2010, I pointed out The Race Card On Full Display 28 Days Before the Election We talked about Michelle Obama violated Illinois law when she engaged in Political Discussion at a Polling Place. She was trying to rally Blacks to support her Husband. The Media? Ignored it. No one investigated it.

We talked about Green Party Gubernatorial Candidate Rich Whitney in Illinois being misspelled as "Whitey" on Electronic Voting Machines in nearly two dozen places. They said "Never mind. Sorry. Just a bit of a mistake there. We really can't fix it, and we mean nothing by it. No big deal." {Laughing} Like I said, imagine if the Liberal Candidate was named Bigger, and an N replaced the B? Think they could change that before the Election? Not to mention, don't you think someone would be charged? THEN? The White House calls up a bunch of Black Bloggers and tells them that Black People don't watch White Man's News. That it's up to them to get the message out to Blacks. To the Brothers. Down with Whitey.

Well it's still going folks. Reverend Jackson is out there saying there are

"more black voters than there are Tea Part'ers. I mean, there's more coffee in the, uh -- in the pot than there is, uh, tea in the cup."

Then you have this. This is unbelievable. This is something that use to be hidden. Kept under the surface of the facade of being for ALL Americans. Now, it's completely out in the open. We have a President that HATES the Constitution. He said so. We have a President that thinks that this Country was Ruled by "Rich White People." He said so. He thinks AMERICANS that believe in God, Family, and Country, are his ENEMY. He just said, in response to a question "When are we going to see the same fervent effort that you showed in Obamacare in Immigration reform, AKA Amnesty?" They {Illegal Aliens} haven't seen that same effort from him, and they want to know when they will. He said this.

I am President. I'm not King. I can't do these things just by myself. If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying we're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don't see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it's going to be harder, and that's why I think it's so important that people focus on voting on November 2nd.

Yes he did. He actually just told NON-Citizens that Law Abiding US Citizens are THEIR and HIS Enemy. Whom? White Folks. "Bitter Clingers" Someone in need of PUNISHMENT. He said it. You can almost hear "Damn it" after this, "I am President. I'm not King." {Damn it}

As I keep telling you, this is NOT about Politics anymore. It really hasn't been for years. This is about America itself. This is about the very foundation of this Country. What we have seen in the past two years, is the manifestation of Liberal Ideals. Those that HATE this Country the way it was founded and want to change it. They do not care about you. They care only for their agendas. They care only for power, control, and money.

We already knew what Obama was all about. He SAID SO. Now what we are seeing is him attempting to solidify it. Make no mistake about it folks, if the Democrats DO retain power in the House and the Senate, the new Obamanation WILL be solidified. There may very well be no stopping them. No exaggerations. No Politics as usual here. REALITY.

Do NOT let the Media damping your enthusiasm, weaken your resolve, or dash your hopes. Don't let the reports of early Voter Fraud frighten you. VOTE! Check your Ballots CAREFULLY. If you see any irregularities, ask for another. WATCH carefully how the People in the Polling Places are conducing themselves. If you see anything in question, QUESTION it. Report it, if you have to. Just VOTE!

In SIX Days folks, this very Country is in your hands.
Peter

Energy Is At Stake, America Itself At Stake, Everything IS At Stake

Seven days to go.

Hey folks,

Happy Tuesday to you. Normally we would check in at the Energy Front today. We would talk about things like Obama's STATED purpose of "Bankrupting the Coal Industry," and causing "Skyrocketing Energy Costs." We would talk about things like the REAL reason behind the Moratorium. The De facto Moratorium.

We could talk about the rising Gas Prices, at around $2.85 here in Florida and rising. Higher elsewhere. We could remember when it reached $4.00 a gallon. We could talk about the fact that they pay $9.00 a gallon in Europe. Something like $7.00 or more of that is Tax. Without using our own VAST and abundant Natural Resources, like Coal, Shale, Natural Gas, and of course OIL, we could very well be heading that direction. We are already seeing Drilling Rigs leaving, taking American Jobs with them, American companies selling a THIRD of their projects to Chinese Companies. And we are relying more and more on Foreign Governments for our Energy needs. We are heading in the WRONG direction.

Imagine if we go, well, just back to $4.00 a gallon. Remember how EVERYTHING Skyrocketed? Food included. They have to get to the stores somehow, and those that bring them there are not going to do it with the cost of fuel at $2.00, if fuel is now $4.00. So they raised their price for the stores, the stores raised their price for YOU. Imagine $5.00, $6.00 or more? Imagine people on fixed incomes? Imagine them deciding between heating their homes or EATING. It's coming. Worst yet, being done ON PURPOSE. Why? Because this Administration, also STATED, feels that this will speed up the search for, and the creation of, "GREEN ENERGY." Until we get there? Well, too bad. They do not care. They WANT people to suffer so they can say "See, we need Alternatives." Instead of just doing what they KNOW we should do, use our own resources and keep our Energy Costs affordable to all, while we LOOK for the non-existent "Alternatives."

But Energy is not the only thing at stake here. Since this Administration took over, and the Liberals have controlled the House and Senate, we have seen Government takeovers of Private Industries, COMPLETE takeover of Healthcare, record high, and continued record high Unemployment, record high Foreclosures, close to insurmountable Debt, and the fact that they DO NOT CARE what YOU think or say. They have an agenda and they are sticking to it. They continue to spend. Money continues to go to special interests, and to buy Votes. They continue to Violate the Constitution on a daily bases. We have a President that came right out and said, he doesn't LIKE the CONSTITUTION. He thinks it's "TOO RESTRICTIVE."

Folks, seven days. SEVEN days from today, YOU will have your say. SEVEN days from today, you will decide if we continue this road we are on, next stops will be Cap and Tax, Amnesty, The Fairness Doctrine, and MORE out of control spending, or if we will go back to a Country Governed BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE.

For those of you whom didn't think it could happen here? This is America. The greatest Country on Earth? I and others warned you this was possible. I even explained HOW this was possible. You are seeing it first hand, right in front of your face. We are LIVING it.

Make no mistake about it, this is ONLY THE BEGINNING. If they stay in power, they will double down on all this. They will continue to create a NEW America. The USSA, with THEM in charge. It IS HAPPENING. Not some ideal, nor concept. THIS IS REALITY.

Seven days the POWER changes hands to YOU. YOU have the power. YOU have the control. YOU have the final decision. Socialism or Freedom. America Itself is on the line here folks. YOU hold the key. Which way do you want to go?
Peter

Congratulations To Celine Dion, Don't Be Discouraged By Panic Reporting

Congratulations to my friend Skylar as well.

Hey folks,

First, CONGRATULATIONS to both my friend Skylar and Celine Dion. Both gave birth yesterday. Skylar to a bouncing baby Boy, and Celine, to TWO bouncing baby Boys. According to the AP - Celine Dion gives birth to twin boys

NEW YORK – Celine Dion has given birth to twin boys, finally realizing her dream of being a mother again after a long struggle to become pregnant.

A statement released by St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., said that the 42-year-old superstar singer delivered the boys Saturday afternoon. One boy weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces, while the other weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces. No names have been announced.

So Congratulations to all of you out there, that may have given Birth in the past 24 hours. Laura is ready. She WISHES she gave birth to our Second Son yesterday. Due January. So she still has a way to go.

Happy Sunday to you. I AM Peter Carlock, this IS The Big Sunday Edition of OPNTalk Blog. Glad you stopped by. There will be NO Big Sunday Edition NEXT WEEK. There will be no Friday Post either. So all of you out there that like to send in stuff to share via Email opntalk@gmail.com, you have until Wednesday this week. I will be posting a special Thursday Edition of the From the Emails Segment. But then again, I reserve the Right to, and occasionally DO, post Emails ANY day. I am the Boss. {Smile} But I will be heading out to St Augustine early Friday Morning, be there until Sunday afternoon when I will be back in town for Trick or Treating with Josh. "Perry the Platypus" this year. Uh, JOSH, not me.

Anyway, coming right up today?

Facebook 'accidentally outing gay users' to outside firms through targeted ads
DeMint To The Republican Party: Listen To The People
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia VAP
DLA For Sunday 102410
IWA For Sunday 102410

Oh, before we get to all that, and remember, you can follow along on Twitter, Facebook, the Tom Sullivan Radio Show Listener's Club, and the Email, as I mentioned before, is as always, opntalk@gmail.com.

But before we get going today, I did want to say this. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED by stories like this. AP - Tightening Senate races give pause to upbeat GOP By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer.

BLUE BELL, Pa. – To understand Republicans' nagging fear that the Nov. 2 elections might not be quite the massive triumph that many have predicted, check out Pennsylvania's perplexing Senate race.

Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak has trailed Republican Pat Toomey for months, and a GOP victory always has seemed likely, given that it's a Republican-trending year in this perpetually contested state. Yet recent polls suggest Sestak has closed the gap, and Republican leaders are imploring supporters not to panic even as they ask themselves: What's going on?

The Sestak-Toomey race mirrors other Senate contests that are making this one of the most intriguing and unpredictable midterm elections in years.

Folks, this is what is called Panic Reporting. It's not true. The MMD {Mass Media Drones} the STATE Run Media, is in Panic Mode. They KNOW that the Left is out in 9 days. They KNOW that Obama is in trouble. They are attempting to do EXACTLY what they say is happening. They WANT to "give pause to upbeat GOP" They want to discourage you. They WANT you to not believe that what will happen in 9 days WILL happen. They want you to stay home. They want you to lose your fire and anger. They are not attempting to report to you that you are losing faith, they WANT you to lose faith. Don't be fooled. Don't believe it. Just do what you KNOW you and MILLIONS of others need to do. Vote these Children out and bring Sanity back to Government. STOP OBAMA!

Going to fill my cup. Go fill yours. Be right back.
Peter

Sources:
AP - Celine Dion gives birth to twin boys
AP - Tightening Senate races give pause to upbeat GOP

Facebook 'accidentally outing gay users' to outside firms through targeted ads

Where is this story in the US Press?

Hey folks,

Here is another CLEAR example of the Liberal Mentality. As I keep telling you, Liberalism is the method of being quick to dream, slow to think. It's EASY being a Liberal. It really is. It requires NO thought at all. Just FEELINGS. Here is what I mean.

"We are killing the Planet. Your 'Carbon Footprint' is ABC. So you can now pay $X to become Carbon Neutral." Oh that's great some think. I can now give $X and FEEL good. I'm saving the Planet. I'm doing my part. I am repenting from my sins against Nature. That is Liberalism. Now Intelligence is APPLYING THOUGHT.

"We are killing the Planet. Your 'Carbon Footprint' is ABC. So you can now pay $X to become Carbon Neutral." OK. So WHOM am I paying? Why? How is this going to help the environment if I simply pay a fine, yet change NOTHING in my Lifestyle? Do you have any REAL Science to back what you are telling me to begin with? ETC.

It is much easier to simply accept what someone is telling you and jump on board a bandwagon, and FEEL good about yourself. You will even get praised by others that are both suckered into it with you, and those perpetrating the SCAM.

So this is the way it goes all the time on the Liberal side. This is a clear example. Just last Sunday, October 17, 2010, I posted this. Facebook, Censorship Or Compassion

I truly hope that Facebook walks this very fine line, understanding that crossing it, and violating our First Amendment, in the name of compassion is not the answer. It's time that we here in America, stop catering to Minority Groups with special interests, and start asking and answering the REAL and Tough questions. We need to protect Kids from ANY and ALL walks of life, Races, Religions, Sex, and Sexual Orientation matters not. We need to treat each other with respect, and look out for what is best for ALL. We need to treat everyone equally, and have Laws that do the same. Stop this nonsense of placing this or that group, over all others, and let's truly come together as one.

Here is the REAL LIFE application of the compassion that Facebook wanted to show. I did not even think of THIS one. According to UK Daily Mail - Facebook 'accidentally outing gay users' to outside firms through targeted ads By Niall Firth Last updated at 6:32 PM on 22nd October 2010,

Facebook might be inadvertently outing its gay users to advertisers, according to a new study.

Researchers have discovered that different targeted advertising is being sent to users’ accounts if they have described themselves as gay or straight.

The discovery could mean that people who wish to keep their sexuality private may be sharing it with advertisers without their knowledge.

The loophole is yet another example of a Facebook privacy breach after it emerged that millions of pieces of personal information were being shared without users’ consent after using popular apps.

I know, I know, the obvious answer here is to not post anything that you do not want to share with MILLIONS of people. As a matter of fact, I just saw a Video someone posted on Facebook talking about Imagines that some young people post. EVERYONE has access to them and ANYONE can capture them forever. I also understand that this is talking about Facebook, taking info that some post, and sharing it without permission to others.

But what about this? "Arrogance" and "Ignorant" are having a conversation and they say "Victim" is SO GAY. Now Facebook comes in and takes that Post off and suspends "A," and "I" for a period for violating their Anti-Gay Offending agenda. Now EVERYONE will know that "V" is Gay. Or at least that will be the interpretation. But this really is an interesting Article.

A team from Microsoft and Germany's Max Planck Institute created six fake profiles: two straight men, two straight women, a gay man and a lesbian. They wanted to see if Facebook targeted ads based on sexuality, and so the profiles were left otherwise completely the same.

The team then monitored what ads each virtual user was sent over a period of a week.
They found that the ads displayed on the gay man's profile differed substantially from those on the straight one. Many of these adverts were not obviously adverts for services that only gay men would require, and half of them did not mention the word ‘gay’ in the text.

The researchers say that this means people who click on the adverts from their Facebook profile will not know that they were targeted for that ad because of the sexual orientation and so by clicking through on the ad are effectively ‘outing’ themselves.

This means that the advertising firms now know if they are gay even if this aspect of their profile has been hidden from public view.

The researchers write in the paper: ‘The danger with such ads, unlike the gay bar ad where the target demographic is blatantly obvious, is that the user reading the ad text would have no idea that by clicking it he would reveal to the advertiser both his sexual-preference and a unique identifier (cookie, IP address, or email address if he signs up on the advertiser's site).’

The loophole means that any advertisers who collect data such as Facebook IDs could match a person’s sexual preference with their unique ID and their name.

A Facebook spokesman said: 'Our advertising guidelines prohibit advertisers from using user data collected from running an ad on Facebook, including information derived from targeting criteria.

'For example, we explicitly prohibit them from associating that targeting detail with the data collected from the user in forms they fill out, applications they make, or other interactions on their site. We also require that targeting of ads based on a user attribute be directly relevant to the offer in the advertisement.

'We take the privacy of our users very seriously and take immediate action when violations of these policies come to our attention. We don’t provide any personally identifiable information to advertisers and we recommend that people always exercise caution when filling out forms about themselves online.

'We have no evidence that the advertisers mentioned in this study sought to collect information about people using Facebook, but we encourage people to report any advertisements that they suspect may be doing so.'

Last week it emerged that vast amounts of data – including the names of individual members and their online ‘friends’ – were passed to internet advertising firms, with tens of millions of people thought to have been affected.

The leaks were possible even when members had deliberately set their privacy options to the maximum secrecy levels.

The practice violates Facebook’s own rules on data protection and will raise questions about the company’s ability to keep information about its members’ activities secure.

Security experts warned that the details could be used – when combined with other publicly available information – to build up a detailed picture of an individual’s interests, friendship circle and lifestyle.

Around 25 different advertising and data firms were receiving the information, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal found.

It was passed to them by firms whose ‘apps’ – games and other features – operate on Facebook and not by the social networking site itself.

Using the data allows advertisers to better target individuals with promotion for specific product.

So basically, be careful what you do Online, on Facebook, or anywhere else. But this is another aspect of the Pro-Gay Agenda that is cause to think about. Could Facebook "Out" Gays unintellionally in the name of protecting them? Yes. Not to mention if this Gay Rights Activist Group decides that something YOU post is "Anti-Gay," YOU could end up being labeled incorrectly, a Homophobe.
Peter

DeMint To The Republican Party: Listen To The People

Your Voice is being heard.

Hey folks,

Demint gets it. South Carolina’s 55th Senator, Jim DeMint is listening. DeMint was on the Hannity Show {Video} on fox when Hannity said, "Mike Castle thinks that you are very wrong about your viewpoint. That you would rather lose and have pure conservatives rather than Republicans who are more liberal or, quote, 'pragmatic.'" Jim's response?

It really reveals who wants the big tent in the Republican Party. All of the conservatives that I've supported who have lost their primaries are supporting the Republican nominee. This is not true for the moderates who lose. They don't have room for conservatives. You see me supporting all of our Republican nominees. They may not all be the same as I am as far as how they're gonna vote, but the Republican Party is the only option we have this time. The Democrat Party is to the left of Europe, and what we're trying to do in this election is reshape the Republican Party where it began: A limited government party, less taxes, less spending.

This lead Hannity to say this.

Well, you got on board pretty early or guys like Toomey and Rubio and Buck, Rand Paul, Joe Miller, Christine O'Donnell. You took a lot of hits for going against the Republican establishment. Is that an indicator of future events and battles to come?

Then so that there was no misunderstanding his words, Jim DeMint told Hannity, that either the Republican Party was going to listen to the American People or they could kiss his, uh, keister. He was out of there.

I don't want to be in Washington another six years and watch the Republican Party betray the trust of the American people again. I mean, we had the White House, we had a majority in the House and the Senate, and we voted for more spending and more earmarks. Most of our senior members seemed to be focused on taking home the bacon. I'm not going to be in a Republican Party like that. What I've tried to do and others like Sarah Palin have tried to do is give Republicans and Americans good choices in the primaries so that on Election Day they can go out and not just vote against someone, they can vote for someone.

We need more DeMints. More people that wake up and look around and say, this is not what the People want, they want this, then go that way. It's not that we want to change anything. It's that we want America to BE America. Period. We want nothing to do with Socialism, Obamacare, or oppressive taxation. We want the Government to FOLLOW the Constitution, not IGNORE it. We want the Government to stay the Hell out of our Private Lives.

Some in the Political Circle seem to think that Obama will move to the Center when the Republicans take over the House and possibility even the Senate. I doubt that. What I see is more Executive Orders, more underhanded Politics, backroom deals, ETC. But that is not my main concern. My Main concern is not that the Democrats may attempt to JAM THROUGH as much as they can during their lame duck session. They WILL, but that can all be undone. No folks, Demint is my main concern. Well, people like him. We need more. My main concern is that of repeating 94. If we have more DeMints, people that are in power, and LISTENING to the People, then we will not. As I've been saying for years, talking the Talk is nice, "We hear the people." "The people have spoken," ETC. But you better be ready to walk the Walk as well.

Seems that DeMint is listening and trying to walk the Walk. According to Newsmax.com - DeMint to Introduce Bill to Defund NPR

Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly said Thursday night that “Jim DeMint will introduce legislation to defund” NPR in the wake of Juan Williams’s firing, according to Politico. DeMint's office confirmed to the website that the senator will announce the legislation tomorrow.

The news was also confirmed by CNN’s Peter Hamby.

“This is like the ACORN deal – no more money to NPR,” O’Reilly said. “NPR has now devolved into a totalitarian outfit functioning as an arm of the far left.”

A visibly shaken Williams pointed out to O’Reilly on the show that he was the only black man on NPR.

“I didn’t fit in their box there,” he said.

Karl Rove and O’Reilly also discussed two seven-figure gifts from George Soros, or Soros-founded entities, to NPR and Media Matters this week, Politico reported.

So not only is he talking the talk, he is showing that he is trying to walk the walk. What we do not want from those that get elected into power is excuses. "We do not have enough power or control to override anything, so why bother?" As the old saying goes, it is far better to try and to fail, than it is to not try at all.
Peter

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia VAP

Health and Science For Sunday 102410

Hey folks,

Did you know it was just International Infection Prevention Week? It is the largest annual initiative to promote safe, hygienic hospital practices and stop Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) before they happen.

Do you remember back on Sunday, May 30, 2010, I introduced you to Kimberly-Clark Health Care. I posted HAIs and Prevention
I said this.

Imagine going into the Hospital for, oh, I don't know, say Gallbladder Surgery, and all of a sudden, you have Staph or another sickness that you didn't have coming in. Some estimate that the cost for HAIs is somewhere in the Billions a year. So why is someone not doing something about it?

Well, there are. One such Organization is Kimberly-Clark.

We talked about Healthcare-Associated Infections, and the steps that Kimberly-Clark is taking to help prevent them. Well one of these is Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP).

According to their Website:

A subset of HAP, Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) refers to those cases that occur in patients who have been on ventilator support for at least 48 hours. The mechanisms for HAP and VAP infections are similar, although due to the fact that host defenses against pneumonia are so effectively bypassed by an endotracheal tube, the risk of pneumonia in ventilated patients is much higher.

VAP Risk Factors

The single largest VAP risk factor is the endotracheal tube. Because mechanical ventilator support cannot be performed without the endotracheal tube (or other artificial airway), it is a necessary evil. The endotracheal tube provides a direct passageway into the lungs, bypassing many "natural protection" mechanisms. The endotracheal tube increases the risk for VAP by:

•preventing cough (the patients natural defense)
•preventing upper airway filtering
•preventing upper airway humidification
•inhibiting epiglottic and upper airway reflexes
•inhibiting cilliary transport by the epithelium
•acting as a direct conduit into the lungs for airborne pathogens
•potentially acting as a reservoir for pathogens by providing a place for biofilm to form
•having a cuff which provides a place for secretions to “pool” in the hypoglottic area
•initiating a foreign body reaction, interfering with the local immune response

Host or patient risk factors include:

•age of 65 or more
•underlying chronic illness (e.g. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, asthma)
•immunosuppression
•depressed consciousness
•thoracic or abdominal surgery
•previous antibiotic therapy
•previous pneumonia or remote infection

Other device treatment and personnel related risk factors include:

•nasogastric tube placement
•bolus enteral feeding
•gastric over-distension
•stress ulcer treatment
•supine patient position
•nasal intubation route
•instillation of normal saline
•understaffing
•nonconformance to handwashing protocol
•indiscriminate use of antibiotics
•lack of training in VAP prevention

You can go to their Website, especially if you are in the Medical Field, and I know there are some Doctors out there in OPNTalk Land, and join the New HAI WATCHDOG Community.

Join the community of healthcare professionals concerned with preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), which at any given moment seriously affect 1.4 million hospitalized patients worldwide. The HAI WATCHDOG* forums are intended to provide a place for
health care providers to discuss issues and best practices related to
Hospital-Associated Infections (HAIs).

Kimberly-Clark is committed to helping win the battle to prevent HAIs. As part of that effort, we are pleased to sponsor this new community
site for healthcare providers to discuss HAI without discussion of product-specific information.

As I said back then, I mean even more now, Kimberly-Clark is worth getting to know. For more information about Kimberly-Clark or the "Not On My Watch" campaign, or more information on VAP, go to their Website and check them out. It will be well worth your time.
Peter

DLA For Sunday 102410

He gets it.

Hey folks,

This week, I must give the Display in Logic Award to someone who seems to have a handle on Politics. Someone who has not really been an activist, yet believes in the cause of Gay Rights. A guy that most likely Voted FOR Obama.

You do remember Obama don't you? Remember back when he was running Gays and Lesbians Starting To Feel Gypped By Obama

Do you remember way back on March 2 2008, Obama sent an open letter to the Gay and Lesbian community?

Here are some of the highlights.

“In the U.S. Senate, I have co-sponsored bills that would equalize tax treatment for same-sex couples and provide benefits to domestic partners of federal employees,”

“And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

The letter goes on to say that if elected president he would use the bully pulpit “to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws.”

“I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment.”

“I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage.”

“Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate.”

“While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does.”

Obama also said that he supports the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

But this is not what they got. Nor should they have really believed him to begin with. On November 8 in one of his little Town Hall style meetings, Obama said this.

"I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. I'm not in favor of gay marriage."

After being elected, Obama was asked about Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Why he didn't do anything yet.

According to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who appeared on "Fox News Sunday," no change is likely in the near future.

Gates says both he and President Barack Obama have "a lot on our plates right now." As Gates puts it, "let's push that one down the road a little bit."

So what happened to Obama being this Super Gay Advocate? Oh yeah, he got the Votes. That's all that really matters. Right?

Well, he and the rest of the Libs need the Gay Vote AGAIN. So? Don't Ask, Don't Tell in back on the front burner. But this is NOT really tricking anyone from the reality that he really has no desire to do anything for the Gay Community. He thinks you Homosexuals are stupid. Just like Minorities. They make all these promises all the time, get the Votes, because some are stupid enough to believe them, then they do NOTHING. Over and over again. Well, some are seeing this for what it is. According to AOL News - Gay Vet: Obama Playing Politics on 'Don't Ask'

(Oct. 21) -- In the course of one day, Lt. Dan Choi, a gay Iraq war veteran, has gone from ecstatic to devastated.

On Wednesday, he gleefully announced he'd begun the process of re-enlisting in the Army because the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy had been suspended. Today, he was back where he started after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco granted the Obama administration's request to freeze the suspension.

"You see Pete, it's the Courts, not Obama." He sees the truth.

"President Obama is playing politics. There's no reason you should force people to lie to serve their country," Choi said today on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" program.

It's unclear what will happen next. Both parties were given until Monday to file additional arguments.

Justice Department lawyers

Obama

filed an emergency appeal Wednesday with the 9th Circuit Court to stop the military from allowing openly gay troops to serve, putting itself in an odd position: Though the administration publicly opposes the policy, the appeal allows the ban to stay in effect.

"They are in a very bizarre position, frankly, of their own making," legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin told CNN.

Choi, a 29-year-old Arab-language specialist who served three tours in Iraq, began his re-enlistment process at a New York City Times Square enlistment office Wednesday, one day after the Pentagon told recruiters to start accepting applications from openly gay people.

"When I went in to sign back up, it was an ecstatic day," Choi said. "When I heard (last) night" about the appeal, "that was very devastating.There's a midterm election happening in a few days, and President Obama is playing politics."

The president and first lady Michelle Obama have been on a whirlwind tour in the past few days, stumping for Democratic candidates in the Nov. 2 election, which has been overshadowed by conservative tea party politicians and general dissatisfaction with the troubled economy and high unemployment.

The administration says it appealed the ruling of California District Court Judge Virginia Phillips because immediately lifting the ban would cause mass confusion among troops and disrupt ongoing government reviews of the policy.

In court papers, Justice Department lawyers urged the appellate court to lift the ban on "don't ask, don't tell" because it would cause the government "irreparable injury" and "short-circuit" a comprehensive review process under way at the Department of Defense, ABC News reported.

"The order is stayed temporarily in order to provide this court with an opportunity to consider fully the issues presented," said the three-member appellate panel's ruling.

"We didn't come this far to quit now, and we expect that once the 9th Circuit has received and considered full briefing on the government's application for a stay, it will deny that application," attorney Dan Woods of the Log Cabin Republicans told the Los Angeles Times.

Choi, a West Point graduate who majored in Arabic studies, was honorably discharged last year, months after he announced he was gay on MSNBC. He said today that he served without incident after he came out.

"We did our mission. There were were no outbursts, there was no dissatisfaction," he said. Addressing criticisms that openly homosexual soldiers would endanger troops, Choi said: "When you kick out an Arab linguist, i think it does endanger our troops."
Filed under: Nation, Politics, Barack Obama, Gay Rights

Congratulations Lt. Dan Choi, for showing you have the ability to actually THINK and see the difference in what Obama and Crew says, and what it DOES. For not being fooled by those that think you are stupid, you ARE the Winner of the Display of Logic Award for this week, 102410.

Folks, it really doesn't matter what you think about the actual topic, Gays in the Military, what matters is that you can look at this and clearly see Obama and Crew are simply fishing for the Gay Votes, even though they REALLY have no desire to follow through.
Peter

Sources:
OPNTalk - Gays and Lesbians Starting To Feel Gypped By Obama
AOL News - Gay Vet: Obama Playing Politics on 'Don't Ask'

IWA For Sunday 102410

She is delusional.

Hey folks,

I'm sorry, but as we wrap things up with the Idiot of the Week, there are few words to describe this. According to Newsmax.com - Pelosi Says She'll Remain House Speaker

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may need a reality check. She said on the Charlie Rose show Wednesday that she expects Democrats to maintain control of the House and re-elect her as speaker, The Hill reports.

"I have every anticipation that we'll come together in a similar format as we are now, with me as speaker of the House," Pelosi says. Most political analysts say the Democrats have only a slim chance of keeping a majority in the House. And several incumbent Democrats already have vowed to vote against re-electing their California colleague should the party be able to do so.

A new Gallup poll indicates that many voters would be happy to see Pelosi go too. Only 29 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of her, down from 36 percent in May and the lowest rating since she became speaker in 2007, the survey shows.
© Newsmax. All rights reserved.

There really are few words to describe this. We already know she is delusional, but REALLY? This goes to show that these folks in Government really do live in a bubble, FAR disconnected with the American People. Time to burst their bubble folks. Time to burst their bubble.

Have a great rest of Weekend. See you soon.
Peter

New Movie

I'll go watch it.

Hey folks,

Happy Friday to you. I'll go watch this. Sounds like a great movie.



From the American Thinker. Here's a theater locator if you want to see it.

Have a great Weekend, see you Sunday!
Peter

Note: From The Emails is a weekly Segment every Friday, or occasionally anytime, that appears here at the OPNTalk Blog. Please feel free to Email any Articles, Comments, Thoughts, Whatever, that you may like to share to opntalk@gmail.com As always, you never know what you may see here.

The First Amendment, Evolution

Most completely ignorant.

Hey folks,

So here I was yesterday listening to Talk Radio. I almost turned it off. Yes. I love Talk Radio. I love the show I was listening to. But the SHEER IGNORANCE of some of the callers on this, were driving me mad. Seriously. I'm not trying to be insulting here, it was and unfortunately IS, a fact.

The topic being discussed was about this now infamous Political debate, about Evolution being taught in the Public Schools and Creationism being forbid. One of the Candidates asked "Where is the Separation of Church in State in the Constitution?" Rhetorical of course, KNOWING that it is not there. Well the opponent said what a lot of people have been taught, incorrectly, "The First Amendment."

OK. The First Amendment?

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.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." That some want you to believe, gives the Government the RIGHT to dictate where and when you practice your Faith. Wrong.

First, the Constitution is a Freedom Document. It is a Document to impede the Government from interfering in the lives of the People. To hinder the Government, if the Government becomes too tyrannical. It has NOTHING to do with the States. That's point one.

Two. Look at what is written again. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Anyone with a Grade School Education can clearly see that the word here is establishment. Which means to create from nothing. To set forth. To ESTABLISH something. In other words, the Government {Federal} can NOT create and Establish a Federal Church. They can not create Obamaism, then create laws FORCING Citizens to worship at the Alter. They can not take your Money, to support Obamaism. Nor can they tell you that you must be an Obamaite, in any way. Freedom OF, not FROM, Religion is one of the main reason we are here to begin with. We got out from under the thumb of the Church of England, and the Founding Fathers wanted to make sure that a New Federal Church never came into being. It has NOTHING to do with protecting people from Religion. It has EVERYTHING to do with protecting Religion from the Government.

Then this, "prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This means I CAN Pray in Church, Government buildings, Public Places. It MEANS I CAN put up a Cross on the Holidays, or post the Ten Commandments in my Government Office. The Constitution GIVES me that right. It does not PROHIBIT it. Every time you see the Government, or the Courts, tell someone they can not do this or that, Religious Wise, THEY are violating the Constitution. That includes God in Schools.

Then the conversations went to Evolution Vs Creationism. We have talked about this before. It takes more faith to believe in Evolution than it does God. Science ACTUALLY DISPROVES Evolution minus a Creator. Mathematics does as well. Something from something is something, something from nothing is something. Nothing from Nothing equals Nothing. There HAS to be a first something for something to become.

Then you have DNA. With all the advancements in our understanding in DNA, we understand that it is IMPOSSIBLE for all life to come from ONE single cell organism. Trees, plants, Hot Blooded, Cold Blooded, ETC.

So to believe in Creation, you must believe that there was an Intelligent Being that creating all that is. Evolution minus that Creator, has you to believe that there was something that just appeared from nothing, and from that something, came all we have today from all plant life, fish, birds, snakes, flies, ants, People. So which takes more faith?

I understand and agreed. If you are going to teach one THEORY? Then teach BOTH. The Constitution does NOT restrict the teaching of the THEORY of Creation, anymore than it restricts the THEORY of Evolution.
Peter

China Increasing Supply, To Meet Their Growing Demand

Yet America is Reducing it's Supply AGAINST it's Demand.

Hey folks,

Happy Tuesday to you. As we check in at the Energy Front, we see what we were talking about last week is now being reported in the Mainstream Media. On Tuesday, last week, I told you about this. Backdoor Moratorium On Oil and Natural Gas Shale Projects

Well, what about Coal and Shale? They are not effected right? Wrong. This Administration, so beholden to the "Green Energy" Special Interests, and the Environuts, they will stand in the way of this as well. Why, because they are quick to dream, yet slow to think. Some of these Kooks actually BELIEVE that we can get off of Oil and Natural Gas overnight and become "Green" tomorrow. But we have talked about that as well. It simply is not possible, there is nothing to switch to. However, this is not stopping them from imagining, falsely, that if they reduce American produced Oil and Natural Gas Energy, increasing the cost, it will motivate others to come up with a viable solution quicker.

I told you about China, stepping in and buying up a third of the Shale Project in Texas from Chesapeake Energy. Why? Because Chesapeake Energy found it cost preventive, to jump through all the Hoops that Obama and Crew have put into place, just to get permission to START. Due to regulations, fines, and taxes, this Administration has accomplished what it wants to accomplish. Moratorium De Facto Still In Place.

So why is China doing this? Is it because they are greedy? Because they hate the planet? Is it because they are against the "Green Dream?" No. According to Reuters - China overtakes U.S. as biggest energy consumer: IEA

(Reuters) - China has become the world's largest energy user, having overtaken the United States, the head of the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday.

"China is now the largest energy consumer by our definition," the executive director of the Paris-based IEA, Nobuo Tanaka, told an industry conference.

"Probably half of the oil demand increase comes from China. Nobody knows when it (will) slow down."

The IEA advises 28 developed countries. China is not a part of the IEA but the agency monitors the country as its oil demand can have a significant impact on prices.

This is really not that hard to understand Their Energy Demands increase, they are looking to increase their Supply. They need to to keep Energy affordable for all of THEIR people. Since WE WON'T, they, and others, WILL. Then we will have to rely more on them, for our own product. I LOVE this piece from Investors Business Daily - China's Will To Drill

Energy Policy: The administration lifts the Gulf drilling moratorium in time for the election, but it's not as good as it sounds. Meanwhile, China buys up Texas oil land to develop the energy reserves we won't.

The lifting of the Gulf drilling ban imposed after the explosion of British Petroleum's Macondo well came as welcome news. But like anything this administration does, one must read the fine print.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the ban was being lifted before its Nov. 30 target because of the "the higher standards we have set" for drillers applying for new permits.

However, the placement of further drilling restrictions by an administration openly hostile to the use of fossil fuels and domestic energy development does not bode well.

Told you this was PURELY Political, and does NOTHING. Senator David Vitter, R-La., echoed me.

"I guess this is movement in the right direction," added Sen. David Vitter, R-La., "but it's painfully slow. It's clear that President Obama is going to preside over a continuing de facto moratorium for months or years, with new drilling held back to a fraction of previous levels."

Yup. It doesn't say who wrote this, but the person sounds just like ME. {Smile} Like this.

While we dawdle, state-owned Chinese energy giant CNOOC is buying a multibillion-dollar stake in 600,000 acres of South Texas oil and gas fields. CNOOC announced Monday that it would pay up to $2.2 billion for a one-third stake in Chesapeake Energy assets.

They wrap it up with this.

From the Chinese perspective, this is a golden opportunity for them," said Ken Medlock, a fellow at Houston's Baker Institute and adjunct professor in Rice University's economics department. "They have identified shale resources in China, but they don't have the knowledge or technical expertise to go after those resources."

So we'll provide them with the technology to develop their oil resources at the same time we restrict our own exploration and development.

So they have an INCREASE in Demand, THEY look for ways to INCREASE their Supply. We have an Administration who is purposefully DECREASING Supply, in the HOPES that the INCREASE in Demand will somehow INCREASE Alternative Energy Supply. Meanwhile in the REAL World, China, and others to follow, profit from American Resources, at the expense of Americans. Just another reason we need to bring SANITY back to Government.
Peter

Sources:
OPNTalk - Backdoor Moratorium On Oil and Natural Gas Shale Projects
OPNTalk - Moratorium De Facto Still In Place.

Reuters - China overtakes U.S. as biggest energy consumer: IEA

Investors Business Daily - China's Will To Drill

Obama, Taxes, Black Farmers, Facebook Censorship, Or Compassion?

Preview for Sunday 101710

Hey folks,

Yes Obama wants to give 66,000 African American Farmers $1.25 Billion of YOUR money. I made a brief comment on this on Friday, talking about the Race Card. Some of you did not believe me. More on that in a second.

Happy Sunday to you. Welcome to the Big Sunday Edition of the OPNTalk Blog, I AM Peter Carlock, your Provocateur of thought himself, and MAN do we have a lot to cover.

First off, thank you AGAIN! Yes, those of you in the "Inner Circle" so to speak, know that I'm getting over being Sick AGAIN! Was confined pretty much all week, taking the Drugs supplied by my Doctor. Just felt good enough to entertain, a bit, some old Friends out of New York Friday. Was a great day. Then had a great day yesterday with my Boy. Pictures soon on Facebook. As always, you can follow along on Twitter, Tom Sullivan Radio Listener's Club, and the Email address, as if I really have to give that out any more, {Smile} is opntalk@gmail.com.

OK, so Obama. According to CNS NEWS - Obama Wants $1.25 B to Compensate up to 66,000 African American Farmers for USDA Discrimination in 1981-96; Census Says African American Farmers Peaked at 33,000 in Those Years Thursday, October 14, 2010 By Nicholas Ballasy

(CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama is requesting $1.15 billion from Congress—to add to a $100-million earmark he pushed through Congress in 2008 when he was a senator—to create a $1.25 billion federal fund to settle discrimination claims by what the Justice Department says is 66,000 African Americans who “farmed or attempted to farm” and were allegedly the victims of discrimination committed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the period from Jan. 1, 1981 to Dec. 31, 1996.

During that 16-year period, however, the number of African American farm operators in the United States peaked at 33,000 in 1982, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 1992, says the Census Bureau, the number of African American farmers had fallen as low as 19,000. (There were 2.24 million total farmers in the United States in 1982 and 1.93 million in 1992.)

A "farm operator," according to the Census, is "a person who operates a farm, either doing the work or making day-to-day decisions." Farm operators include both individuals who own farms and who rent them.

A Department of Justice spokeswoman told CNSNews.com that the $1.15 billion the administration is requesting from Congress to settle what is called the Pigford II case is based on complaints of discrimination from 66,000 individual African American farmers who allege the Department of Agriculture wrongfully denied them federal farm loans or benefits between the beginning of 1981 and the end of 1996.

Back in 1997, lawyers brought a class-action suit, Pigford v. Glickman, against the USDA on behalf of African American farmers who allegedly were discriminated against because of their race when they tried to secure federally-backed farm loans or benefit payments.

On January 5, 1999, a federal court ruled in Pigford that the following group was qualified to apply for federal compensation for discrimination by USDA: “All African American farmers who (1) farmed, or attempted to farm, between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1996; (2) applied to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during that time period for participation in a federal farm credit or benefit program and who believed that they were discriminated against on the basis of race in USDA’s response to that application; and (3) filed a discrimination complaint on or before July 1, 1997, regarding USDA’s treatment of such farm credit or benefit application.”

People in this group were given until Oct. 12, 1999 to submit a claim to USDA requesting compensation under the Pigford ruling. The USDA then evaluated these claims to see whether the individual claimants had been treated differently than white farmers. Approximately 20,000 individuals filed claims before the 1999 deadline. Since then, according to news reports, the Agriculture Department has paid about 16,000 of these farmers more than $1 billion in compensation.

In the first eleven months after the Oct. 12, 1999 deadline, however, an additional 61,000 people filed claims seeking compensation under the original Pigford settlement, according to a second Pigford settlement approved by a federal district court in February 2010.

About 2,700 of these 61,000 were deemed to have satisfied an “extraordinary circumstances” test and were permitted to participate in the original claim resolution processes despite missing the deadline.

Ultimately, a Justice Department spokeswoman told CNSNews.com, a total of 66,000 individual African American farmers came forward after the original 1999 Pigford deadline seeking to make a claim against the U.S. Department Agriculture for discriminating against them on the basis of race in the period of 1981 through 1996.

Counting the original 20,000 who met the 1999 deadline and the 66,000 who did not, there are a total of 86,000 African Americans who “farmed or attempted to farm” from 1981 through 1996 who have made or are now seeking to make a claim of discrimination against the U.S. government. Yet, the alleged discrimination against these 86,000 African American farmers occurred during a period when the peak African American farm-operator population was 33,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) pushed to get $100 million appropriated through that year's farm bill to compensate African American farmers who alleged discrimination by USDA during the 1981-1996 period and had missed the 1999 filing deadline under the original Pigford case. “I am also pleased that the bill includes my proposal to help thousands of African-American farmers get their discrimination claims reviewed under the Pigford settlement," Sen. Obama said in a May 15, 2008 statement on his web site after the passage of the bill Obama introduced his proposal as the “Pigford Claims Remedy Act of 2007” and it was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

On June 5, 2008, Congress passed the final version of the farm bill containing Obama’s Pigford proposal. The “Determination on Merits of Pigford Claims” section of that bill says: “Any Pigford claimant who has not previously obtained a determination on the merits of a Pigford claim may, in a civil action brought in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, obtain that determination.”

In his fiscal 2010 and 2011 budget requests, President Barack Obama asked Congress to approve an additional $1.15 billion to resolve the Pigford claims. So far, Congress has not approved this money. Were it to do so, the administration would have a total of $1.25 billion in tax dollars to hand out to as many as 66,000 African American farmers who claimed that the USDA discriminated against them in 1981-1996 and who were not among the 20,000 who already made claims of discrimination in that period.

“The Department of Justice negotiated with counsel for the [Pigford] plaintiffs, and on February 18, 2010, the parties ultimately agreed to a settlement of $1.25 billion,” a Justice Department spokesperson told CNSNews.com.

“Once the funds are appropriated by Congress and the settlement is approved, the $1.25 billion will be distributed among those members of the 66,000 eligible claimants whom a third-party neutral claims administrator determines to be eligible for funds,” the Justice Department spokesperson said.

Robert Bernstein, a spokesman for the U.S. Census Bureau, told CNSNews.com that according the Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstracts of the United States there were 33,000 African American farm operators in 1982; 23,000 in 1987; 19,000 in 1992, and 27,000 in 1997—the year after eligibility for Pigford discrimination claims ended.

Since then, the number of African American farmers in the United States has rebounded somewhat. There were 36,000 in 2002, according to the Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States and 40,000 in 2007.

Bernstein said the Census Bureau’s abstracts report new data on U.S. farm operators every 5 years.

CNSNews.com asked the Department of Justice what process it went through to verify the claims of the 66,000 individuals deemed eligible to file for compensation under the Pigford II settlement. A department spokesperson said these individuals in fact have not yet submitted their claims under Pigford II.

“Once the funds are appropriated by Congress and the settlement is approved, the $1.25 billion will be distributed among those members of the 66,000 eligible claimants whom a third-party neutral claims administrator determines to be eligible for funds, in an effort to keep the process fair and void of politics,” said the spokesperson.

Asked why there are 66,000 eligible claimants when the Census Bureau says that the number of African American farmers in the United States peaked at 33,000 during the period in question, a Justice Department spokesperson said that since the alleged discrimination took place over a 16-year period when different individuals were moving in and out of farming that using a single year, such as 1982, as a reference point “doesn’t work.”

USDA echoed the Justice Department’s comments about the number of eligible Pigford claimants compared to the Census Bureau’s statistics on black farmers.

“Current Census numbers on black farmers are not the proper guide for the number of claimants, and certainly no basis for allegations of fraud,” said Agriculture Department Spokesman Justin DeJong. “Furthermore, I can assure you that regardless of any allegations of fraud in Pigford I, this Administration is committed to ensuring that anyone receiving a payment under Pigford II was the victim of discrimination and has a valid claim that deserves compensation by following the very specific criteria outlined in the 2008 farm bill.”

So there you go folks. Not kidding. OK, coming right up?

Facebook, Censorship Or Compassion
Establishment Vs The Will of the People
Exploration Into Religion
Breakthrough In Science or Politics?
DLA For Sunday 101710
IWA For Sunday 101710

Told you we have a lot of ground to cover today. So I've decided to break off here for a second, go fill my cup, and I'll be right back with the Facebook Story. Go get whatever your AM gogo juice is, and meet me right back here. See you in a second.

Peter

Facebook, Censorship Or Compassion

Are we going a bit over board?

Hey folks,

Slippery Slope? Compassion? Or is this outright Censorship. I also know, I'm about to really annoy, if not outright Tick some of you off. But we REALLY need to talk about this.

OK, so all of a sudden, we seemed to have some kind of "rash" of Teen Suicides. Four within a four-week period last month has triggered some in the Mainstream Media to ignitionate coverage of the topic of Anti-Gay Bullying and Harassment and prompted renewed calls for Congress to pass Anti-Bullying Legislation.

Folks, truth is this.

A continued rise in teen suicide rates is concerning mental health professionals, educators, and youth workers. In the past 25 years, while the general incidence of suicide has decreased, the rate for those between 15 and 24 has tripled. It is generally considered to be the second or third most common cause of death among adolescents, even though it is seriously under reported. No one has advanced a good theory explaining why teens are taking their own lives in greater numbers, but it's important for everyone to be aware of the problem.

Some of them are Gay. Some of them are said to be a product of "Bullying." Schools have been sued. Adults other than the Parents of the Kids have been charged. Other kids have been charged. Now we have a movement on Facebook, to censor whatever they, or a Liberal Gay Activist Group, determines to be Anti-Gay Rhetoric. Or Bullying. According to AP - Facebook works to remove anti-gay hate speech Fri Oct 15, 4:04 pm ET

NEW YORK – Facebook is working with a gay-advocacy group to reduce the amount of hate speech and bullying on the online social hub.

Anti-gay bullying has been in the spotlight recently after the suicides of several gay teenagers, including Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, garnered national attention. According to police, the 19-year-old jumped off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate secretly recorded him with another male student and distributed video online.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said it reached out to Facebook last week after Internet bullies flooded a page set up to honor teens who recently killed themselves in response to anti-gay hate.

The page, set up by a Facebook user, asks supporters to wear purple next Wednesday in memory of the teenagers. Purple represents "spirit" in the rainbow flag that's the symbol of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. On Friday afternoon, most of the comments on the page were from supporters.

Facebook said that its policies prohibit hateful content and that it has systems in place to take down such posts as soon as possible. But the company also said it wants its users to be able to express unpopular opinions and as such must strike a careful balance between removing harmful content and letting people speak freely.

"Facebook has taken an important first step in making social media a place where anti-gay violence is not allowed," said Jarrett Barrios, the president of GLAAD.

OK, so that all sound nice. But why are Gay Teens more important than Straight ones? What makes someone being "Bullied" more important than anyone else because of their Sexual Orientation? "Well Pete, Gay Teens are 300 times more likely to commit Suicide." Yeah I saw that number too. But it's not true.

Joel Best, professor and chair of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, untangled the knotty statistics behind the gay teen suicide rate in his book "Damned Lies and Statistics" (University of California Press, 2001).

Where did the number come from? "A chain of bad statistics," explains Best in the book.

Advocates began with the largely discredited assumption that one-tenth of the population is homosexual, derived from Alfred Kinsey's 1940s research. In fact more recent studies and polls find that around 1 percent to 3 percent of the population is homosexual. The advocates further assumed the proportion held true for teens (it may or may not), and out of about 4,500 annual teen suicides, figured that one-tenth (450) should involve gay or lesbian teens.

"Next, advocates drew upon various studies that suggested that homosexuals attempt suicide at a rate two to three times higher than heterosexuals," Best writes. He adds that multiplying 10 percent (the estimated proportion of homosexuals in the population) by 3 (a suicide rate estimated to be three times higher than heterosexuals), along with a mathematical miscalculation, led to an estimate that gays and lesbians accounted for 30 percent of suicides. (The miscalculation: Even if 10 percent of the population is homosexual, and their suicide rate is three times that of heterosexuals, homosexuals should account for only one-quarter — not one-third —of suicides)

This figure was rounded up to one-third. At each step of the calculation the numbers either had dubious validity or were selected from the extreme upper end of the estimates.

So what is the gay teen suicide rate? No one knows. "How could anyone hope to measure gay teen suicides accurately?" Best said. "Coroners, after all, do not record sexual orientation on death certificates."

Without accurate numbers on how many gay teens there are, any estimate about their suicide rate is little more than a guess.

So what is the answer? Why do we have this increase in Teen Suicides? What can we do to try to bring this number down? These are the things we SHOULD be talking about. Not advocating the Slippery Slope of Censorship.

Look, we all got, knew someone who was, or did the Bullying ourselves. I went through some. Chances are you did as well. Part of growing up. I didn't think about killing myself. You didn't kill yourself. So what has changed? Why is it a "Reasonable thought" to now have amongst our kids out there? Is it the chipping away of the sanctity of life? Is it the taking away, more and more of the Parent's Rights and Responsibility for their own Children. The Chipping away of the Family. Could it be the Moral Decline in this Country? Could it be the ever increasing Grey Area that is replacing what use to be Black and White, Right and Wrong?

Placing one group over another, be it with the "Best of Intentions" or not, is NEVER the answer. Hate Crimes, Hate Speech, Thought control. None of these things will EVER settle the issues nor deter the product. What will is discovering the source and fixing THAT. No one should be Bullied. Of course. But it matters not whom it is being Bullied, nor WHY they are being Bullied. It is the fact that THEY need to understand how to deal with it as long as it is possible. It is the fact that those found guilty of harassment of another, or worse yet, physical harm to another, for ANY REASON, needs to be held accountable. Not more so, or less so, depending on what some think.

I truly hope that Facebook walks this very fine line, understanding that crossing it, and violating our First Amendment, in the name of compassion is not the answer. It's time that we here in America, stop catering to Minority Groups with special interests, and start asking and answering the REAL and Tough questions. We need to protect Kids from ANY and ALL walks of life, Races, Religions, Sex, and Sexual Orientation matters not. We need to treat each other with respect, and look out for what is best for ALL. We need to treat everyone equally, and have Laws that do the same. Stop this nonsense of placing this or that group, over all others, and let's truly come together as one.
Peter

Sources:
Mental Health Matters - Teen Suicide
AP - Facebook works to remove anti-gay hate speech
Live Science - Is There a Gay Teen Suicide Epidemic?