Innocent Bystanders

Trying to Figure Out What Sorts of Rights I Have Left June 29, 2012

The Constitution was written to protect the individual from unlimited government power. The Supreme Court decision just acknowledged Congress’s unlimited power via taxation.

Talk about undermining the Founders’ intent.

Obamacare Starts the Squeeze June 27, 2012

Time for another edition of “OMG, Obamacare!!” Today we look at one of the panels that will start defining what our health plans do and do not cover. It is, of course, a disaster from start to finish:

…a federal health advisory panel on Monday recommended that all obese adults receive intensive counseling in an effort to rein in a growing health crisis in America.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force urged doctors to identify patients with a body mass index of 30 or more — currently 1 in 3 Americans — and either provide counseling themselves or refer the patient to a program designed to promote weight loss and improve health prospects.

Kind of totalitarian on the weight thing, and now they’re telling doctors what to do and interfering with the doctor-patient relationship.

But it gets worse:

Under the current healthcare law, Medicare and most private insurers would be required to cover the entire cost of weight-loss services that meet or exceed the task force’s standards.

Yup, you’re paying for it, one way or another.

But it gets worse:

The panel acknowledged that one problem with its recommendation was that no studies have shown such intensive programs provide long-term health benefits.

Yeah, they want to add all this cost with no indication that it will do any good.

But it gets worse:

On the same day that the panel made its poorly considered decision, these two articles appeared:

Belly fat not so bad after all

Low carb diets for lasting weight loss. A new study has found diets that reduce the surge in blood sugar after a meal–either low-glycemic index or very-low carbohydrate-may be preferable to a low-fat diet for those trying to achieve lasting weight loss.

The bottom line being, we don’t really understand human physiology that well – the news is full of conflicting data and the disproving of decades-old wisdom. The government shouldn’t be trying to mandate a country-wide treatment regimen, and it certainly shouldn’t be doing it from our current position of ignorance.

And they shouldn’t make me pay for their silliness.

Led On By a Come Hither Synopsis June 24, 2012

When I was shopping in Boston’s Chinatown a few months ago, I chanced upon An Inaccurate Memoir, which appears to be an interesting flick. I say “appears to be” because this is the description on the back of the DVD box.

Film PiFu “tells the story of a man. In 1942, the soldiers QianHui high beams by Japanese held TaiPingZhen, assassination attempts to visit Japan prince, yet braved #, high beams in ambush, compatriots do so young. High beams found a man was available, and design into gangs, stir them up and anti enemies, prince assassination bandits leader party but is expected to decide to kidnap the prince, the emperor of Japan to demand a ransom.

Naturally I had to have it, but in the end the joke was on me. It said there were english subtitles on the box, but the DVD main menu didn’t even have an option to select languages or subtitles. So I’m left with a lighter wallet and a hole in my heart (and my viewing schedule). Snif.

Anybody speak Chinese? I’m getting quite a collection of DVDs I can’t watch.

Nice Deb is Looking for a Little Help June 23, 2012

Read about it in her post:

Help Needed in Unlocking Life-Saving Treatments for Rare Diseases.

Choose Your Car Color Wisely June 22, 2012

Turns out that certain colors may make you a target for The Birds:

A recent study into bird behavior suggests that red cars are at the highest danger for being a target for defecating avians.

In the study, conducted in June 2012 for online retailer Halfords on 1,140 cars in the U.K., a full 18% of all the red cars tested wound up being the target of a bird bathroom break. Blue cars were almost as targeted, at 14%. Rounding out the study, 11% of black cars, 7% of white cars, 3% of gray cars, and 1% of green cars were all fated to the carwash by the foul acts of wayward birds.

Perhaps our clothing colors should be considered as well. *Runs out to buy red t-shirts for all the IB guys*

Latest Email From Obama June 21, 2012

You gotta give the guy some credit.  He’s got some staff members who are tech-savvy and know how to connect with those kids who are supposed to stay off my lawn.

 

Friend —

We’ve got a brand new app that you should check out.

It’s called Dashboard — and it’s going to be a game-changer in this election.

It’s our national online organizing platform, and if you’re hoping to make an impact on this election, it’s where you need to be.

Take a look at Dashboard today.

You already know how we’re planning to win this thing: by running the best ground game in politics. From coast to coast, folks like you are out registering voters, recruiting volunteers, and having the conversations that will tip states our way.

Dashboard is our online hub for the organizing that’s going on in every single state — from now up until the last vote gets cast.

It’ll be where you can connect quickly with other volunteers to help get out the vote. You can join or organize an event right then and there. Dashboard will help you stay in touch and swap stories with other supporters to keep one another inspired for what lies ahead.

When you join Dashboard, you’ll also get special updates on this race, new tools to track your progress, and access to groups you can join to organize around the issues you care about most.

No one else in this race has anything like it.

So be one of the first people to check out Dashboard:

http://my.barackobama.com/Join-Dashboard

At Least They Won’t be Stealing 16 oz+ Sodas June 20, 2012

While NYC Mayor Bloomberg has been busy policing people’s diets, the policing that should have been his primary concern has fallen by the wayside:

Crime is rising at an alarming pace across the city — with increases in every borough for the first time in nearly 20 years, The Post has learned.

Major felonies are up 4.2 percent citywide, fueled by a frightening uptick in shootings, sex crimes and street robberies, according to NYPD statistics for the year to date compared with the same period in 2011.

Murders in NYC were down – the one bright spot in the report – but not because there were fewer shootings:

The number of people shot jumped from 647 to 695, a 7.4 percent increase, while “shooting incidents” — where no one is hit — rose from 536 to 587, a 9.5 percent increase.

But soda, salt, and transfats – that’s where the real crime is.

From the Funky Headlines Department June 20, 2012

Low to moderate drinking in early pregnancy deemed OK for children

WTF? Who got these kids pregnant?

Hey Barack!! Try to Make Me Crack Up! June 19, 2012

Reuters