What’s interesting in the news today?
Open thread, as always.
We have some interesting ones today.
First up, Wow. 🙄
From DigitalTrends.com “It’s been one full week since the flagship technology portion of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) went live. And since that time, the befuddled beast that is Healthcare.gov has shutdown, crapped out, stalled, and mis-loaded so consistently that its track record for failure is challenged only by Congress.
The site itself, which apparently underwent major code renovations over the weekend, still rejects user logins, fails to load drop-down menus and other crucial components for users that successfully gain entrance, and otherwise prevents uninsured Americans in the 36 states it serves from purchasing healthcare at competitive rates – Healthcare.gov’s primary purpose. The site is so busted that, as of a couple days ago, the number of people that successfully purchased healthcare through it was in the “single digits,” according to the Washington Post.
The reason for this nationwide headache apparently stems from poorly written code, which buckled under the heavy influx of traffic that its engineers and administrators should have seen coming. But the fact that Healthcare.gov can’t do the one job it was built to do isn’t the most infuriating part of this debacle – it’s that we, the taxpayers, seem to have forked up more than $634 million of the federal purse to build the digital equivalent of a rock.”
You say digital rock, I say Obama’s legacy. Either works.
Oh wait……. Never mind, his legacy isn’t working. 😯
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California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a new law allowing non-physicians to perform abortions.
From Breitbart “The legislation, which had been pushed vigorously by Planned Parenthood, had been strongly opposed by pro-life groups and some physicians, arguing that it amounted to legalizing back-alley abortions for profit.
In a statement, Gov. Brown boasted that AB 154 was one of seven bills signed Tuesday “to support the health and well-being of women in California.”
How exactly does letting unqualified people perform a medical procedure supportive? And well-being? Really? Unbelievable.
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But….but….but…. they’re mostly moderates. Obama and McCain said so.
From TheLATimes “U.S. intelligence officials are increasingly concerned that Al Qaeda and other radical Islamist groups could carve out a haven in Syria that will offer the kind of sanctuary they once enjoyed in northwestern Pakistan, current and former U.S. officials say.
Officials say a clandestine CIA program that provides rudimentary training and weapons to U.S.-backed politically moderate insurgents is unlikely to curb the growing strength of extremists among the opposition militias seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Though the fighting remains limited to Syria, U.S. intelligence officials already are looking at worst-case scenarios if the country breaks into distinct government- and rebel-controlled enclaves. The alarm grew recently when militants from Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda affiliate considered the most capable and best-armed rebel force, and its allies seized a border crossing between Syria and Jordan near the Syrian city of Dara.”
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This one wouldn’t surprise me at all. Their do-gooder efforts rarely work out as planned.
From Dallas/FtWorthCBSLocal “It started as a simple look at bullying. University of Texas at Arlington criminologist Seokjin Jeong analyzed data collected from 7,000 students from all 50 states.
He thought the results would be predictable and would show that anti-bullying programs curb bullying. Instead — he found the opposite.
Jeong said it was, “A very disappointing and a very surprising thing. Our anti-bullying programs, either intervention or prevention does not work.”
The study concluded that students at schools with anti-bullying programs might actually be more likely to become a victim of bullying. It also found that students at schools with no bullying programs were less likely to become victims.”
But are there just more reported at schools with programs, which could skew the numbers?
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Here’s an interesting case, although I’m surprised it went this far. Seems like a stretch to me. You can’t get plastered and then say you’re not responsible for your actions and what happens once you are. Or can you? We’ll see I guess.
From MSNNews “Three people convicted of murder in deadly crashes urged New York’s highest court Tuesday to throw out their convictions, arguing they were too intoxicated to know the threat they posed to others.
The murder convictions of Martin Heidgen, Taliyah Taylor and Franklin McPherson all hinge on the prosecution’s contention they acted with “depraved indifference to human life” in fatal crashes that share a number of common threads: driving too fast in the wrong lane while under the influence.
Defense attorneys argued prosecutors failed to prove their clients acted with depraved indifference and, in fact, their clients were too impaired to know what they were doing.”
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Wandering Views 
“Anti-bullying” campaigns and groups are just front groups for homosexual extremists. Their primary purpose is to promote homosexuality, and they have been extremely effective in that regard.
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An article to support my position:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-real-agenda-behind-gay-anti-bullying-clubs-in-your-school/
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I see in the Times-News that Pisgah Inn has filed an injunction to allow it to remain open during the shutdown. Pisgah Inn is a privately owned restaurant and inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hundreds of people drive the parkway every day, especially during this season when the leaves are turning..
“After initially defying orders from the National Park Service to close his federally owned property, Pisgah Inn concessionaire Bruce O’Connell decided to comply with NPS orders to close the operation at 6 p.m Oct. 3. But he criticized the closure, saying his business should remain open for the sake of visitors and his 100 employees and the parkway’s environment.”
“”The following day, NPS law enforcement officers parked cars and blocked the entrance to the inn, turning away visitors………..”
This was interesting to me because I was talking to a guy at church last night who had been there yesterday. He said the Inn was closed. He asked a park ranger who was paying him to close the inn. The park ranger said they were volunteers.
We all believe that, don’t we?.
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I heard on Huckabee last night that they blocked off a parking area where people couldn’t stop to take pictures of Mt. Rushmore. I don’t know any more about that.
Such a trivial thing by little people.
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I see, again, in the Times-News that Rep. Governor McCory is accused of withholding key data from an audit about the state’s Medicaid program.
That is no better than when the Democrats do it. We know that everything Obama says is a lie. But you can’t allow anyone to govern on falsehood.
A lie is a lie, no matter who tells it. What we need in this country is governing on truth. No matter what it’s about. If you can’t do it without lying, don’t do it at all.
;-(
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Could it be that kids in school with anti-bullying programs are more likely to perceive themselves as victims?.
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I see in The Washington Times that the IRS is still open to collect taxes, but they are not sending out refunds. Thay also don’t have personnel to reply to Congressional requests for data concerning targeting of conservative groups.
Gotta keep priorities straight.
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KBells,
I’m thinking yes. I think that’s why the numbers are what they are. The schools that have it have more kids claiming victim status.
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From the daily thread: Chas, I think that qualifies as wreaking havoc on Mr. Shaw.
KBells, You could be right. However, the homosexual activists who started the whole anti-bullying nonsense could care less about bullying. They simply want to peddle homosexual propaganda to children and youth.
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A Christian friend of mine is involved in anti-bullying work. PleAse don’t paint with such a broad brush.
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I am sure there are many Christians involved in anti-bullying work. That, and the fact it is aimed at children and youth, is what makes it so insidious. Here is another article:
http://townhall.com/columnists/marybethhicks/2012/05/03/when_bullying_for_the_gay_agenda_is_ok/page/full
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High school boys are a great anecdote to liberal propaganda. When my sons were instructed by a teacher to make signs against bullying, they did just that. However, each contained a double entendre. They laughed about it for weeks.
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Who in their right mind isn’t anti bullying, but these programs have some serious flaws. First of all kids are often punished for defending themselves. If the teachers see a fight everyone involved is punished. What stop bullying when I was a kid was that someone would stand up to the bully. Second, they seem to be trying to make everyone think alike rather than teach the children how to disagree civilly. Everyone must have the same opinions especially about Gay and religious issues. Just have the wrong opinion can get you branded a bully. Another problem with that makes bullying such a hot button issue is that you have a lot of high profile story about kids who overreact to being bullied with suicide and violence.
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I agree, kBells.
Most of the male students in the South immediately recognize the homosexual propaganda in most anti-bullying programs and treat them as something to be ignored, mocked or disrupted. However, many students can be brainwashed.
In school, as in the world at large, real bullies are stopped with force.
Much of what is called “bullying” in modern schools is behavior that I would describe as “positive peer pressure”.
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Ricky, you seem to assume that all anti-bullying programs are about not bullying gays. I have a hard time believing that’s true. The article you cited was specifically about that. AJs original article was not.
Sure, a program that’s specifically about not bullying gays would be a great way to promote homosexuality. But as one who was bullied in elementary and junior high school for being nerdy, puny, and otherwise weird, I think it can’t hurt to teach kids not to bully anyone, whether because they’re gay, nerdy, or puny.
*It does look from the study as though they’re not very effective, though.
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Kevin, The homosexuals seized on this issue. They started the anti-bullying movement and they have tremendous influence over the content.
Kids aren’t gay. Kids are kids who can be lured into homosexuality by a number of factors, including the propaganda included in anti-bullying programs.
It is no surprise that the programs aren’t effective in stopping bullying. Many, if not most students, recognize the real agenda and ignore or ridicule the programs. However, the programs are very good at convincing the kids who are being bullied that they might be “gay”. This was the real intent of the creators of the programs.
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If you have children in public schools, ask them what is taught in their anti-bullying programs. It is even seeping into some private schools.
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Ricky, Relax anti-bullying campaigns target all sorts of bullying. And it wont turn you gay, someone’s sexuality is not that malleable. Quite frankly, most of these programs are a waste of money and do little to change behaviors, let alone one’s sexuality.
For the most part its impossible to measure the overall effectiveness of these campaigns, for as many of you mention, it may be that it only heightens awareness, increases complaints, etc. Many times it only serves to increase “tattle tale” behavior and complaints of what would normally be described as normal disagreements.
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HRW, I agree with your second paragraph.
As to the first, I go to church with a young psychiatrist who counsels students on a major college campus. She told me that a bunch of her patients are kids who feel no same sex attraction, but have concluded they are “gay” because:
A. Other kids have taunted them and called them “gay”; and
B. Our culture and the anti-bullying programs have told them it’s great to be “gay”.
My 24 year old son says being “gay” is now a fad and large numbers of girls who can’t get dates are now announcing they are “gay”. The psychiatrist says (and I have read this elsewhere) that between the age of 15-25, the sexuality of a fairly large portion of the population is malleable.
In Utah in the mid 19th century, young people were taught to be polygamists. In modern America, young people are taught to be homosexuals.
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If your psychiatrist friend is correct, then these students have serious self-esteem and identity issues; sexual confusion is just an manifestation of their problems. Our culture/anti-bullying programs only teach students that its not okay to harass people on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. When we say its not okay to harass blacks, we are not saying its great to be black only it should not be a reason for discrimination or harassment. Similarly we’re not saying its great to be gay only that its not a reason for discrimination or harassment.
Its true that the teen and early adult years feature identity formation as part of the growing process. At this time, youth form political and religious beliefs, personal habits and practices etc. However, one needs a genetic predisposition to many of these things prior to it becoming part of one’s identity. The only thing a tolerant attitude toward homosexuality does is allow genetic predispositions to be expressed openly.
Female bisexuality or “lesbian until grad” does apply to a certain segment of college age women. And while I’m no expert on female sexuality, female sexuality can be seen more as a spectrum rather than an either or which appears to be more of a male phenomenon. The fact guys approve of bisexuality for girls but not boys can also be a factor.
Polygamy and serial monogamy is far more prevalent in human history than life time monogamy. One can easily put forth the idea that life long marriage has to be taught but polygamy and serial monogamy are instinct.
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HRW, We agree on many issues. I understand that students with other family and psychological problems are more prone to be lured into homosexuality, promiscuity and other behaviors.
I do not agree that a genetic disposition is required. The proof that it is not is the fact that a greatly disproportionate number of boys who were sexually abused as children wind up as homosexuals. There experience led them to homosexuality, not genetics. Similarly, many lesbians were abused by men, leading them to reject all men.
I also agree that humans are not naturally monogamous, at least not since Adam and Eve and the Fall.
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Interesting piece addressing politically correct politics, universities and diversity (or lack thereof):
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2013/10/02/theres-no-right-answer
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