Let's see what's up today

The professionalism of ABC News:
I noticed a man in black shirt with a phone camera aggressively questioning and haranguing a gentleman with the sign, “No Sharia Here.” He was very aggressive, disrespectful and condescending; apparently, he did not like the gentlemen’s answers about Shariah and pushed the point: “Why do you feel threatened? What are you afraid of? Why can’t you answer my questions?”
...
But there was cameraman was standing nearby, watching the scene play out. When I asked, he said he worked for ABC News. I then asked if the man in the black shirt was with him. The ABC cameraman said, “yes.”
...
Sure enough, a few blocks away, I observed the man in the black shirt getting into an ABC News truck and putting on the sound equipment. When he saw me with my camera, he attempted to hide. At that time it became clear the man in the black shirt was an employee of ABC News. The ABC cameraman also witnessed his colleague’s aggressive behavior–and did nothing to stop him.
ABC: Making All The News We Want You To See.


The FDA and DEA just can't stop screwing with things. And people.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is beginning a "massive new program" to reduce overdoses, diversion, and inappropriate use of powerful opioid pain relievers, especially targeting extended-release and patch formulations of fentanyl, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. On Monday, the FDA announced it had sent letters to 16 drug companies who produce the 24 listed products informing them they would now have to create a Risk Evaluation and Management Strategy (REMS) "to ensure that the benefits of the drugs continue to outweigh the risks."

That means physicians are likely to face new procedures in prescribing the drugs, and patients are likely to face more hurdles in obtaining them, an FDA official said at a Monday press conference. But pain patients already face serious obstacles in obtaining relief. The FDA action comes in the context of a campaign by the DEA to crack down on doctors it deems to have improperly prescribed large amounts of opioid pain medication -- even though prescribing what at first glance appear to be extremely large amounts is well with standard pain relief practice. Physician's fears of being prosecuted have contributed to what pain patient advocates describe as a crisis in chronic pain relief.
Apparently they have food safety and actual illegal drugs so under control they can waste time and people on this; maybe their budgets need to be looked at.


Ah, the wonders socialism brings to countries...
Fernandez's countrymen went wild with joy on bulletin boards and Facebook, showing just how worried they are about their country. Their greatest fear is violent crime.

Ever since Chavez became president in 1999, Venezuelan cities have become hellholes in which murder rates have more than quadrupled. At 233 per 100,000, or one murder every 90 minutes, the rate in Caracas now tops that of every war zone in the world, according to an official National Statistics Institute study released Wednesday.

In fact, crime is the defining fact of life in today's Venezuela. About 96% of all murder victims are poor and lower-middle class, the very people Chavez claims to represent. "Don't venture into barrios at any time of the day, let alone at night," warns the Lonely Planet guide to Venezuela to hardy adventure travelers.


One of the consequences of telling kids the only good work to go for is something with a college degree:
Workers with specialized skills like electricians, carpenters and welders are in critically short supply in many large economies, a shortfall that marks another obstacle to the global economic recovery, a research paper by Manpower Inc (NYSE:MAN - News) concludes.

"It becomes a real choke-point in future economic growth," Manpower Chief Executive Jeff Joerres said. "We believe strongly this is really an issue in the labor market."
And so what are they doing? Importing skilled workers from other countries.

You've got kids or grandkids, point out to them that these are jobs where you can make good pay, they tend to be pretty secure AND they don't require years giving thousands(tens of, hundreds of) of dollars to a college.


Hadn't said anything about this before: while back Rep. Carnahan(D-MO) suffered a firebomb attack at an office. Usual accusations against tea party, etc. Except
Reporters, Prompted By Rightwing Blogs, Ask Russ Carnahan If His Own Staffer Was Arrested (and Released) In Connection With Firebombing
and Carnahan says 'yes'. Interesting.


I think I'll close this with a quote from Jefferson about Congress under the Articles of Confederation:
Our body was little numerous, but very contentious," Jefferson noted, but he asked how it could be any other way if Congress was doomed to be composed of lawyers "whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing and talk by the hour."
I have wondered: what might a ban on lawyers serving in Congress be like...