Voting for the proposition that opposes mandated insurance...

Here's something you won't hear often...I am joining the Republicans in voting on August 3 for a Missouri proposition that opposes the mandating of people to buy health care insurance. (Of course, a lot of Progressives are also voting for it, so I am not alone with just the Republicans.)

The Republicans are voting for Proposition C because they throw fits about socialism and Obama-Care. However, I am voting for it because the centrists in government failed to provide a public option program in the health care reform measure, so the insurance industry continues to control health care in this nation. No public option, well, then to hell with mandates and padding the pockets of the insurance industry.

On one flyer that I received in the mail, the first argument that the opponents to Prop. C made was this: "By law, Missouri's hospitals must provide medical care in their emergency departments to anyone who is uninsured--even if they can afford health insurance. Hospitals must cover the cost of that care by charging more to patients who do have insurance...So, should Missourians who already pay for health care also have to pay for those who choose not to pay?"

Oh, boy! I really do hate mythical arguments that imply we all have to equally pay for a health care system that stinks and is set-up for the benefit of the middleman called the insurance company. If we all need to pay for health care, then why don't we just pay it directly to our local hospitals in order to keep our hospitals within the community and then, by doing so, we should be guaranteed that if we get sick we can go there and get free treatment. Why do we need to pay our money to insurance companies so they can make profits, spend on ad campaigns, and spend on lobbyists in Washington, D.C.?

The second argument from the pro-mandate group was this: "It is projected that $50 million a year will be directed away from Missouri. That loss will cause the greatest damage to community hospitals in Missouri's small cities and rural areas...perhaps the one your family relies on in times of need."

Well, I am not a fan of blackmail, either. If the government really cares about the health care of all of its citizens, then it won't penalize a state for refusing to force its people into institutionalized-thievery costs in the first place.

I don't even like being forced to buy car insurance when I almost never have had an accident. Oh, well, because I might someday. I might get caught in a flood one day too, but I can't afford insurance for that in the meantime. Nor a host of other insurance coverage for potential problems in life. When did car insurance become the mandated rule in some states, and how about repealing that? Because we are ALL forced to buy car insurance in Missouri, I sure haven't seen my costs decrease. So, the theory of come one, come all, and we'll all be better off, just isn't the reality.

And it is not about cost, it is about real quality. For instance, I greatly support having monthly amounts for Social Security taken from my paychecks, even if I never live to age 65 to get my share. I support it because I know others who need it are getting it and because it makes our society better.

I was more than willing to join the health care reform cause when I thought that the United States would be getting a geniunely good system, like those used in Canada and Europe. But with no public option or no universal health care, I don't intend to support reform that's not reform.

Ben Nelson the asterisk, wolf sex, feeling like you're going to boot, and other facts and information of the summer...a three-part series...

This is part of a three-blog entry series. The next one will involve bewildering, head-scratching moments from the news that I experienced this summer. The third one will be about some summer reading that I enjoyed. But below are some of the many interesting facts and information that I learned this summer...

1. New word of the summer: "Vuvuzela" -- The plastic horn that South Africans used to make that annoying noise throughout the World Cup games. The device is also known as a "lepatata." I am not sure which word I like better. Both are fun to say and sound musical.
2. New slang of the summer: "Boot" -- In modern college student language, a verb that means "to vomit." According to The Field Guide To College Slang by Natalie Sudikoff, other slang words that may be on campus this year include: "Gut Class" -- An "easy class that everyone does well in. "Blitz" -- Sending a short e-mail, as in "I'll blitz you." "Dormcest" -- Hooking up with someone who lives in your dorm. (Probably meant more for coed dorms, but these are modern times, too.) "Turkey Dump" -- When a freshman returns home for Thanksgiving Dinner to dump his or her "hometown honey." "Midnight Howl" -- A bellowing scream heard at midnight, the night before finals.
3. Interesting book of the summer: "The Man Who Stopped Time" by Brian Clegg. It is a book about English pioneer photographer Eadweard Muybridge, who has also been called the father of the motion picture. He is best known for his series of photographs of a horse in a gallop which proved, as moment to moment of the gallop was studied, that a galloping horse can indeed have its four hooves (legs) off the ground simultaneously. He had to use 24 cameras to catch every second of movement. What I didn't know about Muybridge was that he was a murderer. In 1874 in England, he killed his wife's lover. He was facing the gallows and he went to trial with the defense of "marital rights." Did the jury convict or acquit him? I shouldn't give it away in case you want to read the story, but I will mention it in an upcoming blog, the third in the series, about summer reading. If you don't want to know, then skip over the repeated reference to "The Man Who Stopped Time" there.
4. Interesting TV show of the summer: "The Human Family Tree" on the National Geographic channel. It was about the history of DNA of all the world's people since the time of early ancestors like "Eve" in Africa. There was a lot interesting information. For instance, there are 5,000 languages in the world today and speech was critically important in allowing the human species to progress. Also, researchers estimate that at one time, because of one terribly dry period in Africa, the human species probably only numbered around 2,000 and was on the verge of extinction. The program also noted that there are 3 billion letters of the human genome and only a few change the race. In other words, race differences are not more than skin deep. Genetically speaking, race doesn't exist.
5. Interesting documentary of the summer: "Yellowstone: Struggle for Survival," a three-part TV series by the BBC, which you can watch in its entirety by way of a DVD from Netflix. The film photography of the wildlife and landscape was stunning. Lots of interesting information about Yellowstone National Park. The park contains more geysers than in all the rest of the world. Real mama grizzlies, antelope, bison, beavers, elk, and wolves were featured. I had no idea that wolves have a rather problematic situation involving sex, but there is a scene of the potential hazards of the problem in the film. This is a family-oriented blog, so I will leave it vague, but the film also is great for family viewing. Heck, mammals are just better at illustrating the subject of sex than birds and bees anyway, so if you have children and if it leads to a discussion, you may discover that they know plenty already about the subject or, at least, they probably know more about it than you think they do. If you have teenagers, God bless and help you! In the modern world, college students are the experts on the subject.
6. Interesting TV quote of the summer: A TV news story in June 2010 featured author and former lawyer John Grisham. He said there are thousands of innocent people in prisons. About half of the time, the real killer is never found, he said. But here is the quote, pertaining to why it is important for the justice system to get it right, that I thought was very interesting from Grisham: "When you send an innocent man to prison, chances are you've just increased the crime rate."
7. Best News Anchor of the summer: Jake Tapper of ABC's "This Week" on Sunday mornings. He challenged guests with insightful questions. The permanent anchor for the show, starting next week, will be Christiane Amanpour from CNN.
8. Interesting asterisk of the summer: Ben Nelson the asterisk. Whenever I am speaking about and criticizing the Republican Party of "No," please note that more specifically I probably should be saying, "The Republicans and Ben Nelson." Nelson is the conservative senator from Nebraska who often votes with the Republicans. He's about as much a Democrat as rattlesnakes make good necklaces.

Information Station...

Here is some information from TV and Internet reports, as well as some comments...

• In a previous blog, I had mentioned that Americans need more news and information on subjects that really matter, rather than about celebrities and scandals. Add one more name to my list of those mentions that we don't need to hear about: Chelsea Clinton (and her $2 million wedding).
• Excluding the cost of college, the cost of raising a child for an average middle-class family is $11,000 to $13,000 per year. (CNN)
• The Pentagon can't account for 95 percent of the $9 billion for Iraq reconstruction money. (CBS).
• The War in Afghanistan costs America $5.5 billion per month. (CNN)
• The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved $37 billion for continued Afghanistan War funding. (PBS) (Wow, you add a billion here and a billion there for the war machine, and then does any politician wonder why there's a large budget deficit?)
• British Petroleum (BP), the oil spiller in the Gulf of Mexico, could qualify for a $9 billion tax cut. (CBS)
• Pakistan receives $1 billion per year in foreign aid from the United States. (MSNBC)
• Facebook has more than 500 million users. Facebook also has been recently criticized for its blocking of certain words, such as "Palestinian." (I have also noticed that if you place something light and trivia on the site, it is added pretty immediately to the news feed for others to read. If you place something political or the least bit controversial, the gatekeeping blockers kick into gear. A positive comment I made about the Americans With Disabilities Act, which is celebrating its 20th year, took more than 24 hours before Facebook posted it. It is to say that Facebook definitely is a SOCIAL networking site, with preference of talk about picnics over talk about politics.)
• The more you sit, the shorter your life span, according to a study, which also noted that the effect is worse, percentage-wise, for women than men. (MSN on the Internet)
• The Bush tax cuts for the wealthy are soon to expire. (What are the odds that the Democrats will cave and join the Republicans on keeping the tax cuts for the rich in place?)
• Last winter was the worst in the United States since 1979. This year so far is considered the hottest ever recorded for America. (CNN)

Quote: "My husband worked all his life to feed his family. He died hungry." -- Written on a paper plate at a soup kitchen in Ohio, July 2010. (CNN)

Sherrod provides a chance for wise counsel...

A few comments about media comments and political events...

The recent editing of the Shirley Sherrod video, out of context, by the reckless conservative blogger, the firing of her at USDA, the apology and job offer to her from USDA, and the call to her from President Obama was a distracting moment of political drama. It would have been even more disappointing and disturbing, however, if Sherrod hadn't fought back, also using the media, to make her case and shed some light.

Some media people have said, in essence, that the Obama Administration probably wishes to get beyond that story and put Shirley Sherrod in the past for political expediency.

Wow, that's the wrong attitude to have. I hope President Obama is wise enough to realize the opportunities that sometimes fall awkwardly into his grasp. The greater presidents have to be the ones who care more about issues and life in America than political expediency and media news cycles.

President Obama needs to seek counsel about real-world matters from people like Sherrod. He shouldn't run from her. Instead, he should see that she has greater gifts to give to him than just going away. She has an amazing personal narrative. She is older and from the South. She is also articulate, concerned, and looks to me like a pretty nice person. Obama should embrace the real-world people he meets along the journey of his presidency and seek their advice and counsel often, networking with them, as it will do him and the nation far better service than the political hacks around him who, of late, have managed him badly.

Also, I hadn't heard much about the biased history of the USDA until the Sherrod story happened. That means that the media, particularly always the TV media, need to do a better job in covering issues rather than following scandal-driven or entertainment-driven headlines. We need to see more about how the USDA improves its conduct and those kinds of issue stories, and far, far, far less coverage of actress Lindsay Lohan, Kate plus eight, and Mel Gibson. Intregity in media is often about quality.

Two other comments:

In the story about Alvin Greene, the candidate in South Carolina, I have heard from news reports that Greene had to pay $10,000 in order to file to run for the U.S. Senate. Well, why is that so? That sounds like a poll tax to me, to keep poor people from getting on a ballot. So what if there are more names on a ballot. That's democracy. I think someone should challenge that kind of fee in court. (And frankly, I'd like to see incumbent Senator Jim DeMint in South Carolina lose to anyone.)

It was interesting to see, from a segment on the Rachel Maddow Show, that in 1947, one year before President Harry Truman integrated the military, a survey of officers and enlisted men showed only 7 percent supported the idea of integration. Nonetheless, Truman stepped up courageously to the issue and did the right thing, in ordering integration of the military despite its unpopularity. Obama should find a lesson from Truman's actions as well concerning the modern issue of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" that punishes gay soldiers for speech any time, rather than solely for inappropriate behavior during military duty. It never should be difficult to do the right thing. But even if it is, America deserves the greater good, and presidential legacies are made by vision, courage, and leadership.

News at 10...

This just in...

An American got a job today and it was so rare that scientists were called in to give the phenomenon a name. After considering "New Worker" and "Employed Person," they decided upon the phrase "Person Who Uses Their Hands To Actual Make a Product Sold in America."

An American, with long-time employment service, got a job offer today in the USDA, but only after getting fired by people who panicked and over-reacted to an edited film clip by a biased weasel of a conservative blogger who was deceptive for the sake of a darned political agenda. (Hey, wait a minute, this actually happened to Shirley Sherrod this week. It just seems too ridiculous to be true.)

The Republicans in Congress finally approved extending unemployment benefits to jobless Americans after saying they had balked because, besides the fact that they had jobs and didn't have to worry about unemployment personally--at least, until election time--they think the budget should be balanced...finally and suddenly. (Note of truth to suddenly concerned Republicans as well as Democrats: The War in Afghanistan costs $5.5 billion per month.)

Sarah Palin recently used the words "mama grizzlies" to describe tough women in politics. She considered other animals references, but "black widow spiders" kill their mates, "female elephant seals" live in harems and get trampled by larger blubbery males, and "large bovines" are sent to slaughter for their meat.

Sarah Palin "refutiated" the dictionary today.

Actor Mel Gibson ranted and raved, belittled and used profanity and racial slurs again. This time to the pizza delivery guy after the pizza parlor failed to put pepperoni on his pizza.

Rahm Emmanuel, Obama's White House Chief of Staff, accepted the "The Disastrous Wizard of Oz Power Behind the Curtain" award. The previous recipient during the Bush Administration was Vice President Dick Cheney.

The film "The Crazies" came out in DVD form this past month. But the title is misleading and it is not a documentary about the national Tea Party rallies.

Electrolytes are burning out all across the humid Midwest and South.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" marks anniversary...

As this year is the 50th anniversary of the publication of "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, I wanted to present a book review that I wrote for the Sept. 26, 1997 issue of the Mirror, the student newspaper at the University of Northern Colorado, when I served as general manager there. I had written it for "Banned Book Week" and the student editor had generously allowed for its publication. For my review at the time, I noted that it was available at UNC's Michener Library, the college bookstore, and many locations. It is available now at bookstores and libraries everywhere.

The 1962 film version, starring the great Gregory Peck, is also excellent. (It was a good year for movies with serious themes. Other films that same year included "The Miracle Worker" about Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, "Days of Wine and Roses" about alcoholism, "Lawrence of Arabia," "Long Day's Journey Into Night," "Bird Man of Alcatraz," "Lolita" and "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?")

I could also mention a lighter moment in education one time when I asked students to tell me what book Harper Lee had written. One student responded, "To Kill A Salesman." Probably its sequel was "Death of a Mockingbird," as I realized that the student had mixed up the titles of Lee's "Mockingbird" and Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman." Needless to say, education is an ongoing process. !!!! Anyway, here is my book review...

When Atticus Finch gives his children an air rifle, he tells them that they should never kill a mockingbird. Providing beautiful music to the world, mockingbirds do no harm to anyone, he says.

Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" is a story about two children and the powerful lessons they learn from their father and from the racial inequities within a small Alabama town in the 1930s. Told from the narrative viewpoint of a 6-year-old girl, the story follows a lawyer's attempt to seek justice for a black man who is falsely accused of raping a white woman. The lawyer is the narrator's widowed father. He represents justice in a town where the Southern culture has preserved its corrupting traditions of racial and class prejudice.

The book emphasizes that children are born with an instinct for justice, but learn prejudice through socialization. Respect for the individual is also addressed in the relationship between the children and the father. Throughout the story, the father's messages to his children are a constant and deliberate attempt to lift them above the community's racism. "You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them," he says to his children. He tells them to judge people by their character and not the color of their skin, which is one of the strongest messages of the Civil Rights Movement.

Another lesson in this book is about real courage. Among many instances, the novel includes a scene of the lawyer, Atticus, facing an angry, gun-carrying mob as he sits unarmed in front of the jail where his client is being held.

Author Harper Lee, a descendant of General Robert E. Lee, undoubtedly rankled white Southern readers at a time that coincided with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In more recent times, the books has drawn anger from black readers who are particularly offended by the use of racial epithets by many of the characters. Since 1980, the book has been challenged in a New York school district as a "filthy, trash novel," in Indiana schools because it "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature," and also in Arizona, California, Illinois, Mississippi, and Missouri schools because of racial slurs and profanity. The book was removed from a Louisiana school library shelf because of its "objectionable content," and was banned from a Texas school's English reading list because of "conflicts with the values of the community."

Racial epithets and a few off-color words are in the novel. However, people or groups who are offended by that kind of literary license should not read the book. If they don't want their children to read the book, that is also their choice in the role of parental guidance. Yet, book-banning is another matter. It is an infringement upon the rights of every reader within the school or community. Practically speaking, book-banning doesn't work. Many of the books at the UNC Bookstore's "Banned Books Week" display are best-sellers that have reached classic status.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" is one of the leading fiction books of all time. More than 15 million copies of the book have been sold. Those who punish "Mockingbird" for its harsh wording are missing the greater lessons of how prejudice undermines justice.

After years of being edited, "To Kill A Mockingbird" progressed from a short story to a novel. Lee's fictional and somewhat biographical novel has won widespread acclaim as well as a Pulitzer Prize. Lee, like the characters of "Mockingbird," was born and grew up in an Alabama community and her father was a lawyer there. According to the Bloomsbury Guide to Women's Literature, Harper Lee, born in 1926, was six months away from earning a law degree at the University of Alabama when she went to New York in 1949 to pursue a literary career.

Lee's "Mockingbird," as any mockingbird, provides beauty and song within the world that sometimes isn't so beautiful. It would be terrible to kill a mockingbird. It also would be terrible to ban a book that provides many excellent cultural insights.

Obama had the progressives and independents when he was liberal in his campaign...

O.K., genius mainstream media, explain this to me.

You say that President Obama is caught in a choice, as his approval rating drops. He needs to keep his progressive base, which has been unhappy lately, and he needs to keep his independent voters, who supported him in the election but are losing faith in him now. You say that Obama has to choose to go left to the progressives or go center and right to the independents.

Well, isn't that interesting, because when Obama was at his liberal most, in his campaign and for his election, he attained both progressives and independents as voters. He attained victory then.

Now that Obama has become a president leaning to the center, he is losing his progressives and the independents. Doesn't that suggest that going to the center has been a mistake regarding both groups? If he had their support before, in more liberal days (when he was anti-war, pro-public option for health care, and tough on Wall Street), but not now, in more milquetoast days (when he adds troops to the Afghanistan War, sacrifices the public option, and accepts weak financial reform), which days should he try to reconstruct and revive in order to keep his support and win re-election?

Of course, I believe Obama's sliding downfall, in the polls and in the hearts and minds, is because, when he became president, he surrounded himself with dreary, corporate, centrist Clinton administration people. He must not have had a network of Obama thinkers, though that seems unlikely to me. Instead, he selected Clinton people who are centrist do-nothings, like Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers. He added Hillary Clinton and turns to Bill Clinton, the great sell-out (NAFTA, GATT, Don't-Ask Don't Tell policy, and deregulation of corporations), for advice. He even selected a Clinton adviser, Elena Kagan, as U.S. Supreme Court nominee and her view remains a mystery. Then there's the Clinton guy Rahm Emmanuel who has become the Dick Cheney from the Bush administration for this administration, as the power and mouth behind the throne. It has all amounted to an Obama that couldn't find his own voice and didn't have his own people--despite David Axelrod--to keep him on the progressive track. He defined himself into Bill Clinton when we really needed, expected, and hoped for a Franklin D. Roosevelt. He has listened to his Clinton advisers and they have chipped away at his brand, taking him down, not as quickly as the Titanic but like in a slow, moderate drip. If the Democrats stay the course of another Clinton administration, they will be politically doomed.

In the meantime, no one should say that Obama and his liberal policies didn't work, because he never used liberal policies. He's had centrist, moderate, weakened, watered-down, compromised policies. And if he doesn't get off that road, there's no way he will retrieve the progressives and the independents that he successfully attained during his campaign. He doesn't see it, his Clinton advisers certainly aren't going to tell him, and the genius mainstream media apparently isn't going to offer much more than wrongheaded chatter.

More tepid legislation to the rescue?...

The problem with the Obama administration is its propensity for settlement for tepid, half-assed legislation.

The health care reform measure was like that, failing to offer anything very real in reform such as a public option. I have heard no one anywhere remark about how wonderful the health care coverage in America is, because the real quality of that reform was hacked away and the insurance companies still rule the day.

The same now is true of the financial reform measure. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin refused to support it because he knows that it will do nothing to avert another economic meltdown. He also knows, as do all honest experts, that the legislation does more for the banks and Wall Street than it does for consumers or the nation. In other words, it's a placebo at best and a fraud at worst, with a nice name on it. The Obama administration again sweats bullets to get something passed with the new majority number of 60 votes, now with the help of the two Republican women from Maine and the Republican centerfold guy with the truck from Massachusetts.

Then the Obama administration expects the disappointed progressive wing of his party to praise his efforts and say, "Wow, that's really great that you were able to pass 'tepid half-assed legislation.' Wow, it is far better than nothing at all." Settlement, settlement, settlement. Crumby, tepid, half-assed. Placebo, fraud, crap.

My recommendation to Obama: Don't do it if you can't make it great (and real).

Baffled by mysteries of popular opinion...

Sometimes I am baffled by the mysteries of media, politics, pop culture and life. Here are some examples...

1. Actress Lindsay Lohan recently made the TV news and I had one question: Why? I know it had to do with court, and that's always public record, but otherwise why would we care about an actress whose work I can't even cite in terms of one memorable movie or TV show. If it were Meryl Streep or Sissy Spacek or Hilary Swank, yes, those are actresses of measure, with awards to show for it. They'd be worthy of TV air time, for the good or the bad. But Lohan? Give us a break.
2. The Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu recently met with President Obama. I heard news anchor Chuck Todd on MSNBC say, "They both need each other." Netanyahu seems like a real yahoo and not in a positive sense, if you ask me. Maybe those guys need each other in some political sense, but as for the greater picture, I can certainly see that Israel needs the U.S.; I just don't see how the U.S. needs Israel. Israel needs the U.S. for the billions of foreign aid we give them and because American religious fundamentalists would have a fit if America didn't stand by Israel even when it doesn't deserve it. On the other hand, if Israel had good sense, it would have forged peace with all of its Arab neighbors decades ago. That's the best way to a secure future. Instead, Israel has been a thorn in the side of peace negotiations and has ruled under the arrogant terms of "might makes right" and the non-Golden rule of "We treat you like we wouldn't like to be treated." America has taken a beating because of that friendship and there are two wars going on that are rooted in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Of course, the Arab countries of the Middle East add to the dysfunctional politics because they are almost all commanded by dictators (and there's no future to that) and a conservative religion that wants to dominate political law. The best thing that ever happened in America was the concept of separation of church and state, which allows people to have whatever religion they want but denies the religious pulpit from narrowly ruling the government or society. Can you imagine if Baptists or Mormons determined the course of American political law? Oh, the horrors!
3. Queen Elizabeth visited New York recently. Ironically, near the Fourth of July, the date in 1776 when America fortunately gave the rule of royalty the boot. At least the modern royalty there doesn't have any real political power. Here's the difference between the Brits and me. They like their royals. I think they are wasting their money.
4. I saw a recent news report that teens in Texas were biting each other as a sign of affection (?!!! -- I guess because there are vampires in the "Twilight" movies). So-called "tween" girls (those beTWEEN teenager and diapers, I guess) enjoy the "Twilight" book and movie series. I always think it is good if people are reading books. As for the movies, I have watched two in the "Twilight" series (the first one because I was curious and the second one because I wanted to give it another chance) and I guess I would review those movies as "dull, slow, and boring." But I have never been part of the crowd when it came to movie series sequels that others liked. For some of the most boring movies I have ever watched, I would list these series titles: "Harry Potter," "Twilight," and, probably worst of all, "The Pirates of the Carribean," as well as the series of "Star Wars" movies, with the exception of the first one which was worthy because it set a higher standard for special effects. Thank goodness some series movies have hopefully come to an end, such as the cruel Hannibal Lecter junk (the first one was worthy for acting and scare), the exhausting "Indiana Jones" action, and the repetitive Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street slasher nonsense.
5. I really like Morgan Freeman as an actor. He is in a lot of great movies. But here's something I have never figured out. CBS News is using Morgan Freeman's voice as the introduction to Katie Couric on the evening news. Freeman's voice replaced the voice of Walter Cronkite. Though he is deceased, Cronkite is still the absolute best in news anchoring and reporting. Freeman is a great actor, but he's no Cronkite, especially concerning journalism. So, why would CBS choose to replace the voice of Cronkite? Wouldn't you think they'd want to keep that association?

And that's the baffling news and bewildered commentary for this news cycle!

Information Station...

Here is some assorted news and information from various sources:

• As of July, 14 million Americans were unemployed and looking for work. Another 8.6 million Americans were forced to settle for part-time work. And another 1.2 million Americans have given up looking for a job. (CBS News)
• Recently, the U.S. senators, who make $174,000 per year and are given a lifetime of health care benefits, decided to go home for the Fourth of July vacation after Republicans, with the help of Ben Nelson, filibustered and killed a bill that would extend unemployment benefits for 1.3 million Americans whose benefits had run out. With each week that passes, 375,000 unemployed people will lose their benefits. (My personal comment: The lack of action of the Senate and particularly because of the Republicans was shameful and disgusting.) (CBS)
• British Petroleum was so well-connected in Washington D.C. that even after being cited for 760 different safety and environmental violations, it still got environmental waivers for the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that's still leaking oil and destroying the Gulf of Mexico. (MoveOn.Com)
• Lady Gaga broke the record on July 2 for 10 million "friends" on Facebook. (CBS)
• 200,000 kids get hurt every year playing soccer. Boys mostly hurt their ankles, while girls mostly hurt their knees. (TV news)
• A recent Marist College poll showed that 40 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds didn't know what country the United States of America won its independence from and one-fourth of Americans of all ages in the poll didn't know. Only seven percent could name the first four presidents in order (TV news and the Internet)
• Ninety percent of all creatures on Earth are insects. (Animal Planet)
• There are 120,000 different kinds of flies. (Animal Planet)
• "Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed." --lecturer Michael Pritchard