$2.5 Billion Spent on Useless Medicine

2.5 billion dollars spent by the National Institutes of Health testing loonie alternative medicine. Check this out: "There's very little basic science behind these things. Most of it begins with a tradition, or personal testimony and people's beliefs, even as a fad. And then pressure comes: 'It's being popular, it's being used, it should be studied.' It turns things upside down," said Dr. Edward Campion, a senior editor who reviews alternative medicine research submitted to the New England Journal of Medicine.

That reasoning was used to justify the $2 million weight-loss study, approved in 2007. It will test Tapas acupressure, devised by Tapas Fleming, a California acupuncturist. Use of her trademarked method requires employing people she certifies, and the study needs eight.

It involves pressing on specific points on the face and head — the inner corners of the eyes are two — while focusing on a problem. Dr. Charles Elder, a Kaiser Permanente physician who runs an herbal and ayurvedic medicine clinic in Portland, Ore., is testing whether it can prevent dieters from regaining lost weight.

Say a person comes home and is tempted by Twinkies on the table. The solution: Start acupressure "and say something like 'I have an uncontrollable Twinkie urge,"' Elder said. Then focus on an opposite thought, like "I'm in control of my eating."

While we're on the topic of alternative medicine look at this article about my favorite technique Reiki!!! At one of the nation's top trauma hospitals, a nurse circles a patient's bed, humming and waving her arms as if shooing evil spirits. Another woman rubs a quartz bowl with a wand, making tunes that mix with the beeping monitors and hissing respirator keeping the man alive.

They are doing Reiki therapy, which claims to heal through invisible energy fields.

Liberals are Responsible Up Swing in "Nutjobs"

Glenn Beck explains why liberals are responsible for current violence and the coming increase in violence. Beck is correct, the pot in America does seem to be boiling. But you need to ask yourself, why is it boiling, who is providing the heat?

Right-Wing Extremists

There are left-wing extremists (loonies). Just look at those who incite violence against scientists that use animal models in their research. And, how about the environmental loonies that may incite violence to save a forest or some tiny fish. Yes, they are out there and they are crazy. But there is a difference between left-wing loonies and right-wing loonies.

Left-wing loonies do not have members of the liberal media establishment encouraging them to threaten scientists that use animal models in their research. On the other hand, right-wing loonies have Glenn Beck, Shawn Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, in fact an entire "news" network that seems to do nothing but encourage violence. Right-wing loonies even have elected government officials like Michelle Bachmann (I want people in Minnesota armed and dangerous on this issue of the energy tax because we need to fight back). How about Gov. Sarah Palin, governor of the biggest socialist state in the USA accusing President Obama of being a socialist?

In fact, ever since a black man was elected President, the far right-wing loonies are coming out of the woodwork. I fear for the President. People are being told that President Obama is going to take their guns away (and 3 policemen get killed). O'Reilly tells his viewers that a physician is a murderer, a baby killer and someone decides to take the law into his own hands and put an end to the "baby killing".

I certainly do not equate these far right-wing loonies with members of the Republican party. But why do Republicans continue to tell people that Obama is raising their taxes, Obama is taking their guns away, Obama is preparing secret detention camps, Obama is a secret muslim, Obama was not born in the USA, Obama is a Socialist, Obama wants to take away your right to see your own doctor, Obama wants a one-world currency, Obama wants to release Gitmo terrorist to the US mainland etc. It makes it difficult for people to understand who are the mainstream conservatives and who are the far right-wing loonies.

Maybe the attack at the holocaust museum will be a single instance of violent far right-wing extemism. Let's see what the months ahead bring to us. We can still hope that the Department of Homeland Security memo was mistaken.

Iran - Who is in Charge

Elections are being held in Iran today. I've read time and time again that the President of Iran doesn't really have any true power. But, I've never looked into exactly how the government of Iran is organized.

Here is the place to go to understand how things work in Iran. The guy in charge is the "Supreme Leader" not the President. And, the President can't really do squat without the approval of the "Guardian Council".

Click on the link for more details.

Dysfunctional NYS Government

The two Democratic state senators that led the coup in the NYS senate are prime examples of politicians who need to be "reformed". A spell in prison wouldn't hurt either of them.

Sen. Pedro Espada has gotten away with multiple "irregularities" over the years. He may not even live in his district.

Sen. Hiram Monserrate has been charged with assulting his girlfriend and could go to prison if found guilty.

Personally, I wish we could recall the entire NYS Legislature and Senate and start with a completely fresh election and new government. On the other hand, we keep re-electing these people, so who is really at fault?

Conservative Misinformation University Commencement

This is absolutely priceless!