The Evening Blues - 7-18-17
Hey! Good Evening!
This evening's music features New Orleans singer and piano player Champion Jack Dupree. Enjoy!
Champion Jack Dupree - Shakin' Mother For You
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”
-- Edward L. Bernays
News and Opinion
Another excellent piece by Robert Parry:
Netanyahu Pushes Trump Toward Wider Wars
A weakened, even desperate President Donald Trump must decide whether to stand up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or to repudiate the Syrian partial ceasefire, which Trump hammered out with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 7. Whether intentionally or not, this crossroads is where the months of Russia-gate hysteria have led the United States, making Trump even more vulnerable to Israeli and neoconservative pressure and making any cooperation with Russia more dangerous for him politically.
After meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday, Netanyahu declared that Israel was totally opposed to the Trump-Putin cease-fire deal in southern Syria because it perpetuates Iranian presence in Syria in support of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. Netanyahu’s position increases pressure on Trump to escalate U.S. military involvement in Syria and possibly move toward war against Iran and even Russia. The American neocons, who generally move in sync with Netanyahu’s wishes, already have as their list of current goals “regime changes” in Damascus, Tehran and Moscow – regardless of the dangers to the Middle East and indeed the world. ...
Collaboration with Russia – and indirectly with Iran and the Syrian military – makes sense for most U.S. interests, i.e., stabilizing Syria, reversing the refugee flow that has destabilized Europe, and denying Al Qaeda and Islamic State a base for launching terror strikes against Western targets. But the same collaboration would be a bitter defeat for Netanyahu and Salman who have invested heavily in this and other “regime change” projects that require major U.S. investments in terms of diplomacy, money and military manpower.
So, in last weekend’s trip to Paris, Netanyahu chose to raise the stakes on Trump at a time when Democrats and the U.S. mainstream media are pounding him daily with the Russia-gate scandal, even raising the possibility that his son, Donald Trump Jr., might be prosecuted and imprisoned for having a meeting in June 2016 with a Russian lawyer. If Trump wants the Russia-gate pain to lessen, he will be tempted to give Netanyahu what he wants and count on the savvy Israeli leader to intervene with the influential neocons of Official Washington to pull back on the scandal-mongering.
The problem, however, would be that Netanyahu really wants the U.S. military to complete the “regime change” project in Syria – much as it did in Iraq and Libya – meaning more American dead, more American treasure expended and a likely wider war, extending to Iran and possibly nuclear-armed Russia. That might fulfill the neocon current menu of “regime change” schemes but it runs the risk of unleashing a nuclear conflagration on the world. In that way, liberals and even some progressives – who have embraced Russia-gate as a way to remove the hated Donald Trump from office – may end up contributing to the end of human civilization as well.
New York Times Joins Trump and Saudi Arabia in Targeting Iran
Worth a full read, here's a teaser:
AIPAC Still Our Biggest Foreign Agent
During the course of the 1960s
Senate and Justice Department investigations, it was revealed that Israel was funneling millions of dollars to unregistered foreign agents in America to lobby for foreign aid to Israel, set up think tanks, engage in Madison Avenue public relations, fund lobbying newsletters, and establish an umbrella organization
called the American Zionist Council (AZC).Within the AZC was an unincorporated unit that lobbied congress called the "American Israel Public Affairs Committee."
On November 21, 1962, the Department of Justice ordered the AZC to begin registering as an Israeli foreign agent. This touched off an intense battle between the Justice Department and the AZC which outlasted both JFK and RFK. The bloodied and bruised Justice
Department hid away its files on the affair until they were finally declassified
and released in 2008.The effort to register Israel’s foreign agents clearly failed. Just 42 days after the Justice Department order, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee incorporated itself in Washington and took over the AZC’s functions. Since the year it was ordered to register—as part of the AZC—AIPAC has extracted an inflation-adjusted $250 billion from US taxpayers for its foreign principals. Influencing the conduct of US policy "by techniques outside normal diplomatic channels" has never stopped.
Turkish-backed forces clash with Kurdish fighters in northwest Syria
Turkish-backed rebels clashed with Kurdish fighters from a U.S.-backed alliance in northwestern Syria on Monday in escalating violence between the two sides, officials and a monitoring group said.
The clashes took place around the village of Ain Daqna and the nearby Menagh air base north of Aleppo, while Turkish forces stepped up shelling positions in other areas, the officials and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"There are big clashes happening on the Ain Daqna axis, between us and the Turks and their mercenaries," Rojhat Roj, a spokesman for the Kurdish YPG militia said. ...
Syrian rebels said this month they were preparing to join the Turkish military in a major new offensive against Kurdish forces in northwestern Syria.
Exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen: 'I'm not worried about extradition to Turkey'
US sanctions 18 Iranian entities day after certifying nuclear deal compliance
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday new sanctions on 18 Iranian individuals, groups and networks over non-nuclear behavior, such as support for ballistic missiles development.
The move came a day after the administration certified to Congress that Iran is technically complying with the nuclear deal and can continue enjoying nuclear sanctions relief.
The treasury department is targeting seven groups and five people that aided Iran’s military or its elite Revolutionary Guard. The sanctions also target what the US says is a transnational criminal group based in Iran and three people associated with it, and the state department is also targeting two more groups associated with Iran’s ballistic missiles program.
The sanctions freeze any assets the targets may have in the US and prevent Americans from doing business with them.
Qatar accuses UAE of violating international law by hacking state news agency
Reports surfaced in the Washington Post on Sunday claiming that government officials in Abu Dhabi orchestrated the planting of a fabricated story in Qatari media on 24 May that contributed to the current political spat in the region.
Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was falsely quoted as praising Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as speaking positively about Iran and Israel – remarks that drew the ire of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and were later used as justification for severing diplomatic ties with the tiny Gulf kingdom.
“The information published in The Washington Post ... revealed the involvement of the United Arab Emirates and senior Emirati officials in the hacking of Qatar News Agency,” the Doha government’s communication office said in a statement on Monday. The report “unequivocally proves that this hacking crime took place”, it added.
UN: Civilian deaths in Afghanistan hit new record high
Worsening suicide attacks contributed to another grim, record-setting period for civilian casualties in Afghanistan, the United Nations said Monday.
Between Jan. 1 and June 30, 1,662 civilians were killed, an increase of 2 percent over the then-record-high number of civilians killed during same period last year. ... In addition to the civilian deaths, 3,581 people were injured, according to UNAMA. That represents a 1 percent drop from last year. ...
More than two-thirds of the civilian casualties were caused by anti-government forces. Of that, the Taliban accounted for 43 percent, while the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s (ISIS) Afghan branch accounted for 5 percent. In total, anti-government forces killed 1,141 civilians and injured 2,348, a 12 percent increase from last year.
Afghan security forces, meanwhile, were commended in the report for reducing the number of civilian casualties they caused. Afghan forces killed 434 civilians and injured 1,375, a 10 percent decrease from last year. Other pro-government forces, such as the United States, accounted for 327 civilian deaths and 618 injuries, a 21 percent decrease from last year.
Amnesty Accuses U.S. Coalition of War Crimes in Mosul: Scale of Death Much Higher Than Acknowledged
It's not like they were going to use it except to make excuses to attack other countries...
Tillerson to Shutter State Department War Crimes Office
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is downgrading the U.S. campaign against mass atrocities, shuttering the Foggy Bottom office that worked for two decades to hold war criminals accountable, according to several former U.S. officials.
[Pffftt... yeah, but they ignored the war criminals right under their noses, Clinton, Bush, Cheney, Tenet, Powell, Rice, Obama, Clinton, etc. - js]
Tillerson’s office recently informed Todd Buchwald, the special coordinator of the Office of Global Criminal Justice, that he is being reassigned to a position in the State Department’s office of legal affairs, according to a former U.S. official familiar with the move. Buchwald, a career State Department lawyer, has served in the position since December 2015.
The remaining staff in the office, Buchwald was told, may be reassigned to the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, the former official told Foreign Policy.
The decision to close the office comes at a time when America’s top diplomat has been seeking to reorganize the State Department to concentrate on what he sees as key priorities: pursuing economic opportunities for American businesses and strengthening U.S. military prowess. Those changes are coming at the expense of programs that promote human rights and fight world poverty, which have been targeted for steep budget cuts.
Mother Jones writer Kevin Drum under fire for calling it 'crazy' not to be disgusted by homeless people
A high-profile Mother Jones writer has suggested that it would be “crazy not to have a reflexive disgust” of homeless people, stirring the anger of those who say he is perpetuating “the worst kinds of stereotypes”.
Writing on Friday, Kevin Drum was responding to a study which found that some people with a propensity for feeling disgust might experience it when faced with someone living on the street. Glenn Greenwald reacted by posting photographs of homeless people who have performed altruistic acts alongside a screen shot from Drum’s story. The two authors of the study, meanwhile, say Drum glossed over subtleties in their work.
“He seemed to just be endorsing the worst stereotypes without any nuance or without any humanization of these people,” said Scott Clifford, one of the authors and an assistant professor of political science at the University of Houston.
Drum said his critics were guilty of “deliberately misreading what I wrote”. ... In an email, Drum said that he did not think his blogpost was unfaithful to the study. He also pushed back at those condemning him. “Please note that I didn’t say I was disgusted by the homeless, nor that they are ‘inherently’ disgusting,” he said. “Only that, given the nature of the demographic, it’s not surprising that most people find them disgusting.”
The Ultimate Hypocrisy? Trump Plan to Renegotiate NAFTA Resembles TPP Deal He Withdrew From
Repeal now, replace later? GOP's last-ditch healthcare effort faces slim odds
The collapse of the Senate Republican healthcare bill on Monday night left Mitch McConnell pursuing a last-ditch change of tactics: to repeal Barack Obama’s healthcare law now, then replace it later. There is no guarantee he will succeed.
The Republican party has mounted a seven-year crusade against the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. But neither the Senate nor the House is likely to have the votes to simply dismantle it, absent a replacement.
Late on Monday two conservatives, Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas, announced their opposition to the Senate bill. With Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine – a moderate – already opposed, that left leadership short of the 50 votes they needed.
Moving swiftly, McConnell declared that a vote would occur in the coming days on ACA repeal, with a built-in two-year delay to afford Republicans time to build their own legislation. In doing so, he appeared to be heeding calls from Donald Trump, who tweeted: “Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!”
It’s Not the Avocado Toast: Federal Reserve Finds Student Debt Reducing Millennial Home Ownership
In May, a Melbourne-based real estate mogul’s claim that millennials would be able to afford homes if only they cut back on discretionary expenses such as avocado toast went viral — with many heaping mockery on the suggestion. Now the Federal Reserve has its own hot take to throw on the pile. Except this one is based on empirical research. In a paper published last week by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, five researchers offered an explanation for declining home ownership rates among millennials that does not require avocado toast.
Looking at nine student cohorts, they concluded that the increase in public tuition and resulting student debt can account for anywhere between 11 and 35 percent of the decline in home ownership for 28- to 30-year-olds in the years between 2007 and 2015. That decrease has been sizable. They note that relative “to the 2001 age 22 cohort, the mean age 28 to 30 homeownership rates for the 2009 age 22 cohort is approximately 7.74 percentage points lower.”
The paper also finds that there isn’t a significant relationship between increasing tuition and the number of students seeking higher education — perhaps a sign of the increasing necessity of higher education in attaining living wage work. “Students’ price elasticity of demand for higher education is quite low,” they conclude. “As college costs increase, American students do not forego education, but instead amass more debt.”
Poll: Clinton more unpopular than Trump
President Trump is viewed more favorably than his 2016 Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, according to a new poll.
A Bloomberg News survey finds Clinton is viewed favorably by just 39 percent of Americans, compared to Trump, who is viewed favorably by 41 percent of Americans.
Fifty-eight percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of Clinton, compared to a slightly lower majority — 55 percent — who have an unfavorable view of Trump.
The poll also finds more than one-fifth of those who voted for Clinton in the 2016 presidential race have an unfavorable view of her. In the last Bloomberg poll before the election, just 8 percent of likely Clinton voters reported having an unfavorable view of the former 2016 Democratic nominee.
New Zealand: fight for 'sacred mountain' after discovery of significant gold seam
A bitter stand-off between a local community and miners has emerged after a significant seam of gold was found on protected conservation land in New Zealand’s North Island. Last week New Talisman Gold Mines reported they had found a large vein of gold in the Karangahake Gorge in the North Island; 8,500kg of highest quality gold which put it in the top five percent of deposits worldwide when ranked on grade, according to the company. The find is believed to be worth tens of millions of New Zealand dollars.
Talisman’s general manager of operations Wayne Chowles said the company planned to begin extracting small amounts of gold early next year, but locals in opposition to the scheme have sprung into action, saying the mining project threatens the “peace and harmony” of their “sacred” mountain and community.
The Karangahake Gorge lies on protected department of conservation land in the Coromandel peninsula and is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Located one and a half hour’s drive from Auckland and 55 minutes from Hobbiton, the scenic gorge is famed for its rich history and lush natural beauty.
But now the mining company and walkers are forced to share one narrow access road to the mountain. Chowles said there would be “flow-down” benefits to the local community, and the footprint of the mining company in the reserve was “small” at just 0.4 of a hectare. ... But some locals stridently disagree. Ruby Jane Powell is a member of the protest group Protect Karangahake. The group has been opposing any mining action in the gorge for a number of years, but have “doubled their efforts” this week to protect the land, sending dozens of protestors to block the access road, or slow down prospecting efforts by sending “very slow walkers” to clog up the road and prevent vehicle access. ...
Powell said communication between the community and New Talisman had broken down. “The reality is that gold-mining makes money for a few people, but we are the ones that pay the cost, we will have to live with a degraded environment and an altered sense of peace in the mountain.”
Fighting Dangerous Oil Trains in Baltimore
Polar bears hurt by climate change are more likely to turn to a new food source — humans
A group of scientists has posited another potential impact of global warming on polar bears.
It involves you being lunch.
The paper, published this month, gets straight to the meat of the issue with its title: “Polar Bear Attacks on Humans: Implications of a Changing Climate.” The researchers represent government wildlife agencies and preservation organizations from the United States, Russia, Canada, Norway and other countries. The higher global temperatures go, the researchers said, the more likely polar bears are to interact with humans — and possibly attack and eat them. ...
The researchers’ findings match what others have found or theorized about how polar bears adapt to changing conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey concluded that declining sea ice means polar bears have to walk more — and burn more calories — to stay within their preferred habitat, according to the Associated Press. Less sea ice, for polar bears, means more time on land, concluded the book “Meltdown: Terror at the Top of the World,” about a polar bear attack. Those changes have altered how the bears forage for food, a Yale study concluded, decreasing the level of mercury in their bloodstream.
The bears on land are also more likely to interact with humans, “Meltdown” says: “After all, to a starving bear, a human is just meat.”
Also of Interest
Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.
New Research Shows Guccifer 2.0 Files Were Copied Locally Suggesting DNC Not "Hacked By Russians"
Mary Beard’s SPQR: The Romans and the Succession Crisis of Today
Jeff Sessions is leading America back into Reefer Madness
As US Limits Drone Buyers, China’s Sales Surge
Why Isn’t Russia Worried About Kim Jong Un’s Nukes?
Obama’s AWOL Anti-War Protesters
Canada wildfires: almost 40,000 evacuated in British Columbia amid state of emergency
How I Learned Courts are Off-Limits to the 99 Percent
Recommended:
The Incredible Lost History of How “Civil Rights Plus Full Employment Equals Freedom”
A Little Night Music
Champion Jack Dupree - Jack's Pinetop Boogie
Champion Jack Dupree - Down The Valley
Champion Jack Dupree - Mercy On Me
Champion Jack Dupree Trio - I Think You Need A Shot
Champion Jack Dupree - Dupree Special
Champion Jack Dupree - Drunk Again
Champion Jack Dupree - Seafood Blues
Jack Dupree - Ain't No Meat On De Bone
Jack Dupree - She Cooks Me Cabbage
Champion Jack Dupree - Bad Whiskey And Wild Women
Champion Jack Dupree - Chittlins & Rice
Comments
God Bless Robert Parry. I agree with Caitlin. The SOBs
pushing the Russia, Russia, Russia chant should roast in Hell.
chuck utzman
TULSI 2020
Seriously.
Congress is going to pass a shit ton of shady, bipartisan legislation--like the blow job they gave the defense contractors last week--while the media does nothing but talk about Russia. Rachel Maddow is the poster child for the new alt-left.
evening drew...
yep, it's open season on citizen and human rights, consumer protections and pork down there in washington. the fourth estate is on vacation.
evening chuck...
robert parry has morphed into a one-man common-sense warehouse distribution center in the last few months. it must be painful to be a good journalist and watch much of the profession circulating obvious propaganda and not caring that people see right through them.
And they deserve
their very own special place in Hell too. Just pure evil, and I really don't use that word very damned often.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
What would America be without its musicians?
Thanks for the Champion Dupree. He is one of a kind and made me stop reading more than the headlines and the first paragraphs. Thanks for that.
https://www.euronews.com/live
evening mimi...
champion jack sang from the heart when he wanted to and it was powerful. this is my favorite song of his:
he could still be grateful and believe in freedom,
admirable, and it causes to reflect on one's own pettiness in losing the faith. Thank You.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Greetings
Having been banned from TOP in the middle of the night, without so much as a warning or a reason, I figured I would try this place out. Once I figure out how to navigate, I hope to be a useful member of society, once again.
It's just my opinion. It can't hurt you
evening spamnunn...
welcome, it's good to see you!
if you need help figuring stuff out and the faq doesn't cover it, feel free to post a note in the evening blues or one of the daily open threads and folks will help you out.
Welcome to the funny farm.
hopefully you will enjoy the freedom to speak your mind here.
We like to deal in reality, not one that people have to conform to because of things like rules.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Good evening, Spam. We're pretty freewheeling here,
plus non-partisan, but most folks adapt pretty quickly. Enjoy.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Welcome, SpamNunn!
My very first Essay here on c99p exhorted the community:
As you now know painfully well, it did become necessary. And folks hereabouts stepped up to the plate, as we still do today. So if you have questions about navigating, just ask. We help the newbies around here. I myself will help everywhere I can, so long as I don't dissolve another computer in water !!
Seriously: welcome, and ask if you have questions! We're that kind of place!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
@thanatokephaloides Bless you
Bless you
It's just my opinion. It can't hurt you
thank you!
Thank you!
We'd like to hear more from you, SpamNunn. And I think you'll love it here! (I sure as fuck do!)
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
how curious.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Would it be bad for me to say
that if Israel (bibi) gets Trump to go to war against Iran and it pushes the world into nuclear war, that Israel should be the first country hit with nuclear weapons?
The power that Israel has over our government is never discussed. No person can be a member of congress if Israel doesn't say they can.
Either Durban or Feingold did something that pissed Israel off and he was voted out of office the next election.
Funny how no one talks about about how Israel interferes with our elections.
The reason that the Clintons are not in prison is because they have the backing of our government.
This article shows how the Clintons used their positions to fund their money laundering foundation and that even though Hillary promised Obama that she wouldn't use her position as SOS to fund her foundation, she did. And Obama knew about it as did many members of congress.
Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal
If this country does go to war with Russia for interfering with the election, this article should be on every news program and paper in this country and countries all over the world.
Yes Hillary used her position to fund both her foundation and Bill's pockets. Every time she made some type of deal with anyone or any corporation or government, her foundation received millions in donations and Bill got paid to give a speech.
This answers this question:
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
evening snoopy...
well, i don't really have an opinion on the morality of saying that, given the situation you describe.
i will say that it's probably redundant, since if there is a nuclear exchange between the us and russian and/or other nuclear-armed nations, everybody loses. further, given the speed with which the awful effects would spread, it hardly matters who gets hit first - they might be considered the lucky ones by the time it's all over.
yep, the clintons are without a doubt the most successful influence-peddlers of our era.
I just finished reading the sessions article
if Obama had made marijuana a class two drug instead of leaving it as a class one, could Trump undo that?
And can't state's rights be used so that the government can't interfere with the stores, especially the ones that only sell it for people who have a doctor's prescription?
The only reason that it's classified the way it is because the pharmaceutical companies don't want to give up their profits for opioids. Which brings up another question. Since so many people are addicted to opioids, wouldn't more states and their citizens benefit from legalizing it so that so many people don't die from opioid overdoses. Silly question. Profits mean more than people's lives.
Sessions is an idiot for believing what he does.
Yeah, I forgot that Israel has its own nukes. Decisions, decisions. Do TPTB kill us off quickly with a nuclear holocaust or let us slowly die from the effects of climate change?
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
yep, probably...
this is one of those things that requires process. obama couldn't just wave his magic wand and make that change. it would take time for the agency involved to investigate and report on the need to make such a change, to explain in detail why the previous classification was inapt and/or to highlight new research/information that supports such a change.
similarly, if trump wanted to change it back, his administration would face the challenge of invalidating the previous reporting and demonstrate that the previous reclassification was in error.
that's above my pay grade. i can certainly see that a case could be made for it, but (just speaking generally) the federal government often seems to get the upper hand in these states rights issues where commerce is involved due to either the interstate commerce clause and/or the necessary and proper clause (both of which tend to get stretched pretty far to accommodate the feds).
it could be a glorious court battle, though.
well, yes, pot would provide an alternative to opioids for many people in management of their pain.
on the other hand, frankly, they should legalize both pot and opioids, because there is little that is more stupid than applying legal and military solutions to a medical problem.
sessions is a dick. i find it hard to believe that sane people would pull the lever to elect him.
Thanks for the answers
opioids are legal, it's just unfortunate that after some people become addicted to them after being prescribed them after surgery and if they are still in pain, they are treated as less than humans when their doctors won't prescribe them the drugs they were on. Let me tell you that suddenly being cut off cold turkey is not only dangerous, but very, very painful. Think of the worst flu you ever had and then multiply it.
A few decades ago people were asked to rate their pain levels by pointing to a chart that has different smiley pictures on it. The medical industry thought that people shouldn't have to suffer needlessly if they were in pain. Especially people going through end of life treatment, but also people who have chronic pain. This is when pain management clinics were created,but now both patients and doctors are caught up in what the DEA is doing. People across the country are dealing with the fallout of the DEA's new policies and are being denied the drugs they have been on that makes their lives more comfortable and in many cases, being able to do their jobs. If you had been on these drugs and suddenly unable to get them prescribed and you knew there was an alternative even if it was dangerous?
The DEA and other organizations think that people should find another way to deal with pain, so now people in chronic pain are having difficulty finding doctors who will prescribe pain meds because they are fearful of the dea and losing their licenses. So they cut their patients off.
I think that people who have chronic pain should be treated at a reputable pain clinic. Unfortunately, there are some bad ones that are just basically steroid mills. In order for people to get their prescriptions, they have to have steroid shots first. This is bad for numerous reasons. But if people don't or can't have steroids, they are kicked out of the clinics.
These are the types of people who might be the ones who are turning to the streets to find pain relief. And this is a viscous cycle. And dangerous. Who knows if the drugs they are buying are legitimate drugs or cut with something else?
I have been involved in a pain clinic for 17 years. Recently my clinic has decided that certain medications will no longer be prescribed. No reason was given for why they made this decision. The medication I'm on is the only one I can tolerate , but it's on their list. The first time I went to my appointment after this decision was made, my doctor had up and quit because she wouldn't accept the new rules. The new doctor I saw told me I would be rapidly detoxed from my drug and won't have it prescribed again. The anxiety was fun to deal with. At my next appointment she put me back on my same meds for at least two months. I have no idea what is going to happen this month. I'm seeing my surgeon who told me that he doesn't approve of what the clinic management is doing and he's looking for another job. Out of state. I don't know if he's going to keep me on my regular drug or tell me this is my last prescription. Again.
If this happens, I'll need to find another clinic that will keep me on my regular drug or not. Or find one that accepts California workers comp. Even if they are willing, I'll probably have to show what the other drugs do to my body first before they'll prescribe the drug that works. This means I'll have to suffer the dangerous side effects from them and then withdraw from the drugs., fun times again. Not!
Hopefully this isn't too much information, but another look into what the opioid epidemic is doing to people who are in chronic pain.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
morning snoopy...
i'm sorry to hear about your troubles with the medical system. i know some folks in a similar position in my neck of the woods. when politics intersects medicine, it appears that common sense disappears and the baby goes out with the bathwater.
i hope that things work out well for you.
I Can Honestly Say
It is not surprising that nine out of ten Skid Row homeless people find Kevin Drum personally disgusting
"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn
evening mm...
i guess i was ahead of the curve. i found kevin drum disgusting long ago.
That's Why
you were handpicked from thousands of applicants and are getting paid big bucks to do The Evening Blues at caucus99percent
"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn
heh. n/t
Thanks. I'll hang out and
Thanks. I'll hang out and observe. Will take you up on your offer if I need help.
It's good to see that people can speak freely here. I felt like I had to measure my speech so much that I almost felt like it wasn't worth sharing my thoughts. I got to the point where I said "eff it", I might as well just be me. Funny thing was I spent ten years there, 30,000 plus comments, and I got taken down by a bunch of newbies for speaking the truth. Ugh.
It's just my opinion. It can't hurt you
excellent...
a lot of us spent a great deal of time there. in my case, probably too long. i joined in '06 after having lurked for a couple of years. i find the place unrecognizable on the rare occasions that i take a peek at it.
Was it gulfgal that stated that if people have to
watch what they say, it's self censorship in order to not piss of the masses there?
I got in a fight with a newbie about something that had to do with war. She was lecturing me on what was acceptable and what wasn't.
The newbies are mostly the correct the record Herbots that have found an echo chamber they like because it feeds their small egos.
They usually have numbers in their usernames.
Markos deserves them. Hopefully they haven't bought a membership though
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Hola, Joe & Bluesters! Trying to
survive a heatwave, and take care of Executor duties at the same time--not sure which is worse!
Anyhoo, thanks for tonight's EB, which I'll be back to check out later this evening. Hope what I'm about to post isn't redundant, since I've got a deadline to meet, so I haven't had a chance to see if you've addressed the topics.
**Understand that Diane Black (TN) is introducing a budget resolution which includes 'vouchering Medicare' for future beneficiaries. (Sorry, haven't had a chance to ferret out details, if any are available.)
**As a follow-up to CS' diary about retiring in Mexico (from the weekend)--the region that we've lived in does appear to be one of the safest regions of the country, today. This is not from my University, but from a language institute in Puebla (City). If you notice, the safer states are on the bottom of the list--and Puebla is second to the last. The last one is due north of Puebla, and one of the smallest states in Mexico. 14,500! That would be great, if only it weren't quite so rural.
I will check it out with our contacts, and with the American Embassy. Again, "trust, but verify."
I'll probably post this at CS' essay when we get back later next week. Also, will post a piece about the world's most dangerous cities--I was flabbergasted to see that Acapulco was #2. When we were students, groups of us would actually hitchhike from Mexico City to Acapulco, and think nothing of it. (Not that I'm proud that I was that foolish. Never would have considered doing that in the US.)
**Bookmarked a CNN transcript of a 'MoveOn' representative boasting about the Dems strategy of running Blue Dog/conservative Dems in various 'competitive' districts in 2018. What a joke that they are a progressive organization. I'll post the excerpt when we get back. After the backing of Ben Nelson conservadem Heath Mello, I guess one shouldn't be surprised--but still!
I was rather surprised and pleased to see that the temps in Puebla are still quite moderate.
I can deal with that!
Hey, gotta brace myself, and get 'the B' out. Everyone have a nice evening--and stay cool!
Mollie
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."--Lao Tzu
"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures--they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive."--Gilda Radner
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."--Old English Proverb
COUNTDOWN TO (FULL) RETIREMENT
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
evening mollie...
good luck with the heat. it's been pretty hot here the last few days, but the humidity is down some, so it isn't nearly as awful as it might be.
i haven't seen anything about diane black's voucherizing medicare proposal. let us know details if you find them.
have a good run with the b, and as always, give him a scritch for me.
Here's this, Joe. (Medicare cuts/voucherizing)
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
thanks mollie...
well, that looks perfectly dreadful.
Status of the Social Security and Medicare Programs
thanks a lot for your comments about healthcare, and tick tick tick ... yay retirement. Just piling on some info to your quote about the "ten year plan". Oy.
Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees: A SUMMARY OF THE 2017 ANNUAL REPORTS
... plus three other trustees, but what the heck there is Steve Mnuchin, Managing Trustee of the Trust Funds. Thanks Kamala Harris. "reduce or eliminate" is what business does, "strengthen and expand" is off the table, in the dry powder room with the revolving door I guess. "so that the public has adequate time to prepare" for what exactly? Social Insecurity? I wish they'd at least be specific and tell the public how to prepare, and for what. Thanks.
peace
Thank you Mollie!
I'm still doing a lot of reading on the pros and cons of living in Mexico. One factor for us too is the timeframe, as we are at least 10 to 12 years away from any possible "retirement" even if we find an affordable escape. We know that all kinds of conditions will change a lot over those years. First time I can recall ever wishing I was older! Anyway, appreciate the info! I was happily surprised at the level of interest in the topic of ex-pat living and everyone who shared ideas and experiences.
De nada, CS! Yeah, think more and more folks
are looking to expatriate. We decided in 2000 that we wanted to have a residence, at least part-time, outside of CONUS. It's sorta second nature for us, since we've lived several thousand miles from our families, both north and south, for more than two decades.
I'd take my time and consider lots of places. Honestly, were it not for Mister B's separation anxiety, and therefore, our unwillingness to quarantine him--which is required by the Scandinavian countries that we are most interested in--we would probably have discounted it, altogether. Bottom line, chances are not too great that Mister B will live to age 17-1/2, as our first Springer did--considering his current health problems. So, for now, we will at least take a good look into the possibility of spending several months a year there once Mr M retires. (Added advantage--we can keep our health insurance plans (stateside), if we make it a part-time/secondary residence. And, we finally have first dollar coverage, with the exception of prescription drugs.)
Have a good one!
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Heh, sure is a lot of red along the US border.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good point, EL! Yeah, don't think we'd be game
to 'drive' to Puebla.
(Puebla is located SE of Mexico City on the Central Plateau, and as the map of the States indicates, there are more than a few dicey regions north of it.)
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Link to an OT comment - intentional communities
https://caucus99percent.com/content/rants-muses-books-music-and-some-coo...
Seems like if you post too late in the day it all goes into oblivion. I saw some comments here on intentional communities though also.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Its still there, but participation drops off as the day goes on
Mark is probably still monitoring it off and on, for example. Intentional communities and resilience are recurring topics, though some authors tend to go there more often than others.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
evening marilyn...
i'm glad to see that folks are discussing intentional communities, i think as time goes on, a lot of us are going to be wanting/needing to find ways to respond to various environmental, social and/or personal challenges (aging for example) going forward.
i'm also glad to see that another meetup is on people's minds as well.
Bernie just acknowledged that he will introduce a 'public
option,' state-based legislation, which was included in the ACA, IIRC. It will call for lowering the Medicare buy-in age to 55. (He didn't say whether premiums would be subsidized or unsubsidized, however.) Also, it will call for lowering prescription drugs.
Will have to be a bit scarce this week due to responsibilities, but I've marked my calendar, so that I can go back and get the transcript posted here by at least next week.
He's also calling to negotiate ACA 'reforms' with Repubs. That really concerns me. Anytime Dems negotiate with Repubs--Repubs win. IOW, the ACA would only become more conservative--probably adopting the ConservaDem idea of 'Copper Plans.'
IMO, if they 'hold hands, and jump together'--one of the bipartisan neoliberals' favorite sayings--we may as well forget a single-payer system. At least for decades.
*Sigh*
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
The democrats already negotiated with the republicans
and that's why it's as horrible as it is. They let them take out all the good parts under the guise of needing their votes, and after it was so watered down, they passed it through by using reconciliation. They could have taken out the republican amendments and passed a decent bill, but they passed the bill that they wanted to.
So did Barry.
It could have been........., but we'll never know.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
I know, SD--looks like they're at it again. Now I understand
'why' Bernie delayed introducing the bill. It's to be introduced 'soon'--I presume during so-called ACA negotiations. Of course, Repubs would never agree to it.
Due to Bernie's use of the words 'public option,' I take it that he's not talking about replacing the ACA with a single-payer plan--only setting up the option for states to implement a public option plan.
(Folks may recall, this is already an option under the ACA. Remember--Vermont attempted to set up a public option plan. It failed when the corporatist neoliberal Dem Governor backed down, saying it was too costly.)
Have a good one!
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
His actions seem questionable, don't they?
I started questioning his commitment when he folded his campaign before the convention after he said that he was going all the way to it.
When he was asked if Hillary had won the primary fair and square, he answered yes. Now with him being on board with the Russian crap and now shelving his mfa, I think he's too caught up in the DP too actually wanting it to change.
Still, I'm happy with him for opening so many people's eyes to how corrupt the Democratic Party is.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
I guess it depends on one's perspective, SD. I'm
convinced that from his perspective, he's absolutely doing the right thing. I don't question his sincerity. And, yes--I'm glad, too, that he helped many folks in the Party Base, etc., wake up to how corrupt the Dem Party Establishment truly is. He deserves, and has, my appreciation for that feat. Anyhoo, he clearly has a right to his opinion/philosophy, same as we all do.
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
I don't know, maybe he's entitled
to his opinions but when those opinions are getting people killed and he could perhaps do something real about that, I have a harder time giving him quarter there. I am sick of the incremental, pragmatic approach these people insist is the only way while people literally die waiting. JMHO.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
Good evening, Joe, et. al. Good choice tonight, Joe.
Ya know, I just can't get outraged about Tillerson closing the war crimes dept, it was enormous hypocrisy to even have it. Of course, his reason is pretty damned sorry, but he's honest about those priorites, unlike all of the other recent adherents to that agenda occupying his chair.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
evening el...
as much as i'd like the us to participate in the world community, working to prevent war crimes, it is a lot like when the un voted saudi arabia onto its human rights panel.
Hello Spamnunn
And joe, thanks for the article on the Federal Reserve. I have not ever researched. The only time I ever heard screeching about it was from right wing nut jobs. Uh...now I understand.
Just so you know, I dutifully sorted out my garbage today. I guess I am willing to give up simple pleasures, burn piles, for you, for my neighbors, for critters, and my dedication to all of the above outweighs my disdain for the corporations that are putting us all in frying pans.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
evening otc...
if you are interested in researching the fed, a good place to start is william greider's, "secrets of the temple: how the federal reserve runs the country."
it is a longish book, but it reads well and quickly. greider is a left-wing writer who used to (maybe still does) write for the nation.
Big favor to ask
When you can do good, connect the right people, reality can be enhanced or embarrassed by the appropriate introductions, ask Trump. Don't recommend that path, of course. Be better than what you oppose: Hyporcisy is over abundant and over valued.
Fighting for democratic principles,... well, since forever
Hello js, bluesters ! Thanks for the EB joe.
Enjoying some mild weather in the 80's day 60's night here in Slovenia (!) kayaking up some beautiful flatwater canyons.
Thought would check in this morning to find news on healthcare.
Also saw this and thought of you since first heard of CJ here.
Heh.
http://www.mintpressnews.com/caitlin-johnstone-and-thought-crimes-on-the...
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
morning do...
good to hear from you! i hope that you guys are doing well. 80's sounds quite pleasant in light of the weather here, hot and humid. happy kayaking!
heh, that mint press article about cj and her detractors is open in another tab; i happened across it last night and intend to post it in tonight's eb. thanks for that and the single payer article.
js here is an article suggestion for your consideration
that I found through searching Google News for Healthcare for All.
Harvard Business Review
https://hbr.org/2017/07/is-the-u-s-ready-for-a-single-payer-health-care-...
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.