tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8844658373097256352024-03-28T08:28:27.457-04:00Understand Reality Through ScienceHuman knowledge has progressed exponentially since the dawn of modern science.
It is no longer reasonable to accept claims without sufficient objective evidence.
The harm from religion, alternatives to medicine, conservatism, and all other false beliefs will be exposed on this blog by reporting the findings of science. This blog will also reinforce what should be the basics of education: History, Civics, Financial Literacy, Media Literacy, and Critical/Science Based Thinking.
Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.comBlogger2913125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-49357075040995475462024-03-28T08:27:00.006-04:002024-03-28T08:27:32.872-04:00Cooperate, Be Nice, But Also Don't Be A Pushover: The Key To A Successful SocietyOne of the clearest divides between conservatives and progressives is how differently they view cooperation and self-interest. Click on the link below for a video debunking this binary:<div><br /></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScpHTIi-kM">What Game Theory Reveals About Life, The Universe, and Everything</a><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgauFM1_31LYTAj58J-WiAzl803hhIWDQhPeXwehvnBIoCx786sLeW3mEKVPcM5yGQuwgmpAD6iabf-h3ZInFSeA82B3cx7aKk9fucmmq5I2xSf44prrhCT07VWMwr5sei0mOXtbCNBeM0zfFiDYuLV_V8PDbRdc6IegQydCYJWtIrco1UvD6xYpfvw5mQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="448" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgauFM1_31LYTAj58J-WiAzl803hhIWDQhPeXwehvnBIoCx786sLeW3mEKVPcM5yGQuwgmpAD6iabf-h3ZInFSeA82B3cx7aKk9fucmmq5I2xSf44prrhCT07VWMwr5sei0mOXtbCNBeM0zfFiDYuLV_V8PDbRdc6IegQydCYJWtIrco1UvD6xYpfvw5mQ" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-68351775829515715212024-03-27T08:00:00.005-04:002024-03-27T08:00:57.866-04:00Deregulation: A Base Motive Of Republicans<p>The controversy over medical abortion pills (actually, the non-controversy as it is safe and effective) is just one issue that Republicans/Conservatives/MAGAs are using to attack and remove ALL government regulations. Let's be clear, they want to replace EXPERTS with political appointees who will carry out their agenda. </p><div style="text-align: left;">A key tool to implement this change is to change laws. Click on the link below for links exposing this effort:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="goog_809995025">https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-supreme-courts-assault-on-government-could-make-the-far-rights-dreams-come-true/</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="goog_809995025"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="goog_809995025">https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-chevron-deference-oral-arguments-federal-regulations/</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="goog_809995025"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="goog_809995025">https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/supreme-court-launches-latest-salvo-in-war-on-federal-government</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="goog_809995025"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/01/supreme-court-appears-ready-end-deference-federal-agency-expertise/393404/">https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/01/supreme-court-appears-ready-end-deference-federal-agency-expertise/393404/</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjduGtQfuliOj_3rB5xAaMhsdmwZrYM9p9fN8_J-PgVtzAfbYqadr68bkG9WrEqzqgu2sw11_2yRgChK0wo-LEn-U7I_UF3YuZHNJkuWGvS46p3MhI5-35NUmq--z4XPokz8tKH-FfAN5fRMtWAsTclXE2s_XuCADcKnk-LXu3HYe227YAljYQatZLJCcE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="676" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjduGtQfuliOj_3rB5xAaMhsdmwZrYM9p9fN8_J-PgVtzAfbYqadr68bkG9WrEqzqgu2sw11_2yRgChK0wo-LEn-U7I_UF3YuZHNJkuWGvS46p3MhI5-35NUmq--z4XPokz8tKH-FfAN5fRMtWAsTclXE2s_XuCADcKnk-LXu3HYe227YAljYQatZLJCcE" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-21268311217387883042024-03-26T07:29:00.000-04:002024-03-26T07:29:31.473-04:00It's Not "MIS"information, it's "DIS"information From Conservatives"Misinformation is spreading on social media as some fight to stop what they call censorship. The Supreme Court is now grappling with how the First Amendment applies to the online world."<div><br /></div><div>Misinformation: wrong information by mistake.</div><div>Disinformation: wrong information by design.</div><div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for a 15-minute "60-Minutes" segment parsing out the difference and exposing the dishonesty of Republicans/conservatives/MAGAs:<br /><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuMf0-cHrn4">The Right to be Wrong</a> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiX7MY00ZrRl9_seLFMiHkp_b_baWxV0qh2g-WFWGTjPjFLIN1N9E_FJq1ng0KkDJ1m-3s4sF2Ovz_eNGmSqw07LPX_uxFuu9hyxGHrCObHjUAT3_NM1Oc-Mrlku7W7svuOk4eR7c2YDODFpAMow4LSpD6WXFaxoptfHF3lr9jL_UhQl3xEjI8mtexO5BE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="592" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiX7MY00ZrRl9_seLFMiHkp_b_baWxV0qh2g-WFWGTjPjFLIN1N9E_FJq1ng0KkDJ1m-3s4sF2Ovz_eNGmSqw07LPX_uxFuu9hyxGHrCObHjUAT3_NM1Oc-Mrlku7W7svuOk4eR7c2YDODFpAMow4LSpD6WXFaxoptfHF3lr9jL_UhQl3xEjI8mtexO5BE" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-26242227162652296092024-03-25T17:21:00.006-04:002024-03-25T17:22:56.423-04:00The Truth About Medication Abortions<p>The conservative media, per usual, is spreading disinformation. This time, it is about medication abortions. Click on the following links from independent medical sources for the truth:</p><p><a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/medication-abortion-your-questions-answered">https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/medication-abortion-your-questions-answered</a></p><p><a href="https://www.aamc.org/news/what-medication-abortion-your-questions-answered">https://www.aamc.org/news/what-medication-abortion-your-questions-answered</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/18556/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/18556/</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEhs03iD5EHGLpwiMpMEOpDInlHQQZb7U8jGnUYszkrUAdnFIh_BkyAxL5ipMJUzadhw7NUWWwZ2TGt8kgzGF93MURzhBILNTpXSicI0AabJA8Fa4bPhJbN2Nn3vaIc4b0o67VdM3_envA7vftQsode8SLAu3sadhslE3dHOXWmPRJAgLQMzDf-PE89dc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="704" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEhs03iD5EHGLpwiMpMEOpDInlHQQZb7U8jGnUYszkrUAdnFIh_BkyAxL5ipMJUzadhw7NUWWwZ2TGt8kgzGF93MURzhBILNTpXSicI0AabJA8Fa4bPhJbN2Nn3vaIc4b0o67VdM3_envA7vftQsode8SLAu3sadhslE3dHOXWmPRJAgLQMzDf-PE89dc" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-1571455670859945822024-03-24T21:56:00.000-04:002024-03-24T21:56:26.303-04:00Feminism & Equality: A Different Perspective"Equality has been at the heart of civil rights movements for decades but what we have failed to see is that in striving for equality we cannot help but reinforce the unquestioned preexisting structures of society which, themselves, may be at fundamental odds with true freedom for all."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for an in-depth look at what the feminist movement may be overlooking in striving for equality:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1618">Forget Equality, Embrace the Feminism of Freedom</a><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9NCUM-EJWl6vgtUZNoOilueuE-J-823TvHzQbUn0z9sCntvYkmvxn08iBlmOkHHlafbxhrFmHJB7YGqiP5ojvCww2w9PoPj_BHOePlw9Saws8OJ5jE8Akxq8sqB1NDA7d9KAlYMGvNWs7qmyDeqoErSWKqr5LhGmvdvYNhZ1rgzl1Py0DQYsRYPgfJeE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="538" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9NCUM-EJWl6vgtUZNoOilueuE-J-823TvHzQbUn0z9sCntvYkmvxn08iBlmOkHHlafbxhrFmHJB7YGqiP5ojvCww2w9PoPj_BHOePlw9Saws8OJ5jE8Akxq8sqB1NDA7d9KAlYMGvNWs7qmyDeqoErSWKqr5LhGmvdvYNhZ1rgzl1Py0DQYsRYPgfJeE" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-57618961448942258642024-03-23T07:36:00.003-04:002024-03-23T07:36:26.384-04:00PTSD And Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Quackery"Today we're going to unravel a specific type of psychotherapy, and it's one that presents the researcher with formidable walls to scale of both support and criticism. Some psychotherapists are firm believers; some are firm detractors. The therapy is called EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is controversial as the day is long, and yet it enjoys broad recommendations in most of the world's major guidelines. It also has plenty of criticism of its effectiveness. And it has a wildly unscientific origin story, which never bodes well for any kind of treatment. So now let's dive in and find out if EMDR is for real or phony.<br /><br />"EMDR is one of a number of treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a potentially serious and debilitating condition in which certain traumatic memories can trigger anything from nightmares and anxiety to an uncontrollable emotional breakdown to a complete dissociative episode. The idea is to reduce the emotional distress associated with traumatic memories, and when used as an adjunct to other therapies, EMDR does this by attempting to get the brain to reprocess those memories via bilateral stimulation. Whether bilateral stimulation can actually do that is mainly where the controversy around EMDR lies. The stimulation is usually guided eye movements back and forth, but can also be tactile or auditory: tapping or holding a buzzer in each hand, or hearing tones played through headphones alternating between left and right. A typical EMDR session would include the patient recalling and talking about their traumatic memory while the therapist moves a pointer from side to side in front of them, for the patient to follow with their eyes. If you were uninitiated and saw this happening, you might well be inclined to wonder what kind of freaky woo you had just walked into."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for more:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4928">EMDR: Looking Past the Pain</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlM6gHXXII6ponxWInxUrxpRd_Q5MNm4Rr460TC_RbiwejU64KhiHZdHSk6hdCiGuprRlOKPsnyKvX7-ozWgd4oAe8XHvntKVj4wYz5hdvltLVww_p3Jf5VB0bYn5xn8WBh7RqxZCymh2IoDyotK73w2PyFpMClBPpZ67wWYtA-JXbN32jLw8GTTTXz_E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="685" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlM6gHXXII6ponxWInxUrxpRd_Q5MNm4Rr460TC_RbiwejU64KhiHZdHSk6hdCiGuprRlOKPsnyKvX7-ozWgd4oAe8XHvntKVj4wYz5hdvltLVww_p3Jf5VB0bYn5xn8WBh7RqxZCymh2IoDyotK73w2PyFpMClBPpZ67wWYtA-JXbN32jLw8GTTTXz_E" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-65526171334682389412024-03-22T08:53:00.009-04:002024-03-22T08:54:59.410-04:00Transphobia: An Evil From Conservatives"We break down some of the pseudoscience the trans panic is built on, look at the political drive to erase trans people, understand how the language of panic shifts over time, and present an alternate view of societal healing for a healthier humanity."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for a podcast exposing the willful cruelty of today's Republicans/conservatives:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1617">Debunking Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, Groomers, and Detransitioning Misconceptions</a><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE3aAnWIRPL5995OAmewAUlCeKrdcS-s421fUhe1dvOm5r8ALAJlVUnLZf8lJETthCab0bEviO4lc_yLNQVjBHMYl-VOzsnI8tOKnZRCqLd7Y4W_ZLAFMqpcwpce2CAAqDuh-181xTSxUej339RW_MeJq9cprPmKX0tXC5Ava0T9itOM-f8GDckzLuRC8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="807" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE3aAnWIRPL5995OAmewAUlCeKrdcS-s421fUhe1dvOm5r8ALAJlVUnLZf8lJETthCab0bEviO4lc_yLNQVjBHMYl-VOzsnI8tOKnZRCqLd7Y4W_ZLAFMqpcwpce2CAAqDuh-181xTSxUej339RW_MeJq9cprPmKX0tXC5Ava0T9itOM-f8GDckzLuRC8" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-47375934388428385072024-03-21T08:27:00.002-04:002024-03-21T08:28:27.014-04:00Ice Bathing: An Ancient Practice Without Evidence"But the more we study ice bathing, the more we learn that athletes have it backward: regular immersion in cold water markedly inhibits recovery from strenuous exercise. Muscle soreness is a consequence of doing physical activity to which you’re unaccustomed. That could be a gym session, a run, or a repetitive household chore that took longer than you expected. Just as a rubber band becomes frayed if you continually stretch it under load, your muscles sustain minuscule tears if they’re stretched too far or exert too much force. The subsequent damage causes a few days of swelling, inflammation, and soreness. It’s actually a normal and essential part of the muscular adaptation to exercise, associated with something called the overload principle. In any case, if the stress is applied regularly and with enough recovery, the muscles adapt by laying down new structural proteins, like a construction crew assembling steel beams to support the infrastructure of a building.<br /><br />"Ice bathing fundamentally inhibits this process. In a collaboration between scientists in Australia and Norway, researchers found that cold-water immersion after hard exercise suppressed <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1113/JP270570">signaling pathways</a> associated with recovery, an effect that lasted for several days. Another <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1113/JP278996">study</a>, this time from the Netherlands, showed that ice bathing attenuated the muscle’s uptake of dietary proteins—nutrients considered important for the growth and maintenance of cells."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for more:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/why-are-we-still-ice-bathing/">Why Are We Still Ice Bathing?</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3LwXwzm-I17MamnykSfu6ur1qm6KtF-WJl7SWsbqSeKNpUW_keRk7J9GsFgaqZIJNIt1NcdMPlJtciJ1zgvuYTenIjYcfAbplqpIvQF-wgT9iKWbLNyqR1ZnkjtlF3yiRD9DFdrClObzRif1yZ-SrjQLy0lAMfQvP-nJaiUt5mf0fayzaLd0ScR-yK3s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="1105" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3LwXwzm-I17MamnykSfu6ur1qm6KtF-WJl7SWsbqSeKNpUW_keRk7J9GsFgaqZIJNIt1NcdMPlJtciJ1zgvuYTenIjYcfAbplqpIvQF-wgT9iKWbLNyqR1ZnkjtlF3yiRD9DFdrClObzRif1yZ-SrjQLy0lAMfQvP-nJaiUt5mf0fayzaLd0ScR-yK3s" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-59082702466899900902024-03-20T07:59:00.003-04:002024-03-20T08:13:19.892-04:00Puberty Blockers: Beware Of The Media<p>Right-wing media is awash with bogus "evidence" of the harm from puberty blockers. <a href="https://acpeds.org/about/faq">This link</a> is a prime offender in promoting the bullsh!t, but don't let its name let you think it is valid. Here is the truth about this website (<a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/american-college-pediatricians">link</a>)(<a href="https://www.aclu.org/documents/re-gill-about-american-college-pediatricians">link</a>). </p><p>Below you will find several links to VALID SUPPORT for puberty blockers:</p><div><div><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/15/health/puberty-blockers-explained-nhs-wellness/index.html">What to know about puberty blockers</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gender-dysphoria/in-depth/pubertal-blockers/art-20459075">Puberty blockers for transgender and gender-diverse youth</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/are-puberty-blockers-reversible">Are Puberty Blockers Reversible?</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaYNp_1NPz4X0pWQyn0sopxEX5H2JtzjSCBBUN3eTbQY34JI8ORSVYY06QjEqJ3S9PlhhVCMagIUuYUTcMsOjPg0ZuSRLDwtgz5HePoxDj65-iZPpbYyf0RLMUNxeUDzLnuouhboqFoOG2-IKKMYLDUxfF8hbYcxJ0c8PaJbfSXg60LorSKERysCx8Bs/s991/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="991" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaYNp_1NPz4X0pWQyn0sopxEX5H2JtzjSCBBUN3eTbQY34JI8ORSVYY06QjEqJ3S9PlhhVCMagIUuYUTcMsOjPg0ZuSRLDwtgz5HePoxDj65-iZPpbYyf0RLMUNxeUDzLnuouhboqFoOG2-IKKMYLDUxfF8hbYcxJ0c8PaJbfSXg60LorSKERysCx8Bs/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-49599687807707573872024-03-19T07:09:00.003-04:002024-03-19T07:47:30.272-04:002020 Was A "Dry Run"<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nevada-fake-electors-trump-78893192392d3301d5cca8c1bb55bcb3">Some Trump fake electors from 2020 haven’t faded away. They have roles in how the 2024 race is run</a><div><br /></div><div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/republicans-youth-vote-2024-election-rcna128822">Republicans are trying harder than ever to suppress the youth vote</a></div></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/opinions/gop-blueprint-to-steal-the-2024-election-luttig/index.html">The Republican blueprint to steal the 2024 election</a><div><br /></div><a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/08/25/how-election-denying-gop-governors-could-tilt-the-2024-presidential-election/">How election-denying GOP governors could tilt the 2024 presidential election</a><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/01/05/will-house-gop-object-to-2024-election-results/72096863007/">Will House GOP object to 2024 election results?</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/10/republicans-election-democracy-seven-ways-trump">Seven ways Republicans are already undermining the 2024 election</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/how-pro-trump-election-officials-could-make-sure-your-vote-doesn-t-count-206891077821?cid=eml_mda_20240319&user_email=4758fca811d88a0ac121ea72c614ddb745088ff1f09473b7ef9f4f80f2ab5672">How pro-Trump election officials could make sure your vote doesn't count</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/08/25/how-election-denying-gop-governors-could-tilt-the-2024-presidential-election/"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGhBWxX678LDfQIiH3N9xuiwI5GHagwWfo0T_nBZbO58j8ejk_bAhlSpe5lyNLIm8ktBbKgjM22Mfn6JhovD-qrvvaR2Vmx_xJWVihZJUALE2yNPklIBfaAtr6C_anwgDXCJWTbpdUJB6z-bORHYBEQy0-MaMNjMjxipjbFWlfjmtbHg28nKAonKyeKw/s459/%23%20Chain%20of%20Command.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGhBWxX678LDfQIiH3N9xuiwI5GHagwWfo0T_nBZbO58j8ejk_bAhlSpe5lyNLIm8ktBbKgjM22Mfn6JhovD-qrvvaR2Vmx_xJWVihZJUALE2yNPklIBfaAtr6C_anwgDXCJWTbpdUJB6z-bORHYBEQy0-MaMNjMjxipjbFWlfjmtbHg28nKAonKyeKw/s320/%23%20Chain%20of%20Command.jpg" width="271" /></a></div></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-10598613489980375962024-03-18T08:28:00.001-04:002024-03-18T08:28:14.672-04:00The Republican Party: A Puppet On Many Strings"Republicans have been trending toward Putin fandom for more than a decade but with each passing year the stakes get higher, the propaganda gets more brazen, and what they're willing to support gets more grotesque."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below to get the full picture of what is controlling the US Republican Party presently:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1616">The Party of Putin and the Propaganda Leading the GOP to Trump and the US to Russian-Style Autocracy</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMzL661Uy7Qx562_LKRZgqqPxTti61bwbUgr6H76A7_8E4GdsmhfdLV_6tP-poGJOnGMYbC4jk_a271itWpXtjY5DoIbVS0axsbKJLppx-Fwf-wG6YPdpW25DSX42u2Hj0supWl_b9mLBXp8z-n7-ZNjGsEZbTT-92DWoYNLXz7w13hIWk49wTXKdH9Q/s400/%23%20Chain%20of%20Command.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMzL661Uy7Qx562_LKRZgqqPxTti61bwbUgr6H76A7_8E4GdsmhfdLV_6tP-poGJOnGMYbC4jk_a271itWpXtjY5DoIbVS0axsbKJLppx-Fwf-wG6YPdpW25DSX42u2Hj0supWl_b9mLBXp8z-n7-ZNjGsEZbTT-92DWoYNLXz7w13hIWk49wTXKdH9Q/s320/%23%20Chain%20of%20Command.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-26871196912593504362024-03-17T08:32:00.002-04:002024-03-17T08:32:53.382-04:00The USA Is Rerunning The 1850s"I have wondered lately if the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision isn’t our era’s version of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, sparking a countrywide backlash." - - -<div><br /></div>"March 15 is too important a day to ignore. As the man who taught me to use a chainsaw said, it is immortalized by Shakespeare’s famous warning: 'Cedar! Beware the adze of March!'<br /><br />"He put it that way because the importance of March 15 is, of course, that it is the day in 1820 that Maine, the Pine Tree State, joined the Union.<br /><br />"Maine statehood had national repercussions. The inhabitants of this northern part of Massachusetts had asked for statehood in 1819, but their petition was stopped dead by southerners who refused to permit a “free state”—one that did not permit slavery—to enter the Union without a corresponding “slave state.” The explosive growth of the northern states had already given free states control of the House of Representatives, but the South held its own in the Senate, where each state got two votes. The admission of Maine would give the North the advantage, and southerners insisted that Maine’s admission be balanced with the admission of a southern slave state lest those opposed to slavery use their power in the federal government to restrict enslavement in the South."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for the rest of the story:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-15-2024">https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-15-2024</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpp2YLVjYWU5NIQCsZ-b6Qnc03vbnbBdX9WWPqBLSeWOwemTe-5LqRLIuqepb3RfIKe1zP6sGtCuMh8sFPoHRLaanHwn0YmOyxZWnFaKwGIdYDArxdhCCQEzRORtnQc2qJQ0Ll-n-3lsgbZF1eTdOQcZLMfY_HqGfxmv3TfVkpDgM3A7NiLWnd28c3bME" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="551" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpp2YLVjYWU5NIQCsZ-b6Qnc03vbnbBdX9WWPqBLSeWOwemTe-5LqRLIuqepb3RfIKe1zP6sGtCuMh8sFPoHRLaanHwn0YmOyxZWnFaKwGIdYDArxdhCCQEzRORtnQc2qJQ0Ll-n-3lsgbZF1eTdOQcZLMfY_HqGfxmv3TfVkpDgM3A7NiLWnd28c3bME=w320-h228" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-68561331848023355362024-03-16T07:28:00.000-04:002024-03-16T07:28:19.778-04:00The Conservative Idea Of Education<p>It is bad enough that the culture generally accepts childhood religious indoctrination, but this is WAY beyond the pale:</p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3L01rRapH4">CREEPY Republican Selling Trump Propaganda To Kids</a><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6gamfVwZDu7lX2ntwqFNqDUgl98tLh3EK3-x-XxRR0Jp_CfCSMQfYUcmcdaQmaeY7z_83HqSaZSAMVfYKVhuVVfV-PTJwMJe6aNPF9tcWiOM1J2OAUnd46YvVn8_r2IqRJtX_vEGHpxiJJaQwhztdEEdL4JIuCTVnFkOKtxMH5yK1BKLAtGuiNsIldw0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="962" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6gamfVwZDu7lX2ntwqFNqDUgl98tLh3EK3-x-XxRR0Jp_CfCSMQfYUcmcdaQmaeY7z_83HqSaZSAMVfYKVhuVVfV-PTJwMJe6aNPF9tcWiOM1J2OAUnd46YvVn8_r2IqRJtX_vEGHpxiJJaQwhztdEEdL4JIuCTVnFkOKtxMH5yK1BKLAtGuiNsIldw0" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-59868464268195850102024-03-15T07:14:00.006-04:002024-03-15T07:14:53.662-04:00Medical Regulation: Just Another "Protect Your Own" Establishment?"John Oliver discusses state medical boards, how they often fail to protect patients from bad doctors, and what it all has to do with Melrose Place."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for the sad reality of failure to rid medicine of harmful practitioners: </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVIYbgVks7E">State Medical Boards</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgZlKKt_zibDgwS8xVet_ThZmwtfW5SddIQ2VwE3IX5JF1v_7yescyCw4uHYIVB-L9sWeaZKNvpKt_FCW8ffc5H1Erw8gTDeMCSAlKqwctdLZrtpU1LdY6cFyBLAIDlhP0-BTpzcOx_nauxWmTzzSnYtSDXEdPfMOopJ_W5FgNbxvqCtQg7Wfo-PHIQBs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="956" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgZlKKt_zibDgwS8xVet_ThZmwtfW5SddIQ2VwE3IX5JF1v_7yescyCw4uHYIVB-L9sWeaZKNvpKt_FCW8ffc5H1Erw8gTDeMCSAlKqwctdLZrtpU1LdY6cFyBLAIDlhP0-BTpzcOx_nauxWmTzzSnYtSDXEdPfMOopJ_W5FgNbxvqCtQg7Wfo-PHIQBs" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-20631977260580999232024-03-14T07:24:00.001-04:002024-03-14T07:25:15.750-04:00Donald J Trump: The Dullest Knive In The Drawer (BUT - - -)"But hold on. I ask myself: How could Trump have become president, and now clinch the Republican nomination for the presidency for a third time, if he doesn’t have something in the brain bank? Even if Trump doesn’t read, can’t follow a logical argument, and has the attention span of a fruit fly, I keep believing he must have some intelligence.<br /><br />"Well, it turns out there’s another form of intelligence, called 'emotional intelligence.' <br /><br />"Emotional intelligence is a concept developed by two psychologists, John Mayer of the University of New Hampshire and Yale’s Peter Salovey, and popularized by Dan Goleman in his 1996 book of the same name.<br /><br />"Mayer and Salovey <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0962184905800587">define</a> emotional intelligence as the ability to do two things: 'understand and manage our own emotions,' and 'recognize and influence the emotions of others.'<br /><br />"True, Trump hasn’t displayed much capacity for the first. He’s thin-skinned, narcissistic, and vindictive. As dozens of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/08/us/politics/national-security-letter-trump.html">Republican foreign policy experts have put it</a>: 'He is unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood. He does not encourage conflicting views. He lacks self-control and acts impetuously. He cannot tolerate criticism.' <br /><br />"Okay, but what about Mayer and Salovey’s second aspect of emotional intelligence — influencing the emotions of others? <br /><br />"This is where Trump’s brain outperforms the brains of ordinary mortals.<span style="color: red;"><b> He knows how to manipulate people. He has an uncanny ability to discover their emotional vulnerabilities — their fears, anxieties, prejudices, and darkest desires — and use them for his own purposes.<br /><br />"To put it another way, Trump is an extraordinarily talented conman."</b></span><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div>Click on the link below for the full picture of his stupidity:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://robertreich.substack.com/p/seriously-how-dumb-is-trump?utm_source=substack&publication_id=365422&post_id=141748551&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=19e0g&triedRedirect=true">Seriously, again, how dumb is Trump?</a><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfy4BjBKZMqJwBgZzCubWJ4wo20-ZD-jMLsn_wMy65JwZuESnUqP4L10hx4TS0S3Cux2Qas3UnALQ4cfzpQhDgOe4t2RrxMrvWL1dVXoAqqDegaLC7rCLXiA3Ms7Ht16tCkhIE95O-3Nc-D36wpV0D9wp9mTk82UIIDuRspPbLAMEmqv9abLi3U8eS3V0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="1108" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfy4BjBKZMqJwBgZzCubWJ4wo20-ZD-jMLsn_wMy65JwZuESnUqP4L10hx4TS0S3Cux2Qas3UnALQ4cfzpQhDgOe4t2RrxMrvWL1dVXoAqqDegaLC7rCLXiA3Ms7Ht16tCkhIE95O-3Nc-D36wpV0D9wp9mTk82UIIDuRspPbLAMEmqv9abLi3U8eS3V0" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-4147340069578069192024-03-12T15:15:00.006-04:002024-03-12T15:15:48.730-04:00An Evangelical Pastor Helps In Getting Democratic Party Votes"Our guest this week recently traveled down to the border to confront the so-called “Army of God” as part of a larger project of providing alternative ideologies to Christian nationalism. Doug Pagitt is a pastor, author and the executive director of Vote Common Good, an organization aimed at influencing evangelical Christians. His group has been on a nationwide tour focused on directly engaging evangelicals in key swing states with the hope of swaying a critical percentage of them against former President Donald Trump. Pagitt believes a small portion of these voters are swayable and that if they are engaged, election outcomes can be flipped. He joins WITHpod to discuss the trajectory of evangelical politics, what he’s learned on tour, and what’s at stake in this year’s election."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for an hour podcast that delves into what one evangelical pastor is doing in an attempt to get fellow evangelicals who are wavering over Trump/MAGA to see enough reality regarding the 2024 vote to do the right thing:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://overcast.fm/+uOFtqKKYQ">Confronting Christian Nationalism From Within</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVMAaDL1utLoizvOZECp0oDfJKg-JrMh9AUFD0c0h8JzdjHtA6uwCPZShoGte6f0AedneGbVwRlx5W-JKo3nnBX826gE4Y8EBlj29qFc0ZcZwD9-75zLMaMhp-kEwx64jY42V5arZf2vsbGYQT4W_eVNL88qYfm4H15tAZzGIEyQJ2dInD_dn20SEdTcA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="610" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVMAaDL1utLoizvOZECp0oDfJKg-JrMh9AUFD0c0h8JzdjHtA6uwCPZShoGte6f0AedneGbVwRlx5W-JKo3nnBX826gE4Y8EBlj29qFc0ZcZwD9-75zLMaMhp-kEwx64jY42V5arZf2vsbGYQT4W_eVNL88qYfm4H15tAZzGIEyQJ2dInD_dn20SEdTcA" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-35834586348861669642024-03-11T07:18:00.003-04:002024-03-11T07:21:45.218-04:00Enneagrams: Another Failure Of A Horoscope Wannabe"Today we're going to open a drawer in our cabinet of New Age psychometric modalities — as one does — and flip to the folder for enneagrams. For years, this has been growing in popularity as a way to understand our own personalities, and the personalities of those around us, and how we might interact. Some would argue that it's like a blending of Myers-Briggs, numerology, and horoscopes; others would claim that it has solid science behind it. What is the truth of enneagrams? Do we each have an enneagram number that tells us useful things about ourselves, or can it be dismissed as glorified numerology?"<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for an analysis of an ancient pseudoscience that just will not go away:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4925">The Conspirituality of Enneagrams</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKLoZfnFbVUYBLPLw8RxFKq0h9nMjrS3OCax3XpHVLGUr63OTBJ-lVNF-WFyrr-HCvKVeLf6OUmydKQnejAyKV5MSlQGOwzzjY73lKwHxMoVW_yX6PdDwi8Q1glBxWINm0aoT_0HlYbqqVXE1FYwJ3yIv40OUGrQVmOX4Wk5ev0sAFB6Yj0hqvt3kgUJo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1125" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKLoZfnFbVUYBLPLw8RxFKq0h9nMjrS3OCax3XpHVLGUr63OTBJ-lVNF-WFyrr-HCvKVeLf6OUmydKQnejAyKV5MSlQGOwzzjY73lKwHxMoVW_yX6PdDwi8Q1glBxWINm0aoT_0HlYbqqVXE1FYwJ3yIv40OUGrQVmOX4Wk5ev0sAFB6Yj0hqvt3kgUJo" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-57580401187486107342024-03-10T08:12:00.002-04:002024-03-10T08:12:43.311-04:00Dispelling Stereotypes Of Memory & Aging"President Biden's self-assured delivery of the State of the Union address challenged doubts about his age. Since the start of his presidential campaign, Biden’s every slip-up has been under the microscope, from momentary forgetfulness to misspoken words. Neuroscientist Charan Ranganath believes that we have been oversimplifying the way we think about age and memory. In his new book "Why We Remember,” the author shares years of his research. He discusses with Hari Sreenivasan."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for some science on memory and aging:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjXPiUN_wDw">Memory Expert on Biden, Trump, and the Stereotypes of Aging</a><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMTJEo2INEMI9ReHGGzkL6o1wh2CMc9DnFnQWY-805643Kg-urEbxRbiGS8Flz75fSxmjSwzo4hUuTHIpDAmlvRcmdxb5XFWQuj12UaDif4ax532TgSuC54SvDLmSM20vilGzd1RFi30EgBwgtSPcX5urgQa3MuoXzZbxWHYt2G-geR84W3VOLcdrLhfI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="449" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMTJEo2INEMI9ReHGGzkL6o1wh2CMc9DnFnQWY-805643Kg-urEbxRbiGS8Flz75fSxmjSwzo4hUuTHIpDAmlvRcmdxb5XFWQuj12UaDif4ax532TgSuC54SvDLmSM20vilGzd1RFi30EgBwgtSPcX5urgQa3MuoXzZbxWHYt2G-geR84W3VOLcdrLhfI" width="270" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-45446834632859393732024-03-09T07:38:00.003-05:002024-03-09T07:44:06.554-05:00Leaky Gut: More Fantasy Than Real"In her 2023 book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/138505710-doppelganger">Doppelganger</a>, Canadian author Naomi Klein, often confused with conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf, uses the concept of the Mirror World to describe the alternate reality in which many people seem to live these days. In the Mirror World, our reality’s reflection gets distorted. Two Apple employees sitting in a restaurant and discussing the Apple Watch’s “Time Travel”, a since-abandoned feature allowing you to scroll through upcoming events and weather forecasts on your smart watch, becomes an overheard conversation about vaccine nanoparticles that let you travel back in time (true story). Everything gets misinterpreted in the Mirror World in the service of paranoia, distrust, and magical thinking.<br /><br />"There is a kernel of truth to the leaky gut theory, but what you’re likely to see online is its warped, outsized funhouse-mirror twin."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for the details:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/you-probably-dont-have-leaky-gut">You Probably Don’t Have a Leaky Gut</a><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkzkU6_WNiYq2krrgPgK4dfqA5RKivWAPH1xS_ENspYvmYfEEEQNbf4JkEPjA7Htv8BK8ARGtmejy_XeE1DsX5l7Iz4RPR7RdTV-nwhhKlt3UjiGQL4wgPOQyTH2kZOq2M8mJZjwRG7YdZgegTAs4A8ggZf6SgQDY0LaQ_oR3KYxT5Xpe7Uh5jvSnDDTw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1452" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkzkU6_WNiYq2krrgPgK4dfqA5RKivWAPH1xS_ENspYvmYfEEEQNbf4JkEPjA7Htv8BK8ARGtmejy_XeE1DsX5l7Iz4RPR7RdTV-nwhhKlt3UjiGQL4wgPOQyTH2kZOq2M8mJZjwRG7YdZgegTAs4A8ggZf6SgQDY0LaQ_oR3KYxT5Xpe7Uh5jvSnDDTw" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-31512325464528831702024-03-08T09:11:00.003-05:002024-03-08T09:11:37.407-05:00Free Speech: IT IS NOT ABSOLUTE<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"<span style="background-color: #fffdfa; color: #3c3c6d; font-family: ten-oldstyle, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17.0625px;">Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging </span><span style="background-color: #fffdfa; font-family: ten-oldstyle, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17.0625px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>the freedom of speech, or of the press</b></span></span><span style="background-color: #fffdfa; color: #3c3c6d; font-family: ten-oldstyle, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17.0625px;">; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>There has been a consistent interpretation of the concept of the First Amendment to the US Constitution since its inclusion in the Bill of Rights as the FIRST of ten amendments: <a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/what-does">it is not absolute</a>. A traditional phrase to teach this reality is: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shouting_fire_in_a_crowded_theater">"You can't yell fire in a crowded theater."</a>. In other words,<span style="color: red;"><b> if it incites harm, it is not constitutional. </b></span><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div>Given the above, it is <b><span style="color: red;">objectively evidenced</span></b> that many (? most) statements from every present-day conservative/MAGA Republican are <span style="color: red;"><b>unconstitutional</b></span>. So, the question is: <b><span style="color: red;">WHY ARE THEY ALLOWED TO USE MEDIA UNOPPOSED CONTEMPORANEOUSLY?</span></b> It is more than time to not only restore the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_doctrine">Fairness Doctrine</a> but make it inclusive of ALL media, with the requirement of instant/immediate fact-checking. With the wide knowledge base easily accessed by media today, this is now possible - - - use it!!!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEnk4fX8WduBSn7_HS_IP9C2MUAQk8ajNselYoVy2loi4d_V77NyVk1yeDFjCIrsgl3RwSYXBfZoTfmIj6FWFXUFUAjib9MDEhh8uPRIVu1NHDKJTu87Mxt7p7i5mDqDzr0nEYdQ4JG1-gCHz6oP9GjgMfc27a8wWAuYRPIYXAC4Leo_nOr76qq36GsY/s607/Free%20Speech%20-%20Trump.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="607" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEnk4fX8WduBSn7_HS_IP9C2MUAQk8ajNselYoVy2loi4d_V77NyVk1yeDFjCIrsgl3RwSYXBfZoTfmIj6FWFXUFUAjib9MDEhh8uPRIVu1NHDKJTu87Mxt7p7i5mDqDzr0nEYdQ4JG1-gCHz6oP9GjgMfc27a8wWAuYRPIYXAC4Leo_nOr76qq36GsY/s320/Free%20Speech%20-%20Trump.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2mDoXvXAeN17wJ4Vi9cY2xP7YrxTvVYgeglV2ls4b_Elne4bTXtAP1e0lvI_jNYe0ok70vpAmYyw01e6Oo-806eD72GkO7B9WuEHDpsP9Xg5FmayNpQZTSPI4DQ7nQ1g-MvVihU8yH-AqpYVaEhASaBS9jby5X_FPIKIp0_Fpdca9ggzpjw0JNslIbY/s823/%23%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2mDoXvXAeN17wJ4Vi9cY2xP7YrxTvVYgeglV2ls4b_Elne4bTXtAP1e0lvI_jNYe0ok70vpAmYyw01e6Oo-806eD72GkO7B9WuEHDpsP9Xg5FmayNpQZTSPI4DQ7nQ1g-MvVihU8yH-AqpYVaEhASaBS9jby5X_FPIKIp0_Fpdca9ggzpjw0JNslIbY/s320/%23%204.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><p></p></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-15811357426316567422024-03-07T05:12:00.002-05:002024-03-07T05:17:29.126-05:00The Trend For The USA Is Not Good<p> Click on the link below for a sobering projection regarding a significant decline for the USA and the rest of the Western World. Science-based thinking is a MUST for any nation and the planet as a whole:</p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyFxjJt1IC8">Neil deGrasse Tyson: How AFRICA Will Run The World (And Beat USA)</a><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYy2G2qpFGYxYmRBcvSOlLx4lCMSKFgXZriQ0cGH4oF9nKamqOpUDf3PnSe8cuaGLxxT06PxQH4e4j5nccOWywafCiQnTlp2j9zCXcVMNXGU-nZOLTU5FZfv3D7kcXHsvbEsX623z9_nDbYcakJLvv-ndgBEpn2NDdyXTP3DIgC8go25Q25OlzMVvYThQ/s511/Untitled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="511" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYy2G2qpFGYxYmRBcvSOlLx4lCMSKFgXZriQ0cGH4oF9nKamqOpUDf3PnSe8cuaGLxxT06PxQH4e4j5nccOWywafCiQnTlp2j9zCXcVMNXGU-nZOLTU5FZfv3D7kcXHsvbEsX623z9_nDbYcakJLvv-ndgBEpn2NDdyXTP3DIgC8go25Q25OlzMVvYThQ/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-56773193602191254732024-03-06T17:27:00.003-05:002024-03-06T17:27:17.813-05:00Suicide And The Media: A Lesson In Failure "After a long hiatus, Dr. Alan Smerbeck AKA Stormy Decisis is back to cover a topic we've been talking about discussing for a while. What does the research tell us is the responsible way to cover death by suicide? What kind of impact can the media have on the greater population if they get it wrong? And how many different ways did 13 Reasons Why completely screw up?"<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for how not to present suicide to the public:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://overcast.fm/+Oqlk5_-u4">How "13 Reasons Why" Killed Kids</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNorMdUDzDHLQ9nBuvSu4O1_mCDx1GofT-Y1P4mNFq3WGQOwhIc6n-grqr5bUuZF8IoYl9jU-50f7K8ZG0ZlYOLEEoGPEK3tSKOy6VQsmMdead5fk9-J2HiG9WiprckORlomZb13Dw-LNdTuouy2blgNocmCd4-TDOV-plsQx1gBNAg-cJD__B6jTjBKY/s374/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="374" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNorMdUDzDHLQ9nBuvSu4O1_mCDx1GofT-Y1P4mNFq3WGQOwhIc6n-grqr5bUuZF8IoYl9jU-50f7K8ZG0ZlYOLEEoGPEK3tSKOy6VQsmMdead5fk9-J2HiG9WiprckORlomZb13Dw-LNdTuouy2blgNocmCd4-TDOV-plsQx1gBNAg-cJD__B6jTjBKY/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-24796539992088844522024-03-05T08:31:00.007-05:002024-03-05T08:31:55.823-05:00Christian Nationalists: A Wide Demographic "Based on a substantial survey of 22,000 adults from across the country, <a href="https://www.prri.org/research/support-for-christian-nationalism-in-all-50-states/">new polling from the Public Religion Research Institute</a> on <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/christian-nationalists-republicans-rcna141239">Christian nationalism</a> confirms that Christian nationalism is strongly linked to voting for Republicans, higher church attendance and white evangelical Protestant affiliation. But not for everybody. The poll finds that<a href="https://www.prri.org/research/support-for-christian-nationalism-in-all-50-states/"> a substantial percentage of Black and Hispanic Americans are Christian nationalists</a>. It also finds that Black people who identify as Christian nationalists diverge politically from their white and Hispanic counterparts."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for more:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-black-latino-christian-nationalists-rcna140794?cid=eml_mda_20240304&user_email=4758fca811d88a0ac121ea72c614ddb745088ff1f09473b7ef9f4f80f2ab5672">Meet the Christian Nationalist voter</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8ufrw019fiTuY6kfFLlhqbZJLTpbtUxD-0fsYptIYClCFwWM6j6VTSuI78MyLvMK0FlKV7QOc3H28ChW6d31WO1V9v9KjXZ6lXsznUNBGO6R-bMbOoxlaPd3w7IT3AaGMMJVtpNcWLkwE76rg-RjVx0qgHth5Tm92D6FqUzpZoG-txZNQChb0eEpQ1U/s609/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="609" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8ufrw019fiTuY6kfFLlhqbZJLTpbtUxD-0fsYptIYClCFwWM6j6VTSuI78MyLvMK0FlKV7QOc3H28ChW6d31WO1V9v9KjXZ6lXsznUNBGO6R-bMbOoxlaPd3w7IT3AaGMMJVtpNcWLkwE76rg-RjVx0qgHth5Tm92D6FqUzpZoG-txZNQChb0eEpQ1U/s320/Untitled.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-67541204630772800962024-03-04T08:12:00.008-05:002024-03-04T08:16:50.575-05:00Plastic Recycling: Is There An Easier Way?"Globally, only 9% of plastic is ever recycled, and even that tiny amount requires some virgin plastic to maintain quality. But scientists have discovered a new way to address this issue: “plastivores”, organisms that have evolved to eat plastic using enzymes in their bodies. Can we harness these enzymes and use them on the macro scale? Or will it not be enough to keep up with plastic production?"<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below and decide for yourself:<br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZc7LpNGUc0">Plastic Recycling is a Myth - Here's How We Fix That</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl33kaVjJUJqzby9-KzcEKlOXPActTDaAxyu45GLQLFctbUEu3l2xHhKwcJBAgbm205YwpuZsJ0iqBpvwsXmNY2sTYoZ4re__XS86NTW5PrI2CrorplKnCFcEheI0PcMvsP0agx2yH6cWd-aAuo2KL8ItZVmXMJlx9gb0DQi8vc7v4tc2EsnwDROfWAYM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="955" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl33kaVjJUJqzby9-KzcEKlOXPActTDaAxyu45GLQLFctbUEu3l2xHhKwcJBAgbm205YwpuZsJ0iqBpvwsXmNY2sTYoZ4re__XS86NTW5PrI2CrorplKnCFcEheI0PcMvsP0agx2yH6cWd-aAuo2KL8ItZVmXMJlx9gb0DQi8vc7v4tc2EsnwDROfWAYM" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884465837309725635.post-58115653987263301722024-03-03T07:10:00.001-05:002024-03-03T07:11:24.436-05:00Naprapathy: Chiropractic's Little-Known Runt Of The Litter"The little-known manual therapy is an offshoot of chiropractic and its scientific justification is practically non-existent.<br /><br />"Buried in <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5443677/49/ragsdale-v-central-dupage-hospital/">a court document</a> mentioning Joe Mercola was the first reference to naprapathy I had ever seen. Joe Mercola has made a fortune selling dietary supplements and publishing health misinformation over the past few decades. The court case did not involve Mercola but rather a woman he had treated. In her lawsuit against a life insurance company, the plaintiff is described as having been bitten by a tick and contracting Lyme disease. After seeing Mercola (who tended to her with “diet and herbal treatments”), she went to see a naprapath. I had to do a double take. What exactly was a naprapath?<br /><br />"Naprapathy is a manual therapy, much like chiropractic, osteopathy, and massage therapy. It’s all about using hands to tug at and massage body parts, although it often also extends to dietary and exercise advice and to non-invasive complements like ultrasound therapy. Its scientific evaluation barely exists, and while some component of it might be salvageable, I’m not sure naprapaths themselves are right for the job."<div><br /></div><div>Click on the link below for more:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-pseudoscience/naprapathy-stretches-credulity">Naprapathy Stretches Credulity</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vI3ahu1-S_Zc5biPzgPR8wictp1XKuzjtgxIzhfO3toKNaX2U_Ru2QtvWi6I2S56NtBxfTbx2iAVtl9veVdbq1875QUoL2SuS8qjSqAy3Ny58RdFBVF9XUI-NLloo-VEIcUt4ZqErK4F-ox6XxVWdpUmJQdvK3-JrG1Cts72j6Z7P4KW1dt6rlGUhu8/s581/Alternatives%20to%20Medicine%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vI3ahu1-S_Zc5biPzgPR8wictp1XKuzjtgxIzhfO3toKNaX2U_Ru2QtvWi6I2S56NtBxfTbx2iAVtl9veVdbq1875QUoL2SuS8qjSqAy3Ny58RdFBVF9XUI-NLloo-VEIcUt4ZqErK4F-ox6XxVWdpUmJQdvK3-JrG1Cts72j6Z7P4KW1dt6rlGUhu8/s320/Alternatives%20to%20Medicine%202.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>Tom Raffertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07292584071661487071noreply@blogger.com0