[icopyright one button toolbar] I recently discussed a flaw in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in which people who were unaware of the penalties for failing to obtain health insurance might not become aware of this until April, after the closing of the open enrollment period. It would then have been too late for them to purchase insurance. Some Democratic … [Read more...] about CMS Announces Special Enrollment Period To Help Those Who Were Unaware Of Penalty
Bloomberg News Shows That Obamacare Is Not A Job-Killer As Republicans Claim
[icopyright one button toolbar] I've discussed many times, most recently here, how the conservative arguments against the Affordable Care Act don't hold up. Their predictions of doom have also consistently failed to come about. Bloomberg News looked at the effect of Obamacare on corporate profits, finding only a small effect, debunking the conservative claims that Obamacare … [Read more...] about Bloomberg News Shows That Obamacare Is Not A Job-Killer As Republicans Claim
Lars Vilks is NO Cartoonist
Lars Vilks is NO Cartoonist by Daryl Cagle Another Islamic extremist killing spree was blamed on cartoonists as recent, ugly events unfolded in Denmark surrounding Swedish "cartoonist" Lars Vilks. A lone killer sprayed machine gun fire at a "free speech event" organized around Vilks, who has attained a bizarre level of celebrity for drawing Prophet Muhammad heads on the … [Read more...] about Lars Vilks is NO Cartoonist
Krugman on the State of the GOP
Paul Krugman runs down the state of his party encountered by Republican Scott Walker as he enters the 2016 Presidential field in The New York Times. So what does it say about the current state of the G.O.P. that discussion of economic policy is now monopolized by people (supply-siders Laffer, Kudlow and Moore) who have been wrong about everything, have learned nothing … [Read more...] about Krugman on the State of the GOP
Is Italy The Next Breeding Ground For ISIS?
As the Islamic State group expands its reach into Libya, the group also known as ISIS sits on the doorstep of a nation that has one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe: Italy. The militant group threatened to seize Rome in a video released this week showing the beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt… … [Read more...] about Is Italy The Next Breeding Ground For ISIS?
Jeb’s Bushian speech
WASHINGTON -- Jeb Bush's highly anticipated speech on foreign policy reminded me of the joke in which two senior citizens are complaining about a restaurant. "Terrible food at that place," says one. "Yes," says the other, "and such small portions!" Bush's speech, which he gave Wednesday in Chicago, consisted of empty platitudes doled out in tight rations. Anyone who … [Read more...] about Jeb’s Bushian speech
Mike Peters Guest Cartoon: The Independence of Jeb Bush
The Independence of Jeb Bush by Mike Peters Of Related Interest: --Did Jeb separate himself enough from Bush family policies? --Jeb Bush vows to set his own course while tapping longtime family advisers --Hunt: Is the Bush family brand a liability for Jeb's run? --The Same People Who Lied To You About Iraq Are Now In Charge Of Jeb Bush’s Foreign … [Read more...] about Mike Peters Guest Cartoon: The Independence of Jeb Bush
‘Mein Kampf’ to Be Published in Germany for First Time Since 1945
‘Mein Kampf’ to Be Published in Germany for First Time Since 1945 Hitler’s autobiography is to be published in Germany for the first time since his death in 1945. The Munich Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ) has set out more details about its heavily annotated version of Mein Kampf, to be released next year, a book which is currently only available in antiquated … [Read more...] about ‘Mein Kampf’ to Be Published in Germany for First Time Since 1945
The GOP’s Freudian moment
WASHINGTON -- After he won re-election last November, soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made two sets of comments reflecting the dueling impulses of the Republican Mind. Freud fans might refer to the superego, aka the conscience, and the id. The Kentucky Republican got the most attention for gracious words to reporters the day after the election. "When … [Read more...] about The GOP’s Freudian moment
‘Game Of Thrones’ Coming To ‘Monopoly’
A “Game of Thrones”-themed "Monopoly" game will reach buyers later this year. This version of the popular board game will include characters, locations and items from the well-known fantasy drama series, which debuted on HBO in 2011. “The Iron Bank is the Iron Bank.” Coming in 2015, Monopoly #GameOfThrones edition: http://t.co/UBuXb0iqcc @usaopoly pic.twitter.com/fubi9rdgKz — … [Read more...] about ‘Game Of Thrones’ Coming To ‘Monopoly’
An Open Letter to Mr. Obama and Mr. Bush
[icopyright one button toolbar] Saladin (1138-1193) on 25 Pound 1991 Banknote from Syria. First Sultan of Egypt and Syria. A Kurd, he led Muslim opposition against Crusaders. [SYRIA - CIRCA 1991; Georgios Kollidas/Shutterstock.com] If there is any shared value between our secular and religiously tolerant political system and the movement known as "Christianity," it is … [Read more...] about An Open Letter to Mr. Obama and Mr. Bush
Fifty Shades of Decadence, One Shade of ISIS
[icopyright one button toolbar] The "Islamic State" has gone full Genghis Khan during the past week -- beheading 21 Christians on a beach in Libya, incinerating 45 hapless souls in a northern Iraqi town, linking up with Boko Haram in Central Africa, establishing cordial ties with al-Qaeda, and watching contentedly as apostles of jihad inflicted death in Denmark. From its … [Read more...] about Fifty Shades of Decadence, One Shade of ISIS
They Brand Cattle, Don’t They?
“Branding! We have to make you a brand!” “I’m not cattle,” I told my sometimes faux foil assistant Marshbaum, who had just burst into my office. “And if you think I’m getting a tattoo,” I replied, “my body isn’t a canvas.” “It’s sure wide enough,” Marshbaum flippantly replied. Before I could throw sheets of wadded up paper at him, he explained what he meant. “It’s not a … [Read more...] about They Brand Cattle, Don’t They?
A Day In Conservative Stupidity: Three Examples
[icopyright one button toolbar] The conservative movement has become totally divorced from reality, often denying science and facts to make their positions. Here's just three examples from the past day. Conservatives Hate Historical Facts Conservatives hate actual American history as the facts contradict so many of their claims. As Joseph Ellis has explained, the … [Read more...] about A Day In Conservative Stupidity: Three Examples
Birther Alert: Rudy Giuliani Says Obama Doesn’t Love America
[icopyright one button toolbar] Rudy Giuliani is using that old, tired and failed line that President Obama doesn't love America once again. Yes, we see where that got the Republican Party in 2008 and 2012 -- Obama beat John McCain and later Mitt Romney by a landslide. Rudy Giuliani went straight for the jugular Wednesday night during a private group dinner here … [Read more...] about Birther Alert: Rudy Giuliani Says Obama Doesn’t Love America
Do Americans want to send ground troops to fight ISIS? CBS Poll: Y-e-s
[icopyright one button toolbar] Do Americans want to send ground troops to fight ISIS? A CBS poll finds the answer is yes, with the numbers growing: Amid more executions by the militant group ISIS, Americans increasingly see the group as a threat to the U.S. Now, 65 percent of Americans view ISIS as a major threat - up from 58 percent in October - while another 18 … [Read more...] about Do Americans want to send ground troops to fight ISIS? CBS Poll: Y-e-s
Republicans Are Still Not Ready To Take Back The Keys To The National Car
[icopyright one button toolbar] The Republicans' own big takeaway from their 2014 election victories was that they would now show Americans what governing was all about. Ta da! This boast was rather strange since the party has performed a sort of demented Kabuki theater in lieu of governing -- whether jointly with President Obama, Democrats or by their lonesome -- … [Read more...] about Republicans Are Still Not Ready To Take Back The Keys To The National Car
With ‘Nuclear Taboo’ Broken, Putin Threatens the Whole of Humanity (Rzeczpospolita, Poland)
This much is clear, the ceasefire agreed to in Minsk has done little to dampen the alarm felt by most east Europeans about what they perceive as Russian expansionism. In this column from Poland's Rzeczpospolita, senior commentator Janusz Rolicki writes that Russia's new military doctrine fails to renounce the first use of nuclear weapons, which until recently was the … [Read more...] about With ‘Nuclear Taboo’ Broken, Putin Threatens the Whole of Humanity (Rzeczpospolita, Poland)
A Record-Breaking Snow Removal Job – The Guard Is There
[icopyright one button toolbar] Record-breaking snowfalls and temperatures -- low ones that is -- have brought about a lot of snow shoveling for hundreds of National Guardsmen in several states, from the North-East all the way down to Arkansas, North Carolina and Virginia. The photos and captions say it all: Soldiers clear snow from the Ashmont/Peabody … [Read more...] about A Record-Breaking Snow Removal Job – The Guard Is There
I Want To Out Live Actuarial Science and Feel Good Doing It. By Dr. KP, DC
[icopyright one button toolbar] The image above is at "Dad's Day" while my eldest daughter was attending university. I did the same with my second daughter (at bottom). I was at their graduations as well. The one above will be married in May. I want to be around to know her children become adults and do similar things with them. I have a wonderful job; I advise my … [Read more...] about I Want To Out Live Actuarial Science and Feel Good Doing It. By Dr. KP, DC