Gizmodo, the gadget blog, reports that a new toy for girls will soon be available. The Poll Dancer Doll for Girls features blinking lights, a disco ball, and don’t forget a pole.
Really?
This is what we are encouraging our young girls to play with?
Just when I thought tassel tees for tots and porn star prom dresses were enough to introduce the “girls gone wild” culture to my little sister.
Now, I have seen it all.
Saturday’s N&O published my guest column on defending marriage here in North Carolina. The column pointed out that North Carolina is the only state in the southern United States that still does not have a Defense of Marriage Act on the record despite public pressure and bipartisan support in the General Assembly. While some 30 states across the nation have defended marriage as between one man and one woman, North Carolina residents have yet to be allowed to vote on this issue. It can be presumed that the Act will be reintroduced next session for the sixth year in a row and if it finally passes, voters will be given the chance to add an amendment defending marriage to North Carolina’s constitution.
The hustle and bustle of new fall classes brings football games, new student orientation and the nostalgic school supply list. This year, nestled in between the usual suspects of #2 pencils, TI-83 Calculators, and loose-leafed notebook paper, the unusual request of a thermometer finds its way on the school supply list. Schools across North Carolina are advising students to be on the look-out for the first signs of swine flu that can be detected by checking for a fever whenever you start to feel flu-like symptoms. On the front page of UNC Chapel Hill’s website is a link to a list of information on swine flu and “how to respond” areas specific to students, professors and health care providers.
With the heightened awareness for swine flu symptoms at schools, offices, restaurants and public places I have to question the role fear is playing in the anti-swine flu campaign? Health officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cite daunting stats of “556 dead from swine flu this year” without any comparison of deaths from traditional flu “victims”. For good measure, the CDC cites that 36,000 Americans die on average per year from complications associated with influenza. So why are health officials pushing for swine flu awareness above traditional protections against the flu (ie: wash your hands)? Maybe swine flu is particularly aggressive and requires immediate attention from doctors, while seasonal flu can be treated with at-home remedies? What about the role vaccine companies are playing here, do they get some sort of kick-back for rushing the flu vaccine? Or better yet, is intentional fear-mongering forcing Americans to keep the urgent need for health care at the front of our minds? Maybe the next health care reform pitch will read “Look around you, America is coming down with swine flu at unprecedented rates (well not really) wouldn’t it be great to know that our health can be cared for by the government? Is swine flu awareness a tactic? Maybe.
Storm clouds are still swirling around NC’s longest serving legislator. They’re not the typical clouds you might see in any kind of normal weather system, they’re more like what you’d see in a sci-fi movie with bad CGI effects. All of the twists and turns seem to make sense only to Soles for now. The Fayetteville Observer has a well written overview of the bizarre situation.
TABOR CITY – A handful of young men chase R.C. Soles Jr. all over town. If he’s eating breakfast downtown at Mama’s Restaurant, the teens and 20-somethings – former clients of the lawyer and state senator – will often wait on the sidewalk for him to exit. They’ve camped out by his car to wait for him to leave church on Sunday mornings, and they often park in the cemetery at the end of his road so they can see when he heads home. If he ignores them, the young men yell and cause a scene. When he leaves, they follow him like he’s leading a parade.
I really should get this written in book form, it’s a great made for TV movie. Allen Strickland, the 17 year old living in a house allegedly paid for by Soles, was arrested for setting it on fire (and posting his own bond with a DEBIT CARD). He was in jail yesterday after leading police on a high speed chase in the corvette allegedly paid for by Soles. (Soles had his own high speed chase back in the late 70s when Sen. Tony Rand (D-Cumberland) represented him and got him out of 115 mph incident. Strickland easily posted bail again yesterday. Someone will eventually track down all this cash.
Even the reluctant StarNews finally covered some of this. After the car crashed, Strickland apparently abandoned the vehicle and reported it stolen. You can’t make this stuff up!
Is WakeMed supporting ObamaCare? On September 3rd they are allowing Organizing for America to use the WakeMed North Healthplex for a rally in support of “Health Insurance Reform,” the new name for Health Care Reform (ObamaCare) which may shortly be changed to KennedyCare. As I posted in January, Organizing for America is President’s Obama political arm or permanent political campaign. This is not the first time they have used Organizing for America to push legislation. But why is Wake Med participating in this?
I have not seen an official press release but there is this blog at WakeMed (the largest hospital and 4th largest employer in Wake County) and there is this youtube video by WakeMed President and CEO Bill Atkinson:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMUdMgOf8h8
It sure looks like he is pushing for some type of legislation and by allowing the Obama political machine to use his OUR hospital as a part of the campaign it would appear he is supporting ObamaCare. When the citizens of Wake County turned the county owned hospital over to a private non-profit corporation, did they really think this is what it would be used for?
It appears that some of our statist friends are offended by some of my recent terminology. After Under the Dome referenced my rebuttal to an article by the Budget & Tax Center, there was some focus on my descriptive phrase, “The North Carolina Budget & Tax Center, an outfit driven by Marxist ideology.”
There was an accusation of ad hominem and ad populum attacks. The descriptive phrase was actually intended to provide readers who were unfamiliar with BTC with some background information about the organization and their ideological motivations. Just as Civitas is described as a “conservative” organization.
I suppose the objection comes from their beleif that “Marxist ideology” is not an accurate description driving their vision for how best to organize society. So, just to clear the air, let’s examine the 10 planks in Marx’s Communist Manifesto – I’d say a fair summation of the primary objectives of “Marxist ideology.” (For an entertaining and insightful analysis, see this article.)
Spending a few minutes on their website – along with their sister organization NC Policy Watch and parent organization NC Justice Center – turns up some striking similarities. (To be fair, if BTC disagrees with Policy Watch or Justice Center on any of these issues, I’d love to hear from you)
8 out of 10 in just a few minutes time. If BTC has produced any material opposing any of the 10 planks from the Manifesto, I encourage them to forward it to me.
More rather indirect than direct answers from Congressman McIntyre on the health care situation. Even my cousin Elizabeth Wright gets a question in on WWAY. (Of note, she’s the daughter of former legislator Richard Wright of Columbus County, a good cousin!) (HT-PA)
Short version, on Tort reform, if the president doesn’t bring it up, neither will Mike. On the public option, not sure if it’s a good idea. On government paid for cooperatives, well, they might be a good idea.
On the congressman’s website, health care isn’t even mentioned. Too funny!
It’s pretty clear that the health care fiasco has become a nightmare for sitting congressman and a certain freshman Senator from North Carolina. Rather than have the temerity to admit that the citizens have decried the public takeover option they’re now hedging their positions to say they want to “look at it more closely” or “examine it” or anything BUT saying it’s DOA.
Ever the confused, Bob Etheridge (D-Harnett) even believes the massive debt ridden plan will actually be a “booster” for North Carolina’s economy. But Bob also believes that adding 20% to your utility bill is a good idea in the form of Cap and Trade, but I digress.
Over 10,000 people showed up in various cities across the state on the recent AFP “Hand Off My HealthCare” tour. Funny, only 10 could show up to picket the GOP headquarters in the state capital supporting this health care hijacking.
Their own party has tried to say people were being shipped into rallies (false), then they called them angry mobs (false), that it was funded by insurance companies (also false) and that even big pharma was paying for it (which turned ironic as big pharma was paying for commercials supporting it).
The one question that simply stymies our collection of “I wanna act like a moderate” liberal Democrats in elected office here in North Carolina is that they cannot cite a single time when government involvement replacing the private sector has EVER brought down costs OR made the service better.
Sen. Hagan should wake up to the reality that is quickly marginalizing her political future and showing she’s truly out of touch with the citizens in the state. But if you’re owned by a union, I guess you do what the true mobsters want you to do.
Believe it or not, there have been 17 calls to 911 from the home of Sen. RC Soles (D-Columbus) since August of 2008. Apparently lots of his clients “worry him” from time to time.
Anyone just think this gets weirder and weirder? (HT-David WIlliams)
Sad that it took Myrtle Beach, SC to expose it.
Addendum: ”Frog” Strickland, 17, the young fella’ whose house was burned while he was in it, has been arrested for setting his own house on fire (and the motive is?). Soles essentially paid for the house. Now, the truly strange part, with no visible means of support, Strickland is somehow able to come up with $10k to pay his own bond. Is Sugar Daddy Soles still lurking around “Frog’s” checking account? ”Frog” had offered $5k for any information leading to an arrest for someone setting his house on fire. 17 years old and has thousands of dollars to throw around. . . . .
I have seen it all, now. When a Congressman won’t let a constituent speak at a town hall until he checks their ID, what have we come to? Northern Virginian Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) did just that at a town hall on Obamacare KennedyCare this week. (Unfortunately for him, the camera was there too.)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljAg770W_-k
Now, you might say that this is just an isolated incident. Wrong, it get worse. Congressman Eugene Green (D-TX) required ID’s to be checked at the door to be admitted to the town hall he had two weeks ago.
Aren’t these the same guys that vote against voter ID at the polls on election day?
(So its OK for anybody to vote in an election without proof of identity but we can’t let them ask their congressman a question?)
This got me to thinking about whether this any ID provisions in the Obamacare bill. NRO says no:
“While there is language in the House bill requiring that their incomes be verified, there is no requirement that their identity or citizenship be confirmed before they receive taxpayer-subsidized health benefits. I guess it is just too much to ask that the federal government check citizenship status (as private employers are required to do before hiring an employee).”
Just another case of “Do as I say, not as I do.” I wonder why all of those people at the town halls are so mad?
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