Category Archives: Fail!

Christian Values Congressman Vance McAllister Was Caught on Video Kissing a Staffer – The Wire

No shame

Forgive him sure and then show him the door, he does not have the courage to leave through.

McAllister’s statement in response to the video, according to the Monroe News-Star:

There’s no doubt I’ve fallen short and I’m asking for forgiveness. I’m asking for forgiveness from God, my wife, my kids, my staff and my constituents who elected me to serve. Trust is something I know has to be earned whether you’re a husband, a father or a congressman. I promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I’ve disappointed. From day one, I’ve always tried to be an honest man. I ran for Congress to make a difference and not just be another politician.

I don’t want to make a political statement on this, I would just simply like to say that I’m very sorry for what I’ve done. While I realize I serve the public, I would appreciate the privacy given to my children as we get through this.”

via Christian Values Congressman Vance McAllister Was Caught on Video Kissing a Staffer – The Wire.

Avian Flu Diary: Study: Chikungunya’s Growing Threat To The Americas

While rarely fatal, the CDC describes the symptoms of infection as lasting a few days to a few weeks, producing `debilitating illness, most often characterized by fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rash, and joint pain’,  although some may experience `incapacitating joint pain, or arthritis which may last for weeks or months.’

via Avian Flu Diary: Study: Chikungunya’s Growing Threat To The Americas.

Why Rwanda Accuses France of Aiding 1994 Genocide · Global Voices

1) France commanded some branches of the Rwandan army against the rebels of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

2) France feared that the Tutsi offensive was remotely piloted via Uganda by anglophone countries and was intended to drive a wedge into the influence of France in the region.

3) France did not seem overly interested in peace negotiations before the conflict.

4) The soldiers did not evacuate any  of the Tutsi staff present at the Embassy of France (except for one person). They ended all being killed.

5) As for Operation Turquoise, it continues to divide: it certainly saved Tutsi lives, but the army is accused of having remained passive – and therefore was accomplice – to the atrocities.

via Why Rwanda Accuses France of Aiding 1994 Genocide · Global Voices.

Mob attacks Ebola treatment centre in Guinea as suspected cases reach Mali | South China Morning Post

Pray that none on the flight to Brussels were carrying ebola with then unknowingly – ease of travel today multiplies the risks – that’s what moved the outbreak to Conakry!

“A return Brussels Airlines flight between the Belgian capital and Conakry on Thursday had just 55 people arriving and 200 leaving, an airline employee said.”

via Mob attacks Ebola treatment centre in Guinea as suspected cases reach Mali | South China Morning Post.

Italian Doctors Abort a Law – Inter Press Service

Two out of three doctors in Italy are ‘conscientious objectors’ to abortion, according to new data. The Italian Ministry of Health reveals that in 2011, 69.3 percent of doctors refused to carry out abortions, with peaks of over 85 percent in some regions.

In the face of such numbers, the ruling of the European Committee of Social Rights of the Council of Europe against Italy earlier this month over a complaint for violating the right to protection of health came as no surprise.

“Many doctors object simply because they have nothing to gain from doing this extra work.”

“The Italian situation really worries us, and this is why we filed the complaint,” Irene Donadio, advocacy officer at the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF_EN) told IPS. “We believe that there is a problem with the functioning and application of the abortion law, which, in fact, would be a good law but is often violated.

“We acknowledge the fact that the right to conscientious objection is included in the same law, but the right of women to access a service that is legal and fundamental for their health needs to be respected as much as this right.”

via Italian Doctors Abort a Law – Inter Press Service.

To prohibit any Federal agency or official, in carrying out any Act or program to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change, from imposing a fee or tax on gaseous emissions emitted directly by livestock. (H.R. 4393) – GovTrack.us

Missed filing this on April 1st.? 

H.R. 4393: To prohibit any Federal agency or official, in carrying out any Act or program to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas …

… emissions on climate change, from imposing a fee or tax on gaseous emissions emitted directly by livestock.

Introduced:

Apr 03, 2014

Status:

Referred to Committee

Prognosis

0% chance of being enacted

TRACK THIS BILL

Call Congress

OVERVIEWExploreComments (0)

SPONSOR

Jeff Fortenberry

Representative for Nebraska’s 1st congressional district

PARTY

Republican

via To prohibit any Federal agency or official, in carrying out any Act or program to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change, from imposing a fee or tax on gaseous emissions emitted directly by livestock. (H.R. 4393) – GovTrack.us.

WHO | Ebola virus disease: background and summary

Just saying… WHO – formerly known as a helpful agency – seems to have become trapped in a protect our budget and behinds mode. There is a major outbreak but they will not say so or warn people from traveling to the effected area because supporters of the governments in the effected areas are more afraid of losing business in the short run, than having people die.

WHO encourages countries to strengthen surveillance, including surveillance for illness compatible with EVD, and to carefully review any unusual patterns, in order to ensure identification and reporting of human infections under the IHR (2005), and encourages countries to continue national health preparedness actions.

WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied with respect to this event.

via WHO | Ebola virus disease: background and summary.

Widespread Contamination of Drinking Water from the East Poplar Oil Field in Montana | Briana Mordick’s Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

A new report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) documents serious drinking water contamination caused by oil production in Montana. This is the latest report from the USGS in an ongoing investigation of groundwater contamination in and near the East Poplar oil field.

Researchers found that almost 18 square miles of the shallow aquifer in the study area is contaminated with brine (also known as “produced water”) that is co-produced with oil. Produced water can be many times saltier than seawater and may also contain hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and naturally occurring radioactive material.

These shallow aquifers are the only source of drinking water in the area. The contamination has impacted both private drinking water wells and public water supply wells for the city of Poplar. All told, the USGS estimates that anywhere from 15-37 billion gallons of groundwater is contaminated with brine, compromising the groundwater supplies of about 3,000 people. As a result, the city of Poplar, headquarters of the Fort Peck Tribal government, had to build a pipeline to bring in drinking water from the Missouri River.

via Widespread Contamination of Drinking Water from the East Poplar Oil Field in Montana | Briana Mordick’s Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC.

Canada: Monsanto fund supports the future of agriculture

Pretty cheap pass-go free and greenwashing fee for academic pats of back???

$210,000 grant, the Monsanto Fund is supporting the recruitment of future agri-food leaders into programs at the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC). The grant will support OAC’s Student Liaison Program over the next three years to engage and excite high school students by showing them the educational and career opportunities in agriculture, food and the environment.

via Canada: Monsanto fund supports the future of agriculture.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2575) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 30-hour threshold for classification as a full-time employee for purposes of the employer mandate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and replace it with 40 hours. (H.Res. 530) – GovTrack.us

AKA – Pimping for fast food and quickie retail outlets who don’t want to cover the more than 50% of their regularly scheduled 30 hour a week employees!

…threshold for classification as a full-time employee for purposes of the employer mandate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and replace it with 40 hours.

via Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2575) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 30-hour threshold for classification as a full-time employee for purposes of the employer mandate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and replace it with 40 hours. (H.Res. 530) – GovTrack.us.