The Hollywood Liberal

Protein Identified that Destroys HIV
Using a $225,000 microscope, researchers have identified the key components of a protein that destroys HIV in rhesus monkeys. The finding could lead to new treatments based on the protein, TRIM5a, that would knock out HIV in humans, said senior researcher Edward M. Campbell of Loyola University Health System.

The Shrugged Shoulders
Behold the lack of enthusiasm, wonder how that happens?

Funny how the the White House, which ran a rather impeccable election campaign in 2008 seems to not really even care, or shrugs its collective shoulders, over the 2010 election.

Looking at the latest Gallup latest ballot polling there appears to be a point where the generic numbers really changed in favor of the Republicans. Somewhere around mid-August. Wonder what happened then?

Oh, yeah…

Speaking publicly for the first time since he disparaged the “professional left,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he stands by his comments, has no plans to resign and that he fully expects progressive voters to go to the polls in 2010.

And how is “Beltway Bob” doing on the prediction front?

The newest Gallup numbers show Republicans with a staggering 25% advantage in voter enthusiasm.

I’m sure there is some eleventy-dimensional chess move to come. For example, Gibbs will soon announce that Obama has cut the budget deficit by having the Government sign an endorsement deal with Purina Brands. Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to the “Friskies Debt Commission”.

?

Chronic Pain? Pot May Do the Trick
This may seem like the results of a study by Professor Obvious, but a research team out of McGill University Health Center in Montreal has determined that smoking marijuana might help chronic pain sufferers manage their symptoms. However, there are always caveats that come with this kind of work, and this “small study” is no exception. —KA Reuters via Fox News: Ware and his colleagues recruited 21 adults who were suffering from chronic neuropathic pain after an injury or surgery. Three times a day, for five days, participants took a 25 milligram hit of one of four treatments: marijuana that was 2.5 percent, 6 percent, or 9.4 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or a 0 percent placebo. All patients rotated in random order through the four different treatments, with a nine-day break between each one. During each treatment, participants were asked about their pain, sleep patterns, mood, and overall quality of life. Patients smoking 9.4 percent THC marijuana reported lower pain scores than when smoking the placebo – on average, 5.4 versus 6.1 on a scale from 0 (“no pain”) to 10 (“worst possible pain”). They also reported that they slept better, and were less anxious and depressed than when they were on the placebo. When smoking marijuana with moderate doses of THC, participants generally reported improved symptoms, but there was no significant difference in their relief from these doses compared to relief from the placebo treatment. There was also no difference in the quality of life or mood scores that participants reported when they were on any of the four treatments. The highest dose of THC produced the most side effects, which included headaches, dry eyes, and a burning sensation in the regions where patients had pain. Read more

This may seem like the results of a study by Professor Obvious, but a research team out of McGill University Health Center in Montreal has determined that smoking marijuana might help chronic pain sufferers manage their symptoms. However, there are always caveats that come with this kind of work, and this “small study” is no exception. —KA

Reuters via Fox News:

Ware and his colleagues recruited 21 adults who were suffering from chronic neuropathic pain after an injury or surgery. Three times a day, for five days, participants took a 25 milligram hit of one of four treatments: marijuana that was 2.5 percent, 6 percent, or 9.4 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or a 0 percent placebo. All patients rotated in random order through the four different treatments, with a nine-day break between each one.

During each treatment, participants were asked about their pain, sleep patterns, mood, and overall quality of life.

Patients smoking 9.4 percent THC marijuana reported lower pain scores than when smoking the placebo – on average, 5.4 versus 6.1 on a scale from 0 (“no pain”) to 10 (“worst possible pain”). They also reported that they slept better, and were less anxious and depressed than when they were on the placebo.

When smoking marijuana with moderate doses of THC, participants generally reported improved symptoms, but there was no significant difference in their relief from these doses compared to relief from the placebo treatment. There was also no difference in the quality of life or mood scores that participants reported when they were on any of the four treatments.

The highest dose of THC produced the most side effects, which included headaches, dry eyes, and a burning sensation in the regions where patients had pain.

Read more

Related Entries

• August 30, 2010 Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite (Update)
• August 27, 2010 Lessons From a Low-Impact Week

The Speech Glenn Beck Meant to Give
I have a dream that the Yalie son of a Houston oil magnate can walk hand in hand with the daughter of a Wall Street hedge fund operator on the white sands of Southampton while evading inheritance taxes.

By Arthur Blaustein

I have a dream that the Yalie son of a Houston oil magnate can walk hand in hand with the daughter of a Wall Street hedge fund operator on the white sands of Southampton while evading inheritance taxes.

Related Entries

• August 30, 2010 Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite (Update)
• August 27, 2010 Lessons From a Low-Impact Week

Lincoln Mitchell: Whither the Tea Party
Glenn Beck’s rally this past weekend will undoubtedly be remembered as a strange episode in American political history as well as perhaps the single biggest…

Jeff Danziger: Combat Troops Advisors

Christopher Ketcham: Vermont Revolutionaries and the Rise of a Green Tea Party
The most radical antiwar candidate in the US is not Dennis Kucinich or Rand or Ron Paul or any of the usual suspects. It’s a 42-year-old Vermonter named Dennis Steele, who is running for governor of his state as an open secessionist.

Fox News’ latest election “controversy” falls apart

Fox News baselessly suggested that Democrats would attempt to “skew” the fall elections by exempting “battleground” states from a requirement that they ship ballots to overseas military personnel at least 45 days before the election. This manufactured controversy has completely fallen apart: The only “battleground” state (as defined by Fox News) that received an exemption has a Republican official overseeing its elections. Moreover, the waiver process is part of the law and was mentioned during the debate over the legislation, which was co-sponsored by 26 Senate Republicans.

Fox suggests Dems will abuse voting rights law to swing close elections in “battlegrounds”

Fox suggests waivers are a “political move” by Democrats “fretting” over November elections. On the August 27 edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy said, “There are 10 states out there that are trying to get an exemption from the [Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment] MOVE Act law, and four of them are expected to have hotly contested races in November — races that could come down to just a few votes.” Introducing a report from correspondent James Rosen, guest co-host Alisyn Camerota then asked, “So are the waiver requests a political move?” Rosen then claimed:

“You know, with some Democratic strategists and pollsters privately fretting about their party losing maybe 40 seats in the House and six or seven in the Senate, the votes of those overseas military personnel — who register to vote in higher numbers than the general population — could indeed prove decisive.

Later in his report, Rosen said, “Among the 10 states [requesting waivers] are some real battlegrounds with races shaping up as photo finishes, including Wisconsin and Colorado, where incumbent Senators Russ Feingold and Michael Bennet, respectively — both Democrats — are locked in races that RealClearPolitics.com rates as tossups.” As he spoke, this graphic aired:

Fox: States with tight races seek waivers as Democrats are “fretting” over elections.  On the August 26 edition of Fox News’ America Live, host Megyn Kelly introduced a report from Rosen on “whether our troops overseas will get the chance to vote in coming weeks as we lead up to the midterm elections.” Kelly continued: “Ten states now say it might not happen. And four of those states have races so tight that a couple thousand votes could very well swing the election results.” As Kelly spoke, a graphic appeared on-screen identifying Washington, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Maryland as four states where “military voters could decide races”:

Rosen then claimed, “Some of the Democratic strategists and pollsters in this town are privately fretting about their party losing 40 seats in the House, maybe six or seven in the Senate. Therefore, the votes of these overseas military personnel — who register to vote in higher numbers than the general population does — could indeed, as you say, prove decisive.”

Fox: The “perception” is that “these voters are gonna vote Republican” and that “states” “want to skew the results.” On the August 25 edition of Fox & Friends, Camerota discussed the states’ waiver requests with Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. During the segment, Johnson said, “There’s a perception — and it’s not true — in American political history that somehow, voters are going to be Republican — military voters are going to be Republican. That goes back to the Civil War. Since then, there’s been no discernible pattern. … But there is a perception, based on the historiography, that somehow these voters are gonna vote Republican.” Camerota responded, “So, then it sounds like some people are suggesting that states would withhold their right, or mess it up somehow, because they want to skew the results.”

DOD grants waiver to only one of Fox’s “battlegrounds” — and its top election official is Republican

Associated Press: WI, CO denied; MD dropped request. An August 27 Associated Press article reported that Wisconsin, Hawaii, Alaska, and Colorado “were denied requests on Friday to ignore a new federal law meant to protect the voting rights of deployed troops and other Americans overseas.” It also stated, “Maryland initially asked for a waiver for its Sept. 14 primary, but then determined it could get the ballots to military and overseas voters before the election.”

Sole “battleground” state (as defined by Fox) that received waiver has GOP secretary of state. The AP reported, “The Defense Department granted Delaware, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Washington the waivers.” Sam Reed, Washington’s secretary of state, is a Republican.

In a statement to Media Matters, Shane Hamlin, assistant director of elections for Washington state, explained the state’s waiver request:

In October 2009, Congress passed new legislation called the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (the MOVE Act). Congress assumed that, in order to comply with the long-standing recommendation of a 45 day transit period, states must mail the ballots to military and overseas voters 45 days before Election Day. Consequently, Congress mandated in the MOVE Act that states mail ballots to military and overseas voters 45 days before Election Day. This timeframe does not comply with Washington’s statutory deadlines for candidate filing, printing ballots, mailing and receiving ballots, or certifying the Primary or General Elections. For example, state law establishes that the Secretary of State’s Office will certify the results of the Primary on Tuesday, September 7. The MOVE Act’s 45 day deadline is Saturday, September 18, 2010. Eight business days is not enough time to reformat, print and distribute 55,000 – 65,000 ballot packets for military and overseas voters. Keep in mind that each of the 6,600 precincts in the state has a different ballot.

The MOVE Act allows states to apply for a waiver from the 45-day requirement if the state can accommodate the military and overseas voters in other ways. Because Washington does provide the same amount of time for the ballots to be sent and received, but simply provides it on an altered schedule, Washington has applied for a waiver from this very specific requirement. Washington is still providing the benefits that the MOVE Act envisions, and is even exceeding those expectations by providing 51 days of transit time for the General Election.

Waiver process was included in bipartisan MOVE Act

States’ ability to request exemptions is provided for in law. The MOVE Act adopted by voice vote on July 23, 2009. Prior to the vote, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) noted the waiver provision during a Senate floor speech, saying that the bill “ensures that military and overseas voters have time to vote by requiring ballots to be sent out 45 days before the election and allowing blank ballots to be sent electronically. It also provides some flexibility to States that cannot meet the 45-day deadline, as long as they come up with an alternative plan to ensure time to vote.”

26 Senate Republicans co-sponsored MOVE Act. According the Library of Congress‘ THOMAS website, the legislation had 59 co-sponsors, including 26 Republicans.

Cornyn: MOVE Act “balance[s] responsibilities between elections officials and the Department of Defense.” Discussing an amendment to attach the MOVE Act to the Defense Appropriations bill, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said the amendment would “help us restore the franchise, the vote, to our deployed military overseas,” adding, “Our goal has been to balance responsibilities between elections officials and the Department of Defense, and I believe this amendment accomplishes that goal.”

Chambliss lauded passage of MOVE Act, which included waiver process. In a July 24, 2009, press release Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), said, “This is an important bill that addresses many critical quality-of-life issues for our men and women. I’m pleased an amendment to ensure that our military men and women serving overseas are able to participate in the electoral process was included in the final bill.”

Dem Rep Admits Breaking Rules By Giving Scholarships To Her Grandkids
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) has admitted to breaking anti-nepotism rules by awarding Congressional Black Caucus Foundation scholarships to her grandchildren and to the children of her aides. The Dallas Morning News reports that Johnson improperly awarded the scholarships (which…


Eddie Bernice Johnson – Congressional Black Caucus Foundation – Scholarship – Education – The Dallas Morning News

Is Mexico Really Sending Its Police To Patrol Staten Island?
A breathless report published recently by the American Free Press titled “MEXICAN POLICE TO PATROL NY?” told an unbelievable story. The writer, Jeff Smith, reported that the government of Mexico would soon “begin patrolling the New York City borough of Staten Island to ‘safeguard’ its nationals there.” Smith reported that the move had caused “wide notice and a storm of protests” and had been reported in various outlets, including The New York Times.



Staten Island – New York City – Mexico – New York Times – Jeff Smith

Most Americans Believe Gay Men And Lesbians Should Be Able To Serve In The Military
A new CBS News poll shows that 75% of Americans believe gay men and lesbians should be allowed to serve in the military.



United States – Lesbian – CBS News – Gay – Gay Lesbian and Bisexual

Glenn Beck’s Fall in 2011

Dead Heat in Minnesota
A new MPR News/Humphrey Institute poll in Minnesota shows Mark Dayton (D) and Tom Emmer (R) running neck and neck in the race for governor.

Emmer and Dayton are deadlocked each with 34% support, while Independence Party candidate Tom Horner had 13%.

Traficant Has the Signatures to Run
Less than a year after being released from prison, former Rep. Jim Traficant secured enough petition signatures to run for his old House seat this fall as an independent.

CQ Politics: “The district, which Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan currently represents, includes much of the Mahoning Valley constituency that Traficant represented from 1985 until his expulsion from the House in 2002 on corruption charges. That was three months after a federal court convicted him of 10 counts of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion. He was released from prison in September 2009.”

Preventing Death by Overdose: One of the Most Avoidable Tragedies on Earth
A mother who lost her son to overdose writes, ‘I can assure you that no matter where you live or how insulated from drugs you may feel, your family is not immune.’

A mother who lost her son to overdose writes, 'I can assure you that no matter where you live or how insulated from drugs you may feel, your family is not immune.'

Wow — the Eyewear Industry Is an Incredible Ripoff, But There Are Alternatives
What makes glasses so expensive? Oblong plastic lenses? Plastic and metal frames? We’re getting screwed.

What makes glasses so expensive? Oblong plastic lenses? Plastic and metal frames? We're getting screwed.

The Two Stories of This Terrible Economy, Yet Obama and the Dems Won’t Tell Theirs
The public doesn’t understand specific policies but it does understand stories that link them together. The stories give the policies context and meaning, and thereby show where policymakers are taking a nation (and, by implication, where the opposition would take…


Wall Street – United States – Politics – Democrats – Democratic

Our new Login System
Since we pushed our new federated login system live about an hour ago, we’ve gotten a few emails from regulars with concern about how to reclaim their existing usernames and avatars despite the fact that we’re phasing out native login….



Facebook – Google – Searching – Search Engines – Chat

Glenn Beck, Preacher in Chief
I watched the whole Glenn Beck speech waiting for the red-meat politics to flow, but it never came. Instead what he delivered felt like the world’s largest AA meeting. Beck confessed his sins and asked us all to surrender…


Glenn Beck – Politics – United States – Lincoln Memorial – glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com