Utility provider implements ‘shocking’ 19% rise in gas prices and 10% rise in electricity prices, as consumers are urged to switch and fix Scottish Power is to raise the price of domestic gas and electricity bills by 19% and 10% respectively from August 2011, blaming the increases on a rise in wholesale energy costs and volatility in global energy markets. The rise, which will affect 2.4m households and add £175 a year – or 48p a day – to the average dual fuel customer’s bill, was described as a “body blow for consumers” by Consumer Focus . Scottish Power, which last increased prices in November 2010 – raising gas bills by 2% and electricity by 8.9% – said it will notify customers from 11 June, giving them at least 30 days’ notice before the price change is due to take effect. Raymond Jack, Scottish Power’s UK retail director, said: “Wholesale prices for gas and electricity have increased significantly since the end of last year, and continuing unrest in global energy markets means future prices are volatile. We understand times are difficult for many people, and we have done what we can to absorb these additional costs for as long as possible to minimise the impact on our customers. “The rising burden of non-energy costs faced by Britain’s energy suppliers – including the cost of meeting government environmental and social programmes and the cost of distributing electricity on the national grid – has also placed further upward pressure on energy bills.” But the energy provider was blasted by consumer groups who believe its move could prompt a wave of further price rises from the other “big five” energy providers just months after last winter’s price rises. Audrey Gallacher, head of energy at Consumer Focus, said: “This huge increase will be a body blow for consumers, and we fear other firms will follow Scottish Power’s lead. Companies have been softening customers up for price rises for months, but customers will shocked at the scale of this rise. “We know suppliers like the comfort of the pack and that price rises come in waves. Every household in the country will now be bracing themselves for impact.” Last winter the big six energy suppliers all announced price rises, with E.ON adding 9% to electricity prices and 3% to gas prices, while British Gas raised both its gas and electricity prices by 7%. Scottish and Southern Energy increased gas prices by 9.4% and npower added 5.1% to gas and electricity prices. EDF raised electricity bills by 7.5% and gas by 6.5%. Householders were warned by British Gas’s parent company Centrica in May to brace themselves for higher gas and electricity bills this winter, and to consider switching to a fixed-price tariff if they want to avoid the pain come December. Centrica suggested in a statement to the City that domestic gas and electricity prices are now significantly lagging behind wholesale prices, which it said have risen by a quarter compared with last year. ‘Under investigation’ Energy regulator Ofgem recently conducted its retail market review of the energy sector, identifying a number of problem areas such as consumer trust, overly-complicated tariffs and unfair pricing. Gallacher said: “It is ironic the [Scottish Power] announcement comes exactly when the regulator is deciding whether energy firms are serious about treating consumers properly and if energy prices are fair. Ofgem has put the big six in the dock, saying suppliers have been quicker to raise prices than to cut them and are bamboozling consumers with complex tariffs. Scottish Power itself is under investigation by the regulator for unfair pricing and misselling. “Suppliers say they have no choice when costs go up, but no one else really knows if energy prices are fair. When this affects the cost of keeping warm and well, it is not an acceptable state of affairs. Energy suppliers are in a deep, deep hole on consumer trust. Now would be a good time for Scottish Power and the others to stop digging deeper and show that they understand what their customers want – fair pricing, fair selling and fair treatment.” Consumer group Which? argues that all energy tariffs should be structured in the same way so that customers can easily compare different deals. Executive director Richard Lloyd said: “This is yet another example of the ‘big six’ blaming the wholesale energy market for increases to domestic customers’ bills, but energy companies have a lot of work to do to convince consumers that energy prices are fair. “Greater transparency about exactly what is driving retail price hikes might help persuade consumers that energy companies are playing fair.” A Scottish Power spokesman said 700,000 households will be protected from the latest price rises because they are on capped or fixed tariffs. A spokesman for Moneysupermarket.com said: “This is a huge increase. Now really is the time to get on to the best-priced energy tariff for your usage level and area you live. “The cheapest online energy tariff is currently Online Saver 10 offered by EDF Energy with average annual bills of £940 but, in the face of rising prices, opting for the market-leading fixed product Fix Saver v2, from EDF Energy with average bills of £1,009, is the best way to safeguard against further price increases from the energy giants.” Energy bills Household bills Consumer affairs Family finances Utilities Mark King guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Utility provider implements ‘shocking’ 19% rise in gas prices and 10% rise in electricity prices, as consumers are urged to switch and fix Scottish Power is to raise the price of domestic gas and electricity bills by 19% and 10% respectively from August 2011, blaming the increases on a rise in wholesale energy costs and volatility in global energy markets. The rise, which will affect 2.4m households and add £175 a year – or 48p a day – to the average dual fuel customer’s bill, was described as a “body blow for consumers” by Consumer Focus . Scottish Power, which last increased prices in November 2010 – raising gas bills by 2% and electricity by 8.9% – said it will notify customers from 11 June, giving them at least 30 days’ notice before the price change is due to take effect. Raymond Jack, Scottish Power’s UK retail director, said: “Wholesale prices for gas and electricity have increased significantly since the end of last year, and continuing unrest in global energy markets means future prices are volatile. We understand times are difficult for many people, and we have done what we can to absorb these additional costs for as long as possible to minimise the impact on our customers. “The rising burden of non-energy costs faced by Britain’s energy suppliers – including the cost of meeting government environmental and social programmes and the cost of distributing electricity on the national grid – has also placed further upward pressure on energy bills.” But the energy provider was blasted by consumer groups who believe its move could prompt a wave of further price rises from the other “big five” energy providers just months after last winter’s price rises. Audrey Gallacher, head of energy at Consumer Focus, said: “This huge increase will be a body blow for consumers, and we fear other firms will follow Scottish Power’s lead. Companies have been softening customers up for price rises for months, but customers will shocked at the scale of this rise. “We know suppliers like the comfort of the pack and that price rises come in waves. Every household in the country will now be bracing themselves for impact.” Last winter the big six energy suppliers all announced price rises, with E.ON adding 9% to electricity prices and 3% to gas prices, while British Gas raised both its gas and electricity prices by 7%. Scottish and Southern Energy increased gas prices by 9.4% and npower added 5.1% to gas and electricity prices. EDF raised electricity bills by 7.5% and gas by 6.5%. Householders were warned by British Gas’s parent company Centrica in May to brace themselves for higher gas and electricity bills this winter, and to consider switching to a fixed-price tariff if they want to avoid the pain come December. Centrica suggested in a statement to the City that domestic gas and electricity prices are now significantly lagging behind wholesale prices, which it said have risen by a quarter compared with last year. ‘Under investigation’ Energy regulator Ofgem recently conducted its retail market review of the energy sector, identifying a number of problem areas such as consumer trust, overly-complicated tariffs and unfair pricing. Gallacher said: “It is ironic the [Scottish Power] announcement comes exactly when the regulator is deciding whether energy firms are serious about treating consumers properly and if energy prices are fair. Ofgem has put the big six in the dock, saying suppliers have been quicker to raise prices than to cut them and are bamboozling consumers with complex tariffs. Scottish Power itself is under investigation by the regulator for unfair pricing and misselling. “Suppliers say they have no choice when costs go up, but no one else really knows if energy prices are fair. When this affects the cost of keeping warm and well, it is not an acceptable state of affairs. Energy suppliers are in a deep, deep hole on consumer trust. Now would be a good time for Scottish Power and the others to stop digging deeper and show that they understand what their customers want – fair pricing, fair selling and fair treatment.” Consumer group Which? argues that all energy tariffs should be structured in the same way so that customers can easily compare different deals. Executive director Richard Lloyd said: “This is yet another example of the ‘big six’ blaming the wholesale energy market for increases to domestic customers’ bills, but energy companies have a lot of work to do to convince consumers that energy prices are fair. “Greater transparency about exactly what is driving retail price hikes might help persuade consumers that energy companies are playing fair.” A Scottish Power spokesman said 700,000 households will be protected from the latest price rises because they are on capped or fixed tariffs. A spokesman for Moneysupermarket.com said: “This is a huge increase. Now really is the time to get on to the best-priced energy tariff for your usage level and area you live. “The cheapest online energy tariff is currently Online Saver 10 offered by EDF Energy with average annual bills of £940 but, in the face of rising prices, opting for the market-leading fixed product Fix Saver v2, from EDF Energy with average bills of £1,009, is the best way to safeguard against further price increases from the energy giants.” Energy bills Household bills Consumer affairs Family finances Utilities Mark King guardian.co.uk
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Foreign secretary says draft resolution is in circulation among council members following crackdown on protesters Britain is to push for a UN security council resolution condemning a crackdown on anti-government protesters in Syria. The foreign secretary, William Hague, told parliament that the security council had a “responsibility to speak out” and warned of new European Union sanctions unless demands were met. Hague said diplomats were circulating a draft resolution to secure the necessary support from the nine council members. He said the proposals would bring action taken against Syria in line with measures imposed on other countries in the region facing political upheaval. However, they fell short of the no-fly zone mandated against Libya under a resolution passed earlier this year that launched a Nato bombing campaign against Muammar Gaddafi’s forces. “We must show the same resolve and purpose in supporting change and democratic development elsewhere in the region,” Hague said. The draft calls on Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad and his government to capitulate to the demands of pro-democracy protesters, free “prisoners of conscience”, lift internet restrictions and co-operate with UN human rights officials. It does not detail or threaten any UN sanctions. “We are working to persuade other countries that the security council has a responsibility to speak out,” he said. “President Assad is losing legitimacy and should reform or step aside.” Hague said an EU arms embargo, asset freeze and visa ban on 13 officials imposed against Syria last month had proved successful, but tougher measures could follow. “We must show the same resolve and purpose in supporting change and democratic development elsewhere in the region, for example using the economic appeal of the EU to act as a magnet for positive change in the region. “Since my last statement our efforts to agree EU sanctions against President Assad and other individuals responsible for the violence and repression in Syria have been successful. We are exploring with our European partners the potential for further sanctions if the violence continues.” Human rights groups claim that more than 1,000 people have been killed in more than three months of demonstrations in Syria. Foreign policy William Hague Syria Middle East United Nations European Union Barry Neild guardian.co.uk
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Texan authorities have now confirmed there is no crime scene and the woman who called in the tip about a ‘mass grave’ would be investigated for making a false report A tip from a woman claiming to a be a psychic prompted Texas authorities to swarm a rural home searching for a nonexistent mass grave and up to 30 bodies, including those of dismembered children. A few hours later it was clear the tip was nothing more than a wild goose chase. “There’s no crime scene,” Liberty County Judge Craig McNair told reporters as deputies, Texas Rangers and FBI agents wrapped up a fruitless search that gained national media attention. McNair and Captain Rex Evans, spokesman for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, said the woman who twice called in the tip would be investigated for making a false report. Evans said the sheriff’s office took the tip seriously because she claimed children’s bodies were in the mix. The department called the FBI for help, and the Texas Rangers spent hours obtaining a warrant to search the one-story brick home at a rural intersection near Hardin, about 51 miles east of Houston. A cadaver dog also joined the search. But soon after media reports said the sheriff’s office confirmed having found bodies, outlets quoted the same agency saying they had no evidence of them. The Houston Chronicle and KHOU-TV tracked down the home’s occupant, who said he and his wife, both long-haul truck drivers, had left on Sunday en route to Georgia and he knew nothing about dead bodies. “I haven’t killed anybody,” Joe Bankson told the Chronicle. He told the television station his daughter’s ex-boyfriend had gotten drunk and cut his wrist at the home two weeks before, possibly leaving blood that might have piqued investigators’ interest. Evans declined to address details when he finally addressed reporters as other officers packed up to leave. “A this time no bodies have been recovered,” Evans said sternly. “We have investigated this part of the scene as much as we can.” Texas United States guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Texan authorities have now confirmed there is no crime scene and the woman who called in the tip about a ‘mass grave’ would be investigated for making a false report A tip from a woman claiming to a be a psychic prompted Texas authorities to swarm a rural home searching for a nonexistent mass grave and up to 30 bodies, including those of dismembered children. A few hours later it was clear the tip was nothing more than a wild goose chase. “There’s no crime scene,” Liberty County Judge Craig McNair told reporters as deputies, Texas Rangers and FBI agents wrapped up a fruitless search that gained national media attention. McNair and Captain Rex Evans, spokesman for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, said the woman who twice called in the tip would be investigated for making a false report. Evans said the sheriff’s office took the tip seriously because she claimed children’s bodies were in the mix. The department called the FBI for help, and the Texas Rangers spent hours obtaining a warrant to search the one-story brick home at a rural intersection near Hardin, about 51 miles east of Houston. A cadaver dog also joined the search. But soon after media reports said the sheriff’s office confirmed having found bodies, outlets quoted the same agency saying they had no evidence of them. The Houston Chronicle and KHOU-TV tracked down the home’s occupant, who said he and his wife, both long-haul truck drivers, had left on Sunday en route to Georgia and he knew nothing about dead bodies. “I haven’t killed anybody,” Joe Bankson told the Chronicle. He told the television station his daughter’s ex-boyfriend had gotten drunk and cut his wrist at the home two weeks before, possibly leaving blood that might have piqued investigators’ interest. Evans declined to address details when he finally addressed reporters as other officers packed up to leave. “A this time no bodies have been recovered,” Evans said sternly. “We have investigated this part of the scene as much as we can.” Texas United States guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Piers Morgan asks Ann Coulter if Tea Party is Modern Version of Hitler and Mussolini’s Followers
June 7, 2011 No Comment
Conservative author Ann Coulter stopped by CNN studios Tuesday to discuss her new book ” Demonic: How The Liberal Mob Is Endangering America .” During a somewhat rambling interview, host Piers Morgan asked, “Where is the similar mob to Mussolini’s and Hitler’s in the modern democratic era…Tea Party?” (video follows with transcript and commentary): PIERS MORGAN, HOST: Where is the similar mob to Mussolini’s and Hitler’s in the modern democratic era? ANN COULTER: Well, I would say that there are a lot of similarities. The French Revolution. MORGAN: Tea Party? COULTER: No. No, no, no. MORGAN: Nearest thing to it? COULTER: No, they're much closer to the original Tea Party, which, and actually not as, not as much of a rabble as the original Tea Party, which as I point out, the Founding Fathers weren't wild about the original Tea Party curiously enough because they were so against mobs. MORGAN: Are you wild about them? COULTER: About who? MORGAN: The Tea Party. COULTER: Oh, the current Tea Party? MORGAN: Yeah. COULTER: Oh yeah, I love them. Having equated the Tea Party to Hitler and Mussolini's “mob,” Morgan moved in another predictable liberal media direction – Tea Partiers are idiots: MORGAN: See I don’t really get that. COULTER: I speak to them. MORGAN: I don’t get that because you’re a smart cookie. COULTER: So are the Tea Partiers! MORGAN: What do people think about you? You're intelligent. You live a provocative life. COULTER: I believe you're insulting the Tea Partiers. MORGAN: Well, they're not among the brightest of spellers (?), are they? Coulter was obviously ready for this: COULTER: They're smarter than any liberal. MORGAN: Do you think so? COULTER: Yeah. MORGAN: You really think that? COULTER: Yes, I do. MORGAN: In your heart? COULTER: I meet them and speak to them and they get my jokes which already makes them smarter than the average liberal. MORGAN: Is that why you think they’re so smart? COULTER: It makes them smarter than the average liberal. I'm always having to explain, map out how the joke works here. In reality, even when Coulter explains her jokes to liberals – especially the ones in the media – they still don't get it. But the best was still to come, as now that Morgan had failed at besmirching the Tea Party, it was on to desparaging one of their most famous supporters: MORGAN: The way you talk as your publisher does here, “Liberals use mobs to seize power and impose their theories on the populace for the good of humanity.” I think Sarah Palin would have written that, who whether you like it or not is irrelevant, is a brilliant rouser of the populous, like nothing else in politics right now. After Obama himself and his last election, she is doing an incredible job marshaling her base. But she also comes out with some pretty inflammatory stuff and that surely arouses a mob mentality. You wouldn't dispute that. This liberal doesn't only misunderstand Coulter's jokes, he doesn't understand Coulter: COULTER: I don't think she's inflammatory. I think she's a great speaker. What do you think she said that is inflammatory? MORGAN: Putting crosshairs on people's heads. COULTER: Oh, come on. I talk about that in the book, too. MORGAN: Is that inflammatory? COULTER: That was invented by Democratic strategist Bob Beckel as he admitted on TV. MORGAN: And once again, you go back to the Democrats. I'm asking you about Sarah Palin. COULTER: I go back – where is the camera? I'm going back to the book because I talk about — let me answer this one. It is a beautiful example of something in the question. MORGAN: Your default process throughout this so far is fascinating. Every single time I ask you a question, rather than answer about Sarah Palin and crosshairs, you instinctively go, “What about Democrats?” Well, because in this instance, the answer dealt with Democrats, and, as Coulter pointed out, that's what her book is about: COULTER: Piers, darling, if I were selling you a book, if I were talking about a book that I had just written about dogs, and you ask me, “What comforts old people,” I would say, “Why, Piers, dogs do. In fact, I talk about it in my book.” My book is called “How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America,” and I talk about the crosshairs issue, and if I could answer the question on the crosshairs issue. MORGAN: You may. COULTER: It is a perfect example of totally contradictory thinking by the Left in America, an example of the mob where they go around hysterical at Sarah Palin putting these crosshairs on Congressional districts. It was done by the Democratic National Committee. It was invented by a liberal. It’s a classic thing in politics. And it wasn’t on her face. It was a district. These are the ones… MORGAN: Was it a sensible thing to do (?)? COULTER: Yes, it is fine for both the Democrats and the Republicans to do it. MORGAN: Would you encourage them to carry on doing it? COULTER: Yes. That isn't what caused Jared Taylor to shoot up a shopping mall. Pay particular attention to the next couple of questions from Morgan: MORGAN: How do you know? How do you know? COULTER: Because we know that he’s out of his mind. MORGAN: Mentally unstable guy. As it turns out, it didn't have any connection, it would appear. If he knew there was no connection between Palin's crosshairs and Taylor's act, why would Morgan twice ask, “How do you know?” Seemed like a host just trying to be contentious with his guest, and that wasn't about to stop: COULTER: As it turns out, he was a liberal. MORGAN: How would you have felt if actually he was mentally unstable, he had seen the website, he misunderstood the instruction from the crosshair, and he went and did the same thing? Then what would you think? A rather preposterous question given what we know about Taylor. But media members love to ask absurd hypotheticals to try to gotcha their guests, especially conservative ones. But this guest wasn't about to be gotchaed: COULTER: Well… MORGAN: Would you care? COULTER: …what if I walk out of this studio tonight, and someone who has seen you accusing me of being mean to liberals is so ginned up, he shoots me? Would you not ask any of the questions you're asking? Exactly. What has been fascinating to watch in the aftermath of the Tucson shootings is not just how the press have totally forgotten their concern regarding violent rhetoric, but also how they believe themselves to be exempt from having to worry about they're own behavior as well as being immune to the consequences of it. Do any of these people that have for years been debasing George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Sarah Palin to name a few concern themselves at all with the possibility that their words could incite an unstable person to a tragic act of violence? The answer of course is “No” which makes one conclude that all this frenzy about violent rhetoric was by no means about trying to prevent such an incident, but instead to just silence voices on the right they don't agree with. Fortunately, conservatives don't have to worry about Coulter being so intimidated, especially by the likes of Piers Morgan.
Continue reading …Title: Mi Cancion Es Amor Artist: Cuerpos Y Almas Can anyone tell me about this song/group? I dig the sweet, drippy seventies pop but can’t seem to find anything on the internets about them. I’m sure some of you are much better sleuths than I am, so maybe y’all can find something.
Continue reading …After an ordeal that included being publicly smeared as a prostitute and mentally ill, Iman Benghazi is recovering somewhere in the United States, thanks to a human rights group. Since she made her accusation, human rights groups say hundreds of women were also raped by Libyan troop s: The Libyan woman who caused international controversy when she claimed she was raped by Kadafi troops has left Libya for the United States, her sister told the Associated Press on Sunday. Marwa Obeidi said her sister Iman left Benghazi early Sunday morning, but it was not immediately clear where in the U.S. she was flying. In March, Obeidi burst into Tripoli’s Rixos Hotel, where foreign correspondents had been forced to stay while covering Kadafi’s regime. She claimed she had been stopped at a checkpoint, kidnapped and gang-raped by Kadafi’s soldiers. As reporters watched, the Libyan government officials responsible for escorting them approached and dragged Obeidi away. She disappeared for days afterward, surfacing in Tunisia and later Qatar, where she was suddenly expelled Thursday and sent to Benghazi. Marwa Obeidi told the Associated Press that a human rights group aided by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arranged for Iman and their father to travel in a private plane to Washington by way of Malta and Austria.
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Last July, ABC and NBC highlighted a temper tantrum from Rep. Anthony Weiner, alleging on the House floor that the Republicans were denying health care to the heroes of 9/11. To Diane Sawyer, Weiner spoke for all of America: “Every now and then, someone seems to express the nation's frustration with the endless wrangling and delay in Congress.” Remember Weiner when liberal journalists roll their eyes at the stupidity of conservatives. Weiner’s social-media sex scandal was underplayed by the national media precisely because they thought their ultraliberal star was far too smart to commit these stupid sex pranks with women he barely knew on the Internet. The Old Media were clearly slow to jump on this story, even when Weiner all but admitted his guilt when he refused to deny he’d taken a picture of his own crotch and then couldn’t deny “with certitude” that this was his body. They knew what these answers meant, and yet they still waited for some other media – the New Media – to get to the bottom of it. Andrew Breitbart and his blog Big Government began this story, and they finished it, at least in terms of forcing Weiner to confess he lied to everyone – spouse, staff, media, and public. Breitbart was right in explaining why: There’s an obvious double standard when the liberal media cover political scandal. They’re a pack of hungry lions to devour Republicans; they are mellow leaf-eaters when Democrats cross an ethical line. Let’s recall the quick and dirty end of Republican Mark Foley’s career in 2006. When the story came out that Foley had sent lewd Internet messages to male congressional pages, the networks filed an amazing 152 stories over the first 12 days, almost all of them after Foley abruptly resigned. Foley’s scandal was a sex talk scandal. Investigators never found a physical relationship, but the media chewed that story clean to the bones. The timing – just weeks before midterm elections – surely was delicious. The media not only demanded that Foley go, but so did House Speaker Dennis Hastert, since he didn’t stop this apparent predation of teenage Hill volunteers. “But this is more than just one man's downfall,” insisted Matt Lauer on NBC. “It could be a major blow to the Republican Party, desperately trying to hold on to control of Congress in the coming midterm elections.” NBC’s story then carried angry soundbites from outraged Democrats. This is where the double standard’s transparently obvious. The media have worked overtime to limit the story. It’s about Weiner – and only Weiner. The new DNC chairwoman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, robotically insisted this was a “private matter” to CBS and CNN, and both networks let her get away with it. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi came on CBS’s “Face the Nation” and Bob Schieffer couldn’t even ask a single question about it. As for comment from Republicans: Who cared what they thought? Unlike Lauer five years ago, NBC’s Meredith Vieira insisted on June 2 that Weiner remained a “rising star” of the Democrats. “This guy is a rising star in this state, certainly in the city of New York, considered a front-runner for the next mayoral campaign. He talks about the personal toll this is taking on his marriage. What about the political toll?” Chuck Todd said Weiner’s evasions were “odd” and “un-Weiner-like,” then he added something odd. He said “we all know he's probably answering tougher questions at home than he is in the dozen interviews he did yesterday.” They even admit they’re coddling him. The media’s lack of outrage was made more obvious the next morning, when Vieira asked “Meet the Press” David Gregory if other Democrats could have problems “if this story continues to have legs,” Gregory didn’t really see any legs. “There are still some outstanding questions about who sent the picture, was it him? I think if obviously something else comes to light, it's going to keep that story in the headlines. If not, I think he'll successfully be able to move past it.” Notice how supposedly hardened journalists at NBC blatantly tells us on TV they aren’t actively seeking out “something else” and are willing to usher Weiner right past his scandal? All the networks were trying to let this story die. None of them discussed it on the Sunday shows. The only obstacle was Team Breitbart. The liberal media claim to oppose the ascension of stupid politicians. But as Weinergate proves, they actually enable stupid politicians when the stupid ones are liberals. They are not the enforcers of political ethics and personal character. They’re just a reflexive partisan mob.
Continue reading …I think we need a moment to raise our heads above the swamp of Washington politics for a moment. My eyes got a little misty at this very sweet moment of space shuttle commander Mark Kelly, courtesy of the band U2 . Bono dedicates one of injured Rep. Giffords’ favorite songs to her, then says to the crowd: “Imagine a man looking down on us from 200 miles up. Looking down at our beautiful crowded planet… What would he say to us…? What is on your mind, Commander Kelly?” Commander Kelly then appears on the video screen, speaking from the international Space Station. He holds up a serious of words that read “7 Billion – One Nation – Imagi Nation – It’s a Beautiful Day.” It’s just sweet. Kelly has since landed and reunited with Giffords. But this is a good opportunity for us to check in and see where Giffords is with her recovery . She can walk and talk in short, halting sentences. While Kelly was in space, her doctors in Houston operated to implant a plastic skull fragment , allowing her to finally shed the protective helmet she was required to wear since the shooting. Doctors had planned this surgery for a while. The bullet left a hole in Giffords’ skull, and doctors removed another section to relieve pressure. But they couldn’t reuse the section because it was fragmented and contaminated. Instead, the surgeons implanted a synthetic piece that was custom fit to cover the hole. With that in place, Giffords can now cast aside her protective helmet.[..] Dr. DONG KIM (Director, Mischer Neuroscience Institute, TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital): It’s only been about four months, and really for a patient to come this far as she has in that period of time after the kind of injury she had is almost miraculous. I mean, she has made tremendous progress.
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