Wednesday Open Thread
Welcome to your Wednesday open thread. I’m sure a lot of you are traveling today. Are people protesting the TSA pat downs? Are you driving or staying home for the holiday? I’m working today but I’m off tomorrow and Friday. I can’t wait!
Much money and research effort has been expended on searching for a vaccine to prevent people from getting infected by HIV. Although it’s not a vaccine, a new study shows that taking a pill for treating HIV cuts the infection rate:
Healthy gay men who took an anti-AIDS pill every day were well protected against contracting H.I.V. in a study suggesting that a new weapon against the epidemic has emerged.
In the study, published Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that the men taking Truvada, a common combination of two antiretroviral drugs, were 44 percent less likely to get infected with the virus that causes AIDS than an equal number taking a placebo.
But when only the men whose blood tests showed that they had taken their pill faithfully every day were considered, the pill was more than 90 percent effective, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, head of the infectious diseases division of the National Institutes of Health, which paid for the study along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
This is a great advance but these treatments are still quite expensive, about $35/day. Hopefully this study means that these medications will become more affordable and available. It could make a big difference in some communities.
The dissonance is getting dizzying:
Bloomberg News had an item a couple of weeks ago, reporting, “Investors around the world say President Barack Obama is bad for the bottom line.”
The complaints are pretty laughable given reality.
The nation’s workers may be struggling, but American companies just had their best quarter ever.
American businesses earned profits at an annual rate of $1.66 trillion in the third quarter, according to a Commerce Department report released Tuesday. That is the highest figure recorded since the government began keeping track over 60 years ago, at least in nominal or non-inflation-adjusted terms.
Corporate profits have been going gangbusters for a while. Since their cyclical low in the fourth quarter of 2008, profits have grown for seven consecutive quarters, at some of the fastest rates in history.
The point about adjusting these figures for inflation — in adjusted terms, corporate profits are merely fantastic, as opposed to record-breaking.
Either way, the point is corporate profits aren’t exactly faltering. Indeed, this data from the Commerce Department comes a month after a related report showing profits rising faster “than during any other 18-month period since the 1920s.”
We live in such odd times – businesses screaming about “anti-business” government while cleaning up in government bailouts. We keep talking about extending tax cuts for the rich for economic reasons while suffering through the worst job-creation decade ever. I’m not sure what we call what we’re experiencing – the post-fact era?
Tags: Open Thread
Sooner or later we are going to have to accept the reality that it isnt about whos ideas are better… it is about who’s propaganda channel has the hotter anchors.
Americans shun intellect, education and thoughtfulness. They write of humanism as nazi-communism. If we want to move this country forward, we have to convince the Mob that is wont force their sons and daughters to have gay Muslim abortions. Sad fact is, you dont do that with the truth. You do that with blown up lies and pandering.
Some people have been so upset at being faced with this reality that they have resorted to the childish namecalling and tactics that seem to work now-a-days.
This is fun, Salon is counting down the “Hack 30”, the 30 hackiest pundits.
This is Better: read about the HIPA-CRIT ACT here:(thats really the name)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/24/gary-ackerman-dares-republicans-health-care-repeal_n_788007.html
LOVE this guy!!!
so RETHUGS- put up or STFU
One step closer to Christine O’Donnell’s Animal Farm:Mouse Milk for Humans!!!
speaking about COD and her supporters: READ THIS
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/family-research-council-labeled-hate-group-by-splc-over-anti-gay-rhetoric.php?ref=fpb
there IS a god!
from Wall Street Journal:
DeLay Convicted in Texas Trial
Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was convicted of money laundering, making it likely that the once-powerful political warrior will end his career behind bars.
@PBaumbach So the legal system finds its blinded way to justice.
It’s about time The Hammer gets the Slammer.
Repeal McConnell’s Healthcare
And Boehner’s too.
More fun with Sarah Palin and her North Korean allies
The Hammer is looking at life in prison for the conviction.
Here’s a new Pew news quiz. I got 12/12.
When does COD go to jail? not soon enough!
Thanks UI. I got 10. I failed federal budget deficit and question #5.
I bow to your brain and your civic astuteness. Go out and have a laugh, shake your ass and walk away knowing you own the joint.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/11/24/923077/-Sarah-Palin:-Weve-got-to-stand-with-our-North-Korean-allies
oh. em. gee.
12 for 12
Just a thought about the Airport security. First, the issue that people are missing with all of this is that it is profiling. And the TSA is not being honest.
The profiling is that these security measures really hit one group, and that is disabled people like me. And the bit about the pat downs are only for people who refuse scanning, well that is an outright lie.
Basically you can be subjected to all methods of search. Specifically the disabled and those with medical devices.
So me, a totally disabled vet will never fly because I really don’t feel like being strip searched every time I fly. Because I won’t make it through the metal detectors, and I won’t make it clean through a body scan. And I will end up being strip searched.
And I have no choice in the matter. So even if I don’t refuse the body scan I will be tortured every time I fly.
Though I could easily move across the US/Mexico border at any point I wish.
I am starting to think that there is some crazy terrorist morning radio show in Pakistan where they make crank phone threats to the US just to see how crazy we get with security.
10 out of 12. I got the 1990’s and tarp questions wrong.
“Obamabush”
“Dear President Obama:
…The Leftists are always trying to have your policies show me up negatively. Hah—they’re having one hell of a tough time, aren’t they?
Me state secrets, you state secrets. Me executive privilege, you executive privilege. Me stop the release of torture videos, you backed me up. Me indefinite detention, you indefinite detention. Me extraordinary rendition; you extraordinary rendition. Me sending drones, you sending tons more, flying 24/7. Me just had to look the other way on collateral damage, you doing the same and protecting our boys doing it. Me approving night time assassination raids, you’re upping the ante especially since General Petraeus took over. Me beefing up Defense, you not skipping a beat. Me letting the CIA loose, you told them operate at large. Me demanding no pictures of our fallen troops, you doing the same, but allowing the families to go to Dover which I should have done…
Semper fi—
George W. Bush”
Read more at:
http://www.counterpunch.org/nader11232010.html
Obomba 2010 = Bush 2002
Another L-tryptophan laced portion of thanksgiving spam from aholeone. Cheers!
Happy Thanksgiving transition comment. Over at Swampland, Joe Klein did a mea culpa today for his collective stupid over the years as an opinionmonger. His loyal commenters provide a very interesting array of feedback including wondering why he is still stuck hating on teacher’s unions. sorry no linkee.
Having one hell of a tough time, aren’t you, jason?
No anonone -I think Jason is just having a fun/fine time
you’re the one with the credibility/knowing the facts issue last I checked