JayB Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Yeah, science, belief in the coming of god's son 18,000 years ago in the new world, Native American's dark skins due to original sin, gravitational theory, germ theory of disease: its all the same, right? Where do you log resistance to vaccination, homeopathy and all of the other healing modalities that have no scientific evidence to support them, hostility to drought, disease, and pest resistant crops generated via genetic engineering, embracing new-age religions, etc, etc, etc. I agree that virtually all of the creationists are right-wing social conservatives, ditto for anti-global warming folk, etc but it's hard to sustain the argument that the right has a monopoly on antiscientific beliefs. Quote
Jim Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 My wife the teacher had to have two middle-school girls picked up from school because they were hacking so hard she thought they were going to drop a lung on the floor. Guess what they had - and guess what was not up to date. Another teach is pregnant - thanks parents for not vaccinating! Outbreaks of pertussis--also known as whooping cough-- have been making their way up the West Coast in the last couple years. Accounting for at least 10 dead infants in California in 2010, pertussis has steadily made inroads in Washington. In 2009, the state saw 291 reported cases; in 2011, 806. More than a quarter of statewide cases last year occurred in one county alone: Snohomish. That's 220 cases for a county that just the year before had 25--an almost tenfold increase. That's why public health officials there have started to use the "e" word. Why Snohomish? Snohomish Health District spokesperson Suzanne Pate didn't really have an answer. But it's worth noting that the county has an unusually large number of parents who opt their kids out of vaccination. Among kindergarteners, 7.8 percent were not fully immunized in the 2010-11 school year. That's higher than the state average of around 6 percent, which is in itself the highest state "exemption rate" in the country. (See exemption rates by county.) As you might expect from the statewide rate, Snohomish is not the only county hit. Public Health Seattle & King County issued a health alert this week about the rising pertussis rate it is seeing. There was a particular spike in December, when nearly a quarter of the year's 97 cases occurred, and January is looking possibly even more alarming. Four infants have already come down with pertussis in the last couple weeks, according to Jeff Duchin, chief of communicable disease epidemiology and immunization for King's Public Health. With their tiny lungs, infants are endangered most by whooping cough. In Snohomish, one newborn died last year from the disease (pictured above), prompting a relative to launch a Facebook page devoted to pertussis awareness and immunization. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 My wife the teacher had to have two middle-school girls picked up from school because they were hacking so hard she thought they were going to drop a lung on the floor. Guess what they had - and guess what was not up to date. Another teach is pregnant - thanks parents for not vaccinating! "Our species is too fucking stupid to survive" Quote
Fairweather Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Seems to me that both lefty kooks and righty kooks buy into this anti-vaccine nonsense. The fringes of the fringes, really. Quote
Fairweather Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Yeah, like I said FW, its not much, unless you're an average citizen, then its a helluva lot. The perception gap is what irks me. A lot of Romney's "charity" giving is tithing to the Mormon church, though its all done through his foundation, which is where that charitable donation mostly goes. I saw an income comparison between Obama, Romney, & Gingrich recently which included charitable giving. While Obama is way in the back with "only" 1.7 million in income, his percentage to charity was the highest. Romney was in the 10% range, and Newt was lower. I did find it amusing that Gingrich rails against "the elites" when he makes well over 3 million a year. Sure, I'm just a working class chump, but that meets my definition of "elite". Would you share who you're thinking of voting for? I think of you as a fairly mainline Republican, not out there on the wild eyed fringes, and I really wonder what the party currently offers those folks. People like my dad, a lifelong Republican who's (relatively) socially liberal but fiscally conservative, and truly offended by the evangelical wing. Where do you go? House Rep: [x] Norm Dicks Senator: [x] Maria Cantwell (probably) Governor: [x] Rob McKenna President: [ ] None of them. Quid pro quo, where does a good liberal go when their guy continues targeted assassinations overseas, dramatically increases drone strikes on ill-defined terrorists (and their families), pulls out of Iraq two years past his promise, now fully embraces neo-liberal economic policy, and has completely reneged on his promise to close Guantanamo Bay? and here I thought Off wanted to have a real discussion... Quote
Off_White Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Patience grasshopper, I'll get back to you, life is just overfull right now. Gotta date with my wife, so it won't be tonight. Quote
Drederek Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Patience grasshopper, I'll get back to you, life is just overfull right now. Gotta date with my wife, so it won't be tonight. I'll back him up on that, he never did get back to us on going out to Fossil last weekend. (It was great, FYI) Quote
AlpineK Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Sometimes the world away from Spray debates on CC becomes more interesting, or important. Quote
Jim Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 I know who I'm voting for: [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PsSJYrbuaI Quote
Off_White Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Fairweather said: House Rep: [x] Norm Dicks Senator: [x] Maria Cantwell (probably) Governor: [x] Rob McKenna President: [ ] None of them. Quid pro quo, where does a good liberal go when their guy continues targeted assassinations overseas, dramatically increases drone strikes on ill-defined terrorists (and their families), pulls out of Iraq two years past his promise, now fully embraces neo-liberal economic policy, and has completely reneged on his promise to close Guantanamo Bay? Sure, Obama is a huge disappointment to progressives, for the reasons you've mentioned and more. He's hardly the liberal socialist some would label him, and he's done nothing to reverse the trend towards an imperial presidency. Like Neil Young said, "A kinder, gentler machine gun hand." He's much more like that endangered species, the Moderate Republican. I'm going to vote for him anyway, because I don't see the Republicans offering anything that's an improvement, and there is no viable option to the left of the mainstream. Would I be making a noticeable statement by voting for the Green Party candidate? Not a good one if it puts Mitt Romney in the White House. Obama talks a populist line, but acts relatively conservative: he's predictable. Romney says any old thing he thinks might get him elected, but who knows what a man who doesn't actually believe anything will do? He claims he's focused on the middle class, but his economic proposals are pure self interest and a vast boon to the very wealthy. I've always (always) felt disenfranchised by national political choices, so it doesn't feel that different than any election to me, voting for the least harm, the best of a bad lot. Have you been satisfied with your choices in other elections? I was pleased with Obama's election, but I was never his spear carrier. I was a Kucinich delegate in the caucus, I've got serious windmill tilting cred, so disappointment is a familiar friend. I can imagine its jarring to others less immured. Quote
Crux Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 Damn, j_b, how's me or bone gonna win dip of the year award with you around? Ok, try this on for some competition: Go DOCTOR Paul! Quote
Jim Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 Apparantly Santorum is now worth a second look Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 'Primary': CNN's reality TV debut. someone has finally topped Jersey Shore. Quote
Coldfinger Posted February 9, 2012 Author Posted February 9, 2012 Apparantly Santorum is now worth a second look Yeah, he can pass a national law requiring pre-abortion sonograms and then you take it home. Quote
minx Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 apparently if santorum wins the entire state of washington will be illegal and unconstitutional. Quote
AlpineK Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 I wouldn't be too bummed out leaving/ask to leave a country in the hands of Santorum. I've already got my WA State Enhanced Drivers License, or passport of the future. Quote
Pete_H Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 Its funny, the conservative establishment can't seem to accept the fact that the vast majority of the electorate is pretty damn moderate. Could say the same thing about the Dem's too though. Quote
ZimZam Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 Who's Mitt gonna take as VP then? Rubio. Because the threat of "Jersey-style" thuggery resonates so well with the electorate, and America loves a tough-guy. Quote
Coldfinger Posted February 10, 2012 Author Posted February 10, 2012 I thought fat boys and tough guys were at opposite ends of the real man spectrum. Quote
Jim Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 I wouldn't be too bummed out leaving/ask to leave a country in the hands of Santorum. I've already got my WA State Enhanced Drivers License, or passport of the future. Yea! I've dual Irish ciitizenship and entry to EU! Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 I wouldn't be too bummed out leaving/ask to leave a country in the hands of Santorum. Gee.... when and where have I heard this type of threat/promise before. The promise is never kept, of course. Quote
AlpineK Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 I viewed it as more of a joke than either threat or promise. Who knows. I'm willing to bet 10-cents the Republican Party doesn't nominate Santorum for president at the convention. I will stick to that promise for sure Quote
dougd Posted February 10, 2012 Posted February 10, 2012 I'm willing to bet 10-cents the Republican Party doesn't nominate Santorum for president at the convention. A $10,000 bet would be much more meaningful... That's apparently the minimum for some people. People that aren't concerned about the poor due to very adequate safety nets and very very concerned with maximum empathy for the downtrodden middle class... I'm sure mitt has our best interests at heart lol. d Quote
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