Too Dumb To Get It

"Hatch a 'Natural Ally' of the supplement industry"

This is fraud, completely spelled out, featuring political Right-Wing giants waiting to be toppled - with implications of massive proportions - and yet, somehow, the Left is still looking around for a way to sink the Republicans. They are - literally - too stupid to lead, win, or see how the game's played.

And that's why they lose.

Detonator

So, is everybody enjoying a(nother) Golden Age of American Solipsism? Feeling that up-down, side-to-side motion alright? Stomach drop? Good, that means you’re paying attention.

It doesn’t mean you know what’s going to happen next – they should know that by now - which is my only very-important point. Keep reading anyway.

This is politics. But it ain’t Oprah’s Golden Age of American Solipsism, Part II. That was President Obama, with the false “Hope” and the swagger, and nobody gets a car. (Sand castles, people, washed away with the waves.)

No, this is Trump’s Golden Age of American Solipsism – not even the Republican’s - so there’s less room for crystal balls than usual. Though “The Most Trusted Woman In America” (after making The Secret a best seller) IS coming along for the ride - via 60 Minutes – without a peep from our, oh, so fact-and-science-loving media.

Which means, long before most Democrats were ready, our highly-mediated roller coaster had us already locked-in and left the gate. We’re Fact-Free, and going down.

The result, of course, is what woke me from my stupor: my friends developing this nasty habit, post-Trump, of cornering me with hysterical predictions of doom and almost making me spill my beer. Not cool.

And, to make matters worse, they’re not telling me what “may” (or may not) happen, or what “could” (or could not) occur, but what they KNOW FOR A FACT is going to happen. In the future. (Which doesn’t include buying me another beer.) And it’s all based on the best available, cherry-picked, and highly massaged information they get from the combined forces of Left-wing hate blogs, comedy shows, MSNBC, CNN, and (for some reason) Rachel Maddow.

And THAT is because they refuse to watch FOX, or read anything even slightly-conservative, except as hate speech. Even if it’s gay and uninformed. Not the Rachel Maddow standard.

Yes, my friends are people who have to be convinced, lovingly, compassionately, patiently, and with a pair of tongs, this is not how critical thinking works. And they don’t think that’s strange.

And why would they? The media itself doesn’t find any of this the least bit bizarre. Defying reality, it’s currently defending what it does. Or doesn’t do. Which is good, because – like cops, caught between blacks and the zeitgeist - I couldn’t.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for a fair, sharp, robust media. (And cops.) We need that. But, if you can find one, please send it to America, courtesy of TMR, with a note saying we pay well.

See, rather than “the media” (or my wild-eyed friends) I keep being amazed by journalists like John Carreyrou, the Wall Street Journal’s “lone wolf” who didn’t swallow Elizabeth Holmes’ easily-debunked Theranos story, while all the others did. Swallow it. Whole. For months. Years even. To tout a miracle. To promote a woman. To run a little feel good flim-flam on America. It was like a Golden Age of American Solipsism Special, since we weren’t fully in one, like now.

The best part was how the media, these compassionate people – all - not only were willing to put lives at risk, to tell that specific story (Theranos WAS supposed to be medical tech) but they took some. Or, at least, one seemingly-good guy took his own. And the rest – including, and especially, the woman “the media” was so desperate to promote as Silicon Valley incarnate, while Silicon Valley let them - marched on with their story, right over his dead body. Don’t worry: the Golden Age of American Solipsism passed by it a long time ago.

And see, THAT’s our media. Armed with a narrative. Did you see the movie/horror story, The Big Short? Wasn’t that a great tale of insight, and bravery, on behalf of the American people? A story of epic proportions, that couldn’t be given away. Huh?

Bernie Madoff? Would’ve been “Breaking News” for somebody. A lot of somebodies.

That rape-y “spiritual advisor” at Whole Foods? They’re really leaning on him, am I right?

The “Hot Yoga” guy who, for years, had/made women in Los Angeles masturbate him in public - as he sat atop a dias - but, still, most of the articles I saw were debating if the heat improved the practice.

This is the media that has the nerve to attack Trump, and scare my friends silly while doing so. The media that knows what’s going on, and will gladly tell you so. They can trust them. They KNOW it. They saw it on the TV. They should hold on tight for these turns.

Who you can’t trust are those pesky Russians. The NYT (finally) said so – long after their totally credulous articles on pet psychics.

And, speaking of Russia, Rasputin himself, Steve Bannon – ooh, he’s bad. Really, anyone but professional politicians running government is probably not the best idea. Might be KKK. But that’s crazy talk. This is America.

Look at Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. Blessed with the name, Orrin, you couldn’t find a more upstanding individual, to uphold the standards and honor of the American people, if you tried. But try anyway: I saw him with his Big Boy choo-choo train hat on, so he’s obviously helping to run this ride.

I knew it when he asked Congressman Tom Price, Trump’s candidate for the head of Health and Human Services, if he would uphold DSHEA (the crazy law allowing supplement manufacturers not to prove their products are safe, or even work, before going on supermarket shelves) and Price said “Yes” - to not a peep from our guardians in the media. Why, Ol’ Orrin didn’t even look around. It went right over, or under, their heads.

Oh yeah, that’s when I KNEW the Senator from America’s number one supplement manufacturing state was up top, probably murmuring a saying from Joseph Smith, with his hand, not on The Bible or The Book of Mormon, but the “release” lever for somebody’s life. Just like Theranos.

Just like Oprah did, with Dr. Oz, seeing how the media’s always been so aggressively trying to call-out fraud and all. Fully HALF of Oz’s information was found to be wrong and he’s still on television. Doing fine. Feeling no heat whatsoever. Because we simply are moving too fast. I think, maybe. Or are we?

Yep – it’s getting to me now: feeling whoozy – so I better get off. Can I get off? Is observing a Golden Age of American Solipsism the same as being on it? Can you dose yourself with LSD and not forget you took it? TRUMP-Grade, Media-Saturated, LSD? I don’t know. I simply don’t know. But I do, still, know this:

We have no idea what’s going to happen next – and the ride’s just started: somebody actually could start doing their job,…
 

"Accepting Responsibility" Means More Than Voting,...II

"Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it."  

--Milton Friedman

During his debate, Paul Ryan told a heartwarming Mitt Romney story that caught my ear:

"Let me tell you about the Mitt Romney I know. This is a guy who I was talking to a family in Northborough, Massachusetts the other day, Sheryl and Mark Nixon. Their kids were hit in a car crash, four of them. Two of them, Rob and Reed, were paralyzed. The Romneys didn't know them. They went to the same church; they never met before. 

Mitt asked if he could come over on Christmas. He brought his boys, his wife, and gifts. Later on, he said, "I know you're struggling, Mark. Don't worry about their college. I'll pay for it." 

When Mark told me this story, because, you know what, Mitt Romney doesn't tell these stories. The Nixons told this story. When he told me this story, he said it wasn't the help, the cash help. It's that he gave his time, and he has consistently. 

This is a man who gave 30 percent of his income to charity, more than the two of us combined. Mitt Romney's a good man. He cares about 100 percent of Americans in this country. And with respect to that quote, I think the vice president very well knows that sometimes the words don't come out of your mouth the right way."

Boy, he sure nailed Biden with that one! But did you catch the words that came out of Ryan's mouth "the right way" about the recipients of Romney's kindness?

"They went to the same church." 

That is the unspoken, but over-riding, theme of all this goodness Mitt Romney bestows on others.

"Mitt Romney doesn't tell these stories" because - as he said in his secretly recorded 47% speech - he doesn't care "about 100 percent of Americans in this country," but his "church." And if conservatives are honest - a mighty big "if" these days - they'll take this as seriously as they took Obama's secretly-recorded "clinging to guns and religion" speech. And they took that very seriously.

Remember that story of Romney shutting down Bain Capital to find a lost child? The kid belonged to a Mormon. The "charity" we hear so much about? Overwhelmingly, it's the Mormon "church." The Mormons are caught in the very-religious and wholesome pickle of bribing the 2002 Olympics Committee? In swoops the bishop, Mitt "$10,000 bet" Romney.

Getting the picture yet?

And it flows the other way, too:

Mitt Romney starts a supplement company? Mormon Orrin Hatch co-writes the DSHEA laws. The Mormon "church" wants to swindle Salt Lake City out of downtown land for their temple? A Mormon judge - hand-picked by Hatch - fixes it. A Mormon's got a problem with the Division of Child & Family Services? He calls Utah’s Mormon lieutenant governor, and so on. It's a cult.

If you can find stories to refute this - Mitt Romney throwing money around, or otherwise acting out for someone outside his faith - please, let me know. I'd love to hear about it, because I haven't so far.

No, "Mitt Romney doesn't tell these stories," and conservatives aren't mentioning it, either. From the elites who picked Romney as our "inevitable" candidate, to the conservative journalists and bloggers - and, now, even evangelicals like Billy Graham are changing their tune - winning to lose is everything.

As the old saying goes, "you get the government you deserve"….

Moonies! Mormons! Morons! MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Good ol' Orrin Hatch. Mormon extraordinaire, and Mitt's fixer in Utah and Washington. Moon's death and the subsequent reminder of my having read Nansook Hong's book, In The Shadow Of The Moons, also reminded me Hatch helped out the late messiah who wanted to "conquer and subjugate the world.” And why wouldn't he? Hatch is a respected Mormon and they're so niiiiice - always trying to "help" those openly attempting to "conquer and subjugate the world” (what if Moon had succeeded, and not just in individual lives?) or just take their money (Hatch was definitely "successful" at that, the scum sucker) or some such:

Moon got ahold of Nansook Hong when she was all of fifteen. She was an illegal child bride for Moon's grown and drug addicted son, Hyo Jin Moon. Hyo Jin became a notorious wife-beater who even cracked on Hong when she was pregnant.

Hyo Jin Moon gave Nansook Hong herpes. 

They were "married" for fifteen years. I put "married" in quotes because, of course, Hyo Jin's father officiated and the pairing involved immigration fraud, because Moon had Hong brought to the United States under false pretenses - which eventually included statutory rape.

Later, Hong fled with her children, and because the billionaire cult leader's son claimed poverty, child support wasn't provided until compelled by the courts.

   

So what does any of this have to do with that good ol' upstanding, upright, "wholesome" Mormon, Senator Orrin? Oh, nothing much. Along with helping Mitt with his deceptions, Hatch just: 

Attempted to whitewash Moon's tax evasion and pushed for clemency. 

Paid homage to Moon's wife, the woman who stood by while her fifteen year-old "daughter-in-law" was being raped and regularly beaten by her drug addicted son in a fake marriage. 

Wrote a song for one of Moon's front groups. 

Honored Moon in a gala Washington reception. 

And co-sponsored an honor to Moon and his wife - Parent's Day. 

"Parent's Day." Get it? You're a cult leader who gets a child for your son to rape and beat up and it's honored by a powerful member of ANOTHER cult with MAJOR child abuse issues of it's own! It's a joke! A marvelous joke! "All In The Family"! Whoo-hoo! 

These cultists, they can do whatever they want, and then laugh at everyone else because - seriously - who gets these punchlines? Child abuse! Wife beating! Punch-lines! Oh man, I'll be here all week! Bwaaaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha! 

 I tell you - when it comes to choosing the ideas and people to rule this country - nobody needs to listen to a cranky ol' patriotic and idiocentric black guy like me: 

 It's pretty clear you folks certainly know how to pick 'em,...

They Laugh At Me, I'm Laughing At Them (Hilarious,...)

“The forces of graft and unrighteousness are peculiar to no country or clime, and they have their champions in the high places and the low. Until the people themselves are better educated concerning the danger and iniquity of quackery, they must be protected from the forces that prey. The popular understanding of these matters is becoming better every day, and, aided by proper laws, the time will come, perhaps, when quackery will be unprofitable.”

That's a wonderful quote to summarize what we've learned (so far) about "the forces that prey" - politicians like Mitt Romney, Orrin Hatch, and Tom Harkin, as well as cult groups like the Mormons, and the other NewAgers in the various supplement (and "alternative" medicine) industries.

Because the citizens of this country (and others) are so ignorant of the rank quackery laid before them, under the guise of "health freedom," these influential individuals and the cult groups they belong to are allowed to promote "graft and unrighteousness," posing as "their champions in the high places and the low."

One of these corrupt loons is even headed to the White House.

I spotted the quote, which is actually from the year 1912, as the lead-in to a Steve Novella blog post on the longevity of quackery. Afterwards, he ends with his own words which, to me, are just as troubling:

Our perspective tends to exist in a temporal bubble – we think that the conflicts of today are unique to us, and that we innovated the ideas we use to defend our causes. History, however, tells a different story.

And why is this? Because, as I've been saying as long as I've been online engaging with doctors, they refuse to try a different tactic. They keep repeating what does not work, year after year, expecting a different result. Little wonder the medical profession has lost some credibility.

I am sure Dr. Novella is aware of the NewAge Movement. I'm not so sure he's aware many of the most vocal anti-vaccinationists, such as Jim Carrey, are a part of it.

I am sure Dr. Novella is aware of the supplement industry and DSHEA (He mentions both in his blog post on quackery). I'm not so sure he's aware the Mormon "church," and it's cult followers, such as Mitt Romney and Orrin Hatch, are responsible for them.

And I am sure Dr. Novella is aware of homeopathy. I'm not so sure he's aware it, too, is a cult, and not just a water-based preparation that some people seem to behave bizarrely over - for some reason few in medicine seem willing or able to put their finger on - even to the extent of ending their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.

But armed with his ignorance, like almost every other medical professional I've discussed these matters with, Dr. Novella writes as though there are few answers to quackery when, clearly, identifying cultism as a culprit is one answer left on the table - despite the overwhelming evidence of it's ubiquity in his field.

The late Jef Raskin, cognitive psychology researcher, creator and leader of the Macintosh project at Apple Computer Inc., identified cultism in Nursing Theory as far back as the year 2000 with little-to-no response from the medical community, though a nine-year old girl did get into JAMA for debunking the cult's theories.

But what of the various cults themselves? They carry on in the hospitals, reciting the Hitler Youth phrase "Mind, Body, and Spirit" right under the good doctor's noses, without a care in the world, because - when it comes to cults, cultish thinking, and the long-standing issue of cultism - the medical profession is filled with more "shruggies" than can be found anywhere, since - in this instance - they are thinking of anything but the welfare of their patients, who have been turned into hand-waving, water-drinking, nonsense-spouting mental slaves.

Long ago, a cultist warned me that "We're in the hospitals - we're getting legit - you'd better 'get' it before it's too late!" and those words could not have been more prophetic over the ensuing years. But, I'm sad to say, the doctors and nurses these cultists are attacking are as much to blame, for the cultist's success, as the cultist's themselves - because the doctors are wearing cultural blinders just as restricting to their view.

Stop repeatedly identifying quackery, and explaining how it works until we're dying of boredom, and start identifying who these groups are - not just the individuals within them. Abandon the softly-softly, non-judgmental, "respectful insolence" approach and pick up a rhetorical baseball bat, as such true leaders as Panda Bear, M.D. and Dr. Graham Sharpe have, and start swinging for your own survival.

Or - if I understand your profession correctly - finally start doing it for mine,….