Land Of The Flea

Rand Paul: The President Doesn’t Get To Write Legislation, It’s Illegal And Unconstitutional

"Paul said, 'I think we all want more people to have insurance. What my fear is is that he's going to make insurance so expensive that the people who currently have insurance may lose their insurance.' The senator sounded off on reports that another provision of ObamaCare would be delayed, blasting the president for changes laws without Congress' approval. 'The president doesn't get to write legislation, and it's illegal and unconstitutional for him to try and change legislation by himself,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRand Paul: The President Doesn’t Get To Write Legislation, It’s Illegal And Unconstitutional

Obamacare: “Let’s Just Make Sure It’s Not A Third World Experience”

"We begin today by checking our premises: In order to imagine something working forever, it must begin to work in the first place. When asked last Friday about what the future holds for the Affordable Care Act, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, 'What we’ve done with Obamacare is a step in the right direction, but we’re far from having something that’s going to work forever.' The law takes full effect Jan. 1, 2014, and the online exchanges launch on Oct. 1, 2013. But lofty expectations are being played down as logistical problems become worse and worse." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObamacare: “Let’s Just Make Sure It’s Not A Third World Experience”

‘Affordable’ Care: $1 Pay Hike Costs Middle-Class Family $9,355 Hike in Premiums

"When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare) is fully enforced on individuals and families next year, a middle-aged, middle-class couple with three children could be hit with a $9,355 hike in their annual health-insurance premiums if their annual household income happens to increase by just $1. According to the IRS, which responded to a CNSNews.com inquiry on the issue, a household earning an annual income that is just $1 more than 400 percent of the FPL is ineligible for an Obamacare subsidy, period. A family of four, in which both parents were 56 years old, would hit the 400-percent of FPL threshold at $94,200." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Affordable’ Care: $1 Pay Hike Costs Middle-Class Family $9,355 Hike in Premiums

Illinois illegally seizes bees resistant to Roundup; kills remaining queens [2012]

"The Illinois Ag Dept. illegally seized privately owned bees from renowned naturalist, Terrence Ingram, without providing him with a search warrant and before the court hearing on the matter. Behind the obvious violations of his Constitutional rights is Monsanto. Ingram was researching Roundup’s effects on bees, which he’s raised for 58 years. 'They ruined 15 years of my research,' he told Prairie Advocate, by stealing most of his stock. Of note, Illinois beekeepers are going underground after Ingram’s experience and refuse to register their hives, in case the state tries to steal their private property on phony claims." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIllinois illegally seizes bees resistant to Roundup; kills remaining queens [2012]

Let’s stop wrecking lives over a bag of weed

"For 29 years, I have defended clients facing marijuana charges in the District. At every initial appearance, without fail, the judge admonishes the defendant either to stay in school or to hold down a job. But most employers in this town will not hire entry-level workers who do not have a police clearance. What crime is increasingly tripping up those looking for work? Possession of marijuana. In 1995, police in the District arrested about 1,850 people for having pot. By 2011, the number had skyrocketed to more than 6,000. There are twice as many marijuana arrests in the District as there are students graduating from D.C. high schools each year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLet’s stop wrecking lives over a bag of weed

Texas cops raid farm commune when mistaking tomato plants for marijuana

"Police in Arlington, Texas are being criticized for their tactics during a drug raid on a local farm that came up empty while allegedly damaging both the property and the crops. Several residents at the 'Garden of Eden' sustainability garden were handcuffed at gunpoint by officers during the Aug. 2 raid, which also involved a SWAT team, after an undercover officer and helicopter surveillance allegedly gave authorities probable cause to believe there was marijuana being grown on the premises. 'They came here under the guise that we were doing a drug trafficking, marijuana-growing operation,' owner Shellie Smith told WFAA-TV. 'They destroyed everything.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas cops raid farm commune when mistaking tomato plants for marijuana

Wyoming weed laws leave patients with difficult choice: suffer or risk imprisonment

"For a law-abiding Casper resident with impaired vision and glaucoma, it proved a tough decision: Take expensive legal medicine, with the side effects, or use marijuana and risk imprisonment. 'It’s a real frustrating thing – do you want to risk your freedom or do you want to lose your vision?' He said. 'It’s not a choice you should have to make.' He’s not the only one to make that choice. After a motorcycle accident in 1997 shattered his pelvis and crushed his left leg from the knee down, Charlie Lake underwent 13 surgeries that left him in chronic pain. Lake said [opiate addiction] caused 'mental anguish' and other health problems until he began using marijuana." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWyoming weed laws leave patients with difficult choice: suffer or risk imprisonment

Questions and Answers About Cannabis – National Cancer Institute

"The use of Cannabis for medicinal purposes dates back at least 3,000 years. It came into use in Western medicine in the 19th century and was said to relieve pain, inflammation, spasms, and convulsions. Studies in mice and rats have shown that cannabinoids may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingQuestions and Answers About Cannabis – National Cancer Institute

‘Safe’ sugar levels in humans are toxic to mice

"Sugar is toxic for mice in dosages that in humans would equal a 'safe' diet that includes three cans of soda per day, scientists said Tuesday. Mice fed a diet in which sugar contributed a quarter of their daily calories did not become obese or ill, yet died younger and had fewer babies than animals on a healthy diet, said the team — raising red flags about 'added sugar' levels some consider safe for humans. 'Added sugar' is a term used for the refined stuff that is added to sweet drinks, baked goods and candy rather than the natural sugars found in fruit, vegetables and milk products. Sugar consumption in the American diet had increased by 50 percent since the 1970s." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Safe’ sugar levels in humans are toxic to mice

Footage of distressed cows stir questions about growth drugs

"Tyson Foods Inc declared it would no longer accept cattle that had been fed the most popular brand of the feed additive, called Zilmax, a powerful and fast-selling product from pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. The debate over Zilmax follows a similar dispute over ractopamine. China and Russia have banned the import of meat from ractopamine-fed animals, and the U.S.-based pork giant Smithfield Foods in May announced it will stop feeding ractopamine to half its pig herd, a move seen as an effort to recapture the lucrative China market. The FDA has deemed beta-agonists safe both for farm animals and for human health." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFootage of distressed cows stir questions about growth drugs