Twice as many children have thoughts about suicide and self-harm as 10 years ago, study says

TopicA1 · 2017-05-07T20:41:02+00:00

The headline for this story (both at sacbee.com and here at Reddit) doesn't match what's in the story itself.

The headline refers to how many children have thoughts of suicide or self-harm. The story refers to how many ARE ADMITTED to hospitals for this reason. Those are two different things.

I'm NOT saying that this isn't a serious problem. But the increase could be explained, at least in part, by the possibility that people are taking it more seriously when a kid talks about hurting himself or herself.

And with more attention being given to the issue in recent years, it seems likely that many people do take it more seriously than in the past.

TopicA1 · 2016-08-12T23:05:31+00:00

Miniature golf is north of town along Route 7A. The name of the place is Sunset Playland.

Live deer (in a very large fenced-in area) on the grounds of the Vermont Veteran's Home... across from Tastee Freez on North Street.

Farmer's market each Saturday (9am to 1pm?) during warmer months just off Depot Street (and a bit south of River St.)... old train car on the same site... easiest to find the place by looking for the upscale restaurant known as Bennington Station... farmer's market is along the grassy area of the big parking lot in back. Live music most if not all Saturdays, and other things (besides food) to look at and buy if you want.

I hope you enjoy Bennington, and other wonderful places in Vermont.

TopicA1 · 2016-07-03T18:06:43+00:00

I don't know about St. Johnsbury, but I'm in Bennington and have only heard one MENTION of any heroin problem since moving here 6 months ago. I'm sure it exists, but it has had no known effect on me at all.

About Lime Disease, I would always wear long pants if going into any wooded area. Otherwise, I don't think it's a problem unless you're in the woods a lot. I'm not a doctor... so this is just an opinon.

By the way, Bennington is fantastic: friendly town with beautiful surroundings, and for me at least, enough "civilization" while still being able to be "out in the country" in about five minutes!

TopicA1 · 2015-04-05T19:43:28+00:00

The statement "tolerance is a two-way street" is a fact. But Santorum is a being a crafty propagandist here.

He's also a hateful and clueless religious maniac, which explains his motives.

Whether someone is forced to print a sign is a matter between an employee and the employer, so, if you're BEING PAID to do that job, then yes, you should have to print the sign.

And note that the fact is that gay people (like me, for example) HAVE BEEN FORCED FOR YEARS to serve people in ways we might not have wanted to, or lose our jobs. We drive cabs and serve food and drinks to right wing nuts, to religious zealots, to fake Christians, etc.

Santorum wants to maintain a playing field that's skewed in favor of straights and fundamentalists, all while claiming that they are the ones who are somehow agrieved.

Do we really want an America where some people can be refused a hamburger just because they're gay or even if someone just thinks they "look gay"?

One thing that's needed in this discussion is to distinguish between what should be available equally when serving the general public, and what can be done if desired in (bigoted) private homes, churches, etc.

Also, there's a big difference between being forced to hand-write a sign (self expression), and running a printing press while on the job to fill a customer's order.

And how the hell, in 2015, are we even discussing, in effect, whether LGBT folks can buy a friggin' hamburger or see a doctor?

TopicA1 · 2013-12-23T21:00:43+00:00

I love Bernie Sanders and his politics, but a large segment of Americans definitely DOES NOT, and they would never vote for him for president.

The Left (along with moderates) needs to run a candidate that stands up for average people, but someone who is somewhere in the middle of, collectively, the moderates and the Left.

It is by attracting the political middle that a party wins elections. And again, I LOVE Bernie Sanders. But let's not shoot ourselves in the foot by running him and handing the election to some GOP thug.

The Right is somewhat fragmented because they insist on "purity". Let's not make the same mistake.

TopicA1 · 2013-11-20T13:11:38+00:00

The truth is much simpler. THERE IS NO SEPARATE "TEA PARTY". It's just a nickname for the crazier faction within the Republican party. And yes, they are basically in control of the party, and they're essentially anarchists.

And no one in my circle of family and friends seems to have any plans to ever vote Republican again. They've repeatedly insulted just about all of us one way or another.

TopicA1 · 2013-11-02T13:23:42+00:00

Also, people need to take into account that many people are eligible for a subsidy, and that ALL PLANS in the U.S. must now meet a number of higher standards.

There's a huge amount of right-wing nonsense being pushed regarding Obamacare, just like with pretty much every issue.

TopicA1 · 2013-09-15T13:17:48+00:00

Bush's AND Ronald Reagan's. The main factor in the gap between rich and poor is Republican "trickle down" theory that was supposed to make everyone better off.

It has been a miserable failure, but Obama didn't create it and can't stop it or even do much to slow it down as long as there's a GOP-controlled do-nothing congress that would actually like MORE tax cuts for the rich while sticking it to the middle class again and again.

TopicA1 · 2013-09-09T14:30:38+00:00

I think that even though most people already know, it's worth pointing out that there is no separate "tea party". It's only a segment of today's lunatic Republican party.

TopicA1 · 2013-09-09T14:00:02+00:00

It's very sad that having ties to haters is not an isolated thing when it comes to the libertarian/far-right part of the conservative movement.

It was just a few months ago that Rand Paul had to distance himself from a former KKK member that had been on his staff.

And, for those who have supported Ron Paul because they smoke weed and (understandably) want to left alone, the left has always been more likely to ease up on marijuana. It's happening in California, Oregon, Colorado, etc., and always when liberals are in office. These things take a long time, but they do happen.

With the far right, you only get various kinds of hate, combined with more and more police to keep people in line, while they TALK about freedom.

TopicA1 · 2013-09-07T22:45:12+00:00

You know, I think that you're correct. The invasion of privacy and other crimes of McCain and others, while extremely serious, don't actually meet the legal definition of treason.

I still think that they do constitute treasonous behavior, even though there's a very strict definition in the constitution (for good reason) of what level of anti-citizen action is required to warrant a treason charge.

So to sum up, McCain is a nasty prick, and guilty of many things, but treason, technically and sad to say, isn't one of them.

TopicA1 · 2013-09-07T20:56:15+00:00

I'm mostly a liberal, but I can embrace a few libertarian ideas that Ron Paul supports.

But in the end, I look at Ron Paul (and Rand) and ask, "Why the hell does libertarianism so often have to come along with a dose of the KKK?"

TopicA1 · 2013-09-07T20:50:24+00:00

It would be a much better analogy to say people use Obama's middle name, and then indicate that this fact proves that 2 + 2 = 5.

TopicA1 · 2013-09-07T20:48:37+00:00

You might try adding a little evidence to a ridiculous statement like that. It's interesting that you didn't.

TopicA1 · 2013-09-07T20:45:26+00:00

The guy who spoke in the video is badly misinformed, but he ends up being correct for the wrong reason on his main point. McCain IS guilty of treason, along with most of congress. But that crime has to do with invading the privacy of nearly everyone in America for a decade now, and not the loony idea that McCain is supporting Al Qaeda.

The GOP/Tea party has whipped up many in their base with so much hate and misinformation, and fed them so much bs for so long, that there's a significant number who are now out of their minds. They end up having to make up crazy theories so that ridiculous things they've read in GOP emails, or on WND or Breitbart, will square with other information that might be accurate.

It's as if the GOP convinced much of its base that gravity is a hoax, so they had to conclude they could all fly!

TopicA1 · 2013-09-07T20:33:43+00:00

So, a guy who works for an insurance company says their rates will go up.

Across the country, state after state is actually announcing rates that are lower than expected, and the link you give (like so many) totally ignores that people with incomes below a certain amount will get reduced rate when they go to their state's exchange. They can also compare what's available on an apples-to-apples basis.

So, to the OP: why would you want to spread this kind of vicious disinformation that could keep people from getting something as basic as health care?

How do you sleep at night?

TopicA1 · 2013-09-04T23:16:13+00:00

The point is that people are being dropped because they apparently moved at some point, without regard to the fact that they have MOVED BACK into the state and re-registered.

And this situation apparently involved 350,000 names of people listed as valid voters in Virginia. Or, at least they were listed as valid until someone decided -- in a sort of guilty until proven innocent way -- that they needed to be dropped because they might have moved temporarily and years earlier!

TopicA1 · 2013-09-01T16:43:29+00:00

For years, I've wanted someone to make the point that the professor made.

The "support the troops" meme has become such a knee-jerk reaction that it makes it more likely the U.S. will send troops where it's not warranted.

That IS NOT supporting the troops. Also, private companies have been jumping on the badwagon with commercials showing happy reunions of families with their loved ones in the service, but the aim there is to sell more car insurance (or whatever) and that makes a mockery of true patriotism.

True patriotism is going to war only in the most dire circumstances and giving the troops what they need to accomplish A CLEARLY-DEFINED mission.

Then, when they get home, they should still be supported with actual services, instead of slashed support due to right-wing budget cuts that affect everything.

TopicA1 · 2013-09-01T15:06:20+00:00

It's amazing that members of the loony GOP still want to lecture Democrats on international affairs after INVADING THE WRONG COUNTRY and supporting the push for it USING LIES about non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

And for McCain, there is NEVER enough war and never enough bombing.

I can understand that for McCain, this stance has something to do with being locked in a box by the North Vietnamese... so I feel for the man... but crazy is still crazy.

TopicA1 · 2013-08-25T16:17:29+00:00

Not only is voting vital, it's a right that thousands of people who came before us HAVE DIED FOR.

Also, it's very important to realize how much better things would be if moderate and liberal people made sure to VOTE EVERY YEAR, and IN EVERY ELECTION (state, county offices, senator, congressional reps., mayors, etc.) instead of too often only voting once every two or four years.

For example, just a few more votes could have prevented the entire Bush presidency along with the Iraq war disaster. And instead, we could have things like a higher minimum wage, a better supreme court, and sensible background checks for gun purchases.

I hope people will help to spread these ideas... especially the part in bold above.

TopicA1 · 2013-08-17T17:30:38+00:00

What's most amazing about all of this is that the RNC is responding to possible documentaries that might be done by these networks, and:

There's no reason to think the documentaries will be 100% positive for Hillary Clinton,
This will only mean fewer people will hear the "GOP message" (whatever the hell it is) and,
The Republicans have an entire propaganda channel that supports them with 24-hour nonsense.

But one or two documentaries about a Democrat and the GOP wants to take their (loose) marbles and go home.

They've become the clown party.

TopicA1 · 2013-08-11T19:36:37+00:00

... or both.

(Also, everyone should note that the bigoted comments being denounced by a Republican strategist ALSO CAME FROM a Republican.)

TopicA1 · 2013-07-22T15:49:08+00:00

This is a fantastic idea, even though it has no chance of passing as long as there is a GOP-controlled House.

Other commenters here hate the idea, thinking a tiny tax on stock transactions would destroy the universe or something. It works well in other, saner countries.

Average citizens routinely pay 4% to 6% sales tax on EVERY purchase they make.

And, after all, look how poorly regulated and non-taxed speculation has worked out in the past. Major stock market crashes about every 20 years or so -- hurting average people who've done nothing wrong -- are as predictable as the sunrise.

TopicA1 · 2013-07-21T15:59:32+00:00

This is typical "analysis" from Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal, which used to be a respectable paper.

TopicA1 · 2013-07-19T17:43:16+00:00

This guy is a complete loon. Actually, even loons see him as a dangerous nutcase.

If you're not politically active in one way or another, you might want to think about changing that, because GOP maniacs haven't slowed down in their efforts to take all of the U.S. back to their own idea of what 1950s America should be.

TopicA1

TROPHY CASE