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Dec 24th 2021
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The Progressive war on the Holiday that Must Not Be Named continues unabated
Posted: December 22, 2022 by Jon Fournier in UncategorizedTags: datechguy's magnificent seven, first amendment, free speech, jon fournier, war on Christmas
Here in the People’s Republic of Marxachusetts, the name of one of the two most sacred Christian holidays is treated very much like one of the most vile curse words imaginable. Few dare utter it in public even though a significant majority of us celebrate Christmas enthusiastically. I know the same holds true for wherever progressives make up more than a token minority of the population, They are very good at bullying people into compliance with their demands.
It is most depressing to see town after town in my part of the world hold Holiday Tree Lighting ceremonies and Holiday Bazaars. Not a single one of the couple dozen towns I’ve seen listings for on social media mention Christmas.
Back in the 70s, 80s and 90s my town was lavishly decorated for Christmas. This included an elaborate Nativity Scene right on the Town Hall grounds. The Nativity Scene disappeared decades ago to appease progressive bullies who claimed it violated the “separation of church and state.”
Nowhere in the Constitution is the phrase separation of church and state. Some claim that it is part of the Establishment Clause. This is false because the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment only prevents the federal government from declaring an official religion for the United States. This clause does not reach down to the state or local level.
Progressives turn a blind eye to the free exercise of religion clause of the First Amendment, along with similar clauses in all state constitutions. I know the Massachusetts Constitution contains more than one clause protecting the free exercise of religion.
The war on Christmas is fought most fervently in schools. In a great many school districts Christmas parties are verboten. Candy canes and Christmas colored napkins are banned. On the website for my local school district, the students will have the next week off for “Holiday Break.” Christmas is not listed at all, however, New Year’s Day is listed.
Christmas is treated like a vile swear word because progressives claim naming it will offend some nameless individuals. That is claptrap. Only whiny progressives are offended. It is utterly shameful that we have catered to these wretched bullies.
Pittsburgh: Is downtown at a crossroads?
Posted: December 20, 2022 by chrisharper in UncategorizedTags: Da Magnificent Seven, Pittsburgh
By Christopher Harper
Pittsburgh, a longtime example of how a city can change from an industrial mess to a tech haven, is running into a variety of problems in places run by Democrats.
As a journalist in the 1970s, I covered organized labor and needed a shower after trips through the blazing heat of the steel mills. On several visits in the 2000s, however, I found a city that had changed from Budweiser to craft beer and from kielbasa to kale.
Downtown Pittsburgh had changed from shuttered stores to bustling restaurants and museums.
Recently, however, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has documented the fraying of the social fabric that brought the city back from the brink.
“Frustration over shootings, fights, panhandling, and open drug dealing boiled over during a recent meeting between Downtown business owners and merchants and top officials within Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration,” the newspaper reported last weekend in a front-page story.
“Some worried about losing commercial or residential tenants if the situation doesn’t change or how they can cajole workers back to the office given anxiety about safety. Another fretted about losing businesses or restaurants.”
Although other cities have experienced far higher crime statistics since the end of the COVID crisis, Pittsburgh businesses, particularly in the downtown area, have grown accustomed to safe streets.
In a recent meeting with the new mayor, business leaders expressed concern that city leadership isn’t doing enough, particularly to address issues like aggressive panhandling, fights, unruly youths, and loitering.
Like many Democrats, the new mayor is taking a hands-off approach to street crime, which has many business leaders worried.
“We’ve got to stop kidding ourselves. We’ve got to stop fighting about it and just say, go outside, smell it, look at it, experience it. It’s bad, and it’s getting worse,” said Kevin Wade, executive vice president of the PNC Financial Services Group. “If you keep up this resistance, it’s going to be beyond repair.”
Ralph Falbo, who owns a condominium building, said tenants get upset over issues like aggressive panhandling. “I got people calling me saying as soon as my lease is up, I’m gone,” he said.
Tom Smith, the managing partner of the Pittsburgh office of K&L Gates, said the law firm had tried everything from pancake and bacon breakfasts to cornhole tournaments to entice people back to the office.
But it turned out that the event that drew the biggest crowd was when Pittsburgh police came to speak about the downtown area. “It was very eye-opening to me. The point someone made about perception is the reality. Certainly, the perception is that things are really bad and that something needs to be done,” he said.
As many visitors to Pittsburgh will attest, the city has rebuilt a vibrant downtown. It would be sad to see it go the way of other major cities!
Off-label use of diabetes drug as a weight loss tool
Posted: December 19, 2022 by Pat Austin in UncategorizedTags: datechguy's magnificent seven, drug shortage, drugs, frank, pat austin, report from louisiana
By: Pat Austin
SHREVEPORT – My husband has Type 2 diabetes which runs in his family. And now the drug he needs to fight this disease is in short supply due in part to off-label use as a weight loss drug.
His medication is currently “on back order” and we are hoping he doesn’t run out before his refill is available to be processed by the pharmacy. If it does, his blood sugar will rise which creates a multitude of potentially serious problems.
He works extremely hard to control his diabetes; he exercises daily; he watches his diet, sees a nutritionist that specializes in diabetes management and has lost nearly 45 pounds by doing this over the past three years. He monitors his blood sugar throughout the day and his endocrinologist has called him an “ideal diabetes patient.”
Yet now he can’t get his medication because of this off-label use and supply chain issues. Both Ozempic and Wegovy are being used for weight loss. Even Elon Musk has boasted of using Wegovy to help his recent weight loss.
Because my husband monitors his blood sugar throughout the day his doctors also recommended one of those scanner things where you just scan this implanted device with your phone and it records your numbers which also makes it simple to provide to your doctor, but neither of his two insurance companies (including TriCare) will pay for that. So he continues to stick his finger.
It’s not that I’m trying to share all of his medical business, but I just find all this very troubling. I know there have been many times when off-label use of a drug has been beneficial; I don’t have a problem with that. But it just really troubles me that we can’t, in this country, stay on top of providing life saving medications to those who need it.
My husband has a touch of conspiracy-theorist in him; he swears that there is probably a cure for diabetes, but it is a billion-dollar industry and big pharma doesn’t want that known. I don’t know about that but it wouldn’t surprise me.
Obesity is a major problem in this country and if this drug helps with that so much the better. We all know that there will be abuse though by people who simply lack the discipline to manage weight loss. That’s not always the case of course, but those people are out there.
Frankly, I’m over all this supply chain conflagration. I’m tired of shortages, of bare shelves at the grocery store, and of rising prices because of it all. I paid nearly $5 for a dozen eggs last week – what’s up with that?! And at the post office today, one worker. “Nobody wants to come to work!” she said. The line was out the door with people trying to mail holiday packages, and only one employee in the entire post office.
I’m not sure what the answer to all this is, but I have a few ideas.
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