SAR #15269

Medicine is a medieval art.

Perils Of Pauline: John Boehner's resignation as Speaker may prevent a government shutdown in October, but nearly guarantees a shutdown in mid-December by a newly empowered Tea Party wing of the GOP that is already celebrating their victory. The struggle for control of the Majority Party has simply entered a new phase, with the farer right trying to gain control over the totally anti-government farthest right. The first round seems to be between Paul Ryan (who says he doesn't want the job), the establishment's candidate, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (who has the same problems that caused Boehner's resignation) and some yahoo from the Tea Party.

Good Neighbors: Not only do 41% of Americans want a wall along the nation's border with Mexico, 41% want one along the border with Canada. There's a good likelihood these are the same 41%'s.

Each And Every: For the last seven years, the UK's Government Communications Headquarters – GCHQ, NSA's little brother – has recorded everything that every internet user does online. GCHQ builds profiles of users, analyzes their emails, Skype calls, text and instant messenger communications, and tracks cell phone locations and social media connections.

Going Through The Motions: If your “antibacterial” soap contains triclosan – which most do – you might as well save your money and use ordinary soap.

Just Say'n: The last time the Republicans shut down the government over budgets, it cost us $2 billion in additional outlays. Let's hope (against the prevailing evidence) they learned something.

Local Yokels: A Republican state legislator in Maine wants to post the names and addresses of welfare recipients online, and a similarly handicapped fellow in the Kentucky legislature says the state's $1,000 at a time limit on bribes infringes on the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of both himself and various lobbyists.

Noted: Homelessness in the UK has increased 40% since David Cameron became Prime Minister.

Nine Tenths: VW’s massive and prolonged evasion of US regulatory oversight is just the tip of the iceberg. It seems probabe that VW and most of its competitors in Europe – where half the cars are diesels - have also been gaming European standards. Previous reports suggest that US manufacturers have also gamed the system. More, and worse, to come.

Truth To Power: Any attempt to address global climate change that does not address the unsustainable number of humans on the planet will fail.

Idle Hands: Scott Walker, fresh from failing to get the government job he wanted, is following up on his success in using budget cuts to turn Wisconsin's Office of State Employment Relations into the new Office of State Employment Management headed by a political hack of the governor's choosing, now wants to dispense with merit hiring based on civil service exams and have state jobs filled by a patronage system.

Evidence: The capitalists have once again demonstrated their willingness to kill us for profit – using cars, drugs, petroleum, and even peanut butter. Are you sure this is the best of all possible worlds?

Porn O'Graph: Blowing smoke.