Where's the Outrage?

Since it appears that the Philadelphia Phillies are going to roll over and play dead for the New York Yankees, I decided to post some music videos for those in the Halloween spirit. The first tune, a must for anyone at this time of year, is the Monster Mash. This is clearly the best monster tune of all time.

Now, second place is going to be somewhat difficult. I’m going to go with Nightmare on My Street by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. This is a fan tribute. I don’t think that a formal video was ever made.

Last but NOT least is Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Tags: Music by ecthompson md
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I can’t remember when I first heard about Joshua Redman. It was at least 15 years ago. I ran out and bought a CD. I wasn’t ready. I like my jazz very rhythmic like RnB. This wasn’t. I think I have grown since then. Thank goodness.

Artist: Joshua Redman
Tune: Jazz Crimes

Tags: Music by ecthompson md
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I haven’t seen this film yet but it is on my list. My sis has and has written a GREAT review. So -

From Black N’ Bougie:

• Elvis fans – shoot yourself now. There is only one King and his name was Michael Joseph Jackson. He ETHERS all competition, there has been nor ever will be anyone like him. What This Is It shows you is pure artistic genius. This is an artist who knows what he wants and how to do it from lyrical intonation, to choreography, to film, to stage design. This man looked at a stage full of dancers and was able to say “She’s the one.” When a musician moved a nano-second too quickly from chord to chord, Michael stopped him and said, “Not so fast, you have to let it simmer. It needs to be bathed in moonlight.” My creative heart just fluttered. Bathed in moonlight (stealing it).
• I embarrassed BougieMom… just a little bit. From after the opening segment through the end credits, I (and most of the audience) sang, danced, clapped, and cheered. At one point I attempted to get up to do the Thriller dance and she cut me an indulgent but definite side-eye. I eased back into the seat. To compound issues, we were in a theater that served food and drinks and yes, I ordered the gigantic Long Island Iced Tea. Since I hadn’t eaten since breakfast by four sips in, I was feeling every bit of the groove. More than once I let, “Get it Michael, you go boy!” fall right out of my mouth.
• I won’t spoil which songs he sings or what the overall show feels like except to say that it’s an extravaganza for the senses. From start to close, it showcases amazing talent, dedication and attention to detail. Honestly, his rehearsal footage was better than most live performances I’ve been to. As we are all sadly aware, most of today’s “marquee” singers can’t hold a note without production help and autotune. This dude not only breaks off acapella riffs, he mimics instruments with his voice to let the musician know how it’s supposed to sound.
• His doctor deserves to be shot. It comes to you about midway through the movie that this is a guy FULL of life and focused on the future. If he was some sort of doped-up druggie, he hid it amazingly well. Hell, I was tired just watching him move around. I really had to make a conscious decision to enjoy the feeling and the music and not dwell on the grief. But it was very hard to reconcile this vibrant live wire of an entertainer with someone who is no longer with us. You look at him up there larger than life and cannot comprehend how he ended up dead. If the jury for Dr. Caribbean Kevorkian’s trial sees this movie, he’s going under the jail. (more…)

Tags: Movies, Music by ecthompson md
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From Political Animal:

It’s one thing to set low expectations for House Minority Leader John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) weekly address. It’s another to actually hear the darn thing.

For example, just a few days after conceding there is no GOP alternative reform proposal, the House Minority Leader now believes there is a rival health care plan after all.

“We first released our health care plan in June, and over the last six months, we have introduced at least eight bills that, taken together, would implement this blueprint.”

I see. Take a brief printout with some talking points, combine it with eight unrelated pieces of weak legislation — not one of which has been endorsed by the party’s leadership — throw it in a blender without a coherent policy structure, and viola! House Republicans have both a “plan” and a “blueprint.”

And to think I questioned the seriousness with which the House GOP took policy matters. Don’t I feel embarrassed.

Boehner went on to point to a handful of ideas Republicans like, some of which are already in the House reform bill.

He added that the majority’s reform package will “put unelected boards, bureaus, and commissions in charge of who gets access to what drug and what potentially life-saving treatment,” which is obviously untrue. Boehner also said reform “will cut seniors’ Medicare benefits,” which is obviously untrue.

Boehner then complained about the debt — which he helped add $5 trillion to by supporting Bush/Cheney policies — and economic growth — which he wanted to stunt with a five-year spending freeze at the height of the economic crisis.

DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse responded, “Apparently, John Boehner has his holidays confused because his remarks are far better suited for an April Fool’s address.”

Tags: Healthcare by ecthompson md
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I must admit that I had to grow into Maxwell. He’s a little sentimental. Okay, he is really, really sentimental.

Artist: Maxwell
Tune: Pretty Wings

Tags: Music by ecthompson md
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From HuffPo:

In a Friday afternoon news dump, the Obama administration has released a list of nearly 500 visitors to the White House. Among the names: a host of prominent politicians who swung by to meet with the president and/or his aides.

Hey, what do you know? A blow for transparency. Cool.

Tags: Obama administration by ecthompson md
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Liberals have been accused of misrepresenting the data on those who are uninsured. So, I thought I’d take a couple of seconds and set the record straight. The U.S. Census has released a report on income, poverty and health insurance status a couple of months ago. The data is from 2008.

There are 46.3 million people in the United States who do not have health insurance. This has increased from 45.7 million people in 2007. 34 million of these people are American citizens. 9.5 million are not American citizens. This leaves approximately 2.7 million Americans who don’t have health insurance who have become naturalized citizens. So, it is not correct to call them all illegal aliens. (I hate that term. I’ve been pushing “economic refugees” because that accurately describes why they are here.) On the other hand, it is not correct to call them all American citizens. I think this is important. The vast majority of the 46 million Americans without health insurance are American citizens!

Now, to jump into the mess, what shall we do with 9.5 million economic refugees were not citizens? Some have suggested we do nothing. Others have said if there’s an emergency, send them to the emergency room; otherwise, do nothing. Here’s my thought. As a surgeon, if I’m at a football game watching my Dallas Cowboys and the guy next to me is coughing up some infectious disease — tuberculosis, influenza, etc… — his health is affecting me. If I’m in New York on a subway or in an elevator, his health affects me and those around me. Also, if these economic refugees get brought into the healthcare system, it will cost me and you less in the long run. Complications of disease always cost more. Preventing those complications should be our goal.

I know that this is a contentious issue. I also know that we need to fix this problem that has been created by corporate greed. If corporations weren’t hiring economic refugees, they wouldn’t be here.

Tags: Healthcare, Immigration by ecthompson md
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When President Obama asked Democrats, liberals and progressives to forgive Joe Lieberman for his condescension, lies and treachery, we reluctantly said, “Okay.” It was the right thing to do. It was the JudeoChristian thing to do. Joe Lieberman now sits as the chairman of the powerful Homeland Security Committee because of our generosity. He is now made an appearance on TV, not having ever met a camera he doesn’t like, and threatened to filibuster the healthcare bill by voting with Republicans. Notice how Republicans have gone silent. They are allowing Democrats to implode without their help. My disdain for Joe Lieberman only grows.

From TP:

This afternoon, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) appeared on Fox News to defend his intention to filibuster any health care reform bill that includes a national public option. Lieberman argued that a public plan would “stifle” the economic recovery and increase “the debt.” “It’s just unnecessary,” Lieberman said. The public option is “a new entitlement program and the taxpayers and the premium-payers are going to end up paying for it, or else the debt will go higher.”

Contrary to Lieberman’s claims, the public option envisioned by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) would be required to compete on a level playing field with private insurers and charge premiums “in an amount sufficient to cover expected costs.” Instead of stifling the “economic recovery” and increasing “the debt,” the Congressional Budget Office concluded that the self-sustaining public option (similar to the one envisioned by Reid) could actually save the government money and slightly lower premiums. [Read more →]

Tags: Healthcare by ecthompson md
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How badly do you want tickets to the World Series?

From ESPN:

A lawyer for a Philadelphia woman charged with offering sex for World Series tickets says she is “a nice lady overcome with Phillies fever.”

Lawyer William J. Brennan says Susan Finkelstein might have dropped double entendres in her Craigslist ad but never explicitly offered sex.

Brennan says the 43-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate student wanted to take her husband to a game between her beloved Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees.

Brennan says the self-described “buxom blonde” was trying to score tickets online, as she had in the past.

Finkelstein was arrested Tuesday after meeting at a suburban bar with an undercover police officer responding to the ad.

Brennan says he hopes to get the charges dismissed.

Currently we are in the 7th inning stretch and the Phillies are up 2 – 0 over the Yankees!

Tags: Sports by ecthompson md
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My prediction of a Dallas Cowboy collapse against the Atlanta Falcons was flat wrong. I’m happy for that. We saw the most complete game from the Dallas Cowboys in over two years. Who would’ve guessed? As a lifelong Cowboy fan, I wonder what this week will hold.

Yesterday, a New York Times editorial had a lukewarm endorsement for a second stimulus package for our ailing economy. Republicans are already yelling that Obama has created a jobless recovery. Yet they seem to have no understanding of how a recovery works. First, businesses began to make money and stop hemorrhaging money. Then, once there was enough demand for more product, businesses began to higher, again. Unfortunately, when we stand back and look at how our economy has changed over the last 30 years, we must ask ourselves, where are the jobs going to come from? Over the last 30 years, Republicans have stressed that corporations must be leaner and more efficient, which has caused corporations to push jobs overseas. This means that there are fewer jobs here at home. So I fear that as businesses begin to recover, jobs will be created overseas and not here at home.

As Jeff Madrick from Campaign for America’s Future puts it:

In the past 30 years, government, with a few exceptions, did not adequately sustain and nurture society, or help it adapt to change. Government invested less in America, it regulated less, and it led less. It was a lost generation.
The financial crisis occurred because of this widespread disdain for and distrust of government. Under ideological pressure to which both political parties subscribed and under the influence of powerful vested interests, government stepped back and gave financial markets largely free rein. Very risky investments were made with enormous levels of debt; the failure of one firm could take down an entire industry . Common sense was discarded and new, highfalutin theories about the rationality and efficiency of markets dominated thinking at the best universities, the halls of Congress, and the boardroom of the nation’s central bank. Always, the argument was the financial community understood risk better than any government could.

I do not know if we truly need a second stimulus package or not. I do know that America needs help. President Obama and wimpy Democrats on the Hill need to pass legislation which makes it harder for corporations to ship jobs overseas. This legislation must tax raw materials leaving our country to be manufactured overseas and must tax the finished product coming back into the country. This will discourage businesses from shipping jobs overseas and, more importantly, encourage businesses to continue to invest in America. Even if a law like this were passed tomorrow, the effects would not be seen for another several years. But we need to start sometime.

Reform of Wall Street will act as a “mini stimulus” because currently money that would be reinvested into the corporations is now being heaped on executives. Instead of giving upper management millions of dollars in bonuses, that same money can be used to hire more people, upgrade factories and improve productivity. Congress needs to look seriously at reforming this ridiculously dysfunctional practice of heaping large rewards on CEOs.

President Obama has the right plan. Green jobs. We need to invest in clean energy. This is a multibillion dollar industry which will help America on so many levels. This will act as a second stimulus. We need to invest in wind and solar energy and in more efficient power plants. This will cause businesses to begin to hire tens of thousands if not millions of people. Congress needs to act in multiple ways to stimulate this industry. We need tax incentives so that businesses will invest in new plants. (I’m still not sure about nuclear power. When we figure out what to do with the nuclear waste, then I’m all for nuclear power, but right now we don’t have a solution. Digging a big hole and sticking it in the ground somewhere just doesn’t seem viable for the long term.)

True, healthcare reform will also help the economy. We need to curb the growth of this industry. This will allow business to free up moneys which can be reinvested in building new plants and increasing wages.

The New York Times editorial is a little bit off the mark. This should not be surprising to anyone since the Times has been walking around in a cloud of confusion for many many years. I’m not beating up the New York Times. I will leave that to conservatives who never tire at being of the Times. But I think that with a little more thoughtful reflection they could’ve come up with the right formula for long-term success of our economy.

Tags: Economy by ecthompson md
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First, don’t forget to check out Errington’s post about the corporate travesty, bailouts and huge payoffs, “Who Are We?” reposted at LiberalOasis.com. Are these the priorities we want for ourselves as Americans? Do we want Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch as poster children for who this country is?

This week’s show is all about keeping up the pressure and continuing to get things done. Errington’s guests are Paul Choi, from Organizing for America, the very successful volunteer-run grassroots team at barackobama.com, and MoveOn.org’s Randy Bernard. Healthcare takes center stage as Choi reminds everyone about Congressman Heath Shuler’s “two-a-day” plan: improving health and wellness habits by making two better choices each day. Have an apple. Take the stairs. We need to keep the healthcare reform we deserve in the conversation, keep up the pressure on Congress and don’t let President Obama forget how important this reform is.

Five million strong and celebrating its tenth year, MoveOn.org is a great example of giant grassroots success and one of its local representatives, Mr. Randy Bernard, tells listeners about the rallies across the country in support of healthcare legislation and reminds us to continue to do our part and make activism a part of our everyday lives.

Candidate for Asheville City Councilman Gordon Smith pays the show a visit a couple weeks before the election, too. Here’s another fine example of how activism and participation make a difference. So listen in and learn how we can all contribute to the continued progressive success that’s changing our country.

The Errington Thompson Show 10-17-09 [ 50:46 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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I think it’s pretty well accepted that Al Qaeda has left Afghanistan. They’ve tucked themselves into the western portion of Pakistan like a tick. So, although the Taliban are an oppressive regime, our goal is not still to eliminate the Taliban, is it?

We must remember that Afghanistan is much less than a third world country. Afghanistan is still living in the 1500s. Sure, there are a few cell phone towers in Kabul and Kandahar, but outside of that there isn’t much. There is almost no infrastructure. There are no roads with pavement on them. Central heating and air-conditioning are laughable. The Industrial Revolution and the conveniences of the 20th century have completely passed by this part of the world.

So why are we still in Afghanistan? The knee-jerk answer is to prevent the Taliban and Al Qaeda from getting another foothold in this country. We would like to prevent another 9/11. I guess my question is — do we need to turn Afghanistan into West Virginia (rural and mountainous) in order to accomplish this objective? Why can’t we pull a Mohammad Ali (a “rope-a-dope” maneuver) and pull back into a few bases, decreasing our troop strength to around 5000? Then we could strike whenever large groups of Taliban or Al Qaeda gather. Also, there are several dysfunctional countries throughout the world. Why can’t folks like the Taliban and Al Qaeda move to chronically dysfunctional countries in South Asia or Central Africa?

I don’t pretend to have the answers as to why we are still in Afghanistan. I do think these questions need to be asked. I’m hoping that members of the Obama administration are asking these questions. 10 years ago, there was this rumor milling around the liberal circles (I was tempted to say the blogosphere, but it didn’t exist back then) that the United States and the big oil giants discovered a large amount of natural gas in some of the former Soviet Union states. The United States wanted that gas. It just so happens that these countries (Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) border Afghanistan. Coincidence?

The following is a video from Real News Networks. They believe, and they have some evidence to back it up, that we remain in Afghanistan in order to pave the way for this transcontinental pipeline. It is interesting how George W. Bush’s name continues to pop up.

Watch the video:

Let me add that I don’t know if this is true. I do know that money moves American politics. I also know that Big Oil has a lot of money to throw around.

Tags: Afghanistan by ecthompson md
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Yay, there is much rejoicing. Unfortunately I’m not really sure what I’m rejoicing about. We’ve had all this nebulous terminology that is been bouncing around the airwaves. I don’t know what a public option is? I guess, more precisely, I don’t know what they mean by public option.

Let’s back up a little bit. Let’s look at one of the goals that I set out for healthcare reform (portability, cost-effective, efficient). In order to deliver cost-effective health care, we need to do something to control costs. One way to control costs eliminate health insurance altogether. This will save Americans billions of dollars which currently go to a 30% overhead that we see with private insurance. This would be the most progressive option. Democrats took this off the table before the discussion began. Therefore, as a fallback measure, the government would provide a plan that would compete with private plans for people who are not already covered. In my mind, this would include employees of small businesses who cannot currently afford health insurance. This is kind of a sticky point. Republicans don’t want small business to flock to the public option. Personally, I think that this would be great for small business. It would help lower their operating costs and allow them to spend more money investing in their employees and their business. The other thing, that many people on Capitol Hill are not talking about, is whether the public option will be able to negotiate pharmaceutical prices and prices for medical devices. Again, this is a sticking point for Republicans and blue dog Democrats. As far as I can tell, none of this is been clarified for Senator Harry Reid’s announcement.

A public option that is not allowed to negotiate drug prices in the prices for medical devices, will be a sinkhole for our taxpayer dollars. We might as well just give these companies money.

From DK:
Robert Gibbs provided the following statement on behalf of the White House in response to Reid’s announcement:

“The President congratulates Senator Reid and Chairmen Baucus and Dodd for their hard work on health insurance reform. Thanks to their efforts, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to solving this decades-old problem. And  while much work remains, the President is pleased that at the progress that Congress has made. He’s also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. As he said to Congress and the nation in September, he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition.”

Meanwhile, Greg Sargent highlights this statement from Reid’s presser.

“As we’ve gone through this process, I’ve concluded, with the support of the White House and Senators Baucus and Dodd, that the best way forward is to include a public option with an opt-out provision for states.”

Tags: Healthcare by ecthompson md
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I predicted that the Atlanta Falcons would come in and dominate the Dallas Cowboys. Thankfully, I was wrong. If the Dallas Cowboys can play like this every time I predict they will lose, I’m going to predict a loss every week for the rest of the season. The Dallas Cowboys limited their turnovers. They still had eight penalties including, if I’m not mistaken, three defensive offsides. Yet, for the first time this year, it appears that the Cowboys play defense. I don’t know what was different today. The Cowboys simply got after Matt Ryan. He was harassed all day. He had a fumble plus two interceptions and four sacks. This is why the Cowboys won 37 – 21.

I don’t know what’s wrong with Roy Williams. In 14 games (including yesterday against the Falcons), Roy Williams has 31 catches for 428 yards and two touchdowns. He has yet to record a 100-yard game. Heck, the tight end for the Houston Texans had more than 100 yards receiving yesterday. Roy Williams may be Jerry Jones’s worst acquisition ever.

One of the big differences for the Dallas Cowboys over their last two games was that they had a receiver that actually got open — Miles Austin. Austin had another two touchdowns and had over 170 yards receiving. Maybe we should’ve listened to Michael Irvin when he said that Roy Williams probably belongs in the slot.

Two things happened today which made the Dallas Cowboys victory possible. First, Tony Romo did not turn over the ball. Romo made plays. He scrambled and got out of trouble and still made accurate throws, including a touchdown to Patrick Crayton in the back of the end zone. I cannot reiterate how important it is for the Cowboys not to turn over the ball in the league where parity exists. Also, Tony Romo found the accuracy he had lost for weeks. He was hitting wide-open receivers right on the numbers. Romo also scrambled lke he had to. The combination was a wonderfully effective game. Secondly, the defensive line came up huge. They put pressure on Matt Ryan, which he hasn’t seen in weeks. They also did a pretty good job of not letting Michael Turner run wild. The combination allow the Cowboys to have their best game in more than a year.

Now can the Cowboys keep this up for the rest of the year?

Cowboys surprisingly beat Falcons [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Hey, there is a curious thang on the Billboard Top 20. You have this Carrie Underwood tune at #19 and you have Kelly Clarkson at #20. It is an American Idol reunion!

Artist: Carrie Underwood
Tune: Cowboy Casanova

Tags: Music by ecthompson md
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Let’s look at the one o’clock games first. New England versus Tampa Bay. The Patriots are coming off one of the most lopsided victories in recent memory. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still trying to find themselves. Look for Brady to have another big day. The New England Patriots roll.

The San Francisco 49ers versus the Houston Texans. Houston is a team I have difficulty getting a handle on. They have one of the most dominating receivers in the league and a quarterback is playing pretty well — very well. The 49ers offense is anemic at best. As if the holdout Michael Crabtree can make the offensive line block better there is a new excitement around the 49ers since he has signed a contract and will play today. Look for this to be a close game with Matt Schaub orchestrating the winning drive in the closing seconds.

The San Diego Chargers versus the Kansas City Chiefs. LaDainian Tomlinsion was one of the most reliable backs in the NFL. He was a dominant force. Unfortunately, that was more than three years ago. He’s been mediocre to disappointing since then. The Kansas City Chiefs are rebuilding. Look for Philip Rivers to put the team on his back once again to pull out a victory.

The Indianapolis Colts versus the St. Louis Rams. I’m not sure what the St. Louis Rams are doing. It does appear that they’re actually rebuilding. Look for Peyton Manning to be watching most of the second half from the bench as the Colts roll over the Rams in a blowout.

The Green Bay Packers versus the Cleveland Browns. The Cleveland Browns need to find a coach and stick with him or her. It really doesn’t matter who. They need to get some consistency. They need to begin to build an offensive line and then to settle on a quarterback who they think can lead them deep into the playoffs. As far as I can tell, they haven’t done that yet. Eric Mangini may be the man today. The Green Bay Packers are rebuilding, but they are continuing to have problems in their offensive line. In spite of this, Aaron Rodgers is having a great year. He is a great core of wide receivers. If the Packers are able to limit turnovers and keep Aaron Rodgers up right, they should win this one by more than a touchdown.

The Minnesota Vikings versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Games like this make the NFL. The rest of the one o’clock games are boring. Two undefeated teams. Two skilled quarterbacks. Both have run-stopping defenses which are vulnerable to the pass. This should be a good game. I really think that this game comes down to Brett Farve. If he’s able to find his receivers and avoid the big mistakes, the Minnesota Vikings will remain undefeated. I guess the same could be said for Ben Roethlisberger. This could be a high-scoring game. Limiting turnovers and preventing the other team from getting momentum will be key. Look for the Minnesota Vikings to jump out to an early lead and get a couple of early turnovers and hang on, as they did last week, for the victory.

The 4:00 games. The Buffalo Bills versus the Carolina Panthers. Both teams have had erratic quarterback play. Both teams have fairly good running games. Look for special teams play and turnovers to tilt the game in favor of the Buffalo Bills.

The New York Jets versus the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are playing tough scrappy football. The New York Jets defense is playing extremely well. The New York Jets need this game in order to stay close to the New England Patriots. Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has had an up-and-down season, to say the least. Sanchez has to protect the ball in order for the Jets to win. Look for the Jets to squeak out a victory after JaMarcus Russell continues to struggle.

The New Orleans Saints versus the Miami Dolphins. The New Orleans Saints may be the best team in the league right now. They’re playing incredible offensive football. The Miami Dolphins are close. They’re missing one or two components. Look for the Miami Dolphins to repeat the strategy they tried to use against the Indianapolis Colts. They will try to control the clock and keep the ball away from Drew Brees. If the New Orleans Saints are able to slow the running game of the Miami Dolphins, the Saints will roll. The Saints’ game plan will be to try to jump out on top early and forced the Dolphins to play from behind. In this game, I think the coin toss is critically important. This should be an excellent game to watch. I think the New Orleans Saints will leave Miami undefeated.

The Dallas Cowboys versus the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta is playing great football. The Dallas Cowboys are not. The Atlanta Falcons have a quarterback who’s on a roll. They have good balance between their running and passing game. The Dallas Cowboys have a quarterback who is struggling. They have no big-play receivers. They have not been able to run the ball in the last three weeks. Turnovers and stupid penalties have plagued the Cowboys all season. Look for the Atlanta Falcons to take advantage of turnovers and walk out of the new Cowboys stadium with a victory.

The Arizona Cardinals versus the New York Giants. I have not seen much of the Arizona Cardinals this year. I don’t know why they are struggling. The New York Giants are looking to bounce back from any defensive nightmare down in the bayou from last week. The New Orleans Saints exposed a weak secondary for the New York Giants. The vaunted New York Giants, rush, led by Justin Tuck, was silenced. Look for the Arizona Cardinals to try to use the same game plan of pushing the ball down the field. Steve Breaston may be the key to victory. The New York Giants will try to double team Anquan Bolden and or Larry Fitzgerald. If Kurt Warner is given time he should have a great game. Look for the New York Giants to try to keep the ball away from the Arizona offense. They will try to pound the ball with Brandon Jacobs, who’s been complaining recently, and Ahmad Bradshaw, who has been running brilliantly. This game is going to be hard to call. I’m leaning towards Arizona Cardinals.

Monday Night Football features the Philadelphia Eagles versus the Washington Redskins. This game is easy. Which Philadelphia team is going to show up? Is it the one that crushed Tampa Bay and the Carolina Panthers? Or will the Eagles bring the team that sleepwalked through their Oakland game? Who knows. Look for the Eagles defense to dictate the tempo and force turnovers. If the Eagles get off to a good start, this game will be over early. If the Eagles struggle and its close at halftime, look for the Redskins to eke out a victory.

What are your thoughts?

Tags: Sports by ecthompson md
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This was recorded at the famous Newport Jazz Festival back in 1958. This is his set. Four great tunes. He was a master.

Artist: Louis Armstrong
Tune: Up the Lazy River, Tiger Rag, Rockin’ Chair (with Jack Teagarden), When the Saints Go Marchin’

Tags: Music by ecthompson md
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Look, it really doesn’t matter that you or I disagree with FOX News. It doesn’t matter that the “news” that they choose to highlight really isn’t newsworthy (remember the mainstream media covered the balloon fiasco ad nauseum for more than two straight hours). Instead, what distinguishes FOX from a real news outlet is its promotion of events to oppose and overthrow the legitimately elected Barack Obama government. Again, it is not their support, but their willingness to fund, organize and market these events. So the fact that Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly are blowhards doesn’t bother me (although I do like taking their factual errors and non sequiturs apart).

That the mainstream media cozied up to FOX News and supported their cause just points to the fact that the mainstream media is owned by large corporations who believe that money is more important than anything else. This is not vindication that FOX News isn’t an advocacy organization. Instead, this is the old guard not wanting things to change. The fact that the Obama administration caved to pressure illustrates that the White House doesn’t seem to want to stand up for their principles.

Tags: Media, Obama administration, Party Politics by ecthompson md
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I had the great pleasure of speaking with New Orleans mayoral candidate James Perry. During our conversation, we discuss Obama, charter schools, education, Katrina, levees and more. This is a great interview of a magnificent candidate. You can find out more about James Perry.

Let me know what you think of Mr. Perry. Would you vote for him? Will he help New Orleans?

James Perry talks about improving NOLA for everyone [ 29:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Domestic Issues, Katrina, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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Take precautions and wash your hands.

From CDC:

During week 41 (October 11-17, 2009), influenza activity increased in the U.S.

• 4,855 (37.5%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories and reported to CDC/Influenza Division were positive for influenza.
• All subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.
• The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was above the epidemic threshold.
• Eleven influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported. Nine of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and two were associated with an influenza A virus for which subtype is undetermined.
• The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was above the national baseline. All 10 regions reported ILI above region-specific baseline levels.
• Forty-six states reported geographically widespread influenza activity, Guam and three states reported regional influenza activity, one state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported local influenza activity, and the U.S. Virgin Islands did not report.

Tags: Healthcare by ecthompson md
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