Separate...

The world has had lots to say about 15 French towns that banned the full-body burkini swimsuit at a time when France and places of worship are the target of terrorist attacks.”

All this seems a clear violation not only of the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the Constitution, but also of the liberté and égalitéthe French supposedly hold dear. It is important to remember that these burkini bans, like the 2010 French law outlawing headgear that covers the face, are not so different from American garb laws wielded against Catholics in the not-so-distant past.

In one of America’s first culture wars, Protestants attacked Catholicism as un-Christian, immoral and anti-democratic. In the late 19th century, several states passed laws, obviously aimed at Catholic nuns, that forbade teachers from wearing clerical garb in public schools. Today, such statutes remain on the books in Pennsylvania and Nebraska.

France and the United States both separated church and state in an effort to avoid revisiting the bloody religious wars of early modern Europe.  The French sought to undercut the power of religious institutions, fashioning a secular nation in which almost all expressions of religion were exiled to the private realm of home and church. It is fine to be Catholic, Protestant or Jewish, but you could not exercise that liberty in school, on city streets or at the beach.  More issues are involved, yet I agree.

Just a thought.

I'm not...

[USA Today]

Cheated...*!

Soccer..Drama

U.S. Soccer suspended goalie Hope Solo from the U.S. women’s national soccer team for six months for her divisive comments aimed at Sweden during the Rio Games.

“The comments by Hope after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players,” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. “Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions.”

Solo blasted Sweden after the U.S. lost, 2-1, on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals on Aug. 12.
“We played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today"

This is the second time Solo, 35, has been suspended by U.S. Soccer. In January 2015, she was banned for a month after police in Manhattan Beach (Calif.) stopped a U.S. Soccer Federation van and arrested her husband on suspicion of driving under the influence. Solo was a passenger in the van and wasn’t charged.

Just a thought.

Speed...ooo

Rio de Janeiro Local police said Lochte and his teammates had actually been confronted by private security guards after damaging a gas station bathroom and ......peed on the plants.

Speedo USA  announced that it is ending its sponsorship of Lochte. " we cannot condone behavior that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for."      It will also donate $50,000 "of Lochte's fee to Save The Children, a global charity partner of Speedo USA's parent company, for children in Brazil."

Later on Monday, a spokesman for Ralph Lauren said in a statement that the company will not be renewing its contract with Lochte, which "was specifically in support of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games." The company also said that it "continues to proudly sponsor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team and the values that its athletes embody."

In addition, Reuters reported that Syneron Candela, parent of Gentle Hair Removal, will also be ending its partnership with Lochte. In April, the company had named the Olympic swimmer as the global brand ambassador for its Gentle Laser Hair Removal system.

The Love, Achievement, Money and Reputation  just went down the ....     Just a thought.

The Olympics...

Vote Epi...

When Nicole Smith took her son’s EpiPen prescription to her local Walgreens she balked at the $600 price quote for a two-pack. Her high-deductible health plan meant Mylan’s “$0 co-pay card” would only bring the cost down to $500.

The story is an all-too-familiar one: company buys dated drug, raises prices and impedes patient access to life-saving treatment in the process.

This time, the target of the tired narrative is a medical device with an unusual amount of brand name recognition, effectively no alternatives and a growing patient population                                                                                                                                              

The price of the EpiPen, which treats emergency allergic reactions, has climbed sixfold over the last several years.  While inflation is below zero.

There is a solution to this price gouging, but would the Presidential Candidates say something about it?  Vote your Conscious.   Just a thought. 

Louisiana.....

USA Today.

Free ??

If a robbery did indeed happen, Lochte, Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger are the victims. They are the ones who were "liberated" of their wallets and, in Lochte’s version, had a gun held to his forehead.

Yet the 12-time Olympic medalist and his teammates are being treated as if they stood atop Christ the Redeemer and flipped off all of Brazil.

A judge ordered the swimmers’ passports seized and said they should not leave Brazil. Judge Keyla Blank's order said investigators need more time to determine whether the Americans filed a false police report, a "crime" punishable by up to six months detention or a fine, mind you.

And on Wed. night, Bentz and Conger were pulled off their flight to the U.S. Because escalating this to the level of a capital crime is seen as appropriate in Brazil. Now we know what really happened.

This is shameful indeed.

Valeant-Enron like...

Reitz has filed papers in two Los Angeles courthouses laying out details of what he and his lawyer call "a massive fraud."

Valeant became one of the hottest healthcare stocks in recent years by buying other firms' medicines and then swiftly hiking their prices by as much as 500%.

Specialty pharmacies such as Philidor are part of a little-known strategy by Valeant and other pharmaceutical companies to sell high-priced drugs that insurers otherwise wouldn't pay for.

Many of Valeant's expensive brand-name medicines including Jublia for toenail fungus and Solodyn for acne are similar to generic medicines available for far less. When patients fill those prescriptions at the pharmacy, insurers often require the druggist to switch to the generic causing Valeant to lose the sale.

To get around that blockade, Valeant has been distributing coupons on the Internet and to doctor's offices that allow patients to lower or even avoid a co-pay if they ordered the drugs through Philidor. 

A federal securities fraud class action is brought on behalf of  all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired the securities of Valeant between February 23, 2015 and October 20, 2015, inclusive, seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

How can Seniors afford the medicine?   Just a Nightmare thought.