March 29, 2014

New Study-gives clear and direct new evidence that autism begins during pregnancy.

Patches of Cortical Layers Disrupted During Early Brain Development in Autism



Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Allen Institute for Brain Science have published a study that gives clear and direct new evidence that autism begins during pregnancy.

The study will be published in the March 27 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers – Eric Courchesne, PhD, professor of neurosciences and director of the Autism Center of Excellence at UC San Diego, Ed S. Lein, PhD, of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, and first author Rich Stoner, PhD, of the UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence – analyzed 25 genes in post-mortem brain tissue of children with and without autism. These included genes that serve as biomarkers for brain cell types in different layers of the cortex, genes implicated in autism and several control genes.

“Building a baby’s brain during pregnancy involves creating a cortex that contains six layers,” Courchesne said. “We discovered focal patches of disrupted development of these cortical layers in the majority of children with autism.” Stoner created the first three-dimensional model visualizing brain locations where patches of cortex had failed to develop the normal cell-layering pattern.

http://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2014-03-26-cortical-layer-disruption-and-autism.aspx

March 29, 2014

Bill Maher: Tells Democrats To "Stand Your Ground" On Obamacare

Now last week in this space, I congratulated Democrats for finally learning how to use the right words to sell their ideas. This week, I'm going to ask for something in return — that they actually own those ideas. Stand your ground. when a Tea Partier says Obamacare is a government takeover, say, "I wish!" Because that would mean Medicare for all! (audience cheering and applause)

full transcript:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/29/1288197/-MUST-SEE-Bill-Maher-calls-on-Democrats-to-stand-up-and-DEFEND-Obamacare#

March 28, 2014

Stages of Obamacare Grief

March 28, 2014

Lawyer For 2nd Ex-Christie Aide (Bridget Kelly) Calls Pro-Christie Report 'Venomous' And 'Sexist'

Lawyer For 2nd Ex-Christie Aide Calls Pro-Christie Report 'Venomous' And 'Sexist'

Kelly's attorney, Michael Critchley, issued a statement Friday responding to a report released Thursday by a legal team representing Christie's office. The report pinned the blame for the lane closures on Kelly and former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey executive David Wildstein who, according to the report, "knowingly participated" in the plan "at least in part, for some ulterior motive to target [Fort Lee, N.J. Mayor Mark Sokolich.]" The legal team that conducted the investigation did not interview Kelly, Wildstein, and several other key figures in the scandal -- a fact that Critchley noted in his statement

"Without reviewing all pertinent evidence, any conclusions that are to be drawn are by definition incomplete," Critchley said. Critchley then alluded to the report's various mentions of Kelly's emotional state, and her brief relationship with Christie's former campaign manager, Bill Stepien: "The report's venomous, gratuitous, and inappropriate sexist remarks concerning Ms. Kelly have no place in what is alleged to be a professional and independent report."

Critchley called the report a "preemptive strike" to "impugn" Kelly's credibility, suggesting it was an attempt to undercut any future evidence she might provide to other investigations looking at the lane closures. Critchley also said Kelly was ready to cooperate with the federal prosecutors looking into the matter if she were "provided with the appropriate procedural safeguards."

"The only credible investigation into the lane closings is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney's Office," Kelly said. "If Ms. Kelly were provided with the appropriate procedural safeguards, she will be fully cooperative and provide truthful and complete answers to any questions asked of her by the appropriate law enforcement authorities.


MORE:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bridget-kelly-report-response

March 28, 2014

Bridge-Gate Illustrated (I apologize gleefully for this graphic)

Gov. Christie Says Motive for GWB Traffic Jams May Never Be Known

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/nyregion/chris-christie-lawyer-bridge-scandal-report.html

March 28, 2014

Hobby Lobby Is DOA (Supernatural Powers vs Corporate Personhood)

Supernatural Powers vs Corporate Personhood.
$$$ wins?



FRI MAR 28, 2014 AT 04:05 AM PDT
byMan from Wasichustan

Forget about corporate personhood.

Forget about Super Natural Corporate Powers (courtesy of SCOTUS, inc.).

Forget about Citizen's United (courtesy of SCOTUS, inc.).

Forget about employee vs. employer rights.

Forget about "Your gay violates mah religious freedom, Part Deux."

Forget about contraception, the Pope, the Bishops, the snake handlers.

Hell, while we're at it, forget about the pie!

(OK, not going to forget about the pie. We'll need that later).

...........Ring of Fire radio host Mike Papantonio (appearing yesterday on the Ed Schultz radio show) says such a ruling would be good news for anyone damaged by corporate malfeasance. For Hobby Lobby's super Jesus Powers would not only mark the end of Corporate Personhood. It would end Corporate Indemnity. Or as Mike Papantonio says, it would completely alter corporate law on such a grand scale, "It would pierce the corporate veil," and allow law suits to proceed against the owners of a corporation for the illegal or negligent acts of the corporation.

..........................................

Well, Mr. Papantonio has but one question:

Where are the amicus briefs?

Gobs were filed in Citizens United by every Big Corporate Governance entity from the Chamber of Commerce to Americans for Saving Cute Kittens from Liberal Scum. Inc. But Hobby Lobby?


(For those of us who don't do law, an amicus brief is basically an opinion offered by someone who is not a party to a case but has an interest in its outcome enough to pay some lawyer thousands of dollars to make the argument to the SCOTUS and add it to the case record. )


According to Mr. Papantonio, Citizens United has already breached the veil and test cases are imminent challenging the separation of corporation from owner based on that steaming pile of, uh, jurisprudence. [font color=red]Add supernatural powers and suddenly [/font]"There's no distinction between the owner of a corporation and the corporate entity and then all of a sudden the protection...this corporate veil protection...that says you can't sue...the owner of the corporation no matter how bad their conduct is..." goes poof!

Mr Papantonio argues that the lack of amicus briefs is the corporate world's way of telegraphing to its fully owned subsidiary majority on the SCOTUS, inc., to Have fun with your God fit, but don't you dare rule in favor of these morans. Which places this, for me, on the kabuki shelf.

Thanks Mike!


much more plus sighs & crickets:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/28/1287909/-Papantonio-Hobby-Lobby-Is-DOA

March 28, 2014

‘Noah’: Twitter conservatives outraged that film deviates from Bible’s original English

Breitbart editor Ben Shapiro objected, repeatedly, to the film’s depiction of humanity as the planet’s designated caretaker, and one of his followers agreed, pointing Twitter-followers the biblical verses in their original English:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/28/noah-twitter-conservatives-outraged-that-film-deviates-from-bibles-original-english/

March 28, 2014

Christie denies he 'inspired' scandal: 'I don’t believe that I did' (will that hold up in court?)

“I spent a lot of time the last 11 weeks thinking about what did I do if I did anything to contribute to this,” Christie said. “I don’t believe that I did.”


Sawyer asked Christie if it “defies credulity” that his staffers and appointees shut down the bridge because of a personal annoyance.

“When things were first reported, I said this couldn’t possibly be true because who would do something like that? Sometimes people do inextricably stupid things,” Christie said. “And so that’s what makes it so hard then as the guy in charge because none of it made any sense to him. And to some extent, still does not.”



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/202002-christie-calls-former-aides-linked-to-bridge-scandal-inextricably-stupid#ixzz2xGWoF6Qx
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

March 28, 2014

Viagra Coverage (tee hee hee)

http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/viagra_coverage_20140327

March 27, 2014

WHAT’S REALLY BEHIND THE KOCH ATTACKS ON DEMOCRATS Hint: it’s not about healthcare.

more:
http://www.thenation.com/article/179034/whats-really-behind-koch-attacks-democrats