The media watchdog group Parents Television Council has issued a report which states that sex and violence are on the rise during what is traditionally called the “Family Hour” on network television.
The group studied 180 hours of original programming on six broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, MyNetworkTV and the CW) during three two-week ratings [...]
Archive for the ‘Nanny State’ Category
Family Hour? Not so much.
Posted in Art, Broadcasting, FCC, Family Values, Free Speech, Media, Nanny State, Pop Culture, Television on September 5, 2007 | 1 Comment »
New Mexico and Medical Mary J
Posted in Health Morality, Health care, Nanny State, Would-Be Presidents, marijuana, politics on August 18, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Looks like Governor (and Democratic Presidential Candidate) Bill Richardson is going through all the motions necessary to implement a state sponsored medical marijuana program without actually doing it.
Gov. Bill Richardson ordered the state Health Department on Friday to resume planning of a medical marijuana program despite the agency’s worries about possible federal prosecution.
However, the governor [...]
What was that saying about forests and trees?
Posted in Nanny State, Tobacco on August 17, 2007 | 3 Comments »
An interesting passage in William Saletan’s otherwise ho-hum editorial on the anti-tobacco crusades:
Urine tests are a warning sign that the war on smoking is morphing into a war on nicotine. The latest target is snus, a tobacco product that delivers nicotine without smoke. Despite studies showing it’s far safer than cigarettes, most European countries [...]
What’s wrong with New York City?
Posted in Free Speech, Nanny State, What the Fuck? on August 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
After banning the use of the word nigger last month, elected officials in NYC are now suggesting banning use of the word bitch as well. Because if people can’t say racist or sexist words, the sentiments behind these words will cease to exist, obviously.
While the bill also bans the slang word “ho,” the b-word [...]
Attempts to save your own life are too risky, appeals court rules
Posted in Drugs, Health Morality, Nanny State, Rights and such, The Constitution on August 8, 2007 | 7 Comments »
A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that terminally ill patients whose only chance of survival lies in investigational medicines should, essentially, suck it up and wait it out ’til the FDA rules that the drugs are 100 percent without risk.
That makes sense. I mean, if terminally ill patients take some drug without the FDA’s [...]
secondhand smoke: The numbers don’t exist, but I swear it causes cancer.
Posted in Nanny State, Tobacco, Tyranny of Public Health on August 3, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Sitting in a bar the other night, drinking $3 martinis by myself because I had nothing better to do, I was reading the spring issue of Regulation magazine, because I thought that would be less awkward than reading a book.
There was a great article in which Gio Batta Gori debunks the “science” behind secondhand [...]
V-Chip coming to a cell phone near you?
Posted in Libertarians, Nanny State, V-Chip on August 3, 2007 | 5 Comments »
My super hero name would have something to do with protecting inanimate objects from being banned. I am protector of all things loose, digusting, and uncared for. So when I read about a V-Chip for a cell phone, it looked like I was going to have to get back in to fighting shape.
Here’s a [...]
No more Incense in Yoga Studies?
Posted in Nanny State on August 3, 2007 | 5 Comments »
I owe a big thanks to YogaDawg for sending me the link to MetaDish.
Another study in Catholic churches had similar conclusions. All that time we’ve spent in down dog trying to align our Chakras and elevate our Qi, we’ve been huffing in pollutants and crap.
And look, there’s a real Bloomberg quote!
“We consider this a [...]
Shhhh! You’re not supposed to know this!
Posted in Nanny State, Tobacco on July 18, 2007 | 6 Comments »
A strange twist in Congress’ attempt to give the FDA regulatory power over tobacco: it must be kept a secret.
Anti-smoking advocate Michael Siegel even thinks this is silly:
In a last hour maneuver, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman – Senator Edward Kennedy – inserted a provision into the bill which [...]
strippers, gays, wingnuts, campaign finance corruption, trademark infringement … Ohio controversy has it all
Posted in Framing, IP, Nanny State, Ohio on my Mind, Strippers on July 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Via As Ohio Goes, the Cincinnati-based (and Daddy Dobson affiliated) conservative christian group Citizens for Community Values (the driving force behind Ohio’s recent draconian strip club legislation and the perpetuators of Ohio’s 2004 amendment banning gay marriage) are now suing opposition group Citizens for Community Standards for copying their name.
Charles Allen, a Virginia attorney [...]
teens are also disproportionate consumers of wine coolers, arbor mist, mad dog, and natty lite
Posted in Nanny State, Tobacco on July 17, 2007 | 7 Comments »
The Senate health committee is scheduled to consider a bill tomorrow that would allow the FDA to regulate cigarettes. It is getting stalled, however, because it would keep clove cigarettes legal. This is apparently unacceptable to sponsors of the bill, who are insisting that clove cigarettes, along with all other flavored cigarettes, should be banned. [...]
we can’t have people making their own health care decisions
Posted in Health Morality, Nanny State on July 17, 2007 | 3 Comments »
A 50% cut in health insurance premiums would only reduce the number of uninsured Americans by 3%, estimates a Rand study out Monday, which suggests that incentives and government tax cuts won’t lead to universal coverage.
The study, published online Monday in the journal Health Services Research, says cost is just one obstacle to health coverage, [...]
Memo to Republican senators: Please get back in big business’ pocket. Please? I could stomach your “family values”* better when you at least didn’t want to tax everything
Posted in Nanny State, Tobacco on July 11, 2007 | 2 Comments »
From a USA Today article on SCHIP and proposed tobacco tax increases:
“It really does come down to a choice between children and tobacco,” said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., who originally proposed the 61-cent increase.
Except …. not at all? But nice framing there, Gordo. Not at all inflammatory and completely misleading.
(It only comes [...]
this is not about animal rights
Posted in Chicago, Food Politics, Nanny State on July 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Baylen Linnekin of the blog To The People has a great article in the summer issue of Doublethink about Chicago’s foie gras ban. What I like about the article is that it illustrates how, regardless of whether you think the process of making foie gras is cruel to animals or not, Chicago’s ban is still [...]
more on SCHIP and tobacco taxes
Posted in Health Morality, Nanny State, Tobacco on July 10, 2007 | 3 Comments »
Via WSJ:
Anti tobacco groups also have been advocating a higher tobacco tax, which also appears to be getting attention in the House. Recently, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids presented to House Democratic aides a survey it funded that showed substantial support – even among smokers — for raising tobacco taxes.
So I was skeptical [...]
No sex in the champagne room on your cell phone.
Posted in Nanny State on June 16, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Doesn’t it just suck that you can only get porn on your computer, television, downloaded to you iPod, but you can’t take it on your phone?
… porn already is widely distributed across the Internet, on cable TV, and video-on-demand channels in the U.S. without much fuss.
Why can’t we get our porn on our phones? Who [...]
Ohio: we hate fun, naked ladies, gay people, nicotine …
Posted in Nanny State, Ohio on my Mind on June 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Oh goodness. My home state is banning-things-crazy these days. In 2004, it was gay marriage. 2005, smoking. 2006 — I don’t know, I think perhaps we were too temporarily consumed with the midterm elections to ban anything this year. We’re making up for it in 2007, though. The past few months, have been all about [...]
Paternalism: “I know you better than you do” says government
Posted in Libertarians, Nanny State, Tobacco on May 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Let’s talk about Paternalism for a moment. This has been on my mind for a couple of days, triggered by a TV commercial regarding Ohio’s seatbelt law. Now, most people agree that wearing seatbelts in cars is good and people want to be safe while they are driving, but look at the big picture here. [...]
Well do you want homeless people to get lung cancer? Do you?
Posted in Nanny State, Tobacco, What the Fuck? on May 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
A while back, an art dealer in NY tried to sue homeless people for messing with his storefront ambiance. What’s new in the world or atrocious measures to get rid of homeless people news?
As Mayor Tom Bates sees it, the alcoholics, meth addicts and the like who make up a good portion of the [...]
nanny statism 101 / next they’ll come for our butter!
Posted in Food Politics, Nanny State on May 16, 2007 | 2 Comments »
So I guess Montgomery County in Maryland approved a ban on trans fats for the entire county yesterday. I found myself arguing about trans fats with an acquaintance the other night, and his initial response was complete shock that I didn’t think it was a good idea.
“But they’re really bad for you!” he said. [...]
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