"Gay" in the News: Morphing From "Leave Us Alone" to "Bake Us a Cake!"

When "Leave us alone" became "Bake us a cake.  Or else!"

There was some point of departure where imploring everyone to just look the other way and ignore deviant behavior became strident demands to participate in public flaunting of "gender identity", or face criticism, and now lawsuits.

Advocates of "equivalence" for deviant behavior have escalated the issue, although their efforts have been consistently voted down through democratic process.  They continue to insist, and federal judges are now backing their claims.  Mainstream traditions are becoming indefensible in most lawsuits, as federal judges and elected officials see no difference between practices that reflect social norms and those that represent deviance.

"Gay" in the News: Agenda is Advanced

Recognizing that the agenda of homosexual advocates is being "advanced", through federal courts and foot-dragging by state officials.

The suggestion seems to be that what cannot be achieved by democratic process may just as well be forced by federal judges who know better.  This is considered to be some kind of "advance", as though it represents the final round of game show competition.

Though I disagree with their premise - the only way to find happiness is by changing the rules - I hope those people eventually find what they are seeking.  

Shift Differential

Brian asked me to put up some info on shift differential pay.

Some links:

Federal Regulations
United States Code
Society for Human Resource Management
NCBI Abstract on Shift Work Disorder 
Abstract: Accident risk as a function of hour at work
Abstract:  Shift work and health: current problems and preventive actions
Abstract:  The impact of overtime and long working hours on occupational injuries and illness 

Abstract:  Shift work and health--a critical review of the literature on working hours.

From a source on physicians frequent demand for working night shifts:

The problems of rotating shifts stem mainly from working in opposition to the body's normal circadian rhythms. The major circadian rhythm involved is the sleep/wake cycle. Social isolation of those who must work while others sleep is also a major problem. There are many biological and social problems associated with rotating shifts. Physical problems include an incidence of peptic ulcer disease eight times that of the normal population. Cardiovascular mortality has also been noted to be increased among shift workers. One author estimates that the risk of working rotating shifts approaches that of smoking one pack of cigarettes per day.  Other physical problems include chronic fatigue, excessive sleepiness, and difficulty sleeping. Part of the social toll on those who must work rotating shifts is reflected in an increased divorce rate. Shift workers are also known to have higher rates of substance abuse and depression. Shift workers are much more likely to view their jobs as extremely stressful. Accidents are increased as a result of working shifts.  (ACEP, Circadian Rhythms and Shift Work)

From CDC Report:

The average number of hours worked annually by workers in the United States has increased steadily over the past several decades and currently surpasses that of Japan and most of Western Europe. The influence of overtime and extended work shifts on worker health and safety, as well as on worker errors, is gaining increased attention from the scientific community, labor representatives, and industry. U.S. hours of service limits have been regulated for the transportation sector for many years. In recent years, a number of states have been considering legislation to limit mandatory overtime for health care workers. The volume of legislative activity seen nationwide indicates a heightened level of societal concern and the timeliness of the issue.  (CDC: Overtime and Extended Work Shifts: Recent Findings on Illnesses, Injuries and Health Behaviors)