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Oprah’s favorite King of Condescension has finally smugged himself right into a corner. As we discussed in Episode 3 of our Dr. Phil Chronicles series, Dr. Phil’s antics during Britney Spears’ stay at L.A. hotspot Cedars-Sinai hospital, where she was being treated for an emergency psychiatric condition, roared straight past “inappropriate” and wound up somewhere in the vicinity of “illegal.”

It’s pretty simple, actually. A federal regulation called HIPAA protects the privacy of patients being treated for a medical condition. That means that anything Dr. Phil recorded and/or leaked while he was in the hospital is probably a violation of federal law. And that’s not his only problem. The California Board Of Behavioral Sciences forbids psychotherapists from recruiting patients. In other words, they’re not allowed to just pop up on the scene of any old emergency and say “Hey, you look crazy! I can help!” Dr. Phil may have violated both HIPAA regulations and the BBS code of ethics when he showed up unannounced (and more importantly, unrequested) at the hospital in order to “help” Britney. Looks like we’re not the only ones who noticed.

American TV self-help guru DR. PHIL MCGRAW faces criminal investigation by the California Board of Psychology after offering his services without a licence [sic]. The unlicensed “Doctor” agreed to treat Spears after she was committed to Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center following an apparent breakdown at her home on 4 January (08).

He then upset members of the pop star’s family by going public with his thoughts about Spears’ mental health and has come under fire from legitimate Doctors for exploiting the singer’s troubles.

California medical authorities received a complaint claiming MCGraw was practicing without a license. The complaint states Dr. Phil is not licensed to practice psychology in California and Blogger Nations has learned he is in fact not licensed to practice anywhere in the united sates and has not held valid credentials in years.

Practicing without medical license is a serious crime in California. He attempted on his show to gloss over the lack of certification by claiming he simply retired from private practice years ago and did not renew his license.

While “Doctor” McGraw may have a degree authorities in the medical community point out to practice you must sit for examination boards in the state you wish to practice and maintain continuing educational credits once you do obtain a license.

“Doctor” McGraw gives the impression he could simply “reactivate” his license with a phone call if he so decided…

…Courts and professional associations charged with regulating professions take a very dim view of individuals who charge fees or attempt to represent themselves to the public as licensed which would seem the case with doctor Phil.

That’s right folks! Dr. Phil is not licensed to practice what he preaches. He is not licensed in a house, he is not licensed with a mouse, he is not licensed here or there, he is not licensed anywhere.

Now, you don’t know me, but it just so happens that I used to be a psychotherapist in Los Angeles, so I’m pretty familiar with the regulations in question. Allow me to assure you personally that Dr. Phil is so full of crap his eyes may leak brown at any moment. California has the most rigorous licensure process of any U.S. state, and once a license has lapsed, the therapist must go through the entire process of licensure again. That means tons of paperwork, verification of supervised practice hours, background checks, sitting for a licensure examination (which tests knowledge of both psychology and legal ethics, two areas that are clearly not Dr. Phil’s strong points)…a whole host of things that cannot be handled with a phone call.

So sooner or later, the good doctor is going to have to “get real.” Either he showed up at the hospital as a TV personality, in which case he violated HIPAA laws by recording and broadcasting about the event; or he showed up as a psychologist, in which case he violated the BBS code of ethics and California law by practicing without a valid license.

Good work, Dr. Phil. We can’t wait to see you smug your way out of this one.

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Ok, maybe it’s not exactly news that the WGA is still on strike. We are, however, entering the most difficult and dangerous period for any guild strike - the “who cares” period. This is the point in a strike where the powers that be have dug in their heels. In other words, everyone involved directly in the strike has already taken a stand, and everyone affected by the strike has made alternative arrangements. Networks are airing their stockpiled scripts and rolling out new, unscripted shows. Viewers are paring down their DVR auto-record lists. We’ve settled in for our long winter’s nap.

The greatest danger to the WGA strike is this “who cares” period - and the apathy that accompanies it. Sure, we all miss our favorite shows, but what the hell, there’s always re-runs, right? So what if the studios hire new writers, or lay on the reality shows (uch). We have bigger lives, more important issues to focus on. In other words, if you’re not a writer, you’ve probably already said and done everything you’re going to say or do in support of the strike. You’re over it. You want to move on.

We’re asking you to resist the impending apathy. Remember why the writers are striking. Keep tuning in to UnitedHollywood.com for the latest strike news and reports. The eight corporations refusing to deal with the writers are counting on you to give in to the apathy and abandon the writers’ cause, not because you don’t agree with it but because they don’t think you have the nuts to follow through. Show them how wrong they are. Keep your support strong.

In solidarity with the greater cause, the Basement will be carrying WGA Strike news in its own category for the duration of the strike. You keep going strong, we’ll keep you posted.

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We here at the Basement believe strongly that one can never have enough books.

So when we found bookmooch.com, we were both uber-thrilled and a little skeptical. The idea behind the site is simple: give away books you’ve finished in order to receive books you haven’t read yet. But can you really get something for nothing?

At least this once, the answer is yes. After using this site for several months, we’re ready to recommend it. All membership requires is (free) registration, which they do not seem to sell to advertisers. To start getting free books in the mail, all you have to do is list 10 books that you are willing to send via mail to someone else. After that, every book you list is worth one book you may receive. There are no timeframes (though there are standards of politeness which are to your benefit). The only cost involved is whatever you pay to ship your books out when another member mooches them.

We love nothing better than free information, unless it’s free information and entertainment. If you’re interested in the details click here and start spreadin’ the love around. Get that new thriller you’ve been meaning to check out, or sign your local library or kids’ school up for free books!

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