The Chart says it all....

That about sums it up!

Passing of a Lion...

There will be many eulogies for Senator Edward Moore Kennedy.

I did not know the man. I did not always agree with him. But I can not doubt his sincerity and the profound effect he, personally has had on the American polity.

With out this man, I may not have been able to go to the school of my choice. My grandparents/parents wanning years would have been/be more fraught with uncertainty and dread. The sheer number of causes this man has championed is staggering.

But I think the most appropriate tribute would be these comments by Vice President Joe Biden.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Despite the mans obvious flaws, he was an intensely human individual. We need more people with his passion to help
his fellow man. Not less.

-Cheers

IG Toture report

The DoJ finally has released a (heavily) redacted version of the Investigator Generals report on a the CIA's interrogation program.

Glenn Greenwald and Michael Scherer do the heavy lifting on this document dump.

There is some chilling stuff in there. I marvel that people are not more up in arms about what was done in their name.

Mr. Greenwald distills it perfectly in response to some reader comments:

To those blithely dismissing all of this as things that don't seem particularly bothersome, I'd say two things:

(1) The fact that we are not really bothered any more by taking helpless detainees in our custody and (a) threatening to blow their brains out, torture them with drills, rape their mothers, and murder their children; (b) choking them until they pass out; (c) pouring water down their throats to drown them; (d) hanging them by their arms until their shoulders are dislocated; (e) blowing smoke in their face until they vomit; (f) putting them in diapers, dousing them with cold water, and leaving them on a concrete floor to induce hypothermia; and (g) beating them with the butt of a rifle -- all things that we have always condemend as "torture" and which our laws explicitly criminalize as felonies ("torture means. . . the threat of imminent death; or the threat that another person will imminently be subjected to death, severe physical pain or suffering . . .") -- reveals better than all the words in the world could how degraded, barbaric and depraved a society becomes when it lifts the taboo on torturing captives.

(2) As I wrote rather clearly, numerous detainees died in U.S. custody, often as a direct result of our "interrogation methods." Those who doubt that can read the details here and here. Those claiming there was no physical harm are simply lying -- death qualifies as "physical harm" -- and those who oppose prosecutions are advocating that the people responsible literally be allowed to get away with murder.

Finally, as for the title of this post: it was just a way of expressing the view that Americans who want to justify or endorse the torture we engaged in should be required to know what was actually done -- not hide behind the comforting myth that "all we did was pour some water down the noses of 3 bad guys"; I wasn't trying to propose a new law compelling that every citizen read the IG Report.

Why I keep coming back to this is simple. What was done was illegal. It was inhumane, and it is very much against what makes us "American".

-Cheers

Weekend Omnibus

Sort of a catch all for the weekend.

Hung out with some friends, celebrated a birthday, went to a themed party as well as to a 'house warming' party. The theme was rock stars, and a friend went as Lady Gaga. She looked good too! Though less 'mannish' looking. The only things missing from her costume were 1) pyrotechnics and 2) a penis.

Got to see some movies this weekend, District 9 and Inglorious Basterds. They were both quite enjoyable.

It seems my arm is finally healing.

But that aside, now for the complaining.

Periodically I have commented on the perfidy of the MSM (mainstream media). Mainly their complicity in the ongoing horror that is governance and policy debates in this country. This is yet another one of those days where I feel the need to point those situations out more.

There were a couple of dust ups over the weekend between:

Joe Klein vs. Glenn Greenwald vs Chuck Todd vs Jeremy Scahill

I would recommend reading them, with accompanying links. It is informative for both the lack of accountability our journalist seem to feel, and how they react to criticism. Mind you while I have been highly critical of of Joe Klein in the past his sourcing does tend to be good and as for Chuck, well....I am a bit of a fan. But on this Greenwald and Scahill have him dead to rights.

Whether it would be a political mess or not, somethings are worth prosecuting. We are either a nation of laws or a nation of men. That is the issue. It will be messy at times, but that is the price we pay.

-Cheers

Ants at Obama's Picnic...

The amount of disdain that the Obama Administration and establishment Democrats have shown their progressive base is definitely reaching a boiling point.

I understand that it is important in our society to stick it to those "dirty hippies" as often as possible, but be careful. Digby sums it up well,

But on a political level, the left has been betrayed over and over again on the things that matter to us the most. The village is pleased, I'm sure. But the Democratic party only needs to look back eight short years to see just how destructive it is to constantly tell their left flank to go fuck themselves.

And as always Glenn Greenwald, channels perfectly my personal rage.

-Cheers

Stewart vs. The Stupid

Elizabeth McCaughey has made a career of spreading falsehoods about health care reform. She was instrumental in the Clinton health care debacle in '93 and she resurfaced again and again over the years.

Till once again, she has burst on the scene. In an attempt to make it appear that she is reasonable, she appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. That was a mistake, it was one of the better interviews he has done. Mrs. McCaughey comes off looking positively detached from reality.


Steve Benen has a good wrap-up. The interview goes long, way over the shows allotted time.

There needs to be more this sort of thing. When someone says something demonstrably false they need to be called on it.

-Cheers

International Policy Discussions....and Zombies....

Tyler sent me missive this afternoon with the following line it.

"i don't know if i'm just more attentive, but it seems like zombies are
popping up all over nowadays"

So of course I had to click on the link.

But in answer to his question. It isn't attentiveness my friend....but self-preservation. When they come, somebody needs to be ready!

Stock up on the chlorine tables, bullets, and grab a machete!

That is a Coincidence...

Interesting article in the Times about anti-aging research.

Some thought provoking stuff in there. But because of my interest in population levels. I found this line a fair bit more then interesting,

In caloric restriction, mice are kept on a diet that is healthy but has 30 percent fewer calories than a normal diet. The mice live 30 or 40 percent longer than usual with the only evident penalty being that they are less fertile.

Now there are a lot of moving parts here, and anyone with even a passing familiarity with Daniel Quinn's writings might guess where my thinking is going on this.

So I will not bore you with the massive exposition on the subject I will simply state, what to me is obvious. Of course they are less fertile, they have less raw material to be fertile with!

-Cheers

Ask a Spy ---Prison Break!

Once again some helpful advice from our friend Michael Weston.

This time, we have what to do when that leisurely trip to Turkmenistan goes awry.



-Cheers

Wow....

There are times when Lawrence O'Donnell annoys me. But the man is on fire in this. He asked the congressman simple questions and he refused to answer.

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The only additional thing I would have asked is, if he were in Congress at the time, how he voted on the Terri Schaivo issue. Then have him tell me about how government should be involved in health care....

-Cheers

Too much health care

If I read/talk about the health insurance debate I am gonna smack a fool. So instead you get girls in bikini's reading Star Wars. (h/t Eric)



The line is "Oona goota Solo?". Sheesh...amateurs. Though high marks for hitting the lines on the Luke-Vader, Empire scene. I think she did a better job them Mark Hamill.

-Cheers

A different perspective.

I mentioned that I would track down some conservative opinion on the health care debate. So I have a few selections here that are not the wild-eyed town hall rants. There are some valid points here. More sober and useful debate on the relative merits of the proposed policy.

Health Care the American Way

Socialized Medicine for Me, but not for thee

Reform Conservatives can Favor

What if we win the Health Care Fight?

Conservatism and Health Care

Not really conservative or liberal but, I kind of empathize with the argument begin made.

A broken System

-Cheers

Ask A Spy--How to talk about stuff you don't know about

Once again Michael has some useful advice on how to engage in conversations that you do not necessarily have deep knowledge in.



-Cheers

No l00t for j00!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

PSA brought to you by Lord Soth, scourge of the Horde!

Don't be a noob!

Word of the Day

This word of the day is brought to you by Tyler.

Insouciant

–adjective

free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant.

I would definitely say that his sartorial style as a decidedly insouciant feel to it.

-Cheers

The Son of Health Care Debate...

I was really wanting to post some articles by conservative writers on the subject of health care reform, and I will. It is just taking longer to find some non-hyperbolic ones then I thought it would. The thought provoking ones I have come across have mainly been by Andrew Sullivan (Atlantic Monthly), David Frum (New Majority), Daniel Larison (American Conservative). So I will do my best to get those views up in the next day or so.

But that aside, I want to give a solid golf clap to ABC news for running a solid "Fact-Check" on some of the health care myths being thrown about. I have to agree with Steve Benen, this is not the standard "he said/she said" nonsense. Ms. Snow stopped just short of calling Mrs. Palin a liar, but she was still very forceful in her calling her claims unfounded.



This is the sort of thing we need more of not less. Regardless of which side is in power if one side is willfully misinforming the public they should be called to task for it.

Sarah Palin Conservative Bomb Thrower

This weekend I have been spending a lot of time talking about health care reform. At the barbershop I asked about what the hubbub was. Talking with friends about the subject. What I have noticed is that people have no idea what is actually being talked about.

You have one side (though I do not agree with the Blue Dogs) a debate on what from health care reform should take, and on the other side the unreasoned fears of the mob.

Then there is Sarah Palin. Mrs. Palin who I am fairly convinced that she has not read a lick of the proposed bill. She had this to say.

The Democrats promise that a government health care system will reduce the cost of health care, but as the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out, government health care will not reduce the cost; it will simply refuse to pay the cost. And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

God Lord!! Those libruls are trying to kill her baby!!! And granny too!

Well, I found my self wondering, what sort of nefarious bastard would put that in a "health care reform bill". So I had a look see for myself (actual bill). Here is the relevant section, for those that care (from Urban Legends).

Page 424, Line 15:

SEC. 1233. ADVANCE CARE PLANNING CONSULTATION.

(a) MEDICARE.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended—

(A) in subsection (s)(2)—

(i) by striking "and" at the end of subparagraph (DD);

(ii) by adding "and" at the end of subparagraph (EE); and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

Page 425:

"(FF) advance care planning consultation (as defined in subsection (hhh)(1));"; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

"Advance Care Planning Consultation

"(hhh)(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the term ‘advance care planning consultation’ means a consultation between the individual and a practitioner described in paragraph (2) regarding advance care planning, if, subject to paragraph (3), the individual involved has not had such a consultation within the last 5 years. Such consultation shall include the following:

"(A) An explanation by the practitioner of advance care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to.

"(B) An explanation by the practitioner of advance directives, including living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses.

"(C) An explanation by the practitioner of the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy.

"(D) The provision by the practitioner of a list of national and State-specific resources to assist consumers and their families with advance care planning, including the national toll-free hotline,

Page 426:

the advance care planning clearinghouses, and State legal service organizations (including those funded through the Older Americans Act of 1965).

"(E) An explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.

"(F)(i) Subject to clause (ii), an explanation of orders regarding life sustaining treatment or similar orders, which shall include—

"(I) the reasons why the development of such an order is beneficial to the individual and the individual’s family and the reasons why such an order should be updated periodically as the health of the individual changes;

"(II) the information needed for an individual or legal surrogate to make informed decisions regarding the completion of such an order; and

"(III) the identification of resources that an individual may use to determine the requirements of the State in which such individual resides so that the treatment wishes of that individual will be carried out if the individual is

Page 427:

unable to communicate those wishes, including requirements regarding the designation of a surrogate decision maker (also known as a health care proxy).

"(ii) The Secretary shall limit the requirement for explanations under clause (i) to consultations furnished in a State—

"(I) in which all legal barriers have been addressed for enabling orders for life sustaining treatment to constitute a set of medical orders respected across all care settings; and

"(II) that has in effect a program for orders for life sustaining treatment described in clause (iii).

"(iii) A program for orders for life sustaining treatment for a States described in this clause is a program that—

"(I) ensures such orders are standardized and uniquely identifiable throughout the State;

(II) distributes or makes accessible such orders to physicians and other health professionals that (acting within the scope of the professional’s authority under State law) may sign orders for life sustaining treatment;

Page 428:

"(III) provides training for health care professionals across the continuum of care about the goals and use of orders for life sustaining treatment; and

"(IV) is guided by a coalition of stakeholders includes representatives from emergency medical services, emergency department physicians or nurses, state long-term care association, state medical association, state surveyors, agency responsible for senior services, state department of health, state hospital association, home health association, state bar association, and state hospice association.

"(2) A practitioner described in this paragraph is—

"(A) a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)); and

"(B) a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant who has the authority under State law to sign orders for life sustaining treatments.

"(3)(A) An initial preventive physical examination under subsection (WW), including any related discussion during such examination, shall not be considered an advance care planning consultation for purposes of applying the 5-year limitation under paragraph (1).

Page 429:

"(B) An advance care planning consultation with respect to an individual may be conducted more frequently than provided under paragraph (1) if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual, including diagnosis of a chronic, progressive, life-limiting disease, a life-threatening or terminal diagnosis or life-threatening injury, or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility (as defined by the Secretary), or a hospice program.

"(4) A consultation under this subsection may include the formulation of an order regarding life sustaining treatment or a similar order.

"(5)(A) For purposes of this section, the term ‘order regarding life sustaining treatment’ means, with respect to an individual, an actionable medical order relating to the treatment of that individual that—

"(i) is signed and dated by a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or another health care professional (as specified by the Secretary and who is acting within the scope of the professional’s authority under State law in signing such an order, including a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) and is in a form that permits it to stay with the individual and be followed by health care professionals
and providers across the continuum of care;

Page 430:

"(ii) effectively communicates the individual’s preferences regarding life sustaining treatment, including an indication of the treatment and care desired by the individual;

"(iii) is uniquely identifiable and standardized within a given locality, region, or State (as identified by the Secretary); and

"(iv) may incorporate any advance directive (as defined in section 1866(f)(3)) if executed by the individual.

"(B) The level of treatment indicated under sub paragraph (A)(ii) may range from an indication for full treatment to an indication to limit some or all or specified interventions. Such indicated levels of treatment may include indications respecting, among other items—

"(i) the intensity of medical intervention if the patient is pulse less, apneic, or has serious cardiac or pulmonary problems;

"(ii) the individual’s desire regarding transfer to a hospital or remaining at the current care setting;

"(iii) the use of antibiotics; and

"(iv) the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration."

Now this is probably a perfect case of it being easier to throw a bomb, then to actually discuss the merits of a policy. But honestly. Is there any fair reading of this, that even remotely assumes a 'death panel'?

But the basic gist is this. As you near the end of your life, there are options available to you. Here they are, and now Medicare is empowered to pay for those things.

A doctor or a health care counselor, has the professional duty to inform their patient as to what options are available. Whether they wish to spend their final days/years in a hospital or hospice. Whether they wish for heroic means to be taken to preserve their life. Whether they wish for their body to be maintained even if brain activity has ceased to function. This is not evil. This is empowering a patient to make informed decisions.

Those all seem like options that a patient should be made aware of.

Not some scary government directive to kill senior citizens, or children with downs syndrome.

But then again, I think debates over policy should be rational.

-Cheers

Ask A Spy--Bar Fight

Because it always comes up Michael Weston, has some advice for if you find yourself in this sort of situation.



-Cheers

A breath of fresh air...

And Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post delivers it (via Steve Benen).

The health care debate is a complicated issue, no doubt. But it is an important one to have. So I found Mr. Pearlstein's commentary particularly refreshing, in that he was willing to call out lies when he saw them. Specifically these passages summed up my feelings quite succinctly:

The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they've given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They've become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems. (emphasis added mine)[...]

Health reform is a test of whether this country can function once again as a civil society -- whether we can trust ourselves to embrace the big, important changes that require everyone to give up something in order to make everyone better off. Republican leaders are eager to see us fail that test. We need to show them that no matter how many lies they tell or how many scare tactics they concoct, Americans will come together and get this done.

There is plenty of room for debate on this issue, the various methods of delivery, single payer vs. co-ops vs. public plans, or strict governmental regulation system of the industries. All have legitimate points to be argued for or against. What is dangerous, however, is allowing people/corporate entities to stifle that debate. I liken it to when, as a child, I would begin winning a board game versus my older sibling. He would ask if I wanted some cookies and "conveniently" stand up and knock over the board.

In general there is just a lot of misinformation going on out there. We do not have the best health care in the world by any objective metric. No bill in currently up for debate even entertains the notion of a "government take over of health care". Medicare is, in fact, run by the government also it is surprisingly enough a single-payer system like Canada's. Interestingly enough, the government out performs private insurance or I guess more accurately is rated higher by its consumers then private insurance. And once again, I have a problem with seniors.

I can understand having concerns about an issue this big. But the reflexive "anti-government" bias that pervades this issue is counterproductive. Government can do somethings. More importantly government should do somethings, because private corporations most assuredly do not have our best interests in mind, and ostensibly the government does. But for those unconvinced, Matt Yglesias brings up something I had forgotten. Fire Departments used to be privatized, with predictable results.

-Cheers

Diversions

Simply because things have been a bit bleak on the news recently...a brief aside.


I just dig these commercials.

Also a new site: Can I tap that

Lots of people do not like the word moist it seems.

-Cheers

Impulse Blogging....

After some more reading yesterday, I came to a few conclusions. I do not think I will blog anymore about the tragedy in Pittsburgh in any greater detail then I did yesterday. I highlighted a piece of the coverage that I thought was missing from the nightly news cast.

Delving deeper, it just became more obvious that Mr. Sodini desperately craved attention. So in respect to his victims, I will no longer proved that which he craved.

So instead of a in-depth follow-up post. I thought some sort of commentary would be better.

There are definitely aspects of this issue that should be studied. But not in public.

Once again, Mr. Coates puts some more truth to how prejudice and bias can be transparent.

Crazy Times....

First off a non-post related comment. I would like to offer my condolences to a good friend who recently lost a family member.

Secondly my condolences to the city Pittsburgh and the families of the young ladies who were murdered there this morning.

As gruesome and horrifying as this story is, I had not seen this part of it covered.

Here’s the very first paragraphs you see on GeorgeSodini.com after his vital statistics. No member of the press covering this could miss it yet for some reason, none dare to discuss it. It is his very first post in his pseudo-blog the day after the first African-American in U.S. history was elected president (emphasis mine in bold & italic so you can’t miss it):

Why do this?? To young girls? Just read below. I kept a running log that includes my thoughts and actions, after I saw this project was going to drag on.
November 5, 2008:
Planned to do this in the summer but figure to stick around to see the election outcome. This particular one got so much attention and I was just curious. Not like I give a flying fcuk who won, since this exit plan was already planned. Good luck to Obama! He will be successful. The liberal media LOVES him. Amerika has chosen The Black Man. Good! In light of this I got ideas outside of Obama’s plans for the economy and such. Here it is: Every black man should get a young white girl hoe to hone up on. Kinda a reverse indentured servitude thing. Long ago, many a older white male landowner had a young Negro wench girl for his desires. Bout’ time tables are turned on that shit. Besides, dem young white hoez dig da bruthrs! LOL. More so than they dig the white dudes! Every daddy know when he sends his little girl to college, she be bangin a bruthr real good. I saw it. “Not my little girl”, daddy says! (Yeah right!!) Black dudes have thier choice of best white hoez. You do the math, there are enough young white so all the brothers can each have one for 3 or 6 months or so.

I do not much believe in a heaven or hell as any sort of concrete concept. But on days like today, I hope there is one, and I hope there is a particularly hot spot reserved for Mr. Sodini.

I can not honestly say this man was 'insane'. He spent almost year working his way towards this (check the date of the first post). His animus towards women and African-Americans seems to just be grist for his psychosis. Not even sure this is racist. The scope of it is just so large I am having difficulty getting my mind around it.

My disgust meter is pegged today.

Mr. Field...your peeps be crazy.....

Hmm...this is just plain disconcerting. What the hell is up with Virginia?

Gonna need me some, explanation here.

Also possibly the best response I have read in some time:

Dear South:

We were wrong - feel free to secede at any time.

Best of luck,
The North.

This is just getting ridiculous.

Ask a Spy --- Last Minute Dinner Reservations

For the next couple of weeks we will be doing this "self help" section twice weekly.

Guys, we have all been in the spot where we wanted to get our date into that new swanky place at the last minute, or forgot it was her birthday/valentine's day.

Save the day and your bacon. Michael has some words to pull the fat from the fire, so to speak.


-Cheers

Our Mrs. Reynolds....

I just want to say I had a crush on her before she became all famous like!

Christina Hendricks is quite possibly my new moon goddess.

-Cheers

Word of the Day!

It has been a while, I know.

But there is still a world of words out there that wait to be discovered and used! So lets get back to it shall we.

Desultory

–adjective

1.	lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.

2.	digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.

Much of the talk about a national health care plan has been desultory in nature. Focusing on costs rather then actual structural deficiencies.

-Cheers

Ask A Spy--Bad Date Escape

The inaugural post of a hopefully weekly feature.

Ask a Spy

First up, we have advice on how to get out of a bad date. Michael Weston brings knowledge to save your bacon.



-Cheers

Back to the Beginning

Anyone who has talked with me for any extended time knows that I have a bit preoccupation with the subject of population.

During my formative years, I was exposed to a several interesting philosophies in that vein. In high school I had my first run in with Thomas Malthus. Later he would be joined and updated by Daniel Quinn and his novels Ishmael and The Story of B.

The effect these books had on my world view was immense, to say the least. The notion that population is directly proportional to food availability sounds straight forward. But argue with anyone about the subject and you will see, how with great alacrity, it will be asserted that human will is the determinate factor in population growth.

Anyways, I am rambling. Here is a PSA from England, that I found interesting. At some point we will have to have this conversation. Because like most problems, when you notice it is finally an issue, it is far to late.

I could go on about this for hours, and have on many occasions.

---

Also in honor of over a year of blogging I will endeavor to bring back some of the old and weekly blog posts, Word of the Week, Dick Move of the Day (which may be renamed the "Popped Collar Award"), fashion and food commentary/recipes, and a new help segment (because I really dig the show) Ask a Spy.

-Cheers

This one is for Mike...

In honor of my boy running in Chicago this weekend, I thought I would dedicate a post to him.

The Top Ten Girls Geeks Love.


Good luck sir.


-Cheers