Alan Dershowitz's Predictions on Roberts

Alan Dershowitz made some predictions about the pending Chief Justiceship of John Roberts. I found them to be refreshingly positive, coming from Dershowitz. Maybe I just expected him to have an Armageddon-like view of this court appointment.

Dershowitz is always a little surprising though. Don't forget his "eulogy" for Rehnquist or his comments on torture particularly in the war on terror.

Hey...it could happen

I'll bet the first 6 hours after the gas station were a lot quieter than the second 6 hours after the gas station.

I think Elvis would've enjoyed this...

Just when I was thinking, "Hey why isn't there a drink out there with an upper and a downer all in a fruity, carbonated vehicle? Well...actually I wasn't thinking that...but anyhoo...here's TILT!

How Muslims and Westerners See Each Other

Finally, something worth bloggin' about.



I thought that this was an interesting poll collected by the Pew Global Attitudes Project. There are actually several more sections available at this site.

The interesting part for me was some of the debunking of the myth that Americans are some of the most prejudicial folks around when comes to our attitudes about people of other nationalities, religions, etc. Apparently, we've got nothing on the Germans and the Dutch when it comes to negative attitudes about Muslims (not Islamist terrorists, just plain Muslims).

Of course, we've also not got the problems with Muslim headscarves that the French (or the Germans or Dutch) do.

Open mouth, insert foot.

On 8 June 2005 the following item appeared in the Albuquerque Tribune:
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques, a Farmington native and Farmington High School graduate, joined a growing list of New Mexicans who have died in the war on terrorism, when the surveillance plane in which he flew crashed last week 80 miles northeast of Baghdad. Three of his U.S. colleagues and an Iraqi airman also were killed. Fresques was awarded the Bronze Medal posthumously Friday.

Fresques was 26. He left behind a wife — also an Air Force captain — and his parents. His sacrifice — and theirs — in the name of our nation's security ad the cause of democracy was immense. Col. O.G. Mannon, commander of the 16th Special Operations Wing, rightly called Fresques and his comrades "heroes." We regard Fresques and all men and women with New Mexico connections as family and hold them deeply in our hearts. Capt. Fresque was killed in the line of duty on Memorial Day 2005, a month before he was to return home, and news of his death was conveyed that day to Lt. Col. Scott Pleus, commander of the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona, where Capt. Fresques had previously been stationed. Lt. Col. Pleus, along with a chaplain and a medical technician, drove that evening to Yuma, Arizona, to undertake the sad duty of notifying Capt. Fresque's parents of their loss.

About a week later, Lt. Col. Pleus was notified that a memorial service would be held for Capt. Fresque in Sun City, Arizona, on 15 June and that a fly-by from Luke AFB had been requested as part of the service in Capt. Fresque's honor. Lt. Col. Pleus quickly assented:

Of course we would do it. It's a four-ship formation. They fly straight and level over the gravesite and then, directly over the service, the No. 3 plane pulls away while the others fly straight ahead. Symbolically he's headed for heaven. It's the highest form of respect we can pay to a fallen airman.

Everyone involved in such a service considers it an honor. The fliers. The honor guard. The bugler who plays taps. All of us.

While preparing to head from Glendale to Sun City (a distance of about 6 miles) for the memorial service, four F-16 fighter jets from Luke AFB flew a holding patten over Glendale's Arrowhead Mall, prompting a local resident unaware of their purpose to send a sarcastic letter of complaint to the editor of The Arizona Republic:

A letter to the Editor;

Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show?

Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune!

Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns' early-bird special?

Any response would be appreciated.

Tom MacRae, Peoria

The correspondent received a response from Col. Robin Rand, commander of Luke AFB's 56th Fighter Wing, in the pages of that same newspaper the following day:

Luke Air Force Base was asked to respond to a letter writer's question about a "morning air show" he observed recently ("A wake-up call from Luke's jets," Letters, Thursday):

The "wake-up call" witnessed the morning of June 15 was a formation of F-16 jets from Luke Air Force Base lining up for a memorial service in Sun City at the gravesite for Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques, an officer assigned to Air Force Special Operations. Fresques gave his life in defense of our country while serving in Iraq.

It is unfortunate that at a time when our nation is at war someone would believe we have less than honorable and professional reasons for such a mission.

The commander of the fighter squadron was given the difficult duty of informing the family of Capt. Fresques on Memorial Day that the officer, a husband, son and Arizonan, had died in Iraq.

On behalf of the men and women at Luke Air Force Base, we continue to keep Jeremy and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

Col. Robin Rand
Luke Air Force Base

Four days later, the newpaper also published a reponse from Lt. Col. Pleus himself:

Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets":

On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt Jeremy Fresques.

Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.

At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the president of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.

A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?"

The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
Luke Air Force Base

Giant Popsicle Melts, Floods NYC Park

The above title says it all.

Felt: Noble or Not?

After reading David Broder's editorial in today's Washington Post, I can't help but take exception to one of his closing statements:

To get a balanced view of what Felt did in becoming a source for the Watergate reporters, it is wise to bypass Colson and Buchanan and listen to William Ruckelshaus.

As deputy attorney general, he followed the example of his boss, the late Elliot Richardson, and resigned rather than carry out Nixon's order to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox.

When I interviewed Ruckelshaus last week, he said there were obvious dangers when "somebody who is involved in an investigation," as Felt was involved in the FBI's investigation of the Watergate break-in, "puts out information to the press. You can hurt innocent individuals and damage the investigative process.

"But if you see the White House and the head of the FBI [L. Patrick Gray] interfering with the investigation, what are you going to do? If you go public with the charges, who is going to believe you?"

Mark Felt did what whistle-blowers need to do. He took his information to reporters who diligently dug up the evidence to support his well-founded suspicions.

I have just one question for Mr. Broder: "Why didn't Mr. Felt follow the examples of Richardson and Ruckelshaus and resign first?"

Identity: Revealed

At last one of the great political secrets of the last century has been revealed: Mark Felt was Deep Throat. Why now? Why did he do it all? Why go to the press? No easy answers are available.

Savannah, etc.

We just got back from our trip to Hilton Head, Savannah, and the upstate of South Carolina. One of the highlights was a trip to The Lady & Sons for lunch. We didn't get to see Paula Deen but the food was wonderful.

Kirsten got to see the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace, and Asher and Joey really liked the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston. We really had a great time and look forward to returning south again sometime soon.

Wow...

Some very exciting news came out this week about the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome with Revlimid. This is condition where blood transfusions have been the mainstay of treatment; now there's evidence that in many cases, this drug may actually induce a significant remission.

A new photo of Joey

There she is my beautiful, blue-eyed little girl...she was very good girl for her pictures tonight.

Meanness in Girls Can Start at 3

A study at Brigham Young University has noted that mean, manipulative, and subversive behaviors can be noted in girls as young as 3 years old.



Apparently, the same behaviors can show up in boys but apparently much less frequently than in the approximately 20% of girls.

'Soup Nazi' to Launch Takeout Chain

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you, the 'Soup Nazi' is launching a takeout chain.



The real chef, Al Yeganeh, behind the character made famous on Seinfeld will be launching a chain of takeout soup stands. While this grouchy gourmet chef won't let you call him "soup nazi", the restaurants will feature the rules made famous on the show as well as many other features of the original Manhattan restaurant, where line of customers winds around the corner.



Good luck, Al! By the way, this is not Al.

Mozilla Browsers Gaining Market Share

While I occasionally still use Safari and maybe once a month use IE, I use Firefox both at home and the office. I guess, I'm not alone. It's very Java friendly and has very customized pop-up blocker and tabbed browsing. The newsfeed features are also a breeze as well.

The Moral Wal-Mart Question

Does the bastion of American retail capitalism, Wal-Mart operate within a moral framework consistent with Christian belief and practices?



Here's a fascinating editorial with analysis done by one of the editors at Christianity Today. A lot of food for thought in this. I especially wonder about the points made in the last couple of paragraphs of this article.

"Cookie Monster" Has Been Emasculated

Of all things, I never suspected that I'd hear of dietary restrictons being placed on the Cookie Monster.

I agree with this guy...FREE COOKIE MONSTER!!!!

Manifold Sins and Wickedness

There seems to be a big deal being made about the choice of words being used in the liturgy to bless the wedding of Prince Charles and the Princess Consort, especially the phrase where they said that they "acknowledge and bewail (their) manifold sins and wickedness".



Believe me, this prayer is not a new invention for this troubled pair's wedding. For example, check out the liturgy for used by Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in her Coronation; it's found in Section 15 (the Communion).

Frankly, this prayer is found in the weekly Eucharistic service used by the majority of Anglicans in the world (Africa, Asia, etc.) as well as in those churches using 1662 Prayer Book in the Church of England, in the liturgy of the Rite One Eucharist used all across the USA in the Episcopal Church (USA), and in the primary form of the Eucharist in most of the more conservative non-ECUSA Anglican churches of America.

Yecchhh!

You've just got to read this one!

Jane Fonda expresses regret

Jane Fonda is set to appear on CBS's 60 Minutes this Sunday. She apparently reveals to Lesley Stahl that she regrets her 1972 trip to Hanoi during the Vietnam War.



It's interesting to realize that while I was just 6 at the time of Ms. Fonda's trip, I have heard about it ever since then. She was no young pup when she made the trip (she was 34) but she was married to a Frenchman at the time; this may indicate a pattern of youthful bad judgment.

Multitasking moms

Reuters had an interesting story which, among other things, compared the development of children of moms who work outside the home with the development of the children of stay at home moms.



The article was interesting but to me it was most interesting for some the later comments about the things that really seemed to make a difference—having a variety of books and toys available, interaction with the children, etc. Let's try to encourage the positive things that make a difference rather than be critical of the choices that some moms make.

"Just because"

My sister was taking my dad, 82, to the urologist today because of a complaint of urinary frequency. My other sister asked him if this was a new problem. My older sister interjected "Yes...every 10 minutes...not that he has had to go during the two hours that we've been out."

My dad replied, "Just because I didn't ask to go to the bathroom, doesn't mean that I haven't gone."

Hooray!

Yet another reason to go/stay with/switch to Mac OS X.

Jada Pinkett Smith (you insensitive heteronorm)

Did you see this article about Jada Pinkett Smith's visit to Harvard's Cultural Rhythms show?




While Ms. Smith gave an inspiring and touching speech, it was viewed by some at Harvard as "extremely heteronormative" and led them to think that "she (was) not that thoughtful".

Ouch

A pretty scathing editorial about principals and superintindents showed up in this past Monday's USA Today. Citing a report out of Columbia University's Teacher's College, the editorial raised some serious questions about the advanced degrees that are out there in education. I hope it is overstating the point.

Germany beefs up anti-Nazi laws

I don't want to make it sound like I'm for Nazis but...I don't think we Americans have any idea what a premium we place on freedom of speech in this country. I hope that we never see restrictions on speech in this country even like these anti-Nazi laws.



In America we really would rather let these people make idiots out of themselves in front of everybody, rather than suppress this sort of behavior. Light has a cleansing effect.

Pop vs. Soda

You have got to visit the Pop vs. Soda Page. What a lot of time and energy spent on an ultimately trivial topic. I love it. Who takes this kind of time to produce an interactive map like this...these people do. It is great.

A Great Hocking Hills Cabin Rental

Do not forget to check out the photos on the Dalton's website.

They really do offer a superior quality rental cabin in the Hocking Hills at a great price. I think you will really be impressed by what they have to offer. The photos are nice, but they can't do the place justice.

The boy can read!

Asher was sitting down for lunch today when he turned to his mom and said,
"I know another word for peanut butter, JIF, J-I-F!"

I guess the new video has been working.

Minivan tryout, part two

Joey had her second chance to ride in a minivan this evening. While Mom & Asher were once again "in love", Joey was in tears most of the way...so was dad. Not really.

I thought the Toyota Sienna had a much nicer ride that the Honda Odyssey. Only time will tell which one it'll be (and when)?!?!

Echinacea reviewed

A new review of several studies that have previously looked at the use of Echinacea in the treatment of the common cold appear to show the herbal has no proven effectiveness.



Apparently, the studies that had previously been encouraging about Echinacea were not well designed and the two studies that were well designed showed no effect. It's astonishing to see how much money ($300K) Americans spend on this preparation every year.

Harsh rhetoric

In a recent speech on the floor of the Senate, Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) managed to make a proposed Senate rule change from the Republicans sound a like a Nazi power grab.



The saddest part of this story for me is that I agree with Senator Byrd that the filibuster is still a useful tool in our government and should not be restricted by special circumstances i.e. judicial appointments. Nonetheless, he really pushed the argument over the edge and down the hill and into the river and...

The science behind the ruling

It was interesting to read the story about the Supreme Court's ruling on the teenage death penalty and how Justice Kennedy argued much of his opinion based on scientific research in adolescent brain development.



Although I'm sure, as Justice Scalia argued, that science could present arguments for or against the death penalty for teenagers, I am glad to see some discussion of the unique characteristics of the teenage brain and psyche entering into the legal arena.

Other painkillers under scrutiny

I just read another interesting article on the anti-inflammatory drugs being used to replace some of the ones currently in question.

I think this would be a great time for everyone to sit back and explore the relative risk and benefits posed by all medications. I have young, healthy patients at little or no risk of heart or other vascular disease who believe that it is a good idea for them to take an aspirin a day. I really don't know of any conclusive proof of any benefit to this group of patients. I do know that they remain at a somewhat greater risk of GI ulcer from aspirin therapy. They ask, "Well, it can't hurt...can it?" I have to tell them while the risk is low, it could hurt (even be life-threatening) and the therapy really offers no benefit to them.

This is different than someone taking a low-dose COX-2 inhibitor with a (potentially obvious) benefit of decreased pain and increased mobility and a low (depending on the patient type) risk of heart attack. The patient and physician ought to be able to weigh these decisions at the time of prescription. I don't get to do that with over-the-counter treatments unless my patient tells me about it, assuming that I see that patient on a semi-regular basis.

New vehicle?

The whole family took a trip today to Lancaster to look at a possible new vehicle. It seems that Mom thinks that we are ready for a mini-van.

At this point, many of you may be concerned that I'm calling my wife "MOM". Let me assure you that someone pushing for this vehicle deserves this epithet.

While the Honda Corporation may want to make you think that you are moving into a new and exciting power machine,

it's still a mini-van.

Joanna, Asher, and I were intrigued by another car in the showroom. In the end, Mom and practicality will win.

Anyone wanting to try out the numerous cupholders will be invited to our open house.

Because the airport's the place to buy liquor

What's the price per ounce on this bottle of the world's oldest single malt. I think it's like $700 an ounce.

The people at Glenfiddich still offer these other rare whiskies for anyone still wanting to by me a gift.

Can you say pathological...

If this kid was a victim of a hoax than this was really awful. If not, what imagination, what drive, what perserverance, what cahones!

Falling apart

It sounds as though the word from a meeting of the Primates in Belfast is that the Episcopal Church (USA) may soon find itself out of communion with the See of Canterbury and the majority of Anglican Christianity. The American and Canadian churches are being called upon to make major changes. Some think that if the US is not a part of the the Anglican Communion, that it will dissolve. I think we North Americans will just find ourselves on the outside looking in.

Statin Success

There was an interesting report from the journal Chest about the compliance success rates seen in cardiac bypass patients that were given statins immediately after surgery and sent home on the regimen. Not surprisingly (to me), these post-surgery patients were more likely to stay on the statin than those given a statin without having to undergo surgery.

I really think that bypass surgery or similar cardiac intervention really can be a turning point in the lives of people and especially with regard to how they approach their medical care.

What wouldn't we mind right now

A great graphic from the Onion. That about sums up life some days.

Grave ruling

This week the Diocese of Lichfield in the Church of England is considering loosening rules on church graveyards prohibiting artificial flowers. This is, truly, one of the major issues of the day!

Fawlty Towers hotel fetches £1.5 million

The hotel that inspired the Britcom Fawlty Towers has sold for almost $2.9 million. That's real obsession with a show.

If you've never seen it, it is a great show.

Hocking Hills Cabin Rentals

I just wanted to say how pleased I am that my sister and brother-in-law have finally got their Hocking Hills getaway cabin rental business up and running. The cabins really are beautiful and the location is very secluded. Way to go!

Maybe goodbye to some good drugs

It seems as though we may be saying a farewell to a whole class of drugs in the near future. The COX-2 group will be sorely missed by many patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthropathies. They really did reduce these patients' risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. I hope we find some sort of compassionate need availability for these people.

Visit to Dad

My 3 year old son, Asher, and I went to see my dad yesterday at the nursing home. Asher got his first look at Dad's new electric wheelchair. It resembled this one somewhat. When we got home, I asked him to tell his mom about the new wheelchair. He told her that Papaw steered it with a "big boy 'passy' (pacifier)". It took me a few seconds to think about the hand control.

As you can see, he wasn't far off in his description.

Bush's Farm Subsidy Plan

I caught this story today online about the details of the President's proposed farm subsidy plan. I recently had also read John Stossel's take on the farm subsidy plan as it exists today.

I'm inclined to take Stossel's view:

President Bush gave away $83 billion of your money to farmers when he signed the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, and Congress applauded him for it. Americans like the idea of supporting family farms, but you'd be surprised to learn where that money goes.

Hundreds of those farmers who benefited from our generosity live in New York City. Some of those farmers who are collecting farm subsidies are pretty well-off. Mike Sonnenfeldt, for example, lives in a building where Steven Spielberg and Steve Martin have apartments.

Sonnenfeldt gets a cotton subsidy from the government. "I bought a piece of property, that got traded for a piece of property ... And I'm not sure exactly even why I get it," he said.

Most of the money goes to real farms big agribusiness, actually. But politicians talk about family farms.

Some subsidies do go to family farms, like one run by Fred and Larry Starrh. But does that entitle them to $3.5 million of your money? That's what they've received over seven years.

I called them welfare queens -- and they objected. "Change it to king," Larry Starrh joked, "Welfare kings. Because 'queens' is bad in California, believe me."

The Starrhs grow mostly cotton on their 12,000-acre spread in California. It's hard to think of them as needy with all that land, but costs have increased faster than prices. Subsidies, they say, are just a small part of their income, but they and their 100 employees depend on them. Without them, they say, they can't make a profit.

Now most businesses that can't make a profit go out of business. Woolworth closed. So did TWA. So do 20,000 restaurants every year. It's that freedom to fail that's helped make America as prosperous as she is, because it frees people to do more productive things.

But subsidized farms get different treatment. When Fred and Larry can't make a profit, taxpayers give them a handout.

"I don't look at it as a handout whatsoever. I absolutely refuse to accept that," Fred Starrh said.

But it is. It's welfare.

Fred Starrh said he looks at it as "a way to maintain a viable agriculture in this country."

That's the myth. Subsidies don't maintain a viable agriculture. Lettuce isn't subsidized. In fact, most crops are not. Not peas or potatoes or tomatoes. Not plums, peaches, broccoli, green beans. There's no shortage of any of these. Yet Fred and Larry say farming can't survive without subsidies.

"If I can't grow my 6,000 acres of cotton because the subsidy's gone &Where am I gonna go with that acreage? Do I just idle it?" Larry Starrh asked.

I don't know. Where do I go if "20/20's" ratings go down? That's life.

Subsidies are a like a heroin fix. They feel good, but they lead to more subsidies. The first subsidy makes cotton more expensive. That causes a problem for manufacturers, so we give them another subsidy. That subsidy hurts poor farmers worldwide, so we send them more money in foreign aid. But that's not enough for our cotton farmers. We give them another subsidy for the water they use and another subsidy to advertise their cotton overseas.

If they can't make a profit, I don't think they deserve a gift from taxpayers just so they can keep farming.

"Well I totally disagree with you John, and the legislature is with us at this point, so we're winning, and you're losing," Fred Starrh said.

He's right. And you're paying for it.

The world just got more exciting

The world stage just became little more exciting since North Korea announced that it does have nuclear weapons. Where do we go from here?

A video glimpse of service in Iraq

My brother sent me a link for a video tribute to those serving in Iraq, titled Until Then. I'm usually not much for the sappy stuff but this is especially well done and the music is well suited to the content of the presentation.

Now we're in business…

Okey-dokey...now we can get down to business. I finally found a shortcut to posting links on here so that I don't have to type it in HTML. I hope this means that I'll be using it a little bit more. We'll still have to see.

By the way, I know longer have the "office" website that I had mentioned in my first post. They wanted to charge me for it and I was no longer interested.