Odessa

There are a few states that have laws pertaining to "fetal homicide". I agree that assaulting a pregnant woman in such a way as to intentionally cause a miscarriage is awful and more insidious than merely assaulting her. However, a "fetal homicide" law in a country where abortion is still legal seems odd. Homicide should pertain to a human, one that has been born. Perhaps assault with mitigating factors might be in order.

A case in Michigan, a man snuck a RU-486 mickey to his pregnant girlfriend, the man is being charged with "fetal homicide".

( http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313882,00.html )

I think this lout had more than enough criminal charges lodged against him that the "fetal homicide" was not needed. He's a bastard and a criminal, but homicide? Since it was premeditated, maybe it should be murder?

In Sudan, an English teacher asked one of her students what they should call a teddy bear that is as part of a class project. The 7 yr old student thought his name was a good name and so did most of the class. The problem is the student's name is Muhammad. The religious in that wing-nuts in that country have a problem with this since it just happens to be their prophet's name as well and they want the teacher punished with 40 lashes - For naming a bear - Some one's got their rag on a bit too tight.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313426,00.html

P.S. It was reported that her sentence is 15 days and deportation. She has already served 5 so she has 10 more remaining.

There are those people you are born related to and those you chose to be with. I for one am not terribly close to those I was born related to. I gave up long ago on trying to have a relationship. I think the following from USA today sums it up nicely (link: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/11/lifes-real-boun.html#more)

'Our chosen family'

Everyone has gathered best friends — an old school chum here, a trusted colleague from work there, or some wonderful person met by pure happenstance. These friends are people we can confide in, speak our hearts to — and to whom we listen intently for solace, inspiration and advice. They are our chosen family — the brothers and sisters of our souls — who clarify and define who we are, what we are doing. And these friendships never change: To speak after a decade's separation is the same as speaking just yesterday, time and distance rendered meaningless in our life journey together.

When we sit down to our feast of Thanksgiving this year, we should give thanks for that other family, that chosen family — our human harvest of enduring friendships. And they're easy to name, too. They're the ones who made a difference. "No love, no friendship," wrote Nobel Prize winner Francois Mauriac, "can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever."

So who says you can't pick your family?

A couple weeks ago I posted about a $1000 bagel. Some commented about a $25,000 dessert. This a follow up on that cool 25 big one dessert:

Bad week for: Hubris, after a Manhattan restaurant that introduced a gold-laced, $25,000 dessert as a publicity stunt last week was shut down when health inspectors found the kitchen infested with live mice, flies, and dozens of cockroaches. A red-faced Steven Bruce, owner of Serendipity 3, said, “We’re rectifying it as quickly as we can.”

Just cause ya pay more, don't mean its clean!

MTV Arabia has been launched! They are obviously limited on the music videos they can show considering the amount of sinful female flesh is shown in most music videos.

Hmmm, I can just see Shakira gyrating in a burka now . . .

I needed cat food so off to my favorite pet store I go. Its Saturday and they are having an adoption clinic and it is wall to wall dogs and corner with a few cats. A woman is talking to the lady with the cats and I over heard most of the conversation. The woman is taking issue with adopting a pet from or donating money to the organization the lady is with because they kill too many cats. She eventually leaves in a huff.

There are so many in the rescue world who are "no-kill" and sit on their high mountain tops looking down their noses at the rest. It must be nice being so sanctimonious when you leave the dirty work for someone else. Furthermore, for every "difficult" case you take in that may never get a proper "forever" home because they are so screwed up, there may be two well-adjusted very easily adoptable pets in the shelter that may get put down because no one wants to go to the death house.

Fact is, you can not blame shelters for euthanising unwanted cats, dogs and other creatures. They are not the idiots who didn't spay or neuter their pets before they could produce large quantities of cuddly kittens and puppies who then become cats and dogs no one wants. They are just the ones left with the unpleasant task of killing the ones that no one wants.

Time recently ran an article written by a doctor about people who do research before going to the doctor - he calls them "Googlers" and "brainsuckers".

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1681838,00.html?imw=Y

On one had, the patient he decides to use as an example is an extreme case. However, I am sure his condescending attitude is not reserved for pushy, mouthy patients.

Every doctor knows patients like this. They're called "brainsuckers." By the time they come in, they've visited many other docs already — somehow unable to stick with any of them. They have many complaints, which rarely translate to hard findings on any objective tests. They talk a lot. I often wonder, while waiting for them to pause, if there are patients like this in poor, war-torn countries where the need for doctors is more dire.

Does this imply that we should all be grateful for a doctor's care and shut-up and take anything they dish out, like they do in third world countries?

Nurses are my favorites — they know our language and they're used to putting their trust in doctors. And they laugh at my jokes.

Ah, he prefers complacent bobble heads. I'm sure if a nurse questioned him, he'd be equally annoyed at having his authority questioned.

But engineers, as a class, are possibly the best patients. They're logical and they're accustomed to the concept of consultation — they're interested in how the doctor thinks about their problem.

As long as the engineer sits in rapture on every word, too, I'm sure.

I'm a Googler and damn proud of it. I'm not in-your face like the woman he critiques, but I go in doing my homework. I may not dismiss the doctor out of hand if I disagree, but I will come home and research what I have been told to see if it makes sense. I realize medicine is an art - something I think was missed by the pompous egomaniac.

I consider any doctor a service provider - he/she provides a service. If I do not like the service I go else where. I have found through word of mouth good doctors. I may not always agree with their approach or they with my opinion, but they are willing to try my suggestion if it will do no harm. Sometimes I'm right, sometimes they are.

We do not live in a third world country. Medical expenses are high and even for those of us with insurance less and less is covered. We should demand good service for our hard earned money. Too many doctors treat patients like petulant children who need to be kept in line. Doctors have the right to be treated like professionals, and we as patients deserve to be treated like valued clients.

Well, and maybe smokers, too.

Some people seem to think that junk food it the sole reason for obesity. From the Los Angeles Times - "Forget Smokers, Tax Snakers", by Tina Dupuy.

Americans get really weird when we talk about obesity. We treat fat people like anorexic teenage girls. We don't want to freak them out or hurt their feelings. It might turn them into cutters.

Not from my account. Tina is obviously some skinny bitch who doesn't think that fat people see the disdain in her eyes - we ain't blind bitch.

I have a better proposal: a snack tax. We had one for about 18 months in the early 1990s. Granted, it was shot down in the polls by a huge margin, but that never stopped George W. Bush or Richard Nixon, or Dennis Kucinich for that matter, from making a comeback. In fact, a tobacco tax also was voted down here last year. So we're clearly not afraid of reruns.

Bring it on. For the amount of junk food I eat, this might increase my monthly budget by, oh I don't know, $5? I admit I'm not a saint - I love chocolate. But not all fat people sit eating cheese doodles and ring-dings all day.

But it's really unpopular to bring that up. We can sin-tax smokers all day long. Don't let them smoke in public areas; don't let them smoke in their apartments. Fine them if they smoke in their cars when there are minors riding with them. Shame them into being social pariahs.

I detect a bit of sensitivity here - Think Tina might be a smoker? I do agree that the politicians have grown a bit too fond of bitch slapping smokers around. They tax the shit out of cigarettes and most states slip that money into the general fund rather than smoking cessation and health care - where it belongs.

Since junk food may be contributing to health problems, maybe it should be taxed more heavily (many states already tax snack foods and soda). However, it is doubtful that the revenues will be put into health care. Rather it will be yet another way to give a slush fund to the politicians.

There is one big difference between cigarettes and junk food. One does not need to smoke - one does need to eat. It is simply a matter of what one chooses to eat that makes the distinction here. And lets not forget that the ingredients in the junk foods can be used to make healthful foods - so this tax would in no way help the Betty Crockers of the world. I may have to pay a tax on chocolate chips, but not on the flour, butter, baking soda, and sugar. Unless of course you tax the offending ingredients as well.

So, go ahead, bring on a snack tax. It will matter little more to me than the cigarette tax. However, if anyone thinks this will be a panacea for obesity they are fooling themselves. Are there people who eat themselves into oblivion? Sure. Does every fat person? No.

The Week Daily - FROM THE MAGAZINE

Good week for: Grotesque excess, after Manhattan chef Frank Tujague unveiled his version of a bagel with cream cheese. Topped with white-truffle cream cheese and gold-leaf-flecked goji jelly, the bagel is on the menu at the Westin New York hotel for a mouthwatering $1,000.

And he chose this combination because ....?

He wanted to make the most weird and disgusting combo he could manage on a bagel?

He wanted to be able to justify selling a bagel for a grand?

beats me. All I have to say is ewww.

Britney's mom is writing a book on parenting. Lynne Spears has signed a deal with Christian book publisher Thomas Nelson Inc. to co-write "Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" with author Lorilee Craker. The memoir is scheduled to come out on Mother’s Day 2008.

This is priceless - and bound to sell many books. Just due to the name alone will put it in the best seller list. I can just see the chapters now: "Taking your daughter from virginal good girl to cheap slut in six short months", "Mixing meds", "Helping your daughter find a loser to marry", and "dressing skimpy with baby fat" and many other captivating topics.

Several things are amusing - first, a Christian publisher???? Next, not only is her daughter a train wreck, she's bad at it. Paris and Lindsey know how to party hardy and not completely dissolve into a puddle (yeah, yeah - rehab, jail, I know)- Britney crash landed and disintegrated. You know its bad when you even fuck-up being a fuck-up.

"The Week" FROM THE MAGAZINE

Good week for: Animal solidarity, after James Harris of Illinois was shot by his own dog during a hunting trip. Harris left his shotgun on the ground as he went to retrieve a downed pheasant. The dog then apparently stepped on the weapon’s trigger, successfully shooting Harris in the leg.

Hollywood writers announced that they plan to go on strike. The union contract between film and TV producers and the 2000-plus members of the Writers Guild of America expired at midnight on Oct. 31. Writers want a larger share of residual payments for work that’s released on DVD and work distributed on the Internet. Producers think the writers demands are unreasonable and no one is budging.

I am supposed to be moved by this news? TV and movies take away from my gaming, web surfing and blogging - so doubt I'll notice if there are re-runs of Joanie Loves Cha Chi in place of the huge void that will be present. Granted, California's economy may take a big hit. I feel bad for businesses outside the direct entertainment business. However, the Hollywood big cheeses need to iron this out on their own.

And what gems have they created lately? I'm sure it takes a lot of skill to write a script for putting a bunch of misfits together in a house/on an island/in a talent contest/in an office. Pure genius I say! And the sops in this country lap it up! Gee, reruns of Married ... With Children are looking really attractive right now. . . But I digress.

Are the big moguls that run the studios greedy bastards? - Sure they are. Are they going to part with any more loot than they have to? - Nope. If they go without writers - They could tell the misfits to write their own scripts, it is reality TV so they do anyway, right. And wrestling is real, too, right? Maybe they can dust off some previously rejected drivel from the back of the closet.

Fact is, the fat cats will keep the studios cranking out the crap they have been. There may be a hiatus, but when enough of them need to re-teak their yachts and their mistresses need boob jobs, they will find a way. And all will be well in the land of fruit and nuts.

Herr Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York, thinks its a keen idea to give illegal aliens a drivers license. The plan is to suspend the need for a social security card to get a driver's license. The State Assembly Leader, Jim Tedisco, is suing the Gov since it violates and existing State law. Herr Spitzer is quickly becoming known for his "my way or the highway attitude" and that can set a few folks on edge. Furthermore, on the surface, any one can understand the "we don't want to encourage these darn illegals to come and stay" attitude.

HELLO!!!!!! They are here. They are driving. Its not like Herr Spitzer is proposing to stand at the border and pass out licenses like party favors. Also consider - with how lovely the pictures on the licenses are, one wet-back looks like another and I've heard of one illegal getting a fake license and passing it around to his hermanos. Some households may share a car, well, damn, why not share a driver's license, too. Put it in the visor, kinda like the garage remote. So illegals ARE driving with "licenses", "licenses" that are good enough fakes to fool your average beat cop.

So, to me, here is the real choice - The status quo, where illegals are driving, uninsured and with out a proper license OR give illegals who can produce proper identification a respectable, albeit limited, driver's license. So which is it?