Saturday, July 31, 2004

The Daily Mantra:  Daily Weighings

Weigh not yourself daily lest it cause artificial elation and despair.

Friday, July 30, 2004

The Miscreant’s Dictionary:  “Fact”

fact

something objectively, verifiably, and demonstrably real, yet regularly ignored and/or denied by individuals when the thing is inconvenient

Thursday, July 29, 2004

The Micro-Pundit:  John Edwards at the DNC

I had the opportunity this morning to listen to excerpts from John Edwards’ VP acceptance speech on NPR (click here for the speech).  I was amazed, especially when he began repeating a refrain about “hope is on the way.” I rarely get shivers running up and down my spine when I hear something, and when I do, it’s nearly always music.  But this time, it was a political speech that did it.  That was a first.  And I have to tell you, if John Kerry can harness even half of Edwards’ charisma and energy, Bush hasn’t got a prayer in November.  Take a listen to the link above and let me how it makes you feel.

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

The Micro-Pundit:  Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders today announced that they would be pulling out of Afghanistan after 25 years of providing medical aid to the nation’s citizens.  They stayed in through the Russian invasion.  They weren’t driven out during years of civil war.  They hunkered down through the Taliban years as well.  They didn’t even leave during the liberation of the country by the United States and NATO.  But now, Doctors Without Borders is leaving.  Why?  Because, after the murder of five aid workers that the national government refuses to investigate, the NGO feels that it’s workers can’t be guaranteed security.  Yep, the United States and NATO have so reneged on our promises to the Afghanis that the (lack of) security situation has driven one of the most fearless aid organizations in the world from a nation we said we’d help democratize and bring into the 21st Century after we liberated it.

So much for Bush’s promises.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

The Daily Mantra:  Painting

Wear not your good jeans when painting the basement lest they become �grubby� jeans prematurely.

Monday, July 26, 2004

The Miscreant’s Dictionary: “Evildoer”

evildoer

1. any individual or organization who would harm Iraqis or Afghanis, restrict their freedoms, or force them to live in perpetual fear {Examples:  Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Donald Rumsfeld}

2. any individual or organization who would harm Americans, restrict their freedoms, or force them to live in perpetual fear {Examples:  Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, John Ashcroft}

Sunday, July 25, 2004

The Micro-Pundit:  Tort Reform

There comes a point when even “reforms” go too far.  While I’m generally for limiting cash awards to plaintiffs in product liability and similar lawsuits, I also believe that the limits should be set high enough that getting nailed with a maximum penalty should seriously impact a company’s bottom line.  But now Bush is working to wipe this out with respect to drugs and medical technologies.  The New York Times online reported that the Bush administration is now pushing for federal guidelines that basically say “If the FDA approves a drug or medical device, that approval erases the manufacturer’s liability from lawsuits.” (Here’s the link) You know, if I die because the FDA approves a device based on a manufacturer’s lies about the device’s safety, then I want my wife to be able to sue the company for whatever she can get, ideally enough to shut the company down.  Bush should be ashamed of himself for doing something like this.  The FDA isn’t the end all, be all of medical technology.  The FDA has been known to make mistakes (just look at thalidomide, for example), and the companies who screw with public health should be held liable for what they do.

The Daily Mantra: Spoons

Parents, this one’s for your kids:  Remember, kidlets, spoons really, truly don’t fit up your noses.  Even the little, plastic coated ones.

Saturday, July 24, 2004

The Miscreant’s Dictionary:  “Dead-Enders”

dead-enders

supporters of a rogue regime engaged in a conflict against democratization and freedom {Example:  Neo-conservative Republicans}

Friday, July 23, 2004

The Daily Mantra:  Pet Allergies

It is unwise to bury your face in the cat�s fur and inhale deeply if you have violent pet allergies.