Society's Child
What did you do today? What are your plans for tomorrow? Normal stuff? Go to work? Pick up the kids? Preparing dinner? Maybe a drink in the bar with some friends, or stay at home with the latest blockbuster movie? If so, then you are doing pretty much the same thing as billions of other people around the world, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Life goes on after all. Or does it? I mean, will normal life go on indefinitely? You see, I was checking the news today and
well, "oh boy" is the best way I can describe it.
A British doctor suffering from an incurable illness killed herself yesterday in Zurich with the help of Dignitas, the Swiss voluntary organisation.
Anne Turner was the 42nd Briton to seek medical help from Dignitas to end her life. Her case will cause controversy because she was diagnosed only last summer and as yet had relatively few symptoms of the brain disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
Yesterday the UK organisation Dignity in Dying, which used to be known as the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, said Dr Turner's story showed British law was shortening lives and called for assisted suicide to be legalised.
Anne Turner was the 42nd Briton to seek medical help from Dignitas to end her life. Her case will cause controversy because she was diagnosed only last summer and as yet had relatively few symptoms of the brain disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
Yesterday the UK organisation Dignity in Dying, which used to be known as the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, said Dr Turner's story showed British law was shortening lives and called for assisted suicide to be legalised.
Washington - The Bush administration cannot stop doctors from helping terminally ill patients end their lives under the nation's only physician-assisted suicide law, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.
In a stinging defeat for the administration, the high court ruled on a 6-3 vote that then-Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2001 impermissibly interpreted federal law to bar distribution of controlled drugs to assist suicides, regardless of the Oregon law authorizing it.
In a stinging defeat for the administration, the high court ruled on a 6-3 vote that then-Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2001 impermissibly interpreted federal law to bar distribution of controlled drugs to assist suicides, regardless of the Oregon law authorizing it.
Great Falls, Montana - A cow that escaped a slaughterhouse dodged vehicles, ran in front of a train, braved the icy Missouri River and took three tranquilizer darts before being recaptured six hours later. News of the heifer's adventures prompted a number of people to offer to buy the animal.
LONDON Syria has signed a pledge to store Iranian nuclear weapons and missiles.
The London-based Jane's Defence Weekly reported that Iran and Syria signed a strategic accord meant to protect either country from international pressure regarding their weapons programs. The magazine, citing diplomatic sources, said Syria agreed to store Iranian materials and weapons should Teheran come under United Nations sanctions.
The London-based Jane's Defence Weekly reported that Iran and Syria signed a strategic accord meant to protect either country from international pressure regarding their weapons programs. The magazine, citing diplomatic sources, said Syria agreed to store Iranian materials and weapons should Teheran come under United Nations sanctions.
Washington - The spending bill approved by the House early on Monday and awaiting a Senate vote could increase the out-of-pocket costs of many of the poor people who rely on the joint federal-state program for their health care.
The legislation also tightens eligibility rules for long-term care. Medicaid pays for roughly half of nursing home bills.
The mostly Republican backers of the bill say the changes are necessary to preserve a financially beleaguered social program that has not been updated to keep up with the changes in U.S. health care.
The legislation also tightens eligibility rules for long-term care. Medicaid pays for roughly half of nursing home bills.
The mostly Republican backers of the bill say the changes are necessary to preserve a financially beleaguered social program that has not been updated to keep up with the changes in U.S. health care.
Comment: Shut up, you poor people! How dare you protest! Georgie will spy on you if you so much as make a peep! And then you'll go on a list of ter'rists!
Oslo, Norway - Nuclear watchdog agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei warned Saturday in accepting the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize that humanity faces a choice between nuclear weapons and survival.
ElBaradei shared the coveted award with his International Atomic Energy Agency - cited for their drive to control the spread of nuclear weapons, especially to terrorists.
"I have no doubt that if we hope to escape self-destruction, then nuclear weapons should have no place in our collective conscience, and no role in our security," ElBaradei said in his acceptance speech.
ElBaradei shared the coveted award with his International Atomic Energy Agency - cited for their drive to control the spread of nuclear weapons, especially to terrorists.
"I have no doubt that if we hope to escape self-destruction, then nuclear weapons should have no place in our collective conscience, and no role in our security," ElBaradei said in his acceptance speech.
I gambled $31.50 on the new USDA report ERS-ERR-11, not sure if I would understand. Government reports are often clogged with asphyxiated prose and gravel-gray pages of footnoted tables. But mercifully Household Food Security in the United States 2004 is a readable booklet. Its main point is clear: hunger in America is rising.
The basics: the Fed has surveyed 60,000 American families. It found 88.1% to be food secure - they don't worry about getting food. But 11.9% are food insecure sometimes they don't know if they can afford food, but by doing without medications or delaying the rent they avoid hunger. That category is 13.5 million households. Finally 3.9%, or 4.4 million American households, sometimes go hungry for lack of money.
The basics: the Fed has surveyed 60,000 American families. It found 88.1% to be food secure - they don't worry about getting food. But 11.9% are food insecure sometimes they don't know if they can afford food, but by doing without medications or delaying the rent they avoid hunger. That category is 13.5 million households. Finally 3.9%, or 4.4 million American households, sometimes go hungry for lack of money.
· Obesity could disqualify patients, says watchdog· Recommendations will not be binding on NHS
Patients who smoke, drink too much or are obese could be denied medical help if their lifestyle is likely to undermine their treatment, the government's health treatment watchdog said yesterday.
A report published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) said: "If the self-inflicted cause of the condition will influence the likely outcome of a particular treatment, then it may be appropriate to take this into account in some circumstances."
Patients who smoke, drink too much or are obese could be denied medical help if their lifestyle is likely to undermine their treatment, the government's health treatment watchdog said yesterday.
A report published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) said: "If the self-inflicted cause of the condition will influence the likely outcome of a particular treatment, then it may be appropriate to take this into account in some circumstances."
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate...Returning violence for violence multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Comment: We seem to remember that somebody claimed that Saddam had shipped all his WMDs out and that's why Bush didn't find any under his desk. We also recall a report that the Bush Gang was caught trying to PLANT WMDs in Iraq. So, this looks like they are setting the stage just in case Iran does NOT have WMDs. Our guess is, they wouldn't be getting ready to attack if Iran DID have them. After all, Saddam didn't have them, but N. Korea did. So, who did the U.S. attack? Also, don't forget that Russia has agreed to back Syria up. So, where's all this going? WWIII?