MaxedOutMama

Rather than eye Mr. Cracker with suspicion, I did a living will saying I want my food and water any way I can get them. It's not too much to ask that you be fed and watered twice a day.
The things you have to do these days to protect yourself from hearsay.
As far as societal opinion goes, I would say that people will pity you so much they'll kill you- but I don't think that's the case. I think there are new rules being formed as to who is and who is not a person. More accurately, I think these are just the old rules that are making a comeback.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans would recognize them: Expose the elderly and infirm on mountainsides, put the unwanted baby on the dungheap. The pre/post-Christian lifestyle choices.

I’m an RN who’s worked in the facility where Terry is. I’ve been working in Long Term Care for 20 years and have unfortunately seem quite a few Terry Schiavo’s. The latest patient I’ve had the pleasure to work with was a 76 year old woman with progressive swallowing problems.
It got to the point after extensive testing, that she was unable to take food by mouth without the risk of choking. She was aware of her surroundings but occasionally confused so her out of state family had power of attorney to make her medical/legal decisions. They denied doctors the right to place a feeding tube, saying she was “old, sick and tired.” We had instructions from the legal team to not give her food or water for fear of her choking. So we had a sweet little 76 y/o senior citizen that we were literally starving to death!! It was pathetic and pitiful. This poor soul would beg for food and water only to be told no. It was heartbreaking. Long story short, we nurses took the chance of her choking and gave her food and water when we could. The family knew something was up and came to move her from our facility to one near them. Found out she died 2 weeks later of dehydration. Her family threatened to sue all of us for not following their instructions. Hasn’t happened yet, we’ll see. It’s so sad to see someone pass away that way. It’s the rules of threes. Three minutes without air, three days without water and three weeks without food. The patient really ends up suffering greatly.

This is no way to win elections and no way to enact change and no way to influence policy. If this wing continues to be the loudest voice of the party and, in fact, takes over the party, then you can bet that the Democrats will forever be in opposition -- a role these folks love like cultists who feed on attack -- or, worse, even sink into extinction. I'm not a third-party guy; never have been, never want to be. But being attacked for daring to disagree on one issue or with one self-proclaimed leader is no way to win friends and influence elections. I hope the Clinton wing retakes the party from the spitting fringe.

I'm no right-winger. But I'm not their kind of left-winger. I'm proud to sit in the center with most of America, in a country that isn't at war, red v. blue, but is getting sick of the fringers who are.

What does my right-wing look like?
: I voted for John Kerry, though reluctantly.
: I voted for Bill Clinton, eagerly.
: I am dying to vote for Hillary Clinton.
: I vote Democratic in local races in my corner of New Jersey, when they have the guts to run.
: I am pro-choice.
: I opposed the Bush tax cuts.
: I am against school vouchers.
: I am for gay marriage and quit the Presbyterian Church over its bigotry against gays.
: I am for universal health care.
: I fight for free speech in America and elsewhere.
: I wrote a cover story for The Nation.

Chawkat immediately took steps to assure Iran regarding the future of Hezbollah should Syria be forced to move out of Lebanon. General Chawkat is a firm believer in the use of force and in using the Hezbollah as a tool to settle certain Syrian political or military scores. He also gave the Iranians verbal assurances Damascus would not restrain Hezbollah should the U.S. or Israel attack Iran’s nuclear assets.

This calculated variant to use Hezbollah in a direct anti-U.S. campaign fully correlates with tactical theories developed by Chawkat. He plans, according to G2 Bulletin sources, to permit Hezbollah to confront the U.S. and Israel as an Iranian sub-contracted military tool – giving Syria plausible deniability for such attacks. Against the backdrop of growing tension in Beirut, Chawkat is leading the so-called “Lebanon lobby,” a group of active or retired Syrian intelligence generals and Baath Party extremists who are contemplating using Hezbollah to stir up a new Lebanese civil war.

Islamic Jihad militants in Damascus said they staged the Tel Aviv attack, but Syria denies any involvement.

Syria said it was facing unprecedented international pressure following the attack, and feared that it was among the US' next military targets.

On the other hand, Mr Abbas now has an opportunity to show that he will not tolerate such attacks. He has already described the Tel Aviv bomb as "sabotage."

Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority are pointing the finger at Syria which has allowed Islamic Jihad to operate in its territory. The mutual accusations against a third party could enable Israel and the Palestinians to steer their way through the aftermath of the bomb. The way might then become clearer.

Ozkok says, ''as far as I understood, the real force behind the insistence on Besir Atalay was Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, and not Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself. The reason may be that earlier Gul had suggested the name of Atalay.''

''On that point, a rare development happens in Turkish political scene. When talks at Cankaya Palace reached to an undesired stage, Premier Erdogan calls Gul on the phone and wants him to take part in the meeting.''

''On the other hand, I would like to comment also on Attila Koc, the newly appointed Tourism & Culture Minister,'' says Ozkok.

The editor in chief of the weekly Al-Shaab and member of the banned, but tolerated, Muslim Brotherhood, Magdi Hussein, said the move was a victory for and a concession to increasing opposition calls within Egypt to have multiparty presidential elections.

“A few days ago, Mubarak rejected demands to open the presidential balloting to other candidates and now he calls for amendments to the constitution, which means we have won our first battle,” Magdi said. “The next step should be limiting presidents to a maximum of two consecutive terms in office.”

Opposition parties supported Magdi’s view, saying the amendments proposed by Mubarak did not include limiting the powers of the president and did not let any citizen run for elections. “Only members of political parties will be authorized to run and the final list of candidates will be decided by a higher committee of judiciary and public figures,” said Aboul Ella Madi, head of Hizb Al-Wasat Al-Gedid (the New Center party).

In a significant first, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry will appoint 36 Saudi women to a variety of jobs in the political, economic, women’s rights and computer departments, press reports said yesterday.

“The appointments will occur within three weeks,” said Prince Khaled ibn Saud, director of the department for financial and administrative affairs. He said a large number of women had already applied for the jobs.

Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal revealed last week plans to hire women as part of the country’s political reforms. The minister added that some women would be appointed to key posts.

In one respect Sweden's government is unique in the world. It has a definite opinion about a scientific controversy: whether women's and man's brains are different, or not. The first time i realised that the government had involved itself in neurobiology, was when gender equality minister [! - ed] Jens Orback in a speech about sexual deviations and living with horses [!!! - ed], affirmed:

- The government considers female and male as social constructions, that means gender patterns are created by upbringing, culture, economical conditions, power structures and political ideology.

Apart from taking a position on this scientific question, the government has deiced to side with the most extreme researchers: gene theoreticians who for ideological reasons state that biology can not have any saying in explaining why male and female behaviour differs.

"CBS News and I have reached an amicable resolution, and I have resigned my position," Murphy said in a statement.

She said she wished "my good colleagues well" and looked forward to moving on in her career.

The same goes for the situation in Connecticut where, if New London gets its way, Pfizer will be the proud recipient of a new "office park." And though the city bears greatest legal responsibility, the drug company should be ashamed of itself. In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have fought valiant battles to protect their own intellectual-property rights, despite "public interest" arguments that the drugs they discovered should be stripped of their patents or given away for a song.

Indeed, the Pfizer Journal, in an article on land reform, writes that "property rights are fundamental to human health and dignity. And protection of property — including the property of the mind — is fundamental to the industries that make jobs available to drive a healthy economy." We're sure the citizens of New London would agree.

US warplanes relentlessly pound Istanbul and Ankara, killing hundreds, while the rest of the country is in flames: Washington has just launched operation "Metal Storm" against its former ally, Turkey.

The futuristic novel of the same name by two young Turkish writers has sold more than 100,000 copies since it came out in December -- a huge run in a country where most books get printings of a few thousand at best.

"Metal Storm" also seems to be riding a wave of strong anti-US sentiment in this country sparked by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which resulted in unprecedented tensions between the two NATO allies.

Detail 3: The Schindlers think their daughter could benefit from physical therapy and might someday swallow on her own, but her husband, as her legal guardian, reportedly will not allow it. Which leads to an equally uncomfortable question: If Schiavo merely required spoon feeding instead of tube feeding, would anyone seriously be arguing to withhold food and water? Does not every human, no matter how incapacitated, deserve sustenance?

But security and opposition forces on the ground in Lebanon told WorldNetDaily Syrian forces have been distributing weapons, including AK-47 rifles, to pro-Syrian groups. They said information has been received that Syrian troops have been preparing to suppress the civil uprising and will respond heavily to any violent action on the part of the opposition.

Opposition leaders last week called for an "uprising for independence," demanding Damascus withdraw its troops and urging the current pro-Syrian government to step down.

Chapter Eight, “Soul-Speak”

“As I continued to stay beside Mrs. Browning at her nursing home bed, I felt my mind relax and my weight sink into the ground. I began to feel light-headed as I became more reposed. Although feeling like I could drift into sleep, I also experienced a sense of heightened awareness. As Mrs. Browning lay motionless before my gaze, I suddenly heard a loud, deep moan and scream and wondered if the nursing home personnel heard it and would respond to the unfortunate resident. In the next moment, as this cry of pain and torment continued, I realized it was Mrs. Browning. I felt the mid-section of my body open and noticed a strange quality to the light in the room. I sensed her soul in agony. As she screamed I heard her say, in confusion, ‘Why am I still here … why am I here?’ My soul touched hers and in some way I communicated that she was still locked in her body. I promised I would do everything in my power to gain the release her soul cried for. With that the screaming immediately stopped. I felt like I was back in my head again, the room resumed its normal appearance, and Mrs. Browning, as she had throughout this experience, lay silent.” (73)

George Felos' book, "Litigation as Spiritual Practice" (Blue Dolphin Publishing, 2002) contains the following quotes.

About the Jews, George Felos wrote, "The Jewish people, long ago in their collective consciousness, agreed to play the role of the lamb whose slaughter was necessary to shock humanity into a new moral consciousness. Their sacrifice saved humanity at the brink of extinction and propelled us into a new age." (pg 240)

Felos further wrote, "If our minds can conceive of an uplifting Holocaust, can it be so diffucult to look another way at the slights and injuries and abuses we perceive were inflicted upon us?" (pg 240)

Felos is the creator of Meditation for Lawyers, the first-of-its-kind instructional course accredited for continuing legal education. His article by the same name has been published and posted in various journals.

Felos graduated from Boston University School of Law, has practiced in Pinellas County since 1978, was a founding member of the National Legal Advisors Committee on Choice in Dying, and served as Board Chair of The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, the largest non-profit Hospice in the world.

The activists said it was “time for Syria to adopt a new policy which takes account of latest events, notably the aftermath of the killing of Rafik Hariri, and establishes a new healthy relationship with Lebanon based on equality”.

Meanwhile, more than100 journalists staged a rally yesterday to denounce Hariri’s murder which the Lebanese opposition has blamed on the government in Beirut and its Syrian backers, a charge strongly denied by Damascus. The rally “reflects the sadness of the man in the street in Syria after the misfortune which has struck our two brotherly countries,” said Saber Falhout, head of the Syrian General Union of Journalists.

Reformists are calling for an elected Parliament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in an unprecedented public demand for a greater say in the government.

Although there is no political dissent or extremist violence in the UAE, it is now the only state without elected bodies in the Gulf region after Saudi Arabia held municipal elections earlier this month.

“It has become embarrassing for the UAE to lag behind others politically in the region. It is high time for us to have a fully elected house — enough of an appointed council without legislative powers,” Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, a professor at UAE University told Gulf News daily in remarks published yesterday.

Wielding unexpected political clout, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas stepped in yesterday to quell a legislative rebellion that has held up the appointment of a new Cabinet and threatened to bring down his prime minister.

Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei has been trying all week to install a new Cabinet. Lawmakers objected to his first list because it was stacked with political cronies of the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.

“When Abbar dared to lead a foreign policy of his own ... this became totally unacceptable,” said an editorial Monday in Al-Ittihad newspaper, the official daily of the government of Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital.

“He wanted to embarrass the State of the Emirates by private contacts (with) the Israelis, which is irresponsible and unacceptable,” it said.

“It’s the first time in the history of our country, with its spotless record, that an individual dares, by such contact with Israel, to overrun the publicly announced policy of our country,” it added, hinting that Abbar should be punished.

Does this sound rational?

I have studied Abnormal Psy, Social Psy, Sociology, Soc. in marriage and family, Multicultural counseling, Addiction counseling and have a general idea about what this * gov. is all about and about where they want to go.

The professor I had for Multicultural counseling was a white, gay, young man who explained to us that our government was set up to keep only one part of our society in power. That part is the WHITE, RICH, MEN.

I believe that the government we have in power now would like to do away with all entitlements. The reason I think this is because it would work perfectly to keep them rich,and in power. ( If they can do away with social security this would be a start.) By doing away with these programs they would have more money and it would drive the poor to their only resource ( the church ). The Christian religion believes that MEN are superior to women and this would work for them. It would help them maintain power and wealth. I am aware that there are minorities who are wealthy and who hold power but by far the biggest segment of society that hold both power and wealth and have the backing of religion, in this country, are the RICH, WHITE, MEN.

But ultimately the United Iraqi Alliance, led by cleric Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, dropped the vote and insisted that Chalabi withdraw in favor of interim Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

"The withdrawal of Chalabi came as a result of pressure by Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, after al-Jaafari threatened to withdraw from the slate in case he didn't win (the ballot)," said Ali Faisal, political coordinator for the Shiite Political Council, an umbrella group for 38 Shiite political parties.

Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, collected samples from office buildings in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco and Tucson, Ariz., last fall to determine how much human parainfluenza 1 virus was present. The virus is responsible for common respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis.

The survey collected samples from common areas: telephone mouthpieces, computer mice, desktops, doorknobs and handles, conference rooms, light switches and office cubicles.

New York -- where half of all office surfaces contained the virus -- was the most virus-laden city, followed by Atlanta, San Francisco, Chicago and Tucson.

While the family of Terri Schiavo is grateful for the stay issued today by Judge George Greer of Pinellas County Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit, they continue to be hopeful that the court will allow the numerous, outstanding legal issues in Terri’s case to be resolved before any action to end their daughter’s life is taken.

Recent advances in neurological testing may be better suited to determining Terri Schiavo’s true cognizant state and the Schindlers would like them to be made available so that no doubt about their daughter’s condition remains.

The family believes that Michael Schiavo will welcome this new opportunity to resolve unanswered questions about Terri’s neurological state before any further action to remove her food and fluids is carried out.

The termination of Ms. Schiavo’s life violates her substantive due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment in two ways. First, Florida courts did not consider whether clear and convincing evidence existed that Ms. Schiavo, had she reviewed the new medical information adduced at the last hearing, would still have wanted to terminate life support. Instead, the trial court reviewed the evidence and determined, purely to its own satisfaction, that Ms. Schiavo’s condition was sufficiently grave that her death was warranted. That is the very “best interests” standard the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected in such cases. The trial court’s failure to consider what Ms. Schiavo’s own decision would be in light of the new medical information – much of which gave her a strong chance of recovery – violates her substantive due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Second, the trial court imposed a new, extralegal standard for determining whether Ms. Schiavo was in a “persistent vegetative state” – a necessary precondition for authorizing her guardian to terminate her life support. Contrary to established medical practice, the trial court required that persons with severe disabilities demonstrate not just voluntary action “of any kind,” as PVS has been defined, but rather “consistent” and “reproducible” actions or responses to establish their own cognition. This arbitrary and capricious standard brings a new and ominous level of subjectivity into the process of determining “persistent vegetative state.” The trial court’s new standard would lead to inconsistent and overly broad determinations of what is or is not a “permanent vegetative state” and potentially subject thousands of people with severe cognitive disabilities to third-party enforcement of their “right” to die.

Many patients who are misdiagnosed as being in the vegetative state are blind or have severe visual handicap; thus lack of eye blink to threat or absence of visual tracking are not reliable signs for diagnosing the vegetative state

Any motor activity, no matter how slight, that can be used for communication by the profoundly disabled patient should be identified at an early stage and repeated at regular intervals

Identification of awareness in the presence of profound and complex neurological disabilities requires the skills of a multidisciplinary team expe- rienced in long term management of disability due to brain damage

Following a court hearing today before Judge George Greer in the Pinellas County FL Probate, Robert and Mary Schindler, parents of Terri Schiavo, made public a settlement offer that was proposed by their attorneys to attorneys for Michael Schiavo on October 26, 2004.

Although Mr. Schiavo's attorneys have verbally rejected their proposal, the Schindlers will continue to keep their offer on the table and remain hopeful that they will one day be allowed to bring their daughter home.

If we trusted the news we read in the papers or see on TV, we'd believe that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is the only Muslim advocacy group in America.

If we trusted those sources, we'd be wrong. The Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA) is a Muslim advocacy group that is "dedicated to differentiating the majority of peace-loving, moderate Muslims in the world from the handful of extremists who mar the beautiful image of Islam."

In 2002, the ISCA opposed House Resolutions HR 2357 and HR 2931 which would permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns.

Over time, we learned an important lesson. Simply recognizing our faults or shortcomings, does not mean we have matured or learned enough, or put what we have learned, into the right perspective.

It is only by incoporating into our lives, not just the ideas, but tangible actions, that prove we are indeed better. Our actions are the real indicators of what we have learned.

Morality is a determination of what is right and what is wrong. Laws primarily exist to punish those who do wrong – whatever “wrong” is determined to be. Therefore, ALL laws are simply a government enforcement of a generally commonly accepted moral.

For example, I’ll show an easy one: murder. It is against the law to murder someone. Why? Because it’s wrong. Says who? WHY is it wrong? It is wrong simply because “civilization” has determined it should be wrong. Someone, somewhere, decided that they didn’t like people being murdered, so they made a rule to enforce their individual interpretation of right versus wrong. Whether it is a commonly accepted idea or not has no bearing on whether it is moral or not – quite often commonly accepted ideas can and have been proven wrong.

Some complain that science has been polluted by politics, but anything that receives government money is automatically political. The notion that we're not allowed to hold people who take government money accountable, that we aren't allowed to question their assumptions, simply because they are scientists would be pretty scary.

We tend to cloak researchers in an aura of mystique: that they are smarter than us, that their motives are noble and pure. But any time you have a class of people you treat like that (basically, as a priestly caste) you're asking for trouble.

All subjects in science are open to being challenged by dissenters, but the tendency for anyone whose career depends on the currently reigning theory will be to silence dissenters in any way they can. Yet, we probably can't get government out of funding science, nor could we stop corporations from funding research.

Howard Dean seems to display a sort of anti-conservative bigotry which gives him doubts:
Dean's attitude to Republicans is close to analogous to racism. There is the visceral resentment, the unshakable conviction of one's innate superiority, the habit of treating the Other as an enemy. Dean almost sounds like he is denying that Republicans are American. I can't see how this will work as a party-building strategy.