A rose by any other name is not a rose. If Congress called the Patriot Act the ‘Revocation of Your Civil Rights Bill’, very few people would favor it. There would be a few right wing crazies who would think that was a fine idea, but the majority of the public would oppose such a bill. Congress, being the shrewd organization that it is, called the Revocation of Your Civil Rights Bill–The Patriot Act, and, therefore, no one in his right mind could oppose it. Who wants to be thought of as unpatriotic?
Remember Blog 103 when I discussed the Iraqi War Financing Bill that reduced the Veterans Administration budget by $130,000,000? If Congress had called the bill ‘We’re Going the Screw the Veterans Bill’, it would not have passed. It is only by cleverly calling the bill the Iraqi War Financing Bill, that Congress can get away with this madness.
* * * * *
HOW ABOUT A TAX DEDUCTION FOR ALL MEDICAL EXPENSES?
A simple plan that would help everyone who has a job and health insurance would be to allow everyone to deduct 100% of the money he spends on health care from his taxes, including all money spent on health insurance.
There has been some discussion about this bill in Congress, but the crazies on the left haul out their usual sop and yell, ‘It favors the rich.’ It is mind boggling that there’s anyone who believes this nonsense, but there are a large number of collectivists who drool over hearing the phrase, ‘It favors the rich.’
This weekend I read that President Bush has proposed a bill to tax everyone for the health insurance benefits he gets at work, and then coming out the other side, he's allowed to deduct all his medical expenses up to $7,500 per individual or $15,000 per family. But to get the deduction, the taxpayer has to burrow under ground into his neighbor’s yard, steal his lawnmower and then sell it at a yard sale while a Lithuanian chorus sings “Heartache Hotel” in B flat minor. Lithuanian choruses are among my favorite musical groups, but I’m still opposed to Bush’s plan. This absurd idea was advanced to appease the ‘It favors the rich’ group.
Now we have Plan One, where everybody gets to deduct all expenses, including their medical insurance from their taxes, and we have Plan Two where, if you run over hills and dales, you can deduct up to a certain amount of your medical costs from your taxes. No one has mentioned what happens if you have $30,000 worth of medical expenses. Plan One does not require the implementation of another massive bureaucracy, Plan Two does. Now you pick one.
Also, while the money the government has spent on the war in Iraq would have paid all of the co-pays and prescription medicine used by Social Security recipients, there is some romance about going to war. Thirty plus percent of the public still thinks that something beneficial is happening in Iraq. I wish the pollsters would give me their names and addresses. I’ve got some property in Florida that’s really pretty when it’s not under water, and I’m sure I could make them believe that it is beachfront property.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald M. Heavrin,
Still searching for a benevolent god
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
(107) A LIBERTARIAN HOME COMPANION
In my opinion, Garrison Keillor is an oddball who tells homespun stories–some good, some bad. This week, there was an editorial in which Garrison discusses a host of problems confronting the United States. In the end, he winds up endorsing Hillary Clinton for President.
During the same week, I saw Ralph Nader on The Daily Show. He theorizes that the present Bush is, “locked in some type of rivalry with his dad.” The thesis being that his dad did not go all the way to Bagdad, and now he must prove that he is a bigger, badder Bush by pushing all the way to Bagdad.
Returning to Garrison, he characterizes the right-wing fruitcakes who dominate AM radio as perfect enemies for Hillary Clinton. He states, “It is like playing softball against drunks. They illustrate everything about Republican dominion that the country has come to loathe, the blithering arrogance, the cynicism, and corruption, and the wretched war that drags on and on.” I agree that we are in the grip of blithering arrogance. However, missing from his diatribe was the fact that Hillary supported the war, and so did virtually everyone in Congress, on both sides of the aisle. We were led to believe by President Doofus that Saddam Hussein, if left alone, would soon be dropping an atomic bomb on New York City. We had to make a peremptory strike on the scoundrel before he had a chance to strike. And while ignoring the fact that a majority of the World Trade Center terrorists were from our allied Saudi Arabia, he suggests that Iraq was a haven for terrorists.
My friend, JFS, sent me an e-mail that contained photographs of an Islamic protest in London. Included in the photographs is a person holding a sign that said, “Freedom Go to Hell.” He is, of course, wearing a rag around his head, and only his eyes can be seen. When the Klan protests something in the United States, they are not allowed to wear masks over their faces. If you do not have the courage to be seen in public, then you should not be allowed to protest. My friend, JFS, complains because these images are never seen on American television. My concern is more philosophic. The fellow with the sign that said, “Freedom Go to Hell,” is suggesting a society that is controlled by authority figures whose words are law, and all rights flow from the authority figure. Presumably there are no unalienable rights in his perfect world. Even more troubling is this view is shared by more than 50% of the people in the United States. We are taught when we are children not to get too close to the cliff, the water, not to play with fire, not to jump off the roof, et cetera, ad nauseum. By the time we were adults, we put too much faith and confidence in authority figures, and when President Doofus tells us bald-faced lies about the condition of the world, we tend to accept his view of the world without question. When it turns out that he lied, then there is a retreat. In this case, Hillary Clinton has led the retreat.
Barach Obama, who has no chance of being elected president because he does not enjoy insider status, is, however, an interesting candidate. First my dislikes. He’s a typical Democrat in that he thinks that by taxing the rich, that will enable the government to save the world. Like all Democrats, he fails to understand money. For instance, what does Bill Gates do with his money? If he doesn’t give it to charity, and he puts it in the bank, that makes it available for other people to borrow for their business ventures or for mortgages on their homes. If he invests in businesses, he creates opportunities for employment. Better private industry than government. If he builds a $20,000,000 house, somebody has to do the framing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, landscaping, etc. So the millions are spread out across the working public. We should give the rich gigantic tax breaks. In fact, we would be out of trouble economically (1) if the government stopped spending money, (2) if we allowed corporations to deduct dividends paid to shareholders from their income, and (3) if we didn’t impose any tax on any amount that a person made above $500,000. Only on the first $500,000 would there be a tax. We would have instant success and an economy that would burn like wildfire. There would be a chicken in every pot.
What do I like about Obama? I like him because he had the courage to speak up against this war when 80% of the bloodthirsty public had been scared out of its collective wits and imagined the boogeyman was under the bed. I also saw him on 60 Minutes, and he admitted to using cocaine and marijuana. He also commented that what’s wrong with the American political scene is that candidates try to air-brush themselves to where they have never done anything that is not approved by the mainstream born-again Jesus forever group. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton is attempting to airbrush herself with a fire hose. Regrettably her airbrushing will probably work while Obama’s honest presentation is doomed to failure.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald M. Heavrin
During the same week, I saw Ralph Nader on The Daily Show. He theorizes that the present Bush is, “locked in some type of rivalry with his dad.” The thesis being that his dad did not go all the way to Bagdad, and now he must prove that he is a bigger, badder Bush by pushing all the way to Bagdad.
Returning to Garrison, he characterizes the right-wing fruitcakes who dominate AM radio as perfect enemies for Hillary Clinton. He states, “It is like playing softball against drunks. They illustrate everything about Republican dominion that the country has come to loathe, the blithering arrogance, the cynicism, and corruption, and the wretched war that drags on and on.” I agree that we are in the grip of blithering arrogance. However, missing from his diatribe was the fact that Hillary supported the war, and so did virtually everyone in Congress, on both sides of the aisle. We were led to believe by President Doofus that Saddam Hussein, if left alone, would soon be dropping an atomic bomb on New York City. We had to make a peremptory strike on the scoundrel before he had a chance to strike. And while ignoring the fact that a majority of the World Trade Center terrorists were from our allied Saudi Arabia, he suggests that Iraq was a haven for terrorists.
My friend, JFS, sent me an e-mail that contained photographs of an Islamic protest in London. Included in the photographs is a person holding a sign that said, “Freedom Go to Hell.” He is, of course, wearing a rag around his head, and only his eyes can be seen. When the Klan protests something in the United States, they are not allowed to wear masks over their faces. If you do not have the courage to be seen in public, then you should not be allowed to protest. My friend, JFS, complains because these images are never seen on American television. My concern is more philosophic. The fellow with the sign that said, “Freedom Go to Hell,” is suggesting a society that is controlled by authority figures whose words are law, and all rights flow from the authority figure. Presumably there are no unalienable rights in his perfect world. Even more troubling is this view is shared by more than 50% of the people in the United States. We are taught when we are children not to get too close to the cliff, the water, not to play with fire, not to jump off the roof, et cetera, ad nauseum. By the time we were adults, we put too much faith and confidence in authority figures, and when President Doofus tells us bald-faced lies about the condition of the world, we tend to accept his view of the world without question. When it turns out that he lied, then there is a retreat. In this case, Hillary Clinton has led the retreat.
Barach Obama, who has no chance of being elected president because he does not enjoy insider status, is, however, an interesting candidate. First my dislikes. He’s a typical Democrat in that he thinks that by taxing the rich, that will enable the government to save the world. Like all Democrats, he fails to understand money. For instance, what does Bill Gates do with his money? If he doesn’t give it to charity, and he puts it in the bank, that makes it available for other people to borrow for their business ventures or for mortgages on their homes. If he invests in businesses, he creates opportunities for employment. Better private industry than government. If he builds a $20,000,000 house, somebody has to do the framing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, landscaping, etc. So the millions are spread out across the working public. We should give the rich gigantic tax breaks. In fact, we would be out of trouble economically (1) if the government stopped spending money, (2) if we allowed corporations to deduct dividends paid to shareholders from their income, and (3) if we didn’t impose any tax on any amount that a person made above $500,000. Only on the first $500,000 would there be a tax. We would have instant success and an economy that would burn like wildfire. There would be a chicken in every pot.
What do I like about Obama? I like him because he had the courage to speak up against this war when 80% of the bloodthirsty public had been scared out of its collective wits and imagined the boogeyman was under the bed. I also saw him on 60 Minutes, and he admitted to using cocaine and marijuana. He also commented that what’s wrong with the American political scene is that candidates try to air-brush themselves to where they have never done anything that is not approved by the mainstream born-again Jesus forever group. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton is attempting to airbrush herself with a fire hose. Regrettably her airbrushing will probably work while Obama’s honest presentation is doomed to failure.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald M. Heavrin
(103) LIES AND POLITICALLY CORRECT NAMES
There was a guest on Hannity and Colmes who said the American public is not culturally advanced or smart enough to live in a free country. Damn! What a brilliant observation!
The paper brought the astonishing news that 60% of the people disagree with Bush’s policies in Iraq, but 35% are in agreement. What could the 35% be thinking? This is worse than a religion. Virtually no one in the 35% group will ever be able to change their mind. They have bought into a dogma, and regardless of the evidence, they’re going to stick to their beliefs. In a rational society, a few simple questions, e. g., what would constitute a win, how do we tell when we have won, is winning overthrowing Saddam Hussein, or is winning starting a civil war or promoting a civil war that has been going on for centuries? Do we win if the opposing factions simply kiss and make up? Do we win when there is a free election? The horror of this war is there is no objective way to tell when victory has been achieved. Do we win when we establish that Saddam Hussein’s nuclear arsenal was a myth? When we won World War II, we knew it. Since there’s no way to decide what would constitute a victory, there is no way to win. Therefore, we win by getting out of the Hell hole. Stop wasting our lives and our finite resources.
* * * * *
Mary G. Barry is an outstanding physician in my home town. In fact, she’s my doctor. For the February edition of Louisville Medicine Magazine she wrote an article about care that is NOT being given to veterans. When they volunteered or were drafted, part of the deal was health care for life. Now Congress, while massaging the facts, have caused VA Hospitals to turn down more than 250,000 vets during the last three years. The stated reason is that the VA has limited funding and can now only take care of those who have service-connected disabilities. According to Dr. Barry, the Iraqi War Financing Bill CUT $438,000,000 from the VA health care budget. The accounting reports indicate that we have wasted BILLIONS on the reconstruction of IRAQ.
As to the issue of service related ailments, there are many service related injuries that do not manifest themselves until after the citizen is discharged from the military.
This incredibly stupid war the Bushites have gotten us into has cost us 3,000 productive lives, and more than 20,000 of our citizens have been wounded in combat, many of whom will require lifetime care. For the money we have squandered on this mind-boggling stupidity we could have provided prescription medication for every senior citizen. As it is we have nine separate prescription programs that no one can understand, and no one receives full benefit under any of them. While continuation of the war is strictly Republican madness, they were not alone in getting the war started. No one in Congress has the courage to say, “The king is naked.” Meanwhile we have a military presence in 104 countries, North Korea is working on an intercontinental ballistics missile, Iran is thumbing its nose at us while it proceeds with its uranium enrichment program, and Mitch McConnell is working to stop Congress from issuing a meaningless resolution asking for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.
It is truly regrettable that it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better, if it ever gets better.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald M. Heavrin
Your Servant of Truth
The paper brought the astonishing news that 60% of the people disagree with Bush’s policies in Iraq, but 35% are in agreement. What could the 35% be thinking? This is worse than a religion. Virtually no one in the 35% group will ever be able to change their mind. They have bought into a dogma, and regardless of the evidence, they’re going to stick to their beliefs. In a rational society, a few simple questions, e. g., what would constitute a win, how do we tell when we have won, is winning overthrowing Saddam Hussein, or is winning starting a civil war or promoting a civil war that has been going on for centuries? Do we win if the opposing factions simply kiss and make up? Do we win when there is a free election? The horror of this war is there is no objective way to tell when victory has been achieved. Do we win when we establish that Saddam Hussein’s nuclear arsenal was a myth? When we won World War II, we knew it. Since there’s no way to decide what would constitute a victory, there is no way to win. Therefore, we win by getting out of the Hell hole. Stop wasting our lives and our finite resources.
* * * * *
Mary G. Barry is an outstanding physician in my home town. In fact, she’s my doctor. For the February edition of Louisville Medicine Magazine she wrote an article about care that is NOT being given to veterans. When they volunteered or were drafted, part of the deal was health care for life. Now Congress, while massaging the facts, have caused VA Hospitals to turn down more than 250,000 vets during the last three years. The stated reason is that the VA has limited funding and can now only take care of those who have service-connected disabilities. According to Dr. Barry, the Iraqi War Financing Bill CUT $438,000,000 from the VA health care budget. The accounting reports indicate that we have wasted BILLIONS on the reconstruction of IRAQ.
As to the issue of service related ailments, there are many service related injuries that do not manifest themselves until after the citizen is discharged from the military.
This incredibly stupid war the Bushites have gotten us into has cost us 3,000 productive lives, and more than 20,000 of our citizens have been wounded in combat, many of whom will require lifetime care. For the money we have squandered on this mind-boggling stupidity we could have provided prescription medication for every senior citizen. As it is we have nine separate prescription programs that no one can understand, and no one receives full benefit under any of them. While continuation of the war is strictly Republican madness, they were not alone in getting the war started. No one in Congress has the courage to say, “The king is naked.” Meanwhile we have a military presence in 104 countries, North Korea is working on an intercontinental ballistics missile, Iran is thumbing its nose at us while it proceeds with its uranium enrichment program, and Mitch McConnell is working to stop Congress from issuing a meaningless resolution asking for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.
It is truly regrettable that it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better, if it ever gets better.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald M. Heavrin
Your Servant of Truth
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
(106) KEEPING SCORE
Every time I swear off about writing about the war, something will happen that aggravates me to such an extent that I feel compelled to return to the subject. This past weekend, about 70 people died when a car bomb blew up in a marketplace in Bagdad. Eight of our finest died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. These episodes beg the question, ‘What on Earth are we doing, and what do we think we are accomplishing by participating in this madness?’
On February 16th, the newspaper carried a story about $10 billion being squandered on the Iraq reconstruction. First we cause the destruction, then we attempt reconstruction. The same day, the evening news carried a story that said we had cut out $130 million in cancer research. For the money we have spent on this destructive war, we could have provided prescription medicine for the elderly without having to have nine separate programs, none of which anyone can understand, and we would be well on our way to funding research that would inexorably lead to cures of some of the diseases that daunt humanity.
While all of this is going on, Congress is unable to pass a non-binding resolution suggesting that we not send any additional troops into the mouth of the canon.
Respectfully submitted,
A voice in the wilderness,
Donald M. Heavrin
On February 16th, the newspaper carried a story about $10 billion being squandered on the Iraq reconstruction. First we cause the destruction, then we attempt reconstruction. The same day, the evening news carried a story that said we had cut out $130 million in cancer research. For the money we have spent on this destructive war, we could have provided prescription medicine for the elderly without having to have nine separate programs, none of which anyone can understand, and we would be well on our way to funding research that would inexorably lead to cures of some of the diseases that daunt humanity.
While all of this is going on, Congress is unable to pass a non-binding resolution suggesting that we not send any additional troops into the mouth of the canon.
Respectfully submitted,
A voice in the wilderness,
Donald M. Heavrin
Friday, February 16, 2007
(105) TOUGH GUYS
In 1960, when the Colts were playing the Chicago Bears, if you spiked the football, you were flagged for intentional grounding, and there were no rules protecting the quarterback from late hits or blows to the head. It was indeed a man’s game.
That brings me to the issue at hand. The more I read about Johnny Unitas, the more impressive he becomes. In 1960, with 20 seconds left in a game against the Bears, he was smashed in the face. Blood was spewing out of his mouth. An injury time-out was called. The head coach, Weeb Ewbank, came on to the field. Unitas picked up a handful of mud and smushed it against his face to stop the bleeding. Weeb said, "John, you’ve got to come out of the game." Unitas looked at him and said, "If you take me out, I’ll kill you."
Weeb, understanding that discretion is the better part of valor, he got the hell out. On the next play, Johnny threw a touchdown pass that won the game.
I have very few heroes, but he’s one of them.
Your Faithful Servant,
Donald M. Heavrin
That brings me to the issue at hand. The more I read about Johnny Unitas, the more impressive he becomes. In 1960, with 20 seconds left in a game against the Bears, he was smashed in the face. Blood was spewing out of his mouth. An injury time-out was called. The head coach, Weeb Ewbank, came on to the field. Unitas picked up a handful of mud and smushed it against his face to stop the bleeding. Weeb said, "John, you’ve got to come out of the game." Unitas looked at him and said, "If you take me out, I’ll kill you."
Weeb, understanding that discretion is the better part of valor, he got the hell out. On the next play, Johnny threw a touchdown pass that won the game.
I have very few heroes, but he’s one of them.
Your Faithful Servant,
Donald M. Heavrin
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
(104) THE LAST HELLO
Copyright 1998 by Donald M. Heavrin
After lunch I went back to the office to go to the bathroom before I picked up Robert at soccer. I knew it would be cold standing in the field and there wouldn't be any place to pee. I parked in the lot east of the building, got out, and walked around the corner. Coming toward me was a man who appeared to be elderly, but it was hard to tell his age. He was disheveled, unshaven, weather beaten, and had an opaque film covering his face. His left eye lid was drooping and he was wearing clothes he had known for a long time. I assumed he was homeless and was looking for a handout. As I searched for my key to the door, I realized I was not going to get in the building before he got to me. I assessed the situation and decided I would lie and say, "I don't have any money," if he asked. But he didn't ask, instead when I made eye contact he nodded and softly said, "Hello." I also nodded and softly said, "Hello."
A few minutes later when I left the office, the man was lying face down on the side walk about 60 feet east of my door. I jumped in my car and drove through the parking lot until I was beside him. I quickly dialed 911. The first time I dialed, a mechanical voice told me my call did not go through. I cursed the phone system, I thought 911 calls always go through. I tried again. "911, do you need the police, the fire department, or EMS?"
"EMS."
After several rings a male voice said, "EMS, may I help you?"
"Yes, you can, an EMS unit is needed on the comer of 7th and Market."
"What is the nature of the problem?"
"There is a man face down on the sidewalk."
"Where is he?"
"He is on the northwest corner of 7th and Market."
"Is he conscious?"
"No, he isn't."
"Does he seem to be breathing?"
"No, he doesn't."
"What is your telephone number?"
"I'm on my car phone and I'll have to look ... the number is 555-4444."
"And what is your last name?"
"Heavrin; that's H-E-A-V-R-I -N."
"Thank you sir, a unit is on the way."
Now the pressure was on. I had made the call I needed to make and the question on the table was clear, "Are you going to get out and give the poor soul CPR?" I had never given anyone CPR, and I had never been to a CPR class, but I had an idea about how to do it, but I couldn't make my legs work. The man's arms were straight at his sides so knew he had fallen face first into the ground without attempting to break his fall. There was a puddle of blood slowly oozing out from under his face. As I was cursing my cowardice, a car going east on Market crossed 7th Street and pulled over. A man and a woman got out and started walking toward the fallen soul. A few seconds later another car going east on Market turned north on 7th and pulled over. Two women got out and one of them asked, "Has anyone called EMS?"
The man from the first car said, "I just called EMS."
The woman from the second car said, "'I 'm a nurse," walked over and knelt down by the man's head. Considering the volume of blood that was on the sidewalk, I knew she was thinking the same thing I had been thinking, "Should I try CPR?"
Before she could resolve the internal conflict, a police car drove out of the police parking lot, which is diagonally across the street. The man who had parked across 7th Street waived at the police car, and the officer responded by turning on his blue lights and briefly driving the wrong way on a one-way street, then he pulled up on the sidewalk and into the parking lot where I was parked. The nurse ran back to her car and was gone in a matter of seconds. The officer jumped out of his cruiser and carefully turned the man over. He felt for a pulse, then opened the trunk of his cruiser and got out an apparatus that looked like a funnel. I suspected the gadget would allow him to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without actually touching mouth-to-mouth. As he was kneeling down beside the man, the EMS unit arrived.
The EMS technicians quickly took over. First, one of the techs felt the man's neck looking for a pulse. Then another tech cut his shirt open and listened with a stethoscope. Then they brought out what I thought was a defibrillator, but instead of shocking the man, it was an EKG unit. After hooking electrodes to his chest, the techs stared at a mini-TV screen for what seemed like an eternity. Then they pulled the electrodes off his chest and covered him up.
While this was going on several police cars arrived, and I knew the outcome when the police started putting yellow tape around the parking meters and running it back to the police car. I pulled out of the parking lot wondering if had acted instead of sitting, would the outcome have been different? I was particularly saddened when saw his hat on the ground a foot past his head. It was a baseball hat, much like the one was wearing, and I cried because had only know him for a few seconds, and I had no idea what tortured route led him to my door immediately before he died. I was also overwhelmed knowing he had said his last hello to me.
The comet is coming, and the sidewalk is waiting to swing up and hit us in the face. Do it now, there is no tomorrow!
After lunch I went back to the office to go to the bathroom before I picked up Robert at soccer. I knew it would be cold standing in the field and there wouldn't be any place to pee. I parked in the lot east of the building, got out, and walked around the corner. Coming toward me was a man who appeared to be elderly, but it was hard to tell his age. He was disheveled, unshaven, weather beaten, and had an opaque film covering his face. His left eye lid was drooping and he was wearing clothes he had known for a long time. I assumed he was homeless and was looking for a handout. As I searched for my key to the door, I realized I was not going to get in the building before he got to me. I assessed the situation and decided I would lie and say, "I don't have any money," if he asked. But he didn't ask, instead when I made eye contact he nodded and softly said, "Hello." I also nodded and softly said, "Hello."
A few minutes later when I left the office, the man was lying face down on the side walk about 60 feet east of my door. I jumped in my car and drove through the parking lot until I was beside him. I quickly dialed 911. The first time I dialed, a mechanical voice told me my call did not go through. I cursed the phone system, I thought 911 calls always go through. I tried again. "911, do you need the police, the fire department, or EMS?"
"EMS."
After several rings a male voice said, "EMS, may I help you?"
"Yes, you can, an EMS unit is needed on the comer of 7th and Market."
"What is the nature of the problem?"
"There is a man face down on the sidewalk."
"Where is he?"
"He is on the northwest corner of 7th and Market."
"Is he conscious?"
"No, he isn't."
"Does he seem to be breathing?"
"No, he doesn't."
"What is your telephone number?"
"I'm on my car phone and I'll have to look ... the number is 555-4444."
"And what is your last name?"
"Heavrin; that's H-E-A-V-R-I -N."
"Thank you sir, a unit is on the way."
Now the pressure was on. I had made the call I needed to make and the question on the table was clear, "Are you going to get out and give the poor soul CPR?" I had never given anyone CPR, and I had never been to a CPR class, but I had an idea about how to do it, but I couldn't make my legs work. The man's arms were straight at his sides so knew he had fallen face first into the ground without attempting to break his fall. There was a puddle of blood slowly oozing out from under his face. As I was cursing my cowardice, a car going east on Market crossed 7th Street and pulled over. A man and a woman got out and started walking toward the fallen soul. A few seconds later another car going east on Market turned north on 7th and pulled over. Two women got out and one of them asked, "Has anyone called EMS?"
The man from the first car said, "I just called EMS."
The woman from the second car said, "'I 'm a nurse," walked over and knelt down by the man's head. Considering the volume of blood that was on the sidewalk, I knew she was thinking the same thing I had been thinking, "Should I try CPR?"
Before she could resolve the internal conflict, a police car drove out of the police parking lot, which is diagonally across the street. The man who had parked across 7th Street waived at the police car, and the officer responded by turning on his blue lights and briefly driving the wrong way on a one-way street, then he pulled up on the sidewalk and into the parking lot where I was parked. The nurse ran back to her car and was gone in a matter of seconds. The officer jumped out of his cruiser and carefully turned the man over. He felt for a pulse, then opened the trunk of his cruiser and got out an apparatus that looked like a funnel. I suspected the gadget would allow him to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without actually touching mouth-to-mouth. As he was kneeling down beside the man, the EMS unit arrived.
The EMS technicians quickly took over. First, one of the techs felt the man's neck looking for a pulse. Then another tech cut his shirt open and listened with a stethoscope. Then they brought out what I thought was a defibrillator, but instead of shocking the man, it was an EKG unit. After hooking electrodes to his chest, the techs stared at a mini-TV screen for what seemed like an eternity. Then they pulled the electrodes off his chest and covered him up.
While this was going on several police cars arrived, and I knew the outcome when the police started putting yellow tape around the parking meters and running it back to the police car. I pulled out of the parking lot wondering if had acted instead of sitting, would the outcome have been different? I was particularly saddened when saw his hat on the ground a foot past his head. It was a baseball hat, much like the one was wearing, and I cried because had only know him for a few seconds, and I had no idea what tortured route led him to my door immediately before he died. I was also overwhelmed knowing he had said his last hello to me.
The comet is coming, and the sidewalk is waiting to swing up and hit us in the face. Do it now, there is no tomorrow!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
(102) DUMB, DUMB DUMB
(102) DUMB, DUMB, DUMB
I started to say that I just read the dumbest statement in the history of Western Civilization. But, alas, I was wrong. Stupidity is difficult to quantify, and, therefore, the dumbest statement will probably never be identified. Therefore, I will retreat and say that I just read one of the dumbest statements in the history of Western Civilization. Here goes: “Bush has raised concern that if we withdraw from Iraq, Al-Qaeda would attempt to use parts of Iraq to plan increased attacks in and outside of Iraq.” WHAT?! HUH?! If there is anyone out there who believes this sophistry, before you go to sleep tonight, be sure to check under your bed for the boogie man. Are we supposed to believe that, at this moment, Al-Qaeda does not have any place on Earth to plan an attack, and it has suspended all planning until we leave Iraq, when it can take over an area of the country so it will have a place to plan attacks?
I want to vomit every time I see reruns of President Doofus whining about Saddam Hussein trying to buy yellow-cake uranium. This was a bald-faced lie that was designed to scare the hell out of the folks who live here and suffer from the room-temperature IQ syndrome (R-TIQS). The plan worked. 78% of the public started licking its collective chops, contemplating the glory of war. The R-TIQS group couldn’t wait to impose democracy (but definitely NOT a theocracy) on one of our former allies. The R-TIQS couldn’t get enough of Saddam when Iraq was at war with Iran. Want more firearms? Grenades? Chemical weapons for your munitions depot?
I sat there and cried when I watched a parade of the legless soldiers being pushed in wheelchairs at a ceremony honoring them? Over 3,000 have died, but 20,000 have had life-destroying injuries. When the show was over, the flags were taken down, the applause stopped, the band went home, and Joe was still there with no legs, arms, or eyes. Bush is also worried about Syria providing a haven for displaced supporters of Saddam Hussein. Who cares? This is madness without end. And maimed soldiers will be subjected to a lifetime of below-average medical care and a small pension from the government.
Now, Doofus wants to risk 20,000 additional innocent lives for no definable rhyme or reason.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald M. Heavrin
Your Ally in the Garden of Life
I started to say that I just read the dumbest statement in the history of Western Civilization. But, alas, I was wrong. Stupidity is difficult to quantify, and, therefore, the dumbest statement will probably never be identified. Therefore, I will retreat and say that I just read one of the dumbest statements in the history of Western Civilization. Here goes: “Bush has raised concern that if we withdraw from Iraq, Al-Qaeda would attempt to use parts of Iraq to plan increased attacks in and outside of Iraq.” WHAT?! HUH?! If there is anyone out there who believes this sophistry, before you go to sleep tonight, be sure to check under your bed for the boogie man. Are we supposed to believe that, at this moment, Al-Qaeda does not have any place on Earth to plan an attack, and it has suspended all planning until we leave Iraq, when it can take over an area of the country so it will have a place to plan attacks?
I want to vomit every time I see reruns of President Doofus whining about Saddam Hussein trying to buy yellow-cake uranium. This was a bald-faced lie that was designed to scare the hell out of the folks who live here and suffer from the room-temperature IQ syndrome (R-TIQS). The plan worked. 78% of the public started licking its collective chops, contemplating the glory of war. The R-TIQS group couldn’t wait to impose democracy (but definitely NOT a theocracy) on one of our former allies. The R-TIQS couldn’t get enough of Saddam when Iraq was at war with Iran. Want more firearms? Grenades? Chemical weapons for your munitions depot?
I sat there and cried when I watched a parade of the legless soldiers being pushed in wheelchairs at a ceremony honoring them? Over 3,000 have died, but 20,000 have had life-destroying injuries. When the show was over, the flags were taken down, the applause stopped, the band went home, and Joe was still there with no legs, arms, or eyes. Bush is also worried about Syria providing a haven for displaced supporters of Saddam Hussein. Who cares? This is madness without end. And maimed soldiers will be subjected to a lifetime of below-average medical care and a small pension from the government.
Now, Doofus wants to risk 20,000 additional innocent lives for no definable rhyme or reason.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald M. Heavrin
Your Ally in the Garden of Life
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