Three years ago today, Terri Schiavo’s “husband” got his wish and got to finish a job he so desperately wanted to finish and was able to starve and dehydrate his wife, who he claimed to love, to death, secure in the knowledge that he had the backing of a corrupt court system that disallowed evidence and testimony with startling callousness.

It’s a good time to reflect. Since that disgrace, we’ve had no progress on a bill that would require hospitals or doctors to act to preserve the life of a patient when there is no living will stating otherwise. Instead, for all we learned about how completely ridiculous the living will and power of attorney system is in this country, we’ve sat around and done nothing.

We don’t know if Terri Schiavo ever would’ve lived a normal life again, but I do think that if starving a dog is a crime and mistreating animals punishable by time in prison, we seriously need to consider the correctness of starving and dehydrating a human being to death, regardless of her mental capacity.

Judging from the lack of action, however, it’s a lesson lost on us, and that’s the biggest tragedy of all.

Food allergies are tragic. I have ‘em, so believe me I know. Of all the weird things in the world to be allergic to, I’m allergic to hazelnuts and paprika. Utterly insane, and it gets weird trying to figure out what’s in the food you’re eating, but so be it. It’s a fact of life for millions of americans.

I’ve always wondered, though… Are people with food allergies retarded, or do we just treat them like they are?

Take a look at the list to the left. Starbucks has started a new initiative, and that’s getting you to buy their baked goods and bring them to meetings and family functions. The list is their current one, and you’ll notice that there are two items with asterisks next to them: the bran with walnut muffins, and the banana nut loaf.

What does the asterisk mean?

That that particular food contains nuts.

No shit?

I’ve always thought that food labeling regulations were a good thing. For example, if I buy a bag of croutons for my salad, I wouldn’t automatically assume that the bag I bought was made in a plant that processes peanuts. It stands to reason that if the ingredient people are allergic to is processed alongside your food but not included, you probably should warn them.

The thing I wonder about, though, is why do we treat people with food allergies like they’re idiots? It’s one thing to make sure people are aware if their Twinkie might have a peanut in it, but doesn’t it stand to reason that something called Banana Nut Loaf would have nuts?

And it’s not even like telling you it contains nuts is all that helpful, anyway. Think about it. I’m very allergic to hazelnuts, but that’s it. I’m not allergic to cashews, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, or any others. This indication that products with nuts in their name might have “nuts” in them is utterly meaningless to someone like me.

I think it’s great that companies are trying to do the right thing for an obvious minority of their customers, but maybe we can stop treating people with food allergies like idiots? I’m sure if they buy a bag of cashews, the assumption is that the product may contain nuts (no shit, look at a can of nuts; some manufacturers think they have to warn you that your can of nuts might have nuts in it; I would hope it’s a little more than might!) isn’t too far out there and shouldn’t have to be made for people.

Momentum. It’s all about momentum. A few cracks in the dam and the next thing you know, it starts to break.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, yesterday became the first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing.

As pressure built for concerted western protests to China over the crackdown in Tibet, EU leaders prepared to discuss the crisis for the first time today, amid a rift over whether to boycott the Olympics.

The disclosure that Germany is to stay away from the games’ opening ceremonies in August could encourage President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to join in a gesture of defiance and complicate Gordon Brown’s determination to attend the Olympics.

Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, became the first EU head of government to announce a boycott on Thursday and he was promptly joined by President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic, who had previously promised to travel to Beijing.

“The presence of politicians at the inauguration of the Olympics seems inappropriate,” Tusk said. “I do not intend to take part.”

Nice to see other countries with balls. Our voice seems to coming from dopes like Nancy Pelosi (see two posts earlier).

This week, we’re recording the show live now, no more post-edit. Yikes!

• Stuffr is so close, but WordPress 2.5 is coming, so the release of Stuffr will be released.
• Quotably is brilliant, but it just guesses which tweets belong in which threads.
• Have you seen Loren Feldman’s new project? It rocks!
• We talk about the impending demise (if it hasn’t already happened yet) of FastCompany.TV
• The fact that this story is news is stupid. Nancy Reagan is not stupid, the people who made sure this was news, are.
• Michelle Obama thinks typical Americans are feel justified in their own ignorance.
• Bill Richardson says that Barack Obama’s candidacy for president a “once in a lifetime opportunity”. Why is is a once in a lifetime opportunity?
• The controversy is not about Rev. Wright. It’s about Barack Obama’s inconsistent comments on the issue.
• People need to stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Most people don’t have the intimate connection to their pastor that Barack Obama obviously had (heck, just look at his book). Are you on drugs Bill Maher?
• TSA is getting very thorough in their airport checks, aren’t they? Beware of those nipple ring smugglers.
• Check out the material coming out of the public education system.
• We talk American Idol for the first time this season. David Cook nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. Brooke White is absolutely amazing. Vinny says she will win this season. I hope he’s right.
• Jack Rousch is blowing a gasket.
• Stupid Person Of The Week: We’re not sure who’s the bigger idiot, the guy who shot a hole in the wall to drill a hole for a satellite antenna wire and killed his wife, or the reporter that says this is something all of us have tried at home.

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Download the podcast: Information Salad - Episode #81

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime critic of China’s human rights policies, said Friday it would be wrong to boycott the Beijing Olympics.

She said in a statement that while the Chinese government has failed to live up to its commitments to improve human rights conditions in China and Tibet, “I believe a boycott of the Beijing Olympics would unfairly harm our athletes who have worked so hard to prepare for the competition.”

Nancy Pelosi, you, dear woman, are a hypocrite. For years you’ve talked about what you’d like to happen to China and when you can hit them where it hurts the most, their pockets, you decide that it isn’t a good idea.

Why isn’t it a good idea? Because some kid that works in Home Depot might not get to show the world he can run? Are you serious? That’s the reason you don’t want to stand up a country that opens fires on nuns and monks?

“As I said in India last week where I met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, if freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China’s oppression in Tibet, we have lost our moral authority to speak out on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world,” she said.

Actually, you lose that moral authority when you refuse to do something, not when you refuse to talk about something. There’s a world of difference between the two.

I’m sure a stern talking-to is just what China needs.

This is what happens when you let the San Francisco liberals run the show. All talk, no action.

He not only drank Obama’s Kool Aid, he wiped his mouth, then dabbed the cheek of Obama’s immediately afterward. Jesus Christ on a pony, this guy is a moron.

Anyone have any idea why Chikezie’s jacket looked like it was a hotel sheet under ultraviolet light? Ewww…

Anyway, he’s gone. I don’t think he was bad, and had some moments, but overall, he’s not in the same league as David Cook and Michael Johns.

Oh, this is just too damned good.

Before the Iraq War started, two Democratic dopes went to Iraq and spoke to us about how painful it would be for the Iraqi children. They appealed to us to not do anything and just leave the status quo in place.

Newly opened documents, however, show that the trip was underwritten by Saddam Hussein.

Please, contain your shock.

Saddam Hussein’s intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

The three anti-war Democrats made the trip in October 2002, while the Bush administration was trying to persuade Congress to authorize military action against Iraq. While traveling, they called for a diplomatic solution.

Prosecutors say that trip was arranged by Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a Michigan charity official, who was charged Wednesday with setting up the junket at the behest of Saddam’s regime. Iraqi intelligence officials allegedly paid for the trip through an intermediary and rewarded Al-Hanooti with 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.

The lawmakers are not named in the indictment but the dates correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. None was charged and Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said investigators “have no information whatsoever” any of them knew the trip was underwritten by Saddam.

“Obviously, we didn’t know it at the time,” McDermott spokesman Michael DeCesare said Wednesday. “The trip was to see the plight of the Iraqi children. That’s the only reason we went.”

You didn’t know it at the time?

Are you fucking with me?

I don’t know a single soul in this country other than the ones who were drooling over the seditious and treasonous comments they made while they were there that didn’t believe the damn thing was bought and paid for by Saddam as an appeal to the anti-war idiots who riddle this country.

The fact that they were unaware of that at the time proves that none of them should be involved in the operation of our government. If you miss something that obvious, you’re too damn stupid to serve in it.

Case closed.

I’m a huge fan of Chris Cornell’s remake of Billie Jean and when I heard David Cook was going to be performing it last night, I groaned. I honestly expected him to ruin it. I couldn’t have been more wrong…

Utterly and completely brilliant.

Speaking of Idol, here are top remaining performances as I saw them in order of their awesomeness:

Brooke White: “Every Step You Take”

Michael Johns: “We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions”

Syesha Mercado: “If I Were Your Woman”

These four are so much better than the other six, it’ll be a miracle if they aren’t the final four. They really did prove why they’re top notch.

Thank you, sir. I wish there were more leaders with the courage to do what you’re doing.

Via Hot Air….

What happened in Selma, Alabama and Birmingham also stirred the conscience of the nation. It worried folks in the White House who said, “You know, we’re battling Communism. How are we going to win hearts and minds all across the world? If right here in our own country, John, we’re not observing the ideals set fort in our Constitution, we might be accused of being hypocrites.” So the Kennedy’s decided we’re going to do an air lift. We’re going to go to Africa and start bringing young Africans over to this country and give them scholarships to study so they can learn what a wonderful country America is.

This young man named Barack Obama got one of those tickets and came over to this country. He met this woman whose great great-great-great-grandfather had owned slaves; but she had a good idea there was some craziness going on because they looked at each other and they decided that we know that the world as it has been it might not be possible for us to get together and have a child. There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born. So don’t tell me I don’t have a claim on Selma, Alabama. Don’t tell me I’m not coming home to Selma, Alabama.

That’s Obama’s speech about Selma.

Ed Morrissey then proceeds to absolutely demolish the bullshit contained therein…

The first march on Selma took place on March 7, 1965 (there were three of them). At the time, Barack Obama was three and a half years old. Now, Obama also mentions the Birmingham march as part of this speech — but that took place in May 1963. Obama would have been 20 months old when Dr. King led that demonstration.

That’s not the only bit of fabulism here. Obama’s birthdate is August 4, 1961. It doesn’t take a doctor or a math whiz to calculate his conception as sometime in 1960 — before John Kennedy took office. In fact, it might have taken place on Election Day, when Kennedy won the presidency. That would tend to indicate that Mom and Dad met sometime before the African airlift that Obama credits for his birth.

Oopsies.

Matt Davies via Jeff Jarvis

One of the things I like about Hillary Clinton is that when the time came to do the right thing in Iraq, she did it. She voted for the war, ignorning the nutbars in her party and instead following the desires of over 70% of the country who were demanding something be done.

What went down afterward notwithstanding, it took a great deal of courage for all the Democrats who voted for the Iraq war to do what they did. Oh sure it was the popular opinion, but they followed it at great risk to their political career. While people like Bonior and McDermott were coddling Saddam Hussein and riling up the anti-war left, some Democrats had the spine to do what needed to be done (81 in the House and 29 in the Senate) based on the information we had at the time.

Some have looked back on that decision and tried to spin it. Knowing what we know now, and how little was found in Iraq (not counting what mysteriously and unaccountably vanished according to UN inspection chief and god-of-the-left Hans Blix), it’s easy to look back and say we shouldn’t have gone, but the one thing that isn’t so easy is admitting you’re wrong without flip-flopping on it.

Barack Obama has based most of his candidacy on the fact that he has been “against” the Iraq war from the beginning, bringing up on numerous occasions that he spoke out against it and would never have voted for it. Many of his supporters have latched onto that as proof that he has some kind of amazing vision and is destined to be President because he’ll make the right choices for America.

I’m not impressed, though.

It takes exactly zero courage to speak out against the war when there are no political consequences for doing so. As much as Barack Obama and his army of mindless supporters trumps up his disagreement with the war, there was not even a potential cost in him doing so. If the Iraq war succeeded or failed, people in Illinois were not voting for Barack Obama based on his position on Iraq.

It really is that simple.

Secondly, when 70% of the country wants something, as a representative for those people, you’re almost obligated to do it. Save for a few exceptions, this country was solidly behind the war in the lead up to it. Voting against it would be a direct contradiction to the will of the people that put you there. Obama would’ve stood directly against the will of the people of this country because of his own personal objections. He didn’t have the benefit of Federal government intelligence (no matter how right or wrong, he didn’t base his judgment on it because he never saw it) and he didn’t base it on briefings by generals and other officials because, again, he wasn’t in the Federal government. Instead, Barack Obama proudly admits that he would’ve stood up against the war, based on nothing but media reports and such, in direct contradiction to the desires of his country.

Is that the guy you want running the country?

You’ll understand if I don’t get all giddy about that.

via O and A

Didn’t read the linked article, but the cartoon was so damn good I had to share it…

via STACLU

So this morning, I saw the Knicks Team Van on my way to work, and it got me thinking… What would it take to fix them as a team? I mean, there’s a lot going on there that needs some serious attention, and hopefully some fresh blood.

Well, I think I may be lucky… According to Gothamist, there is hope for us long-suffering Knicks fans…

Indiana Pacers chief executive Donnie Walsh will leave the team after this season and a source told ESPN late Monday that he will land with the New York Knicks.

Walsh is expected to sign a three-year, $15 million contract with New York at the end of this season to oversee their basketball operations division. The source did not know what would become of current Knicks president of basketball operations and head coach Isiah Thomas once Walsh joined the Knicks.

Walsh only said Monday he will finish the season with Indiana and will not comment on his plans. Pacers team president Larry Bird will take over many of Walsh’s duties.

The final year of Donnie Walsh’s 24 with the Pacers has been rife with off-court turmoil.

“I’m completing what was my dream job,” the 67-year-old Walsh said at a news conference on Monday afternoon. “I have loved every single moment of this job, including the last few years when things have been more difficult.”

It was reported last week that Walsh had discussions with the Knicks about possibly replacing Thomas as team president.

God, could it be? Could someone come in that would fire the inept Thomas?

One can pray…

So what; they’re fighting in our name and dying in our name… Why would we allow them to speak to our kids about duty, honor, and service to their country?

A national tour featuring decorated veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan won’t be stopping at Forest Lake Area High School today as planned, after school leaders abruptly canceled the visit.

Steve Massey, the school principal, said the decision to cancel was prompted by concerns that the event was becoming political rather than educational and therefore was not suitable for a public school.

He said the school had received several phone calls from parents and others, some of whom indicated that they may stage a protest if the event took place.

“The event was structured to be an academic classroom discussion around military service. We thought we’d provide an opportunity for kids to learn about service in the context of our history classes,” Massey said. “As the day progressed, it became clear that this was becoming a political event … which would be inappropriate in a public setting.

Nice move, Mr. Massey. A bunch of libtards start shouting and complaining and you cave in. No wonder you didn’t want some good soldiers giving a talk at your school; they have more character and honor in their pinky than you have in your whole quivering body.

This sets a great precedent, too. Don’t like what someone may say? Find a spineless principal and start shouting. They’ll cave.

What a joke.

Reuters isn’t in the pocket of the Chinese Government. Nope. The story, a day after the government opened fire on a protest isn’t that the government opened fire on the protest, it’s that ONE policeman died.

One.

Astonishing.

• 197-foot Hockey Shot for GOAL!
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• Video: Sharing The JoyEngine Community Story
  Cool impromptu tour of Joyengine’s office in Boulder.
  (tags: design videos)