Every now and then, you run into a post you strongly agree with, like this one. [via Vodkapundit]
With a few additions:
1) I have a little trouble with assisted suicide, since most if not all people who would want this meet criteria for major depression, or have poor pain control due to problems with underutilization of opiates due to the War on Drugs, or both.
2) I'm more concerned with abortion as a medical procedure than the absurd proposition that an organism with 100 cells or so is a human being. The only reason partial birth abortion is outlawed is for political reasons.
3) I'm not sure what to do about illegal immigration. At the bare minimum, some sort of wall needs to be built.
4) With regard to the war on fundamentalist islam:
a) I'm concerned that there are people who get described in the press as "moderate" Muslims, but no "liberal" Muslims. I'm especially concerned when being a "moderate" Muslim seems to mean you won't actively kill gays, but won't speak out against other Muslims from doing so.
b) There are reasons for the rules of war. The people fighting against us wear no uniform, and tend to hide behind civilians, including in hospitals and mosques. In the recent past, that would mean massive destruction everywhere. So far, we have fought specifically to minimize deaths, ours, our enemy's, and civilians.That may or may not be wise.
Last weekend was the first weekend of Mardi Gras. The organizers had been losing money on it, so this year everything is scaled back, no bands, some parades, few booths selling stuff, no charge to get into the Strand area.
The first weekend is always smaller than the second, but still, it was slow. And, by and large, boring. My parents Tiny Texas Town has a larger celebration, and it's a town of 1000 people.
The city blocked off the usual area in The Strand, so I don't see why they didn't bother to sell places for stalls, anyway. Or maybe they tried, and hadn't come down on the price enough?
Either way, as usual, the police presence was absurdly high.
Gawker has a 9 minute clip of Tom Cruise, seemingly made for the "Church" of Scientology.
One of these days I may be able to sit through the whole thing.
2 days ago I thought I found a swollen lymph node in my neck, yesterday I was sure there were several. I'd been feeling tired, had trouble sleeping, and maybe a couple of fevers in the last week. So the differential pretty much included some sort of infection in my throat, or cancer. Rapidly growing cancer. Not fun.
So I went to a walk-in clinic, they diagnosed me with mono. I'm not 100% sure, but I am sure it isn't cancer so that's good. [when I got back home, I hit the big books. Mr Wet Behind the Ears Doc should possibly have palpated more, but I don't have lymph nodes in worrysome places].
So, today, I tell my mother I've got mono. She of course gets worried, and wants [or at least, would prefer] me to live in the Tiny Texas Town until this is over with. I'm going to do my best to avoid that, 10 days around Christmas was bad enough, 2-3 months with nothing to do would drive me completely batty.