The Good

Those air crews in the Gulf who are flying mission after mission and rescue swimmers who are saving person after person deserve serious kudos. Thousands of people have been saved. Thousands more wait to be saved. The tireless air crews and those amazing rescue swimmers just keep going, flight after flight, rescue after rescue. Thank the Gods for them.

Other stories are coming out now of people looking out for their elderly neighbors, their handicapped neighbors, other people's children and animals, and sacrificing in order to help others. These stories are heartwarming and hopefully will overshadow some of the other stuff going on.

Just heard that people are offering their volunteer services and spare rooms for evacuees on Craigslist.com. Just when I thought that humans were basically awful :-).

The Bad

In Mississippi, they have no facilities for the dead, so they have to put black paint on the doors where there are bodies inside of buildings and get them at some other point. The water is rising in New Orleans. They have to evacuate the poor people in the Superdome, with overflowing toilets, no water, no air conditioning, but they are still alive, and not sitting on top of a roof.

The human misery is unfathomable as I sit here in my air conditioning with my electrical power, my refrigerator full of food, my working television and my Internet access. Those poor individuals who want to get back to their homes, and possibly their pets, who won't be able to get there for weeks if not months. They're saying that they may not have power for 4 to 6 weeks. I've had to wonder what we would do if we ever had to evacuate with 2 cats, 3 parrots, and right now... 10 dogs. And most shelters won't take pets, so what do you do? You stay home and take your chances, or you abandon your pets. I don't abandon my pets, so guess where that would leave me? On the roof waiting for rescue.

And what about the poor? Those who couldn't leave for whatever reason? Those who were too sick, those who couldn't take their pets, those who couldn't, for whatever reason, get to the Superdome or leave the city? So easy to say "gee, you should have left, you deserve what you get" but who are we to make that kind of decision without being in that person's shoes? Nobody deserves a death sentence for doing what they think is the right thing at the time.

The Ugly

Looters and price gougers need to be shot on sight. Yes, I'm a bleeding heart liberal, and yes I believe in the American legal system (as opposed to that of other countries...not that it's a panacea by any means, but you know what I mean). However, anyone who would take advantage of this type of a situation and this type of horrible suffering does not deserve the benefits of living in society. Either shoot them or send them off somewhere else. Like perhaps....Crawford Texas :-).

Posted by mikki at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

*snicker* I'm sorry, but this is just too funny.

Venezuela may seek extradition of Robertson for assassination comments: "[JURIST] Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez [BBC profile] announced Sunday that his nation could take legal action against Christian evangelist Pat Robertson [personal website] and seek his extradition to Venezuela, after Robertson suggested his assassinati"

(Via JURIST.)

Posted by mikki at 04:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What I'm wondering is - why are these news organizations putting these correspondents in the middle of hurricanes? I find this totally irresponsible. How many people think "oh, well if CNN is here, then I don't have to evacuate. If they can weather the storm, so can I." So we have the new TV Special - All Hurricane Katrina All The Time - Starring Hurricane Katrina and a Cast of 10,000 Morons.

We all know that hurricanes are nasty, windy, wet, and have lots of storm surge. We don't need Anderson Cooper being Mr. Macho Man standing up to the wind and showing us how manly he is. We don't need Rob Marciano standing there while pieces of roof fall off and land near him. And for each "manly reporter" there's at least one camera person, and likely a producer. So how many people does CNN send into harm's way for mere sensationalism? And how many people feel that it's a cool idea to copy them?

While I certainly hope for the safety of everyone who is in harm's way in the hurricane, I'm afraid it's going to take the injury or death of media personnel before the outlets "get religion" and perhaps follow their own advice and keep away from these areas. Nature does not differentiate between people with cameras and microphones and those without when she hits.

Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the effected areas. May the Gods protect you. Just don't hang out with the CNN guys.

Update Yep, the idiots are out trying to see/hang out with Anderson Cooper in Baton Rouge. How brilliant can you get? Perhaps CNN is helping with social Darwinism by showing us a live demonstration.

Posted by mikki at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm happy to say that Apple's customer support is still pretty damn good, at least as far as powerbooks are concerned. My lovely 17 inch laptop was knocked off of my bed and its screen was smashed. I called our friends at Apple, and they dispatched a box which I received and sent back immediately. Today, Tuesday, I received my working, fixed screen powerbook. Unfortunately, I had to PAY for it, and it was quite expensive. However, fortunately, I got it so quickly that I was quite impressed.

It's nice to actually have an organization who receives a product on a Monday, completes the repair the same day, and also ships it back to you the same day, overnight, so the customer receives it the next day. The Psycho Sensei is pleased.

Posted by mikki at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, we have this Christian "leader" telling everyone on his very own television show, with millions of people watching, that the United States should "take out" President Chavez of Venezuela. This is the same man that claimed that feminism causes women to kill their children and practice witchcraft (damn, we'd have a LOT more witches today if that were the case, eh?).

So, where is the rash of Christians condemning this extremism that is JUST as dangerous as any Islamic radicalism that we are afraid of? I'm watching Rev. Ted Haggard of the National Association of Evangelicals on CNN right now, being an apologist for Robertson's statements. While he's saying that "some comments are more constructive than others," he's certainly not distancing himself, from these ridiculous statements. "Granted, his semantics may not have been well advised, but [fill in how wonderful Pat Robertson is and what great things he's done for Christianity]."

Then we find emails from idiots saying that the reporting of this clearly stated bulloney, on tape, out of his own mouth, is slanted and awful, thereby attacking the messenger rather than distancing oneself from the ridiculousness of the message. Others, of course, state that Robertson does not speak for all Christians, and that the message of assassination is not a Christian one, which is something I would personally agree with (seeing as how Jesus did not assassinate anyone in the Bible, nor order their assassination despite how he purportedly knew they were out to kill him). However, this message is NOT coming from the "higher levels," i.e. those who purport to speak for Christians.

Until the leadership of ALL religions strongly condemns acts of violence, and ceases to encourage them by silence, whether they be manifested through TV begging shows watched by millions, through pastors attempting to force parishioners to vote in a particular way, through Muslim clergy preaching hatred from the mosques, or from convicted child molesters attempting to speak for all Wiccans, there will be nothing but confusion in the religious message they are trying to put forth.

Hypocrisy is ugly, whether cloaked in the Bible, the Koran, or any other Holy book.

Posted by mikki at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As America becomes an even bigger laughing stock on the world stage, our favorite dimwit, the Idiot in Chief, has given us yet more reason to fear leaving our country for any reason. Let's find the person who is the epitome of the loud, brash, annoying, closed minded, idiot American Tourist that everyone around the world hates (including smart Americans) and put his sorry ass in the UN as our representative to the world. What a peachy keen idea!

Bush Names Bolton U.N. Ambassador in Recess Appointment: "President Bush installed John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations yesterday, employing the presidential power to make temporary appointments to break through a wall of Democratic opposition to Bolton's confrontational brand of conservatism.
"

(Via Washington Post: Intelligence.)

Posted by mikki at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yep, I feel SO good about turning over my information to the government. I just know they'll keep it ever so safe. So, what's to keep any of the terrorists from just filling out the same forms we do, getting a clear background check, and winding up on my flight with something nasty that wasn't checked for because they were "trusted?" Isn't it true that most of our 9/11 terrorists had clean backgrounds?

Feds Push Flier Background Checks: "Homeland Security officials quietly lobby Congress to ease oversight of the planned Secure Flight passenger-screening program and allow private databases to help probe travelers' lives. By Ryan Singel. PLUS: Data Dumped in Secure Flight Test"

(Via Wired News.)

Posted by mikki at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What Not To Insure: "

The $7 million settlement Microsoft won against spammer Scott Richter is all over the news, as it should be. Microsoft says it will dedicate $5 million of that to further spam fighting. Go Microsoft!

One story says that the spammer's insurance company will help pay. If there was ever anything that should be excepted from insurance coverage, deliberately spamming (as opposed to your computers being used without permission by somebody else) should be it.

Also note the role of the CAN-SPAM act in giving this guy an excuse to stay in business.

Finally, note that he makes so much money he can afford to stay in business even after paying $7M. Maybe without insurance he wouldn't be able to.

Instead, as techdirt points out, he's basically spent $7M on advertising, since almost every article about this settlement quotes him as saying he's gone legit.

-jsq

(Via Perilocity.)

Posted by mikki at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some people never learn.... It's worked just SO WELL to prevent terrorism here, that they must MUST use it in Canada.

Canada to develop "no-fly" list to thwart terrorists: "[JURIST] Canadian Transport Minister Jean Lapierre announced [speech text] sweeping security changes to Canadian transportation security Friday, including the creation of an anti-terror 'no-fly' list similar to that created in the US under the Aviation an"

(Via JURIST.)

Posted by mikki at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh man, these people are hilarious. Reading cnn.com this morning, we find this utterly amazing story:

TORONTO, Ontario (AP) -- Investigators said Friday that the Air France jet that crashed earlier this week appeared to have landed too far down the runway, which may have contributed to it skidding off its path and into a ravine before bursting into flames.

How could they POSSIBLY have come up with such an important conclusion so soon after the accident? What investigative brilliance! What cunning Inspector Clousseau like prowess. What insight!

As RS says "in other news, the airplane had four engines

And here I thought they crashed because they hadn't filed a flight plan.

Posted by mikki at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now these are the guys who want unfettered access to record and listen to all air phone calls, who pushed the wiretapping provisions of the Patriot Act, and insist that ISPs and telcos have immediate capability to let them tap into your stuff. Yet, they are backlogged 8000 hours. So the point in giving them more is.....? Just so they CAN?

FBI Faulted on Unreviewed Wiretap Recordings: "The FBI has failed to review more than 8,000 hours of audio wiretap recordings related to counterterrorism investigations, a backlog that has more than doubled in size since last year, according to a new report issued yesterday.
"

(Via Washington Post: Intelligence.)

Posted by mikki at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As I was watching CNN today, I couldn't help but notice a quite silly poll run by CBS asking the American public what methods they would like to see for protecting us against terrorism. I was rather upset that my favorite remedy was not listed - prohibiting the stampede of politicians crawling over each other to initiate stupid legislation while trampling civil rights and the constitution.

When are the moronic masses ever going to figure out that these stupid band-aid remedies are utterly useless when we allow Bin Laden and Zawahiri (who doesn't deserve the Arabic honorific "Al") and all these others to continue to use the World forum to spew their crap? We KNOW where these people are hiding. Why are we not blasting the holes they're hiding in rather than further restricting OUR liberties? Why are we wasting the lives of Marines from Ohio in Iraq rather than systematically taking out every single one of these people, their friends, their families, those who aid them, hide them, help them, talk to them, etc?

Why? Because the American people are largely stupid. Yes, ok, I've said it. But when you have only 33% of the American public saying "no" to national identity cards, they are just NOT capable of following a trail of logic. National ID cards do NOTHING but further restrict law abiding citizens. (Unless, of course, you're a forger or identity thief, then they're nirvana) Checking backpacks on subways does NOTHING but further restricts law abiding citizens. Restricting you from flying anywhere near DC does NOTHING but further restricts law abiding citizens. But what do you see on TV? Joe idiot after Jane idiot saying how they feel so much safer that the police are doing useless things!

So when are we going to have something that DOESN'T make it easier for "big brother" to keep tabs on us, yet helps in the fight on terror? Oh wait! That would mean something besides a knee jerk reaction. That would mean the the "powers that be" would have to think not of what the general idiot population thinks is a great idea and instead actually consider that would be USEFUL and make a difference. I suppose that perhaps I shouldn't hold my breath.

Posted by mikki at 04:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After five long months of fighting and paying 1500.00 per month for medication out of our pocket, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield gave up and is paying for Wes' Humira.

It only took hours upon hours of time by Wes' fabulous Rheumatologist, Dr. Nathan Wei, as well as my legal work and persistence, as well as the help from the Virginia Insurance Commission's Office of the Ombudsman. It didn't matter to Anthem that the law in Virginia requires that they pay for drugs they determine "experimental" if they are FDA approved AND there is evidence in the literature that they are effective for the specific disease. Then, of course, at the 11th hour, after submitting letters and articles and studies and paperwork and waiting for the ruling, they gave up so that there wouldn't be a precedent that others could use to get the medications they need.

Humira is FDA approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis and in the pipeline for approval for Psoriatic Arthritis. There is significant research that proves its efficacy for Psoriatic Arthritis including Phase III clinical studies and approval by the EU. It is the only drug that Wes can use, given the previous one gave him neurological side effects. But Anthem didn't care about any of that. They denied the coverage, despite everyone's explanations, and the fact that without the drug, the disease gets worse. None of that was important to Anthem, and the only way they would even listen was after we found a way to pay for the drug for 4 months...$6000.00 worth, AND fight through the annoyance before they would finally give in.

I can only wonder what happens to people who don't have their doctors behind them and happen to have a lawyer for a wife...

If any Rheumatologists in Virginia want a copy of the briefs we filed if Anthem has turned down THEIR Psoriatic Arthritis patients for Humira, drop an email to ooblick at ego dot org.

Posted by mikki at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)