The vote on a government takeover of Health Care last night was sickening. What was even more sickening was the fact that when the final tally was in, the Democrats stood up and gave themselves a standing ovation.
It reminded me of what Amadala said in Star Wars: Episode III: “So, this is how freedom dies. With thunderous applause.”
If this bill is not killed in the courts for it’s unconstitutionality, in addition to higher taxes, here is what we will be looking forward to:
Cruel And Neglectful Care Of One Million British Patients Exposed
Man Collapses With Ruptured Appendix … Three Weeks After It Was Removed
More Reasons Why We Do Not Want Socialized Medicine
Statement From The American College Of Surgeons Regarding Disinformation Being Spread By Barack Obama
So this is a product look out that I’m putting up. I’m planning to get this and it is…..
The NEW Nintendo DSi XL!
This is the UK versions… comes in the described as burgandy, white, and bronze. Currently the bronze and burgandy are available in America.
This is a future planning purchase because I have an original DS Lite which still works great and has a bunch of scratch marks from the stylus (going to replace that screen soon though). I don’t like the color selection so I’m going to wait until they come out with some other colors and then I’ll go and get it.
BTW, coming out Mar 28, 2010 in Canada and retails for $199.99CDN.
For all the smoke and mirrors, all the outrageous claims, and all the frustration about what is not in the Democrat’s health care reform legislation, the fundamental impact of the proposed reform is very simple. The Senate bill, soon to be voted on by the House, uses public funds to insure Americans who do not have insurance. (Making sense of the polling, from the Washington Post)
In providing for universal coverage, it satisfies President Obama’s preemenant campaign goal — one he has not walked away from despite profound economic turmoil and deep political resistance.
It is amazing that the debate over such a simple idea took so long and involved so many distractions.
Republicans do not want to spend public funds to insure the uninsured — plain and simple. Though they do not say it so clearly, instead, hiding behind claims that the deficit, the recession, and public opinion polls are the reason that the bill is wrong for America.
Smoke and mirrors. (Krugman dispels some myths)
President Obama seeks to add an entitlement, consistent with contemporary democratic principles of capitalism with a social safety net. Republicans, consistent with principles of individual effort and individual reward, seek to resist it.
What is more puzzling is why the left is so fractured in its desire for reform. There has not been a serious proposal for an open-enrollment public option or for single payer public insurance on the table since the beginning. This is not to say that the United States wont move towards public insurance or public medicine in the long run. But with only a subsidy and insurance regulation on the table, the left’s threats to undermine President Obama’s universal coverage program because it does not do away with the for profit medical system makes little sense.
What would make sense is to take a longer range view: To believe that universal coverage is an important step in the direction of providing good care for all; to trust that reforms included in this legislation can be used to regulate for-profit insurance practices to eliminate exclusions and rescissions which kept people who wanted insurance from receiving it; and to recognize that a variety of reasonable cost-containment measures will be used to slow the growth of health care inflation.
I have written often about deficits and debt, reform of fee for service medicine and changing financial incentives in health care. And I think this legislation is serious medicine for the problems we have in these respects. And I have spoken with Canadians and Europeans who love their publicly funding health care systems. And I still think that this legislation is a serious attempt to insure that all Americans can receive adequate health care. If I were like most supporters of this health care reform, I would say that this legislation is poor, for one reason or another, and then suggest that it was the best we could get under the circumstances. But this legislation is powerful, historic and designed to solve the problems we face. So why, complain?
Pass the bill.
(Sign the petition)
. .
More thoughts on national issues: my podcast ramblings and conversations with Jessica Pieklo.
March 19, 2010 Update: Paul Krugman sounding more positive as well in the New York Times.
A lot of exciting new films showed some of their first- ever footage during this afternoon’s Warner Bros. panel, but one of the ones revealing the most was Sex and the City 2, which is still tightly under wraps even though it hits theaters in just two months.Director Michael Patrick King and stars Sarah JessicaParker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis all took the stage to introduce a new trailer for the film, which– at last!– revealed some actual plot. A lot of the rumors we’ve heard were true, but there were a lot of new wrinkles too. Here are the highlights:– Stanford and Anthony are in fact getting married, in a lavish ceremony where Carrie wears a tuxedo (very fashion-forward, of course) and Stanford wears a white tux, “Like a virgin.” Stanford and Anthony both stomp on the glass like Jewish grooms, and Liza Minelli officiates. Fabulous!
– The desert location where we saw all the girls in the preview is Abu Dhabi, where Samantha has somehow has hooked them up with a weeklong trip. There were scant details reviewed about the actual trip– they ride camels, they hit up a lavish nightclub, Samantha ogles some dude– but there was one surprise waiting for them overseas…
– Carrie runs into Aidan in a market, and quickly the two are spending a lot of time together in Abu Dhabi, causing Charlotte to scold Carrie “You’re playing with fire.” Looks like Carrie is once again getting itchy feet in a relationship, except this time it’s Aidan who’s the other man.
– SPeaking of itchy feet, Charlotte seems to feel a little overwhelmed by life with two children, and based on the rumors about Harry having an affair with a hot Irish nanny, he’s feeling the same. Miranda, on the other hand, is sick of being in the office and wants to get home and spend more time with her family. Both Charlotte and Miranda seem to be taking the Abu Dhabi trip as a chance for a much-needed break.
– The hormone pills that are rumored to be part of Samantha’s plot make an appearance early on, though it’s not clear that they’re for menopause– she just says she’s using them to be younger.
– Carrie and Big do not have a baby– she says they’re “somewhere between wed and a baby”– and Carrie gives him a watch that says “me and you, just us two.” There are clearly babies on the brain, though, and Carrie’s likely fling with Aidan might be a result of all that anxiety. Also Penelope Cruz shows up at a bar looking flirtily at Mr. Big, so rumors of him cheating may turn out to be very true as well.
Overall the character was a lot more appealing than I expected it to be, with much less focus on designer labels and rich-people activities, and much more focus on the wicked humor that made the original show so enjoyable. There was at least no song from Fergie about looking for labels and love– they used “Empire State of Mind” instead– so that’s a definite step forward.
Overheard at triage the other day, between a maybe too-slick paramedic and a very elderly, very sharp female patient supposed — assumed — to be hard-of-hearing, demented or maybe a little of both.
Paramedic: . . . and her vital signs are stable, heart rate 83, BP 138/66. . .
Patient: Wait, wait a second!
Paramedic: What, dear?
Patient: How could you know my blood pressure? You didn’t even check it!
Paramedic: (covering) I, uh, estimated it checking your pulse.
Triage Nurse: [. . .]!
Patient: You did no such thing! I used to be a nurse, you know.
Oops. Is there a prize for boneheadedness? I think I was even more astonished and amazed by the second lie which, of course, only made things totally and incomprehensibly worse. The paramedic, needless to say was deeply (and deservedly so, I might add) embarrassed.
If you’re a resident of Toronto who is currently in the middle of plotting your fake death so that the city can cut your family a big check for a lavish funeral, stop what you’re doing. Your dream of taking that funeral money and using it to retire to Thailand has been crushed. The city of Toronto issued a statement saying they are not paying for Corey Haim’s funeral service. The city does help local residents pay for a bare bones funeral if the family can’t afford it.
This past weekend, Corey’s mother Judy told Access Hollywood that Toronto is going to take care of the bill for her son’s funeral. Toronto’s communications director tells People that this isn’t so, “The City of Toronto confirms no involvement in funeral costs for Mr. Haim. The City of Toronto has never received an application for assistance with the funeral costs for Mr. Haim.”
A private memorial fund has been to set up to help Judy cover the funeral costs. The Steeles Memorial Chapel, where Corey’s funeral is taking place, has also agreed to help with some of the costs.
The air was thick with dreams and anticipation of people wanting a new life far away from Scotland at the SECC in Glasgow at the weekend.
According to the government, between 2007 and 2008 almost 38,800 Scots moved abroad, with almost the same number, 38,500 adopting Scotland as their new home from overseas.
Every year around 200,000 UK citizens emigrate, with the most popular destination being Australia, followed by Canada and New Zealand.
An estimate of 4000 visitors showed up at the SECC exhibition designed specifically to pave the way for people to leave thier country of birth and adopt another.
But due to the recession things are changing. Australia has now introduced changes to their legislation designed to preserve jobs for Aussies, making it harder for those who want to emigrate.
That however is not stopping the 200,000 Brits from moving abroad looking for a better standard of living. Many UK citizens move to Canada for bigger and cheaper housing as well as for their impressive education and health care.
Things are not always greener on the other side though, an estimate 25% of emigrants end up returning to the UK.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs wears a Canadian Olympic team hockey jersey during his news briefing at the White House in Washington, March 12, 2010. Gibbs lost a bet he made with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s spokesman Dimitri Soudas on the gold medal game’s result between Canada and the United States where the Canadians won 3-2 in overtime.
Remember less than a year ago when Obama and Robert Gates cancelled the F-22 Raptor progam, the world’s premier air dominance fighter, which was already is service, because it was a “waste billions of taxpayers dollars”? In their infinite wisdom, the dynamic defense duo decided to gamble almost America’s entire air combat future on a single, unproven design, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, that has yet to be put into production and won’t enter service in the foreseeable future.
Well, guess what?
GAO analyst says cost overruns, delays continue to plague F-35 program
A congressional auditor said Thursday that the Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program, “continues to struggle with increased costs and slowed progress,” leading to “substantial risk” that the defense contractor will not be able to build the jet on time or deliver as many aircraft as expected.
Michael Sullivan, the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s top analyst on Lockheed Martin’s jet fighter, also known as the F-35 Lightning II, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a hearing that the cost of the program has increased substantially and that development is 2 1/2 years behind schedule.
The United States plans to buy about 2,400 of the fighter jets for the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Navy. The projected cost for the program appears to have increased to $323 billion from $231 billion in 2001, when Bethesda-based Lockheed won the deal, according to Sullivan. Eight other countries — Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway — also plan to buy the jets.
The cost to build the plane is now expected to be $112 million per aircraft, according to a GAO auditor.
Sullivan said the program’s “negative outcomes” were “foreseeable as events have unfolded over several years.” He said that the cost increases are largely because Lockheed and the Pentagon are “trying to invent things and build them at the same time,” leading to costly changes in how the plane is being developed, built and tested. That continues to take “more time, money and effort than budgeted.”
He criticized the Defense Department, saying it “does not have a full, comprehensive cost estimate for completing the program,” and noted that it has “fallen short” of its expectations year after year. He said, “Constant program changes and turbulence have made it difficult to accurately and confidently measure progress and maturity of the aircraft system.”
See also: Pentagon: F-35 fighter jet cost doubles UPDATE 2-Price of Lockheed’s F-35 fighter soars F-35 Fighters Now Double the Cost Cost of F-35 Has Risen 60% to 90%, Military Says Pentagon tells Senate panel that F-35 is more than 50 percent over cost DoD: F-35 costs rise at least 50 percent Joint Fighter Faces Critical Period Donley: No JSF Alternatives Exist Air Force: F-35 jet delayed by 2 years Air Force: F-35 will be delayed, to cost significantly more Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II | Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Lightning II F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program
It continues to amaze me as to how they fit all those government clowns into such a tiny car.
/as far as birds go, it’s quite clear now that one F-22 Raptor already in the hand is worth way more than two F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, still in the bush
Montreal Gazette – A UN expert yesterday said the growing use of full body scanners in airport security was a breach of individual rights.
Martin Scheinin, the UN special rapporteur on the protection of human rights, said while countering extremism scanners were both an ineffective means of prevention and an excessive intrusion into individual privacy…
Scheinin, who was appointed to monitor the impact of anti-terror measures on individual freedoms five years ago, told the UN Human Rights Council better detection technology could be better for human rights.
The health effects of using electronic cigarettes are currently unknown. Some electronic cigarette companies claim that the harmful material produced by the combustion of tobacco in traditional cigarettes is not present in the atomized liquid of electronic cigarettes. Some have also marketed electronic cigarettes as a way to curtail an addiction to nicotine, although international health organizations have stated they may not be marketed as a cessation device.Despite these claims, a number of regulatory agencies have issued warnings regarding the health effects of these products. The recently formed Electronic Cigarette Association aims to eliminate unsubstantiated health claims made by electronic cigarette companies, and those companies that wish to participate in the association must agree to refrain from making such claims.In a recent online survey from November 2009 among 303 smokers, it was found that e-cigarette substitution for tobacco cigarettes resulted in perceived health benefits (less cough, higher ability to do exercise, and a better sense of taste and smell).
Various findings
Food and Drug Administration (USA)
In May 2009, the US FDA’s Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis tested the contents of cartridges by two vendors. Trace amounts (detectable, but not measurable) of diethylene glycol (also found in cigarette smoke) were found in one of the eighteen cartridges. In addition, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were detected in some of the cartridges tested which used tobacco flavoring. Further concerns were raised over inconsistent amounts of nicotine delivered when drawing on the device. In July 2009, the FDA issued a press release discouraging the use of electronic cigarettes and repeating previously stated concerns that electronic cigarettes may be marketed to young people and lack appropriate health warnings.
The FDA’s May 2009 study was reviewed in July 2009 by scientific consulting firm Exponent, Inc., in a report commissioned by the manufacturer of one of the electronic cigarettes tested by the FDA. Some of the criticisms in Exponent’s report are poor standards of documentation and analysis and failure to perform relevant comparisons to FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapy products, which Exponent claims contain TSNA levels comparable to those of e-cigarettes. The study concludes that the FDA’s claims of potential adverse health effects were not supported by the study.
Health Canada
On March 27, 2009, Health Canada issued an advisory against electronic cigarettes. The advisory stated “Although these electronic smoking products may be marketed as a safer alternative to conventional tobacco products and, in some cases, as an aid to quitting smoking, electronic smoking products may pose risks such as nicotine poisoning and addiction.”
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization proclaimed in September 2008 that it does not consider the electronic cigarette to be a legitimate smoking cessation aid, and demanded that marketers immediately remove from their materials any suggestions that the WHO considers electronic cigarettes safe and effective.The WHO states that to its knowledge, “no rigorous, peer-reviewed studies have been conducted showing that the electronic cigarette is a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy. WHO does not discount the possibility that the electronic cigarette could be useful as a smoking cessation aid.” WHO Tobacco Free Initiative director ad interim Douglas Bettcher states, “If the marketers of the electronic cigarette want to help smokers quit, then they need to conduct clinical studies and toxicity analyses and operate within the proper regulatory framework. Until they do that, WHO cannot consider the electronic cigarette to be an appropriate nicotine replacement therapy, and it certainly cannot accept false suggestions that it has approved and endorsed the product.”
Health New Zealand
The presence of trace amounts of TSNAs in electronic cigarette vapor was previously documented in an analysis done by the Health New Zealand medical journal in October 2008. However, unlike the FDA study, the Health New Zealand study conducted detailed quantitative analysis and concluded that carcinogens and toxicants are present only below harmful levels. Overall, the product tested was deemed a “safe alternative to smoking.”
Legal status by region
Because of the relative novelty of the technology and the possible relationship to tobacco laws and medical drug policies, electronic cigarette legislation and public health investigations are currently pending in many countries.
In Australia, the sale of electronic cigarettes containing nicotine is illegal.
In Brazil electronic cigarettes sales, importation or advertisement of any kind are forbidden. Anvisa, the Brazilian health and sanitation federal agency, found the current health safety assessments about e-cigarettes not to be yet satisfactory to make the product eligible to be approved for commercialization.
In Canada, as of March 2009, imports, sales, and advertising are banned. In March 2009, Health Canada also advised Canadians not to purchase or use any electronic smoking products. Health Canada cited the Food and Drugs Act, stating that electronic smoking products containing nicotine require market authorization before they can be imported, marketed, or sold. No market authorization has been granted for any electronic smoking product.
In Denmark, the Danish Medicines Agency classifies electronic cigarettes containing nicotine as medicinal products. Thus, authorization is required from the retailer before the product may be marketed and sold. The agency has clarified, however, that electronic cigarettes that do not administer nicotine to the user, and are not otherwise used for the prevention or treatment of disease, are not considered medicinal devices. The use of electronic cigarettes has not been prohibited in Copenhagen Airport, but at least one airline (Scandinavian Airlines) has decided to ban their use on board flights.
In Netherlands, use and sale of electronic cigarettes is allowed, but advertising is forbidden pending European Union legislation.
In New Zealand, the Ministry of Health has ruled that the Ruyan e-cigarette falls under the requirements of the Medicines Act, and cannot be sold except as a registered medicine.
In Panama, importation, distribution and sale has been prohibited since June 2009. The Ministry of Health cites the FDA findings as their reason for the ban.
In Singapore, the sale and import of electronic cigarettes, even for personal consumption, is illegal.
In United Kingdom, use and sale of electronic cigarettes is currently unrestricted, although the MHRA has proposed bringing all nicotine products except tobacco within the medicines licensing regime.
Precision Disc has a new eco-packaging product that’s just perfect for DVD duplication of virtually any quantity.
We call it our CS225 eco-sleeve which features 3 panel construction, a single fold, and a vertical slit pocket for the disc to fit into.
Printed using environmentally-friendly materials and processes onto durable 15pt. boardstock, this no-plastic DVD duplication packaging solution features 3 panel construction, a single fold and a vertical slit pocket for the disc to slide into.
Minimum order requirement is just 100 units and 4/4 full colour print is included in the price! We’re so pleased with the CS225 that we’ve made it our “March Special Product Offer”.
With the same physical dimensions (length x width) as a DVD Digipak the CS225 provides lots of room for graphics and text to promote the disc within. Graphic design templates are available on our website.
Do petrol fumes cause breast cancer? Or, is it the prairie life?
Background: United States Healthcare is ruled by government Death Panels. Their official government designation is: Securers of Sustainable Care for Resource Responsible Wellness in the U.S, acronym SSSCRRW US. Citizens appropriately refer to the death panels as the “Screw US” panels. The National Death Panel is comprised of three officials: a federal government official (DOP-1 who is the Panel’s Chair and directs the interrogation of the patient), a member of a medical field (DOP-2), and an ordinary citizen (DOP-3, who has been elected to service by national lottery).
National Death Panel members are comfortably ensconced at a half-moon, antique marble table. A heavy metal door opens and a Special Panel Guard, carrying a Colt 45 revolver in an antique black leather holster reminiscent of Paladin, escorts the Person under Review, or PUR, to a metal folding chair at the focal point -) of the Death Panel. All the fictitiously complicated (but not far-fetched) details of administrative procedures and protocol are given under my February 12, 2010 blog, “Death Panel Make-Up.” (http://southofmoosejaw.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/death-panel-make-up/)
This secret blogger has managed to spirit away the workings of the pitiful case of the National Death Panel vs the Petrol Station Operator. The National Death Panel (DP) reviewed and recommended medical procedures for this very ill woman in urgent need of cancer treatment.
Here are the files of the case of the DEATH PANEL VS PETROL STATION OPERATOR.
Our brave female gas station operator and owner is 67 years young. The armed guard anxiously escorts the tall, lanky woman to a seat before the National Death Panel threesome; she has waived her right for advocacy. The armed guard taps his holster and nods her onto the metal folding chair at the focal point -) of the panel. Our courageous gas station lady sits on the very uncomfortable, rickety metal chair, gently adjusting the bulging lump below left of her sternum.
The guard, armed, requires the PUR to swear “To tell the truth” upon her chosen item; the petrol station operator swears upon her and her husband’s weather-beaten Holy Bible. The officer proclaims, “Here begins the official record for Case # 46-0321-2010-PetSO.” He exits, sealing the room.
The gas station lady’s allotted 11-minute appeal began when the heavy door opened upon the SSSCRRW US panel. As intended, the extreme backlog of medical appeals limits each case-under-review (CUR) to eleven minutes or less, from PUR swearing to the “Screw US” decision. The ominous wall timer relentlessly ticks away the PUR’s precious minutes.
Questioning of the PUR begins by the Chair of the “Screw US” or National Death Panel, Government Official DOP-1:
DOP-1: Good God, Woman! Your file says you still operate a petrol station out in the middle of nowhere! You’re out on the snow swept flat lands along Canada! How depressing! Have you no sense? What ever got into you?
PUR: God.
DOP-2 [Medical Member of DP]: Here we go again! Here’s another bleeding-heart, blind Christ-follower wanting expensive medical help for something that’s their own doing. Please. Spare us your imbecilic chatter and salty tears. State your case and leave us to decide your fate. That’s what we do.
PUR: I’m not the one cryin’ here, good doctor of the death panel. When I cry, it’s not about my own pain. It’s about the prairies of pain God sees all around us, especially here in the city, and we do nothin’ to make it better.
DOP-3 [Citizen DP Member]: Get on with your bloated appeal, gas lady. Answer the Government Man’s question: How in, in Wasilla Saskatoon, did you end up smack dab in the middle of that godless barren place?
DOP-2 [Smirks and leers]: Get it over with – tell us your story of misery and woe – don’t expect us to do much for you, however, times here are tough, too. Like you said, there’s a lot of people crying for help and we’re the ones designated to give it to ‘em!
PUR [Smiles with sad wisdom]: I’m sure you are! I’m sure you do.
DOP-1: Tell us how you ended up way out there – time’s wasting away.
PUR: Like me; bein’ eaten up inside. [She carefully adjusts the growth blob beside her left breast, sliding it into a more comfortable position].
DOP-1: Go on – answer the Chair’s question. How did you get out there into nowhere?
PUR: Got married at 15. Left high school; had to.
DOP-2: You got pregnant. [Smiles condescendingly]. I knew it! Such a righteous Christian!
PUR: No! God forbid! Have sex and be with child before marriage! Unheard of on the high plains! Good way to get disappeared. Had to leave school ’cause the school wouldn’t allow married people to attend. I guess the school figured that once you got married you had all the education you needed.
DOP-2 [Grunts in arrogant disbelief]: Humph! [Folds his arms across his chest and blinks shut his eyes].
PUR: John and I, John’s my husband, had this dream. We grew up in a small town along the highline and He, God, told us to get out to the four corners area of this hiway and that hiway and make a gas station. We didn’t have a nickel to our names. But we obeyed. We put up a tent out there to start with; was springtime. I remember how purple the flowers were that year. [Smiles]. We smiled and stopped the traffic and said “Hello! Jesus loves you!” and told them our dream, the dream God gave us, and asked if we couldn’t clean their windshields, check the air in their tires, check their water, and maybe give ‘em directions – we got lots of roadmaps; long-haul truckers collected them for us. We would hold their hands and say a prayer for them, too! We had an old blue Maxwell House coffee tin set out there on a fence post and sure enough, just like God showed us in a dream, people were kind enough to leave us a coin or two. When we had enough we bought ground coffee and flour and a little sugar and we made steamin’ hot coffee in a soup kettle and offered it, too. Most of the locals around didn’t have cash, so they traded with us: some traded their garden vegetables, sticks of pine firewood, a hen or two, and a neighbor gave us his runt pigs to raise – said he felt guilty ’bout knockin’ ‘em on the head or settin’ ‘em out for coyote bait. One bachelor to the north traded us home-brewed beer, but we swapped that for wooden matches, kerosene and cans of Arizona tangerines from the shop in town.
[Our lady petrol station operator pauses to readjust the huge lump on her chest before she continues]: When we scraped up a little more cash, we bought some gas 18 miles away in town and brought it out in five-gallon cans and started selling it, too. We used a newspaper for a funnel. John was always pretty handy with a fry pan and he started cookin’ up pancakes and eggs over the cottonwood branches; sometimes he grilled a prairie chicken and we would have a real food celebration! Later on, before the electricity came out, we traded a litter of kittens and a feeder pig for a gas stove with an oven and he made cakes and pies to sell and gave cookies free to the kids travelin’ north with their folks.
[In obvious pain, she again moves the lump below her breast]: After a few years, we hitched a ride to Moosejaw and won the bid on an abandoned pickup truck at the Police auction. Nursed it back home and truckers would stop and help us get it runnin’ – needed new rings and a transmission gear; missin’ teeth. Still runs! Got it parked out back. The town wanted to get rid of some old buildings and John offered to tear them down for the salvage lumber and slowly we built up our own station. Foot by foot we scratched a livin’ from the soil out at that prairie crossroads. Northern Motors, we called it; our home – we made our bed in the back part. Had a preacher from town come out and bless it when it was done – he tossed Holy water in every corner, up in the rafters, too. That was when we started havin’ our babies. They’re all grown up now and gone away. Don’t blame ‘em; not much out there in their eyes. God didn’t give them that dream like He did John and me. God gave them their own dream.
DOP-1: Yes, that’s all very interesting, I’m sure. [Government Member of the Death Panel taps his forefinger on the manila file folder]. Says here in your file you had a couple surgeries…
PUR: Yeh, one of the boys had trouble comin’ out right and the doc had some cuttin’ to do on me to get him out safe. He’s a big boy still! Six feet seven! All the grandkids are big, too.
DOP-2: Ugh! More obese candidates for diabetes, I’m sure.
DOP-3: Or for heart attacks and bad knees and crushed vertebrae. Big people are such a pain to our budget, especially with the cutbacks due to the expansive government pensions.
DOP-1: Lady, how did you get sick? Is there something specifically you recall or can attribute it to? Did you pick up some virus or disease on a vacation, say in South America or Africa?
PUR [Incredulous!]: Vacation! Who has time for a vacation? Maybe you fed-types do; we never had time. Too late now; we’re both too sick to go anywhere far. This trip is a real trial for us, you know. Nearly 2100 miles one way. Besides, God didn’t show us no picture of a vacation someplace other than watchin’ the sun settle down under the Rockies and show up jeweled in the prairie grass each day! The clouds are so beautiful on Sunday mornings as we gather for our sunrise service right out there on that prairie. The truckers blast their dual horns when the blessings are given and the prayers offered. We still do that; indoors now in a little chapel on the southwest corner of the hiways. Got to be so many truckers comin’ in the night before just for the travel blessings that we had to rent the southeast corner field for them to over-night in. Those truck guys and gals have such a lonely life out on the road. God has been so good to let us know them!
DOP-1: Back to my question, lady. So, you took no trips to Africa or Asia where you might have contracted your illness?
PUR: Nope. I expect it was just the hard work and all the wind and dust that comes along with God’s good times. Maybe some petrol fumes or hot anti-freeze radiator spray or gunky engine grease got into us. There was that one time a 12-volt battery blew up when we were checking its acid levels; several cells got sparked somehow. Just a freak accident, I suppose. John and I never have really figured out what God wanted us to learn from that; still a mystery to us.
DOP-2: What about alcohol? Statistical research has shown it’s a proven fact that obese people living in remote areas grossly abuse alcohol. I’m thinking you are a qualifier under that research. And that’s not to mention the increase in average temperatures (see Master Smudge’s calculations at http://southofmoosejaw.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/smudges-stats-001a/) all over the melting northern glaciers on our precious, fragile earth. How much liquor do you consume each day? Remember that you’ve sworn to tell the truth!
PUR: Nope; no liquor. Never. Not allowed on our property either. The truckers respect that rule, too. Only problem we ever had was with the tour buses of city people who got scared of all the stars out at night and the clear, wide-open sky. Drove ‘em nuts, I guess. Maggie and Millie took care of them, though.
DOP-3: Maggie and Millie?
PUR: Yep. Our wolf dogs. They get to howlin’ and scratchin’ at the bus door and the city folk order their tour driver to get on down the road! Was always amusin’ to us when that happened. Serves people right for not respectin’ the rights of others.
DOP-2: Alright! I’m tired of this self-righteous dribbly God crap! [Turns in his comfortable leather chair and asks the other death panel members]: Haven’t we heard enough? Let’s vote the health care verdict on this very obviously sick and deluded female of our species. God, who let her type be born? That’s one fetal mass we should have had aborted; can we detect Christians yet in the womb? We need to shovel additional funding into that research line.
DOP-3: I agree. Remember, Number 1, its fish-fry night at Fotzie’s and I’m tired of being late and not getting some of the prime catfish fillet. Let’s get this appeal finished and in the books.
DOP-1: Anything else you’d like to say, petrol lady? How big has your cancer grown? Show us?
PUR: You pervert! No! Go to deep blazes!
DOP-2: Look, petrol woman. We don’t need to see your cancer-swollen breast. Just give us a sense of its medical history, its development, its progress, if you will.
PUR [Calms herself; she checks the wall timer and realizes she has little time left for her final appeal for surgical removal of the deadly cancerous mass on her breast. She sighs and states]: Well, it started out like a ball bearing in my, well, my chest. Then two years ago it sprawled out into a radiator cap shape – saw its ugly shadow in an x-ray; looked like the radiator cap of a ‘48 Kaiser. On my birthday last year it changed and looked more like a rumpled-up grease rag. Now it’s the size of a Mack oil filter and it’s awful hard to catch a deep breath.
DOP-1 [Reaches under the marble table and pushes the call button for the guard]: Guard, take this woman out now; her time is up.
DOP-2 [In a mocking voice]: May the Prairie Gods of the Blackfeet bless you with purple-flower healing.
DOP-3: May Mother Gaia grant you health.
PUR [Smiles sadly at the obtuse, heathen members of the National Death Panel and admonishes]: Keep your gas tank full, boys. You wouldn’t want to run empty out there in the middle of nowhere. Jesus loves you – there’s nothing you can do to keep away His love.
[The guard, armed, follows the cancer-ridden woman out the door, closing it tightly].
DOP-1: She sure likes to talk; must be the extensive exposure to diesel fumes. Okay; back to reality. What’s our verdict on the Appeal of the Petrol Station Operator, Owner actually, and our Death Panel? Gentlemen, what do you have to say?
DOP-2: There’s surplus Vaseline in the government warehouse complex at Minot.
DOP-3: Yes, but most of that’s earmarked for the Vet Hospital in Haiti.
DOP-2: Say, Number 1? Did you remember the crayons for your kids’ homework last week?
DOP-1: Of course! Their Statistics teacher was so proud of all the colorful patterns in the margins of their homework; they got A-plus-plus grades!
DOP-1: It’s decided then. [He speaks into the official recording device for the National Death Panel]: For the official record, Case # 46-0213-2010-PetSO reviewed by the SSSCRRW US Panel hereby authorizes breast cancer treatment with isopropyl alcohol, Q-tips and Vaseline. The patient must pay the S&H costs from Quebec. Case closed.
DOP-2: I never saw a woman with such long, boney fingers! It’s freaky! Must be a mutation.
Once our lady’s gone from the four corners “South of Moose Jaw”, where will I find a blessing with my next tank of gas?
smj
Upcoming “SSSCRRW US” Cases include:
Death Panel vs Invalid.
Don’t miss a case at http://southofmoosejaw.wordpress.com/
Learn from each appeal, fellow Citizen! The DP may reach out for you next.
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will meet with the president of earthquake-ravaged Haiti next week at the White House.
The White House says Obama and President Rene Preval will meet on Wednesday before Obama visits St. Louis. The White House announced the schedule on Friday.
A Jan. 12 earthquake wrecked Haiti and killed an estimated 200,000 people. The U.S. has played an active role in rebuilding the country, with former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton leading the United States’ fundraising efforts to help the Caribbean nation.
Clinton Urges Latin America to Cut Tariffs, Invest in Haiti March 04, 2010, 3:07 PM EST
By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan
March 4 (Bloomberg) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Latin American nations to follow the U.S. and Canada by investing in Haiti and offering the country preferential trade terms to speed its recovery from the Jan. 12 earthquake.
“Together we can encourage investment and increase demand for Haitian products — a critical piece of Haiti’s long-term recovery,” Clinton told trade, economy and foreign ministers from across Latin America. They were gathered in San Jose, Costa Rica, to discuss expanding market access for populations that haven’t benefitted from globalized trade.
Clinton said the U.S. has extended its most favorable tariffs and terms to Haitian textiles and apparel while the U.S. Congress is considering bills that may offer Haitian producers even more help. Canada, meanwhile, allows Haitian goods to enter duty-free, she told a meeting of Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas, a group composed of 17 Western Hemisphere governments and multilateral organizations.
Haiti’s earthquake may have claimed as many as 300,000 lives, and the cost of rebuilding the hemisphere’s poorest country may reach $13.9 billion, making the magnitude 7.0 temblor the worst natural disaster suffered by any country relative to the size of its economy, according to the Inter- American Development Bank. The country is also facing a “major food crisis,” the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said last month.
Clinton praised free trade agreements and called for more of them, while recognizing that the benefits of globalization haven’t reached all communities.
Promoting Growth
“We have worked to promote growth and create jobs through sound fiscal policies, bilateral trade agreements, multilateral pacts” including the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and through the Inter-American Development Bank, she said. “But for too many people in too many places — including the United States — opportunity is limited or fleeting.”
Clinton outlined a six-point U.S. plan to promote economic and social opportunity throughout Latin America for small business people, farmers, women, indigenous populations and other vulnerable groups. The U.S. will promote the creation of small-business development centers, work with Latin America to modernize laws on lending, microcredit and customs, promote English-language training, support women entrepreneurs and help small- and medium-sized businesses decrease their water and energy use.
“It is vital that we spread the benefits of economic growth and integration to more people in more places,” Clinton said.
–Editors: Fred Strasser, Brendan Walsh
Bill To Cancel Haiti’s Debt Clears House Hurdle
First Posted: 03- 4-10 05:59 PM | Updated: 03- 5-10 01:05 AM
A House subcommittee approved a measure on Thursday to press major international financial institutions to completely cancel all debts owed by Haiti, where a major earthquake devastated what little capacity Haiti had to pay the debts back.
The International Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee approved the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act, introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), which also aims to encourage direct assistance in the form of grants from those institutions, rather than loans.
The bill would require the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and other institutions to use the voice, vote, and influence of the U.S. to accomplish the debt forgiveness. Waters has been a longtime champion of debt-relief for Haiti.
“The moral case for canceling Haiti’s debt is clear,” said Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, “and the Committee stands prepared to continue to work with the Administration to authorize a swift and substantial U.S. commitment to comprehensive multilateral debt cancellation for Haiti.”
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, owes $828 million to multilateral development institutions, according to the Department of the Treasury, including $447 million to the IDB, $284 million to the IMF, $39 million to the World Bank and $58 million to the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
The idea that Haiti owes anybody for anything is a striking one considering the nation’s history.
“Haiti faces enormous challenges now, and the burden of paying off foreign debt would prevent the nation from taking necessary steps to help its people at this perilous time,” said Waters. “I introduced H.R. 4573 so that Haiti can use its limited resources to make both immediate and long-term investments in essential humanitarian relief, reconstruction and development efforts.”
Conference to target resource pledges for Haiti
Washington DC, March 5, 2010
Narayan Lakshman
A ministerial conference on supporting post-disaster recovery in Haiti, will be held on March 31 in New York City, the Department of State officially confirmed.
The United States and the United Nations will co-host the conference in cooperation with the Government of Haiti and with the support of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France and Spain.
The conference, titled “International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti” will be convened at the U.N. in New York on March 31.
“The goal of the conference is to mobilize international support for the development needs of Haiti to begin to lay the foundation for Haiti’s long-term recovery,” according to a press statement today.
Outlining the enormity of the challenges faced by the government of Haiti following the devastating earthquake of January 12, the Department of State communiqué said there was a need for a “sustained and substantial commitment from the international community, in support of the government and people of Haiti.
Underscoring the importance of Haiti’s own role in the process it was made clear that at the conference Haiti would present its vision for its own future and international organisations would assist. The conference would also focus significantly on obtaining resource pledges from donor countries, international organizations, and other partners.
Touching on U.S. commitment towards staying involved in the post-disaster reconstruction process Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, said, “This is a long-term commitment, and if we are to realize the true meaning of community, we must all prepare to do what is necessary to help Haiti recover”.
For this reason the United States will be a key participant in organizing the March 31 donors conference for Haiti, Ms. Brimmer added. She said the U.S. intended to follow through on President Obama words when he said, “the United States will be there with the Haitian government and the United Nations every step of the way”. Canada defense minister to visit Haiti
(AFP) – 31 minutes ago
OTTAWA — Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay will visit Canadian troops involved in aid efforts in Haiti on Saturday and Sunday, the military announced on Friday.
MacKay will speak with personnel aboard HMCS Athabaskan anchored off the coast of Leogane, as well as in medical facilities, temporary accommodation camps and at the Canadian embassy.
Canada has more than 1,500 troops on the ground, MacKay’s spokesman Jay Paxton said.
MacKay’s trip comes just prior to Governor General Michaelle Jean’s working visit on Monday, and after Prime Minister Stephen Harper toured relief efforts in February.
Forty-two Canadians died in the January quake and 33 remain unaccounted for.
News
American Forces Press
U.S. Military’s Medical Role in Haiti Declines
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 5, 2010 – It’s been a week since the last Haitian patient was treated aboard the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort, as the need for immediate medical attention is declining two months after a magnitude 7 earthquake struck the island nation, the Joint Task Force-Haiti surgeon said.
“The Comfort currently has no Haitian patients aboard,” Army Col. (Dr.) Jennifer Menetrez told bloggers yesterday during a DoDLive bloggers roundtable. “The last patient was discharged from the Comfort on Feb. 27.”
The hospital beds and hallways of the Comfort are now empty of Haitian patients, Menetrez said. Meanwhile, she said, the Comfort remains on station to provide any follow-on care as needed by the Haitian government.
“Over the last 10 days, we’ve seen over a 65 percent reduction in patients onboard the [Comfort] as they have been appropriately transferred to local hospitals for follow-on care,” she added.
This follow-on care is being supported by the numerous mobile and on-site clinics that have been set up to give continued treatment to victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake.
“To date, there are 130 mobile clinics and 156 on-site clinics,” Menetrez said. “The collaboration between military, government of Haiti and [U.S. Agency for International Development] continues to be wonderful. Collaboration between all parties has been a milestone of a unified response through a challenging event.”
Since the Comfort arrived on station, she said, U.S. military medical personnel have provided care to more than 8,600 Haitian residents.
“Of the 8,600 patients seen, the U.S. military surgeons performed close to 1,000 surgeries, primary care physicians conducted over 7,200 outpatient visits and oversaw the care of 1,300 for post surgical care within the hospital wards,” Menetrez said.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the Defense Media Activity’s Emerging Media Directorate)
UN sets up human rights group to look into situation of Haiti’s disabled
5 March 2010 – A working group comprising United Nations experts has been created to look into the situation of Haitians with disabilities, who have been disproportionately affected by January’s catastrophic earthquake.
Today’s announcement comes after a group of UN human rights experts last month appealed for the needs of the disabled in Haiti to be included in the relief, recovery and reconstruction processes following the magnitude-7.0 earthquake.
The 12 January quake killed up to 200,000 people, injured many others and left one third of the country’s nine million people in need of aid.
The decision to set up the new working group was made by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during its recent meeting in Geneva from 22 to 26 February.
It underscored that under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, “States are to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk and natural disaster like the occurrence of this earthquake.”
The new body will also look into the situation of people with disabilities in other countries affected by devastating natural disasters, including Chile, where it is estimated that 2 million people were impacted by last Saturday’s magnitude-8.8 quake.
Early last month, the Committee stressed in a news release that persons with disabilities must not become “the forgotten ones” during the emergency response and the reconstruction of Haiti.
Its current chairperson, Mohammed Al-Tarawneh, said that “while relief workers are struggling to provide aid to the people of Haiti and while the situation remains difficult for everyone, persons with disabilities are particularly affected by the crisis,” especially if their caregivers have been killed or injured.
The 12-member Committee, tasked with monitoring the Convention, urged Haiti to ensure that persons with disabilities fully participate in the decision-making process regarding social and economic reconstruction and that their long-term development needs be taken into account.
The Convention, which entered into force in May 2008 and has so far been endorsed by 144 countries, is the culmination of years of global efforts to ensure that the rights of the world’s estimated 650 million persons with disabilities are guaranteed and protected.
It asserts the rights to education, health, work, adequate living conditions, freedom of movement, freedom from exploitation and equal recognition before the law for persons with disabilities.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported today that its partners are handing out coupons for the next round of food distribution – including rice, beans and salt – for some 2 million people, set to kick off tomorrow in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The agency and its partners have already provided food for some 4.3 million people since the earthquake.
Although Haiti’s rainy season typically starts in April and peaks in May, early floods have already hit the country’s south, affecting 4,000 families and killing 7,100 heads of cattle, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
The Office warned that with the main planting season set to kick off this month, only 12 per cent of the agricultural funds appealed for have been provided. It cautioned that progress made in improving food security since the string of hurricanes in 2008 could be reversed without immediate financial support for the purchase of seeds, tools and other supplies.
The Government has reported that 1.3 million people are still living in spontaneous settlements, while over 600,000 others have fled the hard-hit capital for other regions.
OCHA said that the security situation remains stable in Haiti, and that emergency shelter, sanitation and food continue to be among the top needs.
With the worlds focus on this weekends 82nd Academy Awards, did anyone take the time to notice that both the Genie and Juno nominations were presented? Probably not, and that has to make both organizations a bit sad. After two weeks of CA-NA-DA, has the world had enough of us? Did they ever care? Well we can party without them so there. The full list of nominees for both the Genie (being presented on April 12 at the Guvernment/Kool Haus in Toronto) and the Juno (taking place in St. John’s NFLD on April 18) can be found below.
Genie Awards here
Juno Awards here
OCC
Movies
Genie nominations offer surprises, emotion
Guy Dixon and Gayle MacDonald
Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Mar. 01, 2010
Denis Villeneuve’s harrowing drama about the 1989 Montreal massacre Polytechnique led the field with 11 nominations at yesterday’s Genie Awards announcement, while the highly acclaimed J’ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother) was conspicuously incognito, receiving just one special award from The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
A major success on the film festival circuit, director Xavier Dolan’s story of the explosive ties between a mother and her teenage son had been Canada’s official entry for a best foreign-language film Oscar.
But J’ai tué ma mère didn’t make the final Oscar nomination list, nor did it receive any Genie nods in the regular categories. Instead, the Canadian academy’s jury, composed of film professionals, technicians and critics, will give Dolan the Genie’s special Claude Jutra Award for outstanding work by a first-time feature filmmaker at the Genie Awards gala on April 12 in Toronto.
“It definitely was considered in all the categories,” said Sara Morton, chief executive officer of the Canadian academy. “There is a significant difference between a film that does well on the festival circuit and one which is in a competition against other films. I don’t think you can generalize from festival success to Genie success.”
You can read the rest of this article at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/awards/genie-nominations-offer-surprises-emotion/article1485870/
Music
Michael Bublé is the one to beat at the upcoming Juno Awards, after the West Coast crooner nabbed a leading six nominations for Canada’s most prominent celebration of popular music.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced on Tuesday the nominees for this year’s gala, set to descend on St. John’s, N.L., this spring.
Burnaby, B.C.-born Bublé, whose latest album Crazy Love was an international hit, will compete in a host of categories, including best album, best pop album, best artist, best single for Haven’t Met You Yet and the Juno fan choice award. Bublé’s competition for the fan choice award, which is voted on by the public, includes Ginette Reno, Maxime Landry, Johhny Reid and Nickelback.
Bublé and his co-writers will also vie for the best songwriter trophy for the tracks Haven’t Met You Yet and Hold On, while two of his acclaimed producers — David Foster and Bob Rock — go head-to-head in the best producer category for their work on the album.
Joining Bublé among the multiple category nominees is an eclectic group of mostly male acts from Ontario. Rockers Billy Talent, Scottish-born country star Johnny Reid and Toronto rap sensation Drake picked up four nods each, while teen pop newcomer Justin Bieber of Stratford, Ont., indie rockers Metric and hip hop artist K’Naan — both based in Toronto — followed with three nominations a piece.
You can read the rest of this article at http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/03/03/juno-nominations.html
Never thought I would say this but,
I Miss Bill Clinton
It doesn’t matter what party you belong to – this is hilarious. From a show on Canadian TV, there was a black comedian who said he misses Bill Clinton.
“Yep, that’s right – I miss Bill Clinton! He was the closest thing we ever got to having a black man as President.
Number 1 – He played the sax..
Number 2 – He smoked weed.
Number 3 – He had his way with ugly white women.
Even now? Look at him… his wife works, and he doesn’t! And,he gets a check from the government every month. Manufacturers announced today that they will be stocking America’s shelves this week with ” Clinton Soup,” in honor of one of the nations’ distinguished men. It consists primarily of a weenie in hot water
Chrysler Corporation is adding a new car to its line to honor Bill Clinton. The Dodge Drafter will be built in Canada .
When asked what he thought about foreign affairs, Clinton replied, “I don’t know, I never had one.”
The Clinton revised judicial oath: “I solemnly swear to tell the truth as I know it, the whole truth as I believe it to be, and nothing but what I think you need to know.”
Clinton will be recorded in history as the only President to do Hanky Panky between the Bushes.”
Gordon Kuhn “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government” Thomas Jefferson www.Cloudweavers.com
Jason Kenney’s making it difficult for me to stay enthused about the Harper government.
If it were up to Jason Kenney, we wouldn't have The Michaels
Documents released today show that the original citizenship guide for new Canadians referenced the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1969, and the legalization of gay marriage in 2005.
The Toronto Star reports that Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who’s lobbied against same sex marriage in parliament, ordered those sections removed from the initial drafts, and they weren’t included in the final printing.
As a federalist, I’m generally okay with an elected government writing the rules.
As a historian, I’m seriously disturbed when an elected government tries to rewrite history, or in Kenney’s cases ignore it completely.p
For the record, Canada accepts some gay refugees… Kenney just doesn’t want to advertise.
Yeah, it’s been a while. But I have a really good excuse. I’m working on a certain project which has temporarily diverted all my creativity into another worthy outlet. I can’t go into details right now but I’ll let you know soon enough .
But can I let something off my chest right now? WOOO HOOOO!!!! Here’s to my home and native land that did a SUPER job hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics!!
There were some weather issues, technical problems and tragedies. But Canada managed to overcome it all with characteristic hard work, spirit and sense of humour (did you see those inflatable beavers?). And we Owned the Gold, including the top spot in the hockey firmament! Because of Sid Crosby, Obama now owes Prime Minister Harper a case of beer But our neighbours to the south did very well for themselves despite yesterday’s loss, earning 37 medals. The Russians, on the other hand, were still smarting from their less than stellar results when they bid Vancouver a “classy” farewell in this Pravda article: “Doesn’t it feel great to slam the door behind you as you walk out, stick up the middle finger using the palm of the left hand on the upper right forearm for extra leverage and blow a giant raspberry? That is exactly how it feels as Russia leaves Vancouver after disappointing Games with a question, was the Canadian ice hockey team on drugs?” Um, no, but perhaps the Editorial Staff of Pravda was.
But enough about them. What’s more tragic is the fact I missed my date with Clive Owen!! Well, I didn’t actually have a “date” date but he was in Milan over the weekend for Fashion Week and I had no idea till a few minutes ago when I read this! Does that man know how to wear a suit or what? And just look at those EYES! And where was I? Lying on the sofa watching the Canada vs. US hockey game in German. It was worth it in the end but “scheiße”!
What else is new in my corner of the world? It’s been a pretty busy year so far but we took a much-needed break over the Carnival period. We travelled to Liguria, the south of France and the mountains of Limone Piemonte where Bellie had her first skiing lessons. She was reluctant at first but was speeding down the slopes like a pro in no time. And here’s Diggy climbing his own personal Everest.
Limone Piemonte
So that’s what’s been going around here and in my mind. And what about you? I’d love to find out how your year has been so far and what you thought of the Olympics (or Clive Owen in a suit!).
Team USA almost pulled off the miracle, but this time Team Canada played with the extra step in their game to win the gold medal in men’s hockey. Sid “The Kid” Crosby won the game in overtime in the gold medal game with a shot into the net. Team USA was disappointed, but got father than most expected and still won the silver medal.
A lot of exciting new films showed some of their first- ever footage during this afternoon’s Warner Bros. panel, but one of the ones revealing the most was Sex and the City 2, which is still tightly under wraps even though it hits theaters in just two months.Director Michael Patrick King and stars Sarah JessicaParker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis all took the stage to introduce a new trailer for the film, which– at last!– revealed some actual plot. A lot of the rumors we’ve heard were true, but there were a lot of new wrinkles too. Here are the highlights:– Stanford and Anthony are in fact getting married, in a lavish ceremony where Carrie wears a tuxedo (very fashion-forward, of course) and Stanford wears a white tux, “Like a virgin.” Stanford and Anthony both stomp on the glass like Jewish grooms, and Liza Minelli officiates. Fabulous!
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