Terminal patient's right to die via physician-assisted suicide

A great topic for any SUN - day brunch!


Terry Pratchett, who has early-onset Alzheimer's (and whose mental acuity is still fine) has written a stirring editorial on the need to legalize suicide in the UK. He avows his intention to commit suicide, to "jump before I am pushed," continue

I have come to appreciate Dr. Jack Kevorkian's work more so now then when I first learned about it some years ago. Terminally ill patients with limited time, in that delicate stage of their lives still in control of their mind, having fulfilled their duties to themselves and their family should if they choose to - be set free.
The politicization of the issue is based solely on the insistence of private insurance's desire to maintain the status quo as they have the most to lose if/when current laws are redressed.

And for those who for religious reasons wish to maintain the status quo, you are kindly asked to take your religion and prancer off. Don't participate if you don't want to. But leave the rest of to Reasonable people to make up their own minds.

The ideal way to go about this is granting some kind of Freedom of Choice-Act so that each individual chooses his/her fate. Like Pro-Choice for women.

Gov't role should be limited yet decisive towards Pro-Choice. Each Individual should choose his/her way out if they're lucky enough to have that choice.

In regards to Michael Young's latest Column.

Michael's assessment is correct and I would also want to include Sami Gemayel into this matrix. Samir and Sami are the only ones talking sensibly when it comes to talking truth to "power". Yes they are in the Christian Right, not the best/safest place to be, but they are showing discipline and unity in principle. They're basically saying we need to get to the bottom of our fears and our future goals with regards to all parties in Lebanon, with the New Mature Bashar (akh ya walid bek, you make me laugh), Israel and the Palestinians. Lebanese of any faith, member of any political party, should not be threatened by these views. These are not only the Ouwet/Kateab principles. If you don't like the men themselves, fine! but the principles are true and commonly discussed among us.

Compromises must be made on all sides. We as Lebanese need to pressure our leaders toward the goals/dreams we aspire. We also need to rely on outside powers (OBAMA-Yes-We-Can-My-Other-President/SARKOZY) to pressure Bashar/Israel and our Iranian friends who are so sincere in their concern for us.(threw up just now)

BioGraphic Novels

Sometimes when you’re reading a biography, the only thing you think to yourself is “Geez, this would be so much better if it had pictures!” Well, you need not look any further then the newest fad to hit the ever blossoming graphic novel industry, the BioGraphic novel!

These BioGraphic novels give you a chance to take a look at the life of somebody famous like Che Guevara, only with the added element of awesome artist renditions of his life’s events. In 2009 alone, there has been the release of the Dalai Lama’s BioGraphic novel, which followed the lead of Mother Teresa’s and Che Guevara’s.

If anything, these BioGraphic novels will interest those who don’t like to read as much by enticing them with cool illustrations.

References: biographicnovel

world pressure/accountability on Israel for the violations of Lebanese Air space and some well showcased Hizb anti-aircraft missiles hopefully will bring home the message to our neighbors from south of the boarder.

happy vacation

the young mr. hariri, up to this point, demonstrates clearly that he has no business being in politics. he still has plenty of time to prove me wrong however.

my suggestion to him: find your father's murderers, do something about it, and return to ksa to do your good deeds from your asl.

i have yet to see a capable politician from either camp knowing how to lead the real majority in this country.

the real majority of course consists of the educated, secular, centrist/moderate and the capable patriot who's only interest in forming a government is to serve the interests of all lebanese equally.

if only the incapable politician (the criminal) gets out of the way of the patriotic lebanese then and only then we really might have a chance to have a country we can be proud of.

my 2 cents

Hariri's only power play at this point is to exclude all the opposition from the next gov't. Bring in all technocrats and make sure to ONLY highlight the Lebanese Authority (LAF) in the ministerial statement. Furthermore, I suggest Hariri appoint someone else as the PM in the next gov't. Safadi maybe.

The opposition is welcome to contest for a say in the gov't in about 4 years time.

No more Kefraya for me

jump-a-lot (abu taymour) is running to the hills literally.
he knows Iran is being prepared, and the STL is being prepared for local consumption.
as WJ tries to get out from under the cross-hairs of Sunni/Shiaa strife, i'd like to say a small prayer: dear big guy who created it all, pls spare us from internal armageddon by steering stl's final verdict in implicating only those outside of our boarders.

furthermore, i'm sad to say i will not be purchasing/drinking Kefraya wine anymore

Jump-a-lot's fears of Druze insignificance or a threat to their existence is baseless. The Beik will die and be=gone, but the Druze of Lebanon will remain. As long as there is a Lebanon, there will be the mountain Druze of Lebanon.

Julia Sweeney: "Letting Go of God" (an excerpt)

Ideas to Die For

I want to be a quitter

I again am trying to quit smoking, but this beast is a mighty challenge.
This beast uses all its means to destroy your will to quit. It mentally and physiologically torments. The first day or two, is pure torment. Then it begins to tease you by false hope and appetite. Three, four days in it mocks you by making you loosen your belt-buckle few notches and it asks you constantly, is quitting really worth it? we are all going to die anyway, are you really that concerned about how you're going to end up looking in your coffin?

Hi,

Anyone know how to import Xanga weblogs without dishing out cash?

Military Junta

The Thai Junta doesn't look so bad after all. Now, under who's boot are our Military men?

GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE

(Mario Panas / Klaus Munro / Jack Lloyd)
Demis Roussos (Egypt)


Hear the wind sing a sad old song
It knows I'm leaving you today
Please don't cry or my heart will break
When I go on my way

Goodbye my love, goodbye
Goodbye and au revoir
As long as you'll remember me
I'll never be too far
Goodbye my love, goodbye
I always will be true
So hold me in your dreams
Till I come back to you

See the stars in the skies above
They'll shine wherever I may roam
I will pray ev'ry lonely night
That soon they'll guide me home

Goodbye my love, goodbye
Goodbye and aurevoir
As long as you'll remember me
I'll never be too far
Goodbye my love, goodbye
I always will be true
So hold me in your dreams
Till I come back to you ....

Parallels and Paradoxes

Those of us who are not Americans can only look on in wonder at the similar ease with which the ancient rights and liberties of the individual are being surrendered in the United States in the wake of 9/11. The vote by the Senate on Thursday to suspend the right of habeas corpus for terrorism detainees, denying them their right to challenge their detention in court; the careful wording about torture, which forbids only the inducement of “serious” physical and mental suffering to obtain information; the admissibility of evidence obtained in the United States without a search warrant; the licensing of the president to declare a legal resident of the United States an enemy combatant — all this represents an historic shift in the balance of power between the citizen and the executive. Continue

All you need is Love, or

the new word I learned today (although seen it many times) Ubuntu

Top Eleven

Geek Porn Names

11. Harry Joystick
10. Dorothy "Dot" Org
9. Alan Cocks
8. Richard Ballman
7. Anita Ram
6. Donny Dongle
5. Steve Jobs
4. L.C. Dee
3. Bender Over
2. Kernel Python
1. Jean-Luc Prickhard

Like a Sex Machine

and the Revolution rages on in Thailand

Another Special Season for the Big Papi

Free speech in Turkey; torture in America

The acquittal of the Turkish novelist, Elif Shafak, on charges of “insulting Turkishness” is good news for free speech. But the very fact that Ms Shafak could face such a charge is damaging to Turkey’s international image and reveals the tensions within the country.

Ms Shafak is a novelist - and one of the characters in her book, The Bastard of Istanbul, made a reference to the Armenian genocide. That was enough to land her in court. The case is an echo of another unsuccessful prosecution last year of Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s most famous novelist. continue