Friday, September 29, 2006
Good news and (very) bad news
Well, that’s that. Dammit.
Granddaughter-in-law has now lost all four fingers on her left hand. The pinky went earlier this week, and the surgeon took her back into surgery this morning to attempt to clean out an infection caused by the delay in removing the pinky - as described, a “half hour operation”.
Four and a half hours in surgery later, the surgeon comes out and explains that there was really nothing that could have been done to save the other two fingers, so they took the middle and ring finger too, leaving only most of her palm and her thumb.
There is one more operation scheduled in about two weeks for final what-the-fuck-ever-it-is, and then she will be beginning therapy and how to control her inevitable prosthetic.
Still no progress reported in catching the scumbag, either.
So where’s the good news, you say?
This is as bad as it gets, folks. It’s a long, slow uphill climb, but it IS all uphill.
Your continued prayers are appreciated.
Not that being under oath would have helped
But Bill Clinton admits to an open violation of Federal Law.
This last Sunday, former President Clinton, in a failed attempt to deflect criticism of his record as an utter failure against terrorists, appeared on FoxNews Sunday for a 15-minute Q&A with Chris Wallace. One money quote from Bill:
“I worked hard to try to kill him. I authorized a finding for the CIA to kill him. We contracted with people to kill him. I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since.”
This while waggling that famous finger to emphasize exactly how truthful he is pretending to be. (Remember “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky”?)
But it isn’t his honesty I wish to question, because that is now a binary solution set.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
What do they call it when…
... a sovereign nation fires shots at the military and strategic assets of another sovereign nation?
In any other forum, it would be called “Act Of War”, but apparently only if the US isn’t the one on the receiving end of the attack.
See, we got shot at in Pearl Harbor back on December 7th, 1941, and we were at war with Japan within 24 hours.
But somehow over the last two generations, having our guys get shot at by a nation-state’s armed employees is no longer sufficient to declare a State of War. Libya did it, and we bombed Gaddafi’s house. (And the French Embassy, but that was an error caused by having to fly all those thousands of extra air miles. Whoops.)
Iraq was doing it for YEARS (as early as 1993), and we did almost nothing about it until March, 2003.
And now we have our surveillance satellites blinded by China?
From the UK Telegraph:
China has secretly fired powerful laser weapons designed to disable American spy satellites by “blinding” their sensitive surveillance devices, it was reported yesterday.
The hitherto unreported attacks have been kept secret by the Bush administration for fear that it would damage attempts to co-opt China in diplomatic offensives against North Korea and Iran.***
According to senior American officials: “China not only has the capability, but has exercised it.” American satellites like the giant Keyhole craft have come under attack “several times” in recent years.
Okay, now what?
Thank God for the Geneva Conventions
... not to mention the UN Conventions against Torture.
Otherwise, these men would have been in REAL trouble…
I wonder how many of them were thanking their lucky stars that they didn’t have to sit in a cold room listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and having some female rub breasts on them (the last time I had to endure this level of torture, there was a cover charge involved), because that is just too barbaric to endure. No, these men just “showed signs of torture, had been shot, and had their hands and feet bound”.
Lucky bastards.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Even worse news, dammit
I’ll never understand the need for medical personnel to hide the facts from family members. They’ve been shading the truth to the optimistic side ever since the accident.
As I mentioned yesterday, GDIL had her pinky removed. The operation went “well”, in the surgeon’s words, and they have her hand in a hyperbaric chamber twice a day for some treatment that the doctors say should help her other two fingers, which are now being described as (and I’m quoting here) “touch and go”.
And the police have STILL not managed to find the cocksucker who caused all of this yet. Or at least they are denying any success when they are asked about it (which may not be the same thing, I admit, but I should think they would be happy about publicizing their capture of this dickhead).
I would think that with their amazing database technology, they should be able to investigate by simply punching in a general description of the car and the partial plate reported by witnesses, and come up with a (very short) list of people that need to be investigated as to their whereabouts during the time of the accident. Then compare the owners with the physical description provided by the eyewitnesses who saw him get out of the car and look back at the accident he had just caused.
Hell, if I had the information, I would probably have been able to hire a PI to run it down for me within a day - name, address, employer, credit rating, the works. But the PD cannot find this guy. Gotta love the local yokels…
Please keep praying, folks. It’s a rough time for all of them.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Bad News
I have mentioned before about GDIL’s (grand-daughter-in-law’s) pinky, and how it wasn’t improving as well as her doctors had been hoping.
Unfortunately, those doctors have now determined that it is deteriorating, and had to make a choice between either taking the pinky off entirely or possibly losing the entire hand. Hell of a choice to have to make, huh?
As I type this, she is in surgery.
I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and kind words, and I will remind you again that if you wish to donate to her cause, then go and give blood at your local blood bank.
In other news, I’m sure that our soldiers are glad that the terrorists are living up to the example set by the United States over the last half-century as regards the mandated treatment of prisoners defined by the Geneva Conventions. Otherwise, we would be finding that the terror groups would be kidnapping our soldiers, torturing them, dragging them to death behind a vehicle, cutting off their head, and then broadcasting videotapes of the whole thing on the Internet.
Thank God for the authority of the United Nations to track down and punish these violators of international laws…
Oh, wait…
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Just got back from the hospital
Granddaughter-in-law (GDIL) is awake and alert and is thoroughly sick of being confined to a bed, even though she is weak and suffering from double vision. She just wants to go home, and who can blame her?
The double vision - by which I mean, she says that she isn’t getting two blurry half-images of everything, she is getting two crystal-clear copies of everything within her field of view - is troubling, although the doctors say they aren’t worried, and that it should resolve completely within a few weeks.
The Halo is still giving her headaches, although not as bad as at first, and this, too, shall pass.
The hand has not improved as much as the doctors would have been hoping for, and while they remain outwardly confident, the terms they use are more ambiguous in nature than they were before, with more uses of “should” and “could” rather than “shall” and “will”. They aren’t talking worse case, much less worst case, but it’s still worthy of concern.
Other than that, she’s doing well. Thank you for all of your prayers, and I urge any of you who have not already done so to go down and donate to your local blood bank (especially the rarer blood types - percentages are below the fold)
Osama bin Ladin dead?
A document from French intelligence says that this might be the case.
I’ll update as the story unfolds.
H/T to the Drudge Report
UPDATE (4:53 PM EDT)--Reuters has weighed in. Same old, same old. Fox’s version cites US officials telling everyone not to trust the report.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Medical update
No word from the police on H&R Asshat…
We appreciate all of your prayers and helpful thoughts.
As of this morning, there is some stuff that they didn’t actually check for the night of her accident, but granddaughter-in-law had started complaining about her back hurting her. The nurses and doctors had apparently thought it was just the uncomfortable position she was in, but yesterday they decided to send her down for a CAT scan (or X-ray; again, reports are confused) and found another cracked vertebrae in her lower back. Still no damage to her spinal cord (she can still wiggle her toes on command), and no indications of any internal injury.
The middle finger has now firmly reattached, and it’s just a matter of time (and a lot of rehab) to reach full function again, but doctors are not worried. They are keeping an eye on her pinky finger, though, but not so much they are talking re-amputation or anything. (Thank God!)
Her facial swelling has gone down, but the pain killers they have her on make her a little bit loopy at times, confusing day and night (there aren’t any windows, and the level of activity in the ICU is pretty constant) and apparently skipping large gaps of time. I went through the same thing when I had my bicycle accident back in ‘89, and I cannot to this day remember what happened between the time I crossed that bridge on the way back to the base and being wheeled down for skull X-rays the next morning, although the ER nurse told me later than I was “one of the funny ones”. (Apparently, badly injured or terminally ill patients can be clumped into several groups - clowns, cryers and stoics.) She also said I “looked like a reject from a Freddy {Kreuger} movie...”
As GDIL’s medicine dosage is reduced, she will become more (and more continuously) lucid.
She also now has a roommate (a “cryer") who just lost a toe. (I have no idea why.) GDIL enjoys the company, and is apparently learning a lot more about amputations from listening to the nurses and doctors explain things to the roommate than from her own experience. (I have no idea why.)
If you want to donate to her cause, go down to the nearest blood bank and give an hour of your time and a unit of your blood. Prayers are also free, and greatly appreciated.
Monday, September 18, 2006
The Pope, he shoots…..
...he scores.
OK...with the Islamowhackos going off about this, it has become clear to me that I have been right.....we have a major monotheistic religion in crisis. Islam is in a state close to fracture. And Iraq is the main stage.
In the religion that is Islam, a moment is coming....we saw it in Christianity six centuries ago. It is the time where the common people cease being afraid of the violent few and decide that their religious leaders have become so far detatched from reality that they are unable to govern civil society.
Putting a secular civilian government in Iraq is actually lending to this. I said this before, and I’ll say it again: Establishing a democratic government, be it peopled with Muslims or Christians, empowers the masses and relegates the extremists that are deperately holding onto power to the wayside.
We still have a Pope (yeah, I’m Catholic), but we do not seriously believe that he would ever call us to another crusade. Why? He isn’t the political leader....just a spiritual leader. The Pope did lead troops, and did order killings, and wars, but the Reformation was the beginning of the end of that power. The secularization of Europe made the Pope a figurehead politically, but he retained a reduced leadership role spiritually.
In the 1100’s, people that disagreed with the Pope were drawn and quartered. Now, Sh’ia and Sunni do it to Muslims that don’t tow their line. An Islamofascist is a Crusader with a cellphone and a laptop computer. Their percieved impact is multiplied by a clash-driven media and a West that doesn’t quite get it yet. We fret about it, but we (Christianity)aren’t in real trouble. Islam is....and the power-driven Islamofascists know it. Hence the sponsored protests over democracy, free speech, and stupid little cartoons. Freedom will kill the fear and the death grip that the 3% of Muslims have over the 97% that are ready for Islam go change from a murderous victimization cult to a mature religion of intellect and reason.
The reason is hasn’t until now is because there has been no real ‘age of reason’ in Islam. 1,400 years of warriors and despots, prophet wanna-bes and dictators have crippled them. It took education and economic freedom to break the stranglehold of oppressive religion in Europe. We have to let it happen in Islam...and we have to contain it over there.
In Iraq. LIke we have been doing. Let them have their civil war...in the end, if we stay the course, reason will prevail....as it always has. We just can’t withdrawal and surrender. If we do, we damn ourselves to regression and sociological death.
More Tits for Hits
Keeping up with the fine tradition of “Democracy! Whiskey! Sexy!”, JimK manages to put together another video regarding Islam and the Pope, and goes downhill from there.
Because he is a helluva guy, and because I want some of those crazy blog ducats, too, I urge you to tell him I sent you.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
To whom it may concern
To that cocksucker in the white BMW who drove my brand new granddaughter-in-law off the road last night, be aware that the police have a description of you, not to mention your car and a partial license plate.
You’d better hope that they find you before I do. The worst that you can expect from them is to be arrested for reckless driving, causing an accident, hit and run, and leaving the scene of an accident. Probably a suspended driver’s license and a hefty fine, maybe a few months in jail if you get a crappy attorney or a judge who hates hit-and-runners.
Then there is the obvious civil case to be brought. With the circumstances, and with the bloodthirsty pesonal injury attorneys that would absolutely swarm this case, I’m guessing six figures minimum - maybe seven if you own(ed) your own home.
Then you have the Golden Rule - “What goes around, comes around.”
Sleep tight, you son of a bitch.
UPDATE: The car she was in was a rollover accident, turned over down a slight embankment, and she had apparently grabbed the open window of her sunroof to brace herself at one point. When the car ended up upside-down, it pinned several of her fingers under the frame of the sunroof. As of right now (about 9:30 pm Pacific), she is awake, aware, and even though she has a tube down her throat that keeps her from talking and both eyes are still swollen shut, she is able to clearly communicate, recognize voices and express humor.
She suffered two cracked vertebrae in her neck, there is no internal bleeding or serious fractures, and the worst of her injuries were to her left hand, which were severe, requiring almost ten hours of surgery last night. She has lost her left index finger entirely, and the tip of her left ring finger. Both the middle and pinky fingers were successfully re-attached, and there are hopeful signs that she will regain full function in both of them. Fortunately, she is right-handed.
The MRI shows no damage to the spinal cord and she can move at will, but they will be fitting her into a Halo until those cracked vertebrae heal.
Keep them in your prayers.
UPDATE 2 (Monday, 10am): She had her “Halo” fit last night, the MRI (or possibly X-rays, that bit was confused) shows the two vertebrae in her neck were clean breaks, with no chips or splinters to worry about. She can open her (still partly swollen) eyes, and did so several times yesterday when we went to see her. She couldn’t talk at that time, but she could write notes. (Her mom thought the sweetest was one that read, “tell work?”. I kinda agree.)
The trach tube which was bothering her (which was why she was under mild sedation) has been removed, and her doctor and the surgeon are quite pleased with the progress of her left hand.
One minor oddity: Loma Linda University Hospital has one of the best trauma teams in the nation (certainly the best in southern California), but it was weird to see what they are using to improve circulation in her reattached fingers.
I’m not kidding.
Weird as snake suspenders. As out of place as a basketball bat. But apparently quite effective.
No progress in finding the shitheel, but one thing makes me even madder.
According to witnesses at the scene, the bastard actually stopped, got out of his car and looked down at the accident he had just caused, got back in and drove away. He had better fucking surrender himself, because we know a judge. That judge is a longtime friend of the family, and is pissed. Me, too.
Update 3 (Monday, noon): To all, I thank you all for your kind comments and we have some really nice news. Her boss came to visit her today and said that she would continue to be paid in full for the entire time that she is recuperating. That is an extraordinarily nice gesture, utterly surprising, especially from such a small operation (she’s a certified Gemologist - she makes and repairs jewelry). The boss’s response: “I can’t afford not to!”
And my step-brother-in-law-in-law (as near as I can explain the relationship) has generously offered to cover all household bills while Grandson puts off his job search (he had gotten his Bachelor’s Degree just before they got married, and quit to look for better work and better pay) to take care of his new bride through the inevitable rehab.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Congress shall make no law…
FUCK McCain-Feingold!
So we will be doing the same thing here. I am willing to put up a free ad for any politician of any stripe or political bent, listed in the left column of the index page - ABSOLUTELY FREE. If you have a small logo (not wider than about 100 pixels), we’ll include that, too, and for FREE.
As Jim says:
Why am I doing this? For one very simple reason.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
McCain/Feingold silences any and all advertising by candidates until the election as of today. This leave ONLY special interest groups with the ability to manipulate and flood the airwaves with whatever message they decide voters should hear. Groups like MoveOn.org, America Coming Together, The Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, and yes, even the NRA has a 527. Whatever side you are on, you cannot want these groups to be the sole voices in the media for the next two months straight.
We, along with candidates for office, are The People, and we are peaceably assembling. I think it goes without saying that each of us has a grievance against the government for one thing or another. We have the right to speak about candidates and to have candidates speak to us. This is where left and right, Republican and Democrat, Conservative and Liberal, gay & straight, men & women, we all come together and say “No. You will not destroy our right to share ideas and talk in the public square so that we may determine who we wish to choose as a leader.”
If you have a website, I urge you to do the same. Spread the word…
This will be stay at the top for several days, just to get the word out.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Letting the Days Go By…..
142 years later, and they haven’t changed one bit…
I’m not even gonna spoil it for you. Just go read, and learn how History truly DOES repeat itself.
Had a Great Labor Day
We had the two elder daughters (the youngest one has a boss that wouldn’t let her off for the holiday) and a few of the grandkids over for a BBQ and poker party yesterday. We had a lot of fun, a lot of food, and I gotta give props to the eldest daughter’s husband who valiantly volunteered to handle chef duties on the grill, despite the triple digit temperatures outside and the fact that he was ill (and never bothered to tell us until later. The middle daughter’s husband was very helpful on the grill, too (we ended up having to use a wedding cake server for a spatula, because I don’t have any metal spatulas in my kitchen. (Teflon pans and metal spatulas don’t mix well.)
We had steaks and sirloin burgers and baked beans and corn-on-the-cob and potato salad and Mexican rice and I don’t know what all else. Oh, and cookies (chocolate chip and raisin). The granddaughters put in a hard day’s work in aboiut two hours cleaning out Nana’s closet for her.
But everyone took home something special… I gave a copy of my entire music collection to the grandson (who is enjoying married life, even if they don’t actually have a kitchen yet - the cabinets are supposed to arrive soon). His sister got all of my magic collection, with instructional videos. The two other granddaughters got a bunch of computer games and a copy of the “Little House” series of audiobooks (they already have their iPods).
Middle daughter’s computer had been badly infected with spyware, malware and porn Trojans, so I had to recycle to zero (format the drive and re-install all of the operating systems), but it was so infected that I had to change the BIOS and run everything from DOS. (That’s the technological equivalent of using a penny as an ersatz fuse.) They lost all of their stuff that wasn’t archived, but at least they have their computer back, at any rate. (One problem cropped up later - hubbie had forgotten to tell anyone what the security password was, so no one could log in, and he was asleep before his early morning shift this morning.)
But we had fun, and laughed a whole lot. The new granddaughter-in-law needs to learn how to play poker before the next gettogether, though. She’s as sweet as anyone I’ve met, but she has no poker face whatsoever.
So how was your Labor Day?