Heroic Idiocy

Bill Keller of the Times demonstrates that being a fool is a full-time job. Let's start with the WaPo:

Former NYT editor Bill Keller and his wife under fire for commentary on cancer patient

Lesson No. 1: Publicly questioning the motives and intentions of a woman who is seriously ill with cancer can land you in a heap of controversy.

Writer Emma Gilbey Keller and her husband, former New York Times executive editor Bill Keller, seem to have found this out over the past few days. In a successive pair of columns in different publications, the Kellers opined about the prodigious tweets of a woman named Lisa Bonchek Adams, a Stage IV breast cancer patient in New York — and both reaped a whirlwind of outrage in the process.

Ms. Adam is a 44 year old mother of three who has been grappling with cancer for seven years. For some reason this prompted Mr. Keller to contrast her situation with that of his eighty-year old father-in-law, who was told he had inoperable cancer and died six days later. One of his little life lessons:

It seemed to me, and still does, that there is something enviable about going gently.

Please. Maybe mom should have walked out in the traffic seven years ago.

Ms. Keller worried (in a column subsequently taken down because she quoted Ms. Adams without her permission) that although some seem to find inspiration this is all so voyeuristic. Me, I still have reservations about The Diary of Anne Frank. No I don't.

Well. Beat-downs are available in the Times comment section, by the Times Public Editor, and at Technology and Society. But in order to make sure that no dead horse is left behind, unbeaten, let me highlight this absurdity from Mr. Keller's target-rich piece:

Her relationship with the hospital provides her with intensive, premium medical care, including not just constant maintenance and aggressive treatment but such Sloan-Kettering amenities as the Caring Canines program, in which patients get a playful cuddle with visiting dogs. (Neither Adams nor Sloan-Kettering would tell me what all this costs or whether it is covered by insurance.)

I don't know what "all this" costs either, but the Caring Canines program is a charitable endeavor run in cooperation with Angels on a Leash and the Westminister Kennel Club so I'll guess "not much" for the direct costs of that part of the support program.

And while on the subject of our mutual ignorance, I don't know what it would cost to get Mr. Keller a fact-checker or a subscription to Bing. And later he might want to spring for a trip to the Wizard for a heart and a brain...

 

 

Comments

[Sandy Daze]

Ass, he is.

[Sandy Daze]

He & she, they are, he is every bit of nastiness imaginable.

[Sandy Daze]

Disgusting.

[Account Deleted]

Are the Kellers auditioning to become the mouthpieces for Dr. Zeke's ProleCull program? They sure display the proper level of empathy.

[narciso]

OT, what is crumchy schadenfreude, for 100, Alex:

[Ignatz]

--It seemed to me, and still does, that there is something enviable about going gently.--

Think how much her kids would appreciate it if she had just gone gently before they had any memories of her.

[daddy]

TM,

As long as we're fisking NYTimes fools, here another excellent example today from WattsUpWithThat:

NYTimes Pushes the Rising Tide of Climate Nonsense – This time in the Dominican Republic

[Ignatz]

Disaster!
Lululemon cuts 4Q outlook.

She's doing her part. Howsa bout the rest of you gals?

[Disillusionist]

When Keller is diagnosed with stage IV cranial-rectal inversion, I have no doubt he'll just take the blue pill like a good little prog.

[clarice]

A fellow who has one of those canine carers often comes to my health studio and did today with his sweet black lab. They often go to the patients are nearby NIH. What a wonderful service.

The Kellers deserve all the tsuris they're getting. Assholes isn't strong enough to describe them.

[Beasts of England]

Looks like the substance found at Bieber's house was MDMA, aka Molly, the primary ingredient in Ecstasy.

[Beasts of England]

@Ig: That photo reminds me of your long-running series of chicks on bikes. I have a memory for those things...

[narciso]

well Musket Morgan is an honorary Times columnist;

http://twitchy.com/2014/01/14/katie-pavlich-takes-on-piers-morgan-shows-off-duck-commander-22/

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

This might be interesting - http://www.dineshdsouza.com/

[Ignatz]

--When Keller is diagnosed with stage IV cranial-rectal inversion, I have no doubt he'll just take the blue pill like a good little prog.--

An erection cures head-in-arse syndrome?

[narciso]

As in the Matrix, although how could it hurt?

[daddy]

From Japan we learn that when we finally do invent our house cleaning robots, we better make them male looking or neutral, but definitely not female:

AI (Artificial Intelligence) journal caught in sexism flap over robot cover girl

[Captain Hate]

HOF POI tonight, with finally an episode with Reese as the focal point. I pictured Keller as that idiot that was initially sitting across the aisle from him.

[narciso]

Well there was the PSA in Futurama,

[narciso]

Caveizel's sometimes a hard one to read, even more then Emerson,

[Captain Hate]

I haven't gone to TWP but the episode had some interesting wrinkles, namely I still can't figure out how the machine countermanded what the other part of it sent to the guys Shaw used to work for.

This guy might be dumber than Keller: http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/24424746/eagles-star-desean-jackson-victim-of-a-home-invasion?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Home burglarized

250K in cash - GONE
125k in jewelry - GONE
a few safes - GONE

[Barry Dauphin]

Isn't reading a Bill Keller column kind of like death?

[daddy]

Isn't reading a Bill Keller column kind of like death?

Wouldn't know, as I've never tried:)

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

By the time I was 44, I had discovered I had serious coronary artery disease, having recuperated from quintuple by-pass surgery at age 40. By that time, I was again supporting my family of four. Four years later, with the hearty approval of my 2 daughters, our family adopted three Korean orphan sisters, and three years after that, I had a "redo" quad by-pass. The mammary artery graft from that surgery has now kept me alive for another 23 years along with angioplasties and stents to numerous to list. The latest one was a year ago -- a 7 stent job opening up a long-closed right coronary artery -- when I was 72.

All in all, I believe (at least from what they tell me) my wife, daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren have been pretty happy to have had me around these past 34 years. When I reach 80 in a few years, I very much hope that they and I will want me to continue being a husband, dad, father, grandfather and brother to my family.

I fervently hope no one in my family feels then, as Keller says he did, that I should be real happy to "go gently"

With all due respect to Clarice, asshole is too good a descriptor for Keller and his wife AFAIC. PFUUUUUI!!

[MarkO]

Keller steals a line and inverts the poem.
He likely thinks Dylan Thomas wrote "Blowin' in the Wind."

Nevertheless, his cold hearted response is indicative of the distance from which Progressives observe regular humans.

I embrace the original feeling:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[Captain Hate]

Btw, on the Season 2 DVD of POI in commentary over the last episode of the season they pointed out that Shahi drove that yellow Ferrari in narrow NYC streets when she and Reese first drove off in it. Not everybody can handle a beast like that; just ask Eddie Griffin.

[Eric in Boise]

For Rick B:

Q: What are a polygamist's four wives, all covered by Medicaid, known as?

A: A Prole Cull Harem

{rimshot}

[Comanche Voter]

I'd suggest a therapeutic visit from a pack of the Caring Canines. They should make some "deposits" on Keller's front door step. He can pick them up and install them in his head, thereby doubling his IQ.

I will cut Keller a bit of slack; the ability to go quietly when diagnosed with an immediately fatal disease is an act of grace. So for that matter is the opposite tack--fighting and scrapping for every last minute and second of life. Those are individual choices and schmucks like Herr and Frau Keller, late of the Deutsche Eugenics Verbund are not fit to comment on them.

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

But the 44 year old subject of the story did not have "an immediately fatal disease" since according to the story, she has fought her malady for the past 7 years.

Who gets to decide what is "immediately fatal"? Zeke Mendele, MD?

[Cecil Turner]

Isn't reading a Bill Keller column kind of like death?

More like organ failure. Still qualifies as torture, though.

[Ignatz]

--HOF POI tonight, with finally an episode with Reese as the focal point.--

Recognize the nerd Reese was saving on the plane?
It was the randy little geek from Freaks and Geeks.

[Ignatz]

--she has fought her malady for the past 7 years--

It didn't metastasize to her lymph nodes and bones until 2012, presumably after her estrogen blockers wore off.

Mrs Iggy's had done that when she was diagnosed in late 2005 so this gal might very well have several years left.

OTOH it went from this gals bones to her lung and liver quickly so she may not be responding well to chemo at this point.
Either way why should she have to deal with the vulture Keller wondering why she hasn't the poise and class to just die like we all know he would.

[Dave (in MA)]

This was probably the POI episode with the most funny moments so far.

[Dave (in MA)]

Jane's 7:53 in the previous thread brought to mind the scene with the cellphone d-bag that CH refers to in his 11:03.

[Donald]

I thought the the awesome thing about OC was that EVERYBODY was gonna get the same damned incredible world class Health care.

Is he getting vapors cause she's hogging all the good stuff?

We need a committee or you know panel of some sort so that we make sure that our infinite resources are now allocated properly.

[Donald]

Right?

[Miss Marple]

I think that Keller is the type that will be chosen for that committee, aka Death Panel.

Not only does he not have the empathy to see value in this woman's life and struggle, he totally lacks any understanding of how his words would be received by readers. And yet, he is somehow supposed to be one of the smart elite.

Amazing.

[narciso]

there is knowledge, which Keller has proven deficient, and there is wisdom, he is totally bereft of;

http://therightscoop.com/marcus-luttrell-there-is-nothing-glorious-about-war-its-the-most-horrible-thing-in-the-world/

[Jack is Back! (Instigator-in-Chief)]

The Keller's prove once again how unhappy and permanently aggrieved liberals are in their souls, hearts and minds.

[narciso]

Rush was talking about this, yesterday;

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2014/01/14/study-couples-without-children-have-happier-marriages/

[jimmyk on iPad]

From Narc's 7:08 link,one might have thought the more important finding was this, though instead it's an afterthought and they mangle the sentence: "Researchers also found that women without children were the least happy with life overall, however they did find that mothers were happier than any other group."

There's also selection bias: couples with children may be more likely to stay together. All that aside, maybe "happiness" is hard to quantify or figure out cause and effect?

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

, but the Caring Canines program is a charitable endeavor

I tried to do this with Jess....took a weekend course to get certified. I think through a program called Delta (can't remember) out at Fairfax Hospital. It was serious to get the certification. I think it cost $75 for the book & class & final test. Jess jumped though & that is an automatic fail. It is totally a volunteer program, no patient payments involved.

[Captain Hate]

Levin was all over the JEF's statement yesterday that he would proceed on doing things without Congress and the lack of any substantive push back from the "opposition party".

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

I'll repeat what I said yesterday when a commenter linked to Keller. Balancing Americans' overuse of medical services and the extremely high cost of those services and the individual's choice to have every life extension treatment they can get are legitimate questions for debate. Let's face it, taxpayer and insurance pool medical payments are the leading use of OPM in America, and OPM is running out. That said, the Left refuses to have that debate; they want to quietly socialize medicene so they can quietly move this question to 'panels of experts' like Dr Zeke Mengele and Bill Keller-- all without debate. They operate in the shadows. When Keller pops out into the daylight to print a disgusting op-ed piece like this, they get smacked and reminded why the operate in the shadows. Disgusting fascist liars.

[narciso]

Most explicitly since Evan Thomas endorsed them for his parents, what a ungrateful whelp.

the HMOs, with the preexisting condition was certainly one way of handling it, but since 1988, they were unwilling to engage it.

[jimmyk]

Good news, I think, about the court decision on "net neutrality." It's complicated, but I prefer to let the business sort things out than have the FCC dicate.

[narciso]

The FCC, which really mean Mark Lloyd is appealing it,

[narciso]

Brookings finds that the gridlock is in the committees, nee the Searchlight Strangler's purview, crickets, (h/t Examiner)

[Danube on iPad]

The American liberal is permanently alert to prescribe how others should live their lives.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

.. and when and how other's should die.

[Captain Hate]

The FCC, which really mean Mark Lloyd is appealing it

Of course they are; the bureaucrats never give up. And when they run out of appeals, they'll introduce it again only slightly different. They will never take "no" for an answer and the "opposition party" will eventually find it too burdensome to push back against them, if they haven't already.

Why does the FCC even exist? Rather than doing their part to expand the power of the state they should have to justify their raison d'etre annually or be sent to the trash heap of history. The country has gotten so far away from the founding principles that I probably sound like a lunatic for even expressing that.

[narciso]

the whole 'you shall make no law' escapes them, it seemed to matter only with Howard Stern, which is not the reason for the amendment, as if they were thinking of Sheridan, when they wrote it,

[narciso]

Great job, Orange One, Carlos Slim is applauding you, facepalm,

[Captain Hate]

There's something fundamentally wrong with a bureaucracy using taxpayer money to appeal rulings that say they've exceeded their ability to curtail the freedom of those taxpayers. They should get one chance to make their case and then it's throatslash time.

[Extraneus]

I probably sound like a lunatic for even expressing that.

A racist, homophobic fringe extremist, too.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Europe's Top Socialist (with <30% approval) speaks. From an article about French Bonds tanking now that Spain and Italy are getting their fiscal act together, such that France is running out of OPM, Hollande proves Lady Thatcher's point about OPM, he said: “The time has come to resolve the main problem of France: its production,” he said. “We must produce more and better. It’s on the supply side we must act. Supply itself creates demand. We must continue to reduce the cost of labor.”

That's right, Europe's top socialist is now a supply sider who wants to drive down labor costs. Next, Hollande will want to toss the North Africans back across the Med,and privatize medicene.

[Captain Hate]

The world according to Special Ed:

ED SCHULTZ: I was visiting with some lawmakers last night in Washington. We talked a lot about health care when I was visiting them. I asked them, did they have a problem running on it? There does seem to be, for some reason, a reluctance by Democrats to run home and talk about how positive this health care law is. And I find that very interesting. The moral aspect of this, the moral component to this — and when you talk to them about voting to take something away from another American, it does resonate with people. If you’re doing statistics, you know, you’re not going to win that battle, but if you talk about people’s lives and the moral component, who can argue with it? It’s almost like there’s a lack of confidence, like they’re not sure this is the right thing to do in front of constituents.

[AliceH]

Re: the Kellers, my impression is they are right in line with the attitude of Doctors and "Health Care professionals" I've begun following on twitter.

For example, it seems they all agree on importance of establishing new protocols to always get patients to sign onto "let me die" (I forget the preferred euphemism) statements - lots of support for getting primary care physicians to incorporate these documented decisions as part of routine office visits. They also share anecdotes on effective approaches they've used to convince family members in emergency rooms to agree to let their parent/child/spouse "go with dignity".

It's completely put me off the idea of ever putting that stuff in writing -- they don't even consider the need for version control, for one thing, which is worrisome (if you once file a DNR/DNI, can you ever effectively cancel it? Not reliably, near as I can tell.)

I do think there are vital (literally!) issues here, and I do think that includes considering in advance what one desires re: measures of treatment, palliative care... but I do not believe this is an area where there are general rules for a hospital/doctor that can ever supercede the particular case of the individual patient. Step 1, to me, is dislodging the idea from their minds and ours that palliative care (addressing comfort) by definition precludes any attempts at treatment, much less cure. Why is it never both?

[Miss Marple]

Captain Hate,

The answer to Mr. Schultz's puzzling question is that this is not a POSITIVE law, as he foolishly assumes it to be.

If it were a moral and positive law, then we wouldn't see the government attacking the Little Sisters of the Poor or prohibiting hospitals from offering free treatment to US citizens.

For most on the exchanges, the law will STILL require them to pay cash (due to high deductibles) while restricting their choice of doctors and hospitals plus charging them an expensive premium every month for being enrolled.

This is not a sensible or moral law. It is complete harassment of working people in order to enrich and further empower the government through their fascistic partnership with the insurance companies.

[narciso]

Well Sgt. Schultz, unlike many of the Air America TV stable, is unable to make that cognitive leap,

[Jeff Dobbs]

My children are 18, 15 and 13. My goal is to be sure that their faith increases and the family unit is strengthened by the time I pass away if that is what must be. ... Frank and I have the rare opportunity to demonstrate our faith and the power of God's love in the time we have left together. We have always told our children that they were equipped to deal with anything life handed them and it seems we were actually right! They are awesome.
...
Frank's insurance is allowing me the best, most advanced treatment for this very rare and lethal cancer.
...
I have a wonderful life and everything in the world to live for because God has blessed us in every way possible. I will not waste the brain chemistry on negativity and fear. Everyday is a gift and one more day to love and be loved by my family.

--stuff Bad wrote in Feb of 2007 while battling cancer at the age of 47.

She chose not to simply "go gently" (and I think she would excuse my splitting of that infinitive). Bad's choice was rather:

We are kicking cancer’s butt and choosing happiness everyday.

Bad died 3 years after the words above, peacefully, with her family at her side. It will be 4 years since her death this March.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

End of life care decisions cannot be collectivized and generalized. That is one of the great crimes of socialized medicene, because it does just that. My personal experience with my then 88 year old mother was pretty good when a UT infection and dehydration led to all sorts of crazy medical conditions including metasticized breast cancer. The oncologist was caring but realistic, treat it, but not with harsh chemo. Why do that to an 88yo? Our family agreed. We ahd a very happy ending, her cancer was very slow moving and radiation put it into remission, and given her age she will probably die of other causes... someday. That decision was medical and personal. Of course insurance and medicare cost protocols will have a huge say, but within those financial restraints, the decision is completely family and doctor based. Don't the abortionists say this same thing about killing babies?

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Here's the best summary of the ObummerCare signups I've seen. bad for insurers, disaster for the taxpayers. The signups are older, the younger ones are clearly chronically ill to begin with, and massively subsidized. Repeal the insurer bailout and this thing collapses like that. What's that, reid and Obama veto real of the insurer bailouts? Then the Dems collapse in november '14, like that. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-13/whos-buying-obamacare-in-three-charts#r=rss

[Jeff Dobbs]

NK:
End of life care decisions cannot be collectivized and generalized. That is one of the great crimes of socialized medicene

Another JOMer's story is on point here. We have PUK and his experience with the NHS at the end of his mother's life.

[Extraneus]

I had to pull the plug on both of my parents, and I was able to do it with a clear consience based on honest dialogue with doctors and no interference from anyone.

If insurance companies want to offer a lower-cost policy for people with a DNR on file, they should be able to do that. Otherwise, this should be between the family and their doctor, period.

[Extraneus]

Israeli defence minister says John Kerry should 'take Nobel prize and leave us be' - reports

Israeli defence minister has reportedly attacked John Kerry, heading up the US-led peace process, for being 'obsessive messianic', saying he should 'take his Nobel prize and leave us alone'

Israeli defence minister Moshe Yaalon has scathingly attacked US Secretary of State John Kerry and the US-led peace process in private conversations, according to reports.

“Secretary of State John Kerry—who arrived here determined, and who operates from an incomprehensible obsession and a sense of messianism—can’t teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians”, Mr Yaalon is reported as saying.

Mr Yaalon reportedly made his statements in the course of a number of conversations held with American and Israeli officials, according to Israeli daily Yediot Ahranot.

“The only thing that might save us is if John Kerry wins the Nobel Prize and leaves us be”, said the Defence Minister.

Turning to the US-led efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians to an interim agreement in the current round of peace talks, Yaalon dismissed the American proposals with disdain.

“The American plan for security arrangements that was shown to us isn’t worth the paper it was written on”, he is quoted as saying.

Heh.

[Extraneus]

After paying tribute to the late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday, the US Vice President Joe Biden [idiot] told Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he believes Israel and a future Palestine could become an "island of stability" in a turbulent region, and expressed hope that the leaders would make the "difficult decisions" needed for a compromise.

How meaningful. Peres must have been hanging on every word.

[Extraneus]

We know Netanyahu was.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Peter Singer is another atheist,leftist that advocates killing ...but doesn't take his own advice when it comes to HIS mother.

"Singer has spent his career trying to lay down rules for human behavior which are divorced from emotion and intuition. His is a world that makes no provision for private aides to look after addled, dying old women. Yet he can’t help himself. “I think this has made me see how the issues of someone with these kinds of problems are really very difficult,” he said quietly. “Perhaps it is more difficult than I thought before, because it is different when it’s your mother.” (emphasis added)"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Singer

[Jeff Dobbs]

How is Janet holding up with the news that Jim Moran is retiring? Must be a big blow.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

OT - http://atr.rollcall.com/virginias-moran-announces-retirement-from-congress/

He hasn't made the same amounts of money ever since Murtha died. Murtha was the brains of their "money off of military contracts" business.

[Thomas Collins]

NK, I have no idea whether I would be a fighter or palliative care acceptor (PCA) were I to be diagnosed with a serious illness with high chance of dying from the illness. My posture toward other fighters and PCAs, however, is that while I respect the posture of the PCAs, it's the fighters, especially those who push for basic research and rules facilitating increased use of clinical trials, who contribute more than any of us in our role as patients (whether patients having serious illnesses, common colds or whatever) to advances in medicine. That's what bothers the Kellers and Emanuels and Daschles and Berwicks of the world. The palliative care movement at the macro level is a movement of administrative state sclerosis, and the Lisa Adamses of the world challenge that notion.

We need less Kellerism in our approach to medicine and more Blutoism. It's not over after the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Hah! hit...I didn't see your post before I posted.

We cannot do any worse than Moran.

[Captain Hate]

This was probably the POI episode with the most funny moments so far

I think I woke Mrs H up by laughing so hard when Finch broke out the aviation gaming console.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Peter Singer? Peter Singer can go fuck himself... and the dog he walked in with. So Singer sweat pulling the plug on his dear old mom? Pity. Boy... he must have been traumatized when he had to put down the dog.

[Account Deleted]

Extraneous,

I would hope people would check out their doctor to determine where (s)he was indoctrinated prior to making final decisions. I'd like to second AliceH's observation above regarding current indoctrination of doctors in the ProleCull concept of treatment by death.

It would take more effort than I will ever muster to trust an Ivy League indoctrinated credentialed moron with any task more complicated than a haircut. I've read too many comments by them incorporating the "greater good" sentiment which marks enlistment in the Dr. Zeke's Einsatzgruppen.

[jimmyk]

They should get one chance to make their case and then it's throatslash time.

Yes, and with this administration we know that the FCC is just another tool in the war against conservatives, to redistribute income, reward cronies, and in general consolidate and increase the power of Democrats.

[Dave (in MA)]

CH, my favorite one was when Reese KO'ed the cellphone guy with a fake yawn-stretch/punch.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

TomC-- I think it's genetic from my father but I'm a definite pull the plug kind of guy. Why would I possibly want to be an immobile burden on anyone? If Jesus is calling me home, why would I want extraordinary means to stay away? My immigrant dad used to say, when the time comes, put 2 coins over his eyes and send him on that ride over the River Styx. He went too soon, but he went exactly that way. I think he took a certain Greek satisfaction from that, apparently it's genetic. But I would never dream of imposing my own predisposition on anyone else's decision. That's the nightmare of fascism. We're looking at you Peter Singer and Zeke Mengele.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

It is interesting that atheists & secularists are the most pro-death. Once you're gone, you're gone.
Christians are pro-life even though they know heaven & eternal life are theirs through Christ.

[Marlene]

Last year,as his health precipitously declined,my Dad was a fighter. I recently looked at last year's e-mails between siblings and the first mention of hospice was in May.Dad said no.He tended his garden all summer and in the late summer,he accepted in home hospice care. He had wonderful providers and the care was a relief for Mom,who was overwhelmed. He made the choice to enter the hospice facility and within 36 hours he passed. Families go thru these gut wrenching decisions every day.I can't imagine anything worse than some bureaucrat standing in the middle of a family discussion.

[Thomas Collins]

Rick, I need to part company with you on the haircut issue. The notion of one of the credentialled class holding scissors over my head is not a pleasant one for me. I suppose I could accept a Harvard grad who had held real jobs before taking up the scissors. But if an Ivy educated assistant to the executive director of, say, NGOs For Diversity and Inclusion in International Relations, decides on a change in careers to the barber shop, I'm staying away.

[jimmyk]

I'd like to second AliceH's observation above regarding current indoctrination of doctors in the ProleCull concept of treatment by death.

I've said before that this whole "right to die" business quickly morphs into "obligation to die." We had to resist pressure to have a DNR on my father, which would have meant if he just passed out (say because of some insulin excess or deficiency) the staff where he lives would have been forbidden to do anything to help him.

Another experience: After the Terry Schiavo thing I asked my attorney to rewrite my "living will" to require at least two family members to agree on pulling the plug on me. He said, no, such a thing is not allowed, there can only be one person. So I'm inclined to just tear the thing up. Why is it the state's business to dictate how these things are written?

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Einsatzgruppen? ouch.

I voluntarily avoid using terms which subjectively irritate others. So around libs, instead of saying 'homosexual' I'll say 'gay' etc. It's not violating my personal principles, it's common courtesy.
But in this case, despite Dr Zeke's violent opposition because of his family history, I would stick to my guns about using terms like Zeke 'Mengele' and 'Einsatzgruppen.' to describe what he and Singer and the rest of the cult of death are proposing to do. Those terms refer to one of the greatest crimes in history; these characters propose a new crime against the innocent. Throwing obnoxious terms in their faces is justified in my view. They are not owed any courtesy, and extending it would be a violation of the principle of human dignity.

[Ignatz]

--Balancing Americans' overuse of medical services and the extremely high cost of those services and the individual's choice to have every life extension treatment they can get are legitimate questions for debate.--

They shouldn't be for a public debate except to the extent the public picks up the tab for the indigent. In a country run constitutionally the only debate would be between the private purchaser and the private insurer at the time they bought their policy.

[Old Lurker]

Rick "It would take more effort than I will ever muster to trust an Ivy League indoctrinated credentialed moron..."

True That.

You recall than my younger daughter is about halfway through Columbia Med and lately we have been having some pretty testy discussions about exactly this subject. The party line they all have is that the poor deserve to have access to all the latest technology that rich people get. Of course my immediate question is "but who should pay for that?" to which she acknowledges the problem but the default answer is "the government". To which my next remark is "well you know that our (and her) friends and I and pay about 90% of the cost of the government passing out things like that, so what you mean is that I should pay for the poor person to have the same care that I expect for myself and for which I expect to pay in full." To which the answer is "so?". To which my next observation is "Daughter, you realize that every dollar I send to the government is a dollar you will not inherit from me, so in fact that means YOU and your sister are paying 100% of the cost of providing that level of care to that poor person..."

She then tells me that they are taught that if they could prevent the rich from wasting so much money on high cost treatments, there would be more money for health care for the poor and isn't that a good thing? To which I explain that if I have worked hard enough to accumulate the resources to splurge on some exotic treatment that benefits only me, but it is all my money, why should I be denied the freedom to do that? Said another way, daughter, you know I would spend all of my money to save your life if I could, and are you saying I should be denied that freedom too?"

So yes, dinners at my house take a lot of energy these days.

[Captain Hate]

CH, my favorite one was when Reese KO'ed the cellphone guy with a fake yawn-stretch/punch.

Caviezel was so smooth throughout the entire episode; add in that he's a conservative and I'm getting into dangerous mancrush territory.

[Marlene]

Yesterday,the Anthem BC/BS Maine president spoke to a group in Bangor,which hubby attended. He (the Anthem guy) said don't worry,the marketplace will stabilize,etc. He would not provide enrollment numbers and would not take questions. Hubby said they are all in for ACA,do they have a choice? Hubby made a prediction a couple of years ago that the only role the insurance companies will have is as claims adjudicators.

[jimmyk]

They shouldn't be for a public debate except to the extent the public picks up the tab for the indigent.

Which is one of many good reasons even the indigent themselves should be wary of public "assistance" in the area of health.

[jimmyk]

She then tells me that they are taught that if they could prevent the rich from wasting so much money on high cost treatments, there would be more money for health care for the poor and isn't that a good thing?

So Med schools these days are indoctrinating students into leftist mythologies? I guess simply teaching medicine isn't enough work? I wish I could say I'm surprised.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

"a country run constitutionally the only debate would be between the private purchaser and the private insurer at the time they bought their policy."

Obviously I have no objection to this, but pools of insurance money for groups who insist on end of life care will be far more expensive than pull the pluggers. Then comes the complication of pull the pluggers (or their families) reneging and demanding life extension care. There is a legitimate cost debate here IMO; where I differ from the Dr. Singers/Mengele is that the deabte must be public and democratic, not fascistic and in the shadows.

[Gmax]

Via IowaHawk who of course nails it once again:

Jim Moran announces retirement, cites wish to spend more time with his anti-Semitism

Given that district would elect Castro on a first ballot nomination for the vacancy, I would say Moran must be quite despondent over the prospects to recapture the House anytime soon. Getting out while the getting is as good as its gonna get for awhile. Look for him to foul some NGO birdsnest in no time flat.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

JimmyK@10:56-- that more money for illegal immigrant uninsured meme came dripping out of Keller's op-ed essay. He was clearly writing about some priviliged white lady grabbing resources with both fists and taking it away from the poor deserving immigrant. Disgusting prat.

[James D.]

But in this case, despite Dr Zeke's violent opposition because of his family history, I would stick to my guns about using terms like Zeke 'Mengele' and 'Einsatzgruppen.' to describe what he and Singer and the rest of the cult of death are proposing to do. Those terms refer to one of the greatest crimes in history; these characters propose a new crime against the innocent. Throwing obnoxious terms in their faces is justified in my view. They are not owed any courtesy, and extending it would be a violation of the principle of human dignity.

Amen to that.

These people are evil, full stop. There is nothing to be gained by listening to their arguments, or pretending that they are decent human beings who can be reasoned with.

It really is that simple.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

After the Terry Schiavo thing I asked my attorney to rewrite my "living will"

Yeah, that was an eye-opener. Starving someone to death & withholding water.

The minimum - food, water, pain meds, & keeping the person clean should not be choices.

[James D.]

Going further - I think that any decent person should not share a stage or even remain in the same room with people like Zeke, or Singer, or the Kellers.

I think the appropriate response upon seeing them is, "You are a f**king Nazi. I have no wish to speak with you." followed by turning one's back on them and walking out.

[Old Lurker]

Jimmy, since she certainly did learn that at home, I conclude the school must be saying that. To be fair to the school I will ask her that question directly next time. But you know I'm right.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

JamesD-- one small point. While Dr Zeke and Singer are the Stormtroopers putting out the public arguments, their 'cause' is fought entirely in the shadows, because they don't want a public debate, they know they would lose. They don't want to be reasoned with, they want to impose. Their approach is fascist. As you say, it's that simple.

[Old Lurker]

GASP! "...she did NOT learn that at home..."

[Ignatz]

A couple of thoughts,

The loose use of the term palliative care.
It doesn't just mean painkillers two weeks before you die.
Lisa Bonchek Adams has been on palliative care since 2012 at least. Anyone with stage IV cancer is receiving palliative care as is anyone with terminal disease like cystic fibrosis or congestive heart failure.
Such care can last for many years and it isn't just to control pain until someone croaks.
My wife was essentially on palliative care since 2006 when it metastasized to her bones and was officially stage IV. For 4 1/2 of those years she was in remission but still terminal. Many men and women with breast or prostate cancer live even longer than she did with Stage IV disease.

End of life care.
When a person is truly dying they naturally stop eating. They naturally stop drinking. It's a natural part of the body shutting down.
Forceful intervention must be made to feed and hydrate a person at that point to keep them alive. Having been around more people in that situation than I would prefer I have yet to meet one who wanted to be artificially maintained alive nor a family member who wanted to either. Doctors and patients have been having that conversation for probably thousands of years. And while there are many jerks in health care, my experience has been that doctors and nurses both usually approach this area not considering costs but considering the patients best interests.
Having said that if a person is in the position of being incapable of expressing his or her wishes, IMO, the error should be on the side of life as an error the other way is irrevocable.

Regardless of what the left says a free market in health insurance allows people to buy precisely the kind of insurance they want and the services it will provide because of course it involves a voluntary transaction between two free agents who weigh their interests before entering into it.
Goes without saying I suppose but government intervention is what will make Kevorkianism official policy because of course free agents and voluntary exchanges are abolished.
Why does the left hate freedom and love death?