Scattered musing, or guy gets glued to toilet?

Scattered musing, or battle it right, stop torture and a guy gets glued to a toilet!

President Bush unveiled his long awaited Bird Flu Battle Plan. The President will ask Congress for $7.1 billion in emergency funding to prepare the country for a possible flu pandemic. The plan also calls for spending $1 billion to stockpile antiviral drugs -- such as Tamiflu and Relenza.

An interesting side note to Tamiflu is its derived from an ancient Chinese spice star anise. It is an ingredient of the mixture known as “Chinese Five Spices.”

The plan was just released November 2nd and already it has become controversial. Such as the lack of health care coverage, and a health care system is too limited in capacity to provide it.

Here is a fantasy scenario; all the worlds’ leaders join forces to combat this ever-increasing health threat. The Senate agrees to provide any funding necessary to stop the flu in its tracks. The world health organizations join with the scientific and pharmaceutical community to develop a new and effective means of stopping the possibility of mutation and the present infection among the world’s birds.

Now that is a Bird Flu battle plan.

I have been trying to understand the White House on opposing a congressional drive to outlaw torture. President Bush was quoted as saying, “We do not torture.” Okay, if this is true, why is the White House against the establishment of an act prohibiting it?

Personally I feel torture is a reprehensible act that should not be condoned by any government. Of course this is not the case in some other parts of the world, but have we not set ourselves above these people? Another point that bothers me is Vice President Dick Cheney wants the CIA excluded from any law passed. Excuse me? In the past the CIA has been the agency accused of it. And we want to exclude them? We have all read the stories from those in Iraq who were tortured under Saddam’s regime.

This is just one of those instances that I scratch my head and wonder.

Just when I’m down in the dumps reading news stories with death and devastation I see this and my sense of humor is validated.

Man glued to toilet seat, sues store - Yahoo! News
Retired electrical engineer Bob Dougherty, 57, said on Thursday he was stuck in the stall with his pants down for about 20 minutes and that two years after the 2003 incident he was suffering from post-traumatic stress, which has triggered diabetes and heart complications.

"I have these nightmares every night where I am locked in this dark room, with no windows, no doors, no fresh air, no route for escape. I wake up in these cold sweats," Dougherty said

I realize that poor Mr. Dougherty may never be the same again. But damn this is funny!