Good afternoon!
This is an early update because I'm leaving this afternoon and will be out of town for the remainder of the week so today's post will contain information from yesterday and early this morning.
So, let's begin...
An update...
Bills compete to save Schiavo...
TALLAHASSEE -- With less than three days to go before Terri Schiavo's feeding tube is removed, the Florida Senate on Tuesday significantly changed the legislation designed to forestall her death.
Earlier this week, key lawmakers in the House and Senate reached a tentative agreement on a bill to block the court-ordered removal of the severely brain-damaged woman's feeding tube at 1 p.m. Friday.
But that deal seemed to fall apart Tuesday, at least in the short term, when the final committees hearing the legislation in both the House and Senate approved competing versions. Members of both chambers planned to renew discussions today and said they were "optimistic" they could reach a new consensus before the deadline.
"We've got time to get it done . . . I'm hopeful to sign something Friday. That's the plan," Gov. Jeb Bush said.
In general, both versions seek to prevent Terri Schiavo's death by blocking a guardian from allowing someone in a persistent vegetative state to die by withholding food and water, unless that person made clear in writing that they did not want artificial sustenance.
Terri Schiavo, who collapsed 15 years ago, did not have a living will. But her husband, Michael Schiavo, maintains that his wife, before falling ill, had made clear in casual conversations that she did not want to be kept alive artificially.
Her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, disagree and have been fighting Michael Schiavo's efforts to remove her feeding tube and allow her to die.
Michael Schiavo, making his first public comments Tuesday since late 2003 to ABC News Nightline, lashed out at Bush and the Legislature.
"It's really uncomprehensible . . . for a governor to come into this without any education on the subject and push his personal views into this and have his Republican [Legislature] pass laws so that this doesn't happen," Schiavo said, according to a transcript released by ABC. "Are they going to start pushing legislation for removing ventilators? Are they going to start forcing people to take chemo against their wishes? What they're doing is, they're making the decisions for us."
Added his attorney, George Felos: "Jeb Bush in Florida is determined to become the George Wallace of his generation, standing on the courthouse steps saying, 'We're not going to obey a court order that carries out a patient's constitutional rights.' "
Related: Michael Schiavo Attacks Gov. Bush...
(To learn more about this whole situation and my opinion on it, click here.)
Glenn Beck has been struggling to save the life of Terri Schiavo ever since I began listening to him about 5 years ago. This past week, Glenn has been hammering Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo.
He has begun a "How much is one life worth?" promotion, stating that if Michael gives up custody of his wife, he'll give him the money that his listeners have pledged - which is now over $1.5 million.
Michael will most likely not take Glenn up on his offer, or care. But what Glenn is trying to do here is show the apparent disregard Michael has for his wife. Michael has had a kid with another woman (not his wife, because he is still legally married to Terri) and another on the way.
More...
Glenn Beck is not one to stop at just a life-saving promotion. He's gone further, promoting the idea of "I Starved My Wife To Death" T-shirts, key chains, and coffee mugs (which are not for sale).
The T-shirt idea may be funny, but what Glenn and others, are really trying to do is show the irony of this whole situation to the American people, hoping they will take action.
And of course, the great thing about America is that the people can take action. If you'd like to help out in saving Terri's life, I encourage you to make a phone call or send an email to any of the following Florida state lawmakers contained within this link. The courts have had their say, now it's time for the American people to tell Michael Schiavo and the judge presiding over this case what they think.
Here are some various links on this issue...
Wikipedia: Terri Schiavo...
Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation...
Lying about Terri Schiavo...
Was Terri Schiavo Beaten in 1990?
Terri Schiavo denied Last Rites...
Schiavo suspects bulimia caused wife's collapse...
St. Pete Times: Understanding Terri Schiavo...
...provides arguments from her husband and her family.
News wire...
More links...
May God bless Terri, and her family as her fate draws near.
Since we're discussing the legal system...
Justice Scalia Delivers Denunciation of 'Living Constitution' Theory...
WASHINGTON - Speaking to an audience of about 50 people at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington Monday, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia denounced the idea that the Constitution is “a living document” in which judges can find new meanings that were not intended by those who wrote it.
“The Constitution is not a living organism, for Pete’s sake, it is legal document, and like all legal documents, it says some things and doesn’t say others,” he said.
In the past 30 years, in its abortion, homosexual sodomy and death penalty decisions, the Supreme Court has, Scalia, said, “essentially liberated itself from the text of the Constitution … and even from the traditions of the American people.”
What he sees as a trend of judges reading new meanings into the Constitution “will destroy the Constitution,” he predicted.
Scalia explained his dissent from the court’s decision on March 1 to ban the execution of those under age 18. The five-justice majority said such executions violated the Eighth Amendment.
“What was ‘cruel and unusual’ and unconstitutional in 1791 remains that today. Executing someone under 18 was not unconstitutional in 1791, so it is not unconstitutional today. Now, it may be very stupid, it may be a very bad idea, just as notching ears, which was a punishment in 1791, is a very bad idea. But the people can … eliminate those stupidities if and when they want. … All you need is a legislature and the ballot box.”
He said Americans also can create a right to abortion or can legitimize homosexual sodomy democratically, through their state legislatures and Congress, if they want to do so.
I think it's good to have a public forum and debate on the court system in this country because the courts have such a powerful impact on our lives. Issues such as these need to be heard and understood by the American people so that there can be a true "balance of powers".
More articles on court decisions and "life" issues...
Texas Baby to Be Taken Off Life Support - Against Mother's Wishes...
Planned Parenthood Sues Indiana in Tug-of-War Over Medical Records...
Michigan's Partial Birth Abortion Ban Delayed...
Other various news...
Newsmax: N.Y. Times: Iraq Had WMD 'Stockpiles' in 2003...
Telegraph (UK): Saddam's $2m offer to WMD inspector...
Rice Says U.S. Concerned by China Military Build-Up...
World Tribune: U.S. catches China transferring WMD tech to Iran...
Anthrax at Two Pentagon Mailrooms...
Senate Poised to Clear the Way for ANWR Drilling...
Members of Congress Face Their Own Mounting Credit Card Debts...
Rewritten Bible Banishes Saints...
Finally, Gizoogle...
  
Gizoogle parody Web site puts the sizzle into 'izzle'...
There are words and phrases that manipulate their way into the collective language of coolness -- making them so uncool.
"You da man!" is one such phrase. A few years ago, it had 50-year-old guys in office slacks pointing finger guns.
And who can forget "Wassup?!"
After this story, we can add all things "izzle."
Fo shizzle. Fo realizzle.
Because now, for the Internet gangsta inside us all, there is Gizoogle.
Reader be warned: This isn't a family-friendly Web site.
Gizoogle is the illegitimate, thugged-out cousin of Google that translates its search results into Snoop Dogg slang, or izzle-speak. Enter "Vice President Dick Cheney" in the search field and it turns up "Vizzy President Dizzle Cheney." It then supplies the same information on the subjects as Google does -- except it's izzle-filled and obscenity laden.
Apparently the site will also translate any site you want into the "izzle" language.
I don't know whether to laugh, sigh, or just be confused.
Fo shizzle.
-Justin | 
