Yeasts.  Candida.  Candidiasis.  What is the significance of these terms?
Lets start with the basics.
Fungi have an extended family.  Yeasts belong to the fungus family which consists of at least 100,000 to 250,000 species.  They include yeasts, mold, mildew, rots, smuts and mushrooms.  The characteristics of fungi is the lack of chlorophyl.  Consequently, they cannot perform photosynthesis and are parasitic and saprophytic (feeding off dead organisms).
The function of yeasts is to break down dead bodies so that organic matter can be turned into its basic elements of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus.  Without yeasts, we could be in serious trouble because dead bodies of animals and plants would simply pile up.  We need yeasts to assist in the recycling of ecology.
However, overgrowth of yeasts can also break down living organisms.  There are at least 20 to 30 different types of pathogenic yeasts which cause illnesses.  Candida is one member of the yeast family.  Candida albicans alone has 50 to 60 different strains which cause infections.  Consequently, it is no surprise that almost every individual in contemporary society suffers from yeast infections at one time or another, to a greater or lesser degree.
Because yeasts normally live on mucous membranes, contemporary laboratory tests such as blood tests, x-rays or stool cultures usually cannot detect their presence. 
Many of Dr. J’s past clients reported that all the tests performed by their physicians were negative; however, they still felt miserable.  Observation of the eyes, skin and tongue and knowledge of a detailed health history are the best ways to determine whether an individual is infected with yeasts and suffers from yeast disorder.

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GN International Talent Management represents a diverse group of talent.  Everyone from models,musicians, actors, stylist, make-up artist and photographers.  Although Washington DC is our home we specialize in placing carefully selected talent with agencies worldwide.
GN International Talent Management was established out of concern for and safety of young adults in the modeling industry and the lack of information given to parents. After much research we decided to share what we have learned from knowledgeable members of the industry.  

We have numerous contacts and have become widely known and respected by top agencies.
GN International Talent Management serves as a source of knowledge and guidance. 

We provide placement and consultation for many top U.S., European and Asian modeling agencies. Our knowledge of these distant markets is not merely based on telephone or email contact with the local agencies and clients, it is grounded in the first-hand experience of having lived and worked in many European and Asian cities for over 20 years.

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Changing medical school requirements for scientific medicine Science has an editorial today discussing a topic near and dear to me, what medical schools should require from undergraduates before admission. Since I was a bit non-traditional as an undergraduate premed (I was a physics major), I am happy to see that they've ignored calls to overload undergraduate education with a bunch of pre-professional courses that prevent people from being anything but biology majors.

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Most of the time, while driving, I whiz past familiar landmarks without a chance to see what they really look like. I prefer keeping my eye on the road, and the idiot who is driving in front or behind me. Walking gives a new perspective. One of my favorite walks is along Embassy Row, that stretch of Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., in Washington between DuPont Circle and the National Cathedral. Leafy boulevard, beautiful homes, and a great variety of embassies and diplomatic stations. By walking, rather than driving, I get to see up close the atomic clock in front of the Vice-President's residence at the Naval Observatory, see the completion of the iron security fence at the Iraq Embassy, talk with the guy who for years has stood outside the Vatican Embassy to protest against priestly pedophilia. On Massachusetts Avenue, I see the tiny diplomatic outposts of Pacific Ocean countries, the gutted interior of the to-be-refurbished Brazilian consulate, the shuttered embassy of some Middle Eastern country (probably Iran) out of diplomatic favor with the U.S., and deer munching placidly on greens as they emerge from the Rock Creek underpass.

But then, there is the seamier side of on foot exploration: Rockville Pike, that stretch of ugly commercialism north of the Beltway extending toward Rockville and beyond. It is now undergoing major construction, making its unending stretch of big box retailers, storefront ethnic restaurants and tanning salons even more banal. I did a 10-mile walk up Rockville Pike on Saturday; it was most unpleasant. Noisy, full of traffic, honking horns, and assaults on the senses. After 10 miles, I took the metro subway home, happy to be back in leafy, even relatively quiet, upper Northwest Washington. I can't wait for the English countryside, without a hint of Jersey barriers.

I partially listened to my friend Katherine, who suggested to prevent blisters, I bandage up my toes before walking. Katherine has done the Hadrian's Wall walk a few years ago, and I trusted her judgment on such matters. For the first time, I'm wearing my new hiking boots for a fairly long walk, 10 miles. Trouble was, I wrapped my little toe, but didn't wrap the tip of it, and after more than 21,000 steps, it formed a blister. Maybe I'll be a little more careful next time. Still need to face the critical question: can I walk 10, 12, 14 miles, day after day. Stay tuned.

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Sexson so. I think that they learned a lesson from that and they certainly are careful. By you know use don't know because this game why they might want to ease him into -- in my game go -- go extra innings he just don't know what's gonna come up and I think it if they didn't think he could handle most situations you and be here -- firmly would like to -- him in but he just never know.

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birdingpal.org and arrange for a personal tour with a local volunteer.
I didnt get very many good photos this morning. I did get somewhat close to a grey catbird and caught him singing, above. But probably my favorite photo is this one I took of a Carolina wren that has made a nest in a Shavers Creek donation box affixed to an outdoor bulletin board. You can see her sitting on her nestlings here (the babies arent visible)—those are her eyes and beak just above the hole.
Click on any of the photos to see them bigger.
Heres a list of what we saw and/or heard this morning, for you bird nerds. Thanks to Doug for e-mailing the final list.
Great Blue Heron … Mourning Dove … Ruby-throated Hummingbird … Red-bellied Woodpecker … Downy Woodpecker … Eastern Phoebe … Great Crested Flycatcher … Blue-headed Vireo … Red-eyed Vireo … Blue Jay … American Crow … Black-capped Chickadee … Tufted Titmouse … White-breasted Nuthatch … Carolina Wren … House Wren … Blue-gray Gnatcatcher … Wood Thrush … American Robin … Gray Catbird … Brown Thrasher … Pine Warbler … Ovenbird … Common Yellowthroat … Scarlet Tanager … Eastern Towhee … Chipping Sparrow … Song Sparrow … Northern Cardinal … Pine Siskin.

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A single suborder Magchiroptera, within the order Chiroptera...oops, sorry, wrong kind of Fruit Bats. The ones we're concerned with are based in Seattle and make records full of sunny, sparkling folk-pop. When they began doing that, back in 2001, it was hipper to come on all garagey and call your band The Zaps or The Jabs than it was to make warm, tuneful, acoustic-based music with a pop heart and an expansive mind. The times, however, have caught up to the Fruit Bats in time for the release of their fourth album, The Ruminant Band, which is set to emerge from the Sub Pop environs on August 4. Now that the likes of Fleet Foxes have readied the world for the kind of summery-but-smart sounds the Fruit Bats make (true fact: another name for Fruit Bats is Flying Foxes), it's likely that Eric Johnson and his merry men will be embraced more heartily than ever. And just in case you were wondering -- even though Johnson went and joined The Shins sometime between this album and the last one, he remains committed to the Fruit Bats, so they're back to stay.

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This one wasn't planned.

As regular readers know, I'm preparing a post on the myth of most-excellent self-regulation by the North Carolina Medical Board. It should go up later in the week.

To clarify some issues I want to address in that post, I e-mailed the Board (on April 6th) . . . through it's general information e-mail system . . . and asked the following question:

How many investigators does the NCMB employ to investigate complaints (of any kind)?

How many lawyers are on your legal staff?
On April 7th, I got a very pleasant response back from the Board's Director of Public Relations:
Dr. Johnson,

Your question about Medical Board investigators and legal staff was forwarded to me. The information you requested is below:

The Board employs 11 full time investigators, including the director of the Investigations Department. Investigators are assigned to territories to provide statewide coverage.

The Board employs six full time attorneys, including the director of the Legal Department.

Hope this is what you needed.

Best,
Jean

Jean Fisher Brinkley
Director, Public Affairs
And all was fine. I moved right on along to other things.
This morning (the 13th . . . well over a week after my initial e-mail) I got a one line e-mail from a Board staff attorney (no salutation):
We currently have 5 attorneys in the Legal Department.
There was a discrepancy in the numbers, so I e-mailed the attorney back:
Ms. Long,

I got a more complete answer to this question last week from Jean-Fisher-Brinkley.

But there seems to be a discrepancy. Please clarify as to whether or not five or six attorneys (total) are employed by the NCMB.

Thank you,

Mary Johnson, M.D., FAAP
A short time later, I got another curt response (no salutation):
Your question was How many lawyers are on your legal staff? We have 5 attorneys in the Legal Department.

There are attorneys in other capacities at the Board. The Executive Director is an attorney and the Special Projects Coordinator is an attorney.
My blood pressure was slowly creeping up secondary to the dismissive tone of the e-mails, and since there was still a discrepancy in the total numbers (as we must have our facts straight for people like Roch), I e-mailed again:
Ms. Long,

Respectfully, you are parsing words.

I will re-phrase for clarity. How many lawyers (total - Directors/Coordinators, whatever) are employed by the North Carolina Medical Board? The number now appears to be seven - five "working" attorneys on staff - and two administrators.

Thank you.

Mary Johnson, M.D. FAAP
Very shortly later, I got another curt reply:
correct
And/so, just a short while ago, I fired this one off:
Ms. Long,

Thank you. I have one more question. As a matter of professional courtesy, is there some kind of problem with a lawyer employed by the North Carolina Medical Board addressing a physician and licensee-in-good-standing as "Dr." in correspondence?

You see, I've spent eleven years parsing words with one attorney or another . . . waiting interminable periods of time for answers to the simplest of questions (literally sucking my life away) . . . and I've put up with a lot. But I am sorry. You are not going to get away with being rude.

For future reference, in ANY correspondence with the North Carolina Medical Board . . . at least before I sue the Board . . . over its apathy/silence/inaction during the aforementioned eleven years of being professionally raped/robbed/left for dead by a "non-profit" hospital (because as a young physician in public service to my hometown, I defied threats against my livelihood in order to uphold the Board's precious standards of medical ethical care . . . a cluster-screw-of-the-highest order that the NCMB had not seen fit to refer to the N.C. Attorney General for a proper criminal investigation), I expect answers to questions I pose to the North Carolina Medical Board to be answered fully and in the broadest possible terms.

I have not sued you yet. And I am a citizen asking for public information.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Mary H. Johnson, M.D., FAAP
Asheboro, N.C.
It had salutations and punctuation and everything (my e-mail had a cringe-worthy typo that the spell-checker missed - it's corrected here).
Updates as they arise.
Afternoon Update:
It is amazing to me how no one these days can own up to anything or say, "I'm sorry".
Here is the latest in my back forth with the Medical Board. Please note how I am being "managed" now.
Dr. Johnson,

Wanda was simply trying to respond to the portion of your question that relates to her world. She was unaware that I had already responded to your question. This was poor internal communication on our part.

To confirm, the NCMBs Legal Department employs six full-time attorneys, including Mr. Mansfield. Wandas department count did not include the attorney who is currently on leave from the Board serving in the National Guard, which is the reason for the discrepancy.

In future, please send any questions directly to me. My department, Public Affairs, is best prepared to respond to public information requests from the press or public.

Best,
Jean Fisher Brinkley
A short time later, this was in my Inbox:
Dr. Johnson,

I gave your question about the legal department some more thought and I wanted to give you a little more information in the interest of accuracy. While the department has six attorneys, one is officially on military leave. So technically the department has five budgeted positions (though again, Mr. Mansfield is not a full-time litigator he also runs the department and serves as legislative liaison for the Board).

Mr. Mansfield has requested permission to add another full time attorney to his staff so that both the attorney on leave and the attorney filling in in his absence will remain on staff. If that request is approved, then the Board will have six full-time attorneys.

Sorry for the confusion.

Best,
Jean
As Ms. Fisher-Brinkley points out, Thomas Mansfield is the Board's lead attorney . . . the guy who really runs the show (it's for damned sure that doctors don't) . . . the attorney who once told me that he was "sorry" he could not help me with my "problems". Never mind that I am a licensed physician in North Carolina . . . who completed service obligations to both the state and the Feds . . . someone who has suffered every manner of ignominy for ELEVEN YEARS because she did the right thing by a patient . . . and the North Carolina Medical Board BURIED what happened . . . and then could not be bothered.
This is how the good-ole-boy system in North Carolina works!
Here is my response to Ms. Fisher-Brinkley:
Ms. Fischer-Brinkely,

Thank you for your explanation.

I sent the e-mail in through the general information e-mail system. I am not responsible for who gets what - or how they respond. Ms. Long sent a series of e-mails to me. There were discrepancies with what you had told me. I questioned them - respectfully - using punctuation and salutations usually employed in communication with the public.

Perhaps Ms. Long, when communicating with people "outside of her world" could practice some common courtesy - especially with licensees already run over by the NCMB's apathy, disinterest and neglect.

"Poor communication" is an excuse. I am tired of excuses for bad behavior - especially from lawyers. A simple "I'm sorry" from Ms. Long would suffice.

Again, thank you for your attention.

Mary H. Johnson, M.D., FAAP
Asheboro, N.C.
Updates as they arise.
I think the Board needs a new attorney. They need someone to replace Mr. Mansfield . . . someone who will actually give a damn about good doctors done wrong . . . and do something to protect them.

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Just wash your hands.

Every year, hundreds of viruses pass through the pediatric and adult community. Many of the bugs are disruptive and keep kids out of school and adults away from work. Some of the viruses have unique signs and symptoms, but most just cause amorphous aches, sneezing, coughing or intestinal upset.
Influenza viruses, especially new ones, trigger more news stories and can be made to seem much more frightening and dangerous than they really are. Government agencies and media dont supply statistical context and make it sound like youve got a chance of contracting this new virus. They then make it sound like a lot of people who get this influenza end up in the hospital and may die. Statistically, nothing could be further from the truth: The chance that the new virus is really dangerous is small. The chance that youll get it is much, much smaller, and the possibility that you or a family member will be harmed by the virus is so slim that the news should be on page twenty, not page one.
Swine Flu is a virus for which there is no vaccine, no threat to your family and there are undoubtedly tens of thousands of harmless undiagnosed cases throughout the world. The news stories are probably taking a hundred questionable respiratory deaths in Mexico and guessing.
There actually is a very, very small chance that this virus could cause severe illness and whenever this occurs hospitalization and even fatalities are reported. The likelihood of a pandemic is miniscule, but newspapers, governments agencies and the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals do their best work and make their biggest sales when people are scared.

Tamiflu is recommended for treatment and prevention of this influenza virus. The company which gets the drugs royalties (Gilead) has as a major stockholder- -previously Chairmanone Donald Rumsfeld.
Local pharmacies are already running low on Tamiflu.
Connect these dots.

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I frequently get notes from parents of kids who I help through counseling, through my programs or through my books.  This time of the year, I have a lot contact with baseball players, coaches and parents of players.  Here is an e-mail I got today with a nice story. The dad was kind enough to allow me to post it on my blog.
Good morning Dr. Granat,
Just a quick note about how Zach is doing.
He read the book first as recommended by you. Then he started listening
to the CDs. He gets so relaxed he keeps falling to sleep during them.
Just last week on the bus he drifted off on the way to the game. He went
4/5 at the plate.
Although this has nothing to do with pitching. He has improve his focus
and seems more relaxed.
Zach has batted over 600 and has improve his slugging percentage to 800
percentage over the last 6 games. Hopefully this keeps up. He having fun
again and smiling..
thanks
Scott Fylling RCIS
Here is my response to him:
Hi Scott,
Thanks for the nice note.
This is a good story.
I am glad he is doing well.
Now that he is relaxed, it will be easy to help him find the right
energy
level.
Tell him I said to keep up the good work.
Can I post your story on my site?
Best,
Dr. JG
Here is a link to some of my cd programs and books:
 http://www.stayinthezone.com/1/
 And here is a link to my baseball program:
http://www.stayinthezone.com/baseball.

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Q.
Last year, I was 38, and for the 1st time ever, a woman took a fancy to me, and
invited me round one night. Before this, I had never even held a females hand. My
life has always been so lonely. So the first night, she totally seduced me and I
tried to resist but eventually gave in. I have never been so scared or excited in
my whole life.

This went on two weekends a month, after midnight as not to disturb her 2 children
(single Mom).
I was never happier, but lost in a magical world of confusion. Her life changed,
and she could no longer be with me, but my love for her was/is too overwhelming.
She seemed to be the girl Ive always dreamed of but now she changed, pulled the
love rug straight from out under me.
I was gutted. We still chat online, as she is going through a tough time, but I
miss her and our dirty romps.

I have no friends to confide in, so I turned to the Internet. I made friends,
poured out my feelings on a forum, and a lady who was going through the same thing got
to know me and since Feb we have had chats and cyber sex on a daily basis. We both
lost control it feels, and she is as much in love with me, as I was with my ex-g/f.
But she lives in the USA. She will not leave because of family
(she is a single Mom), and I dont feel ready enough to leave here.

I still love my ex but she has no intention of a relationship.
Do I run and hide from both? Do I move to the woman who has already proposed 3 times.
The online sex is amazing, but we started this at a time when neither of us was thinking
The poor lady is lost without our daily chats. I feel for her, but if my
relationship failed so fast here, what chance does moving country really have? We have
never even met.
Both women are mistrustful and viciously jealous, and as much as I crave companionship,
I dont want to hurt anyone. What on earth have I gotten myself into? I feel totally
out of control. Like a small child, out of his
depth in love/life matters he has no knowledge of. I feel like a cheat, a liar, dirty,
used, afraid and lost.

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Hao Kit went missing on April 10, when his mother Tan, left their house to go to a nearby shop at 4pm. She left her son in the care of her nephew and niece, both aged 13.

As she was leaving the house, Tan saw three men at her back door who claimed they were waiting for her husband.

"One of them was our gardener, who started working for us five days earlier. He was from Sabah."

When Tan returned home half an hour later, her nephew and niece were playing in front of the house but the baby was nowhere to be found. The two teenagers did not know that the baby had disappeared.

Witnesses told the grieving parents that they saw the child with their gardener who was riding a motorcycle.

The gardener has since gone missing and his mobile phone number is no longer in service.

"I can't asleep at night. Hao Kit is still a baby and needs me to comfort and feed him," said Tan, a housewife.

They have lodged a police report and have sought the help of the media to highlight their baby's disappearance.

A woman contacted them recently, claiming she had seen Hao Kit in Taman Maluri, Cheras. Police checked out the tip-off but to no avail.

Yesterday, the couple sought the assistance of MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong.

The couple urged those who had seen their son to contact them or a nearby police station. They can be contacted at 016-5963109 and the department at 03-21615678.

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Featherlift (Non-surgical facelift using Aptos Threads) is an innovative new non-surgical cosmetic procedure that gives lift to the face with tiny monofilament threads. The effects of the treatment continue to improve over several months as the collagen in the skin collects around the newly placed Russian threads. ThreadLift is a revolutionary, non-surgical, non-invasive facelift procedure that uses fine surgical threads to lift the droopy areas of the brow, cheeks, jowls and neck.

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Last Updated: 6:27 PM 04/18/09 - We've all heard the stories and seen the advertisements about safeguarding yourself against identity theft.

But did you know it is by far the most common fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission every year?

Better Business Bureau officials say "shredding" your confidential documents is the safest way to protect yourself.

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The official renaming of one of the shortest streets in Charlotte, NC -- 2nd Street/Uptown -- took place on Saturday, January 13, 2007, amidst a huge parade and fanfare celebrating the birth of Dr. King. How short is 2nd Street? It is less than one mile in length. To add insult to injury, it dead-ends on both ends. Most enlightened and concerned citizens (Black, White, and Other) will ask, how is that possible in what is suppose to be a very progressive and proud city? Well, it actually started back in the early 1990s when a group of citizens attempted to change the name of Beatties Ford Road A main thoroughfare through the Black community in favor and honor of Dr. King. This attempt failed because had this group done their homework, they would have quickly learned that it is very difficult, and sometimes nearly impossible to change the name of a street that already has historic significance. In the case of Beatties Ford Road, it is in honor of John Beatty one of the early Scottish-Irish to migrate here from Philadelphia, PA. Today, a good piece of his land is African-American owned or occupied. This current debacle is the brainchild of African-American Councilman James A. "Smudgy" Mitchell, Jr..

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Command Performance is a radio program which originally aired between 1942 and 1949 in the United States. The program aired on the Armed Forces Radio Network (AFRS).

As the announcer said weekly, the show aired while troops of the Military of the United States were "over there" in Europe. The premise of the program is that troops sent in requests asking for a particular performer or program to appear. The troops also often requested ideas to be used on the program, such a as a musical version of Dick Tracy or Ann Miller tap dancing in military boots. Many, many top performers of the day appeared, including Jack Benny, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Fred Allen, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Durante, Judy Garland, The Andrew Sisters and many, many others.

Other than a spin-off series called Request Performance, which aired on CBS in 1945 and 1946, Command Performance was not aired in the United States. Instead it was sent to the troops overseas.

The program generally ran for 30 minutes outside of holiday and other specials.

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This weeks Old School Sunday brings The Legendary Surinder Shinda in with some UK flair.
In 1997, Skillz Inc. managed to produce an entire album for the man, and this track is one I have always had on repeat.
I picked this cassette up mainly because of Surinder Shinda and Skillz Inc., but also because of the cover. Album cover design seems to be a lost art these days, where most artists just like to stick their own picture on the cover, or treat it as an afterthought altogether. This one seems a bit plain, but the darkness of it makes it rather appealing.
The beat is upbeat and insane, and when you reach the three minute mark in the track, you realise how insane it is. The Cypress Hill sample How I Could Just Kill A Man kicks in with the accompaniment of Prodigys Smack My Bitch Up. It makes you wanna turn the volume up and do some damage.

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UN Security Council Resolution allowing land-based operations in Somalia to combat piracy; (2) created an understanding with Kenya (which has a lot of economic activity at stake) to try the pirates in their court system; (3) worked with the shipping industry to teach them best practices; and (4) put military ships and aircraft in the region to fight the pirates. Ambassador Stephen Mull, undersecretary of State for International Security and Arms Control, testified that the U.S. has "worked with our military partners to create a transit lane throught the Gulf of Aden, which has an enhanced military presence, to further protect international shipping from the threat of piracy.
As of last month, the progress had been noticeable. As recently as October 2008, 64 percent of pirate attacks were succeeding. By contrast, only 17 percent succeeded in February. Moreover, there were only six ships being held hostage when the hearing took place last month, compared to 14 at the same time one year earlier.
But it isn't easy to stop the pirates, as Vice Admiral William Gortney described:
If the coalition is out there with ships, airplanes and helicopters, there aren't any pirates. If they see us, they're 'fishermen.' If they don't see us, they are potentially pirates...
The pirates' skiffs are exactly the same as the fishing boats in the area. And even when apparent pirates are identified out "fishing" without fishing gear the U.S. military releases them unless they are caught in the act.
When we get on top, either with maritime patrol or with helicopters, or with a ship, and we look inside these skiffs, and we determine that they don't have nets or baskets, and they have AK-47s, RPGs and ladders, we know that they're not involved in fishing. And that's when we take them, we disarm them, we take their pictures, we fingerprint them, biometric them, and then we release them if we did not catch them in the act.
Gortney described their modus operandi:
If we're not around, they will attempt to attack a type of vessel that is susceptible to attack, which is based on the speed of a vessel and the freeboard the height of the first deck from the water...We see the attacks in the morning and with a sea-state of less than three feet. If it's less than three feet, in the morning, then we watch for these 'fishermen' to become pirates.
Low and slow invites the attack a low freeboard doing 13 knots or less. The pirates use grappling hooks and rope ladders to board them. But ships with high freeboards doing over 15 knots tend to get away. More:
[The pirates] will get in their skiffs and pull up alongside and intimidate either with AK-47s or rocket-propelled grenades, in some cases shooting both to get the captain to stop...The time from the initial attack to on-board the vessel is about a 15-minute window of opportunity. If we're not there to prevent them from getting aboard in that 15-minute window of opportunity, and they're successfully on board and they stay on board, then we're in a hostage situation, and the pirates take it to the East Coast of Somalia and work the negotiation process with the shipping company that's responsible for that vessel."
The pirates belong to well-coordinated and hierarchical clans, not unlike commercial militaries, and clan leaders call the shots during negotiations. Our government does not involve itself in this "arbitration," witnesses testified. The average hostage situation lasts for 45 days, and the average ransom is anywhere from $1.5 to $2 million. It makes sense that most shipping companies would pay ransoms for their crew and cargo, yet at the same time this heightens the incentive for more pirate activity.
"Every time a pirate is successful and extracts a ransom, that encourages others," says Rep. John McHugh (R, N.Y.), the ranking member of Armed Services. "Success breeds success...The paying of ransom does encourage more rather than less, but I think we have to look at the other side. The ship owners have crews and valuable cargo. They and their insurance companies make what for them is a financial decision as well that paying a certain sum up front is cheaper in the long term than risking the lives and the ship itself."
In addition to McHugh, I spoke earlier today with Rep. John Fleming (R, La.), a Navy veteran who sits on the House Armed Services Committee. In the March 5 hearing, he had asked about the use of "low and slow" decoys to lure out the pirates and crush them, and was told that the United States had "contemplated that a few years back and rejected it as not as effective." Given Gortney's testimony about the phony "fishermen," though, he is still high on the idea.
"I think it would be a good idea to put ships out there that will attract the criminals, and then of course we end up ambushing them," he said. "When we make it very risky, so that they can't tell a law-enforcement vessel from a merchant vessel, I think that's going to make it an even more high-risk situation for them...The problem is, if these pirates can be successful even one out of ten times, that's enough to keep them coming back.

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Senator McCain,

Historic or not, I just wanted to write you a personal note. I'm sorry you lost tonight, but please don't think I voted for you. I didn't. I respect you for being a veteran, a maverick, and a bull trapped in a goats' pen.

In a nutshell, you lost me first with that immigration bullshit. I don't deserve having non-paying illegals get a free ride after I've worked my ass off. But I still didn't consider that a "deal breaker".

There are other things that distanced me from you, but the major loss of my vote for you after Hillary got ousted was your choice of a nut job for vice president. I, a liberal libertarian, was all set to vote for you(!) until you picked Palin. Your advisors probably convinced you that since she and Hillary both had boobs that you would get the disaffected woman's vote, right? Are you kidding me? Why did you assume that we women would vote for a woman on either party's ticket after the one we liked lost? Did you really think we're that ridiculously uneducated and desperate? That's like me saying that I would just substitute one veteran for another because he's a veteran too. Or that I'd vote for one black guy because the one I liked, who was ousted, was also black.

Well, your advisors were WAY wrong!

You chose a woman who believes that abortion shouldn't be allowed even in cases of rape or incest. That's just sick whether you believe in abortion or not.

You chose an isolationist who has left this country one time in her entire life. I'd be more impressed if she had at least left once every year for the last 20 years to wear a thong for a few weeks on the beaches of Greece, Rio, Jamaica, and France and later claimed that as "international experience".

You chose a woman who has no problems prostituting her children for political clout. Wow. Youngsters and teenagers do so well being put in the spotlight during nasty election campaigns, especially when one of them is adjusting to personal, biological, and emotional changes without the help of any spotlights. (Just for clarity, I would love to see how all those political commentators would have treated that teenager and her boyfriend if she had been a Democrat's child! Funny how nice, forgiving, and even defensive the right-wing pundits were of a Republican's child. Some of those same conservative pundits got downright mean about a pre-adolescent Chelsea Clinton's looks, not even her actions!)

Anyway, Senator McCain, you definitively lost my vote when you picked that nut (Palin for those who can't read). I'm not a big Obama fan either. I don't think he has near enough experience, and he consistently fails to outline his "changes", whether they be about his plans for the war and our soldiers, U.S. healthcare, U.S. and world economics, global warming, foreign policy, etc. Honestly, I'm sorry we didn't see a great campaign between you and Hillary.

Conservatives can complain that "Bill would've run the country behind the scenes" all they want, but I don't know any spouses who are close who don't talk to each other. Do you really think no American president with a living spouse didn't talk to or listen to her during his presidency? Even those not close to their wives had brothers, uncles, friends, advisors, drinking buddies, nieces, or whatever that probably had their ear from time to time. At least Bill DID have experience for Hillary to listen to, fight about, argue with, or contemplate. Oh well.

Senator, I wish you, Obama, and your families well. More importantly, I wish our country and the world well. I hope all of you, winners and losers, remember that part. After all, We are the United States, and You are here for Us. Oh, and the World is watching.

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now Conan is my favorite late night talk show host, and Hugh Lauris (House) is my favorite TV character. What if someone would think to put them together. I would love to see what Dr. House had to say about something. Hugh might never go for it. Im sure he gets sick of it sometimes. But it would be my dream to see Dr. House, cane and all, American axcent, 3 day beird. what do you think. do you think it would be kool. or dumb?.

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