Remembering the meaning of Memorial Day

Michael M. Bates Michael M. Bates
May 24, 2005

What does Memorial Day stand for? A day off? The start of summer? Parades
and picnics? The opening of public swimming pools? You can

No kidding! Climate change spreads to Jupiter, Mars
Turbulent storms leaving spots on big planet, ice caps retreating on red
planet

Al-Qa'ida in Iraq 'has never been closer to defeat'

By Ross Colvin in Baghdad
Sunday, 25 May 2008

Independent.co.uk Web

Violence in Iraq has fallen to its lowest level in more than four years,
according to figures released yesterday by the US military, but officials
said progress was still fragile and reversible.

Iraqi security officials added that an offensive against al-Qa'ida in the
northern city of Mosul, which the US military says is the group's last
major urban stronghold, had wiped out most of the insurgent network.

In an emphatic statement sure to provoke scepticism in many quarters,
Washington's envoy to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, declared that the war against
al-Qa'ida in the country was being won. "You are not going to hear me say
that al-Qa'ida is defeated, but they've never been closer to defeat than
they are now," Mr Crocker told reporters during a visit to the Shia holy
cities of Najaf and Karbala in southern Iraq. The US military released
information showing that incidents such as roadside bombs, shootings, and
rocket attacks, had fallen to their lowest level since the week of 26
March 2004.

Did someone say "Terri Schiavo"?

http://www.newsnet5.com/health/16363548/detail.html

Woman Wakes Up After Family Says Goodbye, Tubes Pulled

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A West Virginia woman is at the Cleveland Clinic after
walking the line between life and death.

Doctors are calling Val Thomas a medical miracle. They said they can't
explain how she is alive.

They said Thomas suffered two heart attacks and had no brain waves for more
than 17 hours. At about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, her heart stopped and she had no
pulse. A respiratory machine kept her breathing and rigor mortis had set in,
doctors said.

"Her skin had already started to harden and her fingers curled. Death had
set in," said son Jim Thomas.

They rushed her to a West Virginia hospital. Doctors put Thomas on a special
machine which induces hypothermia. The treatment involves lowering the body
temperature for up to 24 hours before warming a patient up.

After that procedure, her heart stopped again.

"She had no neurological function," said Dr. Kevin Eggleston.

Her family said goodbye and doctors removed all the tubes.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h__Y67IpXiQ2tpHYzBMDIpRNfqYwD90STU3O0

Libertarian Party picks Barr as presidential candidate
1 hour ago

DENVER (AP) — The Libertarian Party has picked former Republican Rep.
Bob Barr to be its presidential candidate after six rounds of
balloting.

The party is meeting in Denver.

Barr beat research scientist Mary Ruwart, who was the party's
presidential nominee in 1983 and vice presidential candidate in 1992.
Barr left the GOP in 2006 over what he called bloated spending and
civil liberties intrusions by the Bush administration.

Bob Barr was a Republican and switched to the Ls.

Ron Paul was an L and switched to the Rs.

Each will get his allotted 15 minutes and something in the low single
digits come the general election.

So, it's a wash.

"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72
degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going
to say OK."

- Barack Hussein Obama

"Trying to stop suiciders -- which we're doing a pretty good job of on
occasion

So much for not being about business as usual. One of the
Dem party's uncommitted Super Delegates (a congresscritter)
has received thousands of dollars of Obama's campaign money
to use in his own campaign. Gee, there's a new idea.

Bob T

Last Throes Part Dux...
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90SMPNO0&show_article=1&catnum=0

Oh... plus, we'll spring for a few flowers on Memorial Day...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/24/veterans.burials/index.html