I found this interesting column raising issues about embryonic stem cell research. I think the point made is a good one.

Pro-embryonic stem-cell research proponents, like the snake-oil hucksters of old, have done a masterful job of rolling their wagon into the town square and selling the quick and easy.

Embryonic stem cells, they argue, hold the cures for everything from Alzheimer's to diabetes - if only embryonic stem cell research wasn't banned by the dark emperor, George W. Bush.

In truth, however, embryonic stem cell research hasn't been banned. Private labs have spent millions trying to see if healing potions could be unlocked using embryonic stem cells. But as the private sector money dried up, a push for federal funding ensued. Bush has said no to that.

Yet why does the private-money river mirror the Rio Grande trickling through the bosque? If this research truly promises cures for cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's, for example, private companies' stockholders should be counting their money, right?

Could it be that after years of such research, there is no honest indication that embryonic stem cells hold the keys to anything

Where is the private money for this research? Why the push for government funding? Is the problem that there has been a lack of results to justify private funding? If so, why the demand to throw money down what private industry has determined to be an unprofitible rat-hole?

This question isn't just an academic one for me. My wife suffers from a cluster of conditions that could benefit from stem cell research -- whether based upon adult stem cells, cord blood, or embryonic cells. I want to see good research done. What I don't want to see is money or opportunity wasted on bad research. That's why I'm suspicious of the push for embryonic stem cell research which seems to have yielded very little when adult stem cell research and cord blood research seems more promising.

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After all -- who on earth did Albert Eisele think he was, treateing her like she was subject to the same rules as everybody else. Why -- she didn't mean for THAT COMMENT to make it into print.

But Thomas said yesterday at the White House that her comments to Eisele were for his ears only. "I'll never talk to a reporter again!" Thomas was overheard saying.

"We were just talking -- I was ranting -- and he wrote about it. That isn't right. We all say stuff we don't want printed," Thomas said.

But Eisele said that when he called Thomas, "I assume she knew that we were on the record."

"She's obviously very upset about it, but it was a small item -- until Drudge picked it up and broadcast it across the universe," Eisele said.

Still, he noted that reporters aren't that happy when the tables are turned. "Nobody has thinner skin than reporters," Eisele said with a laugh.

Additional comments from Instapundit and The Violence Worker.

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Remember the terrible act of hatred experienced by the pregnant widow of Pfc. Tim Hines and his family last week? You know, the one in which someone uprooted American flags from their yard and set them ablaze underneath one of the family car on the night of his funeral.

Well, police have arrested two teens, age 15 and 13, and charged them with this crime.

Be prepared to be outraged by the bogus comments of the cops.

Two teenage boys were charged Thursday with burning 20 small American flags set up in honor of a soldier who died from injuries suffered in the Iraq war.

Police said the boys apparently did not know the significance of the flags they took from the yard and set afire under a car belonging to the soldier's sister-in-law. The vehicle was destroyed.

Excuse me -- what the hell do you mean that they didn't know the significance of the flags? Where the f*ck are they from that they don't know that an American flag signifies this country and our love for it -- not to mention the many men and women who have fought beneath it and laid down their lives for the nation it symbolizes?

It appears that the little miscreants were involved in other vandalism that morning. Here's hoping that the judge in this case is sure to include public service time at a rehabilitation facility for veterans. These boys need to know why those flags were there, and why what they did was horrendously wrong.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY from The Violence Worker, Instapundit, and NeoBabble.

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And there is no room for argument -- this IS Lauren Bacall, after all.

"When you talk about a great actor, you're not talking about Tom Cruise," Bacall says.

"His whole behavior is so shocking. It's inappropriate and vulgar and absolutely unacceptable to use your private life to sell anything commercially, but I think it's kind of a sickness."

That pretty much says all that needs saying on the matter.

And as for you, Ms. Bacall, you are still one of the most beautiful women in the world today.

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A Utah boy, age 8, was charged with lewd conduct after his 14-year-old babysitter persuaded him to touch her breasts during a game of truth-or-dare.

After hiring the teenager to baby sit, Grosbeck got the feeling something was wrong.

“It was just that sense that something wasn’t quite right with this 14-year-old girl,” she said. She asked her son what had happened. “He just came right out as if nothing was awry, and just started talking about what had happened.”

Grosbeck went to police and child protection workers, and the case went to the district attorney, after which her son, age eight, had been charged with an act of lewdness with a minor.

Grosbeck says the Salt Lake County District Attorney told her both the child and teenager were equal participants. But Mrs. Grosbeck didnÂ’t believe that.

“My son is eight, he’s a little boy. He does not have the ability to participate on the same level as a fourteen-year-old,” she said.

Although the charges against her son were dropped, she is concerned that the same thing could happen to other victims of sexual abuse.

“I don’t want parents to be afraid to go to the state agencies that are supposed to be protecting our children when things like this happen, out of fear that their children are going to be charged

The district attorneyÂ’s office confirmed the charges had been made, and that they had been dropped. Other than that, they wouldnÂ’t comment. The Division of Child and Family Services also declined to comment.

Sounds to me like some folks in Salt lake City need to be fired. An 8-year-old in such a situation is clearly the victim -- unless we want to make "willing participation" a defense available to child molesters everywhere.

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Not many newspaper articles move me to tears. But this line did.

Shannon Maxwell says her husband doesn't remember rolling his wheelchair through a ward at Bethesda Naval Hospital just days after brain surgery in January, searching for Marines. He does remember the first thing he told her after awakening: "I want to be with wounded Marines."

Her husband is Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell, one of the highest ranking members of the US military wounded in Iraq. He suffered his head wound and other injuries last October. He still struggles with memory issues and some physical problems. But the Marine officer refuses to let that stop him from doing something for his fellow Marines.

This spring, his solitary mission evolved into an informal effort approved by Marine brass. Maxwell has recruited several other injured Marines to help wounded comrades — most of them very young and far from home.

They tell them what to expect during surgery, therapy and recovery. They help them negotiate the military health system. They have heartfelt talks with wives and parents.

They also display graphic photos of their own wounds to show that even the most grievous injuries can heal. Mostly, they try to lift spirits during what is probably the most trying period in the lives of these soldiers.

"I want these families to know that their guys aren't forgotten," Maxwell said. "There are Marines here for them, right by their side."

Maxwell says the military will provide a small office and vehicles as he recruits more volunteers. A 10-bed living quarters for wounded Marines will open at the base on Aug. 8, he said.

This is incredible stuff -- most of us, faced with such injuries, would probably be more concerned about our own healing and own progress. This man is truly one of a band of brothers, and he wants to make sure that each one of his brothers knows he is not forgotten. Along the way, he has picked up a few fellow Marines to help out with this project.

Maxwell finds camaraderie in what he calls his "wounded warrior team." There's Staff Sgt. James Sturla, 26, a tank commander whose right hand was "de-gloved" — the skin, tissue and muscle ripped from the bone — during an attack in western Iraq in September. And there's Gunnery Sgt. Ken Barnes, 35, whose left arm was shattered by a roadside bomb in central Iraq in November.

If you read no other article I've linked to from my blog, I beg you to read this one. It will inspire you and move you. It might even bring a tear to your eye, too.

God bless you, L. Col. Maxwell, SSGT Sturla, and Gunnery Sgt. Barnes. You are truly the sort of men who make this country great -- and who make the Marine Corps what it is.

MORE COMMENTARY at Spartacus.

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Astronomers have discovered a tenth planet in our solar system.

A California astronomer has found what could be a new planet, a body of rock and ice which orbits the sun every 560 years.

If confirmed, the discovery would be the first of a planet since Pluto was identified in 1930.

California Institute of Technology astronomer Michael Brown says the new body is the most distant object ever detected orbiting the sun and ranks as the solar system's 10th planet.

The possible new planet is at least the size of Pluto and was discovered orbiting about 14.5 billion kilometres from the sun.

Dr Brown says the object is a typical member of the Kuiper belt - which extends from the orbit of Neptune out through the solar system for about 3,000 million kilometres - but its sheer size in relation to the nine known planets means it can only be classified as a planet.

However, Dr Brown conceded that the discovery would likely rekindle debate over the definition of a 'planet' and whether Pluto should still be regarded as one.

Dr Brown says the new object was detected in January by the Samuel Oschin Telescope at the Palomar Observatory near San Diego.

He says the planet went undiscovered for so long because its orbit is tilted at a 45-degree angle to the orbital plane of the other planets.

Fine. I accept that the thing qualifies as a planet, especially if it is larger than Pluto (the status of which is still disputed by some astronomers).

Word is, though, that the discoverer may want to name the newly discovered planet Xena, after the title character of Xena: Warrior Princess. Dare I say that such a name is a bit undignified? I would suggest several possibilities from Greco-Roman mythology that are more fitting and also in keeping with the current naming protocol for planets -- Apollo, Vulcan/Hephaestus, Minerva/Athena are all excellent choices. One would honor the manned space program, another would still have the pop-culture connection, and the third would honor the goddess of the Parthenon, one of humanity's greatest achievements.

But I suppose the discoverer is probably entitled to naming privileges. I guess I could get used to "Planet Xena".

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NASA wants the shuttle flying by year's end, if possible.

NASA Chief Michael Griffin said Friday he hasn't given up on launching another space shuttle later this year, despite suspending flights until the space agency can stop foam insulation from snapping off and threatening the spacecraft. He said he has set up a "tiger team" to try to solve the problem as quickly as possible. "We don't expect this to be a long drawn-out affair," he said by telephone from Washington in a briefing with reporters in Houston.

My concern? You've had this problem for a quarter century, and it contributed to one horrible accident. Two years of work didn't fix the problem. What makes you think you can get it fixed in time for a year-ending launch?

Please understand that I want to see it happen, but I also recognize that another catastrophic failure will have dire results for NASA and the manned space flight program.

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If you only speak English, you won't understand the music or on=-air personalities on the top radio station in Dallas. That's because KESS-FM has a format devoted to Mexican music.

A Spanish-language radio station beat its English-language competitors for the first time in the Dallas-Fort Worth market to gain the No. 1 spot among listeners.

Playing Mexican regional music, KESS-FM outranked urban contemporary KKDA-FM in the most recent Arbitron spring ratings. Another Spanish-language station, KLNO-FM (94.1), rounded out the top five in the DFW listener survey, which was conducted from March 31 to June 22.

"It's not a fluke. It's only going to get better," said Betina Lewin, director of Hispanic marketing at Spanish Broadcasting System in New York.

Spanish-language radio stations have regularly reached the top five in New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

In the Houston-Galveston market, Mexican regional station KLTN-FM dropped to the fourth spot after being second in the two previous listener surveys.

El Paso's KBNA-FM was No. 1 in the Arbitron winter survey with its Spanish contemporary format.

And KESS-FM's owner, Univision Communications Inc., has already made history in U.S. broadcasting. Its television network gained the top spot in prime-time viewing among the coveted 18- to 34-year-old demographic during the final week of June, according to Nielsen Media Research.

I'm not surprised by this development -- here in the Houston area, there are already more Spanish music stations than there are country music stations.

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Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt doesn't think that HPD officers have any business enforcing immigration laws. Not only that, he indicated his opposition to HPD providing assistance to federal immigration officials.

During the question-and-answer portion of the program, Hurtt said HPD should not assist in the enforcement of immigration laws, as some city leaders have recently suggested. Already struggling with a staffing shortfall, HPD could not take on the extra burden, he said.

"Immigration is a federal responsibility," he said. "We'll do our job and they should do theirs."

On the other hand, Chief Hurtt has made it clear that he intends to use HPD officers to harass and interfere with the Minutemen and their legal activities when they come to Houston this fall.

Then again, maybe Hurtt has a point. According to statistics released yesterday, Houston homicides are during Hurtt's tenure as chief.

Thanks to reader Mary Leverett for pointing me to this article which i had overlooked.

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This little story comes out of my hometown outside of Houston. It appeared in the local "throw-away" paper that turns up on the lawn each Wednesday.

Seabrook City Councilman Paul Richard Sammons, 36, was arrested at his home on La Rochelle early Saturday morning in an incident involving a gun.

When police arrived at the scene in response to a call about a man with a gun, they arrested Sammons and charged him with deadly conduct, a Class A misdemeanor, according to Lt. Sean Wright.

He was taken to the City of Seabrook Jail and booked, after which the case was forwarded to the Harris County district attorney's office, Wright said.

So I checked out the local media.

Channel 11 covered it.

Seabrook police arrested a member of the city council over the weekend.

Councilmember Paul Richard Sammons was arrested and charged with deadly conduct.

The police department says officers found him with a gun, but the specifics about what happened have yet to be released.

An arraignment is scheduled for Friday on the deadly conduct charge.

Sammons is serving his second consecutive term on the Seabrook City Council.

And that's it -- none of the other local media, including the Houston Chronicle (our "paper of record" here in Harris County), covered the story at all.

Let's see. Local elected oficial arrested on a weapons charge. Cops are keeping mum. Press is virtually silent. Is it a cover-up? Or just piss-poor coverage?

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Yesterday it was triumph.

Now we know it could have been tragedy.

And we have no idea of what the future holds.

NASA has announced that all shuttles will be grounded due to more problems with foam insulation breaking free during launch. Discovery will complete its mission and return, to be followed by...?

The shuttle Discovery, like Columbia, shed a large chunk of foam debris during liftoff that could have threatened the return of the seven astronauts, NASA said today.

While there are no signs the piece of insulation damaged the spacecraft, NASA is grounding future shuttle flights until the hazard can be fixed.

``Call it luck or whatever, it didn't harm the orbiter,'' said shuttle program manager Bill Parsons. If the foam had broken away earlier in flight, when the atmosphere is thicker increasing the likelihood of impact, it could have caused catastrophic damage to Discovery.

``We think that would have been really bad, so it's not acceptable,'' said Parsons' deputy, Wayne Hale. But he said early signs are Discovery is safe for its return home.

A large chunk of foam flew off Discovery's redesigned external fuel tank just two minutes after what initially looked like a picture-perfect liftoff Tuesday morning. But in less than an hour NASA had spotted images of a mysterious object whirling away from the tank.

Mission managers did not realize what the object was - or how much havoc it would cause to the shuttle program - until Wednesday after reviewing video and images taken by just a few of the 100-plus cameras in place to watch for such dangers.

Officials do not believe the foam hit the shuttle, posing a threat to the seven astronauts when they return to Earth on Aug. 7. But they plan a closer inspection of the spacecraft in the next few days to be sure.

``You have to admit when you're wrong. We were wrong,'' Parsons said. ``We need to do some work here, and so we're telling you right now that the ... foam should not have come off. It came off. We've got to go do something about that.''

The loss of a chunk of debris, a vexing problem NASA thought had been fixed, represents a tremendous setback to a space program that has spent 2½ years and over $1 billion trying to make the 20-year-old shuttles safe to fly.

``We won't be able to fly again,'' until the hazard is removed, Parsons told reporters in a briefing Wednesday evening.

Damn!

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Oh, the humanity!

A tractor-trailer truck overturned on Interstate 10 this morning near South Wilmot Road, scattering 30,000 cases of Bud Lite beer along the highway.

The incident shut the left lane of I-10 West for hours, according to a state Department of Public Safety spokesman.

The driver, whose name was not available early today, sustained minor injuries and was expected to be released from a hospital this morning, said Frank Torres.

The DPS officer did not know what caused the truck to overturn about 5:30 a.m., but expected the freeway's left lane to be closed until at least 8 a.m. while workers clean up the beer.

"I don't know if it's cans or bottles," Torres added.

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Space Shuttle Discovery has successfully launched, taking astronauts into space on the shuttle for the first time since the destruction of Space Shuttle Columbia on reentry in 2003.

Thundering upward atop a pillar of fiery exhaust, Discovery soared safely into orbit today to end a near 30-month ban on NASA shuttle flights imposed by the 2003 Columbia accident.

The shuttle and its seven astronauts lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 9:39 a.m. CDT, climbing steeply on a northerly course into a brilliant blue sky.

The rush of emotion that accompanied the dramatic display of NASA's long recovery from Columbia's demise was evident in the cockpit as the final moments of the countdown ticked away.

The firing room in the Launch Control Center was hushed of all but the crisp exchanges between NASA launch and test directors made their last moment safety checks and reporterd the outcome to the mission management team.

"We are go for launch!," barked Wayne Hale, the mission managment team chief.

"Our long wait may be over. On behalf of the many millions of people who believe so deeply in what we do. God speed," Leinbach told Discovery commander Eileen Collins and her six colleagues.

"The crew is go for launch!" Collins barked.

"Our hopes and prayers are with you," added Mark Taffet, the Discovery test conductor.

"Thank you very much," said Collins.

And then they were off.

Collins' crew includes pilot Jim Kelly, flight engineer Steve Robinson as well as mission specialists Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charles Camarda and Soichi Noguchi of Japan.

God speed you all on this voyage, and bring you home to us safely.

And may I add a special congratulations to friends Roger, Tracy and Kevin just down the road at Johnson Space Center. I know your hearts have ached these last 30 months -- may this success help to soothe the loss and sadness.

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Reuters included this little gem of an error is an article about Sony buying the movie rights to Richard Clarke's first novel.

His novel, "The Scorpion Gate," will be published in October by Putnam Adult. The studio hopes the film adaptation will be the first in a series of John Clancy-style political thrillers. The project will be produced by former studio chief John Calley.

Uhhhh -- I think you mean TOM Clancy?

I know mistakes happen -- but isn't that what editors are for?

I wonder when and if they correct the error -- and if they acknowledge having done so.

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For once I agree with the Houston Chronicle on something.

It's official: Lance Armstrong makes it a magnificent seven

Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory today -- and did it a little earlier than expected.

Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.

The stage started as it has done for the past six years -- with Armstrong wearing the race leader's yellow jersey. It ended the same way, too -- with him celebrating, this time by a comfortable margin of more than 4 1/2 minutes.

One hand on his handlebars, the other holding a flute of champagne, Armstrong toasted his teammates as he pedaled into Paris to collect his crown. He held up seven fingers -- one for each win -- and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it.

When it was over, Armstrong saluted the race he's made his own.

"Vive le Tour, forever," he said.

Well done!

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Many years ago, long before he was president, John F. Kennedy owned a sailboat. Over the years it has passed through many hands.

Currently, it belongs to Gregory Olaf Anderson and Harry Crosby. Unfortunately, Anderson was convicted of drug smuggling, and authorities traced the cash back to Anderson's sale of marijuana.

Kennedy bought the Star Class sloop "Flash II" in 1934 and sailed it in races off Hyannis. He sold the boat in 1942 just before shipping out for World War II.

Anderson, who bought the boat in 1996, was arrested in Arizona in 2001 and sentenced to 18 months in prison for transporting 1,300 pounds of marijuana.

After his release, he allegedly contacted a partner with the intention of setting up another drug trafficking business, not knowing that the partner was cooperating with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

DEA agents, acting on a tip from that informant, seized the boat from a storage facility in Marblehead last year.

Kerner said his client, who owns a construction company, is confident the sailboat will fetch more than $500,000 at auction.

IGiven when the boat was purchased, it wouldn't surprise me if the money came from Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy -- who is known to have been involved in bootlegging during Prohibition. It therefore seems appropriate that we've come full circle, with the boat becoming governemnt property because of drug smuggling.

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Some folks are just a part of the fabric of your life. And if you were a science fiction fan growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, one of those people was James Doohan, who played the beloved figure of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott on Star Trek.

While definitely part of the "second-tier" of characters on the show, he was a fan favorite, and those who met him at converntions unanimously reported that he was a charming man.

James Doohan died today, at age 85, following a long illness.

What was less known about Doohan was that he was a D-Day hero.

At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

Unlike William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, Doohan never got tired of the association with Star Trek.

In a 1998 interview, Doohan was asked if he ever got tired of hearing the line "Beam me up, Scotty."

"I'm not tired of it at all," he replied. "Good gracious, it's been said to me for just about 31 years. It's been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It's been fun."

Yes, sir, it was most definitely fun.

I hope you are on duty when I get "beamed up" to join you.

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And sadly, we lost another honorable man this evening -- one who has been maligned for decadees, but who deserves our honor as a hero.

General William Westmoreland has died.

Westmoreland died of natural causes at Bishop Gadsden retirement home, where he had lived with his wife for several years, said his son, James Ripley Westmoreland.

The silver-haired, jut-jawed officer, who rose through the ranks quickly in Europe during World War II and later became superintendent of West Point, contended the United States did not lose the conflict in Southeast Asia.

"It's more accurate to say our country did not fulfill its commitment to South Vietnam," he said. "By virtue of Vietnam, the U.S. held the line for 10 years and stopped the dominoes from falling."

He would later say he did not know how history would deal with him.

"Few people have a field command as long as I did," he said. "They put me over there and they forgot about me. But I was there seven days a week, working 14 to 16 hours a day.

"I have no apologies, no regrets. I gave my very best efforts," he added. "I've been hung in effigy. I've been spat upon. You just have to let those things bounce off."

Later, after many of the wounds caused by the divisive conflict began to heal, Westmoreland led thousands of his comrades in the November 1982 veterans march in Washington to dedicate the Vietnam War Memorial.

He called it "one of the most emotional and proudest experiences of my life."

Be sure to read this oobituary. It is a fitting tribute to the man -- and that is, in and of itself, a surprise, given it comes from CNN.

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I blogged about the theft of Sgt. Sammy L. Davis' Medal of Honor the other day. It has been recovered.

Indianapolis Fire Department divers found Sammy L. Davis' medal on the city's south side, but police declined to release details of where or how the medal was recovered, saying the information would jeopardize an ongoing investigation.

Authorities identified Gaetano Barbieri, 35, as a suspect in the medal's disappearance and a rash of vehicle break-ins. He was arrested Friday on charges in at least two cases, but as of Monday, he wasn't charged in connection with the medal's disappearance, police said.

That it took divers to recover the nation's highest military decoration seems to indicate that this creep dumped it. I hope his fellow inmates treat him appropriately.

Davis, a Mooresville native who lives in Illinois, said by phone Monday that he was grateful that the medal was recovered.

"It's been very hard the last four days not knowing where the medal was (or) if it would ever be recovered, but thanks to the efforts of many, a great burden was lifted off my of soul," Davis said.

Public safety officials will return the medal to Davis during a ceremony in Indianapolis on Thursday, Rinehart reported.

Thank you, Indianapolis, for treating this hero with the respect he deserves.

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Will tusks disappear from elephants?

ELEPHANTS in China are evolving into an increasingly tuskless breed because poaching is changing the gene pool, according to new research by zoologists.

Up to 10 per cent of Asian elephants in China now have a gene that prevents them from developing tusks, up from the usual level of 2 per cent, academics at Beijing Normal University said.

Zhang Li, an associate professor of zoology, said: "The larger tusks the male elephant has, the more likely it will be shot by poachers.

"Therefore, the elephants without tusks survive, preserving the tuskless gene in the species."

Since only male elephants have tusks, there are now four female elephants for each male in China, up from the ideal ratio of two, Prof Zhang said.

Similar changes in elephants' tusk development and gender ratios have been reported in Africa and India, but China was not thought to have been as badly affected.

And for those of you who want to comment on evolution, go ahead. But let me note one simple fact for you -- this is, at best, a microevolutionary change, not a macroevolutionary one. After all, they are still clearly ELEPHANTS.

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This is tragic. It is my profoundest hope that the thief sees this story and is moved by some shred of decency to return this decoration.

Sammy L. Davis was awarded the nation's highest military honor for his bravery and skill during a ferocious Vietnam War firefight that killed about 30 of his comrades.

Davis has kept that Medal of Honor close to his side ever since President Lyndon B. Johnson presented it to him in 1968.

But Friday morning, Indianapolis Police Department officers said, Davis discovered the medal had been stolen during a break-in of the trunk of his car in the parking lot of Wingate Inn Airport, 5797 Rockville Road.

Davis, 58, a retired Army sergeant, is one of only two Hoosiers to have received the medal awarded by Congress.

"A piece of American history has been stolen," said IPD Sgt. Steve Staletovich.

Davis said: "Whoever has it, I can personally forgive you if you return it. Please turn it in. I would even give you a hug."

The thief also took 40 harmonicas Davis plays at military ceremonies, police said

This great man wants nothing more than the return of an important piece of history, so that it may be treated with the honor and dignity it deserves.

Who is Sammy L. Davis? How did he come to receive the nation's highest military decoration?

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Battery C, 2d Battalion, 4th Artillery, 9th Infantry Division.
Place and date: West of Cai Lay, Republic of Vietnam, 18 November 1967.
Entered service at: Indianapolis, Ind.
Born: 1 November 1946, Dayton, Ohio.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Davis (then PFc.) distinguished himself during the early morning hours while serving as a cannoneer with Battery C, at a remote fire support base. At approximately 0200 hours, the fire support base was under heavy enemy mortar attack. Simultaneously, an estimated reinforced Viet Cong battalion launched a fierce ground assault upon the fire support base. The attacking enemy drove to within 25 meters of the friendly positions. Only a river separated the Viet Cong from the fire support base. Detecting a nearby enemy position, Sgt. Davis seized a machinegun and provided covering fire for his guncrew, as they attempted to bring direct artillery fire on the enemy. Despite his efforts, an enemy recoilless rifle round scored a direct hit upon the artillery piece. The resultant blast hurled the guncrew from their weapon and blew Sgt. Davis into a foxhole. He struggled to his feet and returned to the howitzer, which was burning furiously. Ignoring repeated warning to seek cover, Sgt. Davis rammed a shell into the gun. Disregarding a withering hail of enemy fire directed against his position, he aimed and fired the howitzer which rolled backward, knocking Sgt. Davis violently to the ground. Undaunted, he returned to the weapon to fire again when an enemy mortar round exploded within 20 meters of his position, injured him painfully. Nevertheless, Sgt. Davis loaded the artillery piece, aimed and fired. Again he was knocked down by the recoil. In complete disregard for his safety, Sgt. Davis loaded and fired 3 more shells into the enemy. Disregarding his extensive injuries and his inability to swim, Sgt. Davis picked up an air mattress and struck out across the deep river to rescue 3 wounded comrades on the far side. Upon reaching the 3 wounded men, he stood upright and fired into the dense vegetation to prevent the Viet Cong from advancing. While the most seriously wounded soldier was helped across the river, Sgt. Davis protected the 2 remaining casualties until he could pull them across the river to the fire support base. Though suffering from painful wounds, he refused medical attention, joining another howitzer crew which fired at the large Viet Cong force until it broke contact and fled, Sgt. DavisÂ’ extraordinary heroism, at the risk of his life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.

God bless you sir. May your your medal be returned quickly and with full honor.

Posted by: Greg at 05:20 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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So -- do I take the four year free ride to college, or do I take the $380,000 contract to play in the rookie league?

Memorial High star Koby Clemens, the eldest son of future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens, has reached an agreement to sign with his father's Astros. Clemens will receive around a $380,000 signing bonus.

The Astros confirmed the signing in an announcement this afternoon. Clemens had signed a letter of intent to play at his father's alma mater, the University of Texas. But he now appears headed to Class A Greenville, Tenn.

Earlier today, Astros general manager Tim Purpura withheld comment on the signing other than to say, "this is a kid with good ability, a good arm. And the pedigree doesn't hurt."

Clemens, the eighth-round pick, was the 254th selection overall in the first-year player draft early last month. Koby, a stellar pitcher who will give up the mound and focus on third base or catching, hit .523 this year as a senior. He also had 10 home runs and 14 doubles with 55 RBIs.

I'm curious, though -- what do they pay the guys good enough to go in the first round?

Posted by: Greg at 05:02 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones. Julius Caesar Act III, Scene 2

Seems like an appropriate quote upon the passing of Arthur A. Fletcher.

Arthur A. Fletcher, who was widely regarded as the father of affirmative action, has died. He was 80.

Fletcher died of natural causes Tuesday at his home in Washington, D.C.

As the assistant secretary of Labor under President Nixon in 1969, Fletcher devised the first successful enforcement plan for affirmative action, known as "the revised Philadelphia Plan."

It required employers doing business with the government to set timetables for hiring minorities and was later amended to include women.

It became the blueprint for affirmative action programs.

Word is that Mr. Fletcher was denied a place in heaven so that a deserving member of a historically under-represented group could be admitted.

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Glenn Alvin Reed turned down a plea bargain that would have sent him to prison for 15 years for stealing a cell phone. Taking his chances with a jury, he received a 99-year sentence instead.

Reed, 31, was convicted as a habitual criminal because he had prior felony convictions for injury to an elderly person and robbery, which bumped the minimum sentence from five to 25 years. He also had 15 misdemeanor convictions dating to 1991.

Reed testified during both phases of the trial, swearing and telling jurors he didn't care if they sent him to prison for life.

"There's things I choose to do, like, if I go in a store and choose to take a Snicker's bar," Reed testified. "If you catch me, you catch me. If not, I'm going to go home and eat it up and go on about my business, dog."

Maybe it was those comments that got him the extended sentence. Maybe it was his flipping off the retired Texas Ranger he had tried to rob a few years before (the Ranger overpowered him and took him into custody). Or maybe it was the fact that, when caught with the phone by the phone's owner, Reed than aussaulted him.

Frankly, Glenn Alvin Reed is too stupid to live, and I suspect the jury would have given him the needle to put him out of society's misery. Given that was not an option, I think 99 years is not a bad option -- especially since, if I recall the law on parole in this state, the earliest he will be eligible for a parole hearing is sometime after his seventieth birthday.

Smooth move, dumbass.

Posted by: Greg at 06:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The press has presented it as a win for the prosecution, but I cannot help agreeing with Rush Limbaugh's attorney, Roy Black, that it is a victory for Limbaugh.

July 6, 2005 -- Roy Black, Rush Limbaugh's attorney, issued the following statement regarding the release today of some of Rush Limbaugh's medical records to investigators and the return of most of the records to Mr. Limbaugh.

I am confident that the State Attorney will find nothing in these records to support a charge of doctor shopping, because there was no doctor shopping. The records show that Mr. Limbaugh received legitimate medical treatment for legitimate medical reasons.

We are grateful to Judge Barkdull for providing the review of the records for relevancy that we requested. Most of the records were returned to me today, and were not given to the prosecutors. This proves our point that the State's wholesale seizure of Mr. Limbaugh's medical records was improper.

Now I think this is key. The prosecution did NOT get the wholesale access to the records that they wanted. The privacy of medical records was upheld, except insofar as they are directly related to the investigation at hand. That means no trolling through the records looking for evidence of criminal activity -- there already has to be some basis for looking at the records.

But it is the second part of Black's statement that I find interesting.

The prescription records that are in the search warrant affidavits should be put in perspective. Of the 2,130 pills prescribed, only 1,863 were painkillers, and of those only 1,733 were for hydrocodone. These were to be taken over a period of 217 days, from the date of the first prescription until 30 days from the date of the last prescription. The dose averages out to a little over eight pills a day, which is not excessive and is in fact a lawful dose.

Ninety-two percent of the pain medication was prescribed by two doctors who were treating Mr. Limbaugh for back pain. They work in the same office from the same medical file, and there could be no doctor shopping between them. One of these doctors also prescribed 117 pills of a drug used to treat high blood pressure or to help wean patients off of painkillers.

The other two doctors are the California surgeon who implanted the cochlear implant to restore Mr. Limbaugh's hearing and a Florida doctor he was seeing for follow up on the surgery. Of the 180 pills prescribed by the surgeon, 100 were vitamin pills. Of the 110 pills prescribed by the fourth doctor, 50 were non-painkillers prescribed for tinnitus, ringing in the ears.

This makes sense to me, as my wife suffers from medical condidtions that cause chronic and constant pain. Her combined dosages of all medications (not just the hydrocodone or other pain medications) is significantly in excess of the eight pills per day taken by Limbaugh. While her doctors have tried other pain medication, hydrocodone seems to be the most effective for her, and we have seen her dosage and quantity increase over the last few years. I could easily imagine the day coming when she is taking eight-a-day under doctor's orders.

The explanation of multiple doctors also makes sense. My wife has two she sees regularly, and a third she sees intermittently. Each is a solo practitioner, but they keep each other well-informed of what the other is doing. But prior to seeing her current neurologist/pain management doctor, she saw another doctor who was part of a group practice. The same was true of our former family practitioner. In both offices, she would usually see her primary physician but could see one of the others if the primary was unavailable. In both offices, whoever saw her would have access to, and make notes in, the same chart as her regular doctor. Thus while there might be different doctors writing prescriptions for her medication, there was no question of "doctor shopping", because she remained within the same practice at each office. It appears that for the bulk of the prescriptions, Limbaugh has done the exact same thing. The other two doctors would appear to be related to his much-publicized ear surgery, and seem to have written prescriptions for a negligible amount of medication.

Now I realize that Black is Limbaugh's attorney, and that as such he is supposed to present Limbaugh's side of the story. But based upon the knowledge and experience I have, the story has the ring of truth. That leaves me wondering -- why, other than celebrity, is the prosecutor in Florida pursuing this case?

Posted by: Greg at 03:22 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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America has lost a hero -- James Stockdale, whose heroic actions as a prisoner of war in the during the Vietnam War led to his being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, has died.

During the Vietnam War, he was a Navy fighter pilot based on the USS Oriskany and flew 201 missions before he was shot down on Sept. 9, 1965. He became the highest-ranking naval officer captured during the war, the Navy said.

He endured more than 7 1/2 years as a prisoner, spending four of them in solitary confinement, before his release in 1973. He was tortured repeatedly, according to the Navy.

Stockdale received 26 combat decorations, including the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest medal for valor, in 1976. A portion of his award citation reads: "Stockdale ... deliberately inflicted a near mortal wound to his person in order to convince his captors of his willingness to give up his life rather than capitulate. He was subsequently discovered and revived by the North Vietnamese who, convinced of his indomitable spirit, abated their employment of excessive harassment and torture of all prisoners of war."

He retired from the military in 1979.

Stockdale suffered serious torture during his time as a prisoner of war.

Stockdale was taken to Hoa Lo Prison, known as the "Hanoi Hilton." His shoulders were wrenched from their sockets, his leg had been shattered by angry villagers and a torturer, and his back was broken. But he refused to capitulate.

Rather than allow himself to be used in a propaganda film, Stockdale smashed his face into a pulp with a mahogany stool.

"My only hope was to disfigure myself," Stockdale wrote in his 1984 autobiography "In Love and War." The ploy worked, but he spent the next two years in leg irons.

After Ho Chi Minh's death, he broke a glass pane in an interrogation room and slashed his wrists until he passed out in his own blood. After that, captors relented in their harsh treatment of him and his fellow prisoners.

Stockdale spent four years in solitary confinement before his release in 1973.

Stockdale was one of the many POWs whose injuries exposed the lie of the North Vietnamese that all prisoners were treated humanely.

Stockdale was one-of-a-kind, a legend in the Navy and well-respected by his peers among the POWs from Vietnam. Following his retirement, he served as president of the Citadel. He later served as a senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution. In 1992 he reluctantly ran as Ross Perot's vice presidential candidate, a position he accepted out of gratitude for the assistance that Perot had given his wife in setting up a support organization for POW/MIA family members, on the condition that Perot would replace him before the election (he didn't).

May you rest in peace, sir, and may a flight of angels accompany you home.

For more tributes:
Michelle Malkin
Jeff Quinton
Brainster's Blog
Macmind - Conservative Commentary and Common Sense
Commonwealth Conservative
Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator
The Conservative Man
Joust The Facts
Outside The Beltway
Danny Carlton (aka Jack Lewis)
Hube's Cube

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Well, word is that we might soon have the third named storm of the current hurricane season -- Tropical Storm Cindy -- if the tropical depression moving across the Yucatan peninsula follows the usual pattern of picking up force once it hits the gulf. If that happens, we will see it become Cindy overnight tonight -- and possibly Hurricane Cindy in the next day or so.

Where is the storm headed -- we don't know yet. Warnings have been issued for the Louisiana coast. It is considered possible, though, that it might be headed towards Galveston/Houston. That means I may have to bug out in the next few days, depending on the storm's path and intensity. So send prayers and good thoughts my direction, and to folks all along the path of the storm.

Here is where you can keep track of the storm system.

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