Bill McKibben on Not Quite Getting It

When it comes to global climate disruption, the evidence for human intellectual supremacy seems less and less compelling all the time. Author Bill McKibben is wondering,"What don'tcha get exactly?"

Can't Get Enough of the Pope?

Official Seal of Pope John Paul II

For those folks who just cannot get enough JPII news and commentary (or folks who are just endlessly curious about the very rare event of a papal election), here are a few more links you should be checking out...

• Papabile: Dedicated to the discussion of the possible successors of our Holy Father, John Paul II. Papabile: (pay-pah-bee-lay), n., one who is considered a possible candidate to be Pope.
• Special Edition of Al's Morning Meeting (Poynter.org): Pope Resources: Online Pope prayers... Catholic glossary... Last Rites... Who's running Church... Successor rules.
• The Vatican in the new millennium (ReligionLink): News links and resources for reporters.
• Zenit.org: "The World Seen From Rome" (English Edition). This is a Vatican-related newswire that has some interesting and useful background info for journalists.

Enjoy!

The Ballad of John Welles and Hunt Williams

A Tale of Assisted Suicide, Friendship, and the Law in Connecticut 66-year-old John T. Welles of Cornwall, Connecticut, was a former Marine and inventor, and was fiercely independent. He had taken care of himself all his life, building his own home and growing his own food. He enjoyed helping others, But did not expect reciprocation -- nor did he care for it. In fact, he had not even made a habit of seeing a doctor, so he "did not know he had prostate cancer until three weeks before killing himself on June 11, 2004." Several folks in the community were part of a voluntary group that provided care and company for the dying Welles -- 24 hours a day. And, as Welles had made no secret of his plans, those caring for him were not surprised by this turn of events. But they were certainly surprised when, 6 months after Welles' death, 74-year-old Huntington Williams was charged with manslaughter for helping fulfill his dying friend's wish. He could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Assisted suicide is not legal in Connecticut

The morning Welles died, Williams relieved a friend who had spent the night with the dying man.

"John needs to do this. Are you able to do this with him?" the friend asked Williams, according to a police affidavit.

Williams, a volunteer emergency medical technician and retired high school teacher, had watched his wife, Rebecca, die of ovarian cancer a decade ago. He replied that he could "honor John's wishes."

He cleaned Welles' .38-caliber revolver and carried it outside. Smoking a pipe and leaning on a walker, Welles headed to the front yard.

The men shook hands and Williams walked down the driveway. Before Williams could say "God bless," he heard a gunshot.

"This is what John wanted," Williams told police. "I had a comfortable feeling that this was right for him, knowing the man." [source]

The Connecticut legislature is considering easing the penalties for assisting in suicides. The legislation was prompted by the Williams case, and his lawyer believes probation is the best he can do. Many Cornwall residents support Williams. But there are some opposition voices. "Why should we have a separate standard for old, ill or disabled people who want to die?" asked Stephen Drake of the Chicago-based Not Dead Yet. "We talk about the suicides of younger people as tragedies. Why should we be sanctioning the suicides of certain people?" [source] It's gonna be a long year folks. Linkage:

• Wired News
• NPR: Connecticut Mulls Easing Assisted-Suicide Penalties (audio)
• NPR: Assisted Suicide -- Personal or Legal Issue? (audio)
• Hartford Courant: Slow Death
• And, of course, the Prophet or Madman List of Living Will and End of Life resources

Knowledge@Wharton | Do You Know Where Your Identity Is?

Identity theft is such an important issue. That is why I am sharing a story from this week's Knowledge@Wharton Newsletter:

Do You Know Where Your Identity Is? Personal Data Theft Eludes Easy Remedies ChoicePoint, a consumer data vendor, hands over personal information on at least 145,000 people to criminals posing as small businesses. Hackers swipe the personal information of 32,000 people who use the database Lexis-Nexis. Bank of America loses backup tapes containing 1.2 million federal employee records. Every day, it seems, a new identify theft incident is reported followed by new rounds of questions: Should data vendors be regulated? Can identity theft hurt e-commerce? How do individuals protect themselves? Unfortunately, suggest Wharton faculty and others, no simple answers are available, especially when personal information is so easily available through search engines. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1176.cfm

Visit the Knowledge@Wharton Newsletter for more stuff to read: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu

Are You A Neocon?

Thanks to Jazz at Running Scared for the tip.

Didja ever want know how much of a neocon you are? Of course you have! Well, wait no longer ... go take the Neocon quiz! [Results are not scientific, blah blah blah ...]

"What's in the [bleep]ing box?"

Remember that final, emotional scene from the movie Seven? Here it is performed by -- I kid you not -- stuffed animals (requires QuickTime):

Stop staring at me!

I don't know about you, but I think that casting a Boobah* as John Doe was brilliant. Those cold, unblinking eyes ... whoa ... I think I just shuddered. ______________ *Someone in the office had to tell me what the heck a Boobah was. Apparently, their whole purpose is to get children to exercise ... while watching TV. I now officially hate children's television.

World's Nastiest Food?

Have you had your decomposed fish today?

Click image to read more (or order)!

Vikings: Dust Off Your Resume...

...but leave the battleaxes, spears, and horned helmets at home.

The Midgard Historical Centre (south of Oslo, Norway) seeks to employ a corps of about 50 part-time vikings. The idea is to give tourists a face-to-face encounter rather than another boring old exhibit. The head of the center wants to play up the vikings' roles as traders and merchants -- he believes their reputation as wild, murderous looters is largely exaggerated in texts left by ancient English monks (bad monk! bad!). Linkage

• BBC News: Cuddly Vikings
• BBC History: Vikings
• Midgard Historical Centre
• Viking Ship Museum Jorvik Viking Centre

Is this the face of pillage? Naaah!

Quotable

If you don’t understand the way right before you, How will you know the path on which you walk? Patience is not a matter of far or near, But if you are confused, mountains and rivers block your way. I respectfully urge you who study the mystery, Don’t pass your days and nights in vain.

-- The Sandôkai

This is the last three verses of a text that is recited in Zen temples in Japan every morning. You can find the full text, annoted for chanting service here. It has a slightly different translation of the verses that I have posted.

The Other Side of Superman

Comic book covers featuring examples of Superman being an ... idiot ... and some other strange stuff.