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In Ness City, KS, a 35-year-old woman apparently spent two years sitting on her boyfriend’s toilet.  The boyfriend brought her food and water, but says the woman refused to leave the bathroom.  Her body fat grew attached to the toilet seat.  When the boyfriend called police on February 27, the seat had to be removed along with the woman, who was taken to a hospital in Wichita.

The sheriff, ironically named Bryan Whipple, said that the toilet seat was removed at the hospital.  The woman will undergo physical therapy and will likely be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.  Authorities plan to present their report to the county attorney to see if any charges should be filed against the 36-year-old boyfriend.

Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, announced via her MySpace page that she is pregnant.  Presley wanted to keep her pregnancy private, but chose to make the announcement because tabloids and paparazzi began ridiculing photos of her looking heavier.

I only have one question: Why do we care?  I mean, really… Elvis is dead (allegedly), and I just don’t see what the big deal is.  Maybe someone out there can fill me in…

On December 18, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, permanently freeing the slaves and banning slavery in the United States of America.

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of his dream, that “one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Today, 142 years after the elimination of slavery, how far have we really come?

In New Orleans, Louisiana, a group of workers from India are suing Signal International,  an oil rig construction and repair company.  These workers claim they were duped into taking jobs with this company, and subjected to abusive living conditions. They say they were lured by the “false promise of green cards and permanent US residency”.  These workers accuse Signal of “subjecting them to ‘psychological coercion’, threats of deportation, and overcrowded living quarters”.  They claim modern-day slavery.

We really haven’t come so far.

A Boston-based advocacy group, the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood, has asked a Columbus (Ohio) hospital, the nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus, to remove the Abercrombie & Fitch name from its Emergency Department. Abercrombie, known for its racy marketing campaigns, has pledged $10 million towards the construction of this emergency department.

I think hoping for a “commercial free childhood” is a bit over the top. Frankly, from a purely economic point of view, it seems this hospital made an excellent choice in accepting a private $10 million pledge. We can’t count on the government to provide our hospitals with sufficient funds to provide outstanding care to patients, and for a hospital to be “sponsored” by a corporation is nearly brilliant. However, for this Children’s Hospital to accept a pledge from Abercrombie was in poor taste. We all know that Abercrombie has produced ads that target teenagers, and that are, at the very least, morally questionable. So for a Children’s Hospital to accept money from Abercrombie is just tacky and inappropriate.

Here is the continuation of the “Dilbert” series mentioned in this earlier post:

Today I came across this feature on CNN.com that examines speed limits, driving fast, and the safety of driving fast.  It makes some interesting - and, I think, important - points.

First, the writer examines previous research indicating whether higher speeds correlate to or cause an increase in accidents or injuries.  It does not.  In much of Europe, the speed limit is 80 mph, if there is a speed limit at all, but the fatality rate is lower than the US.  Some states have a speed limit as high as 80 mph.  Researchers cannot find a definitive link between the speed limit and the number of accidents or injuries.  In fact, as the president of the National Motorists’ Association says, drivers tend to drive at speeds which best suit road conditions and driving skills, and lower speed limits may actually increase the number of accidents.

The other important point in this article is that many municipalities use speed limits as a function of revenue generation.  I can certainly testify to that experience.  We probably all can.  I remember when I was in college, every time I drove home I had to drive through Lone Jack, Missouri, a small town that receives most of its revenue from speeding tickets.  On an average drive, I would see one to five police cars posted at the side of the road in Lone Jack, with police holding radar guns.  There’s also a tiny town in North Kansas City that gets virtually all of its revenue from speeding tickets.  I just can’t agree with that.

I’m not suggesting we do away with all speed limits altogether.  However, I suspect that the problems causing many accidents are not related to speed limits.  American drivers are notorious for their inattention.  How many of us use a cell phone while driving?  And if that’s not bad enough, I’ve heard stories of drivers who work on a laptop or read a book WHILE DRIVING!!!  Maybe, instead of lobbying for lower speed limits, our police forces should be lobbying for education about paying attention while driving and the right to ticket drivers who are not paying attention to the road.

From ABCNEWS.com:

“The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether the pilot and copilot of a Feb. 13 Go! Airlines flight fell asleep while in the air between Honolulu and Hilo, an FAA spokesman said today…”

As a frequent flier, I can honestly say this concerns me. I love traveling and, oddly, I love flying. I’m probably one of the few people left who really enjoys flying. When I fly, it’s virtually always a commercial flight, and since I’m not a pilot, I am always basically entrusting my life into the hands of whoever is flying the airplane.

I think it’s easy to blame the pilot, in this case, but I hope to see the full investigation before we do that. Recently, one of our local television stations did a story on commercial pilots, and interviewed pilots who said they were forced to fly long hours, when they were tired. There are just certain human necessities, like sleep - I’ve read that after 10 days without sleep a person will die. If the airlines are not allowing their pilots to take naps periodically, on the ground, then they need to change their policies. We may even need to pass a law or something requiring airlines to allow pilots a certain amount of sleep.

On the other hand, if this is the pilot’s fault - if the pilots stayed out late partying last night or something like that - then I think they should not only lose their jobs, but also their pilot’s licenses. That behavior is inexcusable, and especially when it is occurring high in the air, where you are merely supported by a couple of engines and a steel frame.

Keene State College in New Hampshire is considering paying students to take classes on Fridays and early in the mornings in an effort to make better use of their facilities. This idea is long overdue and quite brilliant. The cost of higher education is getting so ridiculous that I know many students who won’t mind taking an early class if they can save a few bucks.

Personally, I nearly succeeded in graduating college without ever taking an 8:00 class. Unfortunately, during my last semester of classes, I had no choice but to take one class at 8:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Then, of course, my last semester of class was a practicum, from 8-5, Monday through Friday.

From USNews.com:

Even United States Supreme Court justices get a break during the busy season, and Thursday found Justice Antonin ScaliaRistorante Tosca sat Scalia and a pal taking in a leisurely 90-minute lunch. We couldn’t tell what he was eating or what was in the bottle on his table, but he appeared to be having a good time and was gracious to the staff, giving thank-yous on the way out. Nobody approached Scalia, probably one of the most famous court members, but that’s probably because many of the lobbyists and former administration officials sitting at nearby tables in the power restaurant think they’re nearly as important in their own fields. In fact, the restaurant, No. 20 on Washingtonian’s 100 Best Restaurants list, is regularly home to cabinet officials, senators, House members, and their staffs. It’s also huge with the law firms in the neighborhood: We overheard two lawyers calling it their “firm cafeteria. noshing at what’s said to be one of his favorite Italian restaurants. Near the far wall in the fab ”

There’s definite advantages to being a Supreme Court Justice!

Georgia lawmakers, caught in a drought and thirsting for more water, have passed a measure calling for the governor to re-examine their boundary with Tennessee - which happens to include a river. Their dispute dates back to a 19th century survey that misplaced the 35th parallel. However, even the measure’s supporters concede that it will probably take a Supreme Court ruling to get their way.