Mattsapundit

Taking a cue from Houston city leaders, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is going Commie:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday embraced socialism as his ideology of choice in a political statement that sharpened his antagonism against the United States.

Chavez, a firebrand nationalist who has governed the world’s No. 5 oil exporter for six years, has persistently declined to define the precise ideology of his self-styled “revolution.”

Chavez, who won a referendum in August ratifying his rule until early 2007, said previous experiences of socialism in the world — an apparent reference to the former Soviet Union — might not be the example to follow.

“We have to invent the socialism of the 21st century,” he added.

Ah, the socialism of the future. I can see it now. Gulags with wireless Internet. Government-issued (and monitored) cell phones. Flying cars and gasoline rationing. Let’s just call it Hammer & Sickle 2.0!

Matt Bramanti | February 25, 2005 at 4:53 pm
Posted to International, Politics

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The Matrix is everywhere.

Matt Bramanti | February 25, 2005 at 4:26 pm
Posted to National, Politics, Movies, Photos

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So much for that “in sickness and in health” vow:

A judge gave Terri Schiavo’s husband permission to remove the brain-damaged woman’s feeding tube in three weeks, handing him a victory in his effort to carry out what he says were his wife’s wishes not to be kept alive artificially.

The ruling by Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer will allow the husband, Michael Schiavo, to order the tube removed at 1 p.m. on March 18. In the meantime, the woman’s parents, who want her kept alive, are expected to ask another court to block the order from taking effect.

The judge wrote that he was no longer comfortable granting delays in the long-running family feud, which has been going on for nearly seven years and has been waged in every level of Florida’s court system. He said the case must end.

A judge, whose job it is to administer justice, will let this woman slowly starve to death because he’s not comfortable.

I was torn on this issue until recently, because the news accounts portray Terri as a completely brain-dead vegetable, totally unresponsive to the world around her. You get the impression that she has no cognitive function, and that keeping her alive would almost be cruel. Well, watch these videos, then see if you can justify Terri’s death sentence.

Matt Bramanti | February 25, 2005 at 3:54 pm
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As I’ve said before, His Holiness is one tough hombre, but he’s not doing so hot:

Pope John Paul II was expected to undergo a tracheotomy today to help his breathing, according to Italian news agencies.The news agencies ANSA and Apcom said doctors would perform a tracheotomy — a procedure in which a hole is made in the throat and a tube is inserted, Associated Press reported.

All we can do is pray.

UPDATE: Some medical experts are saying the pope may have bacterial pneumonia:

“It appears the pope is suffering from pneumonia, likely a bacterial pneumonia, a serious problem for a man of his age with Parkinson’s,” said Dr Barbara Paris, chairwoman of geriatrics and vice-chairwoman of Medicine at Maimonides Medical Centre in New York.

UPDATE: The half-hour surgery has been completed:

AGI said surgeons at Rome’s Gemelli hospital had performed a tracheotomy on the Pontiff, cutting a small opening into his neck and windpipe to allow air to flow directly into the lungs.It said the operation lasted 30 minutes, without citing any sources. There was no immediate comment from the Vatican but Church officials said a statement was due shortly.

UPDATE: The pope’s surgery was successful:

The Vatican issued a statement saying doctors at the Gemelli Polyclinic operated successfully on the pope after he gave his consent and that he will spend the night in his own room and not in intensive care.The procedure, in which a hole is made in the throat and a tube is inserted, was performed to help the pontiff with his breathing. It is not seen as threatening and usually is left in for two or three days. The Vatican said the pope’s tracheotomy took 30 minutes and was finished “in a positive way.”

Matt Bramanti | February 24, 2005 at 3:08 pm
Posted to International, Religion, Medicine

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This is no good:

At least three people were shot when a man with a high-powered rifle opened fire in the town square near the courthouse Thursday, a U.S. Marshal said.

It was unclear how many people were killed.

“He had a rifle, and he was shooting at the back of the courthouse and he shot some glass out, shot a deputy sheriff there and two other civilians,” said Deputy U.S. Marshal John Walker.

One report indicated that the gunman was shot after fleeing in his pickup truck. Let’s hope he’s not on the loose.

UPDATE: Got’em.

Matt Bramanti | February 24, 2005 at 2:47 pm
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The “What’s in Hunter S. Thompson’s Bloodstream?” Contest is over. I spoke with Dr. Steve Ayers, the very cordial and helpful Pitkin County coroner, who told me:

“I did not order toxicology tests on Hunter Thompson. Cause and manner of death are the same: self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, so I did not even do toxicology.”

Sounds reasonable to me, but I guess we’ll never know what chemicals were floating around in that addled brain. But hey, at least now I have the cell phone number of the Pitkin County coroner. You never know when that could come in handy.

However, we do have a winner: Jason. His entry was:

I’ll play the odds and say “nothing”. They won’t find ANY substances.

He’s right. They won’t find anything. Congrats, Jason! Email me to collect your winnings.

Matt Bramanti | February 23, 2005 at 9:51 pm
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