Team America: World Police

Kristi and I went out with Stephen and Judy to see Team America last night. The brilliant send-ups of Hollywood and the United Nations were richly deserved, and Trey Parker's soundtrack was genius. We thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

One Flu over the Cuckoo's Nest

This item, posted at the awkwardly named Liberty Lover web log, presses a real hot button with me. It also happens to dovetail with one the most outrageous stories in an outstanding and essential book I recently read, Give Me a Break, by John Stossel.

FLU VACCINE SHORTAGE: Well, it’s not because market forces or industry collusion caused the shortage. Trial lawyers are a secondary reason. The primary reason?

The answer is that Congress decided 10 years ago to have the government buy up most of the vaccines at fixed, below-market prices. The Vaccines for Children Program, established by the Clinton administration and a Democratic Congress in 1994, federalized much of the once-private U.S. market for vaccines — vastly expanding the government's role as price-setter and production manager. (Despite the name, it covered many shots for adults, too.)

Pitched as a way to improve development and supply, VFC wrote price controls on vaccines into federal law. Faced with government-set low prices — and with development and production costs soaring thanks to frivolous lawsuits, other new regulations and the need to invest in new technology — companies have been pulling out of the vaccine business in droves.

And now, naturally, Hillary Clinton blames—who else?—the Bush administration for the vaccine shortage. It sure is great to know that politicians, price controls, excessive regulation, and trial lawyers contributed to the circumstances that left so many vulnerable to influenza in the many years since the Orwellian “Vaccines for Children Program” was passed, and that undoubtedly killed more people—possibly including my daughter—than they saved.

Mucka Mucka Man and his Buddy Girl

As those who have read previous postings already know, earlier this year, I lost my youngest daughter, Emily Jane, about six weeks short of her third birthday. Among the affectionate names I called her, one of my favorites was “Buddy Girl.” When I asked her whether she was my buddy girl, she'd routinely respond with “Yeah, I’m your buddy girl—and Mommy’s buddy girl, and Maddie’s buddy girl, and Wydia’s buddy girl… and Gwamma’s buddy girl, and Pwampa’s buddy girl, and Unco Mikie’s buddy girl, and Unco Steve’s buddy girl!”

Sometimes when Emily and I played together, I became the "Mucka Mucka Man," chasing her and tickling her while booming in a low crescendo "Mucka mucka MUCKA mucka mucka!" She loved it and so did I. Our times playing together were among the happiest moments of my life. I picture Emily a great deal, and much of the time I do, I picture her running in her little trot, pursuing, fleeing, or charging, always with a sense of fun and mischief.

While creating this site, I recalled the happy moments I played Mucka Mucka Man. As Emily has been very much in my thoughts, I felt it fitting to honor her memory with an inside reference to the laughter we shared. I miss her love, laughter, and wonder every day. There wasn't a bad day she couldn't cure. Our next-door neighbor once said that Emily was "pure sweetness," and she was. She was the purest joy I've ever known.

I love you, Emily Jane.

Double, double toil and trouble…

Courtesy of zerointelligence.net

There will be no dressing up and no tricking for treats in the Puyallup school district this year. They've decided to enforce a rule that's been on the books for a few years. No Halloween celebrations will be allowed because it is offensive to witches.

Brilliant legislation!

Respectful distance

On January 17, 2004, my wife and I lost our youngest daughter, Emily, to cardiac arrest brought on by influenza and myocarditis. She was the light of my life.

Sometime during the past several months, my wife joined an online discussion group consisting of mothers who have lost children. She shared stories and photos of our daughter with the group. Recently, one of the other members took the liberty of creating a web site in "tribute" to our daughter without our permission or input. As the father, I requested that she take the site down, to which she initially responded with a refusal. After getting a follow-up from me, she honored my request.

I miss my daughter every moment of every day. Despite this, some people can't help themselves from intruding. There's a sort of codependency from both concerned family and friends as well as grief groups. Well-meaning people, in misguided attempts to comfort and help, end up hindering rather than helping, and then, when their attempts are politely rebuffed, they become hostile. "I spent a lot of time and effort on that." Perhaps, but no one asked you.

Next time, before you take artistic license with the likeness of a departed loved one, redecorate rooms while the bereaved are out of town, or co-opt a child's death for public consumption and comment, try asking first.