Call me Ishmael

A Japanese high school student fell asleep in class. His teacher didn’t think he was contrite enough, and ordered him to write an essay in his own blood. The teacher has since apologized to the boy and his parents, but I think to really show his contrition....

The Post at length on the miserable failure of the CPA in Iraq. Incompetence, wasted money, money not even spent, junior Republicans given jobs way beyond their abilities, Iraqis given police jobs without any training, etc. Worth the time to read.

A Supreme Court decision today that patients denied treatment by HMOs can only sue in federal court effectively removes any incentive for HMOs not to deny treatment, since they no longer face punitive damages. No recent Supreme Court decision will kill as many people as this one. The specific case was on the Texas Patients’ Bill of Rights, which Bush as governor took credit for, even though he opposed it. His admin also opposed it in the Court.

The Court also ruled that police may order people to identify themselves. This means that the police may arrest people who refuse, who may then be fined or imprisoned for refusing to divulge their names. I think we can all spot a slippery slope when it’s as obvious as this one is. And yes, the guy in this case did have a slightly funny name, Larry Dudley Hiibel (but was arrested in Winnemucca, Nev., which rather trumps Hiibel in the funny name department).

And what about giving a pseudonym? It’s not illegal to use a false name unless for purposes of fraud, so I don’t see how they can criminalize someone calling themself by any name they choose (a look at my email address book indicates nearly half use a version of their name not found on their birth certificates, including diminutives, one whatever the opposite of diminutive is, and two fake middle initials).