A wonderful act of kindness.

Ariz. woman finds taxi driver is a kidney match

Donor cabbie says giving the organ is a ‘whole new kind of lift’

PHOENIX - Rita Van Loenen had no idea that a trip in Thomas Chappell´s taxi cab could end up being the ride that saves her life.

"There are better odds of getting struck by lightning," Van Loenen said. "A random taxi driver offering to give me his kidney and all these pieces match. There has to be something behind this. How can this be?"

Chappell, who has been driving Van Loenen to dialysis appointments, shocked the Gilbert, Ariz., woman a month ago by offering to donate his kidney. But even more shocking to her was that doctors found they had the same blood type, that they were compatible.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32541245/ns/us_news-wonderful_world/?gt1=43001

The passing of an iconic American politician.......

HYANNIS PORT, Mass. – Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the last surviving brother in an enduring political dynasty and one of the most influential senators in history, died Tuesday night at his home on Cape Cod after a yearlong struggle with brain cancer. He was 77.

In nearly 50 years in the Senate, Kennedy, a liberal Democrat, served alongside 10 presidents — his brother John Fitzgerald Kennedy among them — compiling an impressive list of legislative achievements on health care, civil rights, education, immigration and more.

In a brief statement to reporters at his rented vacation home on Martha´s Vineyard, Mass., President Barack Obama eulogized Kennedy as one of the "most accomplished Americans" in history — and a man whose work in Congress helped give millions new opportunities.

"Including myself," added the nation´s first black president.

A source, speaking on grounds of anonymity because plans were still under way, told The Associated Press that Kennedy will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. At the eternal flame rests four Kennedy family members, including the former president, Jacqueline Kennedy, their baby son, Patrick, who died after two days, and a still-born child. Former Sen. Robert Kennedy F. Kennedy is buried a short distance away.

Kennedy´s only run for the White House ended in defeat in 1980, when President Jimmy Carter turned back his challenge for the party´s nomination. More than a quarter-century later, Kennedy handed then-Sen. Barack Obama an endorsement at a critical point in the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, explicitly likening the young contender to President Kennedy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090826/ap_on_go_co/us_obit_ted_kennedy

 5 months in Iraq, what would the American People rather have?

RIP

United States Circumcision Incidence

Circumcision statistics are difficult to obtain because of the large number of locations in which circumcisions are performed in the United States. Different sources provide varying results. The time frame is also important because circumcision rates have varied from year to year.

History. Wirth (198 published circumcision statistics obtained between July 1963 to December 1965 by the Cycle III of the Health Examination Service of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, a result of physical examinations of 12- to 17-year-old boys.¹ The numbers relate to the incidence of circumcision in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The findings are set forth in Table I.

Wirth reported that 76% of all boys in the survey were circumcised—whites, about 80% , and blacks about 45%. Wirth emphasized that, in some hospitals, more than 90 percent of boys were circumcised.¹ Wirth´s data are consistent with those reported by Laumann et al. below.

A week ago there was an incident 

The news was http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLH518267

It says:

 Four Turkish soldiers were killed and three wounded on Monday in an explosion during a training exercise in the eastern province of Elazig, security sources said.

It seemed like an accident..

Alas..It happens..As we say in Turkey ´Ana kucagi degil, asker ocagi´

(it is not your mother´s lap, it is the army)

But..

 Now we are learning that it was not an accident at all:

 One of the dead soldiers sleeps during his guard duty at 6:00 am..

 And a corporal takes his hand granade as an evidence while sleeping..

 Early in the morning the corporal gives the hand granade (the evidence) to the  lieutenant.

 And the  lieutenant pulls the hand granade´s pin and hands it to the soldier who was a sleep, as a punishment and he says ´if you  release the latch you die, if you dont, you will live´

 And the soldier comes back to the lieutenant and asks for the pin (so that he can put the pin back) twice..The lieutenant tells him ´not now..and wait for me´

 And the punishment goes on for a while (around 45 mins or more) and when the soldier has no more power the granade explodes..

 Four soldiers are dead..

 Article in Turkish:

http://www.taraf.com.tr/haber/39631.htm

Thanks to daily Taraf btw..

It seems they are the only papers with balls ..

Just read an article about him in Turkish..

Wow..What a personality!!

For me, his name will always be synonomous with the Chappaquidick incident and his bizarre behaviour following Mary Jo Kopechne´s death.  There are some intesting theories about this and even the facts themselves ask more questions than they answer.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6094161/Ted-Kennedy-Chappaquiddick-Incident.html

So many people in the Kennedy family have been involved in scandals!  This one is probably the strangest.  I was watching a television program about the Kennedy family a while back.  I was shocked to know that the Kennedy family made its original fortune from bootlegging liquor during prohibition.  Those darn wild Irishmen! 

 Well (apart from Chappaquiddick) I don´t think the other scandals affected their ability or right to run the country.  They were HUMAN - some people should remember they are not gods

Of course us Americans turn up our noses at the concept of a "Royal Family" but if their was one, they would be it.  But you are right, they are HUMAN and certainly have their share of tragedy to prove it.  But in spite of everything, the Kennedys as a family have dedicated their lives to public service which, in my opinion is quite admirable. 

 +1.  May I also add that until the arrival of Obama, they were also the most handsome of presidents