The View From the Outback

• Thoughts While Staring at the Ceiling Fan
• This is Still a Great Country
• Women's Secrets Revealed
• "The Cholesterol Myths" by Uffe Ravnskov, M.D. - An Update on Book Availability
• Do You Have Any Guns or Drugs in the Vehicle? Part II
• American Businesses - Asleep on the Job
• The Wall Street Journal  Reorganizes - Follow the Chart Closely
• Suggested Reading From Past Columns

Let's hope that the administration's "planned invasion of Iraq" is only a bluff. It would be a terrible mistake, beyond calculation. In the good old days, the CIA toppled dictators. Get some of those guys back that the Agency fired and get on top of this thing.

A while back, a small private plane flew into the restricted airspace around the White House. Eventually, before jets could be scrambled to intercept it, it wandered off out of the restricted area. A newscast said that there was some consideration being given to putting Stinger missiles on the roof of the White House. As I mentioned in the Outback for Sept. 20, 2001, there had better already be anti-aircraft missiles in place at the White House, the Capitol, the Pentagon, CIA, and NSA, to name a few. I also said that a Marine attack helicopter ought to be stationed on the White House grounds. What the hell are these people waiting for? A pile of rubble?

In the Outback for April 13, 2002, I wrote about the role of Potassium Iodide (KI) pills in the prevention of Thyroid Cancer from nuclear fallout. The U.S. Government is now providing them free to many communities that are within close proximity to a nuclear-power plant. The closest nuke plant to the Outback is Commanche Peak, in Glen Rose, Texas, which is about 142 miles. The plant is about 43 miles from Ft. Worth and 68 miles from the center of Dallas. Just for the heck of it, I ordered some "nuke pills" on the Internet. Theoretically, the chance of being seriously affected by fallout at 142 miles from the event is rather small. But, the cost is about the same as a large bottle of aspirin, so why not have some on hand? In a bit of irony, many of my ancestors are buried in the Glen Rose, Texas cemetery.

Computer technology is moving so fast that I now throw away all computer magazines over one- year old. If you go back through just a few years, you will see scores of "new"computer companies that came onto the scene and quietly disappeared. Partly because of the lack of staying power of these new ventures, my last three computers have been from BBM computers. That is, Built By Me. If you are going to buy one of these "new brand" computers, you might as well build one yourself. At least then, you know who to call if the machine crashes. Or buy one from a company that has been around a long time, such as Dell, Gateway, HP, Compaq, Micron, and maybe even E-Machines- and for laptops add IBM, Toshiba, Winbook, and Sony. Or buy one from a long-standing local "fabricator" of custom PCs and insist on final approval of all major components that go into the box. If the box for the video card, for example, says only "Made in Taiwan" or "Made in China," insist on a major name brand.

Jesse Jackson said that President Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft are "the most threatening combination in our lifetime." Gee, all this time I thought that honor belonged to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. I'm glad to get that straightened out. Colin Powell was invited to speak at the NAACP convention, which is rife with anti-Republican diatribes, but he declined. President Bush also declined and sent a letter in which he paid tribute to the contributions of the NAACP. Perhaps it is time for blacks to phase out the NAACP - which continues to preach victimology and divisiveness. Shift the focus to a Black National Chamber of Commerce or something else that is actually constructive.

The Russians are proposing a joint venture to mount a mission to Mars by 2015. Russia was supposed to contribute another escape vehicle for the International Space Station, but never has done it. So, only three-man crews can work at the ISS -with just the one three-man escape vehicle available. A former U.S. astronaut said recently that the lack of a second escape vehicle is keeping us from conducting research at the ISS. The three-man crew spends all their time just maintaining the station. Mars? Let Russia first fulfill its obligation for the second ISS escape vehicle.

Former employees of ENRON are enraged that if there is any money to pay out, the lawyers will get first crack before employees or former employees who lost their pension funds. One lawyer in the case billed for more than $700 and hour. Nobody is smart enough, or has enough individual knowledge and skill, to bill at such an outrageous rate. That is, unless they could have provided the tip on the horse at 70-1 odds that won the Belmont.

The only trauma center in Las Vegas has gone out of business. The absurdly-high malpractice jury awards have driven up the cost of malpractice insurance to the point where doctors cannot afford to stay in their practices. It is ironic that legal training is a walk-in-the-park compared to medical training, and of considerably shorter duration. And the benefit to society of doctors far outweighs the benefits of lawyers, in my opinion. But, the lawyers are pocketing millions while putting doctors out of business. Tort reform is a must. In California, where they have a Medical Injury and Compensation Reform Act, an OB/GYN pays about $20,000 for medical liability insurance. In states without similar reforms, the premium can be as high as $200,000 a year. (After this was written, the trauma center reopened. The doctors are calling for medical reform to cap jury awards that lead to the astronomical malpractice premiums - and to medical malpratice insurance companies quitting the coverage entirely.)

The TV commercial asks, "Do you know the warning signs of Osteoporosis?" Yes, I know. It is when my fingers are too withered to press the Mute button.

In previous Outbacks, I have been critical of Marion Frances Berry and of the Civil Rights Commission. Scanning some old editions of the Washington Post National Weekly Edition, I came across this quote from the issue of Feb. 20, 1984:

Rep. Don Edwards, D., Calif., who was then chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on civil rights called the Civil Rights Commission "a totally irrelevant group of people because they are anti-civil rights, not pro-civil rights." Nothing has changed in the past 18 years.

Eudora Pro 5.1 tip: If you are typing an e-mail, go back to make a correction, and find that you are deleting characters in front of the new characters you type, you are in Overwrite Mode. In Word Perfect, it is called Typeover Mode, as opposed to Insert Mode. You need to be in Insert Mode, which pushes characters ahead as you type new material. Press the Insert Key on the keyboard to toggle between Insert Mode and Overwrite mode. In the 350-page PDF manual, there is only one obscure reference to this toggle (on p.312!), and it is buried in a list of options for the EUDORA.INI file. I used to write, edit, and publish software manuals. This oversight of an extremely common function, and potentially frustrating problem (I know from experience), is inexcusable.

The head of an FBI field office commented on an alert to law enforcement, the NFL, and others, about persons with suspected terrorist ties who downloaded images of some U.S. stadiums from the Internet. With the wide distribution to law enforcement and beyond, it is inevitable that this type of information makes it into print. Now, whoever downloaded those images will know that the FBI is onto them and how they got on the trail. Keep it up guys and gals in the media until you teach them every way we track their activities.

A letter writer to The Dallas Morning News  noted that Peter Jennings was going to host a July 4th event on TV. The writer was disturbed by the fact that after nearly 40 years at ABC News (and all the millions he has made), Mr. Jennings has not become an American citizen. Good point.

Salad topping tip: Take a small bag of Fritos Original Corn Chips or Rold Gold Pretzels and place them on the kitchen counter. Smash the contents with the side of your fist. Open the bag and sprinkle the contents on your salad. Delicious.

This is Still a Great Country

Like so many, I bitch about our government, about taxes, about moral decline, and on and on. The other night on ham-radio I had a long, and very depressing, conversation with a friend in England. He was complaining about life there. Gasoline is $5 a gallon. He has a Range Rover, and it costs about $90 to fill the tank. Sales taxes are over 17%. Taxes on wages for the government's "free" health system are 10%. He cites the pathetic state of health care, with operations often taking 8-12 months to schedule, and so on. Then, there is the weather. His complaints took about half an hour to express.

So, whatever our problems are, we still have the greatest country in the world. We see on the evening news all the problems in the Third World, but most of us think of England as a very nice and comfortable place to live. Take a look at some of the UK newspapers on the Web to get an idea of the depth of some of their problems. Or, take a look at the broadcasts from the House of Commons which are broadcast on C-SPAN.

Conversations with Russians, South Americans, Central Americans, Africans, and so on, all provide tales of woe about the governments and the economies. Even my friends in Germany, where I once lived, say "A lot of things have changed (for the worse) since you were here." Italy and Spain are lovely countries, with friendly people. But, try dealing with the local or federal governments there. In Spain, those who emigrate are advised to hire a middleman who will work through all the paperwork and bureaucracy for you, just to get the lights turned on, the phone installed, or your car registered, for example. In comparison, we have it made in the shade.

We hear so much about how America is despised in much of the world. I see a different view on the ham radio, where English-speaking hams from nearly every country show up to chat. There is a general call called "CQ," which means "I will talk to anybody, anywhere." In recent years, the call I hear most is "CQ Stateside." Almost universally, they want to visit the United States, and a surprising number have been here more than once. They even make special trans-oceanic trips to attend ham conventions, in Dayton (25,000 avg. attendance), in California, or elsewhere. All of this makes you feel very special - and very fortunate.

Women's Secrets Revealed

The Discovery Health channel on cable/satellite runs a program called "Berman & Berman: For Women Only." It features two sisters. One is a Urologist, Jennifer (M.D.), and the other is a Sex Therapist, Laura (Ph.D.). Men also can learn a great deal about women by watching this very frank and graphic program.

A recent episode was devoted to "Orgasm." This was pure gold for a man who wants to learn how to satisfy a woman. And there was some inadvertent humor. A 23-year old lady was asked about her lack of orgasms. The question was basically: "What is your problem?" Her answer was: "You know, I really can't put my finger on any one thing." Well, that seems to be part of her problem right there.

The docs said that only about 30% of women experience orgasm from sexual intercourse. I find this figure astounding. Either I have had a blessed life, or the research was done in a lesbian bar. The point they were making was that a woman should not feel "deficient" if she can not achieve orgasm via intercourse. Then, they went on to graphically describe the other ways this might be accomplished. A very helpful discussion for both men and women.

Former viewers of the great TV show "L.A. Law" will remember that Stuart talked about the sexual "trick" he was going to show his wife. It was called "The Venus Butterfly." Goodness, the Berman sisters had a lady doctor on who described the actual Venus Butterfly maneuver. It sounded like a very worthwhile thing to learn.

The doctors also seemed to agree that personal stimulation was a good idea to "tune up" your female orgasmic feelings. Jennifer Berman, M.D., said: "No human can compete with a vibrator." Laughter. There was a long discussion of the "G spot" and the role it plays in orgasm.

There have recently been segments about the onset of puberty, and a discussion on the use of condoms and their variety. There was a section on sexual transmitted diseases (STDs). Doctor Jennifer said that she had the Herpes Simplex Virus and had gotten cold sores (fever blisters) since she was a small child, but sister Laura did not. The web page they cited said that 90% of people have the Herpes Simplex Virus (oral lesions). This seems very high, but maybe it is true. There is no pussyfooting around on this show. A vagina is a vagina, and a clitoris is a clitoris, and so on.

Aside from the titillation and the double entendres, this is a solid show, based on sound medical and psychological premises. "For Women Only" is a misnomer. Both men and women can benefit from watching this show. It beats the heck out of the reruns of Seinfeld.

The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, M.D. - An Update on Book Availability

In the Outback for Feb. 23, 2002, (see Archives) I wrote extensively about the excerpts from "The Cholesterol Myths," by a Swedish M.D and Ph.D., Uffe Ravnskov (www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm) . The premise of the book is that cholesterol does not contribute to heart disease. As my cardiologist put it quite simply to me, "cholesterol doesn't matter."

New Trends Publishing (www.newtrendspublishing.com) now has a secure Web site for orders. I recently ordered the Ravnskov book on the site and received a prompt e-mail verification of my order.

The book is also available through Amazon.com, with shipping in 8 days or so. Why didn't I think of that a few months ago? I order books from Amazon like popcorn.

"Nourishing Traditions," a cookbook that challenges today's lows-fat diet assumptions, by Sally Fallon, with Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., is also available at the New Trends site and on Amazon. Recently, the tally on Amazon was 4 « stars for 36 reviews. Outstanding, especially given the 200,000 cookbooks in print. Sally Fallon is president of New Trends Publishing.

Since I wrote the article, I have not seen one mention in the mainstream media, or in the many health-related Web sites I visit, about the "Cholesterol Myths." This bothers me. I even wrote an e-mail to the medical writer at The Wall Street Journal asking her to look into this subject and see if it was worth exploring. No answer. The implications of Dr. Ravnskov's hypothesis are gargantuan. Why is it that nobody in this country seems to care enough to write one mainstream paragraph about it? Either positive or negative?

Do You Have Any Guns or Drugs in the Vehicle? Part II

In the Outback for May 5, 2002, in "Do You Have Any Guns or Drugs in Your Car?" I mentioned that an officer is not allowed to search your car without probable cause to suspect that you are committing a crime in his presence - or he/she has a search warrant. Never give voluntary consent to search your car. Even innocent people have had drugs and other things planted by rouge cops. And who wants strangers poking around in their car?

I also suggested that if you are asked if you "have any drugs or guns in your car?" that you should answer No, even if you do have them. This piece of advice is subject to some debate, but on balance it seems like it probably comes within your right not to incriminate yourself.

The Supreme Court recently ruled on the case of United States v. Drayton. It relates to a search of bus passengers for which the individuals had granted officers permission to conduct the searches. The officers discovered drugs and arrested the subjects. Some of the language of the court may be helpful in understanding what rights we have when asked by an officer "do you mind if I take a look in your car," or "do you mind if I pat you down," or "mind if I check you?" and so on.

The court held that the Fourth Amendment does not require officers to advise passengers of their rights not to cooperate and to refuse consent to searches. The court later makes it clear that there is a right to refuse such requests for searches. But, the officer does not have to tell you that you have the right to refuse. You are somehow supposed to know that you have that right. From watching "Law & Order," I guess.

From the Supreme Court's opinion:

"Even when law enforcement officers have no basis for suspecting a particular individual, they may pose questions, ask for identification, and request consent to search luggage provided they do not induce cooperation by coercive means." (emphasis mine)

"Rather, when respondents informed Lang (the officer) that they had a bag on the bus, he asked for their permission to check it. And when Lang requested to search Brown and Draytons persons, he asked first if they objected, thus indicating to a reasonable person that he or she was free to refuse. Even after arresting Brown, Lang provided Drayton with no indication that he was required to consent to a search. To the contrary, Lang asked for Drayton's permission to search him (Mind if I check you?), and Drayton agreed."

"The Court has rejected in specific terms the suggestion that police officers must always inform citizens of their right to refuse when seeking permission to conduct a warrantless consent search." (emphasis mine)

"Although Officer Lang did not inform respondents of their right to refuse the search, he did request permission to search, and the totality of the circumstances indicates that their consent was voluntary, so the searches were reasonable."

My comments:

If a person has a right to refuse a search without a warrant, then they surely have the right to refuse to incriminate themselves by answering in the affirmative to a question such as "Do you have any guns or drugs in the vehicle?" An outright failure to answer the question might or could be construed by the officer to be an implicit admission of guilt. He or she might stretch a point and make a search, claiming that you "acted suspiciously" by not answering the question, and he thus had probable cause to make the search. Pretty slim pretext, but I can see it happening.

Thus, one is probably be on sound grounds in answering the question falsely to avoid giving an officer probable cause to make a search without a warrant. And to avoid incriminating yourself, an action from which you are protected by the Fifth Amendment.

So, if an officer stops you and asks you if you mind if he "has a look around inside the vehicle" or the trunk, or similar casual words seeking your permission, your answer might be: "Yes, I do mind. Not without a warrant. I have nothing to hide, but I just don't think it is right for police to go on fishing expeditions." Maybe you could leave off the last sentence, so as not to further agitate the officer, who in general is probably not used to being told NO.

Once again, don't call me from jail. I only post these thoughts as food for thought - and do not pretend or assume to give you specific legal advice on what you should do.

American Businesses - Asleep on the Job

How do American businesses make a profit? Every week I run into some problem. Multiply this by millions. What is the cumulative effect of this ineptness on the part of American business?

A supplier of electronic parts lost my order (2nd day air), and when I called about a week later, they scrambled to send the items overnight. In the box I found what I presumed was my invoice. Instead, it was the bill for cigars for the owner of the company. My invoice had my name spelled wrong, although I always enunciate clearly and do not put extra letters in my name when ordering by phone.

I have said it before. Online ordering from major vendors is infinitely less prone to mistake than placing an order by phone. Computers are not on dope, don't lack sleep, are not hung over, are not listening to talk radio, or simply not smart enough to do the job.

Best Buy sold me speakers for my computer. The box had been opened, but two clerks assured me that the speakers were okay. One clerk said that the speakers had been sent back to the factory for inspection and test. This is probably preposterous, but I nodded my head. Another clerk later told me that the speakers were either store samples or returned by a customer, but had been "thoroughly checked out by our techs." Which was it, returned to the factory or checked by the techs? Well, after a round trip of 180 miles to buy the speakers, one channel was dead! Another 180 mile round trip to exchange the speakers - for new ones and an additional $50 charge. These worked. I had originally set aside a new set of speakers, but let the two used-car salesmen talk me into "saving $50." I knew better. No more opened boxes at Best Buy - or any other store - for me.

Jasc software sent me a Quick View Plus 7 CD-ROM upgrade, but it was addressed to a man with both a first and last name different from mine. Only the P.O. box, town, and zip code were correct, and by the grace of being in a small town, the disk was put in my P.O. Box. It was billed to this other fellow in Riverside, California. Only time will tell who got billed for this disk, and how long it will take for the other guy to get his disk. Naturally, I wrote an e-mail pointing out the problem. Incidentally, Quick View Plus 7 is a worthwhile upgrade. It supports Windows XP, reads files in over 200 different formats, prints files, and zips files. The program is also useful to "view" a suspicious e-mail or attachment without actually opening the file. (www.jasc.com)

There was one bright spot. After about 15 years, and for the second time, one of the big coil springs snapped in my La-Z-Boy rocker-recliner. The chair was not designed for the abuse my corpulent body gives it. I took the broken spring assembly to a La-Z-Boy dealer, and it was not the dealer from whom I had purchased the chair. They had the part in stock and gave it to me free. I almost fell over. Then, I went into the showroom to check out one of the new recliners with a massager. It won't be long before it will be in my living room. Maybe it still pays to put the customer first.

The Wall Street Journal Reorganizes  - Follow the Chart Closely

The Wall Street Journal    has made some management changes. Peter R. Kahn remains Chairman and CEO. Richard F. Zannino has been named Chief Operating Officer. Karen Elliott House has been promoted to publisher of all print editions of the Journal. Ms. House reports to COO Zannino - well, at least from nine to five. Ms. House is married to Mr. Kahn, the Chairman and CEO. One would imagine that Mr. Zannino will not be bothering Ms. House much at home. This is a strange way to run a railroad. Especially one of the premiere railroads in the country. This seems to me to be akin to saying that Nancy Reagan reported to the Chief of Staff in the White House.

I am no Harvard M.B.A., but on the face of it, one could easily see conflicts. Mr. Zannino came to the Journal in February of 2001 and had been its chief financial officer before his promotion. Previously, he had been executive vice president in charge of finance and administration for Liz Claiborne Inc. - the woman's fashion firm. In other words, he had no experience in the field of journalism previous to his coming to the WSJ in 2001 - and then only in financial matters.

Ms. House (Mrs. Kahn) is a Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist who came to the WSJ in 1974 and had most recently been the president of the company's international group. She began her journalism career at The Dallas Morning News,  which makes her more special to me. Over the years, I have written several articles and scores of letters for the Morning News. She is a native Texan and received her journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin. "Hook 'em Horns."

People at the WSJ who read this are probably saying to themselves, "Boy did that guy hit it on the head. And he is sitting in a cow pasture in North Texas."

COPYRIGHT 2000 Richard C. Rhodes

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