Scott Chisholm Lamont, RN.

The purpose of this blog is to post interesting, day to day tidbits that touch upon at least one of the eclectic topics of my pages, ranging from nursing to politics. I will try to avoid those traps of the blogosphere, where this becomes either part of an echo chamber or the posts are so self-involved that they aren't worth your time to read. Mainly, I am hoping to get people to think a little, maybe challenge some assumptions. I will also try to watch my spelling while I'm at it.

Comments? Thoughts? Rants about my rants? You can use the convenient comment tabs found at the top of each item, and I promise to read them and to leave them up for others to read (within reason, of course - plain old flames are boring, and I'm not going to waste server space on them). If you just want to say something to me, you can e-mail me.

February will be a month of major changes for me and my family. Early in the month, we travel to New Mexico for my friend Albert Webb's crossing over ritual and wake. I leave, Shara and the baby don't. Shara starts a new position at UNM, and I try to get my coursework wrapped up and start on my qualifying exams without the distraction of a toddler in the house. Hopefully, I catch up to them in the summer.

Posted Sunday, February 27, 2005 @ 1702 PST
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On hiatus for a while.

The chaos of moving Shara and Micaela back to New Mexico, dealing with finances (or lack thereof), starting back with Comfort for Kids, trying to catch up with school work, etc, etc, etc, has left me with no time to blog. There's been plenty I've wanted to write about, but just no time. However, I realize that I've committed a cardinal sin for blogging: failing to post and doing so without warning. For those of you who have popped by to read and found nothing new (and I know that people have been popping by), sorry about that. I will be off-line for at least another week, then hopefully will be back to posting every day or other day. I found a couple of things I was working on while on the plane to New Mexico, they are posted below. Check back here for new stuff the first full week of March. Thanks for your interest in the meantime.

Why don't they just call it R.A.P.E.?

The military love of acronyms sometimes creates quasi-words that range from cute to stupid to incomprehensible. Once again, the US military machine has created a name that fails to accurately convey the true meaning of what it represents.

The background for this particular rant: Today, the Washington Post has reported that the Administration wants to get the funding they were turned down for last round to continue research on their 'Bunker Buster' tactical nuke - you know, the one that violates the non-proliferation treaty. Oh, silly me - doing things according to treaties is like submitting to one of those "international tests". Completely inappropriate for a powerful nation pursuing its self-interests....or for a rogue nation. How do you tell the difference? All you have to do is figure out whether the nation in question is "good" or "evil", or some such thing. Wait, I'm confused - would that also be an international test? Or is something objective like a body count sufficient?

Back to the rant.

The military has officially named the bunker buster nuke as the "Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator," which shortens to RoNEP or some stupid thing like that. I mean, come on! These guys need help. Fortunately, I am here to help. I offer this much more appropriate name: the Robust Atomic Penetrator of Earth, or RAPE. Now, that's poetic AND accurate. What else could you possibly ask for? What more appropriate name could be offered for this metal sheathed phallus, designed to violate the depths of the earth and blow a glowing load of death at the climax of its violent entry? It spreads disease in the form of radiation. It is contemptuous of the sanctity of human beings. Oh, yes, RAPE is the better acronym.

It goes without saying that mega-wanker Donald Rumsfeld is one of the chief proponents for this research. Big shock there.

Let me guess - a fascist budget?

I have avoided the budget thing in the news with some success. I just don't want to know. I doubt that I even need to know - I'll bet I can predict it all, based not only upon the current US administration's campaign promises, but also based on how well Bush & Co. fit the 14 criteria of fascism. I have to thank 12th Harmonic (which posted it here) for the link to this site.

Done at last.

So, my very overdue paper is finally submitted. I should be more relieved than I am. Perhaps all the other deadlines that are pressing on me are killing any possible sense of unburdening. Who knows. At least I can move forward now. When I get my prof's comments back, I'll probably post at least a summary of it in a new section of my nursing pages. My plan is to set up a section dedicated to family presence during resuscitation and invasive procedures, which is the focus of my paper. I also have some slide shows that I can also mount regarding my study of this intervention - if I ever get any free time to post all this stuff.

That's all for now - off to bed for me!