What about a Luau, Mato? Would be interesting for the time of year?
Big Party Plans Page 4
What's a Luau? 
Quote: Tim Walker @ November 7 2009, 4:48 PM GMTWhat's a Luau?
A Hawaiian party.
Think coconut bikinis everywhere, Hef!
Quote: RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at Large @ November 7 2009, 4:52 PM GMTA Hawaiian party.
Ah... I never knew that. Thanks for teaching me my fact for the day. 
Coconut bikinis? But where has the milk gone? 
Quote: Moonstone @ November 7 2009, 4:35 PM GMTCripes.
There's something for a dark comedy in that!
I think it has already been used once or twice (I've been racking my brain to think where, but nothing has come to the surface yet.)
I had always assumed the story was urban legend - did it really happen?
Quote: Aaron @ November 7 2009, 4:40 PM GMTActually the BBC is the only media outlet I've seen make mention of his being a Muslim - the "elephant in the room". Ok so that was a guest on a live programme rather than a scripted newsreader, but there was no attempt to apologise or otherwise distance the Corporation from the statement.
Early reports never mentioned the shooter's religion or extremist views. Even the BBC's North America editor did his best to explain away and minimize:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2009/11/senseless_tragedy.html
But I'll give credit to the BBC reporter who conducted the following interview with a member of the shooter's mosque. American media would hesitate to air something which shows that some red-blooded American Muslims feel that shooting American soldiers is justified.
Quote: Timbo @ November 7 2009, 4:59 PM GMTI think it has already been used once or twice (I've been racking my brain to think where, but nothing has come to the surface yet.)
I had always assumed the story was urban legend - did it really happen?
I think you're right, it has been used in a comedy somewhere.
It is actually a true story, which may have been slightly embellished over the years, as it's been passed down through generations of doctors. ICUs in the 60s/early 70s weren't the high tech places with strict guidelines they are thesedays. Most of the routine patient monitoring simply didn't exist, whilst ventilators were little more than a set of mechanical bellows. In fact, the whole idea of ICUs were still in their infancy and were set-up mostly ad hoc.
Quote: Timbo @ November 7 2009, 4:59 PM GMTI had always assumed the story was urban legend - did it really happen?
I remember the story too!
Did One Foot In The Grave use it when it looked like Margaret had died?
Quote: DaButt @ November 7 2009, 4:26 PM GMTA U.S. Army major (he's a psychiatrist) shot and killed 13 people up the road at Fort Hood. Something like 38 people were wounded. The officer just happens to be a Muslim and shouted "Allahu Akbar!" as he mowed down the unarmed soldiers, but of course the media (especially the BBC) and Islamic groups are telling us that he wasn't a terrorist, all soldiers are ticking time bombs, lax gun laws are to blame, etc. I guess they expect us to ignore the reports that he had defended suicide bombers in online forums and frequently referred to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as wars on Islam.
Easy to be wise in hindsight, but it does seem a few warning signs were missed.
When incidents like this occur moslems can hardly complain at being treated with suspicion as the potential enemy within; problem is tarring everyone with the same brush is likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I really don't know what we are going to do about the buggers.
If Dr. Mato takes any of these recent suggestions, it's going to be an odd party.
Quote: Tim Walker @ November 7 2009, 4:41 PM GMTAs army commanders said after years in Northern Ireland and the mess that was the Gibraltar Rock shootings, it's always better to have an alive terrorist than a dead one. I think, whatever your feeling about the alleged perpetrator, the doctors and nurses may be saving future lives by doing their best to keep him alive. Then you have a chance to examine and understand his motives and, just possibly, ways to help prevent this sort of tragedy in the future.
It's a similar kind of thought that I have after every school/campus shooting in the US. If only for once they had caught them before they committed suicide, then there may be a chance to at least build a better understanding of the mindset of such people.
As this alleged culprit will almost certainly be given the death penalty if convicted, then why not get something useful out of him whilst he's still alive? Not that I'm favour of the death penalty, but I thought advocates would prefer him to live and face justice as applied by the State, to die when the State decides?
I don't think we'll get an ounce of knowledge out of this guy. Unless he confesses to being a member of an organized terrorist group and leads investigators to other terrorists, he'll just be wasting taxpayer dollars on medical care and legal fees, not to mention giving him plenty of opportunities to air his misguided beliefs and insult the men and women he swore to lead and protect. F**k him, he's a waste of oxygen.
One thing we may learn is whether or not political correctness regarding his religion played a role in keeping him in the Army. It's been noted that he received poor performance reviews, was frequently reprimanded, struggled through school and was under investigation for his defence of suicide bombers. Did post-9/11 sensitivity about Islam cause him to be treated differently than other soldiers?
Quote: DaButt @ November 7 2009, 5:01 PM GMTEarly reports never mentioned the shooters religion or extremist views.
To be fair, were those facts established and confirmed at that point?
Quote: DaButt @ November 7 2009, 5:01 PM GMTBut I'll give credit to the BBC reporter who conducted the following interview with a member of the shooter's mosque. American media would hesitate to air something which shows that some red-blooded American Muslims feel that shooting American soldiers is justified.
The BBC quite often feature people airing such extremist views.
Quote: Timbo @ November 7 2009, 5:08 PM GMTWhen incidents like this occur moslems can hardly complain at being treated with suspicion as the potential enemy within; problem is tarring everyone with the same brush is likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Quite.
Quote: DaButt @ November 7 2009, 5:12 PM GMTDid post-9/11 sensitivity about Islam cause him to be treated differently than other soldiers?
More like age-of-liberalism political correctness!
Quote: Aaron @ November 7 2009, 5:18 PM GMTTo be fair, were those facts established and confirmed at that point?
They were being mentioned in other news reports at the time, yes.
I can't complain about news reports that withhold information until it's been verified, but I wish they'd show the same restraint when it comes to speculating about "stressed-out" soldiers, "lax" gun laws, anti-Muslim abuse, etc.
Quote: DaButt @ November 7 2009, 5:01 PM GMTEarly reports never mentioned the shooter's religion or extremist views. Even the BBC's North America editor did his best to explain away and minimize:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2009/11/senseless_tragedy.html
I think that a note of caution is justified. We know what the guy did, but the why remains speculation, and in a highly charged situation like this misinformation can abound. (I recall some of the 'facts' reported immediately after the Menezes shooting.)
Quote: Timbo @ November 7 2009, 5:23 PM GMTI think that a note of caution is justified. We know what the guy did, but the why remains speculation, and in a highly charged situation like this misinformation can abound.
It's quite obvious that the man planned to commit mass murder that day. No other conclusion can be reached. His actions before the shootings (handing out Qurans, postings about suicide bombers, denouncing the wars as anti-Islam) leave little question about his motives.
The only major revelations I can imagine would be that some of the wounded were hit by fire from responding officers. Ballistics tests will clear up any doubts relatively quickly.