Buggy- The Gap Toothed Killer!!!

DAY 1

Yesterday was the day of the boys' dental checkup. It went relatively well for Josh. A little sealant work, probably the result of biting into jolly ranchers and lollipops rather than sucking on them.
For Buggy (real name Corwyn) it was a different matter altogether. For the past few months we have known Buggy had become naturally "Bluetooth Ready". One of his top front teeth had become slightly discolored, and in certain lights had a bluish tint to it. It had recently become a little loose, but wasn't really bothering him, so we figured it would wait until the appointed time to see the dentist. the other day we discovered a nice sized cavity on a back upper molar. We knew that he was going to be getting some extra special attention with the torture expert...err dentist.
So after the initial checkup, I ran out to get lunch for the boys, as Josh was pulled from school and would miss his lunch hour, and it was passing Buggy's appointed eating time of 1130HRS. When I was informed of a 130 opening that they could do the work, and the initial appointment lasted until just after noon, I knew I had to run quick to get lunch, get the checkbook from home, email my wife to let her know the details, and get Josh back to school.

So we get back to the dentist's office, just Buggy and I. He, despite knowing he'll get yet another sticker for the day (he loves stickers), was not all that thrilled about going back for another dental checkup. He went back, got the back molar taken care of with a nerve treatment and a cap (basically a kid version of a root canal), and then the big stuff had to happen. It turned out the "blue tooth" had a nice hole right behind the lower biting edge that went straight up into the bone structure, and the two permanent front teeth were pushing down to come in. In order for them to grow in evenly, the doctor said the other front tooth, which was apaprently showing signs of loosening itself, should come out as well. SO now, you have the new look of Buggy, as witnessed above. I have dubbed him the Gap Toothed Killer. Why did I give him this name? Even I have no idea why such thoughts come into my head, but they do, and they don't go away just because you or my wife might find me a little on the weird side. But, at least now, the trouble in his mouth is taken care of, and by the time he goes to school in the fall and has pictures taken, all the relatives wont have to get the Gap Tooth look as their yearly picture update!
This first picture was taken a few hours after the appointment..he was a bit hungry, and mad that I wasn't feeding him anything, or letting him watch a certain HULK movie right away. So he looks a little more serious about it all. That and the "thing they nailed to his tooth" as he puts it, well he just couldn't understand it, and of course new caps always take a bit of time to get used to. But, all in all, it was agood dental visit. They said he did very well and didn't cry at all.




DAY 2

Well, the tooth fairy came last night. It turns out the price for teeth has gone up significantly since I was a child. Two teeth= $2!!!!! Beats the hell out of the quarter I always got...and if i swallowed my tooth or lost it outside while playing and couldnt find it...no tooth meant no money was my dad's explanation of the tooth fairy's rules! I was told by my wife, who called me towards the end of my work shift this morning that power was out and that Buggy had gotten his $2. As you can see, he is far more ecstatic, knowing the gap in his smile made him wealthy. I just hope he doesn't experiment with self dentistry and a hammer!

But don't let the happy face fool you, or the fact that he will show off his new look to anyone who will listen to him (I'm sure the count is well into the 20s by now). Underneath this facade is a true killer. And now he has battle scars to show off just how tough he is!

Waterboarding As Torture?

A few posts on other blogs have brought this subject up, again and again, often leading to heated debates in the commentary. As usual, I'm not one to avoid stoking the fire a bit more.

Let's look at some of the methods of torture utilized by our forces

The attention grasp:

"Grasping the individual with both hands, one hand on each side of the collar opening, in a controlled and quick motion. In the same motion as the grasp, the individual is drawn toward the interrogator." The end. I've seen bigger to-dos in the halls of a high school between students, or from football coaches trying to get your thick skull to understand something when they grab you by the facemask and yank your head toward their face to explain how stupid you're being.

Walling:

"This involves pushing the terrorist against a flexible wall, during which his "head and neck are supported with a rolled hood or towel that provides a C-collar effect to prevent whiplash." It seems as though Fisher-Price may have gotten a no-bid contract to provide this evil device for our military. Walling doesn't cause any pain, but is supposed to induce terror by making a "loud noise": The false wall is in part constructed to create a loud sound when the individual hits it, which will further shock and surprise.

Now, if you're feeling really uncomfortable or faint from reading this, sometimes a cold compress on the forehead is helpful, but don't let it drip or you might end up waterboarding yourself.

Sleep Deprivation:

I'm pretty sure this is self-explanatory. I subject myself to this on a daily basis to avoid paying outrageous day care expenses. I may have to contact the ACLU and see what kind of reparations I can receive for having put myself through such punishing events. I'll sue the U.S. Government for not regulating the day care industry enough to make sure that it is available to me for free, so that I might be able to pay my normal day to day bills without losing so much sleep.

And then of course, the real big deal lately: WATERBOARDING. Such a horrible way of torture that causes less pain than SNOWBOARDING!!! First, let's look at what waterboarding is. The suspect is leaned back, with a cloth over his face (this is optional), and water is run up his nostrils. It creates a snesation in the suspect that he is drowning. To be sure, it is highly uncomfortable. But to be fair, I also find watching Soap Operas to be highly uncomfortable. Now, lets look at what waterboarding is not: lethal, extremely painful, permanently damaging.

Now, many of those against torture in the form of waterboarding will tell you just how cruel this method is. To tell the truth, an exercise training regimen can be more debilitating and demoralizing. Now consider this question, all you who oppose waterboarding: Would you prefer we shot these prisoners in the head, or just poured some water up their nose?

According to the Geneva Convention, the terrorists having been caught on a battle field fighting against uniformed American (or British, or Polish, or whoever)without a clear cut uniform, or clearly visible markings of an actual army, can be shot legally, without repercussion. Which to those who are under orders to go in and capture prisoners, the idea of shooting them must be more desirable, as it is much more dangerous to corner your adversary and take them alive.

Many claim that no actionable intelligence has ever been obtained from such tactics. Well, when you obtain every word spoken, written or stored away from such actions you can use the "never" argument. Tagging the U.S. alone for torturous methodology would also be an ignorant statement. Most countries, in the past and present endeavors of war have committed acts of torture, often far more brutal than waterboarding, walling, and the like. Now, torturing prisoners to death, I will disagree with. Sadistic "fun" is not what it's all supposed to be about. Our methods of torture are to be used strictly to gain information that can save lives, either immediately, or to be gleaned for future incidences where it may be applicable (force structures, locations, tactics, etc).

Those who will not talk willingly may be deemed, necessary to save innocent lives or the lives of our brothers in arms, to go under these torturous practices. For those of you who say that torture is in no way to be condoned, even if innocent lives are at stake, I would say that the blood of the innocents should be shouldered by you, for refusing to help them.