This is a thorough follow up to the death of Michael Hastings mysterious death this year. His story are what conspiracy theories are made of. Read the Occupy.com piece here...
Also, Michael Hasting's wife Elise Jordan told the New York Times recently that she found a completed novel on his computer after his death. The book is called The Last Magazine and will be published next summer by Blue Rider Press.
I went to a book reading at Politics and Prose yesterday to see Max Blumenthal promote his new book "Goliath: Life And Loathing In Greater Isreal". I have not read Goliath yet but I am an avid reader of Max Blumenthal. His last book Republican Gomorrah is one of the most interesting profiles of the radical right wing of American politics I have ever read. In this book he has turned his sights on the radical right of Israeli politics.
I will say I was a little disappointed there were not more heckler and dissenters at this event. Its not like I wanted someone to heckle Max because I don't agree with him or anything. I wanted it to happen because he usually straight owns them. I have seen hella Youtube videos of Max Blumenthal arguing logically with rabid bigots foaming at the mouth because they can't shake him. Goliath is very critical of the Israeli states foreign policy and human rights violations. Goliath also covers just the extensive racism aimed at the Palestinians and other immigrants, and how that racism is permeating into the Jewish youth. Due to its harsh criticims of the state I expected the pro-right Israeli lobbyists and activists to be out in full force. I was wrong. I guess all in all it was for the best. It was a very interesting read. I attached a great interview with Max from a recent episode of Democracy Now! He also writes for The Nation, Mondeweiss, NSFWCORP among other publications.
I have read so many books about the 2008 financial crisis over the past two years that some of them are starting to run together. "Bailout" is a stand out for its exclusive first hand knowledge on the topic and the fact that Neil Barofsky is actually a really fucking good writer. I want to share Matt Taibbi's review of this book though because...well...Taibbi is awesome! That is all...Read here
When you think of nurses that kill their patients (or at least when I do) you think of mercy killers. Nurses who have been on the job far too long and have seen patients suffering far too long. They give in and push that extra dose of morphine or ativan that pushes the lifeless yet alive body over the edge. The patient's respiration rate goes from 6 per minute to zero per minute. They monitor displays asystole but nothing is done because someone involved either the patient, family or healthcare team have prevented further suffering by arranging a living will that would request a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order specifically for situations like this. I have not been a nurse long enough nor have I worked with terminally ill patients on a regular enough basis to fully understand why some nurses do this. I don't think I could go through with it because one of my biggest phobias is taking life from something (I don't even like killing bugs). The nurse featured in this book couldn't be further from a mercy killer. Charles Cullen was a complicated and brilliant man who possibly murdered up to 300-400 people over the span of his sixteen year nursing career. Working mostly in intensive care settings he used odd unsuspecting drugs such as insulin and digoxin to to kill his victims. He killed indiscriminately, literally, as he sometimes had no idea who he was killing. He would spike multiple patient's IV bags with these toxic clear liquid drugs before the infusions were started in some cases. Once the shift would begin and the nurses would complete their nightly reports and start their work, which included administering the poisoned medication. Cullen would sit in a corner with his charts and watch the madness begin. Hospital after hospital would catch on to Cullen's murders and instead of reporting him to the authorities they would just ask him to leave and would continue to provide him with neutral references so he could continue to work. He worked at 9 hospitals during his career most of which knew he intentionally killed patients or at the very least thought he accidentally killed them. So you think what a sick bastard!!! right? You would be right, but the brilliance of "The Good Nurse" is how Charles Graeber details the multiple dimensions of the characters involved in this real life macabre nursing tale. Charles Cullen's described his life as one of pain and suffering. He made his first suicide attempt when he was 9 years old. He also went on to attempt suicide over 60 times in his life. Generally they were calls for attention but they were also about control.
Charles Cullen
From Wikipedia: Charles Edmund Cullen (born February 22, 1960) is a former nurse who is the most prolific serial killer in New Jersey history and is suspected to be the most prolific serial killer in American history.He confessed to authorities that he killed up to 40 patients during the course of his 16-year nursing career.But in subsequent interviews with police, psychiatric professionals, and journalists Charles Graeber and Steve Kroft, it became clear that he had killed many more, whom he could not specifically remember by name, though he could often remember details of their case. Experts have estimated that Charles Cullen may ultimately be responsible for some 400 murders, which would make him the most prolific serial killer in American history. Cullen was eventually brought down by two persistent Somerset, New Jersey Police detectives. They also had the assistance of a former colleague/friend of Cullen. He pleaded guilty and has acknowledged approximately 40 of his murders but through research and his cooperation they have discovered that that number is probably much higher, in the hundreds. This would make him the most prolific serial killer in American history. "The Good Nurse" is excellently written and will be enjoyed by anyone who loves true crime serial killer stories. It is also written in a way that non medical professionals can fully understand. Its pretty creepy because if you can't trust your nurse, who can you trust???
