procedure

Standard Operating Procedure
$19.94
With all due respect to the reviewer who was so bitterly disappointed with the limited scope of this movie -- it doesn't identify any of the higher-ups who clearly enabled the abuses at Abu Ghraib -- this troubling documentary still reminds us of the ways a blighted tree bears rotten fruit.

I also wonder if that reviewer saw the DVD of S.O.P. Director Errol Morris' commentary here addresses many of the issues the reviewer raises, and indeed asks questions that any thoughtful American needs to consider.

These include: why were the photographs of abuses taken? According to letters home written by one of Rumsfeld's infamous "bad apples" at the time of the abuses, this soldier took the photos to document what was happening. To hide her intent, she would smile and give thumbs-up in the shots in which she appeared. Yet she also took the post-mortem photos of the prisoner killed by intelligence officers during interrogation -- none of whom have yet been held accountable for this murder of a prisoner not even proven guilty.

Another question Morris raises: did any of the harsh interrogation techniques yield valuable information? Apparently not -- Saddam himself was captured by soldiers on foot, unaided by prisoner confessions. The director also points out something that he claims is well known among the intelligence community: that the most effective Nazi interrogator -- the one who got useful information -- was the one who treated his interrogation subjects well. So much for Cheney's claim that harsh interrogation "works".

And finally: did the photographs help or hinder the investigation of abuses? On the one hand, they yielded irrefutable proof that prisoner mistreatment had occurred, defying the Geneva conventions and "basic human decency". At the same time, the only people who have yet been brought to justice were the whistle-blowers themselves -- the "bad apples" shown in the photos. This film makes it clear that the policies of prisoner mistreatment and degradation were already in place when the apples first came to the prison. In other words, the photos gave the higher-ups a visual scapegoat: see, those bad apples did this; they should be punished.

Meanwhile, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and all the "military intelligence" personnel go on to open self-laudatory libraries and make money giving speeches and writing memoirs.

Let us hope that the Obama Administration will root out the higher-ups who degraded the prisoners and disgraced America in the process. Until justice is done, every American is complicit in these shameful acts.

Yes, I cried tears of shame as I listened to Morris' sad commentary. I would like to think my response is not unique...

Coders' Desk Reference for Procedures 2009
$134.95
Now with significant changes included for 2009, the Coders' Desk Reference for Procedures provides coders, medical staff, payers and health care professionals with a comprehensive and informative guide to a wide variety of commonly asked questions and definitions for CPT������ codes. This desk reference will help you master the components and details behind CPT������ codes, reduce the number of errors in code selection, improve understanding of the clinical meanings behind codes and check billing and coding information for Medicare for better coding success.

TDI Decompression Procedures Manual for Scuba
$25.95
Decompression Procedures is usually taught in conjunction with Advanced Nitrox in any introductory course to technical diving, and the TDI system follows the usual pattern.

It is slightly unfortunate then that the two manuals that they produce for the courses are so similar and so repetitive (and each of which tends to belabour and repeat points). Divers who are sophisticated and experienced enough to be learning technical diving will probably already be comfortable and familiar with almost all the material provided in the manual.

Civil Procedure Examples & Explanations
$44.95
Very helpful study aid. Used a lot to clarify fuzzy spots in my outline.