Why Conrad Murray's Defense Should Fail

For those of you who do not know, Conrad Murray was the doctor in charge of Michael Jackson's care in the weeks before and the day he died.  For ease of this story we will now refer to them as CM (Conrad Murray) and MJ (Michael Jackson).  CM is going to trial now on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in MJ's death.  A definition of California law can be found here:  http://www.shouselaw.com/involuntary_manslaughter.html (I can't vouch as to its authenticity, but it's a place to start if you would like to know more).


In any case, his legal team has decided to go with the defense of "MJ did it", per attorney Ed Chernoff's opening statement.  Here are at least some of the reasons why this defense should fail:


1) CM was not board certified in any specialty at the time of MJ's death.  http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/27/prosecutor-michael-jacksons-doctor-conrad-murray-repeatedly-acted-with-gross-negligence/  That means that he wasn't board certified to administer anesthesia.


2)  CM administered propofol, an anesthetic that is only used in hospital settings with lifesaving equipment available and monitors, to MJ in his home, without lifesaving equipment, without additional medical staff to monitor him, without equipment to monitor MJ's vitals.


3)  CM procured large amounts of propofol for MJ within one month of MJ's death.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/10/michael-jackson-doctor-conrad-murray-bought-huge-stash-of-drugs-for-singer-detective_n_807122.html  


4)  After administering propofol to MJ, CM left the room, telling police that he was gone for a two minute bathroom break, whereas other testimony and cell phone records indicate that he was on his cell phone outside MJ's room, leaving MJ alone for more than that 2 minute bathroom break.  http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/michael-jackson-sade-anding-phone-conrad-murray-pop/story?id=12827232&page=1 http://www.tmz.com/2011/04/14/conrad-murray-michael-jackson-manslaughter-reaction-propofol-bridgette-morgan-michelle-bella-sade-armstrongattorney-strip-clubs-women-money-girlfriend/

5) CM claimed to have hooked up MJ to an IV in his leg - and now is claiming that MJ self-administered propofol to himself.  Well, if that were the case, and CM was only out of the room for 2 minutes as he claimed, how is that possible?  If the propofol were properly secured and out of reach of the patient as it should have been, MJ couldn't have done so.  If he were only gone two minutes, and MJ were asleep at the time CM left the room for his potty break, there was not enough time for someone with an IV in his leg to get up, walk around, find the drugs, unsecure them, find a syringe, inject himself and get back into bed.  Of course, if CM left the drugs next to the patient within reach, well, doesn't common sense indicate that  such behavior would be negligent?  In any case, the two minute story, and the self-administration story just don't make sense.  If CM truly felt that MJ was getting addicted to a non-addictive medication, why would he leave it out and unsecure, and available to his patient?  Why did he leave his patient unattended for any amount of time?  Why was there not at least a nurse anesthetist in the room monitoring MJ when CM had to leave the room?  This just does not add up.


6)  Why was CM on the cell phone with a girlfriend instead of waiting 82 minutes to call 911?  http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1918722,00.html  http://news.ph.msn.com/entertainment/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5324227


7) Why did CM not call 911 or have someone else call 911, while he performed CPR on MJ?  Why was CPR not performed correctly?  CM performed CPR  with MJ on the bed, and not on a hard surface, thereby severely reducing the effectiveness of chest compressions.


8)  Why would CM not talk to police at the time?  Why did he disappear and wait for days?


Sorry, CM, this all just doesn't add up.  And, if you had properly administered the medications, MJ would have been in a hospital setting, would have been monitored, the monitors would have sounded alarms if MJ went into distress, there would have been life-saving equipment available, the drugs would have been secured and locked up away from the patient, and MJ would likely not have died that day, but for the actions and inactions of CM.


Even if I believe the claim that MJ took an extra dose, it still falls on CM for (1) failing to properly monitor MJ (e.g. leaving the room, no one else there to monitor, no monitoring equipment, etc.), (2) failing to properly secure medications, (3) failing to notice the exact time MJ went into distress, (4) failing to timely call 911, (5) failing to properly perform CPR, (6) failing to inform the paramedics  when they arrived, that CM had administered propofol to MJ. . . . the list goes on.


Remember folks, this is all my opinion.

Bad customer service alert

I can't help but have the song with the lyrics "Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey Goodbye" going through my head right now.  It appears that Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker may soon be ousted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_18944313?source=rss   And may I personally say, in my opinion, good riddance!


Several weeks ago I faxed Leo a one (that's 1) page letter outlining my trouble with three (3) HP laptops, two of which I own and one of which I considered buying but for the fact that HP shipped them without ensuring that the switchable graphics cards (it had 2) actually worked and were switchable.  HP subsequently, after months of complaining, came up with a work-around to be implemented by the consumer - a BIOS update and the installation of a new driver (why HP couldn't do an automatic update is beyond me, but its choice).  So, customers spent $1,000 plus on a laptop and then were turned into unpaid HP techs who had to put that model laptop into workable condition - the condition it should have been in when it was delivered!  I would not buy this third laptop unless and until it was shipped in working condition.


In any case, 4 business days later I get a call from (we'll call her "G") G in the HP "Executive Customer Relations Office".  Apparently, the thought of discussing THREE HP products was beyond her ken.  She clearly hadn't read my letter, she had no understanding of the three products in question, had not reviewed the products prior to G calling me, and complained to me that I wanted to discuss too many products.  Now seriously, how much information could I have put in a business letter of a single page and 12 point font about three products?  


G's main concern was not to understand the problem (I asked Apotheker to explain to me, a long-time HP customer, why I should remain a long-time customer after having 1 HP laptop go through a class action lawsuit due to defects, have a second HP laptop die after 1 year of moderate use, and the third, which I was considering buying, but had not yet purchased, was released without HP ensuring it worked properly), but was to ship me off to a Case Manager about the third laptop (which she mistakenly thought I owned and could not be dissuaded from this mistaken belief) as quickly as possible.


After going through the issues and status of the three computers with G  three times, G still was unable to keep them straight (she was insisting I owned the third which I considered buying and chose not to until the problems were resolved).  I therefore offered to read G the letter directly.  As I was reading her the letter, she was interrupting me with "I am not going to argue with you."  Who knew reading a letter to try to help G keep the three computers straight was arguing?  After making her statement, G hung up on me.  HP has been known for having bad customer service, and this epitomizes it.  Remember, G stated to me that she worked in the HP "Executive Customer Relations Office".  If this is Executive Customer Relations representative and her behavior is this unprofessional, that speaks volumes as to why there is a long, well-documented history of HP's poor customer service all over the Internet.


I drafted another fax to Leo and sent it to him immediately after that phone call 8 days ago.  I informed him that if he wished to keep me as a personal and business customer, I expected a phone call from someone other than G who knew the products and could have a rational discussion.  To date, no response.  I hope the entire executive team, including those who work for the so-called Executive Customer Relations office join Leo on his way out the door.


The only downside to this, is, that if the Board of Directors kick Leo out, he walks with almost 36 million dollars.  


No CEO should be rewarded for failure.  I know how to pay off the federal debt quickly:  tax all so-called golden parachutes at 90% and put that money directly to paying off the national debt.


I can only hope that karma visits G as well in this whole management shake-up.

Some Independent t-shirts

You may want to check out this site for some t-shirts geared towards independent-minded folks.

Will be back with more political meanderings soon!

And on another personal note

Welcome to the world little HRG.  May you too have a long and happy life filled with joy.  Hugs to your proud parents too!  :-)

See, the Cranky Yankee isn't always so cranky!  :-)

On a personal note

Welcome to the world, CMR.  May you have a long, happy life filled with joy.  Hugs to your proud parents!

Federal Government Folly

Okay, just what was President Obama trying to do this week?

First, last month, he tells us he has this super-top-secret jobs plan that he will only reveal after Labor Day.  Why?  Why wait? Why not reveal it before he went off to Maaaatha's Vineyaaaad for his $50,000 a week rental vacation home?  Why not give everyone time to review and digest it?  Was it because the super top-secret plan didn't exist yet?

Now we get to this week.  Congress is on vacation, and I would assume Speaker Boehner was as well.  The White House sends the Speaker's office a letter proposing a speech before a joint session of Congress on September 7, the same date and time a Republican Presidential debate had been previously scheduled, and within less than an hour or two of when Congress was supposed to be back in town (apparently, they are all supposed to back in DC by 6 pm on September 7 in order to begin work on September 8).  To top it off, when Speaker Boehner did not respond to the White House within under two hours, the White House ASSumed he consented and publicized the speech.  Who in their right mind does that, especially when it broke with long-established protocol?

Now what is the White House attempting to do?  Is it attempting to make the Republicans look like the party of no, as the Democratic mantra goes?  If so, they failed in my book.  To make the excuse that they  didn't want to conflict with the NFL opening game as justification for conflicting with a previously scheduled Republican debate just proves this administration either 1) has no clue what it is doing; 2) fails to prioritize correctly - I don't care how many men may disagree with me, but no, football does not take precedence over listening to the present POTUS speak or a debate of potential future POTUSes (sp?); or 3) it was playing politics, trying to spoil the debate or put the Republican candidates on the defensive, making them respond immediately to his super top-secret jobs plan.

In any case, the White House came out with egg on its face and looking utterly incompetent to me.  Chicago politics don't work in the rest of the country, Mr. President.  Haven't you learned that by now?

My greatest wish is for Hillary Clinton to primary President Obama.  that way, if the Republicans nominate someone for whom I could not vote, I'd pick Hillary in a heartbeat over the Neville Chamberlain reincarnation currently holding the office.  

In the meantime, Mr. President, how about sending FEMA around with refrigerated trucks to deliver ice and food instead of setting up a single location in Connecticut for towns and cities to have to come to pick up?  After all, most towns and cities do not have refrigerated trucks on their property list - you want those bags of ice to be bags of water by the time it gets to the people?  Ridiculous!

Government Folly (again)

Well, here I am, sitting here with emails from Governor Malloy's office, and my Mayor's office.  Governor Malloy's employee emails me (in response to complaint about how I was treated on Tuesday when I called his office) and tells me today (Thursday) that there is "food, water and ice" being "distributed by FEMA and the CT National Guard" and that my town should have these supplies and to call my town.  Supposedly, this distribution was going on since Monday.  It must be the stealth distribution, because not one single radio station I listened to (in the dark) mentioned anything about this.  Had they, I might have been able to get some ice and not have to throw out the contents of my fridge and freezer today (garbage day), after 4 days without power.

I sent the Governor's employee's email on to the Mayor for informational purposes.  He tells me, that what the Governor's office fails to state is that the "distribution" is going on only in Rentchler Field in East Hartford, well over 50 miles away.  Towns and cities have to request supplies and then, I suppose, get permission to obtain them from East Hartford.  But, in what?  Why aren't FEMA and National Guard trucks traveling to the cities and towns, or at least setting up distribution centers in the counties, to distribute these items?  FEMA and the National Guard have the trucks, and, supposedly, the delivery know-how (logistics - they should call on UPS for help if they can't figure it out).  And why was there no notice on radio stations?  I listened to many over the past few days and never heard a peep about this mysterious "food, water and ice".

It just reminds me of the photos and videos after Katrina of FEMA letting trucks full of ice melt and drain because FEMA failed to deliver the items to the people who needed them when they needed them (and WHERE they needed them).

Taxpayer dollars at waste again.