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From John R. Halliburton, an assistant U.S. attorney in Shreveport, LA - John has been a regular "et cetera" contributor for years - this excerpt from the deposition of the plaintiff who claimed the Air Force failed to timely diagnose and treat his medical condition:

Q. Do you know what a regular discharge from the hospital means? Do you know what that is?

A. Now, I know what an irregular discharge is. Regular duty hospital, it is when you have served your country well, and to the best of your ability, I guess.

Q. I am not talking about discharge from the military ... Do you know what an irregular discharge from a hospital is? Do you  know what that means?

A. I suppose you go up and sign out. I suppose.

Q. Do you know what leaving a hospital against medical advice means?

A. Yeah, I understand what that means.

Q. Well, tell me what does that mean to you?

A. Well, it means a number of things.  You could either leave one because you are hacked off at the physician, or your patient care ... and you get tired of the hassle, and you leave under those conditions. There is any number of things you can leave a hospital for. I got up and left one once ... because they wouldn't clean it. It was so filthy that I wouldn't stay in it. I couldn't get them to wash the commodes, and I couldn't get them to mop the floor. Yeah, I know what it means in regards to what your question was.

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