Archive for October 9th, 2008


Take That, Ladies

October 9th, 2008 by Oskar Kennedy

Finally, an advantage to having delicate external genitalia. German scientists peeked under the schnitzels of 22 subjects, examining cells from previously biopsied testicular tissue. They discovered that, given a few weeks to grow, the cells were able to differentiate into different types, just like stem cells harvested from embryos.

The downside, at least for the ladies, is that it’s unlikely that a corresponding cell type could be harvested from female reproductive bits. That means the production of personalized stem cells, at least by this method, will only be available to men. Women will have to hope that other recent advances, like reprogramming mature cells, are as promising as early results seem to indicate. Or, we could elect a government that doesn’t believe that being thrown away is a more dignified fate for the souls of fertility clinic embryos than being used for lifesaving medical research. That might work.

EDIT: So far, the reprogramming of adult cells has only worked in mice. Thanks to Jenn for the link.

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Waldorf’s Week in Review

October 9th, 2008 by Waldorf Van Buren

I’m writing the week in review on Thursday with an additional prognostication of Friday’s events. I have consulted the stars, the cards, the numbers, tea leaves, and FOX News, so it should have at least .05% accuracy.

The week of October 5th, 2008. . .

(- -) To both McCain and Obama for an unamusing snorefest of astounding proportions. “Town Hall Debate” is a crock of steaming fecal stew produced by bulls. Obama (who is usually pretty dynamic, thoughtful, and articulate) was a talking point drone, only going off issue to defend and attack the other guy. McCain just complained about Barack’s house being too noisy, with people coming and going in the middle of the night with no respect for the rest of us. I suppose the “cranky old man who can’t sleep” tactic might work, but then again, he might lose the election and start doing Viagra commercials.

(-) To Obama, again, for the snorefest. I expected more.

(-) To McCain, again, for being an old crank. I can’t say it enough.

(+) To McCain. I thought he did pretty well in the non-debate staged question and answer session arranged by the politboro. He had me at the $7,000 tax credit for each child! Wow! Under that plan, I’m going to get back more than my annual salary. Maybe we’ll go for a fourth on Election Day! AND he’s going to buy bad mortgages! Me first, me first! I’d almost vote for him based on those two things.

(-) To punditry in general. I thought the Obama and McCain camps were lousy with “Talking Points,” but the news channels all have the same talking points as well. I think one person makes some shit up (like I do on a regular basis) and the others are too tired, lazy, or busy to actually come up with their own “pulled-from-anus” speculation. It’s the misinformed sound-bite virus.

(+) To Michele Obama for her appearance on the Daily Show (with Jon Stewart). She is an amazing lady with an abundance of class, poise, intellect, and common sense. I prefer her over the trollopy mannequin. If I want trollopy mannequins I’ll watch “The Girls Next Door.”

(EVEN) The economy. Why even? Because I have no idea what’s going on. I know jobs have been cut, credit is frozen, oil is up, as is food, but damn if I didn’t get five calls in one day for job interviews (number five was late in the day), so. . .  I still don’t know what the hell it means.

(+) To the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fantastic game over that other team. Just wanted to give a “shout-out” to “America’s Team.”  Rough, beer-drinking, caustic, fatty-food-chewing men and women of the rust belt.

(+ +) To the school I worked for on Wednesday. They mentioned something about a Bible Club, but it takes place after school and is not funded by the school system. Normally I’m fairly aloof about this sort of thing, sometimes even coming down against anything like this. But it shows my right-wing friends that the schools offers a choice to students, and are not waging war on Christianity.

I’m all for teaching religion classes in public schools as an elective and NOT a requirement. Just like I’m all for people who are interested in Creationism (Unfounded Design) to seek out that knowledge on their own. Evolution and Natural Selection are scientific ways of looking at how things came into being, whereas Creationism and Creation Stories (myths) are ways of trying to answer the “whys.” I’m sure I will get flak from the edges of this issue, but I’m fine with that. I’m happy to balance science with philosophy. (And for the record, I do not believe in the talking snake)

(- – -) To the fearmongering from Palin-McCain. Shame on you. You can’t win on the issues, so you whip people into a frenzy where the froth is palpable and the hate virulent. Laugh and wink and nod when your devoted followers mindlessly clap and cheer on their contemporaries who shout “Kill him” and “Off with his head!” Cindy McCain called Obama out for running the dirtiest campaign in history, yet the Palin-McCain campaign seems happy to create (or bring out into the open) anger and hatred that are dangerous to the peace and security of this country. He who controls the mob, indeed. It’s worked for dictators in the past, so why shouldn’t it work for potential dictators of the future. If there was an inkling of support for the right-wing left in me, it has been replaced with disdain.

(EVEN) We’ve mostly socialized the banking system, mortgages, most of the military, the fire department, so why not just get it over with and socialize medicine already?

(- – -) The idiocy of the NRA. I am a supporter of the second amendment. I feel we have the right to bear arms, as well as a right to a well-regulated militia. However, their move shows that they’re simply splitting hairs when it comes to Presidential politics by endorsing McCain. They are not simply the National Rifle Association, but they are a wing of the Republican machinery and chicanery.

FOR FRIDAY
(- -) I can’t believe the stock market dropped that many points in one week! Friday was a bloodbath!  Oh noes, woe is I. . .  I still don’t undertstand what the hell is going on. I need to look at the Freakonomics blog.

(+ + +) Wow!  I didn’t see that coming! James Dobson admits that Evolution is real and Creationism is a myth, Bush admits he was wrong about. . . everything, the pullout from Iraq began, and McCain admits he is trying to whip up the frenzied masses to incite violence and riots.

A prediction: The sooth-saying will be completely false.

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