Judge’s ruling on stem-cell research may politicize issue
According to a ruling Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth, U.S. law forbids federal funding of any scientific research using human embryonic stem cells. The decision invalidates an executive order issued by President Obama shortly after taking office in 2009 that expanded federal support for such research, and for that reason was quickly applauded by the Family Research Council and other right-to-life groups.
In issuing a preliminary injunction against such funding, Lamberth cited a law dating back to 1996 that forbids federal funding of “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death.” Until now, that law had been read to prohibit federal funding for the actual creation of embryonic stem cell lines — which requires the destruction of an embryo — but not subsequent research into the use of those stem cells.
Had it been in effect at the time, Lamberth’s ruling would also have invalidated the stem-cell policy of President Bush, who limited federally funded stem-cell research to 21 already-existing embryonic cell lines. However, those lines also were created through the destruction of embryos, and by Lamberth’s logic were thus ineligible for federal funding.
Under Obama’s policy, stem cell lines could be derived only from embryos that had been created for use in fertility treatments and were no longer needed for that purpose. That safeguard was intended to prevent the creation of embryos for the sole purpose of destroying them. Those embryos also had to be “donated by the individuals who sought reproductive treatment . . . and who gave voluntary written consent for the human embryos to be used for research purposes.” It also barred any financial compensation or inducement for donating embryos for research.
Lamberth’s ruling dismisses those safeguards as meaningless.
According to The Washington Post, the decision has stunned much of the scientific community.
“This is devastating, absolutely devastating,” said Amy Comstock Rick, immediate past president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, a group of patient organizations that has been lobbying for more federal funding.
“We were really looking forward to research finally moving forward with the full backing of the NIH. We were really looking forward to the next chapter when human embryonic stem cells could really be explored for their full potential. This really sets us back,” Rick said. “Every day we lose is another day lost for patients waiting for cures.”
“I have had to tell everyone in my lab that when they feed their cells tomorrow morning, they better use media that has not been funded by the federal government,” Dr. George Q. Daley, director of the stem cell transplantation program at Children’s Hospital Boston, told The New York Times. (”Media” refers to food given to cells). “This ruling means an immediate disruption of dozens of labs doing this work since the Obama administration made its order.”
It’s not clear whether Lamberth’s ruling will hold. Courts have the power to intervene in such matters only if the executive branch is clearly and unambiguously breaking the law. Three consecutive administrations have concluded otherwise, believing that research using stem cell lines can and should be distinguished from research using embryos.
And as a practical matter, it’s hard to see what right-to-life groups have gained in the ruling. A significant number of human embryos created in vitro for fertility treatments are destroyed or abandoned every day in this country. It’s an inevitable by-product of the process. The odds against any single embryo implanting in the womb are so high that large numbers of embryos have to be created in hopes that one or two will be successful. Once pregnancy is achieved, any leftover embryos are literally put into cold storage for possible future use, and many are left there until discarded.
The Obama administration will almost certainly appeal the ruling and seek to block the preliminary injunction, although no announcement to that effect has been made. It may also try to correct the problem through Congress, which would put the volatile issue in the political arena. If it takes that tack, the administration would seem to have public opinion on its side.
“A 2009 poll by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found 54% of adults think it’s more important to conduct the research that might result in medical cures vs. 32% who said it was more important not to destroy the potential life of a human embryo.”
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328 comments Add your comment
Doggone/GA
August 24th, 2010
2:37 pm
“Oh…btw…dogs and cats are made out of “meat” too… how do they taste? ”
like chicken!
The Leg Lamp is a "major award" much like Cynthia Tucker's Pulitzer and Obama's Nobel.
August 24th, 2010
2:37 pm
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
2:35 pm
I thought you vampires died only when the stake went through the heart, not when it’s in your cold dead hand.
Southern Comfort
August 24th, 2010
2:38 pm
Normal – Bruno
Paul
No problem. I put Chris Rock in the same ballpark as Richard Pryor. They can both make social commentary that’s right on point but still get a laugh in the process.
Bruno
Thanks to you, that BT is locked in my favorites now. Just waiting on the nonstop service on the Spirit of Ingram to board.
@@
August 24th, 2010
2:39 pm
Bosch:
The information came from the SACS report/findings, which clearly pointed to a dysfunctional board as the root of Clayton County’s loss of accreditation. They were more concerned with pushing their respective “unions” than they were with Clayton’s student body. Even some high school kids showed up at meetings, asking the board members to get their act together.
MACE members (on the board) refused to agree with the state’s curriculum.
Those are the facts, Bosch. I live here…I know of what I speak.
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
2:39 pm
larry–Not picking on Herschel, just matching Normal’s Alabama joke. I actually admired Herschel during his athletic career for his commitment to fitness without using steroids or even lifting weights. I do think his rep was tarnished a few years ago when he let some quack psychologist convince him he had some bogus mental condition called “dissociative identity disorder”.
Jefferson
August 24th, 2010
2:40 pm
Before accepting Herschal into UGA he had to pass an entry exam.
Old McDonald had a _________? Farm — Herschal replies.
Spell It. E-I-E-I-O – Herschal replied.
Congrads, You are now a bulldog. The rest is history.
The Leg Lamp is a "major award" much like Cynthia Tucker's Pulitzer and Obama's Nobel.
August 24th, 2010
2:40 pm
“Rangel Criticizes Obama For ‘Dignity’ Remark”
I didn’t think sharks attacked each other.
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
2:41 pm
No offense to Clayton County residents, @@, but I’m glad that I no longer work there. With any luck, I’ll be calling Columbus home soon.
Bob
August 24th, 2010
2:41 pm
Clair McCaskill, dem from Missouri ran on this last election and promised to make Missouri the embryonic stem cell research capitol of the world. Now it seems adult stem cells are producing much better results than embryonic and can anyone take a wag on whether MO is the capitol of anything under old Clair ?
Fax is Facts
August 24th, 2010
2:43 pm
“I live here…I know of what I speak.”
So many jokes, and so little time ….
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
2:43 pm
Q: How many UGA athletes does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Only one, but the whole team gets course credit for it.
(Nods to Jan Kemp)
The Leg Lamp is a "major award" much like Cynthia Tucker's Pulitzer and Obama's Nobel.
August 24th, 2010
2:44 pm
Looks like the movie “The Minority Report” may not have been science fiction after all.
“Law enforcement agencies in Washington D.C. have begun to use technology that they say can predict when crimes will be committed and who will commit them, before they actually happen.”
I wonder if this could be categorized as “racial profiling”?
@@
August 24th, 2010
2:46 pm
(Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s July 2011 date to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan has given a morale boost to Taliban insurgents, who believe they can wait out NATO forces, the top U.S. Marine said on Tuesday.
‘Ya think!!??!! One of the many instances where Obama should have kept his mouth shut.
But retiring General James Conway said he believed Marines would not be in a position to withdraw from the fight in southern Afghanistan for years, even though he acknowledged that Americans were growing “tired” of the 9-year-old war.
Conway’s unusually blunt assessment is likely to fan criticism of Obama’s war strategy ahead of U.S. congressional elections in November, as public opinion of the conflict sours further and casualties rise.
I was reading the other day where Odierno said combat troops will return to Iraq if conditions warrant.
@@
August 24th, 2010
2:48 pm
Fax:
When you come in under one consistent name, I’ll acknowledge you. Until then, this is my one and only…
larry
August 24th, 2010
2:49 pm
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
2:39 pm
Okay………………
He’s also the reason every time i see Donald Trump i change the channel. Putting that kind of money under a 21 year olds nose. There is no telling how many yards he would have gained his senior year, he probably would still hold the yardage and touchdown records.
But i digress………………………this isnt a sports blog.
The Leg Lamp is a "major award" much like Cynthia Tucker's Pulitzer and Obama's Nobel.
August 24th, 2010
2:49 pm
“The network newscast ratings for last week are in and “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” tied its all-time low in total viewers with an average of 4.89 million tuning in during the five days.”
Looks like the rest of the country’s opinion of Couric is starting to migrate towards mine.
Mi Crobe
August 24th, 2010
2:53 pm
I guess the males amongst us needs to start checking the underwear real close. Wouldn’t want to disturb any of those cells. So if you find anything that looks, well, like it might be a cell, call the authorities to do a search and rescue.
The Leg Lamp is a "major award" much like Cynthia Tucker's Pulitzer and Obama's Nobel.
August 24th, 2010
2:59 pm
Little-known fact: Obama’s failed stimulus program cost more than the Iraq war
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Little-known-fact-Obamas-failed-stimulus-program-cost-more-than-the-Iraq-war-101302919.html
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
3:01 pm
@@,
You can call margarine “butter” but it’s not butter, just like you can call MACE a “union” but it’s still not.
My original point was that they lost their accreditation because of failure to comply with SACS standards, which you have proved me right with your own postings, which is the only way to lose your accreditation. That conflict of interest was one of MANY listed in the ruling, so your original assertion that that was the ONLY reason was false. The ruling is here:
http://www.wsbtv.com/download/2008/0827/17314364.pdf
Again, it looks to me like the conflict of interest between board members and the professional organizations they happen to be members of is but a small piece of the dysfunctional puzzle, but if you need those imaginary bad teacher unions to make your life easier, then by all means.
Jonathan
August 24th, 2010
3:06 pm
I am only blogging after I receive the poll numbers back from constituents or if at least 8 of you really beg me to. Otherwise tee time is at 4:15
Normal
August 24th, 2010
3:10 pm
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
2:16 pm
..and Soco,
You know what Alamabama and Georgia Alums call Auburn and Georgia Tech alums?
Boss…
TaxPayer
August 24th, 2010
3:13 pm
Little known fact: The DoD’s annual budget costs more than the stimulus.
Phil Gramm
August 24th, 2010
3:15 pm
I lost track of how many Ga Tech grads I had to fire because they did not know what a derivative was.
larry
August 24th, 2010
3:15 pm
The Washington Examiner’s Opinon page????
Normal
August 24th, 2010
3:17 pm
Granny G,
Years ago, I used to live with a vegan. She did wonderful things with greens, nut, and berries, but around every three months or so, I was mad for red meat and I would go to the old Steak and Ale for a Porterhouse. She would sit there nibbling a salad and looking at me like I was a barbarian… fond memories!
Southern Comfort
August 24th, 2010
3:19 pm
Normal
Only in an alternate universe!!!
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
3:20 pm
Leg Lamp
Piffle.
See Peter Orzag’s testimony 10/24/07 before House Budget comittee….available as PDF on line.
I'm Here From The Government and I'm Here To Help
August 24th, 2010
3:23 pm
Explains a few things!
When it comes to talking and texting on mobile phones, African-Americans, women and Southerners are the most active users, according to data released today by Nielsen.
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2010
3:24 pm
“CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” tied its all-time low in total viewers with an average of 4.89 million tuning in
If the program were to lose two million more viewers, it would still be drawing more viewers on average than Fox News Channel’s highest rated show.
I'm Here From The Government and I'm Here To Help
August 24th, 2010
3:24 pm
Granny Godzilla
You blogging from the beach?
Jonathan
August 24th, 2010
3:24 pm
Phil Gramm- better to be fired than having DNA three deviations from the mean. hmmh
Matti
August 24th, 2010
3:28 pm
Bruno,
Re Hershel’s “bogus” mental disorder… Dude, you have no idea. While the “Sybil” cases are rare, it’s not that uncommon in lesser degrees. Don’t be greedy and think only YOU get to have a mental disorder, now. There’s room for everybody.
Thanks for the financial tips, but I don’t like the stock market. It’s like poker: You have to really know what you’re doing in order not to totally suck, and even then it’s easy to totally suck. I have no faith in banks (having worked for them) and get hives just looking at my 401K envelopes. Don’t ask what happens when I open one!
I'm Here From The Government and I'm Here To Help
August 24th, 2010
3:29 pm
stands for decibels,
Nice apples to oranges comparision. Is this how you decide to vote to? For the whole picture here’s the results of cable news. Network vs, Cable is still like comparing the elephant to the mouse. But nice try and thanks for playing.
FNC – 651,000 viewers
CNN – 405,000 viewers
MSNBC – 399,000 viewers
CNBC – 186,000 viewers
HLN –216,000 viewers
FNC –754,000 viewers
CNN — 427,000 viewers
MSNBC –423,000 viewers
CNBC – 218,000 viewers
HLN – 191,000 viewers
@@
August 24th, 2010
3:30 pm
Bosch:
There was disruption at the top (union conflicts) and that trickled down to the student body.
Joining GAE: STEP 1: Please contact a representative from your local association in order to find out the cost of your local dues.
And we’re here to give you the support you need. When you carry a GAE membership card, you become part of the oldest and most powerful organization for educator in Georgia.
As a GAE member, you’ll sharpen and expand your skills through our professional development workshops. You’ll also rest easy with the added $1 million liability insurance. Plus, our legal services department will be there looking out for you every day and around the clock. GAE’s government relations department fights laws and policies that affect your profession, your standards, your classroom, even your buses and cafeterias. Our communications team will keep you connected to the news you need to know about your profession.
At the bottom of MACE’s membership form:
(Attach a check for $40.00 to this form. The application must be accompanied with a bank draft authorization. Or, you can pay $480.00 for an annual membership.)
Why is a MACE Membership Effective?
* Effective Grievance Representation
* Guaranteed Legal Defense in Hearings for Non-Renewals, Terminations, Demotions, Suspensions, PSC Hearings and more…
* Consultations with Staff Members, Attorneys About Employment Concerns
* Teacher Rights Seminars
* Teacher Issues Forums
* Documentation/Letter Writing/Rebuttal Writing
* Legislative Lobbying
* Informative Newsletters
* Membership Will be Held in Strictest Confidence
* Interventions with Administratrors
Bosch, I know how much you enjoy our little back and forths. I never have.
Membership dues and services in exchange for….like I said, not a union per se, but only if one’s imagination rules.
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
3:34 pm
“While the “Sybil” cases are rare, it’s not that uncommon in lesser degrees.”
From personal experience, Matti, I think we all are schizophrenic to one degree or another.
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
3:34 pm
I’m here
Did you forget a little something in that last post?
Just a wee something maybe?
@@
August 24th, 2010
3:35 pm
Oh, and Bosch. I have no desire to continue making you feel relevant thru exchanges or interactions.
Scout
August 24th, 2010
3:37 pm
Headline (WSJ): “Conway: U.S. Withdrawal Deadline Boosts Taliban in Afghan War”
“The top U.S. Marine general in Afghanistan said President Barack Obama’s announced July 2011 deadline to start withdrawing troops from the country had given “sustenance” to the Taliban.”
Hummmm ……………… another general at odds with the Commander in Chief !
Look at it this way ………. what is a general to do when he knows a lame political decision will cost the lives of more of his men? I’ll tell you what you do …………… you try to take care of your men and whatever the consequences are at least you will be able to hold your head high.
State of the Union
August 24th, 2010
3:37 pm
What is your point, amp squared.
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2010
3:38 pm
Network vs, Cable is still like comparing the elephant to the mouse.
In 1990? Maybe. Not in 2010. Most households are wired for cable or satellite, most have access to Fox “News.” Switching to a “broadcast” network show rather than a “Cable” show doesn’t require any special jumping through hoops.
Of course given that TeeVee news programming as a dominant form of dissemination is in its death heaves anyway, this is roughly akin to having an argument over who sells the most buggy whips.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
3:38 pm
@@,
“There was disruption at the top (union conflicts) and that trickled down to the student body.”
That was ONE of the problems, not the ONLY. Just admit that. It’s in the ruling I posted.
I wouldn’t expect a paraprofessional to understand the workings of a professional organization considering you have never been a member, but it might do you some good to learn the difference between them before basing an argument upon it said knowledge.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
3:39 pm
“I have no desire to continue making you feel relevant thru exchanges or interactions.”
@@,
Then why did you start this to begin with? Seems to me like your drowing in your own puddle.
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2010
3:39 pm
Oh, and Bosch. I have no desire to continue making you feel relevant thru exchanges or interactions.
In case you’re new to the blog, here’s an explanation.
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2010
3:41 pm
“Conway: U.S. Withdrawal Deadline Boosts Taliban in Afghan War”
Could you and @@ coordinate your little “Obama is the biggest poopie-head in the history of poopie heads: A series of meditations” playtime a little better?
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
3:41 pm
@@,
Oh, and I enjoy them as much as I would enjoy having bamboo shoved under my fingernails. You started this conversation, and again, when challenged it’s always funny to me how back peddle and get all poutrageous and pretend to ignore me.
falling Obama approval causes Guam to tip over
August 24th, 2010
3:43 pm
REALLY JAY?! It’s going to Politicize the issue? Man, now that’s earth shattering news right there
WHO KNEW?
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
3:46 pm
sfd,
I guess next she’ll use big words to tell everyone what a girlie doofus I am. Oh wait, she’s already used the “Bosch is a GIRL” in an earlier post. So next I guess it’s the big words when “I think Bosch is a doofus” would suffice.
Normal
August 24th, 2010
3:46 pm
Oh Scout, Bless your heart…
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 24th, 2010
3:46 pm
I think Mark Bradley is going to win the blog post race, today. His topic is “What SEC school has the most obnoxious fans”. That ought to be good for 1,000 posts at least.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
3:49 pm
I’m all for businesses being successful, but this is downright creepy:
http://www.ajc.com/news/cleaning-up-after-hoarders-598363.html
Scout
August 24th, 2010
3:50 pm
stands for decibles:
“Could you and @@ coordinate your little “Obama is the biggest poopie-head in the history of poopie heads: A series of meditations” playtime a little better?”
You are obviously not the parent of a Marine or soldier who will die unnecessarily because of Obama’s inane policy of telling the enemy when we are pulling out.
This is like a pro-football defense telling the offense when they are going to blitz.
Pathetic from our Commander in Chief.
State of the Union
August 24th, 2010
3:52 pm
Then why did you start this to begin with? Seems to me like your drowning in your own piddle.
I put that in proper trickle-down language for you.
Scout
August 24th, 2010
3:53 pm
Normal:
Marine Commandant Wallace Green once stated that his biggest regret is that he and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff did not resign en mass (and they discussed it) over the polices of Johnson and McNamara during the Vietnam War. It would have saved lives.
State of the Union
August 24th, 2010
3:54 pm
You are obviously not the parent of a Marine or soldier who will die unnecessarily because of Obama’s inane policy of telling the enemy when we are pulling out.
We will not hold our breaths waiting for your evidence to support said baseless claim. Admit it Scout. You just hate all things Obama. Man up for a change.
State of the Union
August 24th, 2010
3:59 pm
The top management of Saudi-based media group Rotana met under the chairmanship of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud to discuss the latest developments at Rotana after its strategic alliance with global media giant News Corp.
Time for some damage control. Perhaps the talking bobble heads on FOX will learn about whom they are NOT allowed to diss while on the network. Saudi owners for example.
josef nix
August 24th, 2010
4:00 pm
As for the issue itself, I, too, have my qualms about embryonic stem cell research. Those qualms are, I admit, based as much in ignorance and emotional response as anything else. I am not a scientist. However, if we learned nothing else from the 1933-45 descent into barbarism by the most sophisticated, cultured, and highly educated society of the times, it is what men and women of science can and will do when let off the chain.
As for the arguments making the rounds, the memo riddled are merely using this as yet another nyanh-nyanh to bash religion or lack thereof and, in so doing, are not really doing anything constructive in addressing the matter at hand.
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2010
4:00 pm
You are obviously not the parent of a Marine or soldier who will die unnecessarily because of Obama’s inane policy of telling the enemy when we are pulling out.
Scout, did you get all weepy and call the Israelis “inane” when they made the tactical decision to announce their withdrawal from Lebanon in advance?
You know where you can go bow. Also.
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2010
4:03 pm
HD, you forgot the link!
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2010/08/24/you-tell-me-which-sec-football-fans-are-the-most-obnoxious/
(or maybe you just figured we all knew how to get there.)
Scout
August 24th, 2010
4:09 pm
Lots of people on here just like Obama ……….. secretly you despise the military and could care less about their deaths.
“Kept by better men than yourself”
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 24th, 2010
4:10 pm
Josef @ 4:00
Well said. A bit off topic but I was looking at the CRCT scores for my county and although they seemed pretty good compared to everyone else, the social studies part of the test seemed to be their weakpoint. That wasn’t really surprising. As an educator, do you think there’s an “over-emphasis” on math and science or am I just reading that wrong?
sfd @ 4:03
I figured if people could find Jay, they could find Mark.
@@
August 24th, 2010
4:10 pm
Bosch:
I wouldn’t expect a paraprofessional to understand the workings of a professional organization considering you have never been a member…
I was a member, Bosch. It was during a one-year stint with the Fayette County school system.
GAE, MACE and PACE open their membership to paraprofessionals.
Now everyone seems to be a bit put out with our exchange…just as well, I’ve gotta take my daughter to the airport.
sfd:
Passive-Aggressive? Peter Pan Syndrome fits Bosch to a tee. Through his own admission he grew up with overbearing parents with an addiction to alcohol. It stands to reason why he prefers Neverland to the real world. He’s a big Michael Jackson fan too.
I'm here from the government and I'm here to help
August 24th, 2010
4:11 pm
stands for decibels
Do you get approval from your enemies before you shyt?
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
4:11 pm
josef @ 4:00:
Straight from the HMC catalog:
“Harvey Mudd College students are as familiar with calculators or computers as most persons are with ball point pens. Big deal. Not that computers aren’t important. They are. But calculators, computers and hardware never brought light into dark corners, or lifted the human spirit. People do. That is where Harvey Mudd College veered from the accepted norm on the day it was founded. It pioneered a philosophy now universally accepted…..that technology divorced from humanity is worse than no technology at all.”
Don’t sell yourself short, josef.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
4:14 pm
@@,
“Through his own admission he grew up with overbearing parents with an addiction to alcohol.”
Liar. I said my dad was an alcoholic, but neither were overbearing. They were actually loads of fun.
I'm here from the government and I'm here to help
August 24th, 2010
4:14 pm
This guy needs a strap-on bomb!
Video shows the controversial imam at the center of the debate over building a mosque near Ground Zero saying the U.S. has killed more innocents than Al Qaeda
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
4:18 pm
“Passive-Aggressive? Peter Pan Syndrome fits Bosch to a tee. Through his own admission he grew up with overbearing parents with an addiction to alcohol. It stands to reason why he prefers Neverland to the real world.”
I gotta say one thing about my blog relationship with Matti. We’ve certainly had our ups and downs, but at the end of the day neither one of us is afraid to admit that we aren’t perfect.
State of the Union
August 24th, 2010
4:20 pm
This guy needs a strap-on bomb!
What you got against FOX network. They do have a few pretty girls there.
@@
August 24th, 2010
4:20 pm
O.K., Bosch. One was an alcoholic and the other a fundamentalist, whose insistence that you attend church, left you emotionally scarred.
Either/or….you’re emotionally needy.
I’m gone.
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
4:22 pm
“the U.S. has killed more innocents than Al Qaeda”
IH–I’m as pro-US as they come, but there’s a certain truth to what he’s saying. I’ve always rationalized that by saying that being the world’s policeman means having blood on your hands.
Maybe I’ve been hanging around the JB blog too long. I’m starting to think like a liberal.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
4:23 pm
Bruno,
I’ll admit I’m not perfect, by all means, and I certainly don’t like @@ lying about my parents. When she loses arguments, she resorts to flinging feces and personal attacks.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
4:25 pm
@@,
You resort to lies and personal attacks against me all the time, but yet, I’m the emotionally needy one…..right.
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
4:26 pm
“saying the U.S. has killed more innocents than Al Qaeda”
first thought, is it true?
have we? we’ve been around a lot longer than AQ
we’ve been creating new ground zeros near mosques all over the middle east for the last seven years…
anyway as per Granny G’s Rule #1 – if it comes from a right wing source
it must be fact checked.
josef nix
August 24th, 2010
4:27 pm
Hillbilly
The emmphasis on math and science to the exclusion of the humanities is, in my opinion, an outgrowth of the McCarthy era and the attendant space race. In that generation the humanities factulties were hounded unremittingly and any academic with a sense of self perservation knew better than to go there. Science, math and technology were more or less safe havens. In the thaw that came in the 1960s we swung to the opposite extreme of party line and the humanities were again sacrificed, the “safe havens” this time around again being science and technology. We have now produced three generations, while perhaps not “scared” to think, no longer know how, that is in the classical philosophical sense. We produce scientists with no moral compass nor real knowledge of the socio-cultural factors which determine so much of our fate. We produce hordes of PhD/s (Doctors of PHILOSOPHY) who have never cracked a book on, say Maimonides, and who have never taken a course in any of the great languages of Philosophy (Greek, Latin, Hebrew or Arabic)…it has become with each passing day more and more a paper chase from Mail In U, the piece of paper bought to increase the pay scale and little more….
Bruno
I don’t sell myself short, but I do know that I don’t have the understanding of the scientific in many issues to pass judgment beyond “gut feeling…” I do, though, tend to trust my gut at least in my personal views…
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
4:29 pm
“When she loses arguments, she resorts to flinging feces and personal attacks.”
I’d just chalk it up to more of her brand of “Christian love”, Bosch. I’ve gotten pretty good about picking them out of the crowd long before they start beating me over the head with their Bibles.
No offense to the true Christians on board……
State of the Union
August 24th, 2010
4:29 pm
ACT’s proprietary “embryo-safe” Single Blastomere technique for deriving human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), documented in Nature and CELL Stem Cell magazines and elsewhere, does not require destruction of the embryo and as a consequence may not be directly affected by this ruling.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
4:29 pm
Hey Mrs. G!
Southern Comfort
August 24th, 2010
4:32 pm
Video shows the controversial imam at the center of the debate over building a mosque near Ground Zero saying the U.S. has killed more innocents than Al Qaeda
If you look at it from a historical perspective, the US has been around for some 200 plus years whereas AQ has been around for 20-30 maybe. It would stand to reason that from the numerous engagements we’ve had since 1776, the total of innocent people killed would outweigh the number that AQ has killed in 20-30 years.
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
4:33 pm
Speaking of the opposition to the mosque…seems they do have some serious GOP heavyweights funding them
Surprise Surprise
Anti-Mosque Coalition’s Website Owned By Neo-Conservative Islamophobe Frank Gaffney…..The coalition’s partners include a who’s who of far-right pundits, politicians, and neo-conservative advocacy groups, such as Keep America Safe, the attack group formed by Liz Cheney and hawkish Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol. Another coalition partner is 911FamiliesForAmerica.org, a group run by Tim Sumner and Debra Burlingame, who also happens to be a founding board member of Keep America Safe.
grassroots? ah, nope.
State of the Union
August 24th, 2010
4:35 pm
If you look at it from a historical perspective, the US has been around for some 200 plus years whereas AQ has been around for 20-30 maybe.
But rightwingnuts prefer to look at matters from an hysterical perspective.
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
4:35 pm
“I do know that I don’t have the understanding of the scientific in many issues to pass judgment beyond “gut feeling…” I do, though, tend to trust my gut at least in my personal views…”
josef, though I didn’t make a career out of the “hard” sciences, I was at the top of my class while at HMC, and still read advanced math and science books for fun. The bottom line is that science is a tool, and nothing more. And like any tool, it can easily be misused as a weapon. Your “gut feeling” is right on the mark, and ultimately is more important than possessing great proficiency in tensor calculus or quantum physics.
I’ll pull some quotes from Richard Feynman, the greatest physicist of the second half of the 20th century, for you in just a moment regarding the relationship of science and values.
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
4:35 pm
Bosch
Hi handsome!
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
4:36 pm
Mrs. G.,
While I despise them personally, I do like that word “Islamaphobe” — it’s fun to say and almost tickles when it rolls off your tongue.
jt
August 24th, 2010
4:37 pm
Just a quickie.
The War on Drugs have killed at least ONE HUNDRED times the AMERICANS , than any Islamic group.
Thank you and have a nice day.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
4:39 pm
Mrs. G.,
I’m glad you’re back —
State of the Union
August 24th, 2010
4:40 pm
Islamaphobia — A six syllable contraction of a pertinent question; Is llama a phobia?
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
4:41 pm
Bosch
I like onomatopoeia for the same reasons…
Southern Comfort
August 24th, 2010
4:41 pm
SotU
Most people don’t even realize that 9/11 is not the single deadliest day in U.S. history. There were more Americans killed during the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862 than there were people killed on 9/11. There was over 3600 killed in action that day and more than 23,000 casualties making it the deadliest battle for American soldiers in the history of this country.
Inspiring Minds
August 24th, 2010
4:43 pm
Do true tea partiers raise their pinky while sipping.
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
4:43 pm
Bosch
Thanks….but not sure I’ve given up CT’s.
Somebody has to battle the poo flingers.
Hope you’ll pop in and help from time to time.
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 24th, 2010
4:43 pm
Josef
Thanks for the input. I hesitate to comment much on education issues but I do have my own ideas. As I’ve made no secret, I didn’t go to college and have always survived just fine. The “piece of paper bought to increase the pay scale” describes things very well from my experience. I do know some people who actually went to college to learn a profession (engineering, medicine, etc) or to study something that they really wanted to learn, archeology in one case, but most I knew who went to college, never have worked in a field related to their degree. Some went for the piece of paper, some because it was “the thing to do”, some to put off growing up (knew one who was still going at 30, without taking any major time off), and a good many who went to party on Mama and Daddy’s dime.
And people also forget that colleges and universities are a business, even the public ones. The more students they can get, the more grant money they can get, the more money administrators make, etc.
That doesn’t mesh very well with the popular view of things but it’s the way things have always looked to me.
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
4:44 pm
Mrs. G.! I just remembered! It’s almost September!!!
Bosch
August 24th, 2010
4:45 pm
Mrs. G.,
I will – but I don’t like namejackers. If CT could get a handle on that — but I promise to visit more!
Disgusted
August 24th, 2010
4:49 pm
Mrs. G.! I just remembered! It’s almost September!!!
Good luck, Mrs. G. I became a grandfather on July 13, and the feeling one gets when holding one’s first grandchild is indescribable. I’ve already begun the spoiling; on a recent trip, I bought her socks and a head covering featuring my college’s logo—not UGA, my son’s college.
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
4:49 pm
Granny is on high alert….tonight’s the full moon and #1 has made it to 39 weeks….
Inspiring Minds
August 24th, 2010
4:50 pm
All I can say is that for each degree I earned, the company that employed me showed their approval by giving me both pay increases and promotions. Perhaps I was simply more fortunate than some. Perhaps not. It is a matter of perspective.
josef nix
August 24th, 2010
4:51 pm
SoCo
@ 4:41
Thank you for that post. I get chewed out regularly for my refusal “to forget all that.” That, to me, is a very dangerous thing to do. If we forget for one minute that this quarter of the country was burned to the ground for little other reason than “to make them howl” to the jubilation in the streets by their enemies, if we forget that one of every three white males of breeding age died, and another one of every three was permanently incapacitated, the we loose sight of just what such human folly can lead to. If we forget that we held one segment of our population in human bondage for two centuries, that we uprooted and practiced blood genocide against the original inhabitants, then we are doomed to repeat it…
9/11 should never be forgotten, but in the scope of our domestic national history, it is but a blip on the screen for destruction and loss of life…
Matti
August 24th, 2010
4:52 pm
Bosch,
Oh NO, she di-in’t! Did she insult yo Mama AND Michael Jackson? **fans self in disbelief** Time to get the vaseline and take the earrings off. Seriously, what a [insert word ladies don't acutally use]!
Granny Godzilla
August 24th, 2010
4:52 pm
Disgusted
I can’t wait!!!!!
Bruno
August 24th, 2010
4:54 pm
From “The Meaning of It All” by Richard Feynman:
“Looking back at the worst times, it always seems that they were times in which there were people who believed with absolute faith and absolute dogmatism in something. And they were so serious in this matter that they insisted that the rest of the world agree with them. And then they would do things that were directly inconsistent with their own beliefs in order to maintain that what they said was untrue.
It is in the admission of ignorance and the admission of uncertainty that there is a hope for the continuous motion of human beings in some direction that doesn’t get confined as it has so many times before in various periods in the history of man. I say that we do not know what the meaning of life is and what are the right moral values.
Admitting that we do not know, and maintaining perpetually the attitude that we do not know the direction necessarily to go, permit a possibility of of alteration, of thinking, of new contributions and new discoveries for the problem of developing a way to do what we want ultimately, even when we do not know what we want”
Kamchak
August 24th, 2010
5:00 pm
300!