Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Weekly Rants, Raves, and Whatever

*I read an interesting take on the stem cell debate today. In her latest book, How to Talk to a Liberal, conservative pundit Ann Coulter questions the need for taxpayer support of stem cell research if the potential rewards are so great.
Bans on embryonic stem cells only prohibit the spending of public money on research. If the claimed benefits of curing everything from alzheimers to cancer are so possible, why isn't research drawing in all types of private funding? Can you imagine the profit to be made on a cure for dread diseases or disabilities? Or are proponents overselling the potential in order to get their hands on the billions of taxpayer-supplied dollars government-supplied funding would provide?

*The St. Louis Rams lost to the Washington Redski...Oooops, I meant Native Americans, 24-9 on Sunday, ending their slim hopes for a playoff spot. Oh well, at least we'll get a higher pick in the draft next Spring.

*There are only 18 shopping days left 'til Christma---Ooops, I meant the Winter Holiday. Oh the heck with it----MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

*Former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark is representing Saddam Hussein in his trial for crimes against the Iraqi people. Clark will insist his client never had sex with "those women...the one's in the rape rooms", and trot out dozens of former Baathist officials to swear they believe their President.

*Why do I always come down with a cold/virus/flu/lyme disease right before a holiday?

*Rumor has it that Santa has a new helper to assist him on Christmas Eve. The newest North Politan is a Golden Retriever named Elfis who brings treats and toys to all the good little animals. It is reported that Elfis loves cookies as much as Jolly St. Nick, but would prefer Coca-Cola to milk since moo-juice gives him gas. Elfis leaves his calling card by marking all the presents under the tree (No, not that! He leaves sticky notes with his name on them). He also pees on everything (with apologies to the comic strip "Get Fuzzy" for lifting their stuff!).

4 comments:

gimlet said...

Best commentary I've ever seen on stem cells was the South Park episode, "Kenny Dies."

In the episode, Cartman comes into possession of a shipment of aborted fetuses, and gets several universities and research institutes into a bidding war. Cartman's dreams are thwarted when Congress outlaws embryonic stem cell research. Shortly thereafter, Kenny comes down with a fatal disease, and Cartman appears before Congress and gets stem cell research legalized after tearful testimony about Kenny (and a rendition of Asia's "The Heat of the Moment"). Cartman then uses the stem cells not to save Kenny's life, but to clone his favorite pizza parlor.

I was pretty shocked to see anything like this on TV, which pretty much tows the PC line pretty well. Take this line from Cartman: "I'm just like the fetuses, Chuck, I wasn't born yesterday." You know, fetuses, born, babies. Something you definitely wouldn't hear on one of the major networks!

PS - Channel 11 (KPLR) has been showing South Park late at night, for you non-satellite or cable types.

froggiegirl said...

Wow, I sure am glad that someone has written a book to teach you republicans "How to Talk to a Liberal"!

froggiegirl said...

PS no offense meant by the above comment...it is just a funny book title, that's all. I'm sure that it could be quite an interesting book.

Merc Man said...

Ann Coulter is a very provocative pundit. She is extremely opinionated and loves jousting in political debates or on paper, and is one of those conservative speakers who gets routinely heckled on college campuses. It doesn't seem to bother her since she recently stopped a talk she was giving at a university to debate the hecklers, which she quickly dispatched like the lawyer she is. She's definitely a strong woman--just not the kind most liberals want to accord the same freedom of speech they give Michael Moore, Spike Lee, Al Franken, etc, etc.