Monday, May 14, 2007
Hmm, Interesting
Mark accidentally made "The Internet" mad at him because someone posted a link to Mark's blog at a website where people post links and discuss them.
I am pretty bemused by this so I've been keeping up with the site, so I can observe first hand what's wrong with the Internet these days. Well today someone posted an article about a promising new cancer treatment - what may work out to be an inexpensive, relatively non-invasive general cure. It sounds too good to be true, but I think it's worth keeping an eye on.
The problem is the compound can't be patented and it will dry up a large source of
income for drug companies, so they don't have a lot of incentive to study and develop the drug. However, research IS being done (by universities and what-not) and I'm sure that even massive drug company efforts won't be enough to squash this thing if it pans out. The day that most politicians don't know anyone that's been affected by cancer is the day I'll really worry about conspiracies from this quarter.
The most powerful way to keep drug companies from sweeping this under the rug is to make more of the general public aware. So this is me doing my little part.
All that said, though, I have no idea how often miracle cures pop up that look really promising at first, but turn out to be unworkable in humans for whatever reason. So you get what you pay for here!
Here's a link to the wiki:
Dichloroacetate
I am pretty bemused by this so I've been keeping up with the site, so I can observe first hand what's wrong with the Internet these days. Well today someone posted an article about a promising new cancer treatment - what may work out to be an inexpensive, relatively non-invasive general cure. It sounds too good to be true, but I think it's worth keeping an eye on.
The problem is the compound can't be patented and it will dry up a large source of
income for drug companies, so they don't have a lot of incentive to study and develop the drug. However, research IS being done (by universities and what-not) and I'm sure that even massive drug company efforts won't be enough to squash this thing if it pans out. The day that most politicians don't know anyone that's been affected by cancer is the day I'll really worry about conspiracies from this quarter.
The most powerful way to keep drug companies from sweeping this under the rug is to make more of the general public aware. So this is me doing my little part.
All that said, though, I have no idea how often miracle cures pop up that look really promising at first, but turn out to be unworkable in humans for whatever reason. So you get what you pay for here!
Here's a link to the wiki:
Dichloroacetate
Friday, May 11, 2007
The moral of the story
Story
I suppose the moral is . . . if your child is at the top of a transplant list, just leave your cell phone on because police stopping a concert is a little more disruptive than a phone going off.
I suppose the moral is . . . if your child is at the top of a transplant list, just leave your cell phone on because police stopping a concert is a little more disruptive than a phone going off.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
I hate these ethical dilemmas
Story on CNN about a disabled girl who was given a hysterectomy at the family's request. The hospital is now in trouble for violating her rights.
I don't know what we're protecting when we ensure that someone who can't walk, talk or eat on her own can still reproduce. HER quality of life will be better with this surgery, her family's quality of life will be better with this surgery. . . she would never have gotten pregnant from a choice that she made.
It deeply grieves me that people get into trouble for doing what they can to make a hard life a little less hard.
I don't know what we're protecting when we ensure that someone who can't walk, talk or eat on her own can still reproduce. HER quality of life will be better with this surgery, her family's quality of life will be better with this surgery. . . she would never have gotten pregnant from a choice that she made.
It deeply grieves me that people get into trouble for doing what they can to make a hard life a little less hard.
Monday, May 07, 2007
The final shirt count
76 shirts! That's 15 weeks of work without having to launder a shirt, with one left over in case of a spill.
Silly Markie!
Silly Markie!
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Mark's Amazing Pile O Laundry
For whatever reason, I don't do Mark's laundry. (OK, the reason is I hate laundry more than almost any household chore, and it's the one thing that he has to do or else suffer dire consequences, so I don't have to nag him about it. So that's one of his contributions to the household.)
But he has a very pragmatic view of laundry - he does it on an as-needed basis. So when he's had to wear his swimsuits for underwear for a couple of days he knows it's time to toss a load in - enough clothes to get him through the week and that's it. What this means in reality is that he has entire seasons of dirty laundry at any given time.
The other day Connor was shrieking in joy in the bedroom, and we went to check on him to find him playing in "Daddy's clothes mountain" like a puppy in a pile of leaves. It's gotten to be a pretty impressive pile!
Well Mark didn't really want much for his birthday this year, so I made some special meals for him on his B'day weekend and decided that as a little something extra I'd do his laundry for him. In the past couple of days I've done 8 or 9 loads of laundry. I have 8 loads left. I counted 40 work shirts so far (not counting undershirts and t-shirts.)
I am just so impressed with this figure that I had to share it. I'll post the final number tomorrow. =)
But he has a very pragmatic view of laundry - he does it on an as-needed basis. So when he's had to wear his swimsuits for underwear for a couple of days he knows it's time to toss a load in - enough clothes to get him through the week and that's it. What this means in reality is that he has entire seasons of dirty laundry at any given time.
The other day Connor was shrieking in joy in the bedroom, and we went to check on him to find him playing in "Daddy's clothes mountain" like a puppy in a pile of leaves. It's gotten to be a pretty impressive pile!
Well Mark didn't really want much for his birthday this year, so I made some special meals for him on his B'day weekend and decided that as a little something extra I'd do his laundry for him. In the past couple of days I've done 8 or 9 loads of laundry. I have 8 loads left. I counted 40 work shirts so far (not counting undershirts and t-shirts.)
I am just so impressed with this figure that I had to share it. I'll post the final number tomorrow. =)
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Ahhh! He changed his mind!!
Why is it such an incredibly big deal when a politician changes his stance on something? There are a couple major reasons why they might change a stance:
1. They are pandering to voters/lobbyists
2. They have new information or life experiences that give them a different view on an issue
Now it could well be true that the first reason is the usual reason for stance changes, but honestly, I hate to discount the second reason. If you take a stance on a complex issue (as politicians are forced to do) and you close your ears and eyes to anything that might challenge the validity of your stance, then you are a fool. I would much rather think that at least SOME of our politicians are actually doing what they can to learn about the things they have to vote on.
So it's possible they are just pandering, but it's also possible that they are smart.
1. They are pandering to voters/lobbyists
2. They have new information or life experiences that give them a different view on an issue
Now it could well be true that the first reason is the usual reason for stance changes, but honestly, I hate to discount the second reason. If you take a stance on a complex issue (as politicians are forced to do) and you close your ears and eyes to anything that might challenge the validity of your stance, then you are a fool. I would much rather think that at least SOME of our politicians are actually doing what they can to learn about the things they have to vote on.
So it's possible they are just pandering, but it's also possible that they are smart.
