Artful Dodger: No it isn't. a few percent is not going to hurt the rich cats lifestyle. If someone is earning a million plus dollars.. what's a few $K to them... nothing. If the likes of Bill Gates and other billionaires can donate half their savings .. then the rich can afford it.

We in the UK are having 2.5% added to VAT to pay off the debt occured through the banks screw up's, which... we will do gladly.. we might moan a little, but we know it is needed.

It would also help if the rich stopped using offshore banks (ie tax havens) to defraud the USA.... quite frankly I'd be more into getting that sorted in some means.

Artful Dodger: From what you've said the Tea party is marginalizing themselves without the help of others.

"made fun of... dems are getting frustrated."

Shall we bear that in mind when you make fun of Obama and the Democrats?

Übergeek 바둑이: The Democrats made fun of the Tea Party even though they represented middle America. They are a fast growing group and as has been seen, they are making some dents. The fact that democrats ignored and tried to marginalize the group has been to their own peril. Republicans who marginalized them found out the hard way that the people will hold them accountable.

Now the dems are getting frustrated. They have to record to run on so they run against Bush once again. lol

I just hope the Repubs clean up the mess and don't create new messes in the process.

And the trillions to the deficit is reckless spending. Get real. People who think like you are the REAL problem with the American economy.

Artful Dodger:

> Milwaukee Alderwoman Milele Coggs hit a poll worker with her car Tuesday after what is described as a heated argument over results.

I found a link to a news article describing this episode:

http://www.wisn.com/r/25043170/detail.html

If she did this on purpose then she must be really stupid. If she did this accidentally, then she is really careless and she should lose her driver's license.

The Col: Nonsense. Nothing Obama has done has worked and the suggesting that more taxes will help the economy is lunacy.

Artful Dodger: After subsidising the tax cuts for those earning 250 grand +, at a cost of trillions to the deficit. over 90% of Americans may find "playing with themselves" the only affordable option of recreation left.

Artful Dodger:

> Interesting how the Democrats have fully run out of legitimate arguments. They can't stand on their record these past few years.

Putting aside the onanism gibes, I find it interesting that a long-term politician like Michael Castle was defeated. I think that the American public is getting fed up of old style politics. People are looking for meaningful change, but they don't seem to find it anywhere. I think it partly explains the popularity of younger politicians like Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnel. It explains also the rise of other political parties like the Green Party and the Tea Party. People want their values represented, but both Republicans and Democrats are trapped in a system in which they constantly trump each other. The political culture is one of lobbying and underhanded deals. The American voting public wants change, but change is difficult in Washington, as the Obama administration can attest. In spite of their best efforts they are still trapped in the same old political games. Many countries in the world are like that. Here in Canada the government has become incapable of changing, and that means incapable of improving. This threatens to undermine democracy because people become disillusioned and disinterested. Politicians might like public apathy, but that apathy is bad for democracy.

Democrat Alderwoman hits poll worker with car
Thomas Lifson
As the nation turns against them, more and more Democrats are going nuts, behaving in bizarre, and sometimes violent ways. Milwaukee television station WTMJ reports:

Milwaukee Alderwoman Milele Coggs hit a poll worker with her car Tuesday after what is described as a heated argument over results.

Tuesday: Sounds like experience talking.

Übergeek 바둑이: Interesting how the Democrats have fully run out of legitimate arguments. They can't stand on their record these past few years. The only thing left is to attack their opponents with non issues and now it seems, they are left with nothing else but complaining that they could lose the right to play with themselves.

It's a conspiracy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KvgtEnABY

The Col:

Übergeek 바둑이: As Jesus said in the Biblical story of the blind prostitute, "You really have to hand it to her."

The Col:

> I suppose the pro masturbation vote will be pitted against the anti masturbation vote, should make for an interesting race.

Come election day it will be easy to predict who will win. If a lot of blind guys with hairy palms come to the polls, then we know that Ms. O'Donnell will lose.

Pedro Martínez: Talk to the hand

Übergeek 바둑이: Masturbation is sex outside marriage and adultery!! I think she needs to talk to a Rabbi!!

Pedro Martínez:

Mousetrap: Where Bush failed, she'll succeed!

Übergeek 바둑이: OMG! Is she for real?

The Col: maybe he's related to this guy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuM_iSwMof8&feature=related

The Col: omg

Tuesday: maybe he had too much coffee and donuts prior to his chat with the locals

An interesting crop of Republicans this year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMgyi57s-A4

Übergeek 바둑이: I suppose the pro masturbation vote will be pitted against the anti masturbation vote, should make for an interesting race.

Bernice:

> I agree that an embryo is a human being but if it can be proved that THAT embryo isn't going to have an excellent quality
> of life for some reason unbeknown to people like us who know nothing about this, then I think stem cell research should
> be a priority to help those in need.

Most of the embrios used in stem cell research are frozen embrios remaining from in vitro fertilization. The embrios are frozen and kept for several years in case the parents decide to have more children. After several years frozen, the parents are asked what they want to do with the embrios. If the parents opt to have no more children then embrios are supposed to be thawed, effectively killing them. If the parents provide consent, the embrios can be donated to stem cell research.

Other avenues to obtaining human stem cells have not been as successful. Scientists have tried to clone stem cell, thus eliminating the need to harvest them from embrios. As I understand to date the experiments have not been successful. Scientists have extracted stem cells from some tissues, particularly skin and umbilical cord. However, it seems that the adaptability of the stem cells is not as fruitful as it is with embrionic stem cells.

It is a difficult thing because we are dealing with potential human life. Even though many of those embrios were condemned to be destroyed, it is still difficult to think in terms of a potential life being used to save another.

I suppose that if the government were to invest heavily in cloning stem cells, scientists might succeed. Then we have another can of worms being opened: Embrionic cloning.

The Col

What is she planning to do? Make it illegal?

More seriously, this came about because of an MTV documentary about sex in the 90's in which she talked about why masturbation is wrong according to the Bible. I found a copy of the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzHcqcXo_NA

Apparently she won the Delaware Senate primary, defeating incumbent Republican Mike Castle who had been senator for 9 terms. She had the backing of the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.

Bernice:

Übergeek 바둑이: yes I believe what you have said is correct....this Lady friend of mine, about 3-4 years ago had a very small bowel cancer...she had to have a bag for 6 weeks...this upset her and worried her something terrible, and it was from that point that she started to go downhill. No one realized it until I had to do an audit on her partners books. I found where she had entered/raised invoices 4-5 times for the same thing...when I asked her about this she knew nothing of it. I was able to fix it all up, but she wasn't allowed to touch the computer (in the accounts dept.) again. Over the next 18 months of my having to do their bookkeeping I noticed her regressing back into childhood memories more often. She also would tell you the same thing over and over. To speak to her if you didn't know you wouldnt know there was anything wrong with her at all. In fact you wouldn't know now except she is very vague and is seeing people (that are still alive) that aren't there. Not in the same room with her but if she looks out the window she sees them in the garden outside her "gaol" window.

I agree with you in using embryonic cells to advance the life of people who can be helped.

I agree that an embryo is a human being but if it can be proved that THAT embryo isn't going to have an excellent quality of life for some reason unbeknown to people like us who know nothing about this, then I think stem cell research should be a priority to help those in need.

Im not trying to start another useless discussion on abortion as we have gone over that about a dozen times on here at different times over the years, and never get any wiser :)

behave Delaware! hands above the sheets in 2011!

I found interesting the postings about Frontotemporal Dementia, Alzeimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, etc.

The current theory on how these diseases arise is that there are external as well as genetic factors that can lead to the death of neurons in the brain. As the neurons die, they are slowly replaced by fibrous tissues made mostly of collagen fibers. This "plaque" interferes with transmission of signals between neurons and this causes the slow deterioration of essential functions of the nervous system. Hence people observe changes in behaviour, loss of memory, loss of motor control and all the other symptoms associated with these diseases.

Stem cells have been used successfully in animals to "regenetrate" lost neurons in the brain. Embrionic stem cells have been introduced in the brains of animals and those stem cells have become new neurons in response to chemical signalling from adjacent neurons.

Scientists have tried to do stem cell research in humans to try to regenerate neurons as well as other essential cells in the body. However, the research remains controversial since the stem cells have come from human embrios. The question is: Is such research acceptable? I am always curious to hear opinions on it. It is a topic that is difficult because for many people an embrio is a potential human being, thus they see embrionic stem cell research as taking the life of one human being to save another.

I am one who fully believes in stem cell research and its potential to heal many people and ease the suffering of millions. I have friends who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases, and they could be helped. A friend of mine has the early stages of Parkinson's Disease. This likely arose from genetic factors and her gradual deterioration will happen as she grows older over the next few years. Another friend is a woman who developed symptoms of Parkinson's disease as a result of having been married to an abusive husband during her youth. Her ex-husband used to beat her until she was unconcious, and her doctor believes that those beatings gradually damaged her brain until now that she is older she has developed this disease.

If embrionic stem cells could help patients like these, is their research justified?

Übergeek 바둑이:

Übergeek 바둑이: My mom had the ritual bath when she converted to Judaism

I find that baptism is often misinterpreted in light of baptism being a requirement in many churches for conversion to Christianity. Some 130 posts ago I mentioned that baptism originated in the Jewish ritual of Mikveh, a ritual bath used in cases where individuals converted to Judaism. Baptism is supposed to be a spiritually cathartic process. A person not baptized is tainted with Adam's original sin. Once baptized the person becomes cleansed of that sin by the power that Jesus has to save humanity. This is in line with Paul's view of Jesus as the giver of life, as opposed to Adam who condemned humanity to death by his original sin.

A good example would be to contrast two cases:

1. A person is baptized as a child, but later rejects Jesus Christ as the savior.
2. A person was never baptized, but that person accepts Jesus Christ as the savior.

Who will be saved by Jesus? Only that person who accepts Jesus as the savior. Baptism alone is not enough, and it is not a requirement in light of true faith in God. It is true faith that saves. Baptism is an extension of that faith, but it is not the faith itself.

Bernice: I read recently that Lou Gehrig may have actually died of Pick’s Disease, and not the one that now bares his name

Vikings: :)

I think that it is time to agree to disagree and move on, I've been to churches that teach either way and I don't think either one is less christian than the other