I saw that ad earlier today. It’s heartbreaking.

fitz

Yeah. I saw it too. He is trapped in that body.

Yeah baby! Go Blue America!

That is a great ad. And reality people!

Balrog, you are a CU buff? The eternal Cordell Stewart dagger though my heart!

I saw that ad yesterday, it’s quite powerful watching him struggle against his own body.

I sure as hell hope that that commercial will hit home with some people. I applaud Michael Fox for allowing himself to be ‘used’ this way. My mother and sister (along with a number of other relatives) suffer from a genetic neuromuscular disorder that is appalling. The only hope my sister and cousins (our parents generation have given up hope of help for themselves) have for even the tiniest bit of hope is through stem cell research.

Some of the doctors have said that the severity of Mom’s condition is the worst that they’ve ever seen and Mom thinks her youngest daughters’ case is even worse than hers. This disorder is not something I’d wish on my worst enemy. It’s called CMT and I thank God just about every day that I don’t have it.

On the “every sperm is sacred” thing, wanted to repost this link for anyone who hasn’t seen this yet.

http://www.buckeyestateblog.com/coming_to_ohio

This ad is the 5th most viewed clip on YouTube in the last 24 hours and has caused my wife & I to donate $100 McCaskill’s campaign. It needs to run on Missouri television during the World Series as it hits home to all and really might help defeat Jim Talent is a seat we must win to get Senate control.

Please donate here.

Eons from now, archeologists are going to think of this time as one of institutional madness.

Even the Islamic fundamentalists aren’t against progress in science…. *sigh*

CNN has a series airing with each of their honchos taking part [the Cafferty program is due to re-air Sunday evening at 8 pm ET, I think]. Caught a bit of Lou Dobbs’ program tonight with his theme of the war on the middle class, which had a town hall meeting setting. He was talking with one person about the outsourcing of jobs and the trade bills that have only made the jobs situation and the trade deficit worse.

Dobbs reminded the audience that as dependent as we are on foreign oil, we’re even more dependent/vulnerable for our technology and even the clothes we wear.

One audience member said he’d been told by a Senator that Senator would rather vote for a bad trade bill than no trade bill. The Senator? asked Dobbs.

Talent, replied the man.

Hope the McCaskill campaign makes the most of that.

Well said, Jane. There are far too many things that should NOT have to be argued, but we have to argue them all just to stay even, let alone get back what we’ve lost.

OT, but not really: NYT editorial on Bush and Iraq:

The way the Bush team is stage-managing the president’s supposed change of heart about “staying the course” is unfair to the Americans who have taken him at his word that real progress is being made in Iraq — a dwindling but still significant number of people, some of whom have sons and daughters serving in the conflict. It is a disservice to the troops, who were never sent to Iraq in sufficient numbers to protect themselves or the Iraqi people. And it is a disservice to all Americans, who have waited so long for Mr. Bush to act that all that is left are a series of unpleasant choices.

I just spent several days in the St. Louis area, and I was amazed at the nastiness of Talent’s ads, which centered on a “McCaskill is a liar who likes hurting old people” theme. Both candidates are obviously spending a lot on media, since the ads were airing constantly.

I haven’t seen the Fox spot (the limits of dialup prevent me from running it at home); is it being broadcast, or is this strictly a net thing?

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
36 minutes ago

WASHINGTON – Democrats hold solid leads for four of the six Republican seats they need to capture the Senate and about 10 of 15 required to win the House, according to officials in both parties. Numerous additional races remain highly competitive.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..ion_stakes

Wait for it… some Repugnicant mouthpiece (Rush, maybe..) will attack him, probably along the lines of “he must have gone off his medication on purpose…” or “well, what can you expect from a California liberal who wants to suck dollars away from the War on Terra for his own selfish purposes.”

Does anyone here think they’re not capable of it?

Marion in Savannah @
15

Does anyone here think they’re not capable of it?

Oh, they’re more than capable of doing something like that.

Incase you’re curious about what CMT is:

http://images.google.com/imgre…..e&cd=2

NormalLiberal @ 13

I just spent several days in the St. Louis area, and I was amazed at the nastiness of Talent’s ads, which centered on a “McCaskill is a liar who likes hurting old people” theme. Both candidates are obviously spending a lot on media, since the ads were airing constantly.

I haven’t seen the Fox spot (the limits of dialup prevent me from running it at home); is it being broadcast, or is this strictly a net thing?

I too am on a dialup and I can’t say it strongly enough – this is worth the dialup time. Please view it, even if you are on dialup.

I did and it was more than worth my time.

Marion in Savannah @
15

Wait for it… some Repugnicant mouthpiece (Rush, maybe..) will attack him, probably along the lines of “he must have gone off his medication on purpose…” or “well, what can you expect from a California liberal who wants to suck dollars away from the War on Terra for his own selfish purposes.”

Does anyone here think they’re not capable of it?

They might be capable of it, but I’d like to think that it would backfire bigtime. Ditto for trying to demonize any pages who come forward with Mark Foley (or Jerry Weller?) stories.

iowa christine @ 16

Marion in Savannah @
15

Does anyone here think they’re not capable of it?

Oh, they’re more than capable of doing something like that.

Incase you’re curious about what CMT is:

http://images.google.com/imgre…..?q=charcot marie tooth&start=2&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=2

Thanks much for the instructive link, as the more people who learn about this devastating disease the better.

As a medical transcriptionist for 30 years I can recognize truth when I see it. However, I may have a hideous ability to channel the worst in people…

It’s an amazing ad. One of the best I’ve seen. Michael shows such composure and poise despite his condition. His sincerity pours through the TV screen.

I watched MJ Fox play a teenage republican constantly arguing the case for conservatives on Family Ties when I was but a teenager myself. Sorry to say that he influenced me to become a republican. I’d believed all the lies about smaller government and fiscal responsibility. Now Calista Flockhart (whom I loved as Ally McBeal) plays an sh*theel republican radio host on a new teevee show. I watched the first episode, up to the point of this discovery and changed the channel in disgust. I feel for MJ Fox and I always liked him, even when he played a republican. Its ironic. I wish he would do a spot for Ned Lamont.

Marion,
Some of the sites say that this is just an inconvenience disorder….. Yeah, right…. they need to have a little chat with my family. Mom *knew* my sister had it before she could even walk and that was 39 years ago. Mom knew she had a medical problem most of her life and she’s just turned 63. It’s horrible and it is very much being trapped in a body that won’t do as you want, like with Parkinson’s.

Unfortunately, I think I’m a carrier, if I don’t have a very mild form of it. Back in the early 80’s the University of Iowa Hospitals drew lots of my blood to compare with Mom’s, my sister’s and Mom’s father’s. Apparently, there was something there that helped to start to unlock some of the defective genes.

The thing that baffles is how, after his first four years in office, in the world could a majority of American voters turn around and give Bush an additional four years?

(or Jerry Weller?)

This is the latest I have heard:

(October 20, 2006 — 02:22 PM EDT // link)

A new page incident? Rep. Weller (R-IL) says he’s referred one to the Ethics Committee.
–
Josh Marshall

Oklahoma kiddo @ 23

The thing that baffles is how, after his first four years in office, in the world could a majority of American voters turn around and give Bush an additional four years?

Because the Scary Terrorists would nuke every small town in red America if Kerry won.

iowa christine,

There is no way, no way at all, ever, this this could be considered an “inconvenience.” However, those web sites will be the ones that Rush, Coulter, et al., will seize on. The circle in hell where they belong hasn’t been invented yet.

University of Iowa is a great place. You might want to consider checking back in with them, because even without the stem cell work all members of the “reality based community” know needs to be done they might have some further information to offer since the early 80’s. (Just thinking that there may be even more gene-specific information that wasn’t available then…)

I’ll keep you in my prayers. Keep up the good fight.

NormalLiberal @
13

I just spent several days in the St. Louis area, and I was amazed at the nastiness of Talent’s ads, which centered on a “McCaskill is a liar who likes hurting old people” theme. Both candidates are obviously spending a lot on media, since the ads were airing constantly.

I haven’t seen the Fox spot (the limits of dialup prevent me from running it at home); is it being broadcast, or is this strictly a net thing?

I bet if enough people use the SPOTLIGHT Feature (see the little tag below Jane’s post – click it) and focused on targeting it to MO television and newspapers, it would spark the interest of some political reporters and get them to do a story about it – where MORE MO people can see the ad, or learn about it to go online themselves and view it…

Oklahoma kiddo @ 23

The thing that baffles is how, after his first four years in office, in the world could a majority of American voters turn around and give Bush an additional four years?

Terror, terror, fear, terror, terror… BE AFRAID.. BE VERY AFRAID, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseam…

Oklahoma kiddo @
23

The thing that baffles is how, after his first four years in office, in the world could a majority of American voters turn around and give Bush an additional four years?

The same way he was awarded his first term:

He stole it.

OfT
Georgian anger at Putin war claim

FWIW, my guess is, that every day longer we stay in Iraq, increases Russia’s leverage over the former Soviet Republics and Europe. Bush has stretched us so thin, everyone wonders if we can honor our NATO committments.

IMO, Haliburton, Russia, and Iran have been the three biggest winners from Bush’s occupation of Iraq.

Suzanne @ 17

I too am on a dialup and I can’t say it strongly enough – this is worth the dialup time. Please view it, even if you are on dialup.

Suzanne-
I will certainly watch the ad, although it will have to be in my office. I don’t know if it’s the dialup connection, the genius of AOL, or a failing of my 7-year-old computer, but I crash if I try to launch YouTube.

As Simon vK noted above, there is a great opportunity to get maximum exposure by buying time during the World Series coverage, if that’s still possible.

Bush regime throwing out hints of “timetables” for Iraq progress.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 — The Bush administration is drafting a timetable for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and assume a larger role in securing the country, senior American officials said.

Details of the blueprint, which is to be presented to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki before the end of the year and would be carried out over the next year and beyond, are still being devised. But the officials said that for the first time Iraq was likely to be asked to agree to a schedule of specific milestones, like disarming sectarian militias, and to a broad set of other political, economic and military benchmarks intended to stabilize the country.

Although the plan would not threaten Mr. Maliki with a withdrawal of American troops, several officials said the Bush administration would consider changes in military strategy and other penalties if Iraq balked at adopting it or failed to meet critical benchmarks within it.

[snip]

The idea of devising specific steps that Mr. Maliki would have to take was described by senior officials who support the plan but would speak only on condition of anonymity. Their willingness to discuss a plan that has not been fully drafted appeared intended at least in part to signal renewed flexibility on the part of the administration, and perhaps also to pre-empt the recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, a commission led by James A. Baker III and charged with formulating a new strategy in Iraq. It is expected to issue recommendations late this year or early next year.

The plan also moves the administration closer to an idea advocated by many Democrats, who have called for setting a date for beginning phased withdrawals of American troops from Iraq as a way to compel Iraq’s government to resolve its internal divisions and take on more responsibility.

NYT: US to Hand Iraq a Timetable

John Casper @ 30

OfT
Georgian anger at Putin war claim

FWIW, my guess is, that every day longer we stay in Iraq, increases Russia’s leverage over the former Soviet Republics and Europe. Bush has stretched us so thin, everyone wonders if we can honor our NATO committments.

IMO, Haliburton, Russia, and Iran have been the three biggest winners from Bush’s occupation of Iraq.

Excellent analysis. So let’s see how that plays out… Pump up Haliburton and BushCo’s oil money as hard and fast as you can, devil take the hindmost, and after 8 years retire to some cushy tropical place with no extradition so we can’t be tried for war crimes. Does that work for you?

By the way, John Casper, I was EXTREMELY impressed with your clear explications of various Christian heresies, beliefs, etc., in one of the threads yesterday. Major kudos.

Now I’m confused. I thought Democrats wanted timetables in order to aid their friends, the al Quaida.

I’m watching the game in St. Louis specifically to see if this ad airs. It hasn’t yet. One Claire ad smashing Talent for rubber stamping Bush policies and three stem cell initiative ads have run. One with Cheryl Crow, a Missouri native and cancer survivor, and two othhers stressing that cloning and selling of embryos is prohibited in the initiative. Talentless keeps lying that the bill allows cloning and he doesn’t want to to see a clone of himself passing in the street. What an idiot, asshole and liar. I sure as heck don’t want to see even one of him anywhere on planet. The stem cell initiave is favored 2-1 in Missouri, but the candidates are running basically even. Claire is ahead in St. Louis and Kansas City, Talentless in the Bible belt. The repugs have flooded this state with money and paid campaign workers from other states. Claire needs any help you can give.
http://www.claireonline.com

TeddySanFran @ 33

Now I’m confused. I thought Democrats wanted timetables in order to aid their friends, the al Quaida.

Nah, that’s “cut and run.” Please keep the slogans straight.

“straight?”

not hardly.

TeddySanFran @
34

Now I’m confused. I thought Democrats wanted timetables in order to aid their friends, the al Quaida.

Oh, come on… A Repugnican timetable is NOT the same as what the Democrat “cut and runners” want to do. Their timetable is well thought out (remember the picture from an earlier post today… they were thinking…).

Well, if only it could be considered “responsible,” but we all know that NONE of that crowd will EVER take responsibilty for anything…

Marion in Savannah @
26

iowa christine,

There is no way, no way at all, ever, this this could be considered an “inconvenience.” However, those web sites will be the ones that Rush, Coulter, et al., will seize on. The circle in hell where they belong hasn’t been invented yet.

University of Iowa is a great place. You might want to consider checking back in with them, because even without the stem cell work all members of the “reality based community” know needs to be done they might have some further information to offer since the early 80’s. (Just thinking that there may be even more gene-specific information that wasn’t available then…)

I’ll keep you in my prayers. Keep up the good fight.

You and I both know this isn’t an ‘inconvenience’ disease. But, many of the sites state, that the ‘use of a foot brace will eliminiate much of the problems, along with a little physical therapy’. Yeah, right, my sister presents all the classical symptoms of *late* stage of CMT and that was 10 years ago when she was still in her late 20’s.

We all go to the UIHC. There are no gene therapies to help, or any other therapies. We already know it’s genetic. My sister has had ‘tendon transplants’ on both of her feet. But, that hasn’t really helped a whole lot. Our only hope for the current generation and future is in stem cell / gene therapy.

Speaking of gene therapy – UIHC may have a cure for Prostrate Cancer within the next 10 years. They’ve had 3 sucessful outcomes using gene therapy carried by the common cold virus.

Eli @ 25

Oklahoma kiddo @ 23

The thing that baffles is how, after his first four years in office, in the world could a majority of American voters turn around and give Bush an additional four years?

Because the Scary Terrorists would nuke every small town in red America if Kerry won.

Or perhaps, as David Hannum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute”.

I knew that was coming.

Thanks very much, Marion in Savannah.

God bless Michael J. Fox. He’s hanging himself out there with every chance the right wing attack dogs will be merciless.

John Casper @ 42

Thanks very much, Marion in Savannah.

You’re more than welcome. Your posts were a pleasure to read, down here in the buckle of the Bible belt! (As a born and raised in NYC Episcopalian you have no idea the stupidity I have to listen to…!)

John Casper @ 24

(or Jerry Weller?)

If Weller is dipping his toe in the page scandel, I very much doubt it’s because of his devotion to high ethical standards.

I have the misfortune to live in Weller’s district (not a slam on my hometown, just my congressman), and he has not demonstrated much of an ethical sense when it comes to his own connections. Even the local right wing rag has noticed.

iowa christine @ 39

But, many of the sites state, that the ‘use of a foot brace will eliminiate much of the problems, along with a little physical therapy’.

Oh yeah, the first thing I thought when I saw that commercial was, “All that man needs is a good foot brace.”

Jebus.

C-Span Tomorrow at 7:30 ET

by Matt Stoller, Sat Oct 21, 2006 at 09:34:23 PM EST

I’m going to be on C-Span tomorrow at 7:30am, jabbering about something or other political. If you want to see me on the TeeVee here’s your chance.

I have spent the last three years watching someone very important to my family waste away due to ALS, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig’s disease’.

Stem cell research, although coming too late to save this person, nevertheless has the long-term potential to ameliorate and perhaps even reverse the effects of this and many other neurological diseases.

Anyone who opposes such research, whether for religious or political purposes, should consider the possibility of someone dear to them dying by inches every day for years on end…While they remain helpless to do anything but watch, as a direct result of policies that they have championed.

If that doesn’t add some clarity to their perspective, I would suggest taking appropriate personal steps to ensure that they will no longer contaminate the gene pool with their purblind stupidity.

NormalLiberal, are you actually *in* Normal? If so, you’re very near a good friend of mine.

NormalLiberal @ 45

John Casper @ 24

(or Jerry Weller?)

If Weller is dipping his toe in the page scandel, I very much doubt it’s because of his devotion to high ethical standards.

I have the misfortune to live in Weller’s district (not a slam on my hometown, just my congressman), and he has not demonstrated much of an ethical sense when it comes to his own connections. Even the local right wing rag has noticed.

I presume we would have more details about Congressman Weller’s referral to the Ethics Committee were a Democratic member involved.

darkblack @ 48

I have spent the last three years watching someone very important to my family waste away due to ALS, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig’s disease’.

Stem cell research, although coming too late to save this person, nevertheless has the long-term potential to ameliorate and perhaps even reverse the effects of this and many other neurological diseases.

Anyone who opposes such research, whether for religious or political purposes, should consider the possibility of someone dear to them dying by inches every day for years on end…While they remain helpless to do anything but watch, as a direct result of policies that they have championed.

If that doesn’t add some clarity to their perspective, I would suggest taking appropriate personal steps to ensure that they will no longer contaminate the gene pool with their purblind stupidity.

It’s like poverty; unless and until it happens to them, it’s inconceivable that it could happen to them, and they therefore have no incentive to do anything about it, since they are incapable of giving a shit about anyone outside their immediate circle of friends and family.

Eli @ 49

NormalLiberal, are you actually *in* Normal? If so, you’re very near a good friend of mine.

Yes. We’ve spent the day dodging bus traffic from ISU Band Day.

I love the midwest.

NormalLiberal @ 52

Eli @ 49

NormalLiberal, are you actually *in* Normal? If so, you’re very near a good friend of mine.

Yes. We’ve spent the day dodging bus traffic from ISU Band Day.

I love the midwest.

Garcia’a Pizza!

NormalLiberal @ 52

Eli @ 49

NormalLiberal, are you actually *in* Normal? If so, you’re very near a good friend of mine.

Yes. We’ve spent the day dodging bus traffic from ISU Band Day.

I love the midwest.

Excellent. My best friend from college teaches at Illinois Wesleyan.

montag @ 10

Eons from now, archeologists are going to think of this time as one of institutional madness.

Hi. I’m an archaeologist, and I’ve decided not to wait.

Patrick 4/4 @ 53

NormalLiberal @ 52

Eli @ 49

NormalLiberal, are you actually *in* Normal? If so, you’re very near a good friend of mine.

Yes. We’ve spent the day dodging bus traffic from ISU Band Day.

I love the midwest.

Garcia’a Pizza!

Didn’t he used to play for the Red Sox?

TeddySanFran @ 50

I presume we would have more details about Congressman Weller’s referral to the Ethics Committee were a Democratic member involved.

I devoutly hope you’re right.

Eli @ 56

Patrick 4/4 @ 53

NormalLiberal @ 52

Eli @ 49

NormalLiberal, are you actually *in* Normal? If so, you’re very near a good friend of mine.

Yes. We’ve spent the day dodging bus traffic from ISU Band Day.

I love the midwest.

Garcia’a Pizza!

Didn’t he used to play for the Red Sox?

Not after eating the Gutbuster.

darkblack @
48

I have spent the last three years watching someone very important to my family waste away due to ALS, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig’s disease’.

…

Anyone who opposes such research, whether for religious or political purposes, should consider the possibility of someone dear to them dying by inches every day for years on end…While they remain helpless to do anything but watch, as a direct result of policies that they have championed.

If that doesn’t add some clarity to their perspective, I would suggest taking appropriate personal steps to ensure that they will no longer contaminate the gene pool with their purblind stupidity.

Sorry to hear about your family friend. I definitely understand your agony of having to watch your friend go away bit by bit. A co-worker of mine was diagnosed in September of 2005 with this.

I couldn’t agree with you more about diluting the contamination to the gene pool.

BAGHDAD, Oct. 21 — When Lt. Col. John Norris led his Stryker battalion to the Baya district of Baghdad last month he planned to work hand in glove with the Iraqi police. But no sooner did he venture onto the streets than he discovered that the police who were to be his partners were part of the problem.
…

Maj. Gen. J. D. Thurman, the senior American commander in Baghdad, addresses two young men detained at an Iraqi National Police station.

As his Stryker command vehicle drove along a crowded avenue Colonel Norris spied several Shiite women in black abayas wailing over a body sprawled near a mosque as distraught relatives smeared the dead man’s blood on their faces. The American officer tried to wave down an Iraqi National Police truck for help, but the driver gave him an icy stare and kept going.

“I was disgusted by that,” Colonel Norris recalled.

An investigation by the American battalion later determined that the murder victim was a Sunni army captain visiting his family while on leave.

NYT: On Baghdad Street a Police Partneship Falters

scarecrow @ 32

Bush regime throwing out hints of “timetables” for Iraq progress.

Yeah. That’ll work.

Patrick 4/4 @ 53

Garcia’a Pizza!

Long, long gone. (A pity – they had a hot air balloon shaped like a giant tomato. Great moments in advertising.)

Eli @ 54

Excellent. My best friend from college teaches at Illinois Wesleyan.

It’s a small world, not to mention town. My mother is retired from IWU.

NormalLiberal @ 62

It’s a small world, not to mention town. My mother is retired from IWU.

Cool! I think both his parents still teach there; his dad definitely, his mom I’m not sure of.

Most mind boggling to me is that their Saint Ronnie (R) had a long slow death with altzheimer’s disease. His followers will not admit, in spite of what Widow Nancy has said, that stem cell disease could make such a difference. Its more important to them to slap his name on airports and highways.

Even though I live in California, after viewing this ad I sent $100 to McCaskill.
Way to go Michael J. Fox. You are a true hero.

NormalLiberal @ 62

Patrick 4/4 @ 53

Garcia’a Pizza!

Long, long gone. (A pity – they had a hot air balloon shaped like a giant tomato. Great moments in advertising.)

Eli @ 54

Excellent. My best friend from college teaches at Illinois Wesleyan.

It’s a small world, not to mention town. My mother is retired from IWU.

I loved that balloon. Watching it from above at Watterson Towers was a treat that would drive me across the street to Garcia’s for pizza and beer – and I was never carded.

OT
http://americablog.blogspot.co…..-back.html
~~~Conservative Ohio paper takes back endorsement of GOP gubernatorial candidate*, calls his conduct un-Christian~~~ (Blackwell)

Eli-

I had no idea there were faculty dynasties at IWU.

Now I’m really curious.

iowa christine @ 59

Thank you, iowa christine…In the interests of clarity, it was not a family friend but my former spouse, and co-parent to our children.

The religiously simpleminded in the world who think that their faith trumps reality have quite an awakening and judgement coming due… Woe is them.

David Brooks laments the loss of “moderate” Republicans:

“Tell us, why, again, Republicans need 55 senators?” Rush Limbaugh asked not long ago. “Why do we need 55 senators when we have so many malcontents and traitors in the bunch? And they all happen to be from the Northeast, and they all happen to be moderates, they all happen to be liberals.”

…

In that spirit, the National Federation of Republican Assemblies set out to rid the party of this threat. It set up a “RINO Hunters Club” to “root out and hunt down” the squishy centrists who are Republicans in Name Only. The Club for Growth ran candidates to defeat them. Last week on his radio show, Sean Hannity blasted the RINO’s again, saying they were costing good conservatives their jobs.

Well, this is one problem the Republican Party is solving. When the next Congress convenes, there will be many fewer RINO’s in town. You look at the vulnerable Republicans and it’s like a moderate Republican graveyard: Deborah Pryce, a bright and effective member from Ohio; Christopher Shays from Connecticut; Sweeney from New York; Gerlach from Pennsylvania; Reichert from Washington; DeWine from Ohio.

And it only took him six years to notice. Fodder for Glenn G.

NormalLiberal at 7:48 pm
You may know more, but the first rumor I heard was that Weller was involved with a female page. Then this dropped, with him tipping off the Ethics board. It sounds to me as though this page was involved with at least two Congressman and Jerry being married to the daughter of a former Guatemalan dictator, thought it would be best to strike first. When the others mention his involvement, he’ll just say it’s payback.
WAG Alert (Wild Ass Guesses)

OT, Marion in Savannah, if you’re interested, the Jesus seminar has the best (most accessible) books out that I am aware of. For example, they rate all the sayings of Jesus in the canonical gospels on the likelihood that they came directly from Jesus (ipsima verba jesu) or from somewhere else in the tradition. (I think they were reacting against the King James Bible putting all of Jesus’ words in red.) How they make those determinations is very interesting and you can see the disagreement within the group. Some tend to be more skeptical than others. They are all first rate NT scholars from a wide variety of religious backgrounds and they really try to make it accessible to readers without an academic background in Theology.

Valley Girl @ 67

OT
http://americablog.blogspot.co…..-back.html
~~~Conservative Ohio paper takes back endorsement of GOP gubernatorial candidate*, calls his conduct un-Christian~~~ (Blackwell)

HOT DAYUM!

They just aired the Michael J. Fox ad on the World Series! As powerful as it is on the internet, you should see it on TV! This is REALLY going to help Claire – showing that you CANNOT separate the stem cell initiative from the candidate. YES!

Heartfelt condolences darkblack.

Patrick 4/4 @ 66

I loved that balloon. Watching it from above at Watterson Towers was a treat that would drive me across the street to Garcia’s for pizza and beer – and I was never carded.

I always enjoyed it when the tomato drifted over our yard, but I never got to see it from above. I always wondered about the stem…

If you haven’t been back to Normal recently, I’m sorry to have to tell you that most of the block opposite Watterson has been leveled to make room for a new hotel and conference center, part of the town’s massive downtown redevelopment project.

EvilDrPuma @
55

montag @ 10

Eons from now, archeologists are going to think of this time as one of institutional madness.

Hi. I’m an archaeologist, and I’ve decided not to wait.

perfect

Jane’s offering up FDL Late Night.

The stem cell issue is an important focal point, and I’ve commented before on this. But, on an even wider scale BushCo has totally trashed science and medial and basic scientific research in this country- university and medical school labs don’t even have the funding that they need to to very basic scientific research (always the basis for more targeted research) much less more directed research like stem cell research-

Marion in Savannah @ 71

Valley Girl @ 67

OT
http://americablog.blogspot.co…..-back.html
~~~Conservative Ohio paper takes back endorsement of GOP gubernatorial candidate*, calls his conduct un-Christian~~~ (Blackwell)

HOT DAYUM!

From the editorial:

Both Blackwell and Strickland have campaigned as religious people. Blackwell is an evangelical Christian and Strickland an ordained Methodist minister. The Monday debate showed which one has a greater understanding of Christian conduct.

Well, one out our Ladies of the Lake is the daughter of . . . No? We knew, we knew.

John Casper,

Thanks for the wonderful link. It’s now bookmarked. If only more people understood that what the pResident and his friends parrot doesn’t really have much to do with Christianity…

NormalLiberal @
13

I just spent several days in the St. Louis area, and I was amazed at the nastiness of Talent’s ads, which centered on a “McCaskill is a liar who likes hurting old people” theme.
………..

That’s the gist of the latest DeWine ad against Sherrod Brown. Two mean, pinch-faced biddies talk about how much they don’t like Brown.
I want to know what kind of casting call went out to find those women….

A little off topic, this was an excellent, very short post at correntewire.

Why al sadr took kut al Amara

al sadr told us he could make make our exit a helluva a lot tougher, or cut our supply lines. Bush is setting the best land forces we have, up for a Dunkirk like catastrophe, if we’re lucky.

The British guard our only supply lines down to Basra, because Turkey won’t let us use theirs (because they are very pissed off about what we’ve given the Kurds).

To come at it from another angle, how about a hypothetical: A fire breaks out in a hospital and Bush has to either save an incubator with a premature baby, or a freezer containing 300 embryos. Bush lets the baby take the heat…

John Casper @
74

Heartfelt condolences darkblack.

Much appreciated, John Casper.

:)

Wait for it… some Repugnicant mouthpiece (Rush, maybe..) will attack him, probably along the lines of “he must have gone off his medication on purpose…” or “well, what can you expect from a California liberal who wants to suck dollars away from the War on Terra for his own selfish purposes.”

Does anyone here think they’re not capable of it?

Oooh, let’s just hope. That isn’t Michael J. Fox OFF his meds. The rocking and swaying (tardive dyskenisia) is CAUSED by the meds. Without it, he would be unable to move at all. Those are his two choices – immobility or constant mobility. He’s a fearless bastard, though, and I would imagine it is not easy for someone as naturally narcissistic as a professional actor to put themselves out there like that. Looking like that. He needs a f-ing wheelbarrow to push those massive brass balls of his around.

After having read Michael J. Fox’s book, I know how difficult it was for him to do this spot. My hat is off to him.
I have a sister with M.S. I also have a niece wirh M.S., [daughter of another sister]. They have fully developed nervous systems which have turned against them. The uninformed don’t know of all the symptoms of this insidious disease. For instance, the pain involved. Can you imagine having “Charley-horses” all the time?
Would I gladly trade the use of a group of unfeeling cells, [because they don’t have formed nervous systems], for the benefit of people suffering from M.S.? Of course.
Further more, if one is “pro-life”, how can execution of grown humans, with developed feeling be tolerated? You know, some of the convicted are innocent. Mistakes and prejudice do happen.
An eye for an eye? Isn’t that playing God?

MJ making all us Canadians feel very proud of him and reminding us what being a Canadian is all about. Our humility and practical/common sense approah to matters.
Don’t feel sorry for Michael……feel sorry that he even had to do it. Feel sorry for those who oppose this legislation.

razanT- Canada

I saw this ad. To me this only goes to show Claire McCaskill’s desperation. She is going to lose – and she is throwing everything including the kitchen sink at this campaign. I was listening to a local radio show in St. Louis this morning, people were commenting on the ad, they were disturbed, they thought it was done in poor taste and thought it was bad timing. Michael J. Fox was USED… and he forget to take the medication that would stop or at the very least drastically minimize the shaking that he endures. Funny how when he recently appeared on a television show – he wasn’t shaking all the time…. I would hate to think he would purposely not take his MEDS… just to get the sympathy vote.. but hey this is politics…anything is possible. SAD CLAIRE…VERY SAD…

Paul, Michael J Fox was used by no one. He deliberately did not take his meds when he testified before congress in favor of stem cell research so they could see what Parkinsons does to people. Same with McCaskill’s spot. I think it’s brill.

Republicans are against ooooh, scary government aid for OTHER people’s suffering – until someone they loves suffers, and then they bellow like there’s no tomorrow that SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW.

Are you that kind of person?

Mommybrain:

Something is being done RIGHT NOW… Science has cured NO ONE using embryonic stem cell research. Science has cured at least some using ADULT stem cells. YOU DO THE MATH. O% results using embryonic stem cells – 100% results using Adult stem cells.

No reason to destroy life when the research has already proven it doesn’t need to be done.

This is an attempt by leftwingers like yourself to clone humans and destroy human life….PERIOD !!!

I really do feel for Michael J Fox. He has got to be one of the sweetest people around – and he exudes peace and harmony. Furthermore, I think Alex P Keaton would be deeply ashamed of the extreme right-wingers who feel the need to bash such a sweet person as Michael J Fox.

If any of you, including M. J. Fox, had a clue you would know that there isn’t a sole in Washington that is opposed to Stem Cell research. However, thankfully there a strong opposition to Embryonic Stem cell research. It all boils down to abortion! The people that are pushing for Embryonic stem cells simply want another tool to make women feel “important” by killing their unborn children. There are no studies that show there are any benefits to using embryonic cells. Already we are not reproducing ourselves in the USA. Why make more “reasons” for abortion?

my uncle suffers from pd and i am glad that someone else in another state whats to help with stem cell research. we had someone running for govner here in fl and you know what they did they put somebody else in the spot for democat and that mad me sick cause neither one said anything about stem cell research. we need people high up that will fight for those with pd. we also need to fight those who do not what stem cell research done.