Yesterday I read that a woman received a new wind pipe created from her own stem cells.
WOW!!!!
She had some kind of condition that had eroded the cells around the wind pipe until there was nothing left but a strand. The doctors had considered removing one of her lungs but instead they took some stem cells from her hip bone marrow and re-created the wind pipe!
I find this astounding. I have often said that America is far behind on these medical marvels as there is no Government funding directed in this direction. Mostly because George W. Bush thinks that we need to take stem cells from embryos and he does not want "babies" (embryos)being created for this sole purpose. So now we know! There are many roads still to travel and I hope America, as a country, is not left behind as they have been in many other regions (education etc).
Hooray for medical marvels!
Now a dilema!
SHOULD WE KILL HEALTHY PEOPLE FOR THEIR ORGANS?
Suppose Bill is a healthy man without family or loved ones. Would it be ok painlessly to kill him if his organs would save five people, one of whom needs a heart, another a kidney, and so on? If not, why not?
Consider another case: you and six others are kidnapped, and the kidnapper somehow persuades you that if you shoot dead one of the other hostages, he will set the remaining five free, whereas if you do not, he will shoot all six. (Either way, he'll release you.)
If in this case you should kill one to save five, why not in the previous, organs case? If in this case too you have qualms, consider yet another: you're in the cab of a runaway tram and see five people tied to the track ahead. You have the option of sending the tram on to the track forking off to the left, on which only one person is tied. Surely you should send the tram left, killing one to save five.
But then why not kill Bill?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Night - Good Night My Friends
I should have started this blog earlier in the night but as I sit here at 10:55pm on the night of the US election I have bitten my nails down to the quick and we still do not know what the result will be.
Right from the start my nerves have been on edge. McCain was up 16 - 3 at the beginning. I thought I was going to throw up. Jamie kept telling me it was too early but I was still on the edge of my seat.
To relieve my nerves I decided to play poker online but everyone that was playing was asking who was winning the election. It was people from England, France, New Zealand - the whole world it seemed is looking toward America to see what will happen next.
10:58 - the Associated Press just announced that Obama has won Florida
11:00 pm - MSNBC just announced Obama as winner!!!!
There are still so many states still to count (CA, OR, WA, MT, ID, NV, AZ CO,) the list goes on. too many to count but still they are giving the election to Obama. I'm not too sure that McCain will step down just yet but its very exciting. It's 294 - 145 right now so there is no way that OBAMA can lose (even if they fight over Florida).
WOW - I thought I was going to be up all night waiting for a result. This was so sudden.
History has been made tonight! 40 years from when Martin Luther King's speech and look at us now! amazing.
All eyes will be on Obama to ensure that he steps up to the plate and makes his time in this office the best that it can be.
I am so happy to have seen this in person. For it to happen in my life time is unfathomable! How far we have come. Lets take this momentum forward as America comes together to heal and grow and travel in a new direction.
I'm looking at the group of people gathered in Grant Park in Chicago waiting for Obama to make an appearance and I see a very diverse group of people. White, black, hispanic, young and old, all there to celebrate - a sea of people waving American flags with hope in their hearts.
I'm just waiting to hear Obama's acceptance speech but he probably didn't think he was going to be needed for a while yet.
11:14 Obama 306 - McCain 146 WOW (still no news from Indiana). They have announced that McCain has already conceaded to Obama by phone.
I wonder how those people I know that were so against Obama will adjust to the new president. I know that i have been playing with the idea of leaving the country if McCain got in but would I have?
11:18 McCain and Palin have taken the stage. I wonder if he will ever speak with Palin again.....Maybe she's really a democrat at heart and she was a dumb ass on purpose....
A million people at a park in Chicago have respectfully turned their eyes to the jumbo tron to watch his speech.
11:19 Obama 333 - McCain 146
11:29 Obama 333 - McCain 155
Locally NBC has sent poor Tim Malloy to Riviera Beach to be amongst "the people". He is so overwhelmed by the crowd and you can tell he's not sure what they are going to say when they get on camera - hillarious!
11:38 Obama 338 - McCain 155
11:57 Obama takes the stage for his acceptance speech!
The next 1st family of the United States of America!
Not a big fan of Michelle's dress for tonight :(
The applause lasts for at least 2 minutes
There's no secret service on stage. Very strange. But a very emotional speech about family and his best friend Michelle. Oprah is the crowd as well as Jesse Jackson. It feels like something out of a movie. a movie that is released on the 4th of July weekend (starring Will Smith!). He sounds a bit like a preacher some times though.
12:15 Speech is over but why didn't Joe Biden come on stage during the speech? he's here now and Oprah is crying!
We've been waiting for the election to be over, fed up with the negative ads and idiotic SNL skits, but now that it is over I feel deflated. Lost. what now? What will everyone argue about now?
Let's take a break and breathe and watch what will happen now.
So......as Senator McCain says, and let's hope it's his last words...........Good night My Friends!
Right from the start my nerves have been on edge. McCain was up 16 - 3 at the beginning. I thought I was going to throw up. Jamie kept telling me it was too early but I was still on the edge of my seat.
To relieve my nerves I decided to play poker online but everyone that was playing was asking who was winning the election. It was people from England, France, New Zealand - the whole world it seemed is looking toward America to see what will happen next.
10:58 - the Associated Press just announced that Obama has won Florida
11:00 pm - MSNBC just announced Obama as winner!!!!
There are still so many states still to count (CA, OR, WA, MT, ID, NV, AZ CO,) the list goes on. too many to count but still they are giving the election to Obama. I'm not too sure that McCain will step down just yet but its very exciting. It's 294 - 145 right now so there is no way that OBAMA can lose (even if they fight over Florida).
WOW - I thought I was going to be up all night waiting for a result. This was so sudden.
History has been made tonight! 40 years from when Martin Luther King's speech and look at us now! amazing.
All eyes will be on Obama to ensure that he steps up to the plate and makes his time in this office the best that it can be.
I am so happy to have seen this in person. For it to happen in my life time is unfathomable! How far we have come. Lets take this momentum forward as America comes together to heal and grow and travel in a new direction.
I'm looking at the group of people gathered in Grant Park in Chicago waiting for Obama to make an appearance and I see a very diverse group of people. White, black, hispanic, young and old, all there to celebrate - a sea of people waving American flags with hope in their hearts.
I'm just waiting to hear Obama's acceptance speech but he probably didn't think he was going to be needed for a while yet.
11:14 Obama 306 - McCain 146 WOW (still no news from Indiana). They have announced that McCain has already conceaded to Obama by phone.
I wonder how those people I know that were so against Obama will adjust to the new president. I know that i have been playing with the idea of leaving the country if McCain got in but would I have?
11:18 McCain and Palin have taken the stage. I wonder if he will ever speak with Palin again.....Maybe she's really a democrat at heart and she was a dumb ass on purpose....
A million people at a park in Chicago have respectfully turned their eyes to the jumbo tron to watch his speech.
11:19 Obama 333 - McCain 146
11:29 Obama 333 - McCain 155
Locally NBC has sent poor Tim Malloy to Riviera Beach to be amongst "the people". He is so overwhelmed by the crowd and you can tell he's not sure what they are going to say when they get on camera - hillarious!
11:38 Obama 338 - McCain 155
11:57 Obama takes the stage for his acceptance speech!
The next 1st family of the United States of America!
Not a big fan of Michelle's dress for tonight :(
The applause lasts for at least 2 minutes
There's no secret service on stage. Very strange. But a very emotional speech about family and his best friend Michelle. Oprah is the crowd as well as Jesse Jackson. It feels like something out of a movie. a movie that is released on the 4th of July weekend (starring Will Smith!). He sounds a bit like a preacher some times though.
12:15 Speech is over but why didn't Joe Biden come on stage during the speech? he's here now and Oprah is crying!
We've been waiting for the election to be over, fed up with the negative ads and idiotic SNL skits, but now that it is over I feel deflated. Lost. what now? What will everyone argue about now?
Let's take a break and breathe and watch what will happen now.
So......as Senator McCain says, and let's hope it's his last words...........Good night My Friends!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Jealousy Raises its Ugly Head
Saturday 9:00am
Jason and I had driven around for a little while trying to find a place for Jason to go vote that didn't have a huge line. Pretty impossible since the early voting stations have been experiencing 2.5 hours wait for the past 3 weeks. We decided on going to the Palm Beach County Court House where I sat outside waiting for 2 1/2 hours so that Jason could do his patriotic duty. I knew he couldn't give up the wait because I would give him a hard time so I was in for the long haul.
While I sat there I watched the people come and go on their way to vote and I realized how jealous I was. I had already committed to becoming a citizen if John McCain gets elected so that I can vote in the next election but not being able to vote this time was really making me mad. How could I wait this long without becoming a citizen of the country I have chosen to live in? I have been here 18 years - it's about time I made the effort to take the test. I've never cared before. I already pay taxes etc but now, at this time of such a divide in the community of who should be the next president I feel I need my voice heard. I have been yelling and arguing with anyone that will fight back - just as a way to get my opinon heard.
It's strange to me that I have been through so much and so many changes recently but the inability to vote is what is making me the most frustrated right now. Watching the citizens come and go through the parking lot of the courthouse I wondered "have they done their research?", "Are they making educated decisions?". Obviously not all of these people think the same as I do so I don't expect them to make the same decisions as I do but all I ask is that they have done their research and are not wasting their vote.
To be honest I can't wait til it's all over. 2 days. 2 days is all we have to wait and the only way I can put thsi jealousy to bay is to make a change in my life.
I am committing to everyone I know that I WILL become a citizen if the United States of America.
Oh and don't you be jealous cos when I get my US citizen I will also keep my British citizenship and when I travel there will be no immigration lines for me!
Good Luck to everyone and lets hope that Tuesday night brings a solution to this countries woes, whomever is elected.
Jason and I had driven around for a little while trying to find a place for Jason to go vote that didn't have a huge line. Pretty impossible since the early voting stations have been experiencing 2.5 hours wait for the past 3 weeks. We decided on going to the Palm Beach County Court House where I sat outside waiting for 2 1/2 hours so that Jason could do his patriotic duty. I knew he couldn't give up the wait because I would give him a hard time so I was in for the long haul.
While I sat there I watched the people come and go on their way to vote and I realized how jealous I was. I had already committed to becoming a citizen if John McCain gets elected so that I can vote in the next election but not being able to vote this time was really making me mad. How could I wait this long without becoming a citizen of the country I have chosen to live in? I have been here 18 years - it's about time I made the effort to take the test. I've never cared before. I already pay taxes etc but now, at this time of such a divide in the community of who should be the next president I feel I need my voice heard. I have been yelling and arguing with anyone that will fight back - just as a way to get my opinon heard.
It's strange to me that I have been through so much and so many changes recently but the inability to vote is what is making me the most frustrated right now. Watching the citizens come and go through the parking lot of the courthouse I wondered "have they done their research?", "Are they making educated decisions?". Obviously not all of these people think the same as I do so I don't expect them to make the same decisions as I do but all I ask is that they have done their research and are not wasting their vote.
To be honest I can't wait til it's all over. 2 days. 2 days is all we have to wait and the only way I can put thsi jealousy to bay is to make a change in my life.
I am committing to everyone I know that I WILL become a citizen if the United States of America.
Oh and don't you be jealous cos when I get my US citizen I will also keep my British citizenship and when I travel there will be no immigration lines for me!
Good Luck to everyone and lets hope that Tuesday night brings a solution to this countries woes, whomever is elected.
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