Povertybarn

It's Official: Shrub Sucks AGAIN

I am not surprised, but the CEO (Chief Embarassment Officer) strikes again.

Dumb Dumb has vetoed the bill to ease funding for stem cell research. Asshat!

Um, yea, this research might have saved my mother who died of cancer and anyone else who suffers from some equally horrible disease.

Stop pandering to the religious zealots and thing about science, saving lives and improvimg the quality of lofe for those who are suffering with debilitating diseases.

We'll Never Find

A smooth, full voice like yours again. Goodbye Lou Rawls, I will miss you.

Thanks for all of your amazing music in the 52 albums that you made. As well as the 18 movies that you made and for your work as a humanitarian among the Black comunity. Thanks for all of the money that you raised for the United Negro College Fund in the 1960's.

You fought the good fight with cancer. Now, you can rest.

Chief Justice Renquist Dies

Chief Justice William Rehnquist succumbed to his battle of thyroid cancer. He served on the court for 33 years and served 7 Presidents. Well, now BushCo has its second opportunity for another Conservative to be on the Court.

The death leaves President Bush with his second court opening within four months and sets up what's expected to be an even more bruising Senate confirmation battle than that of John Roberts.

It was not immediately clear what impact Rehnquist's death would have on confirmation hearings for Roberts, scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Rehnquist presided over President Clinton's impeachment trial in 1999, helped settle the 2000 presidential election in Bush's favor, and fashioned decisions over the years that diluted the powers of the federal government while strengthening those of the states. Source: SF Chronicle

What are the impacts for the Roberts hearing? Who will be among the new nominees? What will the Democrats do now? Roe v. Wade, civil liberties and consumer protections are all about to be over-turned. We must be ready to fight! Everything that we hold dear is on the chopping block!! See Pam's House Blend for her thoughts.

Farewell Peter Jennings

I was saddened to learn of the passing of vetran newsman Peter Jennings last night. He was my favorite anchorman. Jennings was a high school dropout who rose to be one of the most prominent anchors on television.

He lost a afight with cancer. My heart goes out to his family, since I can relate to how they feel at this time.

Take a moment at the ABCnews website to read about his amazing career. This is a tremendous lost in the field of journalism.

Harkin and Specter's Stem Cell Bill

I like what Senator Arlen Specter said about just trying a few chemotherapy treatments and then see what you think of stem cell research. Stem cell research could provide clues and lead to potential cures for cancer, degenerative disorders and Alzheimer's disease among others.

Why wouldn't any logical, rational human being want to save a loved one? I could still have my Mommy.

Of course, the first hurdle is to pass House Resolution 810 to over turn the Dubya camp's right-wing ban on stem cell research (Associated Press). The fight is just beginning.

What "we're discussing today hasn't been published in a single scientific journal," Harkin said. "It hasn't even cleared the peer review process. It hasn't been tried in mice. We're a long way from proving it works with human embryos.".

Harkin said that "if we're going to fund these alternative approaches, that's fine — if we don't stop the process that we have right now of deriving embryonic stem cells that have so much promise for cures."

Specter, a cancer patient angry at the delay caused by Bush's 2001 ban on federal funding for new embryonic stem cell lines, made clear that his bill is the first priority.

Supreme Court Rules Against Medical Marijuana

The Supreme Court has ruled that people who use marijuana for medical purposes (in other words, it is prescribed by their physician) cannot be protected from Federal prosecution. Check it in The New York Times.

Excuse me, WTF? These are people who are living with chronic pain and this is one of, if not, the only thing that eases their pain. Come on, like Shrub has never smoked a joint? Oh, please!

There is one tiny brightspot, Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in a dissent that she thought each state should set their own rules.

So, again, I call for the legalization of marijuana. We should sell it government run stores and then tax the shit out of it, so we can fund socialized medicine.

Newbie Blogger Needs Help

Part of my morning ritual is that I read Kottke while drinking some coffee and then start to think about a post for myself. So this morning he has an excerpt of an email from a newbie blogger with a 2 and 1/2 year old daughter with cancer. I am immediately saddened and my desire to help kicks into high gear.

You see, I lost my Mommy two years ago at Christmastime to cancer. it was not a pretty scene at the end and if there is anything that I can ever do to ensure that nobody else has to have this horrific experience, then I am going to do it.

With that said, I don't have the link to this guy's blog, yet. But when it gets updated here, please make a point of stopping by and consider making a donation to he and his family. Cancer can be very expensive.

We will keep you posted.