Nobrainer’s Think Tank

That’s the only conclusion I can draw from their editorial/article (hard to say which it’s supposed to be), Science prevails.

The era of stem cells has officially begun.

Why it’s now “official” I don’t understand. They admit that funding was available for “a handful of existing [embryonic] stem cell lines”, that “some experts now believe that adult stem cells also can be useful for medical therapies,” for which there was no federal ban on funding, and that California itself has “devoted $3 billion in bonds to stem-cell research” (which kind of stem cells is not mentioned). And all this despite, as NPR notes, “a legislative ban on the use of federal dollars to create new stem cell lines remains in place.”

They go on glowingly, “But the important thing is that now, scientists will have the ability to make choices based on science.” That’s just more bullshit. Anyone who receives this potential new funding will still be hamstrung by a series of new regulations. Scientists, especially those looking for government funding, then, now, and in the future will have to make choices based on what the government wants to fund. That’s all there is to it.

Me: I’m not that old. His math is off.

(moments later)

Me: No it’s not.

Apparently Obama supporters have been coming to my house looking for me. According to my roommates, someone showed up at the house around 6:30 tonight because their records showed that I hadn’t voted yet. Very strange.

Also, a TV in the other room is on CNN (I think (I’m trying to avoid the breathless “news” reports)). Wolf Blitzer is announcing that a “major projection” is coming. His announcement contains all the seriousness and value as an announcement that the Hardly Boys are having a major clue.

Last night I was in the office until past midnight. It wasn’t as bad as it might sound because the problem I was working on was very exciting and could, if a solution is found, be extremely valuable. Even though that problem isn’t solved yet, I just realized that I have to make it home before 9 tonight.

Why?

9 PM – New Episode of Mythbusters
10 PM – New Episode of South Park, titled, “The China Probrem”

Also at 10 PM on Discovery there’s a new, hour-long episode of what might be a whole new series called “Explosions Gone Wrong”. I might have to catch the end of that.

This morning, on the radio on the way to work, a helpful tip for seasonal allergy sufferers was provided by some national association of Chiropractors.

The tip? Stay inside.

Gee thanks Chiros. I now take you guys seriously.

I have yet to review the 4th book I read, It’s Not News, It’s Fark: How Mass Media Tries to Pass Off Crap As News, written by Fark.com founder and operator Drew Curtis. The title of the book actually does a pretty good job of summarizing things. Curtis has created specific categories of “news” that aren’t news that we are subjected too. Among the categories are things like “advertising masquerading as news” and “article contradicts title”. He runs through the descriptions, provides some examples, and then includes some of the more humorous commentary from fark commenters. It’s a decent but not earth-shattering book. I recommend it as a good bathroom book. The takeaway, is that of course the media has to publish a lot of crap: if they want to be around when the real news happens, they have to fill space and make ends meet in the mean time.

Speaking of filling space. The geniuses at ForbesAUTO (WTF?) via MSNBC bring us How you can ease the pain of car ownership – Ways you can ease driving costs besides downsizing and driving less. Halfway through the article they write,

[b]esides downsizing and driving less, there are other ways to curtail costs, some of which have little to do with prices at the pump.

I only add that quote here because the first half the article explained the cost of car ownership how to ease it by downsizing and driving less. When they finally do get around to their point, all they really suggest is spending less on maintenance, ya know, by doing things like not-fixing things that aren’t broken and finding a mechanic who doesn’t rip you off. That’s it. That’s their advice. And then they spend the last third of the article explaining other costs that drivers can’t really control.