Do we really want to save lives?

For years, we’ve been told that only embryonic stem cell research had potential to save people’s lives, and that those who opposed such research were dismissing the lives of those with any number of illnesses.

It turns out that we were right all along, in saying that adult stem cells were the way to go.

At the University of Minnesota, researchers have now produced a new heart for a rat and transplanted it. This comes on the heels of the earlier work in which skin cells were used to produce adult stem cells. Meanwhile, what have we accomplished from embryonic stem cell research? Anything?

Recounts

Because the nation wasn’t embarrassed enough by the Florida situation in 2000, NH is getting treated to recounts by both parties.

Dennis Kucinich has driven the recount in the Democratic side, and Albert Howard is bringing us the Republican recount. Apparently, Howard couldn’t believe that he actually broke 40 votes.

Smoking (and) Guns

I have sort of a hate-love relationship with the National Rifle Association. I hate to love the group, sometimes

For the most part, I support its agenda. I believe in the Second Amendment, and I support every law-abiding citizen’s right to keep and bear arms for self-defense — not just for sport.

Every so often, though,  the NRA just has to go that one extra step and get unreasonable. This is one of those times … a move to forbid employers from banning weapons on their property. The question here, of course, is whether business owners should be allowed to regulate for themselves the presence of firearms on ther property. Wayne LaPierre, not surprisingly, charges that such regulations are a back-door way to abolish the Second Amendment rights of workers.

Leftover Signs

Immediately after the NH primary, most of those campaign signs are supposed to vanish. Along the larger roads in my normal travels — the Spaulding Turnpike, Route 11, and places like that, most of the signs for various candidates are done. There have been signs for Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, John McCain, and Tom Tancredo in my normal travels. On primary day, some signs for Rudy Giuliani and Bill Richardson appeared.