Monday Open Thread
Welcome to your Monday open thread. After the long holiday weekend I’m having a bit of trouble refocusing my mind. I certainly needed the vacation! How was your weekend? Did you avoid political fights with your relatives?
Reagan’s former budget director David Stockman has been speaking out about Republican budget shenanigans. He’s increasingly shrill:
While independent economists have shown these arguments to be false, today on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, President Reagan’s former budget director took on his own party for pushing this faulty logic. David Stockman, who led the all-important Office of Management and Budget under Reagan and was a chief architect of his fiscal policy, criticized today’s GOP for misreading Reagan’s legacy by adopting a “theology” of tax cuts. Stockman has spoken out before, but took perhaps his strongest stance yet against his own party today, saying “I’ll never forgive the Bush administration” for “destroying the last vestige of fiscal responsibility that we had in the Republican Party.”
I’m glad Stockman is speaking out but old-school Republicans are no longer important voices in the party. Where was Stockman in 2001 when Bush was pushing his disastrous tax cuts?
Do you all remember Dolly the cloned sheep? She died at a relatively young age for a sheep. The reason she died early, scientists believe, is because of “telomeres.” Telomeres are the “end caps” on DNA, which tell DNA how much to replicate. Since Dolly was made from adult cells, her telomeres were shorter than normal. Now scientists have found they can extend life in mice by slowing down the process that shortens telomeres.
The Harvard group focused on a process called telomere shortening. Most cells in the body contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, which carry our DNA. At the ends of each chromosome is a protective cap called a telomere. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres are snipped shorter, until eventually they stop working and the cell dies or goes into a suspended state called “senescence”. The process is behind much of the wear and tear associated with ageing.
At Harvard, they bred genetically manipulated mice that lacked an enzyme called telomerase that stops telomeres getting shorter. Without the enzyme, the mice aged prematurely and suffered ailments, including a poor sense of smell, smaller brain size, infertility and damaged intestines and spleens. But when DePinho gave the mice injections to reactivate the enzyme, it repaired the damaged tissues and reversed the signs of ageing.
“These were severely aged animals, but after a month of treatment they showed a substantial restoration, including the growth of new neurons in their brains,” said DePinho.
Of course, it wouldn’t be so easy for humans. But it certainly points us into a direction for research.
Tags: Open Thread
I wonder how nemski’s campaign to revive the Delaware Republican Party is going?
“Of course, it wouldn’t be so easy for humans. But it certainly points us into a direction for research.”
Then we can raise SS retirement age to 95, yea.
I told you we better watch Chris Coons. He is going to support SB 510! Obviously this man has never read the bill, and his “new” staff havent a clue whats in it. When I called, the staff person asked “me to tell him” whats in the bill. If you dont know about this you better find out…this affects everyone.
Well, I hope you told them what was in the bill, and not just you better find out! 😉
“Senate blocks repeal of health care provision”
“The provision requires nearly 40 million U.S. businesses to start filing tax forms in 2012 for every vendor that sells them more than $600 in goods.”
Idiots.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101130/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_repeal
BTW, the provision above has nothing to do with healthcare. Nothing. It is about trying to recover undeclared capital gains taxes from gold trading, but it would put a huge unnecessary paperwork burden on all businesses, big and small.
Idiots, again.
Concern troll A1 carries water for the Chamber of Commerce.
ABC News: “Christine O’Donnell wants Hillary Clinton to challenge President Obama — and she’s willing to help.”
I wonder if heads will explode at some other Delaware blogs?
Watch the video – it is really funny.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2010/11/christine-odonnell-i-would-vote-for-hillary-clinton.html
aww, that’s cool!
a1, you and COD basically have the same political instincts.
I don’t support Hillary. I think Hillary should resign as Secretary of State for trying to turn State Department diplomats into spies.
I’d like Gore, Dean, and/or Feingold to primary Obomba.
so you would also like president palin i assume…. that is the outcome of an Obama primary challenge…. or were you not aware of how Ted Kennedy gave Ronny the presidency?
you think you’re paranoid of a police state now? just wait until $t Sarah gives all your rights to Clear Channel. (even the ones that allow you to bitch non stop on the interwebs?)… yes even those.
Gore, Dean, or Feingold would destroy Sarah Palin in a general election. Destroy her. In fact, virtually any Democratic candidate would, and the non-tea party republicans know it.
you’re wrong. Any disunity in the Democratic party will result in a republican president. Now that corporations dont even have ot try and hide their support for Tbaggers, Fox news will become a 24 hour campaign commercial for whoever the GOP puts up.
Think about this. More people get Fox than MSNBC or CNN… so more people will be fed a constant stream of bullshit.
Also consider how stupid Americans are. You constantly talk about how millions were swept up on Obama fever and tricked into voting foe the popular evil wolf in sheep’s clothing.
What makes you think it cant happen with Palin? If the Democratic party splits.. as in one side Obama the other side
Gore- cheats on his wife with a massure.. (doesnt matter what the facts are anymore… just what the news says)
Dean- is crazy and unhinged (even though the “sound” neve rhappened… Americans dont care about facts, they care about what the hot blonde anchor with huge boobs says)
Finegold— who? (as far as most americans are concerned)
You forget that you (as insane and purist as your ideas are) are smarter than probably 80% of the electorate. This is a stupid uninformed country and faced with a tough decision, they will make the easiest choice. if anyone seriously “carters” Obama, the easy choice will be to follow the school into the net.
Any disunity in the Democratic party will result in a republican president.
Continuing capitulation to the right will also result in a Republican president. It is a dilemma.
Here’s an idea – how about the Democratic party unifies around Democratic principles? Too radical for you?
When Democrats were busy privatizing health care and plotting tax cuts for the rich – where were your calls for party unity then? Why didn’t you peg the supporters of those plans as the destructive force in the party? When did public health care and progressive taxation become the boogeyman for Democrats? How come we are always supposed to to unify around the right wing instead of the Democratic wing?
Destroy her. In fact, virtually any Democratic candidate would, and the non-tea party republicans know it.
Disagree. A modern conservadem like Bayh would embarrass Democrats in a debate by constantly saying “I agree with my opponent.”
Given the choice between a Republican and someone who just acts like a Republican, voters will choose the real Republican every time.
We need a leader who gets in your face and blusters like Chris Christie, but says traditional Democratic stuff instead of batshit crazy stuff.
to be honest i was wrong about a lot of things.
I was wrong about how moronic and easily misled the American people are.
I was wrong in thinking any republican had the capacity to act like a human.
I was wrong to think that Obama’s philosophies on compromise would work… mostly because of the afore mentioned assumption that the GOP were people.
but let’s dispatch with the debate and focus on reality. the president on jan 20 2013 will be either Barack Obama or a Republican. no one else.
I ask all the anti-obama dems… what would you rather have? A Democratic president who has let you down and not been as pure as you wished? or a republican president who will go to war with Iran, surrender your health to the insurance cartels, and probably exterminate union members?
I know, “i would rather have a democratic president who sticks to democratic ideals”
that is not a choice… it never will be. Even if the PRESIDENT sticks to the ideals, ya still need congressional support and as long as conservatives are allowed to walk freely in our government,
THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!!
A Democratic president who has let you down and not been as pure as you wished?
Not gonna happen. Voters will go for the real Republican.
a.price, you’re just like the Hillary people back in 2008 who were saying a vote for Obama in the primary was a vote for the republican in the general. They were wrong then just as you are wrong now.
different situation entirely.
The GOP was very unpopular then. ANY democrat could have won that election.
sorry your dreams were shattered, but you need to deal with the fact that the progressive utopia you let yourself think Obama was doing to dictate into existence will never happen in this country. not all at once anyway. maybe over the course of 50-75 years IF it is presented in a way the people can support… that is… packaged as something entertaining and patriotic.
The fact that the GOP is regaining popularity today is due to Obama’s political incompetence more than anything that the GOP has done.
If unemployment is high in 2012, as it likely will be thanks to Obama’s austerity measures, then a credible Republican candidate like Romney will have a much higher chance of winning against Obama than they might against a different Democratic candidate. Obama ain’t going to be the “hope and change” candidate in 2012.
“The fact that the GOP is regaining popularity today is due to Obama’s political incompetence more than anything that the GOP has done. ”
good job. you have played right into their hands.
good job. you have played right into their hands.
You’re talking to Obomba, right?
ABC News: “Christine O’Donnell wants Hillary Clinton to challenge President Obama — and she’s willing to help.”
God knows Hillary could use the laugh this week.