17 responses to “Wire-y linkage.”

1. 

   ashley said on January 14, 2008 at 2:40 pm

   Not word one about statuesque redheads. And no, Mo Dowd ain’t statuesque.

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2. 

   virgotex said on January 14, 2008 at 4:58 pm

   Redheads are my kryptonite…
   “I love those redheads”

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3. 

   Jeff said on January 14, 2008 at 9:58 pm

   Wow. If you haven’t gone to “The New Package” and read new posts w/ comments, do so immediately.

   That is all.

   Wow.

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4. 

   nancy said on January 14, 2008 at 10:03 pm

   We’ve been really pleased to have David Simon stop by and make occasional comments, and I think Ray is practically speechless.

   It was a great post, Ray.

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5. 

   Ray said on January 15, 2008 at 10:35 am

   eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

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6. 

   virgotex said on January 15, 2008 at 11:42 am

   In today’s search engine terms for New Package:

   who is nancy nall derringer lady

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7. 

   Jeff said on January 15, 2008 at 11:44 am

   Re: statuesque blondes, v. plump woman

   (or mother v. unidentified female)

   Also, idealistic youth v. unruly juveniles

   area leader v. local man

   community advocate v. angry protester

   concerned citizen v. agitated speaker

   noted gadfly v. op-ed crank

   editorial board opinion v. ad hoc manifesto

   caring pastor v. opinionated curmudgeon

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8. 

   Danny said on January 15, 2008 at 1:37 pm

   Since Nance is busy this week, we don’t have a new post, but I don’t mind going Off-Topic.

   What do you all think of meat and milk from cloned animals? The FDA just released a report that says they think “most” (how comforting) of it poses no health risks.

   I’m against it for several reasons, most of them tied up in what I call the “law of unintended consequences.” Off the top, I can think of these objections:

   1. There have historically been a lot of birth defects with cloned animals. Some of these are not apparent until the animal is well into maturity (I think Dolly or some of her “sisters” exhibited rapid aging) and some are not apparent to the naked eye. I don’t think anyone wants to eat that sort of meat.

   2. What about diminishing the diversity of the gene pool and inbreeding. Who is going to make sure this does not happen? Corporations? Government?

   3. What other consequences could there be? What if we later find out that eating meat from genetically diverse animals is important or essential to health.

   Bottom line, the motive for cloning is money in the form of increased profits from cloning of animals that are genetically culled for the traits of meat quality and yield. This seems like a very dangerous road we are going down. Once again.

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9. 

   del said on January 15, 2008 at 1:42 pm

   I tend to agree with you Danny. Just can’t really pin it to more than just a gut feeling . . .

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10. 

    brian stouder said on January 15, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    Well Danny, I dunno. As long as things are labeled, and tracked, I’m OK with it.

    Unintended consequences are a fact of life whatever we do, although I’m with you there.

    I tend to immediately discount concerns of this sort – especially the protests against genetically modified crops. Good God! – the human race has been growing genetically modified crops for about as long as we’ve grown anything on purpose (as opposed to gathering what can be found).

    We have genetically modified dogs and other animals for a long, long time, although granted – the ‘modification’ was done the old fashioned way (if you get my thrust).

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11. 

    Danny said on January 15, 2008 at 2:30 pm

    Brian, I was reading some comments below the CNN article and someone suggested that the labeling be the skull and cross-bones. That made me chuckle.

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12. 

    Danny said on January 15, 2008 at 2:46 pm

    I have less of a concern with genetically modified crops. Much less. Because as you rightfully point out, we’ve been meddling forever here.

    But I think there is a distinction to be made between horticulture by more “old-fashioned” methods and modifying things at the molecular level by marrying DNA from dissimilar crops that would never cross-pollinate naturally. The latter seems, again, more fraught with danger.

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13. 

    Kim said on January 15, 2008 at 6:13 pm

    Danny, I’m with you. Brian, think about pesticides that we used to roll around in as kids so the grass was green — diazinon is one and it’s been banned for a couple of years now because it’s poison. I remember as a kid I asked my mom if the “fertilizer” was poison since it killed the weeds. My mom assured me it was something to make things grow. I guess those things included blades of ultra-green grass AND cancer cells.

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14. 

    michaelj said on January 15, 2008 at 7:06 pm

    How bout them naval threats. Ahole created shock and awe out of nothing at all. Gulf of Hormuz, Gulf of Tomkin. If my country is willing to subborn te Constitution for an inveterate idiot, they’re too goddam stupid to care about the rule of law.. If I’m a I’m a traitor, Yep, I never even thought about a signing statement. You give up your freedom, for some Neocon shit, you’re a traitor. This is too bizarre. Naval threats? You looney tunes.

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15. 

    brian stouder said on January 15, 2008 at 11:52 pm

    How bout them naval threats. Ahole created shock and awe out of nothing at all

    Michaelj – you’re just flat wrong.

    The only part of the story that is uncertain, is the source of the radio transmission wherein someone says ‘you will explode in minutes’.

    On another day, and in other constricted waters (the port of Aden), another US navy warship was refueling one morning, when a small open boat with two guys aboard approached, and then detonated, killing 17 sailors and nearly sinking the ship.

    Whatever the hell else they are, five go-fast boats playing grab-ass with a US Navy task force in the constricted (and international) Straits of Hormuz is certainly not “nothing at all”.

    In a compressed amount of time, the captains on the scene had to decide whether to hold their fire, and risk a blinding flash and a gaping hole in their hull, and horribly burned, maimed, and dead sailors; or open fire and certainly create a major-special international incident.

    As fashionable as it is to blame absolutely every evil on President Bush, it is worth recalling that the successful attack on the USS Cole was an enormous boost for al Qaeda’s worldwide prestige, and it was an incomparable recruiting and fundraising tool for them, in the run-up to their cataclysmic attack on New York City….and the attack on the Cole occurred on The Great, Martyred, and faux-First Black President – Bill Clinton.

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16. 

    Danny said on January 16, 2008 at 12:26 am

    Well put, Brian.

    Man, everyone. I just got back from a three hour HOA annual election and member meeting. My wife is president and it sucks … royally. She is doing a great job, but everyone just shows up an vents their spleens…

    And I was going to give up swearing this year…

    I think I’ll watch Death Wish II (fits my mood) and nurse this cold/flu that has kept me home the last two days.

    Oh, one last thing. Anyone hear from MarkH, JoeK or Marcia. I realize everyone has real lives, but we’ve not seen them around for a while now.

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17. 

    Jen said on January 16, 2008 at 6:25 am

    Danny, Joe K. should be back shortly. He’s basking in the warm weather down in Florida until Thursday. Lucky.

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