The Cove

Last night tbf and I watched The Cove, which I believe won the best documentary Oscar. It was literally the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen. I was shocked and disgusted that people (anywhere) would be capable of something so horrifying. In no way have I ever considered myself an animal rights activist – quite the opposite, really, but what they do is just SO wrong. These people in Taiji, Japan literally herd dolphins into a cove while they’re migrating by putting metal poles into the water and beating on them to mess up the dolphin’s sonar/communication and drive them into a panic. Once the dolphins are netted in, these trainers come in and pick the ones they want for sea world or wherever (I will never, ever go to Sea World, btw), then these men murder all the others – including all the babies. You can tell that the dolphins can anticipate what is going to happen and that they’re literally panicked.

The team who made this documentary hid cameras in the hills around the cove where the killing takes place and got HD video of the slaughtering. The water turns blood red; the dolphins swim and flail around trying to escape. You can see that they’re in pain and they don’t die quickly. It’s so painful and appalling to watch.

The thing is, you can’t even eat dolphin, it will give you mercury poisoning, but they pass it off as whale and are able to sell it. This documentary was one of the most painful things I’ve ever watched. And one of the saddest parts is the activist who wanted to make this film is the man who captured the 5 dolphins used for Flipper, which is what essentially started this whole dolphin frenzy around the world. He said he’s spent the better part of his life trying to undo what he started. It’s incredibly sad.

Now that I’ve seen this, I’m sad and disgusted and just feel helpless. What in the world can I do to stop these terrible people killing tens of thousands of dolphins in Japan?? They clearly know it’s wrong, they tried and tried throughout the documentary to keep anyone from filming anything – all the video they obtained was through secret cameras and life risks. It’s incredible and what’s even more incredible is that this won’t be stopped because it’s a worldwide political matter. So so so unnerving.

Definitely watch The Cove if you haven’t seen it, but be ready to become completely unsettled.

Texans for Rick Perry, I do not support thee

At some point I somehow managed to get onto the Texans for Rick Perry mailing list. I think this was because when I was in college a friend worked for the campaign, asked me to sign up, I thought nothing of it, did and that was that. Apparently he is campaigning again because I have gotten several emails from Texans for Rick Perry over the last month or two. I have clicked on the unsubscribe link with every email. In fact, I even called one of the people who emailed me and asked to be removed. I just got another email and called Rick Perry’s office to ask to be removed. The girl I talked to said she would do it. Rick Perry, I don’t support you. I actually don’t live in Texas anymore and haven’t for more than half of your term in office. I don’t care to receive emails about you. I don’t care to vote for you. I believe under the Can Spam Act I can actually sue Texans for Rick Perry for continuing to receive these emails. Rick Perry, take me off your mailing list!

ACLU lawsuit against gene patent holders

ACLU Challenges Patents on Breast Cancer Genes

On May 12, 2009, the ACLU and the Public Patent Foundation, a not-for-profit organization affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (PUBPAT), filed a lawsuit charging that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer are unconstitutional and invalid. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four scientific organizations representing more than 150,000 geneticists, pathologists, and laboratory professionals, as well as individual researchers, breast cancer and women’s health groups, genetic counselors and individual women. Individuals with certain mutations along these two genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at a significantly higher risk for developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has granted thousands of patents on human genes – in fact, about 20 percent of our genes are patented. A gene patent holder has the right to prevent anyone from studying, testing or even looking at a gene. As a result, scientific research and genetic testing has been delayed, limited or even shut down due to concerns about gene patents.

As a result of the PTO granting patents on the BRCA genes to Myriad Genetics, Myriad’s lab is the only place in the country where diagnostic testing can be performed. Because only Myriad can test for the BRCA gene mutations, others are prevented from testing these genes or developing alternative tests. Myriad’s monopoly on the BRCA genes makes it impossible for women to access other tests or get a second opinion about their results, and allows Myriad to charge a high rate for their tests – over $3,000, which is too expensive for some women to afford.

The lawsuit, Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. United States Patent and Trademark Office, et al., was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan against the PTO, Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation, which hold the patents on the BRCA genes.

I had no idea this happens and I can not believe it is allowed. People can patent genes??? I can understand wanting to get the recognition when it comes to having discovered say, the gene that causes Parkinson’s or Alsheimer’s, but when this causes research and exploration to be limited, why would anyone want to do that. I find it to be incredibly irresponsible on the government’s part to allow this to happen.

I understand that America is the greatest country in the world, blah blah blah. I also understand that we have some of the best medical research in the world right here in the good ole USA. I know that if medicine was never turned into the business it is treated as, we would never be able to afford the research we can. At the same time, however, my family has a BRAC mutation. Every woman in my mother’s side of the family as far back as anyone can remember has died of “women trouble” and then Ovarian Cancer once we had the technology to identify it. My mother is the first woman to live to her age without being sick and this is because she had a hysterectomy as a result of our knowledge of this genetic mutation.

It takes so long to be tested for this gene, they need family records of other people with it, and it is so expensive. I had no idea this was because there was a patent on the gene. Why would anyone ever want to do something that affects people’s lives and could be essentially allowing thousands to die? I understand that research is a business and labs need funding and scientists, but what if lab A has the patent and there are scientists at lab B and lab C who went to school with lab A’s scientists, but graduated with better understanding and grades? I want lab B and C’s scientists researching cures for my potential cancer. Problem is, they can’t. I find something wrong with this. Morally, shouldn’t we be doing everything we possibly can to find cures to things? Doesn’t competition bring out the best in people? Wouldn’t competition challenge people to work harder and think better? We don’t allow monopolies in our country (technically), so why this?

Reading this article disgusted me and really, it made me want to cry. To learn something that so personally affects you and your well being is controlled by politics when the issue is health and life is disheartening. I suppose then you could start to argue about stem cell research and abortion, but I’m so not looking to get into those topics.

The New American Tea Party

A while back I received an email explaining the “New American Tea Party.” It explained that people are angry that Congress is wildly spending money with no regard for the people they represent. They are not listening to what the people want, etc. Because of that, as a form of protest and irony, people are sending a tea bag to Washington DC (April 1 so it would arrive by today – tax day).

I am really curious today to find out how many tea bags showed up…and how seriously Congress/the government will take this form of protest.

Stimulus Package through the House

It’s totally crazy to me that the stimulus package can make its way through the House and move on to Congress when not a single member of an entire party voted for it. So much for all the “bipartisan” talk. I mean, doesn’t it say something that the entire Repulican population of the House was against it?

I will totally grant that the Repulican party is pretty unpopular right now, and therefore in the minority, but it is still quite a large chunk of the population that these people are representing.

It really bothers me that the Stimulus package can make it through scot free without a compromise from both sides so that there is more agreement. I completely understand that you’re never going to appease everyone – that is a given, but really, not a single Republican.

Stimulating the economy with condoms now?

$335,000,000 FOR STD PREVENTION IN ECONOMIC STIMULUS BILL
Wed Jan 28 2009 09:58:30 ET

Democrats may have eliminated provisions on birth control and sod for the National Mall in the “job stimulus” — but buried on page 147 of the bill is stimulation for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases!

The House Democrats’ bill includes $335 million for sexually transmitted disease education and prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

In the past, the CDC has used STD education funding for programs that many Members of Congress find objectionable and arguably unrelated to a mission of economic stimulus [such as funding events called ‘Booty Call’ and ‘Great Sex’ put on by an organization that received $698,000 in government funds.]

“Whether this funding has merit is not the question; the point is it has no business in an economic plan supposedly focused on job creation,” says a stimulated Hill source.

Alright, so I can atleast understand (while I wildly disagree with) the argument to fund abortions through the stimulous package, but what is the argument here? The abortion thing didn’t work, so instead this is their work around and they’re going to try to hand out millions of dollars worth of condoms?

I honestly can’t see how this is economically stimulating. It doesn’t seem to be creating jobs, or putting money back into the economy. It’s like congress has a friend who they are just handing over $335M to. I mean, STD education? Really?

While I’m all for a healthy American people, I really just don’t see the stimulous here.

More from Pelosi

Pelosi: Cutting Poor Babies Accelerates Economic Growth
by Scott Ott for ScrappleFace

(2009-01-25) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told ABC News’ George Stephanapolous Sunday that the Democrat’s economic stimulus bill, containing hundreds of millions of dollars for “family planning” services for the poor, will make real cuts in the number of low-income people, thereby saving taxpayer dollars, and increasing average income for everyone.

“Poor people are a luxury we just can’t afford,’ said Rep. Pelosi, “They cost us a lot of money to maintain; what with food stamps, housing and health care. So if we can rapidly reduce the number of poor people through contraception and abortion, that’s a net gain for federal and state budgets, and a fast track to economic recovery. Every poor baby prevented is like money in the bank.”

A spokesman for Planned Parenthood, the world’s leading abortion sales chain, confirmed Mrs. Pelosi’s assertion, noting that “even if the stimulus bill helps harvest only the low-hanging fruit by reducing live births among blacks and hispanics, that would be a major boost, since minorities comprise nearly 50 percent of those on Medicaid.”

Planned Parenthood continues to lobby Congressional Democrats and the Obama administration to include even more funding in the stimulus bill for better marketing efforts to attract minority women who have not yet considered abortion as “a viable lifestyle choice.”

“Despite our best efforts to date,” the source said, “only 1-in-5 pregnancies ends in abortion. We need the marketing money to spur growth in what we call our frequent-flier segment. Blacks make up only about 13 percent of the population, yet they have 40 percent of the abortions. We still think there’s real upside potential there.”

The spokesman added that, “Planned Parenthood, since its inception, has been the Sam’s Club of abortions for minority communities. We keep the product cheap so our customers can buy in large quantities. What we lose in profit per procedure we more than make up for in volume. Of course, our work also helps reduce racial tensions by adhering to time-tested Darwinian principles.”

 

While I may agree with some of those statements I just can’t morally accept funding abortions.  I agree that the fat lady with no job and 4 kids doesn’t need another one, I also agree that parents should take care of their children and that my tax money shouldn’t have to do that.  I just wish someone would come up with a better solution.  While I realize this is the easiest, easy isn’t always best.

Birth Control might have been the answer to keeping Nancy Pelosi out of office

I honestly hate Nancy Pelosi, I think the woman is terrible and I despise that she is the second most powerful person in Congress.  She, in my mind, is the prime example of someone who somehow stumbled up to the top.  This article is currently on Drudge Report:

PELOSI SAYS BIRTH CONTROL WILL HELP ECONOMY
Sun Jan 25 2009 22:13:43 ET

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi boldly defended a move to add birth control funding to the new economic “stimulus” package, claiming “contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.”

Pelosi, the mother of 5 children and 6 grandchildren, who once said, “Nothing in my life will ever, ever compare to being a mom,” seemed to imply babies are somehow a burden on the treasury.

The revelation came during an exchange Sunday morning on ABC’s THIS WEEK.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?

PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children’s health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those – one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So no apologies for that?

PELOSI: No apologies. No. we have to deal with the consequences of the downturn in our economy.

Developing…

The Bush Twins Letter

This is the video tbf’s brother-in-law produced that is very moving and, I think, very powerful.  I love that something like this was in the media this week after people in the restaurant I watched the inauguration at applauded Bush leaving the White House.  I found that to be very disrespectful and whether you like him, disagree with him, think he was an awful president, whatever, he is still the President of your country and that position should be respected.  Applauding any President handing power to someone else it tacky and I’m ashamed to be lumped into a group of people (the American people) with them.  I think this video is very inspired and shows a nice side of President Bush’s family life, if not Presidency.

I could have been a big fat man

This morning the polls in NY opened at 6am.  I decided to get up and go before work because I am meeting a friend for a drink after.  I knew that too close to 8 there would probably be a really long line, so I set my alarm for 6:15 and was in line at 6:39.  The line went all the way down one side of the block, around the corner down another side, and around a second corner and down about another 20 feet.  While in line a woman in her late 20s with pigtails and a “Vote” tshirt on stood along the line with an Obama sign.  The people running the poll told he she couldn’t be there.  She asked why and asked if they could walk while they talked, thus walking along the line with her sign. 

In total I was in line for an hour and 40 minutes.  I’d never seen a voting booth like this one – I assume the old fashion kind.  I stepped in, pulled a lever, turned some knobs, pulled the lever again and was done.  I’m not 100% confident in that process, but it’s all I’ve got.  There were only 2 voting booths, which is why it took so long.  When I walked in to the room I was handed a card and told to write my name on it.  I then presented it to the woman with the voter registration log who found my name and asked me to sign below my signature that was already there.  Then I walked into the booth to vote.  I was never once asked to present and ID, which makes me a bit uneasy.  We’ll see tomorrow how it all goes.

Either way my vote doens’t really matter.  NY will always be a democratic state, just like Texas is always a republican state.