Interesting turn of events. After posting the last entry, the "charge" diminished. Guess I'll have to see if the energy regenerates on its own. I am debating whether to delete the last entry or leave it in. Better to leave it in, since this blog is supposed to help me with my short-term memory problems.

Tonight I read a lot of interesting blogs, news articles, and other items of a type usually found on the internet. Well, best to start with the recall session:

Arguments in support of Adult Stem Cell (ASC) research verses Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) research
If what I read is accurate, there have been a lot more successes with ASC. However, it is too soon to determine what the final outcome will look like. I believe some sort of Stem Cell use will happen in America in the near future. When people are sick and near death, most will want to exhaust all avenues to retain their lives. This is especially true when the sick are children. Their parents will push more vehemently for any solution to their child's pain and suffering. I want to look at other countries reactions to stem cell research.

Australian Dr. Death Visiting America and His Suicide Machine Confiscated
A suicide machine which produces pure carbon monoxide was supposed to be demonstrated on Sunday by the Doctor Philip Nitschke. Nitschke, head of the assisted suicide group Exit Australia, planned to show the machine to the national conference of the American euthanasia advocacy body the Hemlock Society in San Diego, California.

Nitschke gained international notoriety last year when he helped, some would say pressured an Australian woman with terminal cancer to commit suicide. Trouble was, she didn’t have cancer, nor was she terminally ill. And, while Dr. Nitschke is touting his suicide machine today, his ultimate goal is suicide pills for all. (Grrrr)

Condoms are not 100% effective in preventing pregnancy or Disease
Haven't followed this area before and so did not realize that there were questions about the effectiveness of the condom program in fighting HIV. Pro-condom (pro's) supporters seem to believe that condoms will "fix" the problem. Anti-condom (anti's) supporters feel only abstinence will "fix" the problem. The pro's are arguing that there is a conspiracy to remove condom from general use. I think the pro's article stated that the US condoms donated overseas was 800 million, now are down to 300 million. The anti's are apparently trying to convince people that condoms are flawed and so cannot be relied on. Ergo...abstinence is the only answer.

Between the two extremes, is the huge middle ground. There is a worry that kids today are brain-washed to believe that they are 100% safe as long as they use a condom. This is not so. There are small porous holes that disease can get through. I think this problem is exacerbated if the condom is left out for 72 hours (except, who would use a dried up condom?).

'Fat Land': Supersizing America Reviewed By MICHAEL POLLAN
Very interesting review of this book written by Greg Critser. America (with tiny exceptions) has the fattest people on earth. This book attempts to reconstruct the political history of this overnutrition which has happened in America the last 30 years. Today, the American food supply delivers 3,800 calories per day per American. This is up 500 calories per day from 30 years ago. Those extra calories are being consumed by us. This trend started with the supersizing of drinks (Big Gulp), Super Fries, popcorn buckets, two for one pricing, etc.

I notice even the pricing structure of products strongly encourages buying the larger products. At the theater, the large drink is $3.00; whereas the extra large drink is on $3.25. You get a lot for that extra 25 cents. At the 711, the cost differential is even smaller...20 cents. The cost of the incremental soda is miniscule, so the difference is almost pure profit to the snackbar or store. However, the public has to pay for all the problems asscociated with weight gain...obesity, diabetes, heart, etc. Today, at Star market, 12 cans of pepsi was was $5.99 and 24 can of the same pepsi was $5.99. So, we bought the 24 cans and will drink the 24 cans! I guess it was a loss leader for the store (but not any lost weight for us).

Train Wreck Chronicles January 10, 2003 post
She writes about another blogger who used his blog to vent his work frustration. Apparently, his employer found about about the blog and figured out his identity. They fired him yesterday. I am not an attorney but this sure sounds like wrongful termination. The blogger never used his name or the name of the company. Apparently, the company had to work quite hard to determine the owner of the blog in order to fire him. Can they do that? Can you lose your job for expressing your frustrations in a blog (without identifying your employer or who you are)?