The Ghost of Election Past…

OK, I’ve blogging live on this one…

Dreary news?

Well, yes and no. Republican’ts surely got what they had coming in the national results. Play soft on illegal aliens, spend like drunken sailers, refuse to move on serious legislation to ensure fair taxation for us, our children and grandchildren and still call themselves conservatives?

But there’s a silver lining.

This can be and hopefully will be a BIG dope slap to Republican’ts who refuse to be serious about reining in spending, border/immigration control, rennovating the tax system from the ground up or doing what’s NECESSARY to create a Middle East less capable of producing terrorists for export (like, instead of playing footsie with the surrender monkeys across the aisle, dig in their heels and work HARD to get done what’s needed in Iraq, Iran… and Saudi Arabia, among other places).

If RepubliCAN’TS learn to work together for the security of this country, for fair taxation, for reduced spending, they can become RepubliCANS and block the dismantling of our military (such as happened at great peace during the Clintoon years), block higher taxes, block runaway spending and more. By reaching out to less-than-wild-eyed-Pelosites across the aisle (instead of trying to appease the Pelosites), republicans could make central conservative issues real wedge issues to fracture the apparent Pelosite juggernaut.

But will they?

The surrender monkeys among the Republican’ts (RINOs one and all) who were reelected or not up in this election cycle will make it difficult. The tendency for these congresscritters (and this president) to flat out ignore their base and refuse to take principled stands on important issues militates against such good sense, as well.

But maybe… maybe this mid-term dope slap will get their attention.

Maybe.

May I respectfully submit that we, as citizens, do everything in our power–calls, letters, personal visits to congresscritters’ offices, etc.–to encourage our congresscritters to get with a program to genuinely enhance American security, make taxation fair, rein in spending, etc.? And may I point to Daffy ab Hugh’s excellent post concerning things republiCAN’TS need to do in the next two years to become genuine RepubliCANS? It’s a very long post, as blog entries go, but worth reading EVERY SINGLE WORD, then re-reading so you, too, can become an apostle of good news to your RepubliCAN’T Senator or Congressman, seeking to convert them to righteous conservatism. *heh* Here’s a sampel of what you’re in for at Big Lizards, Advice for President Bush in dealing with a Dem controlled Congress:

Put them in the position of having to be the bad guys who try (and fail) to shoot down your tax-cut proposals, who attempt to veto sending enough troops into Baghdad to really make a difference, and whose wild spending bills you keep vetoing. Don’t worry about embarassing them; it can only help. You’re not after the leadership anyway… you’re after the rank and file — that’s your secret weapon, that many Democrats really don’t like the Democratic leadership and feel secretly embarassed to be associated with them.

Exactly.

Go. Read the whole thing. NOW!

Valour-IT: What’s IT Worth to You?

Yesterday was a banner day for the program. I started the day glum, having not slept well the night before, as the numbers were going flat (and the Navy Team was having our “parts” handed to us). By lunch time, I will admit, safe from the public’s eye, I engaged in some snarking via “backchannel” comms to the other teams.

Then the evening settled in, and I saw the metoric rise of the flag of those who go down to the sea in ships had done something aviators generall cringe at, because, we al know from the good Captain, “speed is life.” The only good part of our journey, is when we have stalled, nose high, hearing the wind nosie silencing itself, we don’t get overcome by the law of gravity that has ended, prematurely, the lives of many good men and women who has tried to slip the surly bonds of earth. We at least hang there.

In any environment, being a staionary target is never good, for it takes the delicate computations of relative motion out of the mix and makes it much easier for the targeter to snipe at the targetee.

This morning’s numbers show us all, stalled short of the goal, just inching past the wonderful preformance of last year.

Let’s redouble our efforts, blostered by one more tall cup of extra caffinated Starbucks and work the phones and keyboards.

In the meantime, enjoy what “Gazing at the Flag” blog writer sends to us, a story of a sacrifice, small as it is to some, it’s a statement worth considering., Read it here and consider: What’s IT (not an intended pun, but a reference to Valour-“IT”) worth to you?

Can you trade a the date dinner before the movie this Friday or Saturday night (in the $25-45 range for lots of the middle class incomes) to propel someone from a hospital bed, wondering through the phantom pain of a missing limb, just how they will support their spouse and later send their children to a better life than they had, to help this person, whom you will most likely never know their name?

How about a day’s wages? Maybe we could all grab a calculator, do some reasonably quick math, and figure out what we make for a day and pledge (well, pledge via a click on the doantion button) that value (gross or net, depending on how you are feeling at the moment) to this nation’s future, because, when you peel this onion apart, layer by layer, it’s about helping people be productive now, and to be there to launch the next generations.

How about it? If not putting it directly into the kitty, maybe figure that much to one of the auction items? And… I would further challenge everone who bids on any items, that if you are not the winner, no matter if you bid a $1 or $500, that you figure you would have paid that much to get a Challenge Coin, wine goblets, or a hard copy “blogvel,” it’s money you considered putting towards Valour-IT, so when the final gavel drop is heard and “SOLD! TO THE (fill in not you description) WITH THE FUNNY CAMOFLAUGED HAT!” resounds, log in and donate it via the service team you love most (psst! The Navy is ahead…spread the love elsewhere! (I don’t want them feeling left out and Waaaayyyy behind!)).

Can I count on you? Ok, forget me, can they, our wounded and their familes and families to be, count on you for one day?

Think about it…

More ADULT Stem Cell Progress

[See? I did eke out some time to check out some news yesterday. Just not election news. *heh*]

Pioneer research into applications of adult stem cells may provide a cure for heart attack patients, according to a report filed yesterday in The Daily Mail.

According to British doctors who are pioneering the procedure, adult stem cells harvested from a heart attack patient’s own bone marrow can be injected into a blood vessel leading to the heart to cause the heart to repair its own damaged tissue.

The protocols developed call for the procedure to follow an agioplasty, where a stint had been inserted to improve blood flow in the area of blockage that caused the heart attack. Then, harvested adult stem cells could be injected into the same blood vessel that had been used for the angioplasty procedure.

By using stem cells from the patient’s own body, repair of damaged heart muscle could not only prevent or allay further heart attacks and degeneration of the heart’s capacity to pump blood, but it could also save billions in further costs to the health care system.

CLICK image for larger view

x-posted to Balanced News Blog, tb-ed to Diane’s OTA Wednesday post.

Post-election/OTA

Well, it’s all over but the recounts… *sigh* Here’s hoping that most of the idiots and bums who couldn’t/didn’t do their homework stayed home from the polls.

Things are still stacked up here at twc (and if things are going according to Murphy, I’m way behind on my tasks list this week, already *heh*), so this is another canned prepost. I continue to rely upon the kindness of strangers (and regular ereaders, posters and friends) to supply the content this week. So, yeh, this is an Open Trackbacks Alliance post, open for your post trackbacks Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Link to this post and track back.

And do check out the other fine blogs hosting linkfests listed at Linkfest Haven.

Hit me with your best shot(s).