dawkins on genetic engineering...

Where do the real dangers of genetic engineering lie?

this is an old article on genetic engineering by dawkins but the issues it address are still the same that are faced by "scientific" community and the law makers.

parts of his article
"Part of what we have to fear from genetic engineering is a paradox - it is too good at what it does. As ever, science's formidable power makes correspond-ingly formidable demands on society's wisdom. The more powerful the science, the greater the potential for evil as well as good. And the more important it is that we make the right choices over how we use it. A major difficulty is political - deciding who is the "we" in that sentence. If decisions over genetic engineering are left to the marketplace alone, the long-term interests of the environment are unlikely to be well served. But that is true about so many aspects of life."

will "we" ever be ready to use science's formidable powers only for good?

this is unbelievable... n funny

http://www.heavenlymedicine.com/index.html

i found this really hilarious...

"find hope courage meaning strength purpose refuge for $24.95 + S&H"

This is a letter from a Sardarni Mother to her son.

Pyaarey puttar, Vahe Guru.
I'm writing this letter slow, because I know you can't read fast. We don't live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the paper that most accidents happen 20 miles from your home, so we moved. I won't be able to send you the address as the last Sardar who stayed here took the numbers with them for their next house, so they wouldn't have to change their address. This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I'm not sure it works too well : last week I put in 3 shirts, pulled the chain and haven't seen them since. The weather here isn't too bad. It rained only twice last week. The first it rained for 3 days and second time for 4 days. The coat you wanted me to send you, your Aunt said it would be a little too heavy to send in the mail with all the buttons, so we cut them off and put them in the pocket. We got another bill from the funeral home. It said that if we don't make the last payment on Grandma's funeral, she will come up again. Your father has another job. He has 500 men under him. He is cutting the grass at the cemetery. Your sister had a baby this morning. I haven't found out whether it's a girl or a boy, so I don't know whether you are an Aunt or Uncle. Your uncle, Jatinder fell in a whisky vat. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off and drowned. We cremated him and he burned for three days. Three of your friends went off the bridge in a pick-up truck. One was driving, the other two were in the back. The driver got out, he rolled down the window and swam to safety. The other drowned because they couldn't get the tall gate down. There isn't much more news this time. Nothing much has happened.
Love
Mom.
PS.: I was going to send you some money but the envelope was already sealed.

children in armed conflict

Child soldiers an article form hindu...

few more stories on this

http://www.essex.ac.uk/armedcon/story_id/000260.html
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2005-04-25-voa27.cfm

depressing.

stem cell research

stem cell research bill passes

"The House then overwhelmingly passed a Republican-backed proposal that would use federal money to study stem cells taken from adults and umbilical cord blood, instead of using human embryos.
The vote was 431-1. One Republican voted against the bill, which was supported by Bush."

thought

Q: how much CAN u endure?
A: more than u thought u could

quotes

I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.
--Gilda Radner

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning.
--Ivy Baker Priest