I fear the copious media coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court’s handling of same-sex marriage might drowned out a pivotal case the Court is hearing right now. At stake is who owns the stuff of which we are made.
As Nina Totenberg reports for NPR, Myriad Genetics and ACLU are arguing about the patentability of our own genetic material. As Christopher Hansen of the American Civil Liberties Union argues:
“A patent isn’t a reward for effort. A patent is a reward for invention. And Myriad didn’t invent anything. The gene exists in the body. All Myriad did is find it.”
But, it may not be as simple as that. Research companies want to be compensated for their efforts. They want to ensure that their work is protected from other profiteers. But, to what extent? Can human genes themselves be patented, or the mechanisms behind them? What is the right of companies like Myriad Genetics to be rewarded for their efforts that contributes to better clinical care and our social good? What are the ethical and moral responsibilities of these companies to put patients first and not keep them from their own genetic information?
Big questions with huge decisions that will impact us and our children.
(via beingblog)
53 TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.
Howard Zinn
(via sustainableprosperity)
(via dashboardpears)
LINDA, HAVE YOU SEEN MY SHOWER GEL? WHAT ABOUT MY CINNAMON MANDIBLE PASTE?
WHY DO YOU ALWAYS ASK ME? CHERYL PROBABLY USED THEM BOTH LAST NIGHT.
DON’T EVEN TRY TO DRAG ME INTO THIS. THEY’RE PROBABLY STILL IN HER SUITCASE. I HATE CINNAMON, AND I USE AN EXFOLIATING CARAPACE SCRUB. YOU KNOW THAT.
WILL ONE OF YOU PLEASE GO CHECK? I DON’T WANT TO MISS THE CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST.
| Me: | Oh, hey whoa, this shower is occupied. |
|---|---|
| Spider: | Omg man I didn't see you there. |
| Me: | We cool? |
| Spider: | Yeah, yeah, we're cool. I'm just coming down to scope out the tub. |
| Me: | Oh, that's legit. Hey, you might wanna move over some--you're descending right into the shower stream and I don't want you to drown. |
| Spider: | Hey thanks, bud. I'll be careful. |
| Me: | So...can I get out now? |
| Spider: | Sure, sure! Sorry I'll just move over here. |
| Me: | Thanks. You have a nice night. Don't come into my bedroom, okay? |
| Spider: | Nah, that's your space. We're cool. Have a great evening. |
RNC unanimously adopts anti-marriage-equality resolutions
“A resolution introduced Wednesday by Michigan committeeman Dave Agema, who came under fire last month for posting an article describing gays as “filthy” on his Facebook page, passed the full RNC by a voice vote and without debate. A second resolution reaffirming “core values” of the party — including opposition to same-sex marriage — was also passed.”
It’s hard to explain the feels I’m having about the Republican party vacillating between “we’re young and hip and reaching out to new voters!” and “we’re doubling down on our terrible ideas because that worked so well in the last election!” Watching them reaffirm their bigoted stances makes me sad, because they’re terrible people, but watching their attempts at rebranding implode makes me happy, because they’re terrible people. Lots of feels.
133 Buy a book, a book that I’ve never heard of, never read. Look at the cover, read the back, flip through the pages. Bring it home. Grab a highlighter, and begin to read the book. Every time there is a sentence, a word, a phrase that I can relate to, I will highlight it. Then, once I am done the book, I will be able to flip through it and see exactly how I was feeling each day that I was reading. It would be like a diary, but written in someone else’s words
