girlscout's Blog

As many of you know, my mother-in-law and father-in-law passed away in the last year. Many bittersweet moments occur as we clean out their house and decide what to save and how to divide everything up between family members. This past weekend we were going through mom's old cedar chest and found some love letters that dad sent her when he was overseas during World War 2. One particular letter brought tears to my eyes and I'd like to share it.

(Dated June 15, 1945)

     "My Dearest Darling,

     I received some of your letters the other day. Darling, when will the day come when I can stop writing to you, and see and talk to you in person instead? I wish I could see you soon, but I guess it won't be possible for a while.

     I'm being sent to more training and it will be 6 weeks before I am finished. As you know, I am in Italy. We couldn't find a house to sleep in last night, so we are out in pup tents. It gets awful damp at night and on top of that, every fly and bug in Italy must hang around here. It looks as if we are going to stay here for another year, but no one knows for sure. I know you aren't going to like that, and neither am I. You've waited a long time for me now, that's why I love you so much.

     I know it's a heck of a way to ask you, but I want you to know the truth. I love you, Marge, more than I can say in this letter, and I want you to be my wife someday. How soon I'll be able to ask you that question in person, only God knows. I wish it could happen today, but the whole world is mixed up in this war and we're a part of it.

     I guess you should get this letter around your birthday darling, so let me take you in my arms and kiss you, even though it is only make believe. Happy Birthday from a G.I. that will love you forever. Wait for me, please. There's an end to everything, and one day there will be an end to our seperation."

                                                   
             All my love, Chet

     We are sharing this letter with all of the grandchildren. What a wonderful way to show them that their grandparents were once young and madly in love!

     Mom and Dad celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary last year. 3 months later, mom passed away. Dad missed her so much that he left 9 months later to be with her.

SAME OLDE, SAME OLDE - Swiftboating George Washington

(January 3, 1789 edition of the Philadelphia Weekly Gazette)

   "We, the Deleware boat veterans, take as our solemn duty before our Creator to make known the truth concerning the Presidential Candidate, George Washington. We beseech the public to read our account.

     General Washington hath permitted certain myths to arise surrounding his alleged role in the crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776. On the night recalled, each one of us did cross the Delaware. But none did see General Washington in any of the lead boats. We were in the first two boats to come ashore and we attest that no officer of a rank higher than a captain was with us.

     Whilst it may be that the General did in due course make his way to the opposite bank, it was well after dawn and his passage was in a heated ferryboat. Any account of him astride the bow of the first boat is most assuredly a fable - perhaps a rumor conceived by the General himself, to provide inspiration for a future painting.

     We furthur have it on reliable evidence that Washington spent Christmas night at a local Inn with his goodly wife, Martha. Whilst we suffered the bitter cold, he supped and drank and slept in warm comfort. By these perfidies, he has verily shown himself to be unfit to rule a free people.

     It has been said by some that we are partisans of John Adams or Thomas Jefferson. We are independent citizens under no sort of influence, public or private. We seek payment from no man but have concern only for the well-being of the United States.

     As Veterans of the War of Independence, we would find it most agreeable to support one of our own as Leader of this country. But when a man such as Washington seeks to corrupt the truth to his own benefit, we cannot in all good conscience stand idly by."

     Well! It looks like the mudslinging was "politics as usual" even with our esteemed forefathers!

     (I condensed the letter somewhat. To read the whole letter - October 2008 issue of the Smithsonian magazine.)

     EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS - The most flexible type of stem cell is the embryonic stem cell. It comes from the cells found in the 5-6 day old embryo, called the blastocyst. Embryonic cells are  made from the left-over blastocysts that have developed from fertilized eggs produced by reproduction technologies such as in vitro fertilization. These left-over blastocysts are either donated to another couple or discarded. Once embyonic stem cells have been established in culture, large numbers of cells can be grown for a long time. The remarkable feature of these cells is that they can generate all types of adult cell types. They can be turned into brain cells, heart cells, blood vessels, skin, etc.

     ADULT STEM CELLS - Adult stem cells are cells that come from different parts of the body. They exist in several different tissues including bone marrow, blood and brain. Although a wealth of information has been collected, scientists till have much to learn.

     HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS - Blood forming stem cells are adult blood cells found mainly in the bone marrow. Hematopoietic blood cells are easy to obtain and have been studied for many years. They were the first stem cells to be used successfully in blood disorder therapies. More recently, their use in treatment of breast cancer and coronary artery diseases is also being explored.

     MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS -  These are another type jof adult stem cells. They are also found in the bone marrow. These cells can be grown in a Lab into fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments and even nerve cells. Unlike other adult stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells can be obtained in quantities appropriate for clinical applications. These cells can be taken from a patients bone marrow, expanded in culture, and given back to the patient.

     UBILICAL CORD BLOOD STEM CELLS -  Obtained from the umbilical cord immediately after birth. These cells are usually referred to as neo-natal and are less mature than stem cells found in adults. The advantage of umbilical cord cells is that it is easily obtained and abundant; thousands of babies are born every day, and until recently, umbilical cord blood was discarded after birth. Now these cells can be collected and stored. These cord cells  are a source for the treatment of leukemia and other blood disorders.

     SELF-RENEWAL AND STEM CELL EXPANSION FOR THERAPY - A stem cell is a cell that can renew itself indefinitely. To accomplish this task the stem has to divide continuously. One of the 2 cells retains the stem cell characteristics, while the other has a limited number of future divisions and will produce more organ-specific cells.

     This condensed information was taken from the "International Society for Stem Cell Research" website. Visit their website for more detailed information.

Actual Statements from Rush Limbaugh:

1. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we now know why there is this opposition to lower taxes in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. It's because low tax rates are biblical in nature." (Huh?!)

2. "It has not been proven that nicotine is addictive or that cigarettes cause emphysema."

3. "We closed down a whole town (Times Beach, Mo.) over the threat of dioxin. There was no reason to do that. Dioxin at those levels isn't harmful."

4. "Do you know we have more acreage of forest land in the U.S. today then we did at the time the Constitution was written." (Wrong! We have over 1 million LESS acres now then we did in the 1700's).

5. "There are more American Indians alive today then there were when Columbus arrived or at any time in history." (Wrong again! The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs says there are about  2 million American Indians today, as opposed to over 5 million before Columbus.)

6. "The larger the bra size - the smaller the I.Q.". Rush claimed this was from a study done at Tufts University. Tufts University denied any such study.

7. "Sexual Harassment in my work place will not be reported - it will be graded!"

8. "When it comes to the kinds of jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do - let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work."

9. "When a gay person turns his back on you, it is anything but an insult - it;s an invitation."  (He should know - he was arrested once in Pittsburgh for soliticiting a gay man.)

10. "Feminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream".

     WHEN RUSH LIMBAUGH SAYS, "I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP FOLKS", IT'S TIME TO DUCK AND COVER!

     The list of fallacies here can go on and on. It was assembled from easily available sources, (including his own books).

     Limbaugh's chronic inaccuracy, and his lack of accountability, makes one wonder how he can be taken seriously by the media. He NEVER debates on his radio show or any other show. His media empire is based  largely on unchallenged monologues. Rush has a finely honed ability to twist and distort reality. Here's some reality he cannot deny - he avoided  fighting in the Vietnam War because of a boil (pimple) on his posterior. How fitting! Rush is a pimple on the a-- of America.