10 Good News

Because you -- yes, you, with the quivering chin and the raggedy fingernails, with one eye glued to the morning news and the other sort of furtively calculating how far you'd have to fall before you blacked out, if you jumped out the window right now just to get away from any more bad news -- you kind of look like you need some good news.  So here you go!

1. There may have been a breakthrough in the treatment of medical problems associated with Down Syndrome:

Scientists from the University of Washington have been able to remove the extra chromosome 21 in cells taken from a person with Down Syndrome
[snip]

Dr. David Russell explains in an article on the breakthrough on RedOrbit:

“We are certainly not proposing that the method we describe would lead to a treatment for Down syndrome,” said study co-author Dr. David Russell, from the University of Washington’s Department of Medicine. “What we are looking at is the possibility that medical scientists could create cell therapies for some of the blood-forming disorders that accompany Down syndrome.”

These treatments could include treating Down syndrome patients with leukemia with genetically-modified stem cells that are derived from their own cells, but without the extra chromosome. Stem cells could be taken from the bone marrow of the patients, doctors could remove the extra chromosome, and then the healthy cells could then be grown and transplanted back into the patient.

2.  Yesterday, a judge made the right decision about something he had no business deciding.  A mentally disabled women with epilepsy, whose emotional development is said to be like that of a six-year-old, got pregnant while at a group home.  She apparently told her adopted parents that she wants to give birth to her  baby.  Her parents want her to give birth.  And they have lined up six couples who would be willing to adopt the baby.  One doctor said that, with care, the woman could safely give birth to a healthy child.  But somehow this family was taken to court, and a judge was given the power to decide whether or not the woman would be forced to have an abortion.

The terrible part of this story is that a court got involved at all, even though it's very, very clearly a personal family matter.  But thanks be to God, he made the right decision, and this poor woman won't be further harmed by being forced into an abortion.

3.  Speaking of government intrusion, Cardinal Dolan continues to justify my laycrush as he stands up to Goliath:

"The only thing we're certainly not prepared to do is give in. We're not violating our consciences," Dolan told reporters at a national bishops' meeting. "I would say no door is closed except for the door to capitulation." 

Isn't it nice to hear someone say something like that, and to believe it?

4.  However bad you feel about your life and the election, you are neither this guy, nor the guy who paid him $15,000 to do it.  Nor Romney.  Nor Romney's dog, who is probably going for a nice, long ride about now, if you know what I mean.

5.  Speaking of the election, I totally forgot about Bobby Jindal! 

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Monday called on Republicans to “stop being the stupid party.”
[snip]
"We’ve got to make sure that we are not the party of big business, big banks, big Wall Street bailouts, big corporate loopholes, big anything,” Jindal told POLITICO in a 45-minute telephone interview. “We cannot be, we must not be, the party that simply protects the rich so they get to keep their toys.”

He was just as blunt on how the GOP should speak to voters, criticizing his party for offending and speaking down to much of the electorate.

“It is no secret we had a number of Republicans damage our brand this year with offensive, bizarre comments — enough of that,” Jindal said. “It’s not going to be the last time anyone says something stupid within our party, but it can’t be tolerated within our party. We’ve also had enough of this dumbed-down conservatism. We need to stop being simplistic, we need to trust the intelligence of the American people and we need to stop insulting the intelligence of the voters.”

6.  Speaking of Tintin, it has recently come to my attention that my kids -- who are literate, but perhaps not the most detail-oriented children around -- think that this

is the Pharaoh's Emblem.  Thank you, Hergé.  Now, whenever we drive around town and see a smug little Yaris with peace signs plastered all over it, I tell the kids, "Oh, look!  It's another family for Thoth!" 

7.  Speaking of adorable children, everybody knows that our own Jennifer Fulwiler has her own reality show miniseries coming out, right?  Here is the trailer:

 

 

In this reality show, nobody gets arrested for drinking Ron Ron juice and wearing sunglasses at night, but there are scorpions.  It's pretty much scorpions all the way down.

8.  Speaking of things that someone ought to be arrested for, someone sent me this, and I thought I was going to hate it.

 

 

Then I played it, and I started to hate it, but then . . . I don't know what happened.  I liked it.  I think he would have like it.  Anyway, it was nice to hear his voice again.   Oh, what a weird world.

9.  Speaking of adorable children again, here are lovely twins recently born to a resident at Mary's Shelter, where women learn to care for themselves and their children, and are supported and guided toward independent living.  They are funded entirely by donations.  Look at the babies!

10.  It's halfway through November, and that means ham is starting to go on sale.  Have you noticed?  Ham ham ham!

You see?  Don't jump.  It's going to be okay.