The reaction of the American public to this bill reminded me of the famous cartoon by Carl Rose, captioned by E. B. White: Mother: "It's broccoli, dear." Child: "I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it." Congress has got to give us something we can agree upon, whatever it is, moreover, its got to taste good. :)

According to a Tufts University study: in 2001 the average cost of bringing a new drug to market was $802 million. In 2006, the average cost of bring a new biotech drug to market was $1.2 billion. http://csdd.tufts.edu/Research/Milestones.asp Evil Big Pharma. The nerve of them to take that risk and hope to recover their costs and make some dough for their shareholders.

Oh, and Tom One of my favorite priests was Mitch Lindemann. I know he was in Coronado for a period of time - perhaps you knew him. My all-time favorite priest was my grandfather who was the vicar of St. Dunstan's in San Diego for many many years. When I was a little girl, St. Dunstan's was a mission church right next to campus. The rectory was on Hardy Avenue. I used to pretend I was Loretta Young running down the steps of the outdoor theater on campus, and at night, I used to fall asleep listening to the beatniks playing their bongos at Circe's Cup.

OT (Other Tom, not Off Topic) WRT RC Church Cathy did a wonderful job explaining (as she always does on so many topics) the concept of Annulment in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church. Their theologians have rigid control over doctrine and have no interest in Christian Ecumenism. Any deviation and Church discipline is swift and strong. As they see it, they ARE the Christian Church and the true vicars of Christ on this earth. For many reasons I admire the Roman Catholic Church but I am not ready to swim the Tiber. Like you, I am an Episcopalian. There is no question our church is in the death throes because it has no regard for scripture, theology or doctrine. Quite frankly, its become Flip Wilson's Church of What's Happening Now. Can you imagine the Roman Church tolerating a nun who professed herself to be both RC & Muslim? She'd have been excommunicated in a heartbeat. I am grieved for your sister and her children. Was she married in the Roman Church? did she convert to Roman Catholicism? I don't think I caught that part. I await the next Lambeth Conference, GenCon 2009, and the outcome of any lawsuits involving the Dioceses of Fort Worth, Quincy, Pittsburgh and San Joaquin. There is an old saying: Lutherans will tolerate any schism to avoid heresy and Episcopalians will tolerate any heresy to avoid schism. I pray for schism, and faster please. My dear neighbor up here at the lake lives in Coronado on H street. She waves hello.

According to KC Johnson in his Complete Case Narrative: " Duke administrators actively assisted the state. Without informing President Richard Brodhead, administrators demanded from the captains a candid accounts of the evening's events, allegedly citing a non-existent "student-faculty" privilege to encourage the captains to disclose and criminal activity. Multiple sources confirms that Coach Mike Pressler, apparently acting on orders from above, instructed the other players not to tell their parents about the police inquiry. Meanwhile, Dean Sue Wasiolek arranged for a local lawyer, Wes Covington, to act as "facilitator" in arranging for a group meeting with police." "The night before the meeting, one player broke down and told his father, who happened to be in Durham. Other parents then were informed, and - recognizing the need to obtain competent counsel - postponed the meeting." INSTRUCTED THEM NOT TO TELL THEIR PARENTS???? As a parent, this part creeps me out more almost more than anything about this case. Duke University has much to answer for.

"I think there are three mothers who are wiling to spend at least as much time pursuing Nifong as he spent pursuing their sons." My mother often said, "When your children are cut, you bleed."

OT sorta I know the psychologist who was tasked to give expert testimony on behalf of the plaintiff (Paula Jones) as to what he believes to be Mr. Clinton's sexual addiction. This man is nationally recognized on the subject. Doesn't surprise me Mr. Clinton settled. That trial could have been brutal.

OT sorta I know the psychologist who was tasked to give expert testimony on behalf of the plaintiff (Paula Jones) as to what he believes to be Mr. Clinton's sexual addiction. This man is nationally recognized on the subject. Doesn't surprise me Mr. Clinton settled. That trial could have been brutal.

JMH: Your "counting coup" observation was spot on, brilliant in its imagery, hillarious in its application. I am still chuckling.

H&R, muchas gracias for the link. I did a quick scroll and it seemed to me that the letters on Smoking Gun were the "positives." Would be interesting to read the "negatives" - both the arguments contained therein AND the signatories, eh?

H&R: IIRC, not all of those 150 letters were pro-Libby (Byron York update?). Ofcourse, that doesn't change your point, per se, but do they include both throw-the-book-at-the-SOB and spare him views.

JMH: The jig is up!!! "Earthpledge, together with Barney’s New York, organized the Future Fashion show for New York’s fall fashion week in 2005. Designers like Oscar de la Renta, Derek Lam and Proenza Schouler sent willowy models sashaying down the runway in diaphanous evening gowns, pencil skirts and structured shirts made from corn, flax and soy. The designs continue to be featured at trade shows and conferences. Giorgio Armani has also recently launched a line of corn-based garments." http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2006-10-31/cho-milkduds/

"A Call For Senility On The Web"? Ok. I'm eminently qualified to respond to TM's clarion call. We also serve who only stand and wait (to throw pies) (at least I vaguely recall a reference to pies) (it was pies, wasn't it?).