Medical technology is reducing the need for stem cells.

In the laboratory skin cells were treated with a virus, which was modified to ‘infect’ them with agents that function to convert the skin cells into precursors to brain cells. These cells can specialise into the three types of brain cell: neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. After laboratory research was carried out, the converted cells were injected into the brains of mice. These mice were bred to lack the protein myelin, which is important in aiding the transmission of messages in the brain. 10 weeks later, the precursor cells had specialised into oligodendrocytes, which made the myelin that the mice lacked.

Skin cells directly to brain cells, do not pass Go, do not create ethical issues. (And creating myelin, which is something that someone like me with MS raises their antennae over.)

Good morning.

1. Car tech of interest.
2. So is the White House inconsistent or biased? Or is there another narrative?
3. What is this “poor in spirit” thing.
4. Slavery or taxation in a barter economy?
5. Progress of progressivism? Or consequences of Ms Delsol’s Unlearned Lessons.
6. Perhaps further context is required … after all Mr Biden might have continued by noting that “… and neither, of course, do we.” But I tend to doubt it.
7. Speaking of progressivism … future medical mandates?
8. A few interesting moments might be spend considering the nature of intelligent life on that planet, eh?
9. TARP and expense, or hide the cost.
10. Short answer … no.
11. No problem? Does this mean a new war/wag-the-dog is planned for the late summer?
12. Grist for the conversation going on right now in the comment trail on women and men and their power struggle.
13. Iran and demographics.
14. Speaking of demographics.
15. Some verse.
16. I don’t think the term “McCarthyism” makes a bit of sense in that context. McCarthy and the red scare was about painting with little evidence members of industry and government as “red” and banning them thereby from their position and place work. What parallel is pretended?
17. Of States and immigration.
18. Ten! Just ten and they’re “on track?” On track for what?
19. Training priests and/on abortion.
20. Liberal vs conservatives and one measure of tolerance.

You’re probably well aware by now of the murderous attack that left 15 people dead in Pakistan.

What? You thought it was 16 people in Afghanistan who were killed? Well, certainly that news is making the headlines on newswires across the world. But I’m referring to a suicide attack on mourners at a funeral in Pakistan. From Bill Roggio, at The Long War Journal,

A suicide bomber killed 15 people and wounded dozens more in an attack at a funeral in the Pakistani city of Peshawar today. The attack appears to have targeted a senior provincial government official who has raised an anti-Taliban militia in the area.

Pakistani officials confirmed that a suicide bomber carried out today’s attack as mourners were offering prayers for a woman during a funeral in the Badaber area of Peshawar.

Had you heard about this? If you had, was it a news headline or merely another one-of-many filler stories?

In a way, perhaps the fact that such stories get so little airplay, and stories of U.S. military personnel committing crimes get so much airplay is an indication of the very difference between our moral high ground and the terrorist enemy’s.

Consider the following account of Muslim on Muslim killings, per The Long War Journal.

Over the past five years, the Taliban and allied Pakistani terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Punjabi Taliban have shown no reservations about striking inside mosques and other religious sites, as well as during religious processions and events. There have been 36 major attacks on mosques and other Islamic institutions in Pakistan since December 2007, according to information compiled by The Long War Journal.

One of the most brazen attacks took place on Dec. 4, 2009, when a suicide assault team stormed a mosque frequented by military officers in Rawalpindi. Two senior generals were among the 40 people killed.

Another major attack took place on July 1, 2010, when suicide bombers struck the Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine in Lahore, killing 41 people and wounding more than 170. Three suicide bombers detonated their vests at the shrine at a time when it was most frequented, in an effort to maximize casualties.

The last major attack against religious targets took place on Sept. 15, 2011, when a suicide bomber killed 31 people in an attack at a funeral in Lower Dir.

All told, The Long War Journal lists 36 major attacks since December 2007 (in Pakistan alone), resulting in 805 people killed. That’s an average of 22 people killed per attack – attacks at mosques and other Islamic institutions.

Try to find that on CNN.