Sunday, August 15, 2004

The Hiccups

My grandpa is one of my favorite people of all time. The only thing that makes my dog Robert being dead from the world tolerable to me is that I'm sure my grandpa (who is also dead) is playing with him until I get to come up there.

My grandpa had a glass eye courtesy of a rock hidden in a snowball that unfortunately hit him on the eye during his youth. So he always slept with his glass eye open. Then, when he was old, he suddenly got the hiccups. He had the hiccups for a day, then a week, and finally, after a month, they went away. They said it was some kind of palsy. This kind of palsy, I guess, does stuff to the nerves in your face. Anyway, it caused him to sleep with the other eye open!

Even though both of his eyes were open when he slept, you could always tell when he was sleeping for his mouth would come open (my Dad's mouth comes open when he sleeps too, but his eyes stay shut).

One day we were all over at the Mark Elrod Tower (a highrise for olds) looking at my grandparents and my grandpa was sitting in his usual spot at the near end of the couch with his mouth agape and his left hand wrapped around a can of Diet Sprite. Suddenly he awoke, leaned forward, put his hands on his knees, looked at us, then looked at my grandma, and announced, "Well, I guess either they need to leave or we do." We all started laughing, got our stuff, and left.

My grandpa had the Alzheimer's disease. People claim that stem cell research could lead to a cure. There are currently a couple dozen lines of privately funded stem cells available for research. That is a sufficient quantity to perform high quality studies. The President supports stem cell research using the cells that already exist. He is not in favor of federally funded stem cell research. Neither am I.

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wish that the money that had been spent on the War in Iraq would have been applied towards stem cell research. The government has the choice to support stem cell research, but instead chooses to invest in activities that inflict more pain and devastation on the face of humanity. Why not choose to federally support something that could save a life.

12:32 PM  
Blogger Larry Feathers said...

The pain inflicted by the military coalition in Iraq seems immaterial relative to the pain exacted on the 400,000 people dug out of mass graves courtesy of Saddam Hussein's regime. The cost of this war is the price of freedom. It would have been nothing short of self-centered and irresponsible to have turned the other cheek.

And don't argue that we shouldn't be picking on Hussein because there are lots of other ruthless dictators out there. You'd probably follow up that argument with the idea that our military is currently spread too thin. You have to start somewhere.

Did you see the Iraqi contingent at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics? Did they remind you of the bad people running around causing havoc for the new Iraqi government? Probably not. They are representative of the good people of Iraq (the 99% of them!) who go to work every day and are thankful not to live in fear any longer.

4:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow Larry, I've never seen you get so hostile.
You're right. Iraqis have their freedom. In my opinion, as a byproduct of our mission. Despite our opinions, not supporting war wasn't my intention on commenting. Since I originate from a military family, I support war after it begins regardless of my initial viewpoints.

8:48 PM  
Blogger Larry Feathers said...

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be hostile. I'm in a bad mood.

9:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mr. Feathers,

I do not support federally funded stem cell research. I think it is a misappropriation of federal funds. After all, federal funds are primarily our tax dollars. I do not want to spend my money to research and discover a treatment that will only be affordable to individuals in the same socio-economic class with Ron Reagan. Furthermore, I believe that the treatment, in the end, would be developed by one of the major drug companies. The profits for the sale of that treatment would therefore go to the drug company despite the fact that tax payers paid for the research. I have not spent much time researching this issue. My beliefs are based on what I hear in the news and radio and what I see happening around me. This issue is in no way a religious issue for me, nor are my beliefs rooted in any type of issues with abortion/right to life. Please comment and expand, if you will, on why you do not support stem cell research.

Anonymous

4:20 PM  
Blogger Larry Feathers said...

Hey, thanks for asking me to elaborate on my opinion. Usually people don't like hearing about that. But in this case I'm going to decline further comment. Anything I would say would inevitably deteriorate into a discussion about abortion and the so-called "right to choose" (gross). Abortion discussions end up making everybody mad so I'd just as soon not start things in that direction.

But thanks again for asking more about my opinion. It makes me feel good. Next time ask me about hairdos or something.

7:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Larry,

After reading these past few entries, I'm considering starting my own website to express my views on "controversial issues" on which others should take note. What do you think?
I will decline to comment in expansion on the topic of abortion. However, in my opinion, it is right up there with the death penalty. Why are both legal? Regarding the so-called "right to choose," why don't those who support abortion, give the babies, once their born, the choice of life or death. Why do some humans believe that they have the right to decide the point in time of another human's birth or death? No one has that right except God. The End.

Valet Girl

8:06 PM  

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