This is really sad. What a vibrant community this was.
If Barack ever wants to get this community really behind him ever again (in 2010 or 2012), he really needs to get a public option through on the healthcare bill. Not a trigger, not any other lame replacement. Yes, the rest of the reforms are important, but the public option is a litmus test.
Anything less will be considered a Republican victory, or at-least they will say it is (and be heard).
If there is to be vigorous Democratic support in 2010 or 2012 there MUST be a public option passed.
Link: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd5vs2xt_0hkwp6xd8 Subject: ESCR under attack - CONTACT NIH TODAY!!! Forwarded message from Don Reed, national stem cell research advocate-- Dear Stem Cell Research Advocate: The next 6 days are crucial in the stem cell research struggle. Here's why. Remember when President Obama signed that document removing the Bush stem cell restrictions? That same day he called upon the National Institutes of Health to draft a new set of guidelines for scientists wanting federal funding. Those guidelines have just been issued. see http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/2009draft.htm The next 2 days are the comment period for the new guidelines for stem cell research, which American scientists will have to live with if they want federal funding. This is the public's only chance to shape those guidelines: which can be improved-or made worse. Unfortunately, there are problems with the proposed guidelines! Not only are the guidelines far more conservative than we had hoped, but opponents of the research are systematically flooding the comment process. Conservative religious bodies, have launched a national campaign to attack early stem cell research by mass emails to the NIH. *"The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a new "Oppose Destructive Stem Cell Research" campaign today, equipping citizens to contact Congress and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to oppose embryonic stem cell research ." -- WASHINGTON, May 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ www.usccb.org/stemcellcampaign Is their anti-research campaign having an effect? Dr. Wise Young of Rutgers University , ". of the 6000 plus comments that NIH has received concerning the draft guidelines, 99% were from people who opposed embryonic stem cell research."-Carecure Forum http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showpost.php?p=1039001&postcount=12
Article Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514125151.htm
End of the Line for Existing Stem Cell Research?
ScienceDaily (May 14, 2009) — Time is short for scientists to respond to the call for comments on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed guidelines for the use of human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines and their eligibility for federal funds. On May 26, the window to provide feedback will close, and the drafted rules leave the possibility that funding for almost all existing cell lines will disappear.
In a Forum article to be published online on May 14 by Cell Press in the journal Cell Stem Cell, Patrick Taylor, deputy general counsel at Children's Hospital Boston, explains some of the legal implications of the NIH's new funding rules, should they be adopted as written. Since the rules are retroactive, he explains, ongoing research is threatened.
"Research with almost all existing cell lines will not be fundable, leaving almost no federal funds for research using cells created ethically since 2001. This will mean a loss of much of the research benefit of the last eight years, even though that research was independently reviewed and determined to be ethical under federal standards," says Taylor. "It is vitally important that scientists are aware of this problem and that the situation is resolved as quickly as possible."
Ronald McKay, director of the NIH Stem Cell Unit, agrees and points out that, as proposed, the current draft guidelines may not even allow for continued research on the 21 ES cell lines approved by President Bush in 2001. "It is important to recognize that continued access to the ES cells themselves is important for medical research," says McKay. "It is common to use the economic metaphor of the 'gold standard' when discussing the value of human ES cells. But unlike gold, stem cells will not retain value if they are locked in a bank and we cannot analyze their secrets. Continued access to these cells will ensure no delay in understanding the links between human genetics and disease," he adds.
The slow pace of commenting is symptomatic of a broader tendency within the scientific community. "Despite federal encouragement and the ease of posting a comment, scientists do not seem to be participating unless the proposals directly impact their research," outlines science writer Amy Maxman in an Analysis piece to be published by Cell Press in the journal Cell on the same day. The article explains how scientists can offer their views as part of the consultation on items listed at the Federal Register, such as by providing comments on the draft human ES cell guidelines currently under consideration, to ensure that federal agencies receive a balanced perspective of public opinion.
Researchers from all scientific disciplines and interested members of the general public can comment on the proposed guidelines at http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm until 11 p.m. EST on May 26.
The reseacher is Patrick Taylor, of Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, in Boston, MA.
Fantastic Football Data -> Fruitful Educational Experiences
By Jacqueline Brannon Giles
Millions of people love football, but so few realize the power and importance of the data which measures the performance of teams and players. A man with a vision leads a relatively new Hall of Fame committee charged with the mission to use the fantastic NFL data and other data to inspire learning in American classrooms. Jerry Csaki realizes the potential of his educational leadership role, and the U. S. Department of Education in Washington, D. C. has documented the need. During the conference in Washington, D. C., in October 2008, hundreds of mathematicians and educators convened to discuss the crisis in student proficiency in mathematics. Csaki believes his committee can help write and administer creative learning experiences, using real world data, i.e., football data.
One team, the National Association of Mathematicians, led by Lt. Colonel Donald Outing, a professor at the United States Military Academy (West Point) prepared its statement and call to action. It states:
Team Name National Association of Mathematicians (NAM)Team Leader& Members Donald Outing Jackie Giles Duane Cooper Bill HawkinsArea & Recs Learning Processes 13, 10, 12Plan Reports indicate that students with a strong grasp of mathematics have an advantage in academics and in the job market regardless of ethnic background or family income. The reports point to the eighth grade as being the critical point in student's mathematics education. Achievement at this stage clears the way for students to take rigorous high school mathematics and science courses which are keys to college entrance and success in the labor force. Surveys indicate that most students would like to go to college; however, many mathematically talented minority students plan to drop mathematics as soon as they can. This indicates that most minority students do not understand the importance of taking rigorous mathematics courses in high school (nor are they encouraged). With fewer minority high school students enrolling in rigorous mathematics courses, the pool of fully qualified minority college applicants is small. Consequently, the pool of potential mathematicians, scientist, and engineers is even smaller. There is an urgent need to intervene to encourage middle school students to continue studying mathematics in high school. Programs that inspire undergraduate mathematics students to continue studying mathematics in graduate school have already proven successful, e.g., SUMSRI at Miami University and SPIRAL at the University of Maryland. Similar programs developed for middle school students could increase the numbers of students taking rigorous mathematics courses in high schoolResources The National Association of Mathematicians (NAM) has always had as its main objectives, the promotion of excellence in the mathematical sciences and the promotion of the mathematical development of groups historically underrepresented in mathematics fields. It also aims to address the issue of the serious under-representation of minorities in the workforce of mathematical scientists. The organization achieves its goals by focusing on five areas: 1. Mathematics Education 2. Professional/Career Development 3. Scholarly Productivity 4. Student Development 5. Databases. NAM has received funding from numerous agencies to include National Science Foundation, National Security Agency, and MAA to conduct activities and conferences to accomplish its goals
Team Name National Association of Mathematicians (NAM)
Team Leader& Members Donald Outing Jackie Giles Duane Cooper Bill Hawkins
Area & Recs Learning Processes 13, 10, 12
Plan Reports indicate that students with a strong grasp of mathematics have an advantage in academics and in the job market regardless of ethnic background or family income. The reports point to the eighth grade as being the critical point in student's mathematics education. Achievement at this stage clears the way for students to take rigorous high school mathematics and science courses which are keys to college entrance and success in the labor force. Surveys indicate that most students would like to go to college; however, many mathematically talented minority students plan to drop mathematics as soon as they can. This indicates that most minority students do not understand the importance of taking rigorous mathematics courses in high school (nor are they encouraged). With fewer minority high school students enrolling in rigorous mathematics courses, the pool of fully qualified minority college applicants is small. Consequently, the pool of potential mathematicians, scientist, and engineers is even smaller. There is an urgent need to intervene to encourage middle school students to continue studying mathematics in high school. Programs that inspire undergraduate mathematics students to continue studying mathematics in graduate school have already proven successful, e.g., SUMSRI at Miami University and SPIRAL at the University of Maryland. Similar programs developed for middle school students could increase the numbers of students taking rigorous mathematics courses in high school
Resources The National Association of Mathematicians (NAM) has always had as its main objectives, the promotion of excellence in the mathematical sciences and the promotion of the mathematical development of groups historically underrepresented in mathematics fields. It also aims to address the issue of the serious under-representation of minorities in the workforce of mathematical scientists. The organization achieves its goals by focusing on five areas: 1. Mathematics Education 2. Professional/Career Development 3. Scholarly Productivity 4. Student Development 5. Databases. NAM has received funding from numerous agencies to include National Science Foundation, National Security Agency, and MAA to conduct activities and conferences to accomplish its goals
The U. S. Department of Education conference call to action inspired a response in the African tradition. Jackie Giles, a NAM team member and a professor at an open admissions university in Texas, selected 35 students to complete a simple survey. The survey question was “Have you heard of the Educational Outreach Program of the Hall of Fame?”
The students eagerly let Giles know that they were familiar with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but they showed expressions of surprise when she mentioned the existence of an education committee. Quickly, the mission statement was shared with these young people who are enrolled in a mathematics course which overlaps the curricular content of middle school and senior high school mathematics classes. In an effort to keep the interest of the class, the teacher’s alto voice sounded out the mission statement:
The efforts of the Hall of Fame education component are outstanding, but Giles believes that the news of its existence and functions need to be spread throughout all communities, including African American, Hispanic, Jewish and other groups, especially in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
One book of wisdom shares, in summary, “Line upon line; precept upon precept; a little here, a little there.” So this article is designed to introduce more communities and educational institutions to the resources and expertise available through the Educational Outreach Program. The concept of the Hall of Fame initiative is described “line by line” spelling out the “precept upon precept” with the hope of advocating change, “a little here, a little there.”
Just as millions of people are uplifted and inspired by great plays and touchdowns in mammoth football fields packed with millions of spectators, why not embrace a vision that more students (perhaps millions) will get excited about using real-world data from those fantastic plays in football, and, metaphorically, run, run, run toward the end zone of excellence in learning and applying mathematics in the real world to get that touchdown and victory in mathematics and mathematics education in the United States of America. After all, some of the studies of the U. S. Department of Education correlate national security issues with mathematical and technological proficiency of the general populace. It’s about time we use the fantastic real-world data in the NFL, for example, to inspire more fruitful learning activities in American classrooms. It’s a thought—it is the Hall of Fame’s vision.
Click here to learn more about the HOF Educational Advisory Panel http://www.profootballhof.com/hall/EducationalAdvisoryPanel.jsp
Jacqueline Brannon Giles is a Resident Professor of Mathematics in Houston, Texas who has written several articles in Mathematics and Sports. She has been featured in the Jewish Herald Voice in an article written by Michael Duke, titled "Pointed toward Israel."
Related articles http://www.jewishaz.com/issues/story.mv?050923+nfl [edit] Football (American)
Jews in the NFLPlayersAlex Bernstein - OL, Browns (inactive)Hayden Epstein - K,Vikings (inactive)Jay Fiedler - QB, DolphinsLennie Friedman - OL, RedskinsAntonio Garay – DE, BrownsDan Hadenfeldt - P, Patriots (inactive)Andrew Kline - OL, Rams (inactive)Brian Kopka - K, Ravens (inactive)Josh Miller - P, PatriotsIgor Olshansky – DT, ChargersGus Ornstein - QB, Jets (inactive)Vitaly Pisetsky - K, Bears (inactive, NFL Europe)Sage Rosenfels - QB, DolphinsMike Rosenthal - OL, VikingsScott Slutzker - TE, Jets (inactive)Josh Taves – DE, Panthers (inactive)
ManagementArthur Blank - Owner, FalconsAl Davis - Owner, RaidersMalcom Glazer - Owner, BucaneersRobert Kraft - Owner, PatriotsRandy Lerner - Owner, BrownsJeffrey Lurie - Owner, EaglesArt Modell - Owner, RavensDan Snyder - Owner, RedskinsAndy Sugarman - Assistant Coach, 49ersRobert Tisch - 1/2 Owner, GiantsMarc Trestman - Assistant Coach, RaidersRon Wolf - General Manager, Packers
I just wrote the following letter to my Senator:
Senator xxxxx, Museums are one of the backbones of our scientific infrastructure. I wanted to voice my opposition to the Coburn authored "Limitation of Funds Amendment No. 175". Although the concept of taking a close look at any wasteful spending in the stimulus package is certainly laudable, lumping museums, zoos, and aquaria amongst the likes of flatscreen TVs and casinos is absurd. Quite the opposite is true. Funding for museums represents precisely the sort of program that makes for smart stimulus spending. Museums are among of the most important infrastructural components to science in this country. Any study on ecology, biodiversity, evolution, comparative anatomy, or comparative genomics relies on material housed in research collections. Museums, zoos, and aquaria are locations where some of the best science is undertaken and resources on which the best scientists depend. Science is "shovel-ready." Numerous quality scientists are underemployed or forced to seek employment elsewhere due to a shortage of positions. There are people ready to go to work if their salaries can be procured. There are quality research projects ready to be conducted if the funds are made available. Any member of an NSF funding panel will testify that every round of submissions sees a very high fraction of rejected research proposals that were deserving of funding. To issue a blanket rejection of stimulus funds to museums represents a rejection of some of the very best scientific research and a missed opportunity to provide jobs and infuse capital into a sector of the economy that represents both a long-term investment in our future and a short-term shot in the arm through jobs and money well spent. Whether appreciated or overlooked, museums will represent a key component in the new economy. For instance, study on the effects of climate change or environmental degradation on the living world would literally end tomorrow if museums were to disappear. In spite of their importance, most collections in this country are understaffed, often deteriorating, and long overdue for upgrades. I encourage you to not only reject Amendment 175, but to consider boosting support to NSF and to our research institutions, museums, zoos, and aquaria.
Thanks for your comments. I would like to say the following in response:
The figures are for annual deficits not for federal debt which everybody knows is $10 trillion now. That figure effects the US credit rating and the currency. The federal debt has been growing almost all the time over the past forty years. The years it has shrank, it has shrank by very little i.e.
1970: $2 billion,
1974: $2,
1975: $4,
1999: $2,
2000: $105,
2001: $102 billion
The deficit each year adds to the federal debt. Even if you balance the budget the federal debt still remains at the same level. The only way to reduce the debt is to have budget surplus.
I still tend to think that the Obama campaign may have missed the clarity of these figures. It is at least better to talk about than defending against remarks about Joe the plumber.
If at this point the Obama campaign needs to introduce a new talking point it should be something like this because of the economy and it will also help other democrats running for the Congress.
Is there a way to make sure that the Obama campaign knows about the apparent clarity of these figures? Please.
Dear Senator Obama:
Now that the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has shown some understanding of the financial problem, it is time for us to see it as well. As I had strongly advocated in my two previous blogs (Sahil's blog) that helping the banking system directly was the right thing to do. Main Street deals with the banks and banks are the institutions we regulate and have responsibility for. FDIC insures deposits in these banks.Now that we seem to be focusing on the banks and will probably get the short term fix; we need to look at the long term fix for our economy.I have sent many letters to you and to Dr. Jason Furman and would really wish that you look at my proposal once. We are in problem of very unusual kind, one that happens once in hundreds of years, and it needs a very radical solution. In my proposed solution I have done away with interest and income tax and changed the powers of money itself. My solution is the only one so far available that will solve the problem for good. Please take a look at it; you will need it down the line when it becomes clear that solutions proposed by the experts are not working. This is the time when the experts change.
Sincerely,
Syed G.Q. Sahil
. . . or Pulling Sarah Palin's Pants Down.
I'll most definitely read more of this when I have some time! For the scientifically inclined's reading pleasure, a natural history equation, and MORE, from Ruth Calabria, (ruthcalabria@matrix-evolutions.com):
http://www.matrix-evolutions.com/
One of the first things Martin Chalfie wanted to do after learning that he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry is endorse Barack Obama for President of the United States. That brings the total number of Nobel Prize winners in science endorsing Obama to 63. Originally 61 winners came out and endorsed Obama, but soon after the release of the letter, Murray Gell-Mann, who won the Prize in Physics in 1969 came forward to add his name.
source
Patriotic citizens understand that America's prowess in technological applications of math and science is essential to our ability to serve as the leader of the free world. If America's relative decline in science and technology continues under one more Republican adminstration, we will certainly fall from superpower status. The combined economic, military and political dominance that defines a global superpower derives from policies based on logic and reason. America's technological surge in the aerospace, computer, and biotechnological industries arose from a major investment in math and science education. It is absolutely astounding that America's science policy could be held hostage for the past eight years by the foolish behavior of right-wing extremists.
Enough is enough! We simply cannot afford four more years of idiocracy. Rebuild American science!
Check out the amazing signatures on this letter of endorsement.
http://sefora.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/nobelists-for-obama.pdf
PermaLink at http://sefora.org/2008/09/25/61-nobel-laureates-in-science-endorse-obama/
Hello friends,
We are getting close to election day.
This race should not be close. What awful chord in American culture resonates with the distortions of the McCain ads and doesn’t bother getting the facts? Let’s each do what we can to get the result that will support sustainability now. You can forward this e-mail to friends. From my web page at http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/davidberry folks can sign on to the Obama site and read his detailed proposals themselves.
The $700 billion bailout package proposed by the President and not passed by the Congress highlights the economic dilemma being currently faced by the US. It is somewhat similar to that faced by Japan in the 1990s.
The US government wants the house prices to stabilize and the financial system to keep working. Houses are still over priced by almost any standard and it is unlikely that we will have much interest in buying houses unless house prices take another significant dip. But allowing house prices to fall further may accelerate the rate of delinquencies and foreclosures and as a result may cause many of our financial institutions to fail and the financial system to slow down to a dangerous level or grind to a halt.
The economic dilemma is that if we allow house prices to fall to its natural levels a major part of our financial system will fail but if we prop up house prices, higher house prices will stand in the way of economic recovery.
Faced with this dilemma the administration sided with Financial Institutions and Wall Street players. Wall Street is so well entrenched in Washington that it managed to get the administration come to its rescue. Wall Street’s money and power reach every center of power in Washington. By the way I would like to mention that both Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Henry Paulson came from Goldman Sachs.
They sent a bill to the Congress when the Congress was about to go on a recess to campaign for the November elections, they probably thought the trick that worked so well on “Yes Minister” TV series should work in real life as well. No wonder the bill lacked details, it was barely three pages. I have heard part of the testimony the Treasury Secretary and the Federal reserve Chairman gave to the Congress: All they said was that the alternative was far worse. Does anybody remember anything more?
