Why is Michael Savage No Longer Heard on 910 KNEW? Money.

I’ve blogged about this issue previously, the first day I realized it happened, in fact. The official report is that Clear Channel communications wanted to go in a different ideological and philosophical direction:

… we have decided to go in a different philosophical and ideological direction, featuring more contemporary content and more local information.

The Savage Nation does not fit into that vision.

A couple of commentors speculated that the ultimate reason was financial. Todd speculated that the it was a “licensing issue”, and Stuart speculated that it was at least ‘partially economic’; Stuart further pointed out that Savage rarely does a third hour.

I’ve always disliked that about Savage; it’s always annoyed me that he rarely does a third hour.

Prager University: Human Nature — Are We Basically Good?

The fourth course in Dennis Prager’s Prager University, entitled: Human Nature — Are We Basically Good?” has been released and can be viewed at PragerUniversity, or via the embedded video below. If you are a fan of Prager, or have spent any time listening to his show, it’s entirely likely that you will have heard this description in bits and pieces through the years.

Michael Savage Removed from Home Station 910 KNEW

I try to listen Michael Savage regularly. I can’t listen to him on the radio; indeed, I prefer to download the podcast and listen to him, commercial-free, at my leisure. I’ve been downloading the podcasts from his home station 910 KNEW out of San Francisco. For a couple of weeks, maybe longer they’ve been advertising the “New Talk 910″.

Apparently, the ‘new’ KNEW doesn’t include Michael Savage; from the KNEW blog:\

What changed, what’s new…

Hello,

Big week around here. Let’s get to it.

I’m going to answer the very first question many of you have.

“Why did you take Michael Savage off the air?”

Here’s your no-spin direct answer; we have decided to go in a different philosophical and ideological direction, featuring more contemporary content and more local information.
The Savage Nation does not fit into that vision.

Another Blow to Embryonic Stem Cell Based Research

Perhaps one of the most controversial areas within the field of biomedical research are embryonic stem cell (ES) based therapies. Once thought to be candidates for a wide variety of therapies, from replacement of damaged or diseased tissues, to growing replacement organs in vitro, ES are likely on their way out the door in terms of being a source of potential therapeutics.

Embryonic stem cells are derived from blastocysts, an early form of nascent human life present a few days post-fertilization. Blastocysts are comprised of an inner and outer layer of cells; it is this inner layer of cells that can be harvested and grown in culture ES. This destruction of nascent human life presents serious ethical controversies. I’ve blogged somewhat extensively about this topic in the past; these posts can be viewed here.

However, the ethical controversy may be resolving itself; the development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), is rapidly eliminating the need to destroy human embryos to obtain pluripotent cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells are a type of pluripotent stem cell derived artificially, from non-pluripotent cells, by inducing expression of certain genes. It is believed – and there is plenty of evidence supporting the idea – that iPS are identical to naturally pluripotent stem cells, such as ES in a variety of pertinent ways, and are in essence functionally equivalent to ES. One example of such evidence is generation of an entire mouse from skin cells. Interestingly – perhaps strangely – the article reports that it is unknown whether or not the iPS utilized in this experiment are capable of truly becoming any type of cell.

Solved – Origins of the Genetic Code? Not even close

A report published today (August 31, 2009) suggests that we are in fact one step closer to discovering the how the genetic code arose in the ‘primordial soup’ – the conditions on Earth prior to the appearance of life. The article begins by describing the famous Miller-Urey experiment that – at the time – was thought to be an accurate simulation of the Earth’s early atmosphere.

In 1952, Stanley Miller filled two flasks with chemicals assumed to be present on the primitive Earth, connected the flasks with rubber tubes and introduced some electrical sparks as a stand-in for lightning. The now famous experiment showed what amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, could easily be generated from this primordial stew. But despite that seminal experiment, neither he nor others were able to take the next step: that of showing how life’s code could come from such humble beginnings.

One of the biggest problems with this particular report – like many origin of life (OOL) scenarios – is the number of assumptions one makes from the get go. This is done for perfectly logical, and arguably, legitimate reasons: if one is interested in the origins of the genetic code, one must assume the components that are required to synthesize a genetic code exist, exist in sufficient concentrations to be react in a useful manner, and exist, or can be combined in a way such that the correct chemical bonds comprise the polymer.

None of these are reasonable assumptions.

Somali Teenagers Force US Navy To Turn Tail and Run Away

The once mighty US Navy, the Organization that – ironically – was conceived to deal with the issue of Pirates attacking merchant ships has once again been humiliated by roving Somali children packing high-caliber weapons. According the US Naval Forces Central Command:

Yesterday, at approximately 8:00 a.m. local time, Somali Pirates aboard Motor Vessel (M/V) Win Far, fired what appeared to be a large caliber weapon at a U.S. Navy SH-60B Helicopter from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 49, embarked aboard USS Chancellorsville (CG 62).

No rounds of ammunition struck the SH-60B. The SH-60 crew did not return fire. No personnel injuries resulted from the incident.

“Three Parent Babies” Closer to Reality

A report published in the UK’s TimesOnline details the efforts of researchers at the Oregon National Primate Center to correct inherited genetic disorders by utilizing genetic material from three parents. While the vast majority of any individual’s (or any eukaryotic cell’s) DNA is contained in the nucleus of a cell, a small amount of genes are encoded and contained in the genome of the cell’s mitochondria; mitochondria can be thought of as the cell’s powerhouse, as the vast majority of a cell’s chemical energy currency is produced by the mitochondria. Diseases associated with mutations to the mitochondria include Diabetes mellitus and deafness, Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, Leigh syndrome, Neuropathy, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa, and ptosis, Myoneurogenic gastrointestinal encephalopathy, and about 40 more diseases that you’ve probably not heard of.

In general mitochondrial disorders affect about 1 in every 6500 births. While these are not everyday, common diseases, I’ve no doubt that those afflicted suffer greatly, and if a cure can be found it certainly is worth the effort.

Engineering Life: Venter et al. Move One Step Closer

While the beginnings of his career were rather unremarkable – in many ways similar to my own – not much of a student in high school, came up through the community college’s and state schools, finally earning his PhD under the direction of Nathan Kaplan at UCSD. Eventually J. Craig Venter would enter the scientific big leagues when he founded Celera Genomics, and began sequencing the human genome.

Craig’s group would complete human genome three years ahead of schedule and significantly under budget, predominantly due to advances in technologies. Following completion of the human genome, Venter was fired from Celera Genomics in 2002.

Following a cruise around the world where he sampled the ocean’s waters for viruses and other microbe. This project would result in the discovery of millions of new genes and thousands of new protein families. Never satisfied with facilitating a single scientific revolution, Venter began his latest venture Synthetic Genomics in 2005.

The purpose of Synthetic Genomics is to engineer life; to artificially create cells that have some specific genetically engineered characteristics, such as production of lipids appropriate for utilization in biofuels, or microbes that degrade toxic waste, etc.

Jack Chick Prophet? Islam brings England to her Knees

clipped from www.chick.com

I have to admit that I love Chick Tracts. I probably should immediately qualify that statement by writing that I don’t find them theologically persuasive or accurate, and that they are in no way responsible for my conversion to Christianity.

I’ve been collecting ChickTracts for probably nearly 25 years now. I used to come across them more often than I do now… perhaps the disappearance of the payphone has something to do with it; I used to find them on payphones quite regularly.

The best places to score Chick Tracts – other than buying them that is – is on college campuses, or occasionally in public restrooms. It’s been a while since I’ve found one.

Jack Chick, the founder and at least one of the artists who illustrates the tracts (though allegedly not the more talented – or most talented – artist Chick employs) is apparently quite elusive, and is not easily photographed.

One might speculate that the author of tracts such as Bad Bob, That Crazy Guy, and Soul Story, three of my personal favorites, is probably a bit of an eccentric.

And not likely to be a prophet.

I suppose one correct prediction doesn’t make Chick a prophet… though the image was a fitting beginning to this blog entry.

Appendix has a Function; Goodbye to Human Vestigial Organs

Popular science has confirmed what I’ve been saying for years: The appendix is not a vestigial organ. The report published on ScienceDaily.com details the findings of a collaborative effort between researchers at Duke University, The University of Arizona, and my graduate alma mater, Arizona State University:

Writing in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Duke scientists and collaborators from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University conclude that Charles Darwin was wrong: The appendix is a whole lot more than an evolutionary remnant. Not only does it appear in nature much more frequently than previously acknowledged, but it has been around much longer than anyone had suspected.”Maybe it’s time to correct the textbooks,” says William Parker, Ph.D., assistant professor of surgical sciences at Duke and the senior author of the study. “Many biology texts today still refer to the appendix as a ‘vestigial organ.’”