Once again, two small steps forward on the moral front. “OPERATION OUTCRY: SILENT NO MORE PRAISE REPORT & CALL FOR MORE PRAYER TO REVERSE ROE V. WADE” has an interesting tidbit in it. Did you know that Roe and Doe (of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton) both would like to see their own decisions overturned? Quite a remarkable conversion.

In related news, though not a step forward, “Embryonic stem cell research as an obsession” highlights the obsession with embryonic stem cell research, why it is unneeded, how it is, or at least seems to be, politically motivated, and how it is detracting from more promising and less objectionable research.

The First Amendment does not apply to contempt of court. This common sense decision is documented in “CIA leak reporters ‘must testify’” and is a decision that many will find an offensive abridgment of said amendment. Still, I tend to agree with this decision (hence calling it common sense ;-), it seems to me that their ability to print whatever is not being restricted, only their ability to withhold information. And withholding information seems to be covered only under self incrimination and unreasonable search, not under freedom of the press. As testifying would free them from guilt, it isn’t self incrimination, and it seems that unreasonable search isn’t being argued. So testify they must. :-)

The gaim Off-the-Record plugin managed to attract news.com’s notice. See “Making your IM secure–and deniable.” This is very cool because security is one of the least understood concepts even in the subset of computer users who somewhat understand their computers. People fail to grasp that there is no guarantee that the screen name you are talking to has not been hijacked by an attack on the account’s password or on the network itself; having a fairly common news source talking about it cannot hurt.

Ederlyn’s del.icio.us listing pointed me at an amusing story of science’s early, more innocent, more honest, days: “Museums of Hoaxes.” Of particular interest is the ability of these men to conduct scientific inquiry that forms the foundation of much we know today while still preserving their ability to wonder at the marvels in creation. As written here, many of these are pantheistic, but you can easily see God having the same sort of fun, our sense of humor comes from somewhere after all.

“UN Peacekeepers: Protectors or Predators?” talks about the sexual abuse committed at the hands of UN “Peacekeepers.” Nor is this the first, in the book I am currently reading, George Pell Defender of the Faith Down Under, I learned that the UN forces did similar things in Asia, Cambodia I believe, though I could be mistaken.

“Bush Sends Senate 20 Judicial Nominees” has some info on George Bush’s recent court appointments. Looks like the democrats still want to stall these out.

“Mich. Mayor Blacklists Those Who Sued City” shows an interesting approach: not doing business with companies that sue the government. I wonder how that will hold up.

There is so much going on in “Appeals Court Hears Chinese Custody Case” that I don’t know what to make of it. So many levels. There is no way to know what went on when “The Bakers took Anna Mae into their home as a favor to the Hes who were out of work in a foreign country and facing large legal and medical bills.” Did they think it was a sort of unofficial adoption? Was it presented that way? Or was it known to be temporary, and they were wrong to raise her as adopted? What about the child? Who does she consider “Mom” and “Dad?” That is, I think, unquestionably who she should stay with, regardless of the rights or wrongs of how that came to be. And the immigration issues involved, what a mess. The Elian Gonzalez I think they were wrong to take him and send him back to his father, but even that, it is so hard to be sure… The only thing I know is that there is so much suffering when families get broken up. Such an incredible tragedy.

We are taking things way too far in “Eating bananas is racist? How stupid can you get?.” I’m linking to this rather than to the google archive because this is likely to be up longer, and having read the google archive of the story, I can say it reports accurately, though I would not have given the mayor quite as hard a rap as this author does. What does it say about us when simply eating a banana is to make a racist statement, one that a mayor would apologize for?

Michelle Malkin’s “How Effective Are Flu Shots?” links to “Impact of Influenza Vaccination on Seasonal Mortality in the US Elderly Population” from the Archives of Internal Medicine. She also links to a Los Angeles Times story, but I did not feel like registering there to read it. The upshot of all these is more confirmation of my overall impression that flu shots aren’t worth much.

UPDATED: 20040215-1335
“Flu Shots for Elderly Questioned in Study” provides some details as well. It seems flu shots are still recommended for children.