The Soapbox

One-time Idol Peter Jennings Dies

Back when I was a young journalism student, I wanted to be the next Peter Jennings. I subsequently found my calling was in the law and moved on from my journalistic aspirations. However, the passing of anyone that impacts your life is acutely felt. Journalism lost a great talent and a positive force yesterday with the passing of Peter Jennings.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are starting to see the error of their ways

Pennsylvania lawmakers recently tried to do an end-around the Pennsylvania Constitution by giving themselves a pay raise that they called an "unvouchered expense."  This strategy attempts to circumvent the PA constitution's prohibition on lawmakers voting for a pay raise and having it go into effect during the same term. According to Article II, Section 8 of the PA Consitution, "No member of either House shall during the term for which he may have been elected, receive any increase of salary, or mileage, under any law passed during such term."

Now, Operation Clean Sweep: Pennsylvania, started by Russ Diamond, appears to be forcing several lawmakers to reconsider their actions.

City Stench Makes Sniffing Out News Tough

In what can only be taken as proof that nothing much newsworthy happens in August, the Inquirer today reports that Philadelphia, like other large cities, stinks when it's hot.

I guess the odor is preventing reporters from sniffing out other more newsworthy stories.

I'm Back

My self-imposed exile while I prepared for and took New Jersey and Pennsylvania's bar exams is over. Results don't come out until mid October for PA and mid November for NJ. Therefore, I won't tell you how I did because, frankly, I have no idea. I'll let you know in October and November.

Camden Police Wrongly Blamed

Anibal Cruz, one of the fathers of the three boys that died this weekend, is saying that police should have opened the trunk and searched the car where the boys were ultimately found. While I feel for Cruz's loss and am saddened by the loss of three young lives, I cannot agree with Cruz's blaming of the Camden police.

"That was the first place to look," Cruz said. "You can look through the windows and check inside. That is simple. Maybe they should have looked in the trunk."

So why didn't Cruz look in the trunk even before calling police to report the boys missing?

I understand human nature to blame others for your own misfortune. However, blaming Camden police for not looking in the trunk of a car parked on your property is unwarranted and misguided.

Exploitation of Babies

The Golden Palace.com has coughed up $999 to clothe Michele Hutchison's, as yet unborn, boy for the month of July. On the heals of such "success," Hutchison has decided to auction off her baby for the month of August.

Ahh yes, nothing warms my heart quite like stories of mothers pimping out their babies.

Bar Exam Prep Begins

Today is my first day of bar review classes. This marks the beginning of the final push towards becoming an attorney. Necessarily, blogging will be very sporadic during the next two months leading up to the PA and NJ bar exams.

Wish me luck.

Santorum's Quid Pro Quo?

The Associated Press is reporting that two days before Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) introduced legislation that would restrict the free weather information providing National Weather Service, his political action committee received a $2,000 donation from commercial weather forecaster AccuWeather.

"I don't think there's any coincidence between the two," Santorum said. "It's just that I happened to have a fundraiser in the town he was in."

The fact that Santorum doesn't "think there's any coincidence between the two" leads me to believe that there is.

Not Having a Spring Could be Deadly

We're on track to have the third coldest May since records were kept and the coldest May in 38 years. While temperatures are forecast to reach 80 today, this will only be the second time this month temps have reached that high. This has health officials concerned about the hot weather that, most assuredly, is coming.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, on average, the temperature reaches 90 once or twice in May. But during the May preceding each of Philadelphia's three deadliest summers - 1993, 1995 and 1999 - the temperature never reached 90.

Bush to Veto Cure for Diabetes, Alzheimers, ALS, and More

Diabetes affects 18.2 million Americans. Of those, 5.2 million don't even know they have diabetes. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in America. Among adults aged 20-74, diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness. More than 60% of all non-traumatic leg amputations occur in people with diabetes.

To you and President Bush, these may just be statistics. Unfortunately, for me, I live with these numbers every day because my father has diabetes. My father, who once was one of Pennsylvania's finest golfers, no longer can play because diabetes has taken both his eye sight and legs.

This is why I strongly support embryonic stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research is the most promising pathway to curing diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, stem cell research allows scientists to better explore how to control and direct stem cells so they can grow into other cells, such as insulin-producing beta cells found in the pancreas. Creating new beta cells could mean a cure for type 1 diabetes as they would serve as a replenishable source of cells for islet cell transplantation. They could also provide a powerful tool for controlling type 2 diabetes.

Furthermore, this science benefits more than diabetes. Those afflicted with Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's Disease or ALS, Sickle Cell Anemia, etc. could also realize their dream for a cure.

I understand the President's position, I just think he is wrong. All of the embryos available for this research will never become viable human beings. So, instead of allowing these cells to contribute to the qualify of life, President Bush would rather have these cells contribute to our land fills. Fortunately, all of my Congressional representatives agree with me. Unfortunately, those that see the promise in this research aren't enough to override a presidential veto.

2006 is coming.