Considering Cord Blood Banking?

An interesting comment from Summer Johnson on cord blood banking at blog.bioethics.net

To Bank or Not to Bank? For Cord Blood, The Answer is No.

Much ado has been made over private cord blood banking when a baby is born for its potential someday to maybe save a child's life. New research suggests, however, that the likelihood of that eventuality coming to pass is incredibly small.

According to WaPo the study published last month in the journal Pediatrics, 93 pediatric transplant specialists were surveyed to find out how many had used banked cord blood. The answer? Very very few. Just 50 had used banked blood and just 9 had done autologous transplants (giving blood back to the donor). Other cases involved giving the blood to siblings or other relatives.

read more

Considering Cord Blood Banking?

An interesting comment from Summer Johnson on cord blood banking at blog.bioethics.net

To Bank or Not to Bank? For Cord Blood, The Answer is No.

Much ado has been made over private cord blood banking when a baby is born for its potential someday to maybe save a child's life. New research suggests, however, that the likelihood of that eventuality coming to pass is incredibly small.

According to WaPo the study published last month in the journal Pediatrics, 93 pediatric transplant specialists were surveyed to find out how many had used banked cord blood. The answer? Very very few. Just 50 had used banked blood and just 9 had done autologous transplants (giving blood back to the donor). Other cases involved giving the blood to siblings or other relatives.

read more

Random Glimpses of My Desktop (10)

I love this dynamic posture of The Batman on the roof top of Gotham City.

Certain similarities...

Second printing cover of Batman #608 (Oct. 2002).

Pencils by Jim Lee and inks by Scott Williams.

Random Glimpses of My Desktop (10)

I love this dynamic posture of The Batman on the roof top of Gotham City.

Certain similarities...

Second printing cover of Batman #608 (Oct. 2002).

Pencils by Jim Lee and inks by Scott Williams.

Spiritual Formation for Seniors

Spiritual Formation for Seniors

Thinking about Christ’s Resurrection in the Year of St Paul
‘For Paul, Easter shapes and colours the very identity of God.’ In Easter week of the Pauline Year, Gerald O’Collins SJ explains what the apostle tells us about early faith in the resurrection. What did the resurrection mean for early Christian understanding of God, the Eucharist, and universal salvation – and what does it mean for us today? Read more

Read more of Thinking Faith’s series on Saint Paul:

Who Was Saint Paul? – Peter Edmonds SJ

The Long Road to Damascus – Bishop John Arnold

Paul the Pastor – Jerome Murphy-O’Connor OP

The Vision of Saint Paul – Nick King SJ

Getting to know Saint Paul today – David Neuhaus SJ

Paul, Trinity and Community – Michael Mullins

Power in Paul – David Harold-Barry SJ

St Paul and Ecumenism – Bishop John Arnold

The Letter of Paul to the Philippians – Peter Edmonds SJ

Thinking about Christ’s Resurrection in the Year of St Paul
‘For Paul, Easter shapes and colours the very identity of God.’ In Easter week of the Pauline Year, Gerald O’Collins SJ explains what the apostle tells us about early faith in the resurrection. What did the resurrection mean for early Christian understanding of God, the Eucharist, and universal salvation – and what does it mean for us today? Read more

Read more of Thinking Faith’s series on Saint Paul:

Who Was Saint Paul? – Peter Edmonds SJ

The Long Road to Damascus – Bishop John Arnold

Paul the Pastor – Jerome Murphy-O’Connor OP

The Vision of Saint Paul – Nick King SJ

Getting to know Saint Paul today – David Neuhaus SJ

Paul, Trinity and Community – Michael Mullins

Power in Paul – David Harold-Barry SJ

St Paul and Ecumenism – Bishop John Arnold

The Letter of Paul to the Philippians – Peter Edmonds SJ

Star Trek: Corps of Engineers

There has always been a Corps of Engineers – a group who builds bridges, fixes machines, and solves engineering problems. In Star Trek, this group solves engineering problems in space that are too complicated, or take too much time, for a larger starship crew to handle. This series centers on the crew of the USS da Vinci, a Saber-class ship that serves as the transportation of an SCE team. The SCE reports to Captain Montgomery Scot (of the original Star Trek), who serves as their liaison with Starfleet Command and also pitches in when his vast store of knowledge can be of help.

USS da Vinci

Wounds is a collection of eBooks which are republished in a paperback format. This is the 11th collection in the series. I like this series because there is more science and technologies than the average Star Trek stories.

The stories in this collection are:

Malefictorum by Terri Osborne

Lost Time by Ilsa J. Bick

Identity Crisis by John J. Ordover

Fables of the Prime Directive by Cory Rushton

Security by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Wounds, Book 1 by Ilsa J. Bick

Wounds, Book 2 by Ilsa J. Bick

It is a good collection of short stories/novelettes to read and I have enjoyed myself reading it during Dark Saturday.

Star Trek: Corps of Engineers

There has always been a Corps of Engineers – a group who builds bridges, fixes machines, and solves engineering problems. In Star Trek, this group solves engineering problems in space that are too complicated, or take too much time, for a larger starship crew to handle. This series centers on the crew of the USS da Vinci, a Saber-class ship that serves as the transportation of an SCE team. The SCE reports to Captain Montgomery Scot (of the original Star Trek), who serves as their liaison with Starfleet Command and also pitches in when his vast store of knowledge can be of help.

USS da Vinci

Wounds is a collection of eBooks which are republished in a paperback format. This is the 11th collection in the series. I like this series because there is more science and technologies than the average Star Trek stories.

The stories in this collection are:

Malefictorum by Terri Osborne

Lost Time by Ilsa J. Bick

Identity Crisis by John J. Ordover

Fables of the Prime Directive by Cory Rushton

Security by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Wounds, Book 1 by Ilsa J. Bick

Wounds, Book 2 by Ilsa J. Bick

It is a good collection of short stories/novelettes to read and I have enjoyed myself reading it during Dark Saturday.

A Philosophy of Action

or why the Batman will not kill the Joker


In a crisis we are sometimes surprised that we act in a way contrary to the way we think we should act. This is because in our conscious and subconscious minds, we have a philosophy of action which forms the basis of our decision making and daily living. This philosophy may be articulated or identified clearly but for most of us, we are not aware of it. Such a philosophy of action is often acquired by enculturation.

read more

A Philosophy of Action

or why the Batman will not kill the Joker


In a crisis we are sometimes surprised that we act in a way contrary to the way we think we should act. This is because in our conscious and subconscious minds, we have a philosophy of action which forms the basis of our decision making and daily living. This philosophy may be articulated or identified clearly but for most of us, we are not aware of it. Such a philosophy of action is often acquired by enculturation.

read more

Postcards from the Edge (12)

Postcards from the Edge (12)

The Art of Watchmen

On display now at the Museum of Comic Book Art in Manhattan: an exhibition of the art from the graphic novel series WATCHMEN along with visual art from the movie.