Genetic Cleansing

Sounds a lot like ethnic cleansing, doesn’t it?

That’s the point William Saleton makes in this article from Slate about preconception genetic testing, although he doesn’t come right out and say it.  What he does say is that we as a society are devaluing embryos and slowly changing our perception of parental obligation to include having embryos tested for the potential for adult diseases.  We are moving toward eliminating certain genes from family trees entirely.  Right now only ones that can cause serious diseases, but we have already moved from fatal or crippling childhood diseases to adult diseases which can be cured.  And it is, as they say, a slippery slope.

BSG – 1 down, 9 to go

Wow.  I did not see that coming.  Well, some of it I did – like Starbuck finding her own body on Earth (I mean, she flew into that weird storm mandala thing, then just showed back up 2 months later with no memory of being gone that long?  Please.  Of course, that doesn’t mean I have any idea of what she actually is if she isn’t a Cylon…or is she?)  And Ellen as the 5 th Cylon.  I didn’t know it would be her, but it didn’t surprise me either.

A couple of things did surprise me, mainly that the final five were originally from Earth and, oh yeah, that the 13th tribe were Cylons!  Totally didn’t see that coming.  Different Cylons, but still.  So humans built the Cylons, but there were Cylons 2000 years ago too, and they were around long enough to build a planet wide civilization, then be wiped out by nukes.  Did humans nuke them?  Did they nuke themselves?  Why are there only 5 of them left from a whole planet full?

And Dee’s suicide was downright shocking.  Frak me.

I don’t know if I can wait another whole week…No choice…I’ll cope…<sob>

Oh, and IO9 – where did the running over thing come from?  Mine didn’t, and I’m pretty sure I don’t have a magic DVR or anything.