Zenith & Nadir - Opposites to the Extreme

As seen in the diagram, Zenith is the direct opposite of Nadir, the definitions of which most certainly apply for two postings, one being inspired research, the other, political follies of the highest order.

The zenith part of this piece centers on eyes, wavelength of light and heath courtesy of the NY Times, Aging of Eyes Is Blamed for Range of Health Woes

To whit:

 The aging eye filters out blue light, affecting circadian rhythm and health in older adults.

For decades, scientists have looked for explanations as to why certain conditions occur with age, among them memory loss, slower reaction time, insomnia and even depression. They have scrupulously investigated such suspects as high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and an inactive lifestyle.

Now a fascinating body of research supports a largely unrecognized culprit: the aging of the eye.

The gradual yellowing of the lens and the narrowing of the pupil that occur with age disturb the body’s circadian rhythm, contributing to a range of health problems, these studies suggest. As the eyes age, less and less sunlight gets through the lens to reach key cells in the retina that regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, its internal clock.

Now the Nadir:

 On Tuesday (Feb 14) , the Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill introduced by Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) by a 66-32 vote. The bill, like other "personhood" measures, would amend the definition of the word "person" under state law to include zygotes, thereby granting them legal rights. The summary reads:

Provides that unborn children at every stage of development enjoy all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents of the Commonwealth, subject only to the laws and constitutions of Virginia and the United States, precedents of the United States Supreme Court, and provisions to the contrary in the statutes of the Commonwealth.

One can only imagine the end result of such folly.

A better name for this bill, then, may be the "Lawyer Full Employment Act" since, if this becomes a law, it will take years, maybe decades of litigation, amendments, rulings, etc. to sort all of its nuances and implications... 

Let's use our imagination to think about some of the ways this law could be used or abused, because there is no surer bet than that it will be.  Maybe people and their lawyers will:

- Set up a Cayman Islands' bank account in their zygote's name to avoid taxes. (The Romney Special!)

- Sue against any sort of restriction on activity attributed to fertilized eggs based on age discrimination.  (Could regulation of late term abortions be judged discrimination against less developed eggs?)

- Prosecute a pregnant woman for watching pornography in the presence of an (unborn) minor.

- Put an embryo in one's will rather than one's wife, to make sure she does not have an abortion, etc.

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. 

- Albert Einstein