Off to 3D Print with the Wizard!

One of the upcoming movies I'm looking forward to seeing is "Oz the Great and Powerful," which opens on March 8^th. It's the backstory of classic film "The Wizard of Oz," and tells the story of how the man who became the famous Wizard originally came to the land of Oz.

If you recall the story, you will remember that Dorothy was blown in her house from Kansas to Oz by a tornado, which dropped her house on the Wicked Witch of the East, incurring the wrath of the Wicked Witch of the West and leading Dorothy to seek the aid of the Wizard of Oz in returning home. Along the way, she picked up three traveling companions, each of which also wanted the assistance of the Wizard: the Scarecrow wanted a brain; the Tin Woodsman wanted a heart; and the Cowardly Lion wanted courage.

In the end, of course, they vanquished the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy went home to Kansas, and each of her companions got his wish. It's a perfect cautionary tale for modern-day ultraconservatives, as it tells the story of four mooching characters who went to the government in search of handouts rather than solving their own problems.

Well, of course, it's just an entertaining fairy tale, isn't it?

Not so fast there, amigo!

You may have seen this interesting news report a few days ago: 3D Printers Help Scientists Grow Prosthetic Ears. Yes, Dear Readers, it seems that the new technological marvel of the three-dimensional printer is being used experimentally to grow replacement body parts ... in this case, ears, which are notoriously difficult to create or repair because of their intricate design of flexible cartilage.

Considering that most of the press surrounding 3D printers has focused on their use in creating plastic gun parts, toys, and other frivolous things, the use of such printers for medical purposes provides a look into a marvelous future in which hospitals may be able to produce spare body parts at an enormous markup.

And they might also be able to help resolve our ongoing crisis of gridlock and lack of leadership in Congress!

Perhaps we could use 3D printers to create hearts and brains for Republicans and backbones and brains for Democrats. Hmmm ...

Of course, once the sequester goes through, there won't be any extra money for frivolous spending. Experience has shown that both parties have been carrying on quite well for years without hearts, brains, and backbones, so why should scarce dollars that might be better used to give tax breaks to businesses and the wealthy be used to fix a non-problem?

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!

Oh, hell, pay no attention to Congress, either.

Have a good day. You already have a brain and a heart ... use them to look clearly at what your elected reprehensives are doing in your name. Then get angry and use the backbone when you next go to the polls.

More thoughts on Thursday.

Bilbo