Welchen biologischen Sinn das haben könnte, haben Primatenforscher jetzt bei wilden Japanmakaken beobachtet Primates, online. Im ersten Fall kümmerte sich ein 24 Jahre altes Weibchen, genannt GM1, um ihre zwei Monate alte Enkelin, als die Mutter eine Woche lang spurlos verschwand. Die Oma, die schon seit sechs Jahren keine Kinder mehr zur Welt gebracht hatte, kraulte das Baby und ließ es sogar an ihrer Brust nuckeln. Tags trug sie ihre Enkelin auf dem Rücken, wenn sie den Anschluss an die Familie zu verlieren drohte. Nachts kuschelte sie sie in ihr warmes Bauchfell und bewahrte sie so vor dem Erfrieren. Als die Mutter nach sechs Tagen zurückkehrte, war das Affenmädchen zwar stark abgemagert, weil aus der Brust der Oma keine Milch mehr gekommen war, hatte jedoch die Zeit ohne Mutter überlebt.

Die Beobachtung stützt nach Ansicht der Forscher die so genannte Großmutter-Hypothese. Demnach ist es der biologische Sinn von Omas, bei der Aufzucht der Enkel mitzuhelfen. Vorteil für die Großmutter: Je mehr Kinder ihrer Kinder überleben, umso mehr ihrer eigenen Gene werden weitergegeben.

via Oma ist die Beste – jetzt.de – Leben – jetzt.de.

Kommentar: Super sofort einsichtig, nicht? Ich mein: Klar, geh mal zu deiner Oma und sag ihr: Wenn du auf mich aufpasst, dein benefit ist die Verteilung und Sicherung deiner Gene! Also los, Windeln wechseln! Klarer Fall, für den sich eine genetische Erklärung eignet. Der Sinn der Großmutter ist es nicht (war von mir bislang fälschlich angenommen worden) die Mutter zu gebären – nein! – sie soll die Enkel mit aufziehen. Jetzt (.de) wissen wirs mal wieder.

Oh ja und: Weder international bekannter Forscher noch Journalist sein verhindert akute Dummheit. Schöne Beispiele für beides finden sich immer Tagesaktuell auf jetzt.de

To make things clear, as some of the material you’ll find here is very light-hearted, this is an actual news report. All quotes are original. I welcome comments below.

Gay Christians Criticise ‘Hate’ Bill

Dan Bloom

Senior gay and transgender Christians have attacked a pro-discrimination law which was defeated four times in the House of Commons and criticised by the European commission.

The clause, which allows “criticism of sexual conduct” on religious grounds, was kept in the Coroners and Justice Bill in the dying hours of the last parliamentary session despite being defeated in the House of Commons. Justice minister Jack Straw retreated after lords voted to keep it for the fourth time on 11 November.

But the comments from within the UK’s gay Christian community put pressure on the mainstream church, after the European commission wrote to the government last week to say its discrimination laws were “broader than permitted”, effectively forcing churches to end bans on homosexual staff.

Pastor Kieren Bourne of the Living Springs church, Bath, had a sex change operation in 1999 and is part of a small minority of gay or transgender Christians in the UK. He said: “I think it’s appalling. It seems to me that the church is being allowed to get away with discrimination when every other section of society is not.”

Brought up in New Zealand, Rev Bourne, 51, moved to Bath 14 years ago but was surprised by what he perceived as a less liberal atmosphere in the mainstream church. He joined Living Springs, a branch of the 95 per cent gay Metropolitan Community Church (MCC).

“Having the opportunity to question the appropriateness of [gay sex] should be open to people, but without being critical of the individuals concerned.”

-Patrick Whitworth, rural dean of Bath

Now living with a woman in Bathford, Avon, he said the pressure put on gay Christians by employment bans and discrimination leaves many feeling forced out of the mainstream church, and into organisations like the MCC.

And although the minority church, which was founded in 1968, holds tri-annual conferences – the next is in Acapulco, Mexico next year – it does not have the same political weight as other organisations. It has fewer than 15 churches in the UK and the Bath branch has only 13 full-time members.

One of these, Bill Fraser, has been a full-time churchwarden in Bath for five years. He first contacted the MCC last year after announcing his sexuality at an annual parish meeting. But he stayed in the mainstream church to “fight from the inside”, following the example of controversial gay American bishop Gene Robinson.

Another, 64-year-old lay delegate Jenny Bailey, was a long-time member of the Church of England when she began attending the MCC. She revealed her sexuality to her vicar in 1997, and said his hostile reception made her feel pressured to leave.

She said: “I did not feel my personal preferences were relevant inside the church. He said they were. He seemed to think I was going to walk in holding hands with another woman.

“Just a few weeks after that I had a serious accident and broke my ankle into about seven or eight pieces. Nobody phoned to check up and see how I was. I thought, ‘Why am I kidding myself?’. They didn’t want me.”

“I did not feel my personal preferences were relevant inside the church. My vicar said they were.”

-Jenny Bailey, lay delegate, Metropolitan Community Church

But Ms Bailey, who was married for more than 22 years before realising she was gay in her 40s, also issued words of caution about restricting free speech. She said: “I want it for myself, so why should I not want it for other people? It’s up to them, and it’s their personal opinion. But they should not be able to impose it on me.”

While the MCC argues anti-homosexual readings of the bible do not reflect its meaning, the mainstream church in Bath is more traditional.

The Church of England rural dean of Bath, Patrick Whitworth, said: “From the church’s point of view it is not God’s view. So having the opportunity to question the appropriateness of it should be open to people, but without being critical of the individuals concerned.”

Meanwhile a group hosted by the MP Clare Short will meet at the Commons this Tuesday to campaign against similar clauses in the Equality Bill drawn up by Harriet Harman, Labour’s deputy leader.

The bill is designed to ensure greater equality between people of different gender, race, religion and social class. But the group argues religious ‘opt-out’ clauses could be added as the bill progresses to the House of Lords.

Two international teams of scientists have uncovered three gene variants that up the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia among the elderly and the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States.

Teams led by Dr. Philippe Amouyel of the Institut Pasteur de Lille in France, and Julie Williams, a professor of psychological medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine in Wales, zeroed in on defects in the CLU, CR1 and PICALM genes, and also found another 13 gene variants that are solid candidates for further investigation, according to findings that appear in the Sept. 6 online issue of Nature Genetics. Until now, only four gene variants had previously been definitively associated with Alzheimer’s — APP, PS1, PS2 and APOE.

“Although the role of these two new genes [CLU and CR1] . . . is not yet known in detail, previous studies suggest that they may be involved in the elimination of the major component of amyloid plaques,” explained Amouyel, the leader of the team that studied the CLU and CR1 genes. “Genetic variants at CLU, CR1 and APOE may influence susceptibility to late-onset forms of the disease.”

According to Amouyel, one group of researchers carried out a two-stage analysis of genetic samples from more than 20,000 subjects. In parallel, Williams ran a similar study, discovering the PICALM gene mutations and independently discovering the CLU gene variants.

Most of the DNA samples came from France and other European countries, but U.S. labs contributed to Williams’ study as well, including the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Laboratory of Neurogenetics, the Mayo Clinic and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

“This is the most important finding in the genetic [component] of Alzheimer’s in more than 10 years,” said study co-author Alison Goate, a professor of genetics in psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine and a member of the Alzheimer’s Association Medical & Scientific Advisory Council.

Experts estimate that as many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, which progressively kills brain cells. Alzheimer’s typically attacks people over the age of 65. Symptoms include a range of cognitive, psychiatric and physical problems that eventually lead to death.

The sheer global impact of the illness and the lack of a cure were the driving forces behind the current research.

According to Amouyel, “the identification of these three genes has been possible, thanks to two major elements: first, the possibility to compare thousands of patients through a major collaboration between scientists; and second, the capacity to analyze genetic markers distributed all over the entire genome with high-tech tools, such as DNA chips.”

Relatively little is known about how the newly discovered genes may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. But researchers have noted increased levels of CLU in the brains and cerebrospinal fluids of Alzheimer’s patients. PICALM may play a role in the health of nerve cell synapses and may affect beta-amyloid deposits in the brain.

Each of the new genes probably contributes about 8 percent to an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s, Goate said. In addition to genetic factors, there are likely to be environmental and lifestyle variables that also contribute to the risk, she noted.

“Identifying gene variants like CLU and PICALM advances our understanding of the many genetic factors that may contribute to overall risk for this devastating neurological disorder,” Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, associate director of NIA’s neuroscience and neuropsychology of aging program, said in a statement. “This knowledge may then lead to novel disease pathways that can be targeted to develop new treatments.”

In another genetic discovery reported in the same journal, Dutch researchers say they have found two new gene variants linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The variants appear to play a role in the neural pathways that are involved in this deadly disease, which involves the steady loss of neurons that results in muscle atrophy, paralysis and, finally, death.

Tot mai multe studii recente arată că evoluţia umană nu s-a oprit în epoca modernă. O mulţime de exemple arată că rasa umană e în continuă transformare, iar creierele nu fac excepţie.

Evoluţia umană este într-un proces de accelerare, este ultima concluzie a cercetătorilor. Sute de gene ale genomului uman arată fără echivoc schimbări petrecute asupra corpului uman în ultimii 10.000 de ani.

“Creierul a cunoscut, totuşi, o evoluţie mai târzie”, declară pentru Live Science John Hawks, paleoantropolog la Universitatea din Wisconsin. Cu toate acestea, mărimea creierului uman a suferit o micşorare în ultimii 5.000 de ani. “Creierul s-a micit cu 150 de centimetri cubi, ajungând azi în volum la 1.350 de centimetri cubi. Asta înseamnă o reducerecu 10%”, spune Hawks.

Motivul pentru care omenirea renunţă la creiere voluminoase este pus pe seama faptului că în societăţile dezvoltate activităţile de zi cu zi sunt specializate şi distribuite mai multor persoane. Spre deosebire de vremurile în care eram vânători şi culegători, oamenii moderni nu mai au nevoie de creiere cu dimensiuni atât de mari.

Sursa: Live Science

Sehr interessante Dokumentation von arte über einen Multinationalen Biotechnologiekonzern! Monsanto erwirtschaftet viel Geld. Viel Geld aus Geschäften mit Agent Orange, PCB oder Gen-Pflanzen. Erfolgreich ist der Gigant auf dem Agro-Sektor deshalb, weil er beste Beziehungen zu Regierungsbehörden hat, Druck ausübt oder Gutachten manipuliert, um seine Produkte auf den Markt zu bringen. Monsantos Skandalgeschichte ist lang: So zeigt Robins Film, dass Monsanto seit Jahrzehnten über die hochtoxische Wirkung von PCB, eines der schlimmsten Umweltgifte, Bescheid wusste. Die Verkäufer aber erhielten die Weisung, darüber zu schweigen. In Verruf geriet die Firma auch wegen des Verkaufs des Wachstumshormons rBGH. In Europa und Kanada sind sie verboten: Risiken für Verbraucher, die Milch von entsprechend behandelten Kühen trinken, konnten nicht ausgeschlossen werden. In den USA versuchte Monsanto Molkereien gerichtlich zu zwingen, nicht mehr mit dem Aufdruck rBGH-frei zu werben. Tatsächlich stammen 90 Prozent aller weltweit angebauten Gen-Pflanzen von Monsanto. Über Patente sichert sich der Konzern weitreichende Zugriffsrechte auf die Produktion unserer Lebensmittel: Die Ernte gehört nicht dem Landwirt allein. Über exklusive Nutzungsrechte kann der Konzern bestimmen, wer was zu welchen Preisen kaufen darf. Denn selbst die verarbeitete Ernte, also das Endprodukt ist im Patentanspruch enthalten. Das global agierende Unternehmen verfolgt ein atemberaubendes Ziel: Es will die globale Landwirtschaft vollständig unter seine Kontrolle bringen, sagt Ulrike Brendel, Gentechnikexpertin von Greenpeace. Dabei greifen Monsantos Strategien wie Zahnräder ineinander: Einflussnahme auf Politik und Wissenschaft, Aufkauf konkurrierender Unternehmen, aggressiver Erwerb von Patenten, Kontrolle von Landwirten und Inkaufnahme der Kontamination unserer Nahrungsmittel mit Gen-Pflanzen.

Nu sunt a ta!… Nu, chiar de crezi şi mi-o spui cu îndrăzneala unui trandafir frumos, ce totodată mă atinge cu spinii fără a lăsa nicio urmă! Nici când mă priveşti ca o torţă arzându-mă fără fum… o redută cucerită. Nici măcar atunci când stârneşti în mine furtuni de tăcere şi lupte demoniace înnegurate, înfrigurate, zguduite… Chiar de mă deposedezi de gânduri şi valuri de suflet… Nu sunt a ta!
Ba… poate da… sunt a ta! Când mă cuprinzi nevăzut în noaptea fără Lună, şi singurii aştri sunt ochii tăi dogorâtori. Te strig în vis, şi mă urmăreşti pierdut şi atent, prin locuri neapuse şi timpuri redenumite. Chiar şi atunci când îmi laşi amintire un sărut fără început… Când ninge cu soare de priviri şi zâmbete îngheţate de clipă. Poate sunt a ta!
Da… sunt a ta! Când visez muzica atingerii tale şi parfumul glasului tău strigând numele meu. Chiar şi atunci când în ochii mei se naşte o văpaie nouă hrănită din jarul de sub genele tale. Da, de mă învălui în pulbere de vise nespuse, nepătrunse, închise în sărutul prizonier în privire. Da… sunt a ta!
Nu sunt a ta, ba sunt… când …

In the Nov 11, 2009 New York Times Science section, a story has been published titled “Speech Gene Shows Its Bossy Nature” where a single gene known as FOXP2 has been found to be responsible for speech (or lack thereof). All animals have an FOXP2 gene, but the human version’s product differs at just 2 of its 740 units from that of chimpanzees, suggesting that this tiny evolutionary fix may hold the key to why people can speak and chimps cannot.

Read more of the story here.

Interesting health news: BBC News reports today that “cancer protein ‘can be disarmed.’ Scientists have found a way to disarm a protein thought to play a key role in leukaemia and other cancers… The protein [referred to as "Notch"] is one of the body’s transcription factors, which turn genes on or off and set in motion genetic cascades that control how cells grow and develop. They also help fuel the growth of tumours.”

Cancer is one of the two most frequent causes of death in the United States, so eliminating cancer is a wonderful goal. I worry though that research like this treats the symptom rather than the cause. This type of therapy allows the cause of the cancer to continue unabated, allowing the number of cancer patients to remain constant rather than decline. What will potentially be caused is an increase in the number of cancer survivors, which of course is good. While preventing the spread of cancer within a patient’s body is admirable, preventing someone from becoming a cancer patient in the first place is an even better idea.

If there was still lead in drinking water and asbestos in building material we could use the therapy described above to treat the cancer cases and could then continue to use lead and asbestos. The root cause of the cancer would not be addressed. People would continue to get sick and would be treated. Problem solved?

A cure for cancer does not involve gene therapy to build our resistance, or to weaken cancer’s ability to spread. A cure for cancer involves us changing the conditions that lead to our developing the disease. This usually means changes in industry, changes in environmental policies and practices, and changes in diet. As individuals we ourselves therefore have a huge amount of control over our own cures for cancer. It is only a matter of change.

416424     การเพาะเลี้ยงเนื้อเยื่อเพื่อการถ่ายฝากยีนในพืช     Tissue Culture for Gene Transfer in Plant

หลักการเพาะเลี้ยงเนื้อเยื่อพืช เทคนิคเฉพาะในการเพาะเลี้ยงเนื้อเยื่อพืชเพื่อการปรับปรุงพันธุ์พืชโดยการชักนำให้เกิดการกลาย การเพาะเลี้ยงคัพภะ การเพาะเลี้ยงอับละอองเรณูการเพาะเลี้ยงและการรวมโปรโตพลาสต์ การนำไปใช้ในด้านอื่นๆ เทคนิคต่างๆ ที่ใช้ในการถ่ายฝากยีนในพืช ความรู้ใหม่ๆ ที่เกี่ยวข้อง

(Principles of plant tissue culture; special techniques in plant tissue culture; mutation breeding by tissue culture, embryo culture, anther culture, protoplast culture and fusion; various techniques of plant gene transfer; recent knowledge in related fields.)

(416424 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

Ieri am ramas fara rimel… Am intrat in  primul magazin si, pentru ca bugetul meu nu era foarte mare:), am zis k intru si iau ce se incadreaza in pret. Am pus mana pe Maybelline Colossal si l-am cumparat pentru ca periuta parea ok…In rest, eram si foarte grabita si nu m-am agitat prea tare. De dimineta am incercat rimelul si am ramas uimita. Este foarte usor de aplicat, are un negru extrem de intens, iar genele par mult mai lungi. Nu se aduna pe gene si nu curge.  Eu zic ca raportul pret/calitate este excelent!

collosal

“Peter Brown for Mayor now that’s flaky”- Annise Parker, Peter Brown endorsing Anniseparker now that’s flaky http://bit.ly/4CpP4u

↑こんな広告が10月末にテレビや新聞に登場。Channel 4の「Race: Science’s Last Taboo（人種：科学の最後のタブー）」シリーズの1話で、人種とIQ（知能指数）が関連しているという社会通念を、ジャーナリストのRageh Omaarが科学的に論破するというドキュメンタリーだ。この広告につられて、このシリーズの3つの番組「Race & Intelligence: Science’s Last Taboo（人種と知能指数：科学の最後のタブー）」、「Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth（漂白、美容整形：白人の美の神話）」「Is it Better to Be Mixed Race?（混血の方が優れている？）」を見てみた。

「Race & Intelligence: Science’s Last Taboo」は、「nature versus nurture（遺伝要因対環境的要因）」論争を元に、知能指数の発達は、遺伝性なものなのか、生活環境によって決定されるのか、科学的に追求するという主旨だが、以前に発達心理学のクラスで習ったことばかりで、目新しいことはない。アメリカの統計によると、平均知能指数は、東洋人＞白人＞黒人・その他有色人種という順になっている。東洋人は儒教の影響で、勉学に励むことが美とされており、子供の教育にかける親の情熱は他の人種に比べて高い。それに比べ、黒人は貧困層に多く、親が子供の教育に力を入れられず、学校教育も劣悪なことが多い。だから、同じ所得水準・環境に置かれれば、どの人種も知能指数に違いはない、というのがジャーナリストの結論。確かに、中流階級以上の黒人の知能指数は、貧困層に比べて高い。結論通りかもしれないが、現在、実験対象となる大きなサンプルがなく、まだ科学的には証明されていない。また、知能指数は個人差が大きく、人種間の平均値を比べることに意味があるのか。何人だから頭がいい、悪いというのは、単なるステレオタイプだ。大事なことは、知能指数という「数」にこだわりすぎず、貧困層の教育環境を良くすること、親への啓蒙活動、そして何より本人の努力と意思なんだと思う。

「Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth」は、イギリスに住む有色人種が、白人のようになるために、肌の色の漂白から整形手術、豊胸・減胸手術（アフリカ人はヨーロッパ人より一般的に胸が大きいそうだ）、手術で背を高くする（南アジア人は背が低い人が多い）等々を取り上げている。ハリウッド映画や白人が主であるファッション・モデル等、確かに白人が美の手本として世界に広められているということもあるかもしれない。でも、白人が大多数の国においては、白人の美が基準なのは当然。ロンドンは有色人種率が高いが、全国的には90％近くが白人だ。このような環境に置かれたら、自分もああなりたいと思うのは自然なこと。例えば、イギリスの平均サイズの女性が、イギリスよりも痩せていて背の低い女性の多い日本に来た場合、自国では普通でも、周りはスリムで小柄な女性ばかり。そんな人ばかり見ていると、自分は太り過ぎ、背も高いし何だか居心地悪い、などと思うようになるのでは（現に、私も日本に帰ると自分は太り過ぎ？と不安になる）。また、これらの美容整形を受ける人たちに共通していえることは、過去の辛い経験等から、自分に自信がないこと。だから、白人のようになれば、人生良くなるという錯覚を抱いている。彼らに必要なのは整形手術じゃなくて、心理的サポートじゃないだろうか。

「Is it Better to Be Mixed Race?」は、ハーフの子供を持つジャーナリストが、自分の子は他の子よりも優れていると思いたいだけの、超思い込みの激しい番組。科学的根拠も希薄だ。混血（差別的表現とのご指摘があるかもしれませんが、他に日本語での表現方法がないので、ご容赦ください）の進んだブラジルでの研究で、混血は均斉のとれた顔立ちが多く、人は左右相称の顔を魅力的だと感じるとの理由で、ミックスの方が美しい。また、スラム街の住人（混血が多い）は、富裕層（白人が多い）に比べて、よりストレスに強いという結果が出たから、精神的にも強い。そして、正統派ユダヤ人等純血のグループ間で、ある種の遺伝病が多いから、混血の方が身体的にも丈夫。事実かもしれないけれど、決定的証拠もないのに、ちょっと決めつけが過ぎる。まるで、純血の人々はいずれ滅びる弱い存在であるかのような態度で、混血、異人種感結婚がいかに優れた子供を生み出すかを強調する。純血を説く白人至上主義者を批判しているわりに、言ってることはそんなに変わらない。番組中、科学者たちが言っているように、知能指数と同じく、その人の生活環境に大きくされるため、混血の子供イコール優れていると考えるのは間違いだと思うのだけれど。

BBC、Channel4の人種問題を扱う番組には（先日のQuestion Timeを含む）、正義感を振りかざし、差別はいけない、人は皆平等だと常に説教されている気がして、少し違和感を感じる。あんまり声高に言いすぎると、逆効果になる気がするのだが。しかし人種問題は、どうしていつも非白人のジャーナリストが担当するのか？白人だと、「Politically Correctness」（差別・偏見なく公平に）という意識が強すぎて、言いたいことも言えず、無難な番組しか作れないからだろうか。人種だけにスポットライトを当てず、人口構成比の半分を占める女性への差別も、もっと取り扱ってほしいものだ。

↑ The sensational ads above appeared on TV and newspapers at the end of October. The ads were about a documentary, a part of Channel 4’s “Race: Science’s Last Taboo” series. Journalist Rageh Omaar explored myths about correlation between race and IQ and revealed what he thinks important lessons for society. I saw three programs of this series; “Race & Intelligence: Science’s Last Taboo“, “Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth“, and “Is it Better to Be Mixed Race?.”

“Race & Intelligence: Science’s Last Taboo” explored what elements decide IQ, based on “nature versus nurture” debates. Basically what the program told us was what I learned in developmental psychology class and it is common sense in psychology. According to the statistics in the US, average IQ is in this order; East Asians > whites > blacks and other ethnic groups. Influenced by Confucianism, the East Asians highly values in education and parents’ passion to educate their children surpass other groups. On the other hand, the African Americans parents, many of them live under poverty and are single parents, cannot afford to spend too much time to take care of their children’s education, and schools in their area tend to be of poor quality. Therefore, the journalist’s conclusion was that there would be no difference in IQ among different races, if under the same environment and the same income levels. It is true that the average IQ among middle class African Americans are higher than the ones in poor neighborhood. Probably the conclusion is correct, but there are no big sample for comparison and therefore it is not proven scientifically. I think there is no point to compare the average IQ, because individual difference is far bigger among one race than between races. It is wrong to say if you are smart or not, based on your race. Instead of obsessing with the number, the important things are to give a better educational environment to everyone, and to advocate the parents, and the most of all is the your effort and determination to succeed in what you are interested.

Two-parts documentaries of Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth” examine the growing trend for ‘deracialisation’ surgery. The programs pick up ethnic minorities living in UK who try all kind of things to make them look “white” – bleaching their skins, breast enhancement or reduction (Africans in average have bigger breast), operation to make you taller (South Asians are shorter than white in average), nose jobs etc. It is true that Hollywood and fashion industry, in which majority of the models are white, promote ‘white’ beauty standard, but for me it is all about the personal problems. First of all, if you live in the country where big majority are white, it is natural for minorities to conform to majority’s values. UK looks pretty diverse if you see only London and other big cities, but still about 90% are white nationwide. Let’s say, if average size British woman lives in east Asian countries where people are more petite, she may feel more or less fish out of the sea and probably feel a bit uncomfortable about her body (I myself feel a bit too fat every time I come back to Japan with full of bone-skinny women).  More than the admiration of white beauty, I see lack of self-confidence and insecurity in people who want to ‘erase’ their ethnic traits, probably due to their past traumatic experiences. They have a false belief that their life will improve if you become more ‘white’. Maybe what they need is psychotherapy than operation.

“Is it Better to Be Mixed Race?” is the most annoying program among all what I’ve seen in the series. The scientist who presented the documentary just wanted to believe that her mixed-race daughter is better than others and the scientific proof shown in the program were weak. Quoting the result of the research in Brasil where you can observe advanced level of racial mixture, she believes that mixed race people are more beautiful because mixed race have more symmetrical face, as research shows that people tend to be attracted by symmetrical features. Also people in Favela, where mixed race are more common, are more stress resistant than white affluent population in Brasil, she concluded that mixed race are psychologically stronger. There are higher in certain genetic diseases among more pure-blooded group such as Orthodox Jews, and this made her think that mixed race are physically strong as well. Maybe it’s true, but I don’t like the way she boasted how great mixed race people are, as if pure-blooded people are weak and inferior, soon to extinct. She criticized white supremacists who don’t agree with interracial marriage, but what she said is not so different from those whom she accused. However, as one of the scientist in the program said, it is highly depend on your lifestyle and environment and it is too simplistic to say that mixed race is better.

Sometimes I feel something uneasy with the BBC and Channel 4 programs (including Question Time the other day) dealing with race and discrimination – they are so full of justice, preachy and condescending by telling us how bad discrimination is and everyone is equal. Yes it is true, but it may cause adverse reaction if you push too hard.  Also why non-white always make the race related programs? I guess because whites cannot say anything due to politically correctness and end up making goody goody program. I wish they also deal with discrimination against women more, which consist half of the population, instead of talking about race all the times.

I heard someone recently put it this way, “I see Jesus as a good contagious gene”…the idea is that we don’t every single that permeates through our body but it can be shared. It can be magnetic. It can be altering to the DNA of the soul. Everything in your narrative I agree with actually. Jesus did come to save us from our sin, past tense. And so, where I am coming from is “let’s move on from there” and see what it looks like to be him in the here and now. The ancient authors of the Old Testament saw heaven as Eden. In fact, when you tear apart the word Eden in Hebrew it comes to mean either Paradise or a perfect place. It was a hearkening back to the days of our progenitors. I definitely think from the cross onwards Jesus has now/is now relying on us to “put the world to rights”. If that better way to live was a healing way to live then it is much more important than what people like Buddha and Ghandi might have offered. There’s were ideologies and I don’t want to sound like I am cheapening other religions, I am definitely not, just creating some distinctness in language. See I would see his resurrection as another nod towards a healing way of life. That we bring resurrection and hope into our contexts. That death, sin and the other pervasive things we got ourselves into don’t have the last word, but Christ does. Which it seems we agree very much on. Interestingly enough there are a huge amount of resources that are popping up now that explain the “judgment language” Jesus uses and how it would have been received by his audience. It would seem important to contextually understand the words of Jesus, and as I am sure you have seen, there are many even ‘Christian’ denominations who have taken their own versions. But why is it important to do this? Because then it helps us approach Scripture, life, and others within a proper narrative and context with which we all can effect change. Going back to the resurrection, I have spent some time in various churches around the world and it seems most talk as if the resurrection of Jesus hasn’t happened yet. As if we are still low-grade worms and there is no hope for humanity. The good news is that now through Christ no person is ever a low-grade worm. We can now embrace phrases like “more than conquerors” and “new creation” with raw assurance that we don’t have to earn it.And through our partnership with Jesus we get to bring the hope of the Kingdom with us. And if you tear apart the phrase “Kingdom of God” and implant it into the first-century Palestine culture, it literally means ‘way of life’. Jesus came to demonstrate what it looks like to follow him and how are actions can save one another as well (e.g., the Good Samaritan). Now I do believe we need him to save us, but from that point on I think it is up to us to take what he has given us and go and effect change. Go and create peace where is none.

Am buzele pictate cu cerneala rosie.

Da.

Cerneala rosie pentru stilouri.

Si a inceput sa se scurga, acum, in ploaie.

Se scurge si carbunele genelor mele.

Si cenusa unor fire de par, date cu fixativul vremii.

Dar se scurge si viata din mine.

Inima mi-e scursa.

Si nu mai e de vina ploaia.

I met  the Bakkum family in Midtown Sunday morning. Thank goodness we arrived at the same parking structure at the same time. I was so turned around, looked behind me and there they were ready to get capturing moments.

The wall above I couldn’t pass up. As I was lost trying to find the Crest Theater, I saw the wall and scribbled the location on my palm. I am glad I did…

Ava, six months, was an absolute princess! Mom and dad were pretty awesome too…

We wandered from Capitol Park and around the Midtown area…

I first met Alicia many, MANY moons ago as she was a college roommate of one of my best friends from high school. I met Gene a few years ago when I crashed on their couch before boarding a plane to visit the afore-mentioned friend to surprise her. 

Happy baby!

Please enjoy the rest… and feel free to comment. I love when you do!

Sarà capitato a tutti, durante la carriera scolastica, di avere in classe dei compagni copioni, ovvero quelle persone che copiavano persino i temi di italiano.

Il dubbio che mi rodeva dentro allora era: “Ma poi non risulteranno uguali i nostri temi?”… ma a questo si rispondeva con: “Tranquillo, ho cambiato le parole!”

Tutto questo per dire che anche negli anni 60-70 in Italia era uso comune fare “i copioni”, ovvero prendere canzoni famose all’estero (Stati Uniti, Inghilterra, Francia) e metterci su delle parole italiane.

L’esempio di oggi? Il “mitico” Adriano Celentano con uno dei suoi più grandiosi successi del 1962:

…e a seguire la canzone originale del 1961 a opera del mitico Gene McDaniels:

Stranamente in questa versione italiana il significato della canzone resta lo stesso! Incredibile considerando quello che il nostro Adrianone Nazionale fece con “Stand by me”! Ma questa è un’altra storia…

Andre

Hola col·legues,
aquesta no és una proposta de possibles noms pels vostres propers vàstags, sinó la relació de ciclons tropicals que han pertorbat els nostres somnis durant aquests sis darrers mesos, especialment el darrer, Gene, que ens va tenir acollonits durant una setmana; afortunadament, cap d’ells és va acostar a menys de 200 milles i, malgrat van fer forces destrosses per on van passar, a nosaltres només ens van provocar por i nombroses picades dels mosquits, la pau dels quals havíem pertorbat al violar, en busca de refugi, els seus manglars de residència.
Ara, un cop acabat de preparar el Talula i tenint llum verda de ciclons, hem guillat de Noumea per iniciar la llarga ruta que, si tot va bé, ens ha de dur fins a Tailàndia a finals d’any.
Les darreres setmanes han estat liades e intenses: primer varadero, sempre, en el millor dels casos, desagradable, i després despedint-se de tothom; després de 6 mesos de vegetar per aquí, deixar Noumea ha estat, un cop mes, una mica com deixar casa: la amabilitat i generositat d’uns quants bons amics que hem fet o refet aquí, ho ha posat difícil;  ara han quedat enrera i, al retrobar-nos amb la solitud dels fondeijos, els troben molt a faltar; intentem consolar-nos, sense cap èxit de moment, pescant algun dels nombrosos calamars que envolten al Talula a tots els fondeijos. Ells no ho saben però, tard o d’hora, un arròs els espera.
De moment hem baixat fins a l’Illa dels Pins, a l’extrem S de Nova Caledonia; la poca imaginació del blanc que la va batejar (en local és Kinué), queda en evidència al acostar-se a terra; un lloc meravellós, barreja de Meditarà i Pacífic, un dels millors candidats que hem trobat per a venir a descansar del “mundanal ruido”. Ara estem resseguint alguns dels seus increïbles fondeijos d’aigües turqueses sembrades d’esculls i envoltats per les ubiques agulles del “pin caledonien”.

Des d’aquí planegem visitar Lifou i Ubea, dos illes del grup de les Loyauté, també de Nova Caledonia; voldríem esborrar la imatge de pseudo-metropolis blanca i pija, on es pot comprar i fer quasi de tot, i on els kanaks no son mes que ombres sota l’ombra dels arbres dels parcs, que ens ha inculcat Noumea, i retornar el paisatge als seus propietaris i habitants seculars.

D’allí enfocarem cap el N i les illes mes septentrionals de Vanuatu, en cerca, entre d’altres coses, d’una mica de calor tropical que, per aquí, comença a mancar (aquest matí teníem 20º, la temperatura mes baixa que recordem haver viscut en els darrers 4 anys).
Desprès les Solomon, Louisiades,Papua, Indonesia,..bé tot això ja anirà venint, si Dèu plau.