walked to the store, cooked a pizza, did the dishes – incl the pot of leftover chili they had last night that was left sitting out all night, wiped down the counters & cleaned out the sink – incl all the food leftover in the sink from last night’s meal prep (there’s a disposal), cleaned the bathroom incl the tub, took out the trash from my room, the bathroom, & the kitchen, and vacuumed.   all that because i felt good today, not because i was asked, yet it still isn’t good enough.  whatever i do around here they always manage to find something wrong.  this is not good for my depression/anxiety/paranoia.

well, i’ll be out of here soon enough & it won’t matter.  then they’ll have no one but each other to fuss at & when e. runs j. off he can go back to being alone, & when he calls to whine about how he doesn’t have any friends i won’t be sympathetic in the least.  knowing me i’m sure i won’t even answer the phone.  well, i probably will.  we’ve been friends a long time, i just like him better in small doses.  & i like j. well enough really, though no one i’d choose to be friends with.  he’s too – i don’t know – complacent?  willing to just be someone’s door mat.  that sickens me.

the library is hiring again, this time for a 5wk f/t temp position over the holidays.  this time i will get my appl in on time, even though it’s going to be a PITA because i have a MHC appt tomorrow, right in the middle of the day & i have to ride the bus again.  the library is one transfer from here & the MHC is two.  i don’t know why the MHC loop can’t just come all the way to the transfer station, but it doesn’t.  sure – make the crazy ppl jump through all the hoops to get service.  everybody else does:~p  but i have to catch the 2nd transfer, or 1st on the way back, at the mall, so that will be a good chance to put in my appl at build-a-bear.  doesn’t that sound like fun?  there may even be other places hiring i have papered yet.  & hopefully i’ll come back from TD09 with a fully operational vehicle, so if i am blessed with an interview and a job, i can just hop in and drive there instead of spending 2hrs on a bus to get 15mins away.

it would seem by the “secret” in secret journal i mean ‘whiny’.  though this sees a lot more action than my writing blog, which is much happier, no whining, so i guess the public has spoken.  they prefer my misery.

oh yeah, the boy thing?  i can continue to amuse myself by chatting with him, but i can already tell it’s not going any further.  he has made it to the friends zone & that’s about it.

I’d like to share a few things that I’ve learned. Some of the ideas are related to each other:

1. Life isn’t just about me.

Sometimes, I get to be the star and other people support me. Sometimes, other people get to be the star and my job is to support them. The same applies to all of us. Sometimes we’re the star, sometimes the supporting actor. We should play either role with grace and gratitude.

Sometimes, things go the way we want and other people are disappointed. Sometimes, things go the way other people want and we get disappointed. When the latter happens, share the happiness of the people who “won” this time, learn whatever you can from the situation, and then move on to the next goal without looking back.

2. If something isn’t in our control, don’t stress over it.

Sometimes, we and the people we love will get sick. Sometimes, we won’t get the jobs or the social situations we want. Sometimes, we will get dumped. By the time we’re 30, the Arctic ice pack will probably be history (not that we were ever going to go there, anyway). Someday, the sun will explode. Someday, each of us will almost certainly die.

We can’t do a thing about any of those events. Don’t worry about them. Try to invest emotional energy only in things we can control.

3. People do whatever they do. Get over it.

People always think they have good reasons for doing what they do. We usually don’t know what their reasons are. Even when someone makes a hurtful remark, she’s doing it for a reason. Maybe she misinterpreted something we said or did, and that hurt her. In her mind, we were the ones who started it. She might think that she’s just striking back.

People very rarely do mean things just from pure meanness. Instead, they have reasons that make sense to them. In addition, they often have subconscious motivations of which they aren’t even aware.

The best thing we can do is try to be as fair and as nice as we can to everyone. If they don’t act that way toward us, remember that we don’t know their reasons. They see the situation differently from the way we see it.

We are only in charge of our own behavior. We should only worry about making sure that our own actions are fair and loving. How other people act is their choice, between them and their conscience. We have no control over that, so we shouldn’t worry about it.

4. This, too, is for the good.

Our viewpoint is very limited. We don’t see the big picture and we are biased by our own desires. When something happens that frustrates us, we need to remember fact #1: “Life isn’t just about me.”

If we can improve a “bad” situation without hurting people, then we should do it. Otherwise, we should trust in the essential goodness of the universe and not worry about it. Things will work out for the best.

5. Happiness and fulfillment are the goals of life.

For you, for me, and for everyone. Things that help people achieve happiness and fulfillment are good. Things that frustrate the process are bad.

In our personal actions, we should seek happiness and fulfillment for ourselves in a way that supports other people’s pursuit of them. In our countries’ social policies, we should do the same. Policies that help the most people achieve the most happiness and fulfillment are good as long as they don’t violate people’s rights or cause excessive harm.

Here are seven questions that I’d like to ask Anne Fadiman, author of the wonderful book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, when she speaks on campus:

Question 1

In your book Rereadings, you remarked that the first time one reads a book, she does it with more velocity; the second time, she does it with more depth.

Coming back and rereading The Spirit Catches You more than 10 years after you wrote it, do you feel as if you understand it better now? Is there anything you would do differently? Are there parts or aspects of the book of which you are especially proud — that make you think, “Anne, well done!”?

Question 2

In your essay “The Joy of Sesquipedalians,” you said that you were thrilled by the writing of Carl Van Vechten, who tossed off unfamiliar words and classical-literature references with the same ease that some of us can recite details of the latest “Gossip Girl” TV episode. In particular, you wrote that:

What simultaneously thrilled me and made me feel most like a dunce was Van Vechten’s vocabulary. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d met so many words I didn’t know.

In writing, it seems like we have conflicting goals. On one side, there are beauty and depth. On the other side, there are clarity and communication. Based on your description, Van Vechten’s writing seems to succeed at the former but fail at the latter. How can we balance those goals, or should we even try?

Question 3

In your essay “The His’er Problem,” you told how at age 19 you met William Shawn and got a summer job at The New Yorker. Today, print magazines are shrinking or disappearing, and the Web doesn’t yet seem a reliable way to launch a writing career as opposed to a hobby. Do you have any advice for young writers who want to follow in your footsteps?

By the way, I adored your description of the meeting with Mr. Shawn:

“I considered The New Yorker a cathedral and Mr. Shawn a figure so godlike that I expected a faint nimbus to emanate from his ruddy head.”

Question 4

From your essay “Marrying Libraries,” we know that you like William Butler Yeats. Who are some other poets you like, and why? What about contemporary poets?

Question 5

Do you think that reading and writing poetry helps us develop a good writing style? Are there any poets whom you especially recommend for young writers?

Question 6

In your essay “Procrustes and the Culture Wars,” you applied the metaphor of the Procrustean bed to four questions about how to evaluate literature. Do you think that metaphor applies more widely, to issues such as economic justice, gay marriage, health care reform, and even to having a woman or African-American as president? If so, how?

Question 7

Your book The Spirit Catches You is filled with ideas about life, destiny, choice, and forgiveness. As the author, what lessons would you most like us to learn from it?

Met with the new psych yesterday.  Not impressed.  I told my counselor as much when I met with her later.  I wish I could keep seeing the psych I saw in the hospital.  He started me on generic paxil.  It’s a morning pill so I just started it.  Paxil was my first psychotropic med.  I think this is the fourth time I’ve been on it.  Definitely at least the third time.  It concerns me that I’m not on a mood stabilizer too, but I go back in a month for a proper psychiatric intake.  apparently one had not been done before & he was quite kerfuffled.

I really like my counselor though.  She has invited me to join her women’s group, so I’ll get to see her twice a month instead of just once.  Super good.  I have far too many problems right now to just be seeing someone once a month, lol.

I dreamed about momma again last night.  Woke up really upset.  It was a strange & disturbing dream.  Nothing bad, just involved finding out she wasn’t really dead she just had to leave.  My mother lived in her own pain, & while she didn’t say it in the dream I  felt that she had been escaping.  She was young again too.  & happy.  She had to let us think she was dead because she had changed so much.  It was bizarre.  I think it involved aliens.  or god if you’re into that.  But when she was telling me what happened I could see her walking towards a big, bright star in the sky.  She just kept walking away & as she went she got younger.  I told you it was strange.

Just an interesting note, I have to split my pills for the first week & guess what I used?  Yes, I split my antidepressant with the knife I last used to cut my wrists.  would that be considered ironic?

I want to die.  Sometimes I want to kill myself, but usually I just want to die.  That’s a distinction most people don’t get.  Living this life.  Being overtaken by these feelings, the emptiness, dysphoria, all the noise inside my head.  Wondering where my life is going & seeing nowhere/nothing in my future.  It all leaves me with a feeling that death makes sense.  I come from a heavily mentally ill family & do not want that for my life.  It’s especially bad when I can’t sleep.  So much noise inside me head.  “I want to die” repeating on an endless loop.

I question why it is we are supposed to go on living.  What is the purpose?  I have no children, no spouse, not even any pets or plants.  Nothing depends on me.  I can’t get a job at this point.   The psychiatrist at a residential treatment program I was just in has me applying for disability so I can focus on getting stable without the stress of a job.  I used to be a professional, but haven’t even been able to hold down a part-time job in the last few years.

I know I’m a very lucky person.  I have a wonderful support system.  My friends & family love me, & do anything they can to help me.  So many people do not have that.  I know all this, but knowing it & feeling it are not the same.  Sometimes their desire for me to NOT die seems selfish.  But I know it isn’t really a desire to die.  It’s my need for this to stop.  I need to be okay, & that is what they all want for me.

Currently, being unemployed means being uninsured, leaving me dependent on the public mental health system.  Where I live this is lacking.  I am only able to see my counselor about once a month & I think I will only see the psychiatrist a few times a year.  Right now the psychiatrist I’ll be seeing at the MHC has me off the meds the residential psych had me on, which is fine by me.  I was fat enough when I went in, & one of the side effects of the med they put me on is increased appetite & weight gain.  I had worked to get a hold on my eating, but taking that med I had an insatiable hunger.  Of course part of that is the depression & eating to try & fill some void in my soul not my tummy.  Another thing I know, but knowing something is useless when you’re dealing with an emotional issue.  I am now fatter than I have ever been, on top of the edema the medicine also causes.  On top of that while the anti-psychotic in it helped with my paranoia, the anti-depressant isn’t working very well for me.  While Prozac is one I had never tried before, I’d pretty much exhausted the rest of the class years ago.  Hopefully the new psych can give me something to better help the depression, as well as increase my energy, while decreasing food cravings & anxiety.

I go back to the MHC in a couple of days, & I’ll see the psych for new meds & my counselor.  Here’s hoping it all goes well!  I plan to finish my disability application this week & get that sent off.

Next week is National Suicide Prevention Week (9/6-9/12/09). There are numerous ways to get involved in prevention efforts in Tampa Bay.

World Suicide Prevention Day will be celebrated on September 10, 2009. The day is celebrated every year and promotes worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides. This year the theme is: “Suicide Prevention in Different Cultures.”

The purpose of World Suicide Prevention Day is to improve education about suicide, disseminate information, decrease stigmatization and, most importantly, raise awareness that suicide is preventable.

Focus positive attention on this day of prevention by attending a Suicide Prevention Forum in Tampa at First Citrus Bank (10824 N. Dale Mabry Hwy) from 6-7:30 PM. The forum will include personal testimonies of people directly affected by suicide and a discussion about: identifying warning signs, coping with a loved-one’s struggle, and surviving and building a future.

The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay also focuses on suicide prevention each month with a Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention workshop. This workshop is designed for helpers, caregivers, counselors, and family or friends who are interested in this issue or helping others who are struggling with suicidal thoughts. The workshop covers many topics including:

• National and State statistics that help identify at risk groups
• The complex attitudes, emotions, beliefs and situations that may lead to suicidal thinking
• Myths that negatively affect society’s attitudes and affect help seeking behaviors
• Psychological, behavioral and situational warning signs
• Lethality assessment tools
• Buffers against suicide that form connections to living
• Counseling approaches
• Types of questions that encourage positive thinking
• Local, State and National prevention organizations and resources

Our upcoming workshops are scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, and Friday, October 23, both to be held from 1-3PM at the Crisis Center. Learn more and register here.

WORLD HOOP DAY- 9.9.09

In St. Petersburg on Wednesday, September 9, at 6:00 PM, Suncoast Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program has partnered with Hoola Monsters – a professional hoop dance troupe based in St. Pete. They are hosting a donation-based community gathering called Hooping for Hope. The event will take place at Crescent Lake Park (1320 5th Street North, St. Pete). Join in the hooping fun and help save lives with your purchase of a yellow hoola hoop.

Suicide is a community issue and major public health issue. In the Tampa Bay area (Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties), there were 391 suicides during 2007 for all ages. It’s important that we work together to recognize people at risk of suicide. “What can I do?”  We can all reach out – to friends, neighbors, co-workers, relatives who might be struggling! Asking someone about suicide does not plant the idea. This myth causes roadblocks to helping those at risk of suicide. Asking someone directly if they are thinking about suicide in a caring manner does not cause suicide and may help a person realize it’s okay to be struggling and seek help.

For more information or to seek help, call 2-1-1 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255), the National Lifeline number.

-Life Saver

DISCLAIMER: I manage to detract from the serious wow factor of the research findings and scientific discoveries by adding small portions of immaturity. Hey, it’s not my fault that it’s all just a bit too overthought and seems at least a tad ridiculous to me! Note the use of the word ‘Apparently’ are we sure we should trust everything that the Oprah show tells us?!

I was watching Oprah today, as I do most days. Some days she’s really not got anything of interest, some days they’re repeats, some days it’s mildly interesting, some days she has the REALLY ANNOYING MONEY LADY on there (like yesterday) and I beg and plead my mum to change the channel. And other days, you hit the jackpot.

Today was one of those days. It was one of those shows where I actually stopped mid-conversation to listen to what they were saying. I was fully chatting away with my mum about.. something, can’t remember, and I just stopped, funny thing is, I think she was intrigued too so didn’t even notice!

The show started with a guest on Oprah’s show, Dr Marta Meana, saying “Being desired is the real orgasm [for women]” and what women really want, is to be wanted. They want to know that the man they’re having sex with, wants to have sex with them, not just have sex.

Being desired is great. Testing the limits of said desiration, is also fun. As is trying to obtain desire. She [Dr Marta Meana] says, “that while moments of pleasure are great, it’s the anticipation and buildup to those moments that really excite women.” I can agree with that. Sometimes the anticipation is far better than what proceeds it. Of course that can be because of high expectations too.. haha.

Some of the women they talked to said that they were turned on by being dominated. They want the man to take control, as it shows that they are wanted so much. To me, it also shows that they know what they want. And guys who know what they want are quite attractive, I think.

I was actually having this conversation with Beka the other day. In regards to previous exes and current .. erm.. prospects .. in each other’s lives. We came to the conclusion, that it’s not going to work with a guy who doesn’t know what he wants, doesn’t have motivation, doesn’t get off his ass and try and make something of himself, because that’s how he will be in the relationship. Where as, compared to someone who knows what they want, where they’re going, is motivated and has goals, how ever ridiculous they are, it shows they have passion. And passion is contagious. Passion is attractive. It shows that if they want something, such as you, they will go for it, they will work for it, and so from a logical point of view, that relationship is going to work far better than with a less motivated partner.

Personally, for me, anyone I’m interested in has to have some kind of passion, some kind of idea of where they’re headed, or at least making an attempt to find that, or doing something with themselves that is productive. Of course this is of only recent. I like to think I got  a hell of a lot smarter and a far better idea of what I want, over the last year, maybe two.

Anyway I stray from the path intended.

The show then progressed to the 5 Elements of Attractiveness.

This is the funniest parts.

Smell – Researchers have found that when women are ovulating, they produce pheromones called Copulins, which have a distinct smell. Described as smelling like “butter.. gone off”. Que immature humour. Poo you smell like gone off butter.. you must be ovulating! Ha ha ha.. And then “When a man gets a whiff of copulins, his testosterone levels rise. As a result, he secretes androstenone, an odor that repels women who aren’t ovulating.” This is because guys want a woman who, should he get into her pants, be able to carry on his genes, make his babies. Apparently, though they’re not concious of the fact, and may not intend to.. plant seeds that first night, the attraction for this reason is still there.

Then they showed an experiment where they gave women sweaty man tshirts to them, to rate the attractiveness of their smell. Women were most attracted to the shirts of men with differing major histocompatability complexes (MHC) to theirs. MHC is a collection of genes relating to the immune system. And apparently, we unconciously want to mate with someone with a different immune system to ours, so as to improve the survival chances of our babies. It makes sense really doesn’t it. And this is all unconcious!

The person said, you should smell your partner when they’re relatively clean. To see whether their smell turns you on or off… Que more immaturity. “Take a shower so I can smell you” .. “Poo. Yuck. Your dumped!”

It’s amazing what researchers find. While I could tell you “You’re not likely to be attracted to someone whose smell you didn’t like” I would never have thought it was ANYTHING to do with MHC and different immune systems, and an unconcious instinct which is planning ahead.

Voice – Now, this one suprised me. And I actually didn’t believe it. When women are ovulating, mid-cycle, and are most likely to conceive, their voices are unconciously higher than usual. This is because of the increased estrogen. And guess what. Men find higher pitched female voices more attractive. And guess why. Because they unconciously want to spread their seeds and make babies!

I seriously didn’t believe that a women’s voice changes throughout her cycle. But according to the recordings of women at different stages in their cycle, they do. That is wack. Obviously it’s not a huge increase in pitch. And it is probably unnoticeably unless you are comparing recordings.

And so then too, it worked the same with men. But reversed. Females found lower male voices more attractive. As a lower pitched voice shows manliness and testosterone and good babymaking skills. Not that they used those exact words..

Facial Attractiveness - Apparently, women who are *pauses* you got it, OVULATING, are thought to have a bit of a healthier glow to their face. Because of the increased estrogen, perphaps? *shrugs* I’m just trying to sound intelligent now.. Anyway. You may have already have realised where this is heading. Men find the faces of women who are ovulating, become more attractive. Que counting. Hey mum, (que ignorance) when does a woman ovulate? Midcycle. Okay. Oooh! I’m ovulating (sorry for the TMI xP) does my face look more attractive?! Okay, this was the best comeback, kudos to my mum lol, “It’s hard to tell. I think the sickly flushed flu look detracts from it”. She’s right haha.

Well after that, I couldn’t resist, but say, that’s okay, by thursday I’ll be mighty fine (bloody hope so), me and Beka are going clubbing, and so we’ll test the theory then. See if I throw off any Copulins to hook me a guy, attracted to me because I’m ovulating. Though in all seriousness. How the hell would you be able to tell, whether it was because you were ovulating, that you met a guy, or whether it was meant to be, or whether it was pure randomness. Lol. Crazy.

Anyway. Attention span is failing tonight, sorry.

Symmetry also is another factor in determining the attractiveness of a face. They’ve ACTUALLY come up with an equation to measure the beauty of someones face. By using 29 different measurements, it can be used to rate the attractiveness of a face on a scale of 1 to 10. My jaw would have hit the floor if it could have! Yeah there’s equations and measurements to draw idealistic beautiful faces. All I could think was, wtf, who really decided to find a formula or way to calculate the beauty of someone’s face. *shakes head* this is where we are heading. No longer can we calculate things based on instinct, no, we’ll make up a mathematical way. Argghh.

To get one thing clear. I’m not against change. Much. I’m not against progression, advancement, research, discoveries, things helping us into the future. I’m against stupid things that are irrelevant. I’m against all the time and money put into finding a way to calculate the attractiveness of a face. In a world that so doesn’t need any more self-image problems. Case and point a friend who just signed into msn and said something so untrue, but that’s what they believe.. And with the possibility of crazy futures, que overactive imagination, what happens if they start calculating everyones face attractiveness. They did several celebs. But what if something bizarre happens like in a series of books I read. It became a world divided into the pretties, the uglies and the specials. Segregation due to attractiveness. Fucked up books, but when you find out there’s actually a concrete way to measure atractiveness.. well.. there’s how it could be started.

But paranoid futuristic worries aside, this method is called the Golden Ratio. And as said in the link, most people score between 4 and 6. Ouch. Brad Pitt was a 9.3. They’ve yet to find a perfect 10.

Money and Sex Appeal – This was their “Are women really gold diggers?” question. Turns out. We are! Evolutionary survival instinct. Again it comes back to babies. Apparently, as back in cave man days, we (we being women) want a hunter that can provide for us and our dependent babies. We want the hunter that can bring home the biggest chunk of meat.

They showed several photos of men without any additional details, to a group of women to rate 1 to 10 in attractiveness. They then told the women how much the guys earned, and their job, and they were asked to rate them again. The women rated stable high incomes and well paid men higher than the original score, and lower income men lower than the original score. But c’mon. It’s not our fault. It’s our evolutionary instincts! *cough*

I personally, well scrap that. They were talking to women older than me. My opinion here doesn’t count to much. I don’t care about money at this stage. But then I’ma be earning enough money for me, myself, and I, and any littlies and bum-husbands I have. In the future. Rofl! Jokes. Obviously it comes into consideration.

The Importance Of A First Kiss – The first kiss involves all of your senses. So you can really get a good feel for who he is, is he the type to take control, or step back. Haha, 66% of women would dump a guy after a first bad kiss. Never heard of practice makes perfect? Taking charge in those situations are a must. If they’re kissing is not doing it for you, you have to try and make them get better. Or yeah. Dump ‘em. Hahaha.

Also, couples who regularly kiss and cuddle are 8 times less likely to be stressed and depressed than those that don’t. “You have to have a minimum of a 10-second kiss every day” Which spurred some comment from Oprah about having had a 27second long kiss that day… or something.. haha.

And there’s your 5 elements of Attractiveness as discussed on the Oprah Show today.

I learnt alot. Laughed alot. And blogged alot about it.

Personally, I try not to think that hard about the attractiveness of someone. I usually will decided unconciously as to whether I think they have potential or not. Or sometimes it grows and sneaks up on me. As in, holy cow I didn’t know I was attracted to him! Lol.

I also think, that us women are not entirely shallow. And personality also plays a large part in whether we find a man attractive or not. Lol. Sometimes. Ha ha.

Oh. And I have over 2000 views on my blog! I thought it was worth celebrating by writing over 2000 words in this post. So I think this is just over 2000 words. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog It makes writing loads of nonsense that bit more satisfying knowing that someone or somepeople actually read it!

]]> http://ceticismo.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/a-quimica-do-amor/ Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:57:04 +0000 André http://ceticismo.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/a-quimica-do-amor/ http://snipmagazin.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/romantik-ist-nicht-alles/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:52:30 +0000 snipmagazin http://snipmagazin.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/romantik-ist-nicht-alles/

Wie Gene unser Liebesleben beeinflussen

Maria da Graca Bicalho vom Lehrstuhl für Immungenetik der Universität in Paraná, Brasilien, glaubt, dass Menschen mit sehr unterschiedlichen Haupthisto-kompatibilitätskomplexen (MHC = Major Histocompatibility Complex) sich anziehender finden, als Menschen mit ähnlichen MHCs. Der evolutionäre Hintergrund könnte das Hervorbringen gesünderer Nachkommen sein.

Relationship quizzes in magazines are fun, but a test for genetic compatibility might be the better way to see if your wife or girlfriend will cheat on you.

When it comes to choosing a mate, opposites really do attract, according to new research that shows people are subconsciously more likely to choose a partner whose genetic make-up is different to their own.

A Brazilian study presented at a conference in Europe in June has found evidence that married couples are more likely to have genetic differences in a DNA region governing the immune system than were randomly matched pairs.

The study backs up other research done at the University of New Mexico which found genetic differences could possibly explain romantic chemistry and even whether woman was likely to be unfaithful. Couples in which the individuals had dissimilar versions of so-called MHC genes had the greatest sexual compatibility.

More robust babies

Scientists believe genetic difference gives couples a better chance of healthy reproduction, because with greater variations the immune system can recognise a broader range of foreign (or invader) cells, making the offspring more able to ward off infections.

Scientists say it was not clear what signals attract the body to people who are genetically different.

Previous studies have suggested animals may use body odor as a guide to identify possible mates as being genetically similar or dissimilar, but other physical factors like facial symmetry may also be involved.

Similarity a sexual turn off

The University of Mexico study found the attraction between opposites was strongest when women were most fertile. “As the [MHC] similarity increases, women are more turned off toward the guy sexually and more likely to be fantasizing about other men, specifically when she’s at the fertile point in her cycle,” said study team member Randy Thornhill, a biologist at the University of New Mexico.

Not only did they fantasize, but women in similar-MHC relationships reported more sexual encounters outside with other men.

Wow, I am late w/ everything.  This was supposed to be posted like … a week ago, but I’m a slacker as previously mentioned.  The stand out track of the month was Dopeman by Pusha T and Cookin’ Soul.  As expected, everyone and their brother decided to jump on the beat w/ the best combination being Weezy, Push, and Kool G Rap.  The rest of the countdown is the typical cast of characters.

Full countdown below the cut.

DOWNLOAD:  MHC’s Top 10 – May 09

01. #10. Method Man & Redman – Im Dope Nigga
02. #9. Red Cafe – Hottest In The Hood Remix ft. Diddy, Jadakiss, Rick Ross, Fabolous, OJ Da Juiceman
03. #8. Eminem – 3 A.M. (Travis Barker Rmx)
04. #7. Charles Hamilton – Tears of Fire ft. Crooked I
05. #6. Madonna – Revolver Ft. Lil Wayne
06. #5. T.I. -Dont Forget Ft. Mary J Blige
07. #4. Wale – Hot Shyt Ft. Peedi Crakk, Black Thought, 2Face, Young Chris
08. #3. Camron – Woo Hoo ft. Byrd Lady & 40 Cal
09. #2. Eminem – Underground
10. #1. Lil Wayne, Pusha T, Kool G Rap – Dopeman Remix

Le cœur selon la science

Sylvain Sarrazin

(Agence Science-Presse) – Ah, l’amour… on en parle parfois avec une petite gêne. Mais, à en croire certains scientifiques, c’est également une question de… gènes. Les plus récentes recherches «coup de cœur» sur ce mystère universel.

Recherche génétique

Le clin d’œil discret ou le petit compliment bien placé ont désormais un sérieux rival dans la gamme des outils de séduction. Son nom — MHC — est certes moins sexy. Mais il est efficace. Le Major Histocompatibility Complex est une région du génome humain agissant comme une tour de guet immunitaire, détectant infections et autres indésirables microscopiques. Or, d’après des recherches menées en Europe et aux États-Unis, un individu en quête de sa douce moitié serait aussi influencé par son MHC!

Les contraires s’attirent

Les résultats de leurs études étonnent! En effet, plus le patrimoine génétique des tourtereaux serait différent, plus grande serait la probabilité qu’ils se désirent. La raison? Le choix d’un conjoint muni de gènes complémentaires sur le plan immunitaire permettrait de transmettre aux enfants du couple une gamme plus large de récepteurs. Bref, un bouclier contre les infections plus large et plus efficace.

Difficile cependant de s’échanger une analyse de son MHC comme on se glisserait un numéro de téléphone (même si des entreprises américaines proposent ce nouveau service matrimonial!). C’est pourquoi chaque individu a la faculté d’émettre et de détecter des molécules odorantes — les phéromones — marquées de ce sceau génétique. Des chercheurs suédois de l’Université d’Uppsala sont arrivés aux mêmes conclusions : qui ne se ressemblent (génétiquement) s’assemblent!

Génétique et séduction en Afrique et aux USA

Pour aller plus loin, l’ethnobiologiste Raphaëlle Chaix et son équipe ont passé au crible le patrimoine génétique de couples issus de populations ciblées du Nigeria et des États-Unis. Mais, comme toujours, l’amour n’est pas si facile à dompter. Dans le premier cas, le MHC n’a pas vraiment joué les entremetteurs, tandis qu’il apparaît comme un élément crucial et systématique dans le second.

«Chez les Yorubas, en Afrique, nous avons remarqué que les membres du couple étaient plus similaires génétiquement, tant au niveau du génome entier qu’au niveau du MHC. Dans cette population, ce sont davantage les facteurs sociaux, comme les mariages entre cousins, qui déterminent le choix du conjoint», remarque la chercheuse. Par conséquent, si les barrières sociales sont peu rigides quant au choix du conjoint, l’importance du facteur MHC est donc mise en évidence.

À la lumière des travaux menés par d’autres scientifiques, il apparaît en effet que le rôle joué par la génétique n’est qu’une étincelle qui met le feu aux passions. Bref, vous avez le même indicatif, mais d’autres éléments décisifs, comme l’aspect physique, le vécu de l’individu ou son comportement viendront compléter le numéro gagnant.

Pilule d’amour

Pour ceux qui auraient encore foi en Cupidon, voici de quoi les faire fléchir. Larry Young, chercheur à l’université américaine d’Emory, croit en la possibilité de confectionner une pilule qui, dotée de l’hormone appropriée, pourrait provoquer une réaction chimique et stimuler les émotions amoureuses. Bref, un véritable élixir d’amour en capsule.

«Il y a une grande différence entre être amoureux et tomber amoureux, précise cependant Ariel Fenster, professeur de chimie à l’Université McGill. Quand on est avec un conjoint pendant longtemps, on a un sentiment de satisfaction, associé au niveau d’ocytocine.» Cette molécule agirait sur le sentiment d’attachement.  Donc, l’effet de cette fameuse pilule sur le taux d’ocytocine serait plutôt comparable à celui d’un antidépresseur. Une vraie roue de secours pour couples en panne.

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Cercetatorii de la Societatea Europeana a Geneticii Umane au decis: dragostea nu trece doar prin stomac, ci si prin nas! MHCul (complexul major histocompatibil) din ADN tine de sistemul nostru imunitar si cu el putem mirosi transpiratia, astfel dandu-ne seama daca ne potrivim cu el/ea. Tendinta este de a alege o persoana cu un MHC total diferit, din aceasta cauza nu suntem atrasi de rude sau de persoane de sex opus cu care avem foarte multe in comun, sustin cercetatorii.

-inspirat dintr-o stire publicata de ziarul Libertatea……

E clar atunci. Producatorii de sapunuri, parfumuri, antipersiprante, deodorante, si alte produse asemanatoare sunt vinovati de rata mare a divorturilor. Cum isi permit ei sa se bage peste transpiratia noastra, si peste sansele noastre de a gasi partenerul potrivit?! )    

Din partea burlacilor romani,  Ionut Andrisan

(imagine preluata de pe www.bajainsider.com)

Notch another study backing up the old adage. Opposites do attract. Work by Maria da Graca Bicalho and her colleagues at the University of Parana in Brazil compared major histocompatibility complex (MHC) sequences in 90 married couples and found significantly more divergence than among 152 randomly-generated pairs.

Congratulations to them for:

1. Showing that the initial MHC-correlated attraction — noted in 2005 by Claus Wedekind, a researcher at the University of Bern, in Switzerland — actually correlates through to marriage; and
2. Doing it without the old smelly shirts used by Wedekind in the original work.

Don’t trust your nose?  You can always try Scientificmatch.com and let a sequencer do the sniffing.

Bonus: Check in first with a patent-pending saliva test for halitosis, called OkayToKiss, which “turns blue if it senses high quantities of certain bug enzymes.” Get the full scoop from ScienceNOW.

Image courtesy of Frans De Waal

It’s no secret that many mammals choose their mates based on smell. The body has a collection of genes called the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) that help the immune system identify foreign cells, like viruses or bacteria, and determine the appropriate course of action against them. Hundreds of variations of these genes exist in humans, and the more different types a person has, the more pathogens their bodies are capable of fighting off. If mates have extremely different MHC variations, their offspring will be better equipped to fend off disease, and some scientists speculate that mammals can determine such genetic dissimilarity through smell. Specific MHC combinations are transmitted through bodily fluids and are present on the surface of the skin, and a small pit inside of the nose called the vomeronasal organ detects pheromones and other molecules, including ones from the MHC.

Now a Swiss startup company is taking a cue from evolutionary biology and bringing olfactory recognition to the online dating scene. While online matchmakers claim to analyze dozens of “compatibility factors,” the three-man team of basisnote point out that determining chemistry between two people (literally) relies heavily on smell – a key component that current online singles databases can’t provide. No, they aren’t going to install pheremone-spewing hardware on your PC. It’s as simple as taking an at-home saliva test (similar to a DIY pregnancy test), which creates a digital code representing your individual odor profile that can be uploaded onto your personals page. If a potential suitor has also uploaded an odor code, a computer test can analyze the similarities and determine genetic compatibility.

How romantic. At the very least it might discourage inbreeding.

The company also has plans to explore the perfume industry, which sounds like it might be a conflict of interest. They don’t, however, have plans to operate their own dating site, and instead are opting to collaborate with existing services. They won’t reveal the lucky company until the fall, but my money is on chemistry.com, because, well, that just makes scents.

MHC Synthesizer and Effects ha anunciado que ha añadido un nuevo plug-in, Attack Kits, a su Drum Plugin Bundle.

El paquete incluye ahora Electronic Kits, Ambient Kits, Acoustic Kits y Attack Kits.

Attack Kits incluye tres bancos de sonidos adicionales. Resulta que el bundle embarca ahora cuatro plug-ins de batería y 12 bancos de sonidos adicionales (3 cada uno).

Los plug-ins llevan 12 pads de batería, una aplicación de búsqueda, kits de batería predefinidos que se pueden editar, y una biblioteca de muestras de batería. Integran además bancos de sonidos por defecto con cientos de muestras de batería. El usuario puede añadir sonidos adicionales, descargando 12 bancos de sonidos que actualizan los plug-ins, y ofreciendo la posibilidad de explorar 4096 presets, 480 kits de batería preprogramados y miles de muestras de batería.

Los plug-ins tienen secciones de sinte tradicionales, incluso un filtro resonante, un envelope de filtro, un envelope de ampli, modulación del pitch y una sección de efectos. La sección integra 130 modos de efectos distintos, incluso una variedad de bancos de filtros, resonadores, pitch shifter, etc. Los efectos se pueden usar en capa o en crossfade, y se pueden modular con un LFO multi-forma.

Los 12 pads/sonidos de batería son sensibles a la velocidad, y la velocidad puede controlar el amp (volumen) y el filtro de cutoff ; puede también estar desactivada para programar los niveles con precisión.

Los plug-ins pueden invocar la aplicación de búsqueda se puede invocar, también puede funcionar de forma autónoma para mantener cualquier colección de muestras de batería en el disco duro del ordenador del usuario. Esta aplicación se utiliza para editar kits y buscar los sonidos de batería deseados.

Los plug-ins están disponibles en formato VST para Windows. Una versión Audio Unit para Mac OS X está planeada, pero no se ha comunicado la fecha de salida.

El paquete de plug-ins tiene un precio de 99$ (incluye los cuatro plug-ins y los 12 bancos de sonidos). Visita www.mhc.se para obtener más información.

Erstellt: 03/05/2009 um 19:37

MHC Synthesizers and Effects hat angekündigt, dass sie ihrem Drum Plug-In Bundle ein neues Plug-In hinzugefügt haben: Attack Kits.

Das Bundle besteht jetzt aus Electronic Kits, Ambient Kits, Acoustic Kits und Attack Kits.

Attack Kits beinhaltetet drei zusätzliche Soundpacks. Somit enthält das Bundle jetzt vier Drum Plug-Ins und 12 zusätzliche Soundpacks (jeweils 3).

Die Plug-Ins verfügen über 12 Drum Pads, eine Suchfunktion, vorgefertigte Drum Kits und eine Drum Sample Library. Die Plug-Ins beinhalten hunderte individuelle Samples. Der Anwender kann durch das Herunterladen von 12 Soundpacks die Auswahl an Sounds erweitern. Somit erhält er bis zu 4096 Presets, 480 vorprogrammierte Drum Kits und tausende Drum Samples.

Die Plug-Ins besitzen traditionelle Synthesizer Sektionen inklusive Filtern mit Resonanz, Filter Hüllkurve, Verstärker Hüllkurve, Tonhöhen-Modulation und eine Effekt Sektion. Die Effekt Sektion besteht aus 130 unterschiedlichen Effekt Modi – inklusive einer Vielzahl an Filter Banks, Flanger, Resonator, Pitchshifter etc. Effekte können überlagert oder ineinander gemischt und über einen LFO moduliert werden

Preis und Verfügbarkeit
Die Plug-Ins sind im Augenblick als VST Plug-Ins für Windows erhältlich. Eine Audio Unit Version für Mac OS X ist in Planung, es steht aber noch kein Veröffentlichungstermin fest.

Das Plug-In Bundle ist für $99 erhältlich (inklusive der vier Plug-Ins und 12 Soundpacks).

Weitere Informationen unter www.mhc.se.

Sagt uns Eure Meinung zu diesem Produkt auf unseren Audiofanzine Foren.

‘MHC Synthesizers and Effects’ ha annunciato riduzioni di prezzo su tutti i  VST/AU plug-ins e sound libraries:

• Tutti i synth MHC e gli effect plug-ins ora costano $129 (prima $199).
• I Soundpacks costano $39 (prima $59).
• Le ’sample loop libraries’ costano $39 (prima $59).

MHC offre anche il  25% di sconto sul totale fino al 28 febbraio per quelli che si iscrivono alla newsletter  MHC.

Controlla www.mhc.se per maggiori informazioni.

MHC anuncia que baja los precios de todos sus plug-ins VST/AU y de sus bancos de sonidos.

Todos los sintetizadores y efectos virtuales cuestan ahora 129$ en vez de 199$, los soundpacks y bibliotecas de loops 39$ en vez de 59$.

Y hasta el 28 de febrero, beneficias de un descuento adicional de 25$ si subscribes a la newsletter.

Toda la información está en http://www.mhc.se/. 

The US car market does not need more companies competing for a shrinking pie. Ideally, it should have less. Ford (F) may inadvertently be letting China into the American race for market share. But, Ford needs the money.

By most estimates, the No.2 US car corporation is burning through more than $1 billion a month. As total American vehicle sales drop as low as ten million this year, Ford’s financial situation will get worse, even if it gets concessions from the UAW and suppliers.

To help raise capital, Ford has been shopping Volvo. There has been some hope that Sweden, where Volvo was founded, might buy the brand. So far, there is no indication that will happen.

In the meantime, Ford may be getting interest from several Chinese car companies. For them to afford Volvo would probably require government assistance, but industries in the world’s most populous country are used to being helped in what is not an entirely free market economy. Why should the automotive sector be any different?

According to The Wall Street Journal, as it has become clear that Volvo will be sold soon, "Companies expected to express interest include Chinese auto makers Geely Holding Group, SAIC Motor Corp. and Chongqing Changan Automobile Co."

Chinese car companies have been showing up an international auto shows for years, hoping to prove that they should be able to market their products outside their home market. Most experts who have seen their products do not believe that their quality is good enough to compete in the US and EU markets. Buying Volvo would take that barrier away.

So, China’s desire to move into the world’s largest auto market may not have to be put off by years while it develops models that would be attractive to US consumers. A government-supported initiative to sell vehicles in America would allow one or more of the car firms on the mainland to play on the same field that helped Toyota (TM) and Honda (HMC) build themselves into two of the largest companies in the world.

The Big Three do not need any more competition, but Ford may let another player into the game.

Douglas A. McIntyre