Wise Words...
Monday, December 24, 2007
"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance."
by
Oscar Wilde
Labels: Quotes
posted by Sonya @ 12/24/2007 09:15:00 AM, ,
Bear In There
Thursday, December 20, 2007
by Shel Silverstein
There's a Polar Bear
In our Frigidaire--
He likes it 'cause it's cold in there.
With his seat in the meat
And his face in the fish
And his big hairy paws
In the buttery dish,
He's nibbling the noodles,
He's munching the rice,
He's slurping the soda,
He's licking the ice.
And he lets out a roar
If you open the door.
And it gives me a scare
To know he's in there--
That Polary Bear
In our Fridgitydaire.
He is by far my favorite Poet...if only poetry had been this fun in High School.
posted by Sonya @ 12/20/2007 05:05:00 PM, ,
Human vs. Environment
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
I must ask what must occur for people to understand that the environment cannot always bounce back from over-use. When will all realize that their are limitations to everything as well as a fine balance in nature that cannot be swayed too much in one direction?
I am saddened by the state of the oceans and the results of over fishing. We (all countries) imagine the ocean to be an endless supply of food. There have been so many times in the past that environmentalists and scientists have warned about the consequences of actions only to be proven right while those opposed scratch their heads. We are on the verge of this same situation again. Overfishing around the world is a large concern. It affects every country and most individuals, especially when a fundamental food source is no longer available. For this reason, I am concerned about a recent article in New Scientist magazine, "North Sea cod quotas raised against scienctists advice". For a few years we have seen a decline in North Sea cod. Due to so many environmental factors, many juveniles were not making it to the adult stage where reproduction occurs.
However, this past year the numbers have slightly increased. While this is a good sign, the excitement is premature. There are often years where there is an increase that does not correlate to actual numbers of the species increasing. The increase needs to be consistent across years not in single years. Thus, the area of concern comes from the North Sea fishing quotas being raised by 11% this year biased solely on a fluctuation not consistently seen. It has been advised by scientists to reduce quotas for the past years to allow this species to recover. No one would listen. Ignorance like this leads to major problems and possibility of the most severe of consequences: extinction.
When will business learn to listen to those that understand the environment. You can't maintain a fishing business without fish!
posted by Sonya @ 12/19/2007 10:32:00 AM, ,
"Male Semen Makes HIV More Potent"
Friday, December 14, 2007
An article in American Scientific describes the fascinating results on components of male sperm that enhances the transmission of HIV.
German scientists found a component of human semen may facilitate the spread of the virus by targeting immune system cells, in some cases making the pathogen up to 100,000 times more virulent. The co-author Frank Kirchhoff, a virologist at the University of Ulm Clinic in Germany explained that they had in initially set out to determine if semen contained factors that inhibit the HIV infection.
Most enhancers have maybe a two- or three-fold effect, but here the effect was amazing—more than 50-fold and, under certain conditions, more than 100,000-fold.
Kirchhoff and his team screened through many of the 900 proteins found in seminal fluid in their hunt for potential inhibitors and enhancers of HIV transmission. Among the enhancing factors uncovered were fragments of a protein called prostatic acid phosphatase that is secreted by the prostate gland. An analysis of the peptide's structure in semen indicated that it hooked up with similar fragments to create amyloid fibers (clusters of protein fragments that have also been implicated in diseases such as Alzheimer's). The scientists refer to the amyloid fibers as "semen-derived enhancer of virus infection" (SEVI). If they do not link to become fibers, the researchers report, the peptide segments remain inactive and do not enhance viral transmission. The HIV with the semen component was five times more effective at transmitting the virus. In situations where low levels of virus are transferred—as during intercourse—Kirchhoff says, SEVI can make HIV up to 100,000 times more likely to spread when compared with the virus alone.
Postdoctoral fellow Nadia Roan, along with Warner Greene, a senior investigator at the University of California, San Francisco's Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, wrote: "If SEVI truly increases the real world heterosexual spread of HIV by several orders of magnitude, then negating the activity of this factor could conceivably diminish these frequencies to levels that might virtually eliminate semen-driven HIV transmission."
As many know, HIV infection is increasing with each passing moment. Although this article promises no easy answers, it is however research that could be a stepping stone into saving lives.
Labels: Science
posted by Sonya @ 12/14/2007 06:46:00 PM, ,
Political Similarities: Hitler and Bush
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Since reading an article and also watching some very interesting documentaries on this very subject, I have started to find many, too many, disgusting similarities to the political strategies of Hitler and Bush. I have recently found an article that nicely points out some common points between the two "rulers". The following quotes come from Wayne Madison and are supported by facts and pieces of history....check them out for yourself if you are a non-believer.
Adolf Hitler would be proud that an American President is emulating him in so many ways. Hitler, it will be remembered, routinely ignored his military, other world leaders, and the clergy. Bush seems to think that this policy, which ultimately failed for Hitler, will work for him.
From the Vatican, Pope John Paul II fires a shot over the bow of the Bush administration by declaring, "war cannot be decided upon, even when it is a matter of ensuring the common good, except as the very last option and in accordance with very strict conditions."
Bush, a so-called compassionate conservative and born-again Christian, can only find religious support from the same group of hackneyed pseudo-Christians, hate mongers, and religious cult leaders like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Franklin Graham, and Sun Myung Moon. Bush opts for this band of zealots and ignores South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu who asked, "When does compassion, when does morality, when does caring come in?" His words fall on deaf ears in the Oval Office.
Of course, there was once another fanatic war-possessed leader who tore up his constitution and routinely berated his generals and ignored their advice. On July 20, 1944, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg strode into a conference room in Hitler's Wolf's Lair compound with a briefcase bomb. Although the plot to rid the world of Hitler once and for all failed, it confirmed that a number of Germany's top generals, including its most famous, Erwin von Rommel, were strongly opposed to Hitler's fanaticism.
Bush's borrowing liberally from Hitler's play book was not lost on Germany's former Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin, who last September said Bush wanted a war with Iraq to divert attention from domestic problems. She added, "That's a popular method. Even Hitler did that."
Bush's disparaging of the United Nations, world opinion, and international statesmen is reminiscent of an April 28, 1939 speech by Hitler before the Reichstag:
"Members of the German Reichstag: The President of the United States of America has addressed a telegram to me, with the curious contents of which you are already familiar . . . The President of the United States believes that in conference rooms as in courts it is necessary that both sides enter in good faith, assuming that substantial justice will accrue to both. German representatives will never again enter a conference that is for them a tribunal . . . Mr. Roosevelt asks that assurances be given him that the German armed forces will not attack, and above all, not invade, the territory or possessions of the following independent nations. He then names as those to which he refers: Finland, Lithuania, Latvia,' Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain , Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Yugoslavia, Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iraq, the Arabias, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Iran. I have first taken the trouble to ascertain from the states mentioned, firstly, whether they feel themselves threatened, and, what is most important, secondly, whether this inquiry by the American President was addressed to us at their suggestion or at least with their consent. The reply was in all cases negative, in some instances strongly so . . . I have reunited the territories that have been German throughout a thousand years of history-and, Mr. Roosevelt, I have endeavored to attain all this without bloodshed and without bringing to my people and so to others, the misery of war . . . For my world, Mr. President, is the one to which Providence has assigned me and for which it is my duty to work. Its area is much smaller. It comprises my people alone. But I believe I can thus best serve that which is in the hearts of all of us a*" justice, well-being, progress and peace for the whole community of mankind."
As Congress cheerfully applauded Bush's State of the Union address, the Reichstag gave Hitler a thunderous reception. Although Hitler's oratory skills were light years beyond Bush's, the two speeches had something extremely fundamental in common-- they were packed with lies.
Now maybe you should read this article,"Bush and Hitler...Compare and Contrast"By DAVE LINDORFF
Is George W. Bush another Hitler? ....again..facts!
What are some of the Nazi-like tactics of the Bush administration?
Let's start with war-mongering. The American Heritage Dictionary, no bastion of leftism, defines fascism as "A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism."
Now we may not yet have a dictatorship, but we do have the extreme right with a solid lock on power in Washington today, and a glance at the top echelon of the Bush administration makes it clear that there is not just a merger, there's a thorough melding of state and business leadership in this administration. As for belligerent nationalism, what else is one to call a war of aggression like the one against Iraq, especially now that it's clear what most thinking people realized before the war even started--that Iraq had no significant offensive military capability, much less weapons of mass destruction. It was all a massive lie deliberately designed to scare the living crap out of an already nervous American public, so that they would accept the ongoing assault on the Bill of Rights being masterminded by Ashcroft. That strategy was vintage Goebbels.
Then there's the suspension of habeas corpus, right to counsel, and a host of other civil liberties. When American citizens like Jose Padilla can be clapped into prison--a military prison at that--with no charges filed, no access to friends or relatives, and no right to talk to a lawyer, we have crossed a line into fascist territory. Maybe we haven't reached the point of wholesale mass arrests and concentration camps (though even that, reportedly, is being contemplated by the proto-fascist Ashcroft, and we know who appointed that right-wing religious zealot and racist to his post), but once the principle of arrest without charge or trial is accepted by the courts, the move to camps is a quantitative, not a qualitative step. I would note that, Guantanamo, where hundreds of Afghan combattants have been languishing in horriffic conditions, is being turned into a concentration camp, and Bush has ordered the establishment of a kangaroo-court military tribunal assemblyline that ends with a gas chamber and execution, so maybe even that parallel will prove prescient.
What is particularly troubling about the Bush administration's enthusiastic foray into preventative detention and arrest without charge is that it is also appointing wholesale a group of federal judges at all levels who have little or no respect for such niceties as habeas corpus or the right to face one's accuser. Eventually, if this process continues, victims of Ashcroft's mad vendetta against civil rights and liberties will have no one to turn to but equally rightwing and perverse jurists like Antonin Scalia and his adoring acolyte Clarence Thomas.
It's worth pointing out too that Hitler was not the monster of 1939 when he took power in 1933. Indeed, when he first came to power, in the wake of the Reichstag fire, a traumatized nation saw him as a savior of the German government, which at the time was a parliamentary democracy. Even as he began ratcheting down the rights of the citizenry, and as his brownshirted minions and his gestapo began oppressing certain unpopular minorities and political enemies on the left, there were many, including in the United States, who saw Der Fuhrer positively (Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh come immediately to mind). So the fact that the Bush administration is not at this point a fascist government should not preclude or deter us from examining its behavior for evidence of fascist-like behavior.
The fundamental difference I see between the Germany of the middle 1930s and the America of today is that, even as many Americans sit on their sofas and absorb the propaganda that passes for news on their TV sets, there remains a vestigial notion of democracy and civil liberties, the legacy of over two centuries of American civil society. A significant percentage of Americans--certainly far greater than in Hitler's Germany in the years before World War II--are troubled by the current trampling of democracy and the Bill of Rights, as attested by the wave of towns and cities and even state governments which have passed statutes protecting the Bill of Rights against the Aschroft-inspired onslaught of the Patriot Act.
So let's make ourselves clear here. George Bush is not Hitler. Yet. America is not a fascist state. Yet. John Ashcroft isSwell, let's not go there. The attorney general, a man whose claim to fame is having lost an election to a dead man, is perhaps the leading edge of a drive in that direction.
I will clarify that I do not think that the Bush Admistration is planning another Holocaust, only that the strategies of manipulation are similar (fear, use of terrorism to pass laws giving more power to the government and less to the people, religion). From the past, we can see the similarites in the personal agendas which are shown to be more important than the long term plans for the country. Both of these leaders did/do as they please while using fear, religion and scapegoats (Jews and now Muslims) to blame past/current problems they themselves are responsible for causing. Although you may not agree with me, you will have to admit there are many similarities and digging further into history will only add further to the list. I plan on helping you see that list...stay tuned for future details...
posted by Sonya @ 12/13/2007 03:52:00 PM, ,
"America has been subject to what can only be called antiscientific governance..."
For those that have been paying attention and understand the consquences of what has occured these past seven years...this article in Seed magazine will not be a surprise.
"During the past seven years of the Bush administration, America has been subject to what can only be called antiscientific governance. Scientists have been ignored, threatened, suppressed, and censored across agencies, across areas of expertise, and across issues. Policies have gone forward repeatedly without adequate scientific input and sometimes in spite of it, and have subsequently backfired."
But for those who have been clueless...please finish reading the following article, Seed: Dr. President.
posted by Sonya @ 12/13/2007 03:37:00 PM, ,
Moments That Stop Time....
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Do you believe that there are single moments in life that change the person you were into something that you become? I wonder if everyone can look back at their lives and point out a moment in time when they have changed forever. It's as if time has stopped for the person you once were and a new life begins. As I look back at the past, I often imagine I see myself traveling down a road and suddenly the road takes a sharp right turn into a completely new direction.
I have often spent many moments wondering what type of person I might have become had my life not take a few sharp right turns. But each and every time I wonder, I remember all that I have gained during those times. I know that some feel responsible for those moments in my life, but I speak to them and to me when I say all that we go through as people make us who we are. It may be hard for many to understand, but I like who I am. I honestly would not change anything that has occurred in my many years in this world. I will also admit all experiences have taught me the difference between what is truly important and what is only superficial. I have learned how strong I can be and I also can look around to see who is standing by my side. Those people made any part of the trip, past or present, completely worth it. Lemonade anyone?
Labels: self
posted by Sonya @ 12/08/2007 06:26:00 PM, ,
An Amazing Stranger
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
For so many years now, I have been the first to be a critic of how selfish people have become. This is evident when you see people passing up long lines in which people are standing to enter at the front of the line or even in driving when all are supposed to merge and instead of merging where one should, many cars cruise to the front of the line passing so many people that have been anxiously waiting for so much longer. We see this when we know someone is having a difficult time and we do not stop to lend a helping hand. I will admit that I will not stop to help a male only because it is not safe. But I do find myself helping a woman, especially if she has children or older and clearly in need of help. I always try to hold open doors and say thank you to anyone that does the same...and yet so many times we walk up only to have them slammed our faces by those going before us. I would say the worst that I cannot stand is when you stand in a long line in the supermarket, waiting patiently with many, many people before you and another lane opens up and the people at the back of the line go first. This is very impolite, especially when it is younger people that beat out elderly people waiting in line.
I can admit that I lost almost complete faith in humanity when it came to concern for others.
Until now...
Travelling over long distance by oneself is very dangerous, especially when travelling with a young child and even more so in the winter. My younger sister has made the trip between Illinois and Georgia (and back) many times of late. Each time we all worry endlessly until we know she has reached the other destination. Luckily enough, I reside in the very middle of this trip so she can make each leg of the journey in about 6 hours. Even though it is only 6 hours, many things can go wrong to make this a very scary trip.
My new hope for humanity comes after an incident that occurred this past Monday night....
My little sister (and baby Emma) were travelling from Chicago to Lexington and were due to arrive around 5:00PM. As the clocked ticked past 6PM I became worried and repeatedly checked for her car. It is then that the phone rings and Sarah is crying to point of not being able to breathe as she tries to explain that the car had stopped working while she was traveling 80 mph in the fast lane on the interstate. For all of you that drive regularly you can understand how scary this can be when you are powerless as Semi's pass faster than they should, closer than they should. In the moment of panic, she hits a bump in the road that causes the car to turn back on momentarily leaving just enough time for her to change lanes and coast to the side. It is at this moment that I want all to imagine what this moment might be like. First, you are on a stretch of highway miles from the nearest gas station, no cell phone, the weather is around 35 degrees F, large trucks and cars are travelling at very fast speeds inches from your car, you can't pull far off the road and you have a 5 month old baby in the car. I cannot begin to explain how terrifying this moment might be. Can you imagine the complete helplessness you feel for yourself and especially for your child. The options are limited consisting of walking in freezing cold temperatures with a child that may not survive such a journey for so long or to wait for a stranger to stop and help you. Although this option seems to be somewhat safer, you now have the concerns on the type of person they are and is their help sincere or did you just place yourself and your child in a very dangerous situation. While you worry about all these things, there is the constant nagging fear that someone will not be paying attention and may strike you and/or your car most likely killing you and your child. The thought of any of the above makes my blood run cold. I cannot possibly imagine. Any yet, my sister was in this exact predicament. She chose to try and flag someone down to help her knowing it could be a very big mistake, but the weather posed a very real threat to her and her child.
My sister was fortunate that it just so happens that a tow truck was travelling to pick up a call that night. While he was hesitant to stop and almost didn't, he did. He allowed Sarah to use his cell phone, hence the very distraught voice at the other end, while he loaded up her car and drove her in the direction of Lexington so that I could get to her sooner. This man not only let her use the phone many times but also dropped her and her car off at the automotive department of Walmart since it was still open. While this amazing man helped my sister in her greatest time of need, he even offered to stop so she could get some food since it was getting late. Once the car was unloaded, he waited as long as he could in case she needed the car towed to another location. One must wonder what a trip like this would cost. Initially in my conversation with him, he stated that a rate of $30.00 would be charged and that I could pay once I arrived there. But as the trip went on, he explained that he was blessed and she was having a very hard day and he wouldn't take any money for the service. I am speechless that this man drove her more than 30 minutes and to multiple places to find somewhere still open and refused to accept payment. When he left her, the reason for her car shutting off was unknown and neither was if Walmart automotive could even fix the problem. So here is where this man goes from being great to being amazing. He said he would check back that night to see if I had gotten there to pick her up and if the car was fixable. He also said that if the car needed to be towed to another location, he would come by tomorrow and take it to where she needed it for free. When she insisted that he take some money for his time and gas, he wanted nothing from her and only took a thank you as he left her life. As I spoke to this man on the phone, he portrayed the compassion he obviously had by casually explaining she was safe and he was happy to help.
So here I sit amazed, getting chills down my spine by the generosity of one man in the most direst of consequences that in my eyes saved my sister and niece. The horrific ways that the evening could have ended are infinite and I cannot convey my gratitude for this man being there that night.
So to this man, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart and you have single handily renewed my faith in humanity.
posted by Sonya @ 12/05/2007 02:21:00 PM, ,
