Don't understand blogging. Couldn't find a way to add to my Blog, Second Wave Feminist, until I changed my Google account password! Seems Google wants to control our access to our own Blog. Who do they think they are? In addition, they asked for additional information about me, especially my cell phone number. I don't want Google to have that number, because they will sell it to affiliated advertisers, and I will start to get harrassing phone calls from people offering me unwanted goods and services! Why can't I write on this blog without enlisting a multi-billion dollar internet company?
Seems as if our privacy, no matter how jealously we guard it, is slowly disappearing, and we are owned by machines out there in the Cloud (or in the ether!), just like the machines in the movie, The Matrix.
Speaking about movies: I am still struggling with my screenplay - changing the story as I go along- instead of concentrating on writing the darn blueprint first, THEN changing the story if necessary. Think it's my way of spending the lazy days of summer dreaming of Dan Stevens' gorgeous ice blue eyes, rather than working!
Speaking of the beautiful blue eyes, has anyone heard anything about the release date for his movie, Summer in February, which according to all movie web sites, has been in post-production for three months, at least, with a tentative release date not specified, in 2013!?
Monday, July 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Genetics, continued
Posting a blog is impossible. Can't even find my own blog! No even Google had it without my "blog name", which I finally have learned!
In any case, to continue about genetic inheritance: a problem about genetic privacy keeps cropping up every few years. Who owns my genome? Who can access my genome and use it for "scientific" research. How should we use knowledge of our genetic inheritance, or that of our spouse? What about child-bearing decisions? How should we, or the rest of society use that information? Can we ethically limit or eliminate child-bearing in order to prevent the inheritance of genetic abnormalities?
The easier it becomes to analyze our complete compliment of genes (billions!) and determine what mutations we have inherited, the more careful we have to be about how we use that information, and how much access we should allow to that information to others.
Several recent articles have warned against the resurgence of the old Eugenics movement of the early 20th Century- which started as an "altruistic" way of controlling the birth and maintenance in institutions of "unfit" babies and adults, and ending with the evil practices of racial Nazism. Unlike the earlier age, we now don't have to wait for a 'damaged' child to be born to "protect" society by eliminating it! We can make the decision not to have children, or we can opt for late-term abortions- (not possible most of the time to diagnos genetic damage in a fetus in utero at the early stages)-- neither option being very attractive.
And, could a corrupt scientist use genetic information for profit? What can we really do with children with massive genetically-caused health problems? Who pays for perpetual care and education of these children? Should we screen all fetuses for known genetic mutations and approve the elimination of certain genetically defective fetuses? All of these questions have now arisin again in the scientific community (See, "The Future of Neo-eugenics" by Armand Marie Leroi, for EMBO Reports, Vol 7/No.12/2006; and "DNA" by Dr. James D. Watson, Alfred A. Knopf 2003, Ch. 12, "Defying Disease", p. and, Coda: 'Our Genes and Our Future', p. 395.)
I am writing a story set in the near future which uses these issues as a starting point, adding bad guys and good guys with the aim of turning it into a screenplay. Not that simple. Will keep you and me posted about progress. Any questions?
In any case, to continue about genetic inheritance: a problem about genetic privacy keeps cropping up every few years. Who owns my genome? Who can access my genome and use it for "scientific" research. How should we use knowledge of our genetic inheritance, or that of our spouse? What about child-bearing decisions? How should we, or the rest of society use that information? Can we ethically limit or eliminate child-bearing in order to prevent the inheritance of genetic abnormalities?
The easier it becomes to analyze our complete compliment of genes (billions!) and determine what mutations we have inherited, the more careful we have to be about how we use that information, and how much access we should allow to that information to others.
Several recent articles have warned against the resurgence of the old Eugenics movement of the early 20th Century- which started as an "altruistic" way of controlling the birth and maintenance in institutions of "unfit" babies and adults, and ending with the evil practices of racial Nazism. Unlike the earlier age, we now don't have to wait for a 'damaged' child to be born to "protect" society by eliminating it! We can make the decision not to have children, or we can opt for late-term abortions- (not possible most of the time to diagnos genetic damage in a fetus in utero at the early stages)-- neither option being very attractive.
And, could a corrupt scientist use genetic information for profit? What can we really do with children with massive genetically-caused health problems? Who pays for perpetual care and education of these children? Should we screen all fetuses for known genetic mutations and approve the elimination of certain genetically defective fetuses? All of these questions have now arisin again in the scientific community (See, "The Future of Neo-eugenics" by Armand Marie Leroi, for EMBO Reports, Vol 7/No.12/2006; and "DNA" by Dr. James D. Watson, Alfred A. Knopf 2003, Ch. 12, "Defying Disease", p. and, Coda: 'Our Genes and Our Future', p. 395.)
I am writing a story set in the near future which uses these issues as a starting point, adding bad guys and good guys with the aim of turning it into a screenplay. Not that simple. Will keep you and me posted about progress. Any questions?
Monday, May 28, 2012
Writing is Not Easy
Everyone says to me "if you want to write, just sit down and write!" I tried that but it is difficult. When I "sit down to write", I'm usually standing. This because my laptop is sitting on a granite counter top-waist high. So after a while my feet hurt. If I sit down at a table to write with my mini-computer, my feet don't hurt, but I become frightened. This is because I no longer have a physical reason to stop writing. I have to actually pull words out of my mind and imagination.
My sister says I should "blog."
This means I will have to sit on a stool in front of the counter which shelters my laptop.
But if I sit on a stool, I no longer will have any physical reason for not writing, and I will therefore have to tolerate psychic pain--I will have to at least partially, reveal myself.
Crikey.
My most recent obsession, (in addition to a passionate crush on the actor Dan Stevens, Mathew Crawley in "Downton Abbey"), is genetic disease. "WHAT?", you say.
That's right- genetic disease-very common among Ashkenazi Jews- an ethnic inheritence I have from my father. I have researched the subject in books and scientific papers published on line and in science magazines and journals. For example, as of approximately 1979, there were at least 30 such diseases which could be inherited by Ashkenazi Jews, and about 20 by Sephardic Jews.
(I say 1979, because that was when a famous book was published. It is entitled "Genetic Disorders aong the Jewish People", and was written by Richard Goodman, M. D., at the time Professor of Genetics at Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine.)
The reason for these large numbers, is that Jews in the diaspora (Middle East, and Central, Western and Southern Europe) practiced consanguinity- the mating of genetically related individuals. This resulted in the increase in rare gentically recessive disorders. I won't get into the reasons why Jews did this - but all I can say is, that my father's parents and his grandparents, were both first cousins - FROM THE SAME FAMILY.
This practice has been slowly disappearing since the end of the 19th Century, because thankfully, Jews are now more relaxed about marrying non-Jews. And, because, until the Holocaust, Jewish population was increasing. (Even Orthodox Jews! My mother's female ancestors did not share any genetic inheritence (DNA) with Ashkenazi, OR Sephardic Jewish women. Her female deep ancester, her "EVE", and therefore mine and my sister's, is more closely related genetically to the vast majority of non-Jewish women in Europe and Great Britain. Probably because until recently, late 19th century, women died in childbirth at an alarming rate - so Jewish men took second wives- sometimes from the host country to which they had emigrated, who were then converted to Judaism. Both my father's father, and my mother's father and grandfather, took second wives. We don't know who their first wives were- but I recently discovered a whole slew of second and third cousins living in Florida- most of whom I had never heard about!)
Most importantly, there are now deep controversies about whether or not women and men should have their entire genome (genetic inheritence) analyzed, as I have. People are afraid that any mutations discovered might result, if discovered, in discrimination by insurance companies and employers. I will discuss the ramifications of these issues in my next blog.
My sister says I should "blog."
This means I will have to sit on a stool in front of the counter which shelters my laptop.
But if I sit on a stool, I no longer will have any physical reason for not writing, and I will therefore have to tolerate psychic pain--I will have to at least partially, reveal myself.
Crikey.
My most recent obsession, (in addition to a passionate crush on the actor Dan Stevens, Mathew Crawley in "Downton Abbey"), is genetic disease. "WHAT?", you say.
That's right- genetic disease-very common among Ashkenazi Jews- an ethnic inheritence I have from my father. I have researched the subject in books and scientific papers published on line and in science magazines and journals. For example, as of approximately 1979, there were at least 30 such diseases which could be inherited by Ashkenazi Jews, and about 20 by Sephardic Jews.
(I say 1979, because that was when a famous book was published. It is entitled "Genetic Disorders aong the Jewish People", and was written by Richard Goodman, M. D., at the time Professor of Genetics at Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine.)
The reason for these large numbers, is that Jews in the diaspora (Middle East, and Central, Western and Southern Europe) practiced consanguinity- the mating of genetically related individuals. This resulted in the increase in rare gentically recessive disorders. I won't get into the reasons why Jews did this - but all I can say is, that my father's parents and his grandparents, were both first cousins - FROM THE SAME FAMILY.
This practice has been slowly disappearing since the end of the 19th Century, because thankfully, Jews are now more relaxed about marrying non-Jews. And, because, until the Holocaust, Jewish population was increasing. (Even Orthodox Jews! My mother's female ancestors did not share any genetic inheritence (DNA) with Ashkenazi, OR Sephardic Jewish women. Her female deep ancester, her "EVE", and therefore mine and my sister's, is more closely related genetically to the vast majority of non-Jewish women in Europe and Great Britain. Probably because until recently, late 19th century, women died in childbirth at an alarming rate - so Jewish men took second wives- sometimes from the host country to which they had emigrated, who were then converted to Judaism. Both my father's father, and my mother's father and grandfather, took second wives. We don't know who their first wives were- but I recently discovered a whole slew of second and third cousins living in Florida- most of whom I had never heard about!)
Most importantly, there are now deep controversies about whether or not women and men should have their entire genome (genetic inheritence) analyzed, as I have. People are afraid that any mutations discovered might result, if discovered, in discrimination by insurance companies and employers. I will discuss the ramifications of these issues in my next blog.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Alaska Lawmakers vote to supbpoena Todd Palin.
Sarah Palin is a politician who wants to put women in jail for making medical decisions on whether or not to use birth control or terminate their pregnancy. Palin also kills animals for sport, which in my book, is worse. Palin wants to control my daughter's and my granddaughter's bodies. It will never happen because all of us who worked our hearts out in he 60's and 70's to change women's lives, won't let it happen. We saw too many women die because of lack of medical supervision for their reproductive problems.
Now it seems that Palin's husband was an unelected member of her cabinet as Governor, and was involved in her Troopergate scandel.
Go to Earthlink News, which has an article date 9/12 about the Alaskan legislature issuing the subpoena for Palin.
Now it seems that Palin's husband was an unelected member of her cabinet as Governor, and was involved in her Troopergate scandel.
Go to Earthlink News, which has an article date 9/12 about the Alaskan legislature issuing the subpoena for Palin.
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