Bettina has a daughter who already at five is almost as pretty as herself. B is pretty concerned about that, and I don't blame her. She'll be catnip to the boys.
Hey! I resent that! The correct spelling is "droll". Check your dictionary next time, mister. Or madam, whatever. And I'd never barge in on someone's private page like some ruffian. Now THAT, I really resent as a prejudiced attitude. If Mr Stobblehouse had informed me I was being an annoyance, I wouldn't still be here today. Judge not before you take the time to look beyond the appearances.
Never mind... instead of playing insult-tennis, I'll just give those interested (and they are many) another essay I dare deem educational. Intelligent, rational criticism and debate is always welcome. But to those who don't bother reading and understanding what I write, please, spare yourselves the embarrassment of displaying hasty judgements, okay? Let's remain civil.
So, here's a very recent article from my fave news weekly. Faithfully translated from French.
Generation leaping. Genetics : miraculous twins. He's white, she's black, but they are twins. All because of their ancestors, who already liked mixing colors. Two issues ago, we published a color photo of Australian twin sisters, one opal-blonde with blue eyes, the other a half-bred brunette with brown irises. Now, we've received this nice black-and-white photo from a reader. "My twin sister is perfectly black, and I am white", Christian Célanie writes us. This stunning duo was born in Guadeloupe on September 28th, 1944, of black parents who couldn't believe their eyes. Genetics had made them a surprise by offering then the present of domino babies. The boy apparently inherited the genes of his two white great-grandfathers, while the girl got those of the great-grandmother of whom she's the spitting image. "The women in my family had always been black", Christian Célanie tells us. "But fortunately for our mother's reputation, there was two of us..." The funniest bit is, the sorting continued at the next generation : he transmitted his white genes to his three kids, and she her black skin to her five children. When the cousins meet, the contrast is striking. Gregor Mendel, with his fixed peas, couldn't have done better. (Note : although Mendel's theory was correct and has been confirmed since, apparently he had polished his numbers to make them more convincing.)
In case some are interested, Eolake can post the photo that came with the article. All you have to do is ask. Now, on to the comments this article inspired me.
I had heard once of a similar adventure happening to a black british couple. Except the white-skinned baby had very african-like facial features.
I recall the definition of a race : a subdivision of a species with certain constant traits, stable from generation to generation, while inside a species these same traits may vary. Natural selection creates a sort of race, or, more aptly, what geneticians call "the wild phenotype". Animals living in the wild have a similar outer aspect because they draw a survival advantage from it. It's not exactly a race, which animal breeders artificially create, because the wild phenotype isn't truly a standard model. Character, for instance, can greatly vary, just as much as in human societies. Let a "wild phenotype" group breed outside a "wild" environment, and sure enough, aspect differences will emerge --just look at domestic cats-- where once the struggle for survival constantly eliminated those different from the standard. (With some exceptions, which are the source mechanism of new species appearing over time. Genes are only selected if they have an effect.)
Animal breeders painstakingly select a certain array of traits, arbitrarily. For instance, you'll hear that "they have succeeded in eliminating excess aggressivity in German Shepherds". They CREATE a race, by constantly picking the same traits until only those remain, stable over the generations. But this is the opposite of genetic diversity, which is Nature's primary tool. A diversity, for instance, which causes some rare humans (in ALL countries of the world) to be partly or totally immune to the Aids virus.
As I've already explained in my previous essay (in July '06), objective studies in genetics and bio-anthropology have proven that, on the timescale of the human species (Homo sapiens), the only differences occurring between isolated populations were insignificant, and mainly involving aspect or random. Proving Man's society has overcome many selective effects of Nature. Take the slanted eyes in Asians. It varies in a single country and place. Some eyes are very slanted, others barely. It is nothing more than a fortuitous drift of an outer aspect trait with no practical significance, and no influence on survival and environment adaptation. Remember that it also appears in "pure" european trisomic babies... The animal species Homo sapiens is just one big "wild phenotype", with some local variations which can not, ever, define a "race".
And, SUPPOSING such was not the case anyway, just consider the following : as cat and dog pedigree exhibitions show us, a race is a very fragile thing in itself. If such a thing did exist in humankind (it doesn't), all the marriages occurring via travels and contacts between peoples over the milleniae would have ruined that nice order of a bigot-shaped world. A race means losing everything different from what you want to keep. A cow more docile or that gives more milk, a horse with a long mane or stout legs... If this illusion of races in the human species had ever existed, it would be long over by now.
There are all kinds of people in every place. Populations in Africa, without a single white ancestor as long as can be recalled, have revealed opera divas and fashion models, who have very unique vocal aptitudes or body proportions. These are not the monopole of some "race", they exist everywhere. Mathematical geniuses, prodigy writers, top athletes, etc... can be found in every single country and ethny. The same goes for scoundrels and rascals. And for average blokes. The only "race" is culture, THIS creates the only true differences. For example, muslims are not heartless savages, but nowadays, many violent criminals and narrow minds do their "best" (worst?) to push the biggest possible number of the more naive ones into regrettable positions and actions, which were almost unheard of 150 years ago. Culture. It IS inherited, but not through genes, only through society's influence. And it doesn't always succeed, either! One's birth from a certain group does not, in any way, define their true nature.
I once heard a clearly racist person saying about blacks that "these simple people are always laughing". Funny, I never realized that Blues was simplistic comedy! There's only one source for races in humankind, and that's the ignorance of racists. In my Seventies school geography book, we were taught about "race groups". Notably, it was only about aspect classification, not a word was said about any PRACTICAL differences. Africa's Bushmen, pygmies, and Australian Aboriginals were described as "unclassified primitive types", sort of like late drafts of modern man. Then one day I read about how those of them who went to school, and then college, sometimes excelled exactly like you and me (maybe even more often). And I asked myself : "What's primitive about THAT? They can be just as intelligent at top levels!" That day, any juvenile credulousness I might have had in this antiquated theory was compromised for good. Shattered ignorance can never be rebuilt. :-)
Follow-up note : This just in. Size determination in dogs appears due to a single gene, which has been identified. All sizes (and races) of dogs have been found to grow more or less under the influence of a single mutated Igf-1 gene. (That stands for "Insulin-like Growth Factor", involved in the response to GH, the growth hormone.) Animal breeders CREATE races by carefully, painstakingly, selecting the animals they want to mate, until only a single variant of certain genes remains. Well, we may be the Lord's herd, but to my knowledge, not even He played this kind of weird game in humans. Not all Norwegians are tall blue-eyed blondes. It still makes me chuckle today to think of Adolf Hitler, promoter of the "Aryan type", and himself the complete opposite of his own "race standard".
There are no races in the human species. Period. All races are officially off, your tickets will be refunded in full. ;-)
Now, I've been taken for what I am not because of the nonchalance with which I treat what in some countries are taboos. But hey, when a "brother" greets another by saying "What's up, my nigger?", he's not being racist one bit. No more than a Harlem mamma calling her son "boy". It's all, always, in the intention. In that scene from Police Academy (the first movie) where Hightower turns over the police car, I had to do a long web search for racist terms to understand just how terrible a name Lt. Hooks had been called. At first, I just didn't understand the incident. Here in Lebanon, because of the ethnic diversity following our rich history (lots of invasions from everywhere), I saw all shapes, sizes and colors at school, and got used to finding it perfectly natural.
So, next time somebody feels "maybe" targeted, please remember the Internet brings together all cultures, and not all have the same conception of an offending phrasing.
These are not just words, I really long for peace, understanding and mutual respect among all on Earth. What's wrong in doing it with a smile?
Dear Euloke,she's so beautiful,all glowing,full of womanhood and love,you are so lucky to have such a friend. With endless admiration and respect,always yours Paul Alexandru Cazacliu artmanro@yahoo.com
Eolake, she looks beautiful and cute. It does not matter if whether your friend belongs to your own race or the other. My bottom line is friends can be anyone.
14 comments:
Hey, mister, your friend's not black.
Doesn't this prove you're a racist?
;-P
Could it be that I recognize this backdrop from some of your other pictures?
Pascal said...
Hey, mister, your friend's not black.
Doesn't this prove you're a racist?
Your white sarcasim is showing again.
Hannah, not this specific one, no.
Actually, Angie, I'm of four different origins come together. I just don't flaunt it.
This was just self-derision, sistah.
beautiful sweet face
natural looking
"beautiful sweet face"
Indeed. If she IS as sweet as she looks, it's a good thing she wasn't posing in the rain. Might have melted otherwise. ;-)
"Friends are the family we choose for ourselves."
Bettina has a daughter who already at five is almost as pretty as herself. B is pretty concerned about that, and I don't blame her. She'll be catnip to the boys.
My pleasure.
If you go to stobblehouse.com and the Art Home link, near the bottom of that page are several photos of Bettina.
These are some of the first things I ever put on the web. I've lost count of the number of people who've fallen in love with her from that.
With a troll like pascal around, I'm loath to post with my ID and blog. I wouldn't want him to find his way to my little part of hyper-space. :o(
Sorry for being such a coward Eolake, but I still luv your stuff.
"Troll"? Not at all, he's just joking a lot.
Hey! I resent that! The correct spelling is "droll". Check your dictionary next time, mister. Or madam, whatever.
And I'd never barge in on someone's private page like some ruffian. Now THAT, I really resent as a prejudiced attitude. If Mr Stobblehouse had informed me I was being an annoyance, I wouldn't still be here today. Judge not before you take the time to look beyond the appearances.
Never mind... instead of playing insult-tennis, I'll just give those interested (and they are many) another essay I dare deem educational. Intelligent, rational criticism and debate is always welcome. But to those who don't bother reading and understanding what I write, please, spare yourselves the embarrassment of displaying hasty judgements, okay? Let's remain civil.
So, here's a very recent article from my fave news weekly. Faithfully translated from French.
Generation leaping.
Genetics : miraculous twins.
He's white, she's black, but they are twins. All because of their ancestors, who already liked mixing colors.
Two issues ago, we published a color photo of Australian twin sisters, one opal-blonde with blue eyes, the other a half-bred brunette with brown irises. Now, we've received this nice black-and-white photo from a reader. "My twin sister is perfectly black, and I am white", Christian Célanie writes us. This stunning duo was born in Guadeloupe on September 28th, 1944, of black parents who couldn't believe their eyes. Genetics had made them a surprise by offering then the present of domino babies. The boy apparently inherited the genes of his two white great-grandfathers, while the girl got those of the great-grandmother of whom she's the spitting image. "The women in my family had always been black", Christian Célanie tells us. "But fortunately for our mother's reputation, there was two of us..." The funniest bit is, the sorting continued at the next generation : he transmitted his white genes to his three kids, and she her black skin to her five children. When the cousins meet, the contrast is striking. Gregor Mendel, with his fixed peas, couldn't have done better. (Note : although Mendel's theory was correct and has been confirmed since, apparently he had polished his numbers to make them more convincing.)
In case some are interested, Eolake can post the photo that came with the article. All you have to do is ask.
Now, on to the comments this article inspired me.
I had heard once of a similar adventure happening to a black british couple. Except the white-skinned baby had very african-like facial features.
I recall the definition of a race : a subdivision of a species with certain constant traits, stable from generation to generation, while inside a species these same traits may vary. Natural selection creates a sort of race, or, more aptly, what geneticians call "the wild phenotype". Animals living in the wild have a similar outer aspect because they draw a survival advantage from it. It's not exactly a race, which animal breeders artificially create, because the wild phenotype isn't truly a standard model. Character, for instance, can greatly vary, just as much as in human societies. Let a "wild phenotype" group breed outside a "wild" environment, and sure enough, aspect differences will emerge --just look at domestic cats-- where once the struggle for survival constantly eliminated those different from the standard. (With some exceptions, which are the source mechanism of new species appearing over time. Genes are only selected if they have an effect.)
Animal breeders painstakingly select a certain array of traits, arbitrarily. For instance, you'll hear that "they have succeeded in eliminating excess aggressivity in German Shepherds". They CREATE a race, by constantly picking the same traits until only those remain, stable over the generations. But this is the opposite of genetic diversity, which is Nature's primary tool. A diversity, for instance, which causes some rare humans (in ALL countries of the world) to be partly or totally immune to the Aids virus.
As I've already explained in my previous essay (in July '06), objective studies in genetics and bio-anthropology have proven that, on the timescale of the human species (Homo sapiens), the only differences occurring between isolated populations were insignificant, and mainly involving aspect or random. Proving Man's society has overcome many selective effects of Nature. Take the slanted eyes in Asians. It varies in a single country and place. Some eyes are very slanted, others barely. It is nothing more than a fortuitous drift of an outer aspect trait with no practical significance, and no influence on survival and environment adaptation. Remember that it also appears in "pure" european trisomic babies... The animal species Homo sapiens is just one big "wild phenotype", with some local variations which can not, ever, define a "race".
And, SUPPOSING such was not the case anyway, just consider the following : as cat and dog pedigree exhibitions show us, a race is a very fragile thing in itself. If such a thing did exist in humankind (it doesn't), all the marriages occurring via travels and contacts between peoples over the milleniae would have ruined that nice order of a bigot-shaped world. A race means losing everything different from what you want to keep. A cow more docile or that gives more milk, a horse with a long mane or stout legs... If this illusion of races in the human species had ever existed, it would be long over by now.
There are all kinds of people in every place. Populations in Africa, without a single white ancestor as long as can be recalled, have revealed opera divas and fashion models, who have very unique vocal aptitudes or body proportions. These are not the monopole of some "race", they exist everywhere. Mathematical geniuses, prodigy writers, top athletes, etc... can be found in every single country and ethny. The same goes for scoundrels and rascals. And for average blokes. The only "race" is culture, THIS creates the only true differences. For example, muslims are not heartless savages, but nowadays, many violent criminals and narrow minds do their "best" (worst?) to push the biggest possible number of the more naive ones into regrettable positions and actions, which were almost unheard of 150 years ago. Culture. It IS inherited, but not through genes, only through society's influence. And it doesn't always succeed, either! One's birth from a certain group does not, in any way, define their true nature.
I once heard a clearly racist person saying about blacks that "these simple people are always laughing". Funny, I never realized that Blues was simplistic comedy! There's only one source for races in humankind, and that's the ignorance of racists.
In my Seventies school geography book, we were taught about "race groups". Notably, it was only about aspect classification, not a word was said about any PRACTICAL differences. Africa's Bushmen, pygmies, and Australian Aboriginals were described as "unclassified primitive types", sort of like late drafts of modern man. Then one day I read about how those of them who went to school, and then college, sometimes excelled exactly like you and me (maybe even more often). And I asked myself : "What's primitive about THAT? They can be just as intelligent at top levels!" That day, any juvenile credulousness I might have had in this antiquated theory was compromised for good.
Shattered ignorance can never be rebuilt. :-)
Follow-up note :
This just in. Size determination in dogs appears due to a single gene, which has been identified. All sizes (and races) of dogs have been found to grow more or less under the influence of a single mutated Igf-1 gene. (That stands for "Insulin-like Growth Factor", involved in the response to GH, the growth hormone.) Animal breeders CREATE races by carefully, painstakingly, selecting the animals they want to mate, until only a single variant of certain genes remains. Well, we may be the Lord's herd, but to my knowledge, not even He played this kind of weird game in humans. Not all Norwegians are tall blue-eyed blondes. It still makes me chuckle today to think of Adolf Hitler, promoter of the "Aryan type", and himself the complete opposite of his own "race standard".
There are no races in the human species. Period. All races are officially off, your tickets will be refunded in full. ;-)
Now, I've been taken for what I am not because of the nonchalance with which I treat what in some countries are taboos. But hey, when a "brother" greets another by saying "What's up, my nigger?", he's not being racist one bit. No more than a Harlem mamma calling her son "boy". It's all, always, in the intention. In that scene from Police Academy (the first movie) where Hightower turns over the police car, I had to do a long web search for racist terms to understand just how terrible a name Lt. Hooks had been called. At first, I just didn't understand the incident. Here in Lebanon, because of the ethnic diversity following our rich history (lots of invasions from everywhere), I saw all shapes, sizes and colors at school, and got used to finding it perfectly natural.
So, next time somebody feels "maybe" targeted, please remember the Internet brings together all cultures, and not all have the same conception of an offending phrasing.
These are not just words, I really long for peace, understanding and mutual respect among all on Earth.
What's wrong in doing it with a smile?
Dear Euloke,she's so beautiful,all glowing,full of womanhood and love,you are so lucky to have such a friend.
With endless admiration and respect,always yours Paul Alexandru Cazacliu artmanro@yahoo.com
Eolake, she looks beautiful and cute. It does not matter if whether your friend belongs to your own race or the other. My bottom line is friends can be anyone.
By the way Eolake, where s she living now?
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