This post is from Mormon Stories.org and is worth reading:
Margaret Young Jun 15th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
I am old enough to remember Hugh B. Brown, a courageous apostle who periodically came to BYU to calm the waters, after Ezra Taft Benson had left heavy turbulence in his outspoken support for ultra-conservatism. Brown said, “We are grateful in the Church and in this great university that the freedom, dignity and integrity of the individual is basic in Church doctrine as well as in democracy. Here we are free to think and express our opinions. Fear will not stifle thought, as is the case in some areas which have not yet emerged from the dark ages. God himself refuses to trammel man’s free agency even though its exercise sometimes teaches painful lessons. Both creative science and revealed religion find their fullest and truest expression in the climate of freedom. I hope that you will develop the questing spirit. Be unafraid of new ideas for they are the stepping stones of progress. You will of course respect the opinions of others but be unafraid to dissent - if you are informed…Seek truth in all fields, and in that search you will need at least three virtues: courage, zest, and modesty. The ancients put that thought in the form of a prayer. They said, ‘From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with half truth, from the arrogance that thinks it has all truth - O God of truth deliver us’.”
(Speech at BYU, March 29, 1958)
And Joseph Smith had a bold opinion on curtailing freedom of expression:
“It looks too much like the Methodists, and not like the Latter-day Saints. Methodists have a creed which a man must believe or be asked out of their church. I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammeled. It does not prove that a man is not a good man because he errs in doctrine.”
As a part-time teacher at BYU, I feel pretty nervous about Lindsay’s dismissal. From what I can tell, the dismissal was SOLELY because of a letter to the editor. I know I have some unorthodox views. Would I lose my job if I were to express them–like on this blog, for example? (I would be considered liberal in Utah on most issues.) I am very aware that some (NOT the majority) of my students are over-ready to get offended by a writer’s use of a swearword, or an author’s depiction of a sex scene. I genuinely worry about these students as they leave BYU’s borders. Have they learned to incorporate the love of God into their academic pursuits? Have they developed empathy? Are they prepared to read the BEST books (like Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and the many others in fields I don’t know), or will they spend most of their time reading _Ensign_ articles–always correlated and written on a sixth grade reading level? Will they consistently seek answers to the hardest questions from the many quotes of General Authorities included in the Sunday School manuals, or will they learn to turn inward to a mature and generous heart? Will they continually seek to frame their experience within the idealized Mormon portrait, or will they be free to really grow when life pulls an inevitable surprise? Homosexuality is a surprise for thousands of people, and thousands families. How do we react to it? My reaction, as I’ve had family members, friends, and students come out to me, has changed over the years. The first time it happened, some 30 years ago, I was appalled and begged the person to repent. Now, my instant reaction is to open my arms to anyone who might feel crucified between desire and faith. I can’t remove that heavy cross, but I will certainly not participate in torment or condemnation, nor will I indicate to them that they need to feel more guilt so that my testimony can stay intact. I will never know what it’s like to be gay. And I will never pretend to know. Since I’m a woman, I will never be a Judge in Israel (thank God!). I don’t want to be a judge in Provo or even in my own home if I can help it. My children have a gay uncle. It has mattered greatly to me that they understand that we love him–and please note that I’m not including any disclaimer like “hate the sin, love the sinner.” I’m not going to label my brother-in-law as a sinner. From many indications, he’s a better person than I am. I know God loves him, and from all I can tell, he loves God. So can I keep my job at BYU?
Friday, June 16, 2006
Monday, June 12, 2006
Troubling questions with few answers...
A web edition of ABC News Nightline report asks some difficult questions. Once you get past the silly ad for Florida orange juice, the price I guess for the use of this news piece, it merits very serious thought.
Click Here
Click Here
The crew quarters painting project
On our last trip to the coast after admiring our new shingles we decided the quarters for the Noyo King crew should be repainted. We accomplished about half thanks to the many hands and helpers. Part of a salor's life on the high seas is scraping, repainting and repairing the timbers. The next trip we may finish painting the crew quarters. Taja, the NK dog and mascot, approves of the work.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Que bueno and no rally for the R's in November!
US: Amendment banning gay marriage fails in Senate
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON
"The US Senate rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage by a wide margin and delivered an unexpectedly strong defeat to President George W. Bush and other Republicans who still hope the issue will rally Republican voters for November's elections.
The senators' vote was 49-48 to stop debate and bring the amendment to a yes-or-no decision. It fell 11 votes short of the 60 needed to kill the measure in the Senate for this year.
The 49 votes to keep the amendment alive were one more than the measure received in 2004 the last time the Senate voted. Proponents had predicted publicly that the amendment would get at least a 51-vote majority in the 100-member Senate considering the gain of four Republican seats since then."
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON
"The US Senate rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage by a wide margin and delivered an unexpectedly strong defeat to President George W. Bush and other Republicans who still hope the issue will rally Republican voters for November's elections.
The senators' vote was 49-48 to stop debate and bring the amendment to a yes-or-no decision. It fell 11 votes short of the 60 needed to kill the measure in the Senate for this year.
The 49 votes to keep the amendment alive were one more than the measure received in 2004 the last time the Senate voted. Proponents had predicted publicly that the amendment would get at least a 51-vote majority in the 100-member Senate considering the gain of four Republican seats since then."
Monday, June 05, 2006
The gay marriage ammendment
Harry Reid, US Senator (D), from Nevada gave a speech today outlining the critical topics our current administration must address. I excerpt some of that speech here:
"I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. I believe in our federal system of government, described to me in college as a central whole divided among self governing parts. Those self governing parts—the 50 states—have already decided this on their own in state after state. For example, in Nevada the constitution was amended to prevent same sex marriage. Congress and President Clinton passed a law that gave the states the guarantee that their individual laws regarding marriage would be respected. The Defense of Marriage Act creates an exception to the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution so that no state can force its laws of marriage on another.
So why are we being directed by the President and this Republican majority to debate an Amendment to the Constitution, a document inspired more than two centuries ago? Why would we be asked to change this American masterpiece?
Will it next be to constitutionally dictate the cause of divorce, or military service, or even what America’s religion must be?
So for me it is clear the reason for this debate is to divide our society, to pit one against another. This is another one of the President’s efforts to frighten, to distort, to distract, and to confuse America. It is this Administration’s way of avoiding the tough, real problems that American citizens are confronted with each and every day:
High Gas Prices.
The War in Iraq.
The National Debt.
Health Care.
Senior Citizens.
Education.
Crime.
Trade Policy.
Stem Cell Research.
Each issue begging the President’s attention, each issue being ignored—valuable time in the Senate spent on an issue that today is without hope of passing.
These issues are not Democratic issues. These issues are not Republican issues. There must be bipartisan efforts to address America’s ills."
"I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. I believe in our federal system of government, described to me in college as a central whole divided among self governing parts. Those self governing parts—the 50 states—have already decided this on their own in state after state. For example, in Nevada the constitution was amended to prevent same sex marriage. Congress and President Clinton passed a law that gave the states the guarantee that their individual laws regarding marriage would be respected. The Defense of Marriage Act creates an exception to the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution so that no state can force its laws of marriage on another.
So why are we being directed by the President and this Republican majority to debate an Amendment to the Constitution, a document inspired more than two centuries ago? Why would we be asked to change this American masterpiece?
Will it next be to constitutionally dictate the cause of divorce, or military service, or even what America’s religion must be?
So for me it is clear the reason for this debate is to divide our society, to pit one against another. This is another one of the President’s efforts to frighten, to distort, to distract, and to confuse America. It is this Administration’s way of avoiding the tough, real problems that American citizens are confronted with each and every day:
High Gas Prices.
The War in Iraq.
The National Debt.
Health Care.
Senior Citizens.
Education.
Crime.
Trade Policy.
Stem Cell Research.
Each issue begging the President’s attention, each issue being ignored—valuable time in the Senate spent on an issue that today is without hope of passing.
These issues are not Democratic issues. These issues are not Republican issues. There must be bipartisan efforts to address America’s ills."
Friday, June 02, 2006
Rat Saliva and George Bush
On a recent trip to the Redwoods, where we have breathtaking views of the ocean, hug our kids, grandkids, and the Redwood trees surrounding the house, we often pick up a daily edition of the San Francisco Chronicle. There was a fine editorial about my favorite place never to shop by Mark Morford. One of the summary paragraphs from his piece poetically demands to be published on this blog.
“I do not shop at Wal-Mart. I may never shop at Wal-Mart, given its notoriously horrible labor practices, brutal business tactics and effortless murder of all love and hope and joy from the retail experience. The stores are the George Bushes of the retail world -- drunk with power and cheaply made. Not to mention that vaguely nauseating feeling, when you walk through its (or almost any) big-box store, that your soul is being slowly coated in rat saliva.” Mark Morford San Francisco Chronicle 24 May 2006. For the complete article:
Click Here
(The oceanscape photo courtesy of Eddie, taken from Highway 1 near Westport.)
Monday, May 22, 2006
A wood fired baking oven...
The builders and future crew of the Noyo King will be needing a wood fired oven to sustain labor during boat construction. The following was excerpted from the online encyclopedia:
"The dome-shaped wood burning oven in one form or another has been in use for thousands of years. Scores of ancient civilizations dating back to Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt and later Rome, used some variation of this time-proven design to bake breads, meats, seafood and more. These small wonders are considered extremely efficient miniature bakeries. Additionally, in cold climates the presence of these cooking devices provided the occupants of small dwellings with an efficient source of heat. Most ancient civilizations used the clay and straw method of construction. This was time consuming and did not always result in a usable oven. As with pottery, many of their castings cracked during the initial firing. In modern times, refractory castings have been developed to reproduce the great heating qualities of ovens from long ago. Employing modern methods of casting, and through the use of better materials, these assemblies create ovens that are that have all the desired attributes of wood fired ovens without many of the pitfalls which burdened their predecessors. There is no cooking appliance that will give more pleasure to someone who appreciates cooking than a wood fired oven. Pizza is not the only thing you can do in a wood fired oven. Nothing is better for baking bread, and there’s nothing like meats grilled or roasted by a wood fire. A wood-fired oven will dramatically alter the way you cook, while providing you genuine enjoyment. A wood fired oven quickly becomes the center all gatherings for friends and family in your home. The sight of flames dancing in an oven provides a sense of well-being and warmth in any kitchen even when not in use for cooking. Incidentally, there’s no way that a regular oven will replicate what can be done in a wood fired oven. A pizza cooks in less than three minutes right on the oven floor. The crust will be crisp on the bottom, and the toppings always come out beautifully melted, and perfectly cooked. Regular ovens are simply not hot enough to do this."
We will keep you apprised of the progress of construction of the oven. This must be accomplished before work on the boat can begin.
Friday, May 19, 2006
"Any jackass can kick down a barn..."
I have wondered about the very low satisfaction and job approval rating our president is receiving. One source said it was the lowest of any president in the post war years. The only exception being Richard Nixon at the height of the Watergate scandal.
To me, America got what it voted for or was mislead into thinking it wanted. The low poll ratings suggest the thinness of “spin” and the lack of substantive even adequate ability and leadership from the White House. The failure of the Bush Presidency is the consequence of presidential advisors such as the likes of Karl Rove. Spin does not substitute for leadership and ability and we still have two more years. The tires are flat and the tank is empty. I think the truth of the statement of Abraham Lincoln has never been more apparent than now: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Bush and his handlers are living proof of that dictum from one whom sadly we will not likely see again. The spin has carried the Bush administration into its second term. The failing policy of Iraq, high energy prices and even higher profits of American oil companies, a deficit that our grand children will have to pay and Osama still sipping his Sprites and Perrier Water somewhere in Pakistan leave me empty.
For an interesting comparison in the thoughts and statements of several of our presidents I have collected a few memorable and less so quotations. Beginning with Bush 41:
"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." —George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y. May 24, 2005
"As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself — not here at the hospital, but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won. The cedar gave me a little scratch. As a matter of fact, the Colonel asked if I needed first aid when she first saw me. I was able to avoid any major surgical operations here, but thanks for your compassion, Colonel." —George W. Bush, after visiting with wounded veterans from the Amputee Care Center of Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 1, 2006
“The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas - a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated.” Ronald Reagan
“Did you ever think that making a speech on economics is a lot like pissing down your leg? It seems hot to you, but it never does to anyone else.” Lyndon Johnson
“Any jackass can kick down a barn but it takes a good carpenter to build one.” Lyndon Johnson
“A nation which has forgotten the quality of courage which in the past has been brought to public life is not as likely to insist upon or regard that quality in its chosen leaders today - and in fact we have forgotten.” John F. Kennedy
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Institutionalizing discrimination I am afraid...
On my way home from work this afternoon and listening to one of my two NPR stations I learned the Senate Judiciary Committee had approved what is called the “Federal Marriage Amendment”. First of all, I would like to say my marriage does not need constitutional protection and I strongly disagree with the notion that the Federal Government can do anything constructive to perpetuate marriage or insure the survivability of the family, particularly through a constitutional amendment. I found the following while ‘googling’ on the web. I agree with this statement. It is from “People For the American Way” and written by their Legal Director Elliot Mincberg.
“Today’s vote was a shameful act of election-year vandalism against our Constitution and the basic American principle of equal protection under the law. Discrimination is wrong, and the U.S. Constitution, our most sacred legal document, is especially the wrong place for it.
“It’s not surprising that some Republican leaders want to distract Americans from crises that really threaten our families and values – unfair tax policies and a runaway deficit, a culture of corruption and lack of accountability for lawbreaking at the highest levels of our government, the neglect of children and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and more. But writing discrimination into our sacred charter of freedom for short-term political gain shows a basic lack of decency." (Close quote)
Please write your senators and encourage them to keep this poorly thought and ill-conceived election year headline grabbing effort from becoming a part of our constitution. I wholeheartedly agree with director Mincberg, if it passed, it would only be writing discrimination into our legal system.
Shall we recall the success of the social experiment of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution? During Prohibition, temperance activists hired scholars to rewrite the Bible by removing all references to alcoholic beverages. What license would the extremists in this country take if such a discriminatory amendment were passed? The Ku Klux Klan strongly supported Prohibition and its strict enforcement. Likely, their message of hate would be strengthened by such a law.
“Today’s vote was a shameful act of election-year vandalism against our Constitution and the basic American principle of equal protection under the law. Discrimination is wrong, and the U.S. Constitution, our most sacred legal document, is especially the wrong place for it.
“It’s not surprising that some Republican leaders want to distract Americans from crises that really threaten our families and values – unfair tax policies and a runaway deficit, a culture of corruption and lack of accountability for lawbreaking at the highest levels of our government, the neglect of children and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and more. But writing discrimination into our sacred charter of freedom for short-term political gain shows a basic lack of decency." (Close quote)
Please write your senators and encourage them to keep this poorly thought and ill-conceived election year headline grabbing effort from becoming a part of our constitution. I wholeheartedly agree with director Mincberg, if it passed, it would only be writing discrimination into our legal system.
Shall we recall the success of the social experiment of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution? During Prohibition, temperance activists hired scholars to rewrite the Bible by removing all references to alcoholic beverages. What license would the extremists in this country take if such a discriminatory amendment were passed? The Ku Klux Klan strongly supported Prohibition and its strict enforcement. Likely, their message of hate would be strengthened by such a law.
Bodily fluids, generals and politicians...
General Jack D. Ripper: "Mandrake, do you recall what Clemenceau once said about war?"
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: "No, I don't think I do, sir, no."
General Jack D. Ripper: "He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought...
I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."
The Maltese Falcon
Joel Cairo: "You always have a very smooth explanation..."
Sam Spade: "What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?"
Monday, May 15, 2006
Mean spirited and contrary to everything I believe...
This was the proposed ammendment to the platform of the Utah State Republican Convention, 20 Mayo 2006
Illegal Immigration, Submitted by Robert Wren
"We believe that security of our borders is an urgent national interest and our national sovereignty depends on those secure borders. We oppose illegal immigration and all forms of amnesty, or legal status for illegal immigrants irrespective of program name or race. We oppose automatic citizenship for those children born in the United States to illegal alien parents. We believe government benefits should NOT be provided to those illegally present in the US. We do not believe that any temporary “guest” worker should be automatically on a path to citizenship. We believe that current laws against employing illegal aliens should be vigorously enforced."
Still trying to determine if it passed or not and by what margin. It also appears Robert Wren is not from Utah but is part of an organization in Phoenix who publish the "American Daily". A tour of their web site and a link to an article about immigration referred to undocumented Mexicans in the US as "vermin". Why did the “R” party allow this outsider to propose this amendment to their Utah convention?
Illegal Immigration, Submitted by Robert Wren
"We believe that security of our borders is an urgent national interest and our national sovereignty depends on those secure borders. We oppose illegal immigration and all forms of amnesty, or legal status for illegal immigrants irrespective of program name or race. We oppose automatic citizenship for those children born in the United States to illegal alien parents. We believe government benefits should NOT be provided to those illegally present in the US. We do not believe that any temporary “guest” worker should be automatically on a path to citizenship. We believe that current laws against employing illegal aliens should be vigorously enforced."
Still trying to determine if it passed or not and by what margin. It also appears Robert Wren is not from Utah but is part of an organization in Phoenix who publish the "American Daily". A tour of their web site and a link to an article about immigration referred to undocumented Mexicans in the US as "vermin". Why did the “R” party allow this outsider to propose this amendment to their Utah convention?
Friday, May 12, 2006
A crew member of the Noyo King
Here is one of the future crew members of the Noyo King, a very scary pirate!
Follow the Prophet
From the morning's edition of the SL Tribune:
"Immigration top GOP issue"
By Glen Warchol
"Rep. Chris Cannon knows that when he walks into the state Republican convention on Saturday, he's got to come across as tough on illegal immigration.
More than soaring gas prices, more than No Child Left Behind's federal involvement in education - undocumented immigration has risen to the top of nearly every delegate's agenda. Besides selecting candidates this weekend, the 3,500 grass-roots party activists will debate a proposed amendment to the party's platform opposing "illegal immigration and all forms of amnesty or legal status for illegal immigrants.""
Why do I have the very distinct impression the "R" party in this state is so bigoted and anti Hispanic? Of all places Utah because of its religious orientation should be open to assist, help and elevate the poor and the disenfranchised among us regardless of skin color or ethnic origin.
Don't any of those pushing for this criminalization of the undocumented listen to their prophet, President Hinckley? I quote:
"Throughout my service as a member of the First Presidency, I have recognized and spoken a number of times on the diversity we see in our society. It is all about us, and we must make an effort to accommodate that diversity.
Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children.
Brethren, there is no basis for racial hatred among the priesthood of this Church. If any within the sound of my voice is inclined to indulge in this, then let him go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness and be no more involved in such."
What does President Hinckley mean when he says we must "accommodate that diversity"? Do we make them all felons? That to me is what this "R" party will attempt to do in their state convention.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
High Plains Drifter
Sarah Belding: "Be careful. You're a man who makes people afraid, and that's dangerous."
The Stranger: "Well, it's what people know about themselves inside that makes 'em afraid."
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
ingenioso y práctico
I have come to admire the problem solving ability and ingenuity with which Peruvians view life and the challenges associated with their humble existence. Wished I had a convertible like this!
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Gender orientation from the National Academy of Sciences
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/102/20/7356?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=savic&searchid=
1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
The article is heavy in the scientific discussion and is written for scientists practicing in the field. The implications are significant and important. Another step in understanding this place and perhaps why some are different. The Associated Press (AP) has published an article more understandable for the non professional. It is from the Chicago Daily Herald. Someone please tell me if it makes it into the Deseret News or the Tribune. The link to the Daily herald is:
http://dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=186895
"Lesbians’ brains respond similarly to those of heterosexual men:"
Associated Press
Posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006
WASHINGTON — Lesbians’ brains react differently to sex hormones than those of heterosexual women, new research indicates.
That’s in line with an earlier study that had indicated gay men’s brain responses were different from straight men — though the difference for men was more pronounced than has now been found in women.
Lesbians’ brains reacted somewhat, though not completely, like those of heterosexual men, a team of Swedish researchers said in today’s edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A year ago, the same group reported findings for gay men that showed their brain response to hormones was similar to that of heterosexual women.
In both cases the findings add weight to the idea that homosexuality has a physical basis and is not learned behavior.
“It shows sexual orientation may very well have a different basis between men and women ... this is not just a mirror image situation,” said Sandra Witelson, an expert on brain anatomy and sexual orientation at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
“The important thing is to be open to the likely situation that there are biological factors that contribute to sexual orientation,” added Witelson, who was not part of the research team.
The research team led by Ivanka Savic at the Stockholm Brain Institute had volunteers sniff chemicals derived from male and female sex hormones. These chemicals are thought to be pheromones — molecules known to trigger responses such as defense and sex in many animals.
Whether humans respond to pheromones has been debated, although in 2000 American researchers reported finding a gene that they believe directs a human pheromone receptor in the nose.
The same team reported last year on a comparison of the response of male homosexuals to heterosexual men and women. They found that the brains of gay men reacted more like those of women than of straight men.
The new study shows a similar, but weaker, relationship between the response of lesbians and straight men.
Heterosexual women found the male and female pheromones about equally pleasant, while straight men and lesbians liked the female pheromone more than the male one. Men and lesbians also found the male hormone more irritating than the female one, while straight women were more likely to be irritated by the female hormone than the male one.
All three groups rated the male hormone more familiar than the female one. Straight women found both hormones about equal in intensity, while lesbians and straight men found the male hormone more intense than the female one.
The brains of all three groups were scanned when sniffing male and female hormones and a set of four ordinary odors. Ordinary odors were processed in the brain circuits associated with smell in all the volunteers.
In heterosexual males the male hormone was processed in the scent area but the female hormone was processed in the hypothalamus, which is related to sexual stimulation. In straight women the sexual area of the brain responded to the male hormone while the female hormone was perceived by the scent area.
In lesbians, both male and female hormones were processed the same, in the basic odor processing circuits, Savic and her team reported.
Each of the three groups of subjects included 12 healthy, unmedicated, right-handed and HIV-negative individuals.
The research was funded by the Swedish Medical Research Council, Karolinska Institute and the Wallenberg Foundation.
1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
The article is heavy in the scientific discussion and is written for scientists practicing in the field. The implications are significant and important. Another step in understanding this place and perhaps why some are different. The Associated Press (AP) has published an article more understandable for the non professional. It is from the Chicago Daily Herald. Someone please tell me if it makes it into the Deseret News or the Tribune. The link to the Daily herald is:
http://dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=186895
"Lesbians’ brains respond similarly to those of heterosexual men:"
Associated Press
Posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006
WASHINGTON — Lesbians’ brains react differently to sex hormones than those of heterosexual women, new research indicates.
That’s in line with an earlier study that had indicated gay men’s brain responses were different from straight men — though the difference for men was more pronounced than has now been found in women.
Lesbians’ brains reacted somewhat, though not completely, like those of heterosexual men, a team of Swedish researchers said in today’s edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A year ago, the same group reported findings for gay men that showed their brain response to hormones was similar to that of heterosexual women.
In both cases the findings add weight to the idea that homosexuality has a physical basis and is not learned behavior.
“It shows sexual orientation may very well have a different basis between men and women ... this is not just a mirror image situation,” said Sandra Witelson, an expert on brain anatomy and sexual orientation at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
“The important thing is to be open to the likely situation that there are biological factors that contribute to sexual orientation,” added Witelson, who was not part of the research team.
The research team led by Ivanka Savic at the Stockholm Brain Institute had volunteers sniff chemicals derived from male and female sex hormones. These chemicals are thought to be pheromones — molecules known to trigger responses such as defense and sex in many animals.
Whether humans respond to pheromones has been debated, although in 2000 American researchers reported finding a gene that they believe directs a human pheromone receptor in the nose.
The same team reported last year on a comparison of the response of male homosexuals to heterosexual men and women. They found that the brains of gay men reacted more like those of women than of straight men.
The new study shows a similar, but weaker, relationship between the response of lesbians and straight men.
Heterosexual women found the male and female pheromones about equally pleasant, while straight men and lesbians liked the female pheromone more than the male one. Men and lesbians also found the male hormone more irritating than the female one, while straight women were more likely to be irritated by the female hormone than the male one.
All three groups rated the male hormone more familiar than the female one. Straight women found both hormones about equal in intensity, while lesbians and straight men found the male hormone more intense than the female one.
The brains of all three groups were scanned when sniffing male and female hormones and a set of four ordinary odors. Ordinary odors were processed in the brain circuits associated with smell in all the volunteers.
In heterosexual males the male hormone was processed in the scent area but the female hormone was processed in the hypothalamus, which is related to sexual stimulation. In straight women the sexual area of the brain responded to the male hormone while the female hormone was perceived by the scent area.
In lesbians, both male and female hormones were processed the same, in the basic odor processing circuits, Savic and her team reported.
Each of the three groups of subjects included 12 healthy, unmedicated, right-handed and HIV-negative individuals.
The research was funded by the Swedish Medical Research Council, Karolinska Institute and the Wallenberg Foundation.
Friday, May 05, 2006
"Racial slurs and denigrating remarks among us..."
"The Need for Greater Kindness"
President Gordon B. Hinckley, April Conference 2006
"Why do any of us have to be so mean and unkind to others? Why can't all of us reach out in friendship to everyone about us?
When a man grows old he develops a softer touch, a kindlier manner. I have thought of this much of late.
I have wondered why there is so much hatred in the world. We are involved in terrible wars with lives lost and many crippling wounds. Coming closer to home, there is so much of jealousy, pride, arrogance, and carping criticism; fathers who rise in anger over small, inconsequential things and make wives weep and children fear.
Racial strife still lifts its ugly head. I am advised that even right here among us there is some of this. I cannot understand how it can be. It seemed to me that we all rejoiced in the 1978 revelation given President Kimball. I was there in the temple at the time that that happened. There was no doubt in my mind or in the minds of my associates that what was revealed was the mind and the will of the Lord.
Now I am told that racial slurs and denigrating remarks are sometimes heard among us. I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ. How can any man holding the Melchizedek Priesthood arrogantly assume that he is eligible for the priesthood whereas another who lives a righteous life but whose skin is of a different color is ineligible?
Throughout my service as a member of the First Presidency, I have recognized and spoken a number of times on the diversity we see in our society. It is all about us, and we must make an effort to accommodate that diversity.
Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children.
Brethren, there is no basis for racial hatred among the priesthood of this Church. If any within the sound of my voice is inclined to indulge in this, then let him go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness and be no more involved in such."
President Gordon B. Hinckley, April Conference 2006
"Why do any of us have to be so mean and unkind to others? Why can't all of us reach out in friendship to everyone about us?
When a man grows old he develops a softer touch, a kindlier manner. I have thought of this much of late.
I have wondered why there is so much hatred in the world. We are involved in terrible wars with lives lost and many crippling wounds. Coming closer to home, there is so much of jealousy, pride, arrogance, and carping criticism; fathers who rise in anger over small, inconsequential things and make wives weep and children fear.
Racial strife still lifts its ugly head. I am advised that even right here among us there is some of this. I cannot understand how it can be. It seemed to me that we all rejoiced in the 1978 revelation given President Kimball. I was there in the temple at the time that that happened. There was no doubt in my mind or in the minds of my associates that what was revealed was the mind and the will of the Lord.
Now I am told that racial slurs and denigrating remarks are sometimes heard among us. I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ. How can any man holding the Melchizedek Priesthood arrogantly assume that he is eligible for the priesthood whereas another who lives a righteous life but whose skin is of a different color is ineligible?
Throughout my service as a member of the First Presidency, I have recognized and spoken a number of times on the diversity we see in our society. It is all about us, and we must make an effort to accommodate that diversity.
Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children.
Brethren, there is no basis for racial hatred among the priesthood of this Church. If any within the sound of my voice is inclined to indulge in this, then let him go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness and be no more involved in such."
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Nuclear Waste...
Church Urges Alternatives for Nuclear Waste
4 May 2006
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today asked the federal government to look for alternative options for the disposal of nuclear waste.
In light of the ongoing discussion of the possible storage of nuclear waste in Utah’s Skull Valley area, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement:
“The transportation and storage of high-level nuclear waste create
substantial and legitimate public health, safety, and environmental
concerns.
“It is not reasonable to suggest that any one area bear a
disproportionate burden of the transportation and concentration
of nuclear waste.
“We ask the federal government to harness the technological
and creative power of the country to develop options for the disposal
of nuclear waste.”
4 May 2006
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today asked the federal government to look for alternative options for the disposal of nuclear waste.
In light of the ongoing discussion of the possible storage of nuclear waste in Utah’s Skull Valley area, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement:
“The transportation and storage of high-level nuclear waste create
substantial and legitimate public health, safety, and environmental
concerns.
“It is not reasonable to suggest that any one area bear a
disproportionate burden of the transportation and concentration
of nuclear waste.
“We ask the federal government to harness the technological
and creative power of the country to develop options for the disposal
of nuclear waste.”
A near death experience for the Man in Black
“Only once have I been right up to it and seen it, (death). I was on a respirator in critical care with double pneumonia after my bypass surgery in 1988. There came a moment when, after fighting for breadth for so long and not getting it anymore, I felt myself fading away. I could hear the doctors---“He’s slipping, he’s slipping! We’ve got to do something fast!”---but their voices receded and everything got quiet and dark and calm and peaceful. Then a light grew around me, and it soon enveloped me, and it was more than light, it was the essence of light, a safe, warm, joyous brilliance growing brighter and brighter and more beautiful every moment. I began to drift smoothly into its very center, where it was so much better than anything I had ever experienced that I can’t possibly describe it. I was unbelievably happy. I’ve never felt such utter joy.
Then it just vanished. It just went. My eyes flew open and saw doctors. I couldn’t believe it. Sorrow welled up in me. I started crying, and then I got angry that I was sobbing and snarling at the same time. I found my wits and began trying to tell them to let me go, to send me back, but they had a tube down my throat, so I couldn’t get it across to them. I gave up trying.
And then, after a few minutes, I was glad to be back. I was restored, as they say to my senses. I never forgot that light, and it changed me. When I was still in the hospital and one of my children came into my room, I’d feel a strange overpowering blend of joy and sorrow, any my tears would roll. After I got home, I’d bawl like a baby over a passage in a book or a scene in a movie. When friends came over, I’d watch them and a solitary tear would sneak down my cheek. People got used to it. They’d see it and smile: there goes John crying again.
It’s not so extreme today, but I still cry at almost anything. It can be something as profound as the beauty of a grandchild in my arms or as trifling as the smile of pretty girl winning a skating championship on TV. Life has become more moving.” pp. 259-260, “Cash, The Autobiography”
Then it just vanished. It just went. My eyes flew open and saw doctors. I couldn’t believe it. Sorrow welled up in me. I started crying, and then I got angry that I was sobbing and snarling at the same time. I found my wits and began trying to tell them to let me go, to send me back, but they had a tube down my throat, so I couldn’t get it across to them. I gave up trying.
And then, after a few minutes, I was glad to be back. I was restored, as they say to my senses. I never forgot that light, and it changed me. When I was still in the hospital and one of my children came into my room, I’d feel a strange overpowering blend of joy and sorrow, any my tears would roll. After I got home, I’d bawl like a baby over a passage in a book or a scene in a movie. When friends came over, I’d watch them and a solitary tear would sneak down my cheek. People got used to it. They’d see it and smile: there goes John crying again.
It’s not so extreme today, but I still cry at almost anything. It can be something as profound as the beauty of a grandchild in my arms or as trifling as the smile of pretty girl winning a skating championship on TV. Life has become more moving.” pp. 259-260, “Cash, The Autobiography”
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