THERE IS NO RACE

I read this and it made me feel SO much better...

The 0.1% genetic difference that differentiates any two random humans is still the subject of much debate. The discovery that only 8% of this difference separates the major races led some scientists to proclaim that race is biologically meaningless. They argue that since genetic distance increases in a continuous manner any threshold or definitions would be arbitrary. Any two neighboring villages or towns will show some genetic differentiation from each other and thus could be defined as a race. Thus any attempt to classify races would be imposing an artificial discontinuity on what is otherwise a naturally occurring continuous phenomenon.

However, other scientists disagree by claiming that the assertion that race is biologically meaningless is politically motivated and that genetic differences are significant. Neil Risch states that numerous studies over past decades have documented biological differences among the races with regard to susceptibility and natural history of a chronic disease. Effectively Neil Risch is attempting to redefine "race" for human populations to represent that small proportion of variation that is known to vary between continental populations. It is well established, that the level of differentiation between the continental human groups, as measured by the statistic F_ST is about 0.06-0.1 (6-10%), with about 5-10% of variation at the population level (that is between different populations occupying the same continent) and about 75-85% of variation within populations.(Risch et al., 2002; Templeton, 1998; Ossorio and Duster, 2005; Lewontin, 2005). Tempeton (1998) states that in biology a level of 0.25-0.3 (20-30%) of differentiation normally accepted in biological literature for a population to be considered a race or subspecies.

"A standard criterion for a subspecies or race in the nonhuman literature under the traditional definition of a subspecies as a geographically circumbscribed, sharply differentiated population is to have F_ST values of at least 0.25 to 0.3 (Smith et al. 1997). Hence as judged by the criterion in the nonhuman literature, the human F_ST value is too small to have taxonomic significance under the traditional subspecies definition."(Templeton, 1998)

Indeed Neil Risch himself avoids defining race, when asked to respond to the comment "Genome variation research does not support the existence of human races.” he replied

What is your definition of races? If you define it a certain way, maybe that's a valid statement. There is obviously still disagreement....Scientists always disagree! A lot of the problem is terminology. I'm not even sure what race means, people use it in many different ways.(Gitschier, 2005)

Racial classification is a modern phenomenon dating back to the 15th century when Portuguese and Spanish sailors encountered sub-saharan Africans and referred to them as Negro (the color black). Literature from earlier Roman and Greek eras is noticeably lacking in racial references. Instead people were often described by their tribal origin or by their status as freemen or slaves. A Scientific American article entitled "Traces of a Distant Past" by Gary Stix has the most interesting quote:

Genetic literacy will let a term like "Asian" or "Chinese" be replaced by more subtle classifications based on the differences in ancestral genetic makeup found in recent genome-wide scans, such as the distinction between China's southern and northern Han groups. "There is no race."Quintana-Murci says

Remembering Robert Nesta

Today, without thinking I replaced my desktop background with an old picture of Bob Marley I had up about a month ago. And right after replacing my Leo Giamini with the spiraling locks of Mr Marley I signed online and found out that today is the 28th anniversary of his death from cancer.

When I had first heard stories about how Bob Marley died, the rumor was that he had cancer, which he refused to have treated at the time, leading to his untimely death.

This isn't true.

After seeing 'Catch a Fire' on dvd, Chris Blackwell said himself that at first, Bob didn't want the treatment, believing that it was ya know, his time...but that after becoming more and more sick he did go seek treatment in Germany, right before passing away. Mr. Blackwell commented that when he saw Bob for the last time he looked like he had aged about 40 years, and that even in that state he remained a steadfast rasta, and believer of Jah.

I've heard a lot of people give Bob shit about his last days, saying that if he had just got treatment right away that he wouldn't have died so young, but I think those people just don't understand death, and the universe. Or, if they do understand it, they must fear it.

We all walk along the paths of life, pass through the gates of death alone to be greeted by immortality in the house of the universe. Therefore, fear of death is like a child who is afraid of the darkness of night, forgetting that the sun will ineveitably rise for a new day.

My first proper introduction to reggae music, and Bob Marley was by a friend of mine whose brother's birthday would have been yesterday, had he not recently passed away from cancer. Strange the way the universe works. Very strange.

On a completely different and much lighter note today is beautiful, thank you Mr Marley. And congratulations, because death isn't really death...more like graduation day from the most important schooling of all: life.


"in high tide and low tide, I'll be by your side" Imagine the tides being life, and/or consciousness....it's like Bob's telling us that no matter what, he'll always be around....and because of his music, and his impact on pop culture at large, he will.

CARE ABOUT ME

So what is a blog? According to the all-knowing, never-wrong internet, a blog (short for web log) is: Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.

Since paper journals are obviously obsolete, what would be the purpose of posting your private life and personal exploits on a public forum? Seems to me like bloggers are self-fellating voyeurs who get-off on being watched as much as they get-off on remaining hidden. It's beautiful really.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Lee.
A self-fellating, self-indulging, opinionated and "well" informed member of the human fuckin' race.
My thoughts, words and actions tend to offend most people just because I say what the back of your mind is thinking.

Today I've been thinking how everyone with half a brain should go see Chin-Chin at Union Pool tonight at ten.
Oprah should give me money so I can live in Brooklyn, you know it costs over 20 bucks to drive there? That's not even including the gas and drugs...all-in-all a good night out in BK is somewhere between $85-$100....and to think I was going there once a week?

Cock is so worth it though.