Chimera - I Am My Own Twin

I always thought there were only two type of twins: identical, (sometimes referred to as paternal), and fraternal.

Identical twins: monozygotic (one zygote) -- twins form when a single fertilized egg splits into two genetically identical parts. The twins share the amnion and placenta and the same DNA set, thus they may share many similar attributes. (They don't share identical fingerprints.) They usually look alike, however, since physical appearance is influenced by environmental factors and not just genetics, identical twins can actually look very different, but they are always the same gender.

Fraternal twins: dizygotic (two zygotes) -- twins develop when two separate eggs are fertilized and implant in the uterus. The genetic connection is no more or less the same as siblings born at separate times. They may or may not look alike, and each twin can be of either gender.

Some scientists have theorized a third, hybrid type called polar body twinning, that occurs when an unfertilized egg splits into two parts and each part is fertilized by a different sperm. The twins would then share one-half of their gene set (from their mother). Because it is the father's DNA that determines the sex, each twin can be either gender.

Except for the theory about the polar body twinning I already knew that much about twins, but I sat there with my mouth agape as I watch this fantastic program [on the Discovery Channel] about chimeras.

A chimera is when two separate zygotes fuse into one, forming one embryo which contains the separate genetic material of each of the two zygotes. The chimera should have been a set of fraternal twins, but instead is one individual having two sets of genetic material. A blood test would reveal one genetic profile while a tissue sample from another part of the body would have the genetic makeup of a totally different person.

I immediately did some googling and discovered this fascinating article (published in the "New Scientist" magazine) on one particular case study -- "click" to read the complete article.

Also, with regard to containing one's own twin, there is a certain type of conjoined twins -- (the term "Siamese Twins" is considered derogatory) -- called "fetus in fetu", a situation in which an imperfect fetus is contained completely within the body of its sibling ...it had started to grow within him back when the zygotes were forming.

All this sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but then, so much science fiction turns out to be glimpses into the yet-unknown or that which has yet to occur.

With all the possible combinations and mutations that could happen, it's really phenomenal that so many of us humans are actually born normal ...by that I mean ten fingers, ten toes, one head, etc. Sure, there are many deformed babies, some are naturally formed so, while others are affected by external stimulus. My mother smoked and drank all during her pregnancy [with me] ...back when it was not suggested that you shouldn't. I was lucky to have not suffered any birth defects ...or was I? I secretly lay the blame for all my neurosis on [her] prenatal behavior. (Just joking, Mom.)

Quote of the Week: "Everything you need to know about human life is actually contained in every day of every human life."

Bowing To The Absurd

Sometimes there are things you witness in life that are beyond, reproach, comment, or criticism. All you can do is laugh and, as I overheard someone so eloquently express, "bow to the absurd".

These are the kind of things that comedians relish, those things "you just can't make up". You watch without comment, but you're silently thinking, with deference to the humor of Bill Engvall, "Here's your sign".

One such example of this absurdity was standing about two people in front of me in the checkout line at my local grocers. I made every attempt to show how "cool" I was by not reacting with giggles and sneers, like so many others around me.

You see, there was this girl ...my bad ...young woman standing in line with the demeanor of an aristocrat patiently waiting for her groceries to be scanned and bagged. The cashier was beside himself and couldn't keep a straight face, and to that extent, I felt sorry for the customer ...although she seemed totally unaffected.

Why were the cashier and the surrounding people sniggering and staring? [She] was standing there in a plastic wig. Not a wig whose hair strands were made of plastic fibers, but a hard, solid, one-piece simulation of a hair style. Atop this, she wore a hat similar to that frequently worn by Minnie Pearl (of the Grand Old Opry).

The excessive coloring applied to the apples of her cheeks formed two bright red circles, and the obviously painted-on freckles were over sized and made her look like a doll. Her retro-style ensemble consisted of a red and white polka-dot oversized child's dress, (think Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann), a bright green bolero-style jacket, white ankle socks, and finally, red mary-janes jellies.

Oh, yeah, she carried a woven straw purse that matched her woven straw hat.

I've always felt that camera phones were an excessive bit of nonsense, but oh, how I wish I had one at that moment. Everyone around me, under the pretense of talking on his phone, was capturing this unique vision for posterity. Having lived in New York and now in San Francisco, you'd think I'd be immune to this kind of thing, but I never fail to be amazed when confronted by [these people] who choose to live on the fringe.

[She] paid for her groceries, and pushed her cart out of the store, giving no credence whatsoever to all the attention. Although, I suspect that the attention was, in fact, the objective. The "look" was too contrived to have been poor fashion sense, or the creation of someone mentally challenged. It was definitely a conscious choice. To dress like this, for whatever reason, whatever the statement, you have to have a lot of self-confidence and skin as thick as a rhino's.

We've all said (at one time or another) that we don't care what other people think, that our own opinion of ourselves is all that matters. And yet, considering all the attention paid to fashion, grooming, and body image, we're all very concerned about that image we project. Which raises the question, "...the image we project to whom?" ...those very people whose opinions we don't care about.

Quote of the Week: "How you look depends on where you go."

Unpacking The Rat

George Carlin does a funny routine on how we (people) are all about "stuff" ...how we accumulate stuff ...how our houses are merely places to store our stuff while we're off making money to buy more stuff.

I have a lot of stuff ...waaay too much. I've reached the point where in order to buy anything, first I'd have to dispose of something. I have no room for any new stuff. I have fabric left over from projects from over twenty years ago. I have silk screen supplies that have congealed or dried in the container. I have photographic chemicals that are so old, I'm sure they've mutated into something horribly dangerous.

Which brings to mind the episode of "Red Dwarf" where the photo developing chemicals had mutated and, when used, would produce a live animated image that you could enter and interact with the people in the picture. But I digress.

I've saved the left-over lumber used for interior alterations. I have a vast assortment of glass from various picture framing and stained-glass projects. I have all kinds of paper and card stock. I have enough excess electrical wiring, sockets, plugs, resistors, and what-not to open a small hardware store.

And don't get me started on computer stuff. I still have the first computer I ever bought. The original Macintosh (1984). It has absolutely not practical value, you can't run any current software, it's useless for connecting to the internet ...but it still works (with the antiquated software I still have from back then). I can't seem to part with it, so it sits up in the closet boxed up with the second Mac I bought (the SE30) which too has passed its prime and has no practical value ...but it still works.

I have three "active" computers (Mac G3 desktop, Pentium III desktop, Mac G4 notebook) currently in use ...I switch back and forth among them as each has its specific functions. As you can see, I like stuff. So if I want to buy more stuff, I really need to get rid of some of my old [useless] stuff.

Those 300, 1200, 2400, 14.4K, and 28.8K baud modems ...that 1-bit (black/white) scanner ...that 400K external floppy drive ...that 2X external CD drive, they're all obsolete and have absolutely no useful value. Although, I must admit, those old 256K memory chips do make nice key-ring oraments.

All my darkroom equipment is boxed up and I don't really ever plan to used it again ...not with the advent of digital cameras and Photoshop. Besides, the space that was the darkroom is now totally filled with stored stuff. However, some (most) of the pieces [of equipment] are things you can't get anymore. Some are still useful for other projects (e.g. dry mounting press). The enlarger is no longer needed for print processing but it is an integral tool I use in screen printing ...although, I haven't made a run of prints in over ten years. The printing frame, screens, and squeegees are all there in the back of the closet. I can't part with them. You see, I never know what form that next [creative] flash is going to take. What happens when I have that flash of inspiration and realized that I can't act on it because I've disposed of my stuff.

I have clothes that I bought and have never worn ...or wore only once. Hey, they're new clothes; you don't throw away new clothes. I have clothes I'll never wear again, like those size thirty jeans. Yeah, right! So why am I holding on to them. It's not nostalgia; it's the fabric. Who knows of what use it might be.

That seems to be the attitude about everything in my possession. Who knows to what use I might put this. It really pisses me off when I've held onto something for years, finally trash it, and the very next day, have a need for it. And of course, it'll be something that's no longer available. So therein lies the dilemma, stuff vs. space ...space to fill with more stuff.

Quote of the Week: "A man should always consider how much more he has than he needs, and how much more unhappy he might be than he is."

The Seven Intelligences

While browsing through some of the blogs, I ran across one that posed this interesting question:

In the movie "The Day the World Stood Still," the alien, upon landing in Washington DC, asked that he be taken to the "smartest person on earth", so that they could discuss the dangerous state of affairs on Earth. The person he was taken to was a Physicist!

One can argue that if that alien spaceship landed in the sixties, the person who most people would identify as that "smartest" person is Albert Einstein.

So who would you put on your list, if the alien spaceship landed in 2005?

We'd take the alien to see George W. Bush, right? Okay, so much for the joke of the day. But, this did start me thinking about intelligence and the concept of the "smart" or intelligent person. But everyone is not smart in the same way. Actually there are seven intelligences:

• Mathematical and Logical (which is the area usually tested and the one that determines IQs and SATs)
• Physical (athletic prowess)
• Musical (musicians and composers)
• Spatial (architectural savvy)
• Linguistic (ability to master many different languages)
• Intra-personal (self-awareness usually working towards enlightenment)
• Inter-personal (people skills)

Many people possess combinations of these intelligences. The dancer would be both physically and musically intelligent. As would the musician, when you consider the dexterity required to master most instruments. The architectural engineer would have mathematical and logical intelligence in addition to being spatially gifted. It is not uncommon to excel in one area and be totally deficient in another, (e.g. the linguist who fluently speaks eight languages and yet can't seem to balance his checkbook). Obviously, being gifted in one or more of these areas of intelligence does not equate to being a "superior" being. Besides, there are many human traits (creativity for one) which can't be measured or tested.

I [had] a friend who prided himself on being "smart". In fact, it was his defining characteristic. I always found it interesting and a bit insulting that he tended to surround himself with people that he considered less smart so that he could shine in that arena. Funny thing is how unintelligent he was when it came to certain other areas. He had a vast vocabulary, was well read, scored well on the various "tests", and he could speak five languages, but he was an emotional mess, he couldn't hold a job, he had but a few friends ...only those who for a short period would tolerate his elitist demeanor.

His need for attention in this area was obvious to everyone but himself -- he couldn't see the pretentiousness in having an extended answering machine message in French that no one [calling him] would understand. Although most of his acquaintances simply allowed him his place in the spotlight, this did take its toll and many of his friendships were short-lived.

Whenever he would speak, there was always the flurry of eyerolls and exchanged glances. It's curious how when someone uses a twenty-dollar word, (especially when a simpler one would suffice), the reaction evoked is often one of annoyance and insult, spawning remarks like, "He thinks he's better than everyone else".

I've always found such comments strange since it would require [the person making this statement] to have a concept of a "better than himself". It's true that knowledge is power, but that's personal power, not power over others. Someone can only be "better than" if you consider yourself "less than". But then, I guess there are those who do de-value themselves ...for whatever reason(s).

Being human, we contemplate our existence and define ourselves and our purpose. Survival and procreation are not our reasons for existing. Despite the hierarchical nature of society, and the acceptance of the concept of alpha personalities, any power anyone has over you is the power you give them ...the power you relinquish. When one becomes "empowered", you don't attain power from some external source. You're just reclaiming that which was always yours.

Quote of the Week: "Regardless of the consequences, you always have a choice, and in the end, you are the sum total of the choices you've made."

Maru A Pula (Clouds of Rain)

The title of this post, "maru a pula", is the name of a South African song sung in celebration of the rain, which having finally come, averts the drought and famine.

Here too, in San Francisco, the rains which come every year around this time are necessary to avert drought. It seldom rains in the Summer, so if there's not enough rainfall / snowfall during these Winter months, we have to compensate for the lack of water the following year. We [here] all remember those past dry seasons when we were forced to omit things like landscape watering, limit dish washing to only full loads and, if washing dishes by hand, you were to use a biodegradable soap so the water could be used for plants and gardens. We were encouraged to limit showers to 10 minutes, and if you ever indulged in something like a bath, the bath water was to be used for toilet flushing.

So when December brings the Winter storms, one right after another, dousing us with buckets and buckets of water, when the skies are grey for weeks on end, it's a good thing. The water is needed to fill the reservoirs for the entire upcoming year.

And yet, no one is singing songs of celebration. All this precipitation is a mixed blessing.

	The ground has been dry for most of the year; it can't absorb the water fast enough, so the run-off causes flooding ...especially in Northern California (Russian & Napa Rivers). No, this is nothing like Katrina's devastation, but enough to result in considerable damage.
	And then there's the traffic. From year to year, people simply forget how to drive in the rain and there's a significant increase in the number of traffic accidents ranging from minor fender benders to multi-casualty collisions.
	When the water does start to soak into the ground, we're plagued with mud slides and people's houses start sliding off hills. The soaked ground can't support those huge trees that topple over, crashing onto cars and homes, blocking roadways, and taking down power lines.

Wasn't it not too long ago that the whole area was so dry, that just the thought of a match was enough to trigger an uncontrollable wild fire? I left the East Coast to get away from such extremes in weather. All I did was exchange the extremes of heat and cold for the extremes of wet and dry ...with an occasional earthquake thrown in for good measure.

Still, I've no real complaints. This is winter in San Francisco. In between the raindrops, the temperature is still quite moderate. Besides, if we had beautiful sunny weather all the time, that really would be tedious. Plus, it never snows in San Francisco. I left New York to get away from the Winter with its cold and snow.

However, just a short drive away, you can frolic in all the snow you want ...for those who feel snow is "fun". At higher elevations, the new fallen snow is coveted by countless ski enthusiasts and is a boon to the winter sporting industry. And, when it melts in the Spring, the run-off contributes significantly to the filling of the reservoirs. In fact, it's the major contributor. The success (or failure) of our seasonal water accumulation is determined by the snowpack.

Addendum (added 2/4/06): Even though the damage was still not a severe as that caused by Katrina, it turned out to have been much more significant than eluded to earlier in this post. This year's storms were much worst than usual, much worst than they've been in a very long time. Several of the counties in California were so battered they've been officially declared as disasters areas and the feds have called [again] on FEMA to bail out the casualties.

Quote of the Week: "In nature there are neither rewards nor penalties, only consequences."