DNA explained for the layman

     Human reproduction is based on the incredibly complex chemical compound known as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which carries all of the genetic assembly, maintenance, and functional information for the human body, different and distinct for each individual human body, with the entire code present in every cell of the human body (except of course, the reproductive cells, which carry one-half of the genetic information.)

     The genetic information carried in DNA is coded using a sequence of four bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) arranged in pairs on opposing helical strands with molecular weights in the millions.  The number and sequence of base pairs enables millions of instruction to be encoded in each DNA strand.  This structure is simple and complex at the same time and its elucidation won the 1962 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine for James D. Watson and Francis Crick.

   Strand-like paired structures (twenty three pairs of chromosomes in normal humans) found in human body cells each carry millions of coded instructions on the DNA strands of which they are constructed.  The chromosomes are duplicated when new cells are produced so that each new cell carries the same set of instructions as all others.  The two exceptions are the reproductive cells (spermatozoa and ova), which, instead of being diploid (two stranded) have only one DNA strand (haploid).   When the sperm fertilizes the egg (ovum) the individual (haploid) strands of DNA are united, producing an entirely new diploid individual related to,  but distinct from, the two source cells.  The new life can literally be said to be half from the mother and half from the father.

  

Tisha B'Av

30 July 2009: Tisha B'Av (Hebrew: Ninth of Av) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the two destructions of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem (586 BCE and 70 CE).  The holiday is observed as a day of fasting and contemplation. 

The abortion debate is not only based on religious beliefs

     A friend and I were talking  and somehow got onto the subject of abortion.  When I expressed my opposition to the practice he told me he was surprised at me.    He said, "You're so well read and seem to be intelligent.  How can you be anti-choice?"

     I pointed out to him that I am not anti-choice, I'm pro-life.  He started rolling out all the pro-abortion arguments.  And, he made the charge that only fundamentalist Christians and Roman Catholics oppose abortion; so, declaring that it was not necessary to invoke religion at all in the debate, I asked him a question.

     "If you take tissue from an aborted fetus and from the biological mother and submit the samples separately for DNA analysis and comparison, what will be the result?  ... The DNA analysis will demonstrate that the tissues came from two separate and totally distinct individuals.  Genetic science states that the fetus, from the moment of conception, is a separate life, not merely a patch of tissue in the mother's body."

     My friend admitted that this was true but the implications of that admission flew right over his head.  He resorted to the hypothetical game, "If your daughter were ... "

     Many people of both liberal and conservative orientations stake a claim on a particular issue on ideology and become almost automatons, chanting the established mantra over and over.  They challenge any deviation from their particular orthodoxy.  Real argument, in the classical sense, is drowned out; they merely become louder with their chanting.  If you don't agree with them you must be an uneducated boob, hopelessly confused, or, worst of all, a bigot.

     It would be a positive step if we could all learn to argue with respect.  At the end of our argument my friend and I looked at one another and laughed.  We're still friends.

 

 

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Nicholas Worth: (b. 1937, Missouri - 2007) Powerlifter, bodybuilder, film and voice actor.

Jose Eduardo Verastegui: (b. 1974, Mexico) Roman Catholic fashion model, singer, film actor.

Choi chi-sum: (b. 1960, China) Far right evangelical Baptist affiliated with the China Holiness Church.

Tabitha (aka: Dorcas): A dressmaker in ancient Joppa (Yaffo, Israel) who made clothing for poor widows.  She died and was raised from the dead by Peter. (Acts 9: 36-42).

Jack Thomas Chick: (b. 1924, California) Cartoonist and comic book writer. Fundamentalist Protestant publisher of over 750,000,000 Christian evangelical tracts.

 

Another light bulb joke

How many narcissists does it take to change a light bulb?

One, to insert the bulb in the socket and hold it while the entire world revolves around him.

Christian Writers Seeking a Literary Agent

      Words to the wise among those Christians who aspire to be published writers. Your very first step should be to make sure you have done all the necessary background work: you must understand grammar, composition, spelling, hooks, syntax, voice, how to control the speed of the reader, etc.  If any of these things leave you staring into space go back and study some more.  You don't have to become an expert on all these things to be a writer, but should at least have an idea what they are.  Having something to say must be matched with knowing how to say it.  You wouldn't try to drive a car before you knew where the brake release was, would you?

       Once you are ready to try to secure the services of an agent for what you write, be aware of this uncomfortable fact: the odds against you ever getting an agent and/or ever being professionally published are astronomical.  There are literally thousands of well-qualified writers wanting the same few available agency slots.  Most of them will have only limited or no success in their writing careers.

      There is much more "product" available (yes, I said that) than can be professionally published or, for that matter, even given more than a cursory glance by a prospective agent.

If your book doesn't arrive at just the right time and in front of just the right set of eyes, it will probably be glanced at and tossed into the "slush pile," destined to receive a rejection slip.

      Literary agents are very helpful to a writer.  They're your "foot in the door," so you should keep on improving your writing and submitting your work to them, even as you accumulate a thick stack of rejection slips and letters.  You'll know you're getting closer when you begin to get polite, personal responses from the agents.  This is the time to be, to quote Elmer Fudd, "... vewwy, vewwy, caweful."

       Not all literary agents are really literary agents and not all people associated with Christian publishing are Christian.  Some are total frauds and some are just "questionable."  One of the numerous writer's help websites, Writers Beware, says it has a list of almost four hundred questionable agencies.  One of the listings, Writer's Literary Agency and Marketing Company, has at least twenty-three aliases, including The Christian Literary Agency.

      Warning signs:

1. Charging up-front fees before any sales are made.

2. Offering paid editing  or publishing referrals.  A literary agency should not own or be financially affiliated with companies which offer these otherwise legitimate services.  It creates a conflict of interest.

3. No record of prior sales can be found.

4. Any misrepresentation of the agent's qualifications.

5. Non-standard contract terms.

      The best way to ensure ethical behavior from an agency is to deal only with an AAR (Association of Author's Representatives) certified agent.  AAR agents must must pledge themselves to a very high standard of ethics.  You can expect a very high standard of service.  The flip side is that they can, and will, expect certain things from you or they will not represent you.

      Some CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) agents are not AAR certified.  Most can be assumed to be ethical because of the specialized nature of what they do.  A few may not be

       

Pioneer Day

24 July 2009: Pioneer Day is a holiday celebrated in the Mormon religion.  It celebrates the contributions of the early Mormon settlers in the American West.  

Birthday of Haile Selassi I

23 July 2009: The birthday of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia  is celebrated as a holiday in the Rastafarian religion.

Henny Youngman One-liner

"I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays."

Henny Youngman (1906 - 1998)

Stasis

      Everyone, especially Christians, needs to learn something new each day. If you're not learning and growing, you become static and eventually dormant.  Stasis implies not moving, not changing, just like a stone or a weight.  Christians should be learning daily about living the Christ-filled life through prayer, meditation, and Bible study.  They also need to work to increase their knowledge of current events, science, the arts, grammar, philosophy, history, politics, and other subjects. Christians should take a back seat to no one intellectually.  Three verses of scripture are especially relevant here:

     A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels.  Proverbs 1:5 (KJV)

     But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and ... be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you of a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.  1 Peter 3:15

     For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  Hebrews 5:13-14

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     Something to learn today: why did I use "needs" instead of "need" in the first paragraph?

Book Comment: A Contract With God

Book Comment: Will Eisner is best known for his comic book, The Spirit, about a non-super

powered middle class crimefighter who seemingly returns from the dead and wears a little "Lone Ranger" style mask to obscure his true identity.  The weekly Spirit comic books ran for twelve years, but Eisner never considered them to be his best work.  For years, he had something else in mind; elevating the comic book format to the status of high art.

      He succeeded with this goal when he became the inventor of the graphic novel format with his A Contract With God, a series of four connected short stories about the lives of the Jewish immigrant inhabitants of a 1930's tenement in the Bronx.  The stories are interesting because they are so universal, as all great stories are.

       Some comment that the artwork is somewhat cartoonish, but it can be seen as exhibiting an exaggerated realism such as that evidenced in the great caricatures, such as the work of Bill Mauldin, who used the form to show the spirit-dulling effects of World war II on the soldiers involved.  The characters are real people but the way in which they are drawn shows that they are archetypic symbols representing many people who have found themselves in similar situations.  A Contract With God is rightly considered to be a classic because of the depth of its content, and not just because it was the first graphic novel.

Lailat al Miraj

19 July 2009:  Lailat al Miraj is a Muslim holiday also known as Lailat al Isra and Miraj (Arabic: Night of the Journey and Ascension).  On the Muslim calendar the date is the 27th day of Rajab.  The holiday celebrates the following event: Muhammad was carried to heaven where he discussed with God the number of daily prayers required of observant Muslims.  God wanted fifty but Muhammad was able to convince him to accept five properly performed prayers which, in the eyes of God, would count as fifty.  

     Anytime I quote from the Bible in this blog it will be from the King James Version because it is in the public domain and has no copyright issues.  I personally use several of the newer Bible  translations and also The Greek New Testament published by the United Bible Societies.

     My Greek is at the beginners level but I can fight my way through it with a dictionary.  Not so with Hebrew, which I find to be totally alien and incomprehensible, even though Ron Zorn told me it was easy. I'm glad Hebrew is easy for somebody; they'll just have to tell me what it says.

Film Comment: The Man Who Could Work Miracles

Movie Comments: The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936)

     Roland Young (1887-1953) was one of those constantly working, highly talented, and versatile actors of the early Twentieth Century who could elevate any part he played, even if the film he was in was, itself, inferior.

     The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936), remade as the comedic Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey in 2003, plays it straight instead of going for the yucks.  The special effects are astounding for 1936.

     The gods wonder what would happen if they suddenly gave the full range of their powers to a man.  They choose an unlikely little guy (Young) who is an unnoticed clerk working in a department store.

     At first, the man plays with his new powers, but, soon, he gets ambitious.  He's going to fix the world.  That's when the trouble starts.  He quickly learns that divine is divine and human is human.  

      

Another light bulb joke

How many Seventh-Day Adventists does it take to change a light bulb?
Only one, but they can only do it on Sunday through Friday.

St. Vladimir's day

15 July 2009:  St. Vladimir's Day.  Vladimir (956? - 1015) was the first Christian ruler of Russia.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Giambattista (or Giovanni Battista) Pamfili (1574, Italy - 1655) Pamfili served as Pope Innocent X from 1644 to 1655.

Jozsef Mindzenty (1892-1975).  Roman Catholic Cardinal imprisoned in 1948 by Communist authorities.

Ine, King of Wessex  (d. 726) King Ine retired to a Roman Catholic monastery.

Richard Allen (1760, Pa. - 1831) Born as a slave, Allen became a licensed exhorter in the Methodist Epicopal Church and was one of the co-founders of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Renita J. Weems Espinosa (b. 1954, Ga.)  African methodist Episcopal Biblical teacher and writer.  The first black woman to have received a Ph.D. (Princeton) in Old Testament studies. 

Ulambana

13 July 2009: Ulambana or "Ancestor Day" is a Buddhist holiday.  Lay Buddhists make offerings for their ancestors and dedicate the merit from the offerings to decrease the suffering of those waiting to be reborn. 

BCE and CE

     BCE is the abbreviation for "Before the Common Era" and CE is the abbreviation for "Common Era."  These terms correspond to the earlier BC, "Before Christ," and AD, "Anno Domini" (Latin for the "Year of the Lord").  The newer terms are used because they are more inclusive of non-Christians than the earlier terms.  The actual dating remains the same.

     The earlier dating terminology was established in the Sixth Century and has been shown to be in error by about four to eight years.  Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem (Bayt Lahm, West Bank) in about the year 6 BCE.

Men of quality.

"Men of quality are not threatened by women of equality."

Jill Briscoe, Christian writer and evangelist. (b.1934, England) She has written over forty books and travels and lectures extensively. 

Light bulbs again.

How many Calvinists does it take to screw in a light bulb?

None. God, and God alone, decides when, and if, the light bulb changes.

Governor Mark Sanford should be fired.

     On 6 July 2009, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (an avowed Christian and a "family values" politician) was censured by the South Carolina Republican Party for his week-long unexplained absence from the state which his staff thought was a hiking trip in the Appalachian Mountains.  The truth was that he was in Argentina visiting his mistress of several years.  He should resign or face impeachment, conviction, and removal from office, but not for his admitted marital infidelity.

     He joins a long line of public officials who have gotten caught up in sexual immorality. Sex is readily available from many sources to those who have money or positions of power.  The temptation to abuse a position of power for sex (or money, or influence, or whatever) seems to be almost impossible to resist.

     However, calls for Sanford's resignation because of his philandering are misplaced.  Even full-blown libertinism would be not be grounds for dismissal or resignation.  A governor's job description does not require that he or she be a good person or act properly (as long as no ethics laws are violated).  Many politicians have survived worse scandals than the one in which Sanford is embroiled.

     The reason Sanford should step down is his unexplained and unexcused absence from his job for six days.  It's called dereliction of duty and abandonment of position (and possibly, misuse of public funds).  Ask your boss what would happen to you failed to show up for work for six days with no explanation.  Multiply that by responsibility for thousands of employees, millions of dollars in programs, and responsibility for oversight of the state national guard and civil defense. 

Film Comment: Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter

The sacriligious comedic film, Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter, an otherwise almost totally worthless piece of anti-Christian garbage, gets this one point right.  The resurrected Jesus, a kung-fu master and all-around cool guy, tells one of his followers, "My death was never the end of the story."