FINDINGS

“Findings” is a feature on the last page of Harper’s Magazine. It’s a long list of facts and figures gleaned from the multitudinous worlds of science. I selected but a few. One disturbing thing about the format is that, after reading so many closely spaced facts, piled atop one another, I felt that the substance, brought in from such a wide range of topics, takes on a comical air. Do ya s’pose they meant to do that? By the way, I made a few observations of my own.

[CUT]
A team of scientists at Newcastle University created human embryos by combining the genetic material of one man and two women [called a genage a trois], another team of scientists at Newcastle University discovered how to create sperm from the bone-marrow cells of women, and Brazilian scientists created egg cells from the embryonic stem cells of male mice. American scientists artificially reproduced the DNA of a venereal-disease bacterium and expected to use the technique to create artificial life within ten years. [Look out gods!]

Female yellow baboons with supportive fathers were observed to reach menarche earlier, to begin having children earlier, and to have more children than female baboons whose fathers were not involved in their lives. [They also were found be most sympatico with Blackwater employees].

It was determined that lonely people are more likely to anthropomorphize animals [and suck their thumbs]. Italian doctors found high testosterone levels in lovestruck women and low testosterone levels in lovestruck men… [and that they tended to make pets of each other].

Two studies concluded that biofuels are worse for global warming than conventional petroleum fuels; one of the studies calculated that harvesting grain for fuel creates 93 times more carbon emissions than are saved by the production of cleaner fuel.

Researchers found that physical scientists are less likely to believe in God than social scientists, that traditional religious beliefs make people more likely to forgive [everyone but atheists], and that temporary, self-absorbed sadness makes people spend money extravagantly [and masturbate in front of mirrors].

People who volunteer to take part in psychology experiments were found to be more mentally stable than those who do not volunteer. Young mice separated from their mothers and fed junk food experience less stress than orphan mice who are fed healthy food. [They also gain weight faster then thumb suckers.] Also engineers were said to be at greater risk of becoming terrorists [than field mice]. A survey determined that children universally dislike clown wallpaper and find it "frightening" and "unknowable." [Bush is their most frightening clown.] Scientists hoped to vibrate viruses to death [and get a little thrill of their own, rubbing against the vibrating machines].
[PASTE]

HARPER'S IS A GOOD MAGAZINE

It's been awhile since I've looked into a Harper's Magazine. One day while I was at Barnes & Noble having a latte at their Starbucks, I decided to pick up this Harper's (April 2008) because they had a cover story about "contagious cancer". That got my attention, but once into reading, I came across an informative piece of writing from Iraq via a woman who lives in Syria about all the Iraqis who are refugees in the world, millions of them. Their stories made me cry. I was surprised at myself. And there is also this biting story by artist John Berger (p.46) about the Mexican Zapatistas in which this piece about Maria Concepcion appears. So read it, and buy a Harper's if you get a chance. It's a damn fine magazine. Did I get the name in often enough? Maybe you already know that.

(SNIP)
Speaking of sincerity makes me suddenly think of a photo of a woman who is not wearing a mask. I cut the photo out of the daily newspaper La Jornada. Her name is Maria Concepcion Moreno Arteaga. Mother of six boys, whom she brought up alone. Forty-seven years old, living in a village 200 kilometers north of Mexico City, she earned her living as a washerwoman. Three years ago she was arrested by the Mexican government security forces and thrown into jail on the totally false charge of being involved in the traffic of illegal immigrants. One day Maria Concepcion found herself before six such migrants in rags, who had made it across more than half the country and were pleading for water. So she gave them water and a wedge of something to eat because, given their plight, "there was no way possible to say no”.

After being falsely charged she spent more than two years in prison. Her work in prison was the making of logos, labels for free-market clothes. With the few pesos handed over to her for this forced labor, she bought soap and toilet paper to keep clean.

The message of her eyes in the photo is: There was no way possible to say No.
(PASTE)

Photo credit to Marco Pelaez/La Jornada, Mexico

TODAY'S HAIKU: too true too

Spring birdbath:
the crows leave sparrow skulls
in the rainwater.

Frightened by the
old man in the mirror,
my hair retreats.