9/30/10
Wretchedness
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” / “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth…and the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” — Ephesians 6:11-18
9/29/10
ADHD
29 September 2010 Last updated at 19:01 ET
New study claims ADHD 'has a genetic link'By Jane DreaperHealth correspondent, BBC News
The first direct evidence of a genetic link to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has been found, a study says.
Scientists from Cardiff University, writing in The Lancet, said the disorder was a brain problem like autism - not due to bad parenting.
They analysed stretches of DNA from 366 children who had been diagnosed with the disorder.
But one clinical psychologist argued that what happened in children's early years was more crucial than genetics.
At least 2% of children in the UK are thought to have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Affected children are restless and impulsive. They may also have destructive tendencies, and experience serious problems at school and within family life.
The researchers compared genetic samples from ADHD children, with DNA from 1,047 people without the condition.
They found that 15% of the ADHD group had large and rare variations in their DNA - compared with 7% in the control group.
Professor Anita Thapar said: "We found that, compared with the control group, the children with ADHD have a much higher rate of chunks of DNA that are either duplicated or missing.
"This is really exciting - because it gives us the first direct genetic link to ADHD.
"We have looked at lots of potential risk factors in the environment - such as parenting or what happens before birth - but there isn't the evidence to say they're linked to ADHD.
"There's a lot of public misunderstanding about ADHD. Some people say it's not a real disorder, or that it's the result of bad parenting.
"Finding this direct link should address the issue of stigma."
The researchers stressed that there is no single gene behind ADHD, and the work is at too early a stage to lead to any test for the disorder.
But they hope the study will help unravel the biological basis of ADHD. This could eventually lead to new treatments.
The work was largely funded by the Wellcome Trust, with extra support from the Medical Research Council.
The chief executive of a charity and support group ADDIS, Andrea Bilbow, said: "We are very excited. We've always known there was a genetic link - through studies and anecdotally.
"This paper will help us deal more confidently with the sceptics, who are always so eager to blame parents or teachers. It shows there is a definite genetic anomaly in children with ADHD."
But the study has been criticised by the clinical child psychologist and broadcaster, Oliver James.
He cited studies which looked at the effect of anxiety among pregnant women, and disturbed early relations between mothers and their babies.
He said: "Only 57 out of the 366 children with ADHD had the genetic variant supposed to be a cause of the illness.
"That would suggest that other factors are the main cause in the vast majority of cases.
"Genes hardly explain at all why some kids have ADHD and not others."
Do you have experience of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder? Do you have a child with ADHD? Send your comments using the post form below:
New study claims ADHD 'has a genetic link'By Jane DreaperHealth correspondent, BBC News
The first direct evidence of a genetic link to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has been found, a study says.
Scientists from Cardiff University, writing in The Lancet, said the disorder was a brain problem like autism - not due to bad parenting.
They analysed stretches of DNA from 366 children who had been diagnosed with the disorder.
But one clinical psychologist argued that what happened in children's early years was more crucial than genetics.
At least 2% of children in the UK are thought to have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Affected children are restless and impulsive. They may also have destructive tendencies, and experience serious problems at school and within family life.
The researchers compared genetic samples from ADHD children, with DNA from 1,047 people without the condition.
They found that 15% of the ADHD group had large and rare variations in their DNA - compared with 7% in the control group.
Professor Anita Thapar said: "We found that, compared with the control group, the children with ADHD have a much higher rate of chunks of DNA that are either duplicated or missing.
"This is really exciting - because it gives us the first direct genetic link to ADHD.
"We have looked at lots of potential risk factors in the environment - such as parenting or what happens before birth - but there isn't the evidence to say they're linked to ADHD.
"There's a lot of public misunderstanding about ADHD. Some people say it's not a real disorder, or that it's the result of bad parenting.
"Finding this direct link should address the issue of stigma."
The researchers stressed that there is no single gene behind ADHD, and the work is at too early a stage to lead to any test for the disorder.
But they hope the study will help unravel the biological basis of ADHD. This could eventually lead to new treatments.
The work was largely funded by the Wellcome Trust, with extra support from the Medical Research Council.
The chief executive of a charity and support group ADDIS, Andrea Bilbow, said: "We are very excited. We've always known there was a genetic link - through studies and anecdotally.
"This paper will help us deal more confidently with the sceptics, who are always so eager to blame parents or teachers. It shows there is a definite genetic anomaly in children with ADHD."
But the study has been criticised by the clinical child psychologist and broadcaster, Oliver James.
He cited studies which looked at the effect of anxiety among pregnant women, and disturbed early relations between mothers and their babies.
He said: "Only 57 out of the 366 children with ADHD had the genetic variant supposed to be a cause of the illness.
"That would suggest that other factors are the main cause in the vast majority of cases.
"Genes hardly explain at all why some kids have ADHD and not others."
Do you have experience of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder? Do you have a child with ADHD? Send your comments using the post form below:
9/28/10
Empowerment: Amra Shakti Shalli - We Are Powerful
Amra Shakti Shalli - We Are Powerful, features the voices of women in Bangladesh who, through the support of the organization BRAC, are radically transforming the societal consensus about the value and treatment of women. In the face of a patriarchal society, in which women have little voice in the public/civic spheres, women are demanding power through their collective actions. They are stopping unjust practices and refusing to accept inequality as a fact of life that one must endure. Many of the women are survivors of human rights abuses like dowry related violence, acid throwing, rape and forced early marriage. This movement has arisen as the result of three departments in BRAC (Human Rights and Legal Aid Services, Social Development Program and Gender Justice and Diversity) whose diverse programs address both the supply and demand of rights. This piece is a testament to the power of recognizing our interdependence as humans. These are courageous change agents whose actions will improve the lives of generations to come. Shot, Edited, and Produced by Annie Escobar and Ethan Goldwater. Translation and research coordination: Rahul Imteaz. This piece is a part of a project carried out by Patricia Schneidewind and Annie Escobar for BRAC in the summer of 2010.
9/19/10
Blues Music
- Mahalia Jackson, the great gospel diva, once said, "Anybody that sings the blues is in a deep pit, yelling for help."
Wasted Life
Vigil for woman killed after shoplifting assault
Last Updated: Sunday, September 19, 2010 | 11:25 AM CT
CBC News
The great-aunt of a woman who died last year after stealing a $1.49 can of meat was handing out bannock and luncheon meat to homeless people on Saturday night in a memorial to the dead woman.
Geraldine Beardy, 29, died Sept. 18, 2009, after lapsing into a coma. (CBC)Saturday was the one-year anniversary of Geraldine Beardy's death. Beardy, 29, died Sept. 18 last year after lapsing into a coma.
Police have alleged the owner of Okay Groceries on Sherbrook Street, in the city's West Alexander neighbourhood, confronted Beardy when he caught her trying to steal a $1.49 can of luncheon meat on Sept. 13, 2009.
Her family said she was looking for luncheon meat to serve with bannock she had made for some friends. The family say they believe she was hit with a baseball bat during the attempted theft.
Police allege Beardy was assaulted after trying to steal a can of Holiday luncheon meat. (CBC)Eliza Beardy said it was important for her to try to finish what her great-niece was trying to do, so she decided to feed the homeless.
"She's going to rest now. She's at peace. I came to finish what I had to do and now I don't have any more pain in my chest," she said.
Winnipeg police have not said publicly how Beardy was assaulted or whether a weapon was used.
Grocery store owner Kwang Soo Kim, 62, has been charged with manslaughter and is expected to make his next court appearanc
9/16/10
The Playful Search For Beauty
Eva Zeisel on the playful search for beauty | Video on TED.com
She even has a playful way of giving her talk in front of a large audience.
She even has a playful way of giving her talk in front of a large audience.
Hard Times
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "This hour in history needs a dedicated circle of transformed nonconformists."
9/12/10
Janis Joplin- Down and Out
Janis Joplin singing "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" from album "This Is Janis Joplin"
Lyrics:
Well, once I lived the life of a millionaire, spending my money, no, I didn't care
Takin' my friend John out for a mighty good time
Buyin' high-priced liquor, champagne and wine
Then I began to fall so low, didn't have a friend, nor no place to go
If I get my hands on a dollar again
I'm goin' to hold on to it until the eagle grins
Soon as I get back up on my feet again, everybody wants to be my long-lost friend
It's might strange, without a doubt
Nobody wants you when you're down and out
Lord, soon as I get up on my feet again, everybody wants to be my long-lost friend
It's mighty strange, without a doubt
Nobody wants you when you're down and out
That's what I mean, when you're down and out
9/11/10
Bill Sikes
William "Bill" Sikes is a fictional character in the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
He is one of Dickens's most vicious characters and a very strong force in the novel when it comes to
having control over somebody or harming others. He is portrayed as a rough and barbaric man. He is a
career criminal associated with Fagin, and an eventual murderer. He is very violent and aggressive, prone
to sudden bursts of extreme behaviour. He owns a bull terrier named Bull's Eye, whom he beats until the
dog needs stitches.
Dickens describes his first appearance:
“ The man who growled out these words, was a stoutly-built fellow of about five-and-thirty, in a black
velveteen coat, very soiled drab breeches, lace-up half boots, and grey cotton stockings which enclosed a
bulky pair of legs, with large swelling calves—the kind of legs, which in such costume, always look in an
unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. He had a brown hat on his head,
and a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck: with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer
from his face as he spoke. He disclosed, when he had done so, a broad heavy countenance with a beard of
three weeks' growth, and two scowling eyes; one of which displayed various parti-coloured symptoms of
having been recently damaged by a blow.”
He is one of Dickens's most vicious characters and a very strong force in the novel when it comes to
having control over somebody or harming others. He is portrayed as a rough and barbaric man. He is a
career criminal associated with Fagin, and an eventual murderer. He is very violent and aggressive, prone
to sudden bursts of extreme behaviour. He owns a bull terrier named Bull's Eye, whom he beats until the
dog needs stitches.
Dickens describes his first appearance:
“ The man who growled out these words, was a stoutly-built fellow of about five-and-thirty, in a black
velveteen coat, very soiled drab breeches, lace-up half boots, and grey cotton stockings which enclosed a
bulky pair of legs, with large swelling calves—the kind of legs, which in such costume, always look in an
unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. He had a brown hat on his head,
and a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck: with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer
from his face as he spoke. He disclosed, when he had done so, a broad heavy countenance with a beard of
three weeks' growth, and two scowling eyes; one of which displayed various parti-coloured symptoms of
having been recently damaged by a blow.”
—Pages 198–199 of the second edition[1]
His prostitute girlfriend Nancy tolerates his violent and lawless behaviour, perhaps because she, being a
thief since the age of six, needs stability in her life, and because she believes that she loves him.
When Sikes murders Nancy, thinking she has betrayed him, a mob hounds him through the streets of London
until he accidentally hangs himself while trying to escape. The murder is especially gruesome, and is one
of the most graphic, frightening, scenes Dickens ever wrote.
Sikes has almost no redeeming qualities, although Dickens does give him some shading: at the robbery in
the countryside, Sikes, rather than leave Oliver at the scene of his botched burglary of Rose Maylie's
house, picks him up and runs with him as far as he can. This, however, was as much for his own
self-preservation, as he eventually does abandon the seriously wounded boy and shows absolutely no
remorse about doing so. After he brutally beats Nancy to death, he apparently is capable of feeling
guilt—although this is essentially suspicion that Fagin lied to him about her betrayal, and fear of the
possibility of being caught. Sikes lives in Bethnal Green and later moves to the squalid rookery area of
London then called Jacob's Island, east of present-day Shad Thames.
His prostitute girlfriend Nancy tolerates his violent and lawless behaviour, perhaps because she, being a
thief since the age of six, needs stability in her life, and because she believes that she loves him.
When Sikes murders Nancy, thinking she has betrayed him, a mob hounds him through the streets of London
until he accidentally hangs himself while trying to escape. The murder is especially gruesome, and is one
of the most graphic, frightening, scenes Dickens ever wrote.
Sikes has almost no redeeming qualities, although Dickens does give him some shading: at the robbery in
the countryside, Sikes, rather than leave Oliver at the scene of his botched burglary of Rose Maylie's
house, picks him up and runs with him as far as he can. This, however, was as much for his own
self-preservation, as he eventually does abandon the seriously wounded boy and shows absolutely no
remorse about doing so. After he brutally beats Nancy to death, he apparently is capable of feeling
guilt—although this is essentially suspicion that Fagin lied to him about her betrayal, and fear of the
possibility of being caught. Sikes lives in Bethnal Green and later moves to the squalid rookery area of
London then called Jacob's Island, east of present-day Shad Thames.
9/10/10
9/7/10
Maytree » Invisible Chains
Maytree » Invisible Chains
***NEW*** ENSLAVED AND EXPLOITED: The Story of Sex Trafficking in Canada from Hope for the Sold on Vimeo.
***NEW*** ENSLAVED AND EXPLOITED: The Story of Sex Trafficking in Canada from Hope for the Sold on Vimeo.
“Just outside Toronto, a 14-year old Canadian girl was auctioned on the internet for men to purchase by the hour. A young woman was taken by slave traders from an African war zone to Edmonton to earn greater profits by exploiting her in prostitution. A gang called Wolfpack recruited teenagers in Quebec and sold them for sex to high-profile men in the community.
The global problem of human trafficking is only beginning to be recognized in Canada, even though it has been hidden in plain sight. In Invisible Chains, Benjamin Perrin, an award-winning law professor and policy expert, exposes cases of human trafficking, recording in-depth interviews with people on the front lines – police officers, social workers, and the victims themselves – and bringing to light government records released under access-to-information laws.”
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