Nature vs. Nuture

An excerpt from The New Yorker -

Same but Different

How epigenetics can blur the line between nature and nurture.

BY SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE

Why are identical twins alike? In the late nineteen-seventies, a team of scientists in Minnesota set out to determine how much these similarities arose from genes, rather than environments—from “nature,” rather than “nurture.” Scouring thousands of adoption records and news clips, the researchers gleaned a rare cohort of fifty-six identical twins who had been separated at birth. Reared in different families and different cities, often in vastly dissimilar circumstances, these twins shared only their genomes. Yet on tests designed to measure personality, attitudes, temperaments, and anxieties, they converged astonishingly. Social and political attitudes were powerfully correlated: liberals clustered with liberals, and orthodoxy was twinned with orthodoxy. The same went for religiosity (or its absence), even for the ability to be transported by an aesthetic experience. Two brothers, separated by geographic and economic continents, might be brought to tears by the same Chopin nocturne, as if responding to some subtle, common chord struck by their genomes.

One pair of twins both suffered crippling migraines, owned dogs that they had named Toy, married women named Linda, and had sons named James Allan (although one spelled the middle name with a single “l”). Another pair—one brought up Jewish, in Trinidad, and the other Catholic, in Nazi Germany, where he joined the Hitler Youth—wore blue shirts with epaulets and four pockets, and shared peculiar obsessive behaviors, such as flushing the toilet before using it. Both had invented fake sneezes to diffuse tense moments. Two sisters—separated long before the development of language—had invented the same word to describe the way they scrunched up their noses: “squidging.” Another pair confessed that they had been haunted by nightmares of being suffocated by various metallic objects—doorknobs, fishhooks, and the like.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/02/breakthroughs-in-epigenetics?mbid=nl_TNY%20Template%20-%20With%20Photo%20(33)&CNDID=27124505&spMailingID=8841059&spUserID=MTE0MzE0NDEyNDUyS0&spJobID=902696804&spReportId=OTAyNjk2ODA0S0

He Lost His Way

This is the story of how Tiger Woods lost his father, and in turn, lost his way.

It's a sad story.

I often wonder why some people blossom and flourish in the face of adversity like divorce or death, and others flounder, never to recover.

Why is that?

From ESPN -

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/15278522/how-tiger-woods-life-unraveled-years-father-earl-woods-death

Sh*t Still Hitting the Fan

Excerpts from The New York Times - H/T Ben

VW Presentation in ’06 Showed How to Foil Emissions Tests

A PowerPoint presentation was prepared by a top technology executive at Volkswagen in 2006, laying out in detail how the automaker could cheat on emissions tests in the United States.

The presentation has been discovered as part of the continuing investigations into Volkswagen, according to two people who have seen the document and who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the legal action against the company. It provides the most direct link yet to the genesis of the deception at Volkswagen, which admitted late last year that 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with software to cheat on tests that measured pollution in emissions.

~~~~~~~~~~

What is now clear is that the current crisis at Volkswagen traces back to the PowerPoint presentation a decade ago.

Volkswagen engineers at the company’s research and development complex in Wolfsburg realized that the emissions equipment in their newest diesel engine would wear out too quickly if it were calibrated to meet American pollution standards. The emissions rules in the United States are more stringent than those in Europe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/27/business/international/vw-presentation-in-06-showed-how-to-foil-emissions-tests.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone&_r=0

GlowBowl - Motion Activated Night Light For Your Toilet

It's available now at Amazon.

Two Guys Met on a Road . . .

An Escape Route

From The Daily Good -

UK Bar Has Exit Strategy for Patrons Suffering Through Bad Tinder Dates

“Your safety and happiness is our highest priority,” reads a sign hanging in the women’s bathroom. “If anyone is bothering you or making you feel uncomfortable please tell us. We will discreetly move them away, and if necessary, ask them to leave.”

https://www.good.is/articles/bar-tinder-bad-date?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood

Traffic News

An excerpt from Wired -

Widening Highways Never Fixes Traffic. But Darnit, It Did in Texas

The Texas Department of Transportation repaved the shoulders along both sides of a 6.3-mile stretch of State Highway 161 between Dallas and Fort Worth in September. Then it opened them up to traffic during the daily rush hour, keeping tow trucks on standby in case someone breaks down. Based on figures released this month, with the extra lanes in place, traffic “started sailing,” The Dallas Morning News reported this week.

It isn’t supposed to work that way. The rule of induced demand says widening highways does not ease congestion, and often makes it worse. Transportation officials could see this anomaly as a Texas-sized reason to build more highways—but shouldn’t.

http://www.wired.com/2016/04/widening-highways-never-fixes-traffic-darnit-texas/?mbid=nl_42516

Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

Quote

From Very Smart Brothas - 

HOW AND WHY I FORGAVE THE FATHER I NEVER HAD

Patti Swayne, 4/21/16

When I became an adult, no matter how begrudgingly, I started to see everything differently. My father, no matter how flawed, is just a man. He is as imperfect as I am. He has made mistakes, and so have I. He has disappointed people, and so have I. He hasn’t lived up to my expectations, and neither have I. But in order to be happy, whole, and open to life’s goodness, we have to accept and love our situations and ourselves exactly as they are before we set out to change them. In understanding that my father is who he is because of his experiences, I was able to forge a relationship from a different perspective. Talking to him about his interests and the happenings of his life became more natural, because I was no longer trying to force the father out of him. I was simply talking to a man about his day, his favorite song of the moment, and what he was going to eat for dinner. And acceptance does not mean that you won’t still be saddened or disappointed by this person, it just means that by engaging with them, you are accepting the risks that come with it. I accepted that this is the father I have; if this is who God gave me, what am I to learn from him?

http://verysmartbrothas.com/how-and-why-i-forgave-the-father-i-never-had/

Omar for President

This will only make sense if you know the fabulous show from HBO, The Wire.

An excerpt from Very Smart Brothas -

FIVE GREAT ALTERNATIVES BLACK AMERICA SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER FOR PRESIDENT

Michael Harriot, 4/15/16

5. Omar from The Wire

Not the actor Michael K. Williamson, I’m talking about the character Omar Little from HBO’s hit television series. I’m sure some people will say “but he’s a fictional character”—but so is Donald Trump. I’m convinced I’m going to wake up one day and all White America will be laughing at how they convinced us that the orange-haired Hitler could actually become head of State. I’m holding out hope that his candidacy is all an elaborate prank from the producers of Punk’d.

Omar, however, would make a great President, especially if he selected Brother Mouzone as VP. America needs a chief executive who garners global respect. Omar is that man. You think Putin would act like an asshole if O was sitting in the United Nations General Assembly in his trench coat with a do-rag tied tightly over his cornrows? You think Kim Jong Un would continue testing nuclear missiles off the coast of North Korea after President Little called him up on the red phone and whispered “You come at the king, you best not miss”?

Campaign Slogan: Omar Coming!

http://verysmartbrothas.com/five-great-alternatives-black-america-should-seriously-consider-for-president/

You'll Never Look at Laundry the Same Again

Check out this riveting (YES riveting!) look at laundry drying on clotheslines around the world.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2016/04/22/if-you-live-in-romania-your-laundry-may-be-airing-on-instagram/?hpid=hp_no-name_photo-story-b%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Quote

From The New York Times -

Beyoncé Unearths Pain and Lets It Flow in ‘Lemonade’

But she’s daring to think beyond herself. The heavy hangover of the piece involves what lots of men have done to lots of women, black women in particular. Between songs, we hear Malcolm X intone that no one has had it rougher than they have. Think about what it takes to make lemonade. You have to split open a lot of citrus, remove the seeds, strain for pulp and add a lot of sugar. It’s a process. Black women are good at lemonade.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/25/arts/music/beyonce-unearths-pain-and-lets-it-flow-in-lemonade.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

An Unlikely Voice

An excerpt from the AP - 

'I am here' - Silenced by autism, young man finds his voice

By MARTHA IRVINE

 

Apr. 24, 2016 12:18 AM EDT

Benjamin Alexander cannot speak, but he is determined to be heard. He cannot type without a hand to support his, and yet he writes and writes, his inner voice shouting out his thoughts. He returns repeatedly to the "fiend" that tried to silence him, the autism he sarcastically calls his "gift."

"Who in the hell gave me this gift?" he once wrote. "Please, take it back."

Ben is a junior at Tulane University, an English major with a 3.7 GPA and a computer full of essays, one of them published in a local journal and another on the university's news site. He wants to help educate people about autism and challenge stereotypes. That's not easy because he still needs some assistance when he types, leading some to doubt him over the years.

On a recent evening, Ben's father settles him at the keyboard and rests his hand under his son's arm. He lightly squeezes Ben's forearm, a subtle move that sets him into action. Ben begins to punch the keys with one finger.

http://bigstory.ap.org/urn:publicid:ap.org:34993946f50443cfbc98e7e2b9f0675b

A Hologram for the King Official Trailer #1 (2016)

OK.

Here's the deal.

He wouldn't have a female doctor.

He wouldn't be allowed to see her hair, at all.

He wouldn't be allowed to be in the car with her.  Women are only allowed to be in cars with males that are relatives.

He wouldn't be allowed to be touched by her.

He definitely wouldn't be allowed to be in a relationship with her, at all.

However, if you don't mind putting on your "pretend" cap, only then does this make sense.  If you can do that, then you have a chance of enjoying the story.

Empowerment in Houston

An excerpt from The Huffington Post -

How Artists Are Using Row Houses To Empower Citizens In Houston

How Rick Lowe’s “Project Row Houses” brings art and change to ordinary places and ordinary lives.

In 1993, Lowe was part of a group of artists that bought 22 run-down row houses in Houston’s historically black Third Ward. In the years since, the string of houses has blossomed into an arts community, offering everything from artist residencies to after-school programs to temporary shelter for single mothers. 

“At its core, it’s really just about thinking [of] the social environment as a sculptural form so that we understand some of the everyday, mundane things that happen,” Lowe explained to Art Practical, “from transitional housing for single mothers or education programs or real-estate development — not only from the standpoint of the practical outcomes from these services but also the poetic elements that can be layered into them.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/project-row-houses-houston_us_5717a1f6e4b0060ccda5090a?ir=Black+Voices&section=us_black-voices&utm_hp_ref=black-voices

Bedtime Stories

That speak to the millions of kids who have parents, especially fathers, who are incarcerated.

https://newrepublic.com/article/132808/bedtime-stories-jail?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=TNR%20Daily%20Newsletter

Vindicated

Frankie, this one's for you.

As most of you know, I have two sons, Ben (34) and Frankie (32).

Although they were born in the same week (September 16 and 10 respectively), under the same astrological sign (if you believe in that stuff), they're as different as night and day.

Growing up, Ben was focused and driven; Frankie was carefree and fun loving.

Ben always did his homework, with projects turned in early.

Frankie's used to say, "Mom, you know I know how to do this.  My teacher knows I know how to do this, so why do I have to do it?"

Yeah, getting Frankie to do his homework was always a struggle.

There was no doubt in my mind that Frankie was innately smarter than Ben, but Ben worked harder, so his grades were better.

In sports, Ben was a fierce competitor, disappointed with every loss, no matter how strong his performance was.  Frankie was equally competitive, but he kept it in perspective.  He'd say, "Mom, the coach is taking this way too seriously."

They played soccer, football, basketball, baseball, and in high school, Frankie wrestled and played rugby.

Ben was neat and Frankie, not so much.

Back then, OK maybe even now, I was the queen of nagging.

I used to ride Ben and Frankie all the time about everything it seems, but I especially got on Frankie about his hair ( that's another message for another day) and his messy room.

His room was in a constant state of disarray, until finally, after hearing me complain enough, he'd clean it.

And I mean he'd really clean it from top to bottom.

In fact, no one cleans and organizes better than Frankie; he just doesn't do it often.

And now, as I sit in my apartment, surrounded by empty boxes (under the pretense of saving them to ship things back to the US), cabinets and drawers pulled out and not returned to their rightful places when I was searching for something, where dust bunnies have found a home and keep adding to their spread, where piles of wind-blown sand are making mini pyramids near the doors and windows, where clothes are hanging on every door instead of returned to the closet, where the floors haven't been swept or mopped in forever, I realize even more that Frankie is just like me.

I, too, am that messy person who is content to live in the mess, until I'm not, who then goes in like a storm, scrubbing, purging, and making it clean again.

The apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree.

So Frankie, for all the times I was on your case, I'm sorry.

Maybe even then, I realized you were just like me, and as I worked overtime in trying to correct your bad habits, I should have used some of that time to fix my own.

Know this.

I love you.

I love your thoughtfulness, your kindness, and your unique way of seeing the world.  I love how you wear your intelligence, not as a badge of honor, but as a tool to better understand those around you.

And most of all, I love the man you have become, mess and all.  I could not be prouder of the husband, father, and man you've grown up to be.

Quote

From The New York Times - 

Prince’s Holy Lust
By TOURÉ

It’s as if Prince introduced himself to us by talking about his dirty mind and how he was all about controversy, and once we got intrigued by him, because he’d told us how much hot sex he was having, then he said, well, now that I’ve got your attention, let me tell you about my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/24/opinion/sunday/princes-holy-lust.html?ribbon-ad-idx=15&rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=context&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article

A Moving Tribute

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/goodbye-prince-you-were-the-best-of-us-20160422

Not Quite All

Amazon's same day delivery excludes many predominantly black areas where its needed the most.

~~~~~~~~~~

An excerpt from Bloomberg via Vox -

Amazon Doesn’t Consider the Race of Its Customers. Should It?
By David Ingold and Spencer Soper
April 21, 2016

In six major same-day delivery cities, however, the service area excludes predominantly black ZIP codes to varying degrees, according to a Bloomberg analysis that compared Amazon same-day delivery areas with U.S. Census Bureau data.

In Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, cities still struggling to overcome generations of racial segregation and economic inequality, black citizens are about half as likely to live in neighborhoods with access to Amazon same-day delivery as white residents.

The disparity in two other big cities is significant, too. In New York City, same-day delivery is available throughout Manhattan, Staten Island, and Brooklyn, but not in the Bronx and some majority-black neighborhoods in Queens. In some cities, Amazon same-day delivery extends many miles into the surrounding suburbs but isn’t available in some ZIP codes within the city limits.

http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2016-amazon-same-day/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=4/22/16&utm_term=Vox%20Newsletter%20All

http://www.vox.com