The DISH
Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use
Vol. 12 Issue 29…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…July 19, 2009
Primates: Atop the
Food Chain
By John Burl Smith
Humans share the Hominidae family
tree with other primates, including chimpanzees, baboons and great apes.
Historically, it has been difficult for Homo sapiens to accept that we are in
fact just another primate species with African origins and that we differ
physically only in degrees from our hairy cousins. Similarities can be seen
throughout our bodies. For instance, humans and African apes all lack external
tails and have hands with a thumb that is sufficiently separate from the other
fingers to allow them to be opposable for precision grips. Humans are also
sexually dimorphic--males are 5-10% larger on average and have greater upper
body muscular development.
Similar to chimpanzees and baboons, we are omnivorous -- we kill other animals
for food in addition to eating a wide variety of plants. Internally, our bodies
are even more similar to the great apes. We have essentially the same
arrangement of internal organs and bones. We share several important blood
types. We also get many of the same diseases.
Apart from obvious outward
differences, we are quite similar to the African apes anatomically and
genetically, especially to chimpanzees and baboons. Humans have 46 chromosomes
in their cells while all of the great apes have 48. In reality, this difference
is not as great as it would initially seem because the human chromosome 2 is a
fusion of ape chromosomes 12 and 13 with most of the same genes.
Complete mapping of the entire
genome of common chimpanzees was completed in 2005, following that of the human
genome (completed in 2001), confirming a 98.77% match of DNA base pairs of
humans and chimpanzees. However, there are an additional 2.7% differences
between the two species in duplicated non-protein coding segments of DNA. Where
we differ appears to be largely in the genes that control speech, smelling,
hearing, digesting proteins, and susceptibility to certain diseases. These
minor differences are to be expected given that we have been on essentially
separate evolutionary tracks for 6-7 million years. During that time, humans
have been subject to different natural selection pressures. These differences
led to bipedalism for our ancestors along with a much larger brain and,
ultimately, speech.
The modern human brain is 3 times
larger in volume than those of the great apes. More importantly, the human
brain to body size ratio is significantly larger, and it has a much bigger
cerebral cortex with a higher concentration of neurons. Recent research has
suggested that our intelligence advantage may be due to evolutionary changes in
the HAR1F regulator gene beginning about 6 million years ago in our pre-human
ancestors but not in those of chimpanzees or other apes. This gene is involved
in the production of brain tissue between the 7th and 19th week after
conception. It is not surprising that there are some striking differences
between the great apes and humans in mental abilities.
Atop the food chain, primates'
high intellectual capacity has resulted in vary highly complex diets. However,
Homo sapiens' diets set them apart from even other primates and that may be the
distinguishing feature which makes us victims of our own ingenuity. (Source: http://anthro.palomar.edu/primate/prim_8.htm)
City Without Walls (Excerpts)
By Wystan Hugh Auden
(1907 - 1973)
. . . 'Those fantastic forms, fang-sharp,
bone-bare, that in Byzantine painting
were a shorthand for the Unbounded
beyond the Pale, unpoliced spaces
where dragons dwelt
and demons roamed,
'colonized only by ex-worldlings,
penitent sophists and sodomites,
are visual facts in the foreground now,
real structures of steel and glass:
hermits, perforce,
are all to-day,
'with numbered caves in enormous jails,
hotels designed to deteriorate
their glum already-corrupted guests,
factories in which the functional
Hobbesian Man is
mass-produced.
'A key to the street each convict has,
but the Asphalt Lands are lawless marches
where gangs clash and cops turn
robber-barons: reckless he
who walks after dark
in that wilderness.
'But electric lamps allow nightly
cell-meetings where sub-cultures
may hold palaver, like-minded,
their tongues tattooed by the tribal jargon
of the vice or
business that brothers them;
'and mean cafés to remain open,
where in bad air belly-talkers,
weedy-looking, work-shy,
may spout unreason, some ruthless creed
to a dozen dupes till
dawn break.
'Every work-day Eve fares
forth to the stores her foods to pluck,
while Adam hunts an easy dollar:
unperspiring at eventide
both eat their bread
in boredom of spirit.
'The week-end comes that once was holy,
free still, but a feast no longer,
just time out, idiorhythmic,
when no one cares what his neighbor does:
now newsprint and
network are needed most.
'What they view may be vulgar rubbish,
what they listen to whitless noise,
but it gives shelter,
…
'Quite soon computers may expel from the world
all but the top intelligent few,
the egos they leisure be left to dig
value and virtue from an invisible realm
of hobbies, sex,
consumption, vague
'tussles with ghosts. Against Whom
shall the Sons band to rebel there,
where Troll-Father, Tusked-Mother,
are dream-monsters like dinosaurs
with a built-in
obsolescence?
'if all has gone phut in the future we paint,
where, vast and vacant, venomous areas
surround the small sporadic patches
of fen or forest that give food and shelter,
such home as they
have, to a human remnant,
'stunted in stature, strangely deformed,
numbering by fives, with no zero,
worshipping a ju-ju General Mo,
in groups ruled by
grandmothers,
'Still monied, immune, stands Megalopolis:
happy he who hopes for better,
what awaits Her may
well be worse. . . .'
About
Me: Born in
Can Humans Learn from Monkeys?
By John Burl Smith
Over the years humans have
evolved and their eating habits have been a major part of their evolution. As
hunter/gatherers, Homo sapiens' caloric intake was made up of vegetables,
fruits, nuts, fish, insects and small game. For most humans, this pattern remained
unchanged until the industrial age. The movement of large numbers of people
from farms to cities necessitated a more restrictive diet, which changed the
source of calories humans consumed. Although the amount of food one could
consume increased based on income, the variety diminished.
Americans are atop the food chain
and have been monkeying around with their diet to make it fast to prepare and
more convenient, as jobs brought ever increasing numbers of people into cities.
This move has resulted in a diet high in calories from animal and sugar
products, and low in fruits and vegetables. Trapped in cities, like monkeys in
cages, people have had to eat what was available and what they could afford.
New research on diet is showing that people are no different from monkeys and
that even though humans are supposed to be a lot smarter, when it comes to
eating, it seems we are dumber than monkeys.
A study published in the July
2009 issue of Science, "Caloric Restriction Delays Disease Onset and
Mortality in Rhesus Monkeys," is shedding new light on the impact of
dietary choices. Research at the
"Specifically, caloric
restriction (CR) reduced the incidence of diabetes, cancer and brain atrophy.
These data demonstrated that caloric restriction slowed aging in a primate
species." Humans also are primates. Considering the results, Rhesus
monkeys on a strict, reduced-calorie diet were three times less likely to die
from age-related degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer,
or diabetes, humans may benefit from a similar regime.
Monkeys that lived longer ate 30
percent fewer calories. The control group of monkeys lived shorter lives and
ate what they wanted. Most importantly, scientists "showed that along with
increased health, caloric restriction can slow the aging process in a primate
species." These findings revealed that "caloric restriction reduced
the risk of developing an age-related disease by a factor of three and
increased survival." None of the calorie-restricted monkeys developed diabetes
over a 20-year period. (Average life span of that species is 27 years.)
Taken together, it is clear the monkeys that ate 30 percent fewer calories not
only lived longer but had healthier lives. This should be a clue for humans
about the importance of where they get their calories. A restricted caloric
diet does not necessarily mean eating a lot less, but getting a lot less of
your calories from animal products, such as meat, dairy and processed foods, as
well as sugar, is smarter in the long run.
Critics point to the fact that 50 percent of the monkeys that ate as much of
what they wanted also are still alive. However, that is like saying, after
smoking for twenty years, I'm still alive but simultaneously, you suffer health
problems, a lifetime of smoking entails. Moreover, the fact that you're alive
doesn't eliminate the possibility that smoking will kill you tomorrow. Again,
all smokers don't smoke a pack and a half a day, so some monkeys may have eaten
less than others, which is why they are still alive. Eighty percent of the
thinner monkeys are healthier and still alive after 20 years, but only 50
percent of the monkeys that ate as much as they wanted are still alive but are
less healthy.
Most surprising, the low-calorie monkeys' brains didn't shrink with age, like
most humans' brains do after age 55. The low-calorie monkeys had more brain
volume in several areas of their brains. This suggests restricting calories
enhances brain health in those monkeys' later years. Serious questions for the
individual are, will a low-calorie but high nutrition diet increase my health,
prevent my brain from shrinking with age and slow down brain aging? Are humans
smart enough to learn from monkeys that consuming fewer calories from meat,
diary, sugar and processed food result in longer healthier lives? (Sources www.examiner.com, www.reuters.com,
and www.boston.com)
Pecora Commission II
"Legal chicanery and pitch
darkness were the banker's stoutest allies." - from Wall Street Under
Oath, 1936, the memoir of Ferdinand Pecora
In 1933, Ferdinand Pecora - lead
counsel for the Senate Banking and Currency Committee inquiry - led an
investigation into the causes of economic collapse that preceded the Great
Depression. Pecora's unrelenting investigation provided the evidentiary basis
for legislation that restored market integrity and rebuilt public confidence in
the financial markets and the banking system. For 45 years - until many of the
New Deal protections were removed by de-regulation and insufficient supervision
- these laws formed the basis of an economic structure that created prosperity
and withstood crisis.
In late May 2009, President
Barack Obama signed legislation passed by the US House and Senate that creates
a modern version of the Pecora Commission to investigate the causes of the
current financial crisis. Legislation creating the Financial Crisis Inquiry
Commission provides the commission with broad investigative, hearing and
subpoena powers to review the domestic and global causes of the crisis, with a
mandate to report to Congress by December 15, 2010, with findings and
recommendations. The commission terminates 60 days after submitting its report
to Congress. The commission will contain ten members, six Democrats and four
Republicans.
On Wednesday, Brooksley Born, a
former head of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission was appointed to the
commission. Born, who warned about unwarranted risks in the
The four Republican appointees
are: Former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas, who will serve
as the commission's vice chairman, Peter Wallison of the American Enterprise
Institute, ex-Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Holtz-Eakin and former
National Economic Council Director Keith Hennessey.
With its strong ties to Wall Street, some are wondering, will the new
"Pecora" Commission rigorously pursue the truth? At the end of its
mandate, will we know what caused the crisis?
The group of economists, historians and other professionals at www.whatcausedthecrisis.com has drafted
a letter urging the commission to (1) Appoint a single investigator, (2) Afford
no special treatment, ensuring that no one is off-limits or gets special
protection in the investigation and (3) Provide the tools to do the job.
Members of the public are urged
to join these concerned citizens in demanding a thorough investigation.
Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, homes and their life savings. We
deserve to know what led to this economic collapse. Only by knowing what caused
the crisis can we ensure it does not happen again.
On the Recession's Homeless
By Dot
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment Situation released on July 2 for June 2009 showed a nonfarm payroll
employment decline of 467,000 jobs. Yet, the overall unemployment rate remained
largely unchanged at 9.5 percent. Some
economists, those who take into consideration discouraged workers, part-time
employees who would prefer full time jobs and those only marginally attached to
the job market, place the unemployment rate well above ten percent. Indeed, in
as many as fifteen states, the official unemployment rate is already in double
digits. Even with a conservative 9.5 percent national unemployment rate, a
large number of American families are experiencing economic pain. For those
families and individuals, this economic recession is far from over.
In the state of
Rising unemployment and record high foreclosures mean more people are homeless.
According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the
number of homeless families rose 9 percent from October 1, 2007 to September
30, 2008. Homelessness is still concentrated in urban areas and among adult
males. However, the current economic recession is rapidly changing homeless
stereotypes. Now, the typical homeless is more likely to be a family. According
to the HUD report, eighty-two (82) percent of the adults in homeless families
are women; many of them are young, under age 25 and with children under five.
While the 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress recorded an
increase in homeless, its measurement covered the period prior to the current
recession. In announcing the report, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan acknowledged
that the report's data did not reflect "the great many more families who
were living on the edge, doubling up with friends and family members and
struggling to stay out of the shelters and off the streets." To address
this shortcoming and more timely capture the changes in homeless during this
recession, Donovan announced the Homeless Pulse Project, a quarterly measure of
homelessness in
The Homeless Pulse Project (HPP), which is available for the current quarter,
is based on data collated from nine sites around the country. Since rural areas
represent 76% of the
Given homelessness is a lagging
economic indicator, even with the fiscal stimulus and programs to help stem the
rate of foreclosure, the number of homeless individuals and families is
expected to increase through this year and most of 2010.
Disgruntled feels:
Obscene! The New York-based banking giant, Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869 by
German Jewish immigrant Marcus Goldman. In 1882, Goldman's son-in-law Samuel
Sachs joined the firm, prompting the name change to Goldman Sachs. During the
worst of the financial crisis last fall, Goldman lost $3.29 billion in four
months. However, on last week, Goldman reported a second quarter profit of more
than $2.7 billion. Undeniably too big to fail, Goldman has been dubbed the
"the undisputed powerhouse on Wall Street." The banking giant can
take all manner of risks knowing the full force of the federal government will not
allow it to go under. Yet, millions of everyday Americans are losing ground to
the economic crisis caused by the financial industry. It is truly obscene that
such robber barons, which are aided by the government, can saddle us with
socialized loses while pocketing privatized profits.
Disgruntled
says: Following the 'democratic' re-election of Iranian president
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the US press and Congress went on a feeding frenzy in
criticizing the Iranian government's crackdown against protesters, as if it was
the US' business. Some
Disgruntled
wants to know: Prior to the start of the Judiciary Committee's
confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayer, Senator Jeff
Sessions (R-AL), the top Republican on the committee, wondered whether race
would infect Sotomayer's rulings, if she is confirmed for the high court. In an
interview on Fox News, Senator Sessions cited Sotomayer's affiliation with a
civil rights group she advised in the 1980s that brought several race
discrimination lawsuits for minorities who challenged jobs or promotions given
to white employees. He also wanted to know whether her prior advocacy
"infected" her decision as an appeals court judge last year in the
ruling against white firefighters in
Mailbox: E-Mails,
Faxes and Telephone Calls
Email www.ap.com
...13 charged in $100 million mortgage fraud in NYC...By Samuel
Maull...Twenty-five people, including lawyers, bankers, mortgage brokers and
appraisers, and a mortgage company have been charged with committing mortgage
frauds involving at least $102 million, New York prosecutors said Wednesday.
AFG Financial Group Inc. ran the scheme, said Manhattan District Attorney
Robert Morgenthau. He said AFG and its accomplices stole millions of dollars
from banks that had loaned money to buy real estate. The banks in some cases
later sold the mortgage debts as investments, but because the investments were
based on deals that never occurred, the banks, the property sellers, and the
investors were left empty-handed.
Email thelmadobbs@gmail.com ...As
retailers cut back cities confront 'ghostboxes'...By James MacPherson..
Hundreds of anxious shoppers watched as city officials used power saws to cut 2
-by-4s during Home Depot Inc.'s ribbon-cutting ceremony for its 102,700-square
foot building center in
Email www.ajc.com...
Missed revenue forecasts pose more woes for states...by David A. Lieb...With
its IOUs and plans to close state offices three days a month, California gets
all the attention as lawmakers fight to write a budget set off balance by a
$26.3 billion deficit. But the dozens of states that made spending cuts, tapped
into reserves or relied on federal stimulus funds to patch together budgets
that took effect July 1 are hardly free from worry. Many of those spending
plans are based on tax revenue projections that have been wrong throughout the
recession - and maybe unreliable again. More miscalculations could bring a
variety of consequences: deeper cuts to services such as health care and
education; layoffs and furloughs of state employees; renewed consideration of
tax and fee increases.
Email www.huffingtonpost.com ...Starting to get
crowded in 100-year-olds' club.. Once virtually nonexistent, the world's
population of centenarians is projected to reach nearly 6 million by
mid-century. That's pushing the median age toward 50 in many developed nations
and challenging views of what it means to be old and middle-age. The number of
centenarians has jumped from an estimated few thousand in 1950 to more than
340,000 worldwide today, with the highest concentrations in the