A gene for homosexuality

Recent research has confirmed the previous findings in the 1990's, that an area on the X chromosome - known memorably as Xq28 - is the one associated with homosexuality.

In a study of brothers - in families where one brother was gay - this area  Xq28  - was more likely to be shared by gay brothers than by heterosexual brothers.

However - as with so many things that we discover to be genetic - it is not just a case of having that area Xq28  - it is also necessary to have something else.

Nature and Nurture

The findings suggest that -
30 to 40% of it is Nature -the baby having that gene area
The rest - the other -
60 to 70% is Nurture - most probably the fluid in the womb where the baby grows for 9 months.

The contents (chemicals and hormones) of that womb fluid vary from woman to woman and will be different for every baby that she has. It can be influenced by factors that the outside world have on her and it can be influenced by that particular baby in the uterus, and the effect it has on her.

I find this all quite fascinating

As mothers  -we agonise over the effects that our mothering may have on our child. However - in reality - the main effect is happening before birth - in the 9 months in utero - inside us. We may think we can make this safe by stopping all the evils such as smoking drinking and taking drugs, but most factors are quite outside our control. We think we can control Nurture - but we can't.

Perhaps a time will come when the newly fertilised human egg will be grown in an artificial womb. But I think that is a long way off. More and more  - for good things and bad -we are discovering that genetics requires the specific gene area and the specific dynamic environment in the womb.

It also makes one wonder about surrogate mothers - who hire out their wombs. It may be an egg from the couple renting the womb but it is the nurturing in the surrogate womb which will be responsible for so many of the genes which will be activated or not.

But - back to homosexuality. Why would nature allow a gene area for homosexuality to carry on in society. According to Darwin and his natural selection it should have disappeared - assuming that most homosexuals don't have children.

This is very interesting
It seems that mothers of homosexuals (who have the X chromosome with area Xq28) are more fertile than other woman. So although they produce the occasional homosexual child  - they have more children overall.
Nature likes that.

My own wee cynical theory

All the main political parties in the UK have rejected the SNP's plan to share the pound with an independent Scotland. This is fighting stuff and it has really scuppered Mr Salmond

Now here is my own wee theory

Mr Salmond is a very clever man and a very clever politician. He has realised for a long time that a truly independent Scotland would be a bad thing for Scotland, and although he still campaigns for it - he doesn't actually want it.
His party have achieved a huge amount. We now have our own devolved government in Scotland with more powers than even he has got round to using.
We have the best of both worlds - control over much of what matters to us - whilst still being  part of the UK.

The SNP were voted into power as a result of the Scottish people's dislike of all the other parties - a huge protest vote. It was not because the Scottish people wanted independence.

David Cameron thought that by allowing (almost pushing) the SNP to have a referendum they would expose them and shut them up.
I dont' believe that anyone at that point, thought for half a second, that there was a remote possibility of them winning - including Alex Salmond himself.

But things have changed and the latest polls are showing that the SNP hold 40% of the vote of those who have definitely made up their minds. ie 40% will definitely vote for independence in September and a large number are still undecided

This has caused panic in the UK Parliament and in Mr Salmond.

So - Mr Carney - the Canadian Governor of The Bank of England - had a private meeting with Mr Salmond.
Could they possibly have discussed -
"How to prevent independence whilst allowing Mr Salmond and the SNP  to save face"?
If they did - then it may have been achieved by what has followed.

Not being allowed to share the pound with the UK after independence - should stop Scots voting for independence  - as clearly the alternatives are not attractive economically or politically.

Mr Salmond and the SNP can blame it all on the English bully boys and save face.

My worry is that Scots think and vote with their emotions - without any use of logic - and the plan may backfire.

Abnormal handwriting positions

We were watching a Victorian period drama on the telly and the camera zoomed in on the heroine writing a letter. Shock horror - She was not holding her pen properly. Every educated Victorian had beautiful copper plate writing and would never have got away with holding the pen or pencil in any other than the proper way.

Towards the end of my working medical life I specialised in children with difficulties such as Dyslexia and  Dyspraxia. It seemed that an inability to hold the pencil properly went along with the problem in many of this group of children and in all of the group with Dysgraphia  - despite adequate teaching.

It now seems that there is no teaching. Teachers do not pay attention to how the child is holding the pencil. It is perhaps considered unimportant to a child growing up in a world where writing is a dying art and the computer is king
Fair enough
But -
What if that child wants to become a surgeon a dentist or an artist? To do something that requires finely controlled manual dexterity.

To draw - the pencil has to be held in a proper (tripod) position for control and pointing.
If the pencil is gripped in a stabbing position - it is very hard to control pressure and direction and achieve any form of precision.
I suppose that with modern art  -it is not a problem

English Times newspaper different to Scottish

I admit it - I am a Times reader
We tried several Scottish papers and found them all sadly lacking.

Recently I decided to take up the "3 month half price" offer to the digital Times along side the paper version.
The interesting thing I have discovered from this  is that -
-what I read in my Times in Scotland, is different to what I read in my digital version. And the digital version is - I presume - the English version

In one respect I am in favour of this.
But I have become aware of a negative aspect.

It is good for Scots to hear news relevant to Scotland and for the English to hear news relevant to England
But - at this critical time for the UK - when its very existence is threatened by Scottish independence- the English need to know what is going on in Scotland
WHY
Because if Scotland separates from England, it will affect England and Wales and Northern Ireland-the RUK
As David Cameron said yesterday - they will be diminished.
They will be diminished in status and also diminished economically

Up here - in Scotland - we are hearing from top UK and World economists how it will hurt England (and Scotland) economically / financially for all sorts of reasons.

Dividing up the state pension pot is one example.
Pensions in general are a problem as companies will have to make provision for 2 separate countries with (by EU law) big enough pension pots in both countries.
The SNP say they want to keep the pound. This would not be in England's best interests. Are the English being told this?
Etc Etc - all stuff that will affect England (the RUK) and which should be reported in England

What can the English (the RUK)  do about this crazy SNP push for separation
Sadly - nothing really - but at least they should know

We noticed this problem on Wednesday February 5th
We went through the paper that day and found  17 articles in our Scottish paper that were not in the English/Digital  version

Front page
I'm backing Britain says boss of oil giant
Kiss for groom as gay marriage legalised
Page 2
Labour reform on union cash delayed for 5 years
Fracking bounties may be raised
Page 4
Not just a social gain but a clearer symbol of a progressive nation
Scotland legalises gay marriage
Page 6
Detective chase dentist for £750,000 as TV inquiry claims NHS fraud is costing hundreds of millions
Doctors urge Scots to stay fit and keep cancer free
Page 7
Clouds and gales have a silver lining for treasure hunters
Page 8
MacAskill's rethink on corroboration fails to impress senior legal minds
£50m deal to cover benefit cut
Page 16
Widower loses fight to bring up daughter
Page 18
Hollow promise of free care for elderly
Page 19
Dimmer switch may lead to better painkiller
Scottish homes sell faster and for more
Page 21
GM mosquito is latest weapon in battle against killer disease
Page 22
Business for Scotland dismisses debate on independent economy

Overpaid boss of Charity

The boss of Save the Children earns £234,000 a year

This is quite disgusting

Apparently another 20 employees earn over £100,000

Save the Children is one of the charities that we donate to

We usually give about £20

According to my calculator it would need 11,700 people like us to donate £20 each just to pay the bosses salary

It would need another 100,000 people like us to pay the salary for the other 20 high earning employees

And that is before a penny goes to a child that needs help.

Well  - they are not getting anymore from me until I hear that those Fat Cat salaries are more in line with normal

 - say with teachers

Teachers also work with children and my goodness they have a difficult and responsible job. 

A Head teacher gets from £42,000 to £106,000

A leading practitioner (teacher gets from £37,000- 57,000)

Average teacher pay is from £21,000 to £31,000

The average annual UK wage is from approx £20,000 to £50,000 depending on number of years worked.

How do these Fat Cats sleep at night taking donations from UK citizens whose salary is only fraction of their own .

I seem to remember a saying - Charity Starts at Home.

So

I would like to see these Fat Cats donate back all that they have earned except for a small and reasonable amount

I wonder if all other charities are the same?

 

Edinburgh top for children with sexual diseases

I knew that during the swinging sixties and seventies, the Lothian area (which includes Edinburgh) was the drug capital of  Scotland.

I read that it is now the 'sexually transmitted infections' STI capital in children under 16 - what we used to call VD (venereal disease) back then.

More than 400 under-16s a year in Scotland are being diagnosed with STI's, with the highest level in Lothian
The majority of those diagnosed were aged 15
About a quarter  were aged 14
Lothian and Lanarkshire reported cases of chlamydia in 12 year olds
 and
Greater Glasgow and Clyde reported syphilis and gonorrhea in 13 year olds.

Now I know that I am a boring old pensioner - but I am shocked by this. These are young children
and
This is Edinburgh!

I worry for Scotland

Life is getting nastier in Scotland and it will get much nastier.

Gordon Brown (ex prime minister of the UK and MP for Fife) has felt the need to intervene in Fife to protect a school girl from anti English bullying.

The girls mother is from England but the girl has lived in Scotland since she was 10 months old.
Her mother says that she is pro-union but would be frightened to put a pro-union sticker in her window.
So would I!

This is what can so easily happen when you get a small  but vocal and aggressive minority  - as is the case with those that want separation from England.
It is the same with any extremist group
The majority of Muslims in the UK are peace loving wonderful people. But the extremist factions in their midst make life nasty for all. As do extreme right wing groups such as the National Front.

The majority of Scots have been and are perfectly happy for the UK to remain as it is - especially since devolution has given us a much bigger say in what is important to us. But there is this extreme minority who believe - that what they lack in reasonable argument - can be made up for in loud and aggressive, unpleasant behaviour. They are bullies.

One can see it in action at public debates, such as the one recently held in Greenock. I am sure that the BBC (who try to be fair) had an audience with balanced views, but the loud, aggressive, vocal minority, frightened the majority into silence.

This is what happens - the quiet majority are silenced through fear

This also happens with issues about Muslims - everyone is frightened of their extremists - and so they get what they want. They win, when our media are too afraid to publish the "Jesus and Mo" cartoons
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/columnists/article3992183.ece

As we get nearer to the vote on independence in Scotland, it is going to get worse. Things are going to be said and done that are going to cause more polarisation and hatred. Communities and even families will be split.

Whatever way the vote goes  - this polarisation and hatred will remain
It is not nice and it is very sad.
I really worry for my beloved Scotland.