Week 12: Which Way Forward?

I chose "Alien Evolutionary Biology" because I've always had the distinct feeling that my soul is star seeded, not from Earth. However- when I read Sitchin's "Ancient Astronaut Theory" which proposed that all humans are indeed an alien genetic experiment- I felt the truth of this deep in my soul. Through my meditations and mystical visions- I was able to determine that I am a Hathor starseed- the cat-like aliens who helped influence and shape the beginning of Tibetan Buddhism and Egypt. The Hathors taught the Egyptians about tantra and immortality consciousness- not surprisingly- two of my passions. It is probably not surprising then- that when I have been able to astrally project- I have projected my spirit 'accidentally' to a Hathor chamber in one of the pyramids, and on another occasion, found myself on a water planet with a creature that looked like half goat, half mermaid. When I saw a video about the Nommo- the 'water deities' of Planet Oceana 3 planets out from Sirius B- I had deja vu of a lifetime that I had as an aquatic creature in the Sirius B star system. My curiosity comes from my own experience of feeling like an extraterrestrial- and then wanting to apply scientific data and reason to confirm this intuitive feeling. Here is a great website with descriptions of the more advanced E.T.s: siriusascension.com

Week 11: Vaccination and Public Health

Should parents take a more active role in designing their children's immunization schedule?

Most parents are around average intelligence and far from being medically savvy. I think it should be the role of the Primary Care Physician to remind parents of what and when vital immunizations should occur.

Would you support making vaccination programs compulsory?

In the case of potentially fatal diseases like measles, I do think vaccination should be compulsory. However- for illnesses such as HPV, I think that vaccines should be voluntary. I also think that all government created strands of flu to induce mass fear need to be eradicated once and for all- not that I have any Pollyanna rose-colored glasses optimism that that's going to happen any time soon. There is strong evidence to support that the Swine Flu and Bird Flu were lab created flus produced by the government (who does NOT have our best interests at heart)- and in the case of the Swine Flu- that the vaccine was actually causing sterility and miscarriages in pregnant women. And yet- nurses faced getting fired if they did not get compulsory Swine Flu vaccines despite the isolated cases of the flu (which mass media scare tactics would have us think otherwise).

Week 10: American Bison

How would you prioritize the reintroduction of American bison?

Certainly more than ethically driven- everything in America is profit driven. If there was financial incentive to raising bison free range and the market started demanding bison by buying bison- then there would be a good reason in the eyes of corporate America to raise bison. Marketing campaigns could be driven at the health benefits of bison both for regular people, Native Americans, and the health of the land. However- in order for it to really positively effect the Native American communities into becoming self-sufficient like they once were- enough of the bison would have to be free range and not solely at the use of the meat market. While I do not see any market incentive in free range bison, I'm sure that Native American lobbyists or other special interest groups could push their agendas with local governments and pertinent groups who control the land where they'd like to see bison roaming freely.

How would you assess "New pill promises to reduce breast cancer risk?"

With almost all (perhaps all- though that is a risky statement) Western medication- that there are positive effects and negative side effects. Bearing this in mind about all Western meds- the wise idea when introducing any Western medication would be for the patient to address the overall function of their body/organs through added healthcare with Chinese medicine and diet if there is a higher risk of developing something serious like cancer. Why take just a pill without introducing a high anti-oxidant fruits and vegetables diet to further ward off this risk of cancer? The nice thing about a dietary/herbal approach to preventing cancer- is that there ARE no harmful side effects.

Week 9: Ecosystems and Deep Ecology

What do you think about the "eight-point" Deep Ecology Platform?

It's refreshing to read a platform that recognizes the inherit value and biodiversity of non-human life (aka the rest of nature) outside of the narrow confines of humanity's use of nature. It is a realistic platform that looks honestly at how the excessive human population is incompatible with the flourishing both of humans and non-human lifeforms. China has addressed the excessive population problem by implementing a national 'one child only' law which requires that couples breed no more than one child. Any second and further pregnancies require abortion. While it seems like a drastic interference in freewill- I think that national measures like this- ESPECIALLY in densely populated countries like China, India, certain Latin American countries, etc.- that it is not a bad idea. When I visited Colombia last winter- I was shocked and disappointed by how difficult it was just to take a bus or drive through traffic because of the dense population of Bogotá. Anyone that knows Latin America knows the high value Latinos ascribe to big families- and this was obvious by the sheer amount of babies and children I saw. However- it made the quality of just getting around the city a nightmare. Quality of life is affected by dense population- and in the long-run- if humanity is allowed to reproduce unchecked- there will likely not be enough resources, food, or jobs to sustain such a huge population, especially as economies around the world start to plummet- which they already are.

Can you explain why "Ecosystems are both strong and fragile?" 

Mother Earth is a force with which to be reckoned. Her strength has already endured the sheer destruction we have waged upon her in the form of pollution, agriculture, farming out certain kinds of fish to the point of extinction or endangerment, etc. While we continue to populate and live off of her bounty- this comes at a cost. There are more animal and plant species that are becoming extinct or endangered every year. The reason ecosystems are fragile is that if one crucial component of the ecosystem collapses or is farmed out- there is a whole chain of life that is dependent on that part of the chain that is also effected. However- Mother Earth may very well (and already has) fight back with a number of natural disasters as a result of climate change from human/industrial pollution- that may affect the human population in the long run as well. The coming Ice Age may also have a huge detrimental effect on humanity while creating a freeze over that may actually help the Earth recover in the long-term.

How would you assess the "end goals" of Social Ecology?

I feel that Social Ecology is a necessary reclamation of human responsibility for the damage we have caused the planet. There is no other species on the planet who have the capacity to help repair the situation we have created on the planet. It is our planetary duty and responsibility to try and amend the damage we have caused by whatever technological, ethical, ecological, geological ways we can. If we don't- the situation will only continue to worsen and cause yet more harm to humans, animals, plant species, the atmosphere, the oceans. Recognition of these problems is the only ethical and practical way to try and improve life for everyone on the planet. 

Week 8: Cell Biology: HIV and AIDS

How do you feel about Western approaches to HIV/AIDS?

Honestly- I have a family member with AIDS who has been on Western meds that have successfully kept his viral load down and his t-cell count up. I say 'the proof is always in the pudding' so to speak. The one negative drawback that this person feels from the meds is the necessity of a strict adherence to a daily schedule that he cannot skip, and he must set his alarm to wake up and take a lot of pills to stay on schedule. But this person is not concerned with diet, holistic healthcare, and his HIV medication has enabled him to live well into his 70s seemingly without any harm. The WHO's (World Health Organization) approach of recommending earlier treatment for patients detected with HIV is certainly not a bad idea- though my family member had had the virus for a couple years before he starting taking meds- which drastically decreased his viral load to being almost undetectable. With a disease as serious as AIDS- it's better to exercise caution and start treatment as soon as one knows one is affected- especially to avoid getting any communicable and secondary infections due to a weakened immune system- which is what ultimately kills most people infected with AIDS. I support the line of research that is trying to find a way to strengthen the immune system so that AIDS can exit peacefully within the body without having to take meds for the rest of a person's life.

Can TCM strengthen our immune systems?

Of course it can! Let's just look at one obvious example from TCM: when a person is Lung Qi deficient, they are more susceptible to catching colds. With acupuncture and herbalism aimed at boosting Lung Qi, this person will notice that they develop more of a resistance to colds- meaning increased immunity. TCM helps improve immunity by increasing the deficient Zang organs while dispelling any underlying pathologenic factors such as Toxic Heat, Phlegm, and Blood Stasis.

Week 7: Cell Biology and Cancer

Week 7: Cancer

How sophisticated is our understanding of cancer?

Cancer cells are abnormal cells whose regulating normal cell division is disrupted. Cancer develops when normal cells acquire abnormal functions through mutations that can occur through environmental factors such as cigarette smoking, UV lights, X-Rays, chemicals, and viruses. Usually- it takes around four to seven of these cancer-causing influences for a normal cell to go through a few premalignant stages before becoming a malignant, invasive, cancer. In cancer cells, the normal control systems that usually prevent cells from over-proliferating and invading tissues are disabled, causing abnormal reproduction, changes to cell structure, decreased cell adhesion, and production of new enzymes. The abnormalities in cancer cells usually result from mutations in protein-encoding genes that regulate cell division.

How does a TCM approach to cancer differ?

The TCM approach to cancer differs from the allopathic approach to cancer in that it includes a more holistic look at the break-down of organs, meridians, etc., as opposed to just trying to eradicate the cancerous cells by direct attack. TCM believes that cancerous cells are produced because of a weakened body and organs- and that unless you address the organ/meridian dysfunction and lifestyle choices that contributed to the cancer, that traditional forms of cancer therapy- such as radiation and chemotherapy- will not address the diseased body that gave rise to the cancerous cells. In fact- chemotherapy- while klling the cancer cells directly- also kills other cells in the body and makes one even weaker- so that the body is still a walking host of dysfunction easily habitable by other diseases including the cancer- in the future.

Are our genes still being shaped by natural selection?

'Natural' is a term that uneasily sits side by side with the amount of unnatural environmental pollutants and food toxins/pesticides that we are exposed to daily and with which our bodies must deal- creating a toxic soup of both natural and unnatural elements within usl. The idea of 'Natural Selection' is tantamount with the Darwinian idea of 'Survival of the Fittest.' In the case of cancer- it is not the cells that are fittest that survive- it is the cancerous cells whose normal functions have been so disrupted that in worst case scenario- they become malignant and actually start to invade other cells. They are not being 'naturally selected' due to their ability to optimize survival of the host or themselves- as when they die- their host also dies. Their is nothing naturally selective about death and death. It's a lose-lose situation for the cancer and the host.

Week 6: The Nature of Life

Patenting DNA- did the Supreme Court get this one right?

Thank God the Supreme Court over-ruled Myriad Genetics Inc. to patent certain bits of human DNA the company had isolated in developing tests for breast and ovarian cancer. In politics- certain 'hallmark' cases can often pave the way for other cases of its kind to follow suit. The Supreme Court ruled that naturally occurring genes of human DNA cannot become private property of a company. If Myriad Genetics Inc. had won the case, who knows what kind of groundwork for patenting other bits of human DNA could have followed suit? Cattle raising companies patenting cattle DNA and suing other cattle farms for copyright infringement?

"There's significant interest in establishing and evidence base for acupuncture and reproductive health." Is this an advancement for TCM?

The interest in establishing an evidence base for acupuncture and reproductive health would definitely be an advancement for TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) as there are many infertile women who turn to Western medicine to figure out how to become pregnant. If TCM can provide a provable and legitimate- all natural means to helping women become fertile- it raises the the reputation of TCM and opens up the doorways to treating a whole population that may then in turn- seek out TCM for other health matters as well.

Week 5: The Complexity of Life

Are Fukushima tuna safe to eat?

It is unsure whether Pacific Bluefin Fukushima tuna pose any significant threat to human health. Regardless, these tuna were discovered to have radioactive Cesium from the Fukushima nuclear melt-down. When researcher Nicholas Fisher is quoted for saying the tuna have an 'essentially negligible' impact on human health," in one breath, and then, "I wouldn't necessarily encourage [people] to eat these fish," it is clear that the exact impact on human health is unknown. The fact remains- if radioactive cesium was discovered in these fish- then if we eat them- we will be consuming this radioactivity. If one cares to eat radioactive fish- it would be wise to buffer the body's defense with a supplement called Liquid Zeolite which removes almost all radioactive particles from the body while providing crucial minerals that buffer's the body's defense against assimilating radioactive particles. If one wants to be one the safe side, then one should "eat something else," as Fisher puts."

Can we control our sugar habit?

I think New York's idea to tax high sugar drinks is actually brilliant, though I do doubt that for people who are really addicted to Coca Cola, for instance, that a tax would keep them back from drinking Coke unless it was a really high tax. I also thought New York's idea to impose a size limit on sugary drinks for sale was a great idea. The problem- of course- is that sugary drinks are very addictive. It does seem though that New York's effort to impose limits around the purchase of sugary drinks was really helpful as there was a 6-7% drop in the amount of people who were drinking one sugary drink a day during the campaign. Maybe co-current with the campaign could be a boost in the advertisement of fruit and all of their healthful qualities/effects.

Do you vote for the chicken or the egg?

I thought the article had a good point about the egg coming before the chicken. The chicken obviously had to come from an egg. It makes sense that this egg was laid when two bird species got together, mated, and laid an egg that had DNA from both species that when mixed- gave birth to a new species- the chicken.

Week 4: The Pattern of Life

How do we view "Animal Intelligence?"

Human beings or rather, scientists, tend to measure animal intelligence in human terms. Reality is a lens through which perspective always plays a part- so animal intelligence cannot really be evaluated on its own terms without the framework of the humans who set up certain tests to measure animal intelligence. However- it seems a little ridiculous that the ape enrichment programs involves letting chimps play games on iPads while reaching their arms through a metal gate to get to the game. This seems like an extreme example and perhaps one that could be replaced by letting the chimps roam open fields. When studying animal intelligence- scientists of course measure animal intelligence to comparable ages of humans in terms of skill level. There does seem to be a kind of cutesy child-like awe humans have in regards to testing animal intelligence- where amusement takes the place of empathy and animals are locked in cages while humans sit back and go, "oh- look at the cute smart monkey."

I had the throw in this interesting tidbit of info since we were asked to look at Fritjof Capra. His nephew, Pablo Capra, is my poetry publisher: lifeasapoet.com…and my favorite book of Fritjof Capra's is the Tao of Physics- where he shows how Eastern philosophy is backed up by Western physics. Amongst these insights were the Buddhist idea of Emptiness, where everything is seen as empty, and that our minds therefore influence matter more than we think. Capra backed this up by showing that more than 99% of an atom, was in fact, space, and so that what we see as concrete and material, was in fact, almost totally empty.

WEEK 3- GENETIC EVOLUTION

1. a. Our early ancestors probably spent much of their time in trees long after they had fully mastered the art of walking on two legs because they were used to climbing in trees and trees often have sumptuous and nutritious fruit in addition to providing fresh oxygen and good energy!"

1. b. "We Live in an Age of Bacteria."

A major threat to humankind is the antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that have survived and been naturally selected by overuse of antibiotics. There are fascinating things to be learned about bacteria. The world that comes to mind is 'androgyny,' but that is a misnomer because after mating, the female bacteria actually turn into male bacteria. "Maleness" in bacteria land is an infective venereal disease, which is sure to make some women laugh. Bacteria can actually swim very fast despite the fact that they live in a medium that has the density of asphault. They can go forwards or backwards up to a speed of 30mph, but they can never stop, which must make mating kind of a mess. While bacteria can learn, they also divide every twenty minutes, so they must restart their education. I wonder if bacteria have feelings? Or are they just some primordial blobs of cell masses- deterministic yet blind in their plight forward?

2. These are the points I found particularly interesting regarding Human Genetic Evolution:

• Human DNA is 98 percent the same as the DNA of chimpanzees; but it's also 70 percent the same as the DNA of yeast.

• • The African-American population is an African-European hybrid, with about 70% of the genes having come from Africa and 30% from Europe. However, some populations (e.g. Charleston, SC, and the Sea Islands of Georgia) have over 90% African genes.
• 
  
• •The American Indians came from Asia and appear to be most closely related to Mongolians rather than to the groups that currently occupy northeast Asia. The Hispanic populations of Texas have a high frequency of alleles that came from American Indian ancestry and hence Asia.

It was interesting to read that we homosapiens have ancestors in the Homo Genus that are now extinct and whose skulls resemble chimpanzees more than humans.

3. "The modelling of non-linear systems in physics has led to the concept of chaos, a deterministic process characterized by extreme sensitivity to its initial conditions." This sentence reminds me of the example through which a lot of people are introduced to the idea of chaos where the flapping of a butterfly's wings in one part of the world- through a series of complex air currents- starts a storm somewhere else.

Autopoesis refers to a closed system capable of re-creating itself. Think of a cell that effortlessly reproduces itself. "Like complexity theory it is a systems perspective, and is applicable to brains and societies as well as to biology and artificial life."

WEEK 2- EVO DEVO

WEEK 2: EVO-DEVO

Post your thoughts on Evolution-Development

            I see some absurdity in the fact that- throughout these dark ages known as Kali Yuga- that humanity has single-handedly managed to catalyze the extinction and endangerment of so many animals, destroyed ecosystems that had a natural and functioning balance, polluted the air and the ozone- and now- through human ingenuity during the dawn of the Age of Aquarius- the supposed beginning of the Golden Age- we are now trying to undo or at least moderate the negative effects we have had on the environment due to our consumption/pollution. Would we really need laboratory grown kidneys if we ate healthy organic food and lived lives of less stress that are out of balance and disconnected from nature?

How does Darwinism matter to me?

A very advanced healer friend of mine told me that there were many advanced adults of the Indigo child generation who felt very hopeless about that future of the Earth- and as a result- she was having to convince a number of these spiritually advanced adults not to have abortions when they got pregnant. The state of Earth and multiple collapsing ecosystems and irreparable pollution do seem to add up to a grim view of the future on Earth…not to mention the coming Ice age, possible future water and food shortages, etc.. But how sad would it be if the only people reproducing were the ignorant and unawake and that these were the only people who were the parents of future generations?

            David Wilcock- who is the reincarnation of Edgar Cayce- talks about a documented jump room with advanced technology that is able to take people to Mars. Through the use of the jump room, there are now colonies of humans on Mars. I believe he said they live in buildings built below the surface of the planet. Certain factions of people in charge know that the Earth is a sinking ship- and the elite have ear-marked and trained some of the best and brightest of humanity to be able to permanently flee to Mars and continue the human race if there is indeed world-wide calamity on Earth which could happen due to any number of natural disasters. If that is the case- then the some of the best traits physically and intellectually would be continued in this homosapien experiment albeit on Mars- which of course sounds on the outer edges of acceptable reality. But anything is possible.

Thoughts on one of the links:

While Darwin believed that slight variations in the species contributed to hereditable traits that were passed down and contributed to gradual change, Bateson believed that bigger mutations were responsible for evolution. Although there was much discord between these two philosophical camps, there was even more scape-goating that evolutionary scientists received from Christians for straying from the philosophy of Creationism. Eventually- Darwin’s notion that acquired traits during an animal’s lifetime would be passed down was rejected. For instance- a lizard that had it’s tail ripped off wouldn’t have offspring that lacked tails.

Week 1: Our Biological World

Week 1: Our Biological World

Erin is a tantric yogini, reiki master, crystal healer/jewelry maker, creative androgenieass, Star-clad Goddess of Sex & Death, Vajrayana Buddhist, and- on a side note- believes Christ was a Pleiadian. Erin’s kundalini fully rose at 29 and opened up multi-dimensional awareness and her ability as an empathic healer, mystic, masseus, and magician (both sex magic, wicca, and life as a magical practice) with keen insight into human psychology, the ability to read people, and a novel approach to combining yoga asanas and chakra sounds in order activate all chakras, including the sex and throat chakras.

After suffering her first clinical depression during Ivy League prep school a few years after her father was murdered, she threw herself into alternative healing, yoga, and completely broke with tradition by throwing wild, social deprogramming parties incorporating performance art and public chaos magic. In the process, she became a sexual performance artist, clownarchist, goth opera singer, and galactic rockstar advocate for the presence of starseeds like herself (akin to David Bowie’s mission back in the day).

In an unexpected twist of fate, Erin became the infamously reknown anarchist queen of the L.A. Underground social punk movement and was known to her fans and friends as “Log.” She had a Voodoo Zombie performance art wedding with her ex-husband “Toylit,” aka James Mathers, whose claim to fame was as Andy Warhol’s muse back in NYC. Together, Toylit and Log threw a series of avant-garde punk performance art nightclubs called “The Never Ending Costume Party” and “Timeship Medusa,” and multi-media interactive Dadaist poetry events. Toylit and Log also co-authored a series of Dadaist poetry books called “Crap Poetry,” a literary bowel movement of the ages.

A near death episode at 27 promptly forced Erin to change her crazy rockstar life and she moved to Tucson Arizona to heal for 3 years before re-locating to San Francisco. Her healing practices deepened and broadened during this time as she went from being a kids’ yoga dance teacher and rockstar, to not being able to walk a city block for 5 months with an unexpectedly long recovery time which continues to this day.

While attending acupuncture school part-time, Erin is currently working on a film blog, “New Age Gangsta,” and recording two E.P.s: one for M.O.M: Mutant Orgy Manual, and the other an album of classical inspired gothic/alien piano and opera compositions. She’s working the doctor diva duality.

Class Discussion: It is no wonder during our introductions that I got embarrassed when my classmate introduced me as being from L.A.- considering that L.A. is the narcissistic wound of the planet- and has quite possibly- the poorest air quality in North America. However- besides the vapid cultural context of L.A.- known to some residents as Hell Lay- it comes as no surprise to me that L.A. ranked number 1 in the cities polluted by ozone. After living in Tucson Arizona for about a year, I came back to visit L.A. via Amtrak and noticed a palpable difference in the air quality the second I stepped off the train and into the downtown L.A. station. I thought to myself, “No wonder I became so sick living in air quality like this.” I wouldn’t be surprised if- in the future- L.A. becomes the Number One city for artificially grown Lung implants.