Monday, June 30, 2008

MIGHTY Chondrial/Mighty Eve!

Mitochondrial or mtDNA is the MOTHERLOAD!


In sexually reproducing organisms, mitochondria are normally inherited exclusively from the mother. The fact that mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited enables researchers to trace maternal lineage far back in time.

Mitochondrial Eve (mt-mrca) is the name given by researchers to the woman who is defined as the matrilineal most recent common ancestor (MRCA) for all currently living humans. Passed down from mother to offspring, her mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is now found in all living humans: every mtDNA in every living person is derived from hers. Mitochondrial Eve is the female counterpart of Y-chromosomal Adam, the patrilineal most recent common ancestor, although they lived at different times.

She is believed to have lived about 140,000 years ago in what is now Ethiopia, Kenya or Tanzania. The time she lived is calculated based on the molecular clock technique of correlating elapsed time with observed genetic drift.

Mitochondrial Eve is the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of all humans via the mitochondrial DNA pathway, not the unqualified MRCA of all humanity. All living humans can trace their ancestry back to the MRCA via at least one of their parents, but Mitochondrial Eve is defined via the maternal line. Therefore, she necessarily lived at least as long, though likely much longer, ago than the MRCA of all humanity.

Mitochondrial Eve is a person who is a common ancestor to all living humans on a female-only ancestral line. The fact that such a person existed is a logical consequence of the two facts: that humans are one species; and that no one has more than one (biological) mother. It should be stressed that “Eve” is an abstraction: as the most recent matrilineal common ancestor of living humans, it is possible for her identity to change, though it would now be necessary to kill off a large proportion of the human race in order to achieve this.




Whatd'ya mean you're working on out genealogy?

Thursday, June 12, 2008

DeJaVu

When I say that I have been involved in helping mothers who lost children to adoption and trying to change adoption since the 1970's...I have often been asked what we did in all that time.

The first and primary cncern of mothers - and adpotees - during those decades of the 70s and 80s was search and support. We searched feverishly for our children and in doing so found and perfected and proteced good "sources" and outed bad ones who scammed people.

One of the five co-founders of origins - started in NJ in 1980 - was Luce Pare who was set up and very lucky not to have wound up in jail. Not so lucky was sandy Musser who did serve time for assisting in searches.

Now once again...we are forced to become criminal to get what should be ours. This woman apparently dared to operate in a state that is still living in the 1950s when it comes to adoption.

Woman accused of stealing records pleads no contest
The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 06/11/2008 12:57:18 PM MDT

Posted: 12:56 PM- BRIGHAM CITY -- A woman accused of stealing adoption records from a Davis County courthouse pleaded no contest to the charges.
But Jill Ekstrom may have defendant's regret. She tells an Ogden newspaper that she had taken painkillers Monday and may withdraw the plea.
Ekstrom is the former owner of UtahFinders.com. She gained notoriety for reuniting adopted children with their biological parents.
A Davis County prosecutor, Rick Westmoreland, says 300 to 400 adoption case files from the 1970s were contained on several rolls of microfilm. The microfilm has not been recovered.
Ekstrom, 43, was accused of selling some of that information to an undercover officer.
The Standard-Examiner says Ekstrom pleaded no contest to five misdemeanors. Sentencing is set for July 22.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

...ISTS and ISMS..

Current political events have led me to ponder the suffixes -ist and -ism.

Why, I wondered is bad to be a racist, ageist, or sexist -- while not so to be a feminist? Is there such a thing as maleism or maleists? Or just chauvinists and misogynists?

If I were an adoptionist - would that make me for it or against it, I pondered.

So, I looked and found:
The suffix -ism denotes a distinctive system of beliefs, myth, doctrine or theory that guides a social movement, institution, class or group.
The suffix -ist is used to denote a person who either practices something or a person who is concerned with something or a person who holds certain principles, doctrines, etc.

Made sense. If you play the flute, you are a flautist. If you play the piano...a pianist. But those who love dance are not dancists. Hmm.

If you believe in socialism, you are a socialist, but if you believe democracy you are not a democacist or even necessarily a democrat! And if you believe in Christ, you are a Christian, not a Chritsist. Perhps you have to believe an ism to be an ist?

The only conclusion I have come to is that this election is hurting my brain with its "ists" and "isms." It seems to be creating far more divisiveness about our DIFFERENCES, than uniting us...and the lines of difference get finer and finer by the day.

At what age is someone "too old" to run for office? It's like trying to figure out who is "too fat" or "too thin" these days - especially hard if you are in show biz. I think there is one and one ideal weight and anyone a few pounds over that limit - like Kirsty Allen - is labeled "fat" or worse, yet fall a pound or two below the exact acceptable weight and you're suspected of being anorexic (though not an anorexist)!

I think it all has one name with no ism or ist. I think it's all called discrimination!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Capitis diminutio minima and DNA

According to Hebrew and Roman law the offspring of incest or adultery could not be legitimated. Loss of status (capitis diminutio, media or maxima), involved loss of liberty or citizenship, and destroyed the paternal power. Emancipation and adoption had a similar effect. Adoption, which tries to emulate nature, was a means of acquiring the (proper) paternal power.

Our current adoption laws maintain capitis diminutio minima, which involves loss of (original, non-legitimized) family relations in order to acquire the desired status or power of the legally replaced relationship.

Conversely, Part 12 of a 13 part series of YouTube videos entitled Esoteric Agenda talks about Goddesses and patriarchy, innate knowledge and the link between EMOTIONS and DNA.

The very fascinating part for me was the PHANTOM DNA experiment with photons maintaining the DNA form even after it's physically removed. I found that very significant in terms of our relationship to our chidlren - even when we are not with them.

I have always loved reading the fascinating stories of twins separated at birth because of the amazingly similarities in things we would never suspect as being genetic, such as career choices. Of course, now knowing that some of these studies were done by involuntary means is extremely disturbing to say the least...reminiscent of Nazi Germany....and done knowingly by a NYC Jewish adoption agency: Louise Wise, makes it all the more repugnant.

That aside - our DNA runs through our children and forms a great deal of who they are, despite nurture and despite laws that make them capitis diminutio minima.

RussiaToday Apr 29, 2010 on Russian Adoption Freeze

Russi Today: America television Interview 4/16/10 Regarding the Return of Artyem, 7, to Russia alone

RT: Russia-America TV Interview 3/10

Korean Birthmothers Protest to End Adoption

Motherhood, Adoption, Surrender, & Loss

Who Am I?

Bitter Winds

Adoption and Truth Video

Adoption Truth

Birthparents Never Forget