An Apparently Much-Needed BIOLOGY Lesson for the Alabama Supreme Court

 When a female human egg is fertilized by a male human sperm cell, the result is known as a zygote.  [The same is true with all other members of the biological Animal Kingdom.]  A zygote still is a single cell.  It has no brain, central nervous system, eyes, heart, etc.  [Yes, that should be obvious and known by everyone.  Given the Court's decision, however, thought I'd better make sure:]

When the fertilized egg divides into two identical cells, and those two divide, and on & on, the result is known as an embryo.  While an embryo, the group of cells appears no differently than does a group of cells from any number of other animals at the same stage of development.  It's a blob of undifferentiated cells.  It's not a child, not even close.  There's no brain, no developed systems found in a fetus, no sentience, no consciousness, nothing but a group of identical cells.  Yes, an embryo has the potential of becoming a human life; but it's not yet such.

Approximately eleven weeks after the last menstrual period in the mother, an embryo begins the phase of cell differentiation.  Body systems develop with specific organs.  The eventual result is known as a fetus.  The differences between an embryo and a fetus are monumental and relevant to ethics.

When an embryo is frozen (which happens in the IVF*** process weeks prior to the beginning of the change to a fetus) cell differentiation doesn't begin until after unfreezing.

[***IVF = in vitro fertilization]

To treat/view an embryo as a child is absurd.  To make things worse, one of the justifications for the decision was a citation from the Christian Holy Bible.  I was unaware of Alabama being a theocracy, or at least, acting like one.  There's no way that's appropriate...or even legal I would guess.

By the way, when you do a Google Search for questions regarding an "embryo", about one-third or more of the answers deal with a FETUS, not an embryo.  So it seems some Tech Whiz "Kids" who write algorithms for this Search topic, also need this Biology lesson.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  In case anyone is wondering, I have an academic background in Biology and taught the subject at both the High School and Community College levels for years.

The horrible side of the High Tech Industry FAR outweighs the good side

Below is my reply - edited quite a bit - to an email which suggested the term "Tech Whiz Kids" (which I often use in writing & speech) is somewhat inaccurate because many of those people now are much older.

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I have no problem with you or anyone substituting some other term for "kids" in "Tech Whiz Kids" (TWK).  But for me, they're all TWK, regardless of age.  "Kids" is not meant to be taken literally.  For me, it denotes an attitude.  In general, they are "playing with fire" when they develop things which atomize our society, & they don't even think about the unintended consequences.  By "atomize our society", I mean: depriving us of meaningful relationships with others (which, admittedly, usually is done by higher-ups in the Corporatocracy re things like labor unions) via luring us away from those relationships, or damaging them with gizmos designed to make each of us an island unto ourselves.  So, only one of many examples: some younger people think their 7,000 "friends" on some "social" medium actually are significant.  Why go out into the world & meet with real friends when I have my gizmo right here in the house with 7,000 "friends" on it?  

[Kids sometimes play with fire.]  

The adult TWK act irresponsibly also when they build-in obsolescence into their products.  It takes 500 lbs of raw materials to make one cell phone.  I don't know how many pounds it takes to make some of their larger crap which also has a short lifespan.  [Kids sometimes/often act irresponsibly.]

Their companies, usually run by TWK who moved up the corporate ladder, are often deceitful beyond belief.  One example:  I think it's Apple who claims to be 100% "Green".  In fact, they farm out the manufacture of products to other companies located in places with few to no environmental regulations.  Those other companies generally have egregious practices when it comes to pollution, etc.  But Apple technically can claim to be "Green".  [Kids often are deceitful.]

Bottom line:  I believe the High Tech Industry - despite the good & useful things it has done - has pretty much ruined our society, both physically/materially, spiritually (in a generic sense), and culturally.  It has atomized us, stolen our privacy, polluted the ecosphere, gobbled up natural resources, enabled dictatorial governments & oligarchs (with undemocratic, egregious surveillance programs/gizmos), enabled wars being fought with no soldiers (except drone operators, making illegal wars more numerous), promulgated infinite growth on a finite planet, & more.  I believe High Tech is in the top 5 worst industries in the history of our species.  As far as I can tell, the majority of TWK act just like spoiled, irresponsible, destructive kids.  They've contributed greatly to the ruination of our kids, our society, and our planet.  It seems their primary goal is to get rich...at almost any cost.

Just my opinion, & it won't change.  I think the "bad" side of High Tech far outweighs the "good" side.  Congress could change things for the better, but probably won't.  Except for a very few, most of our elected officials in the Fed Gov't favor the corporatists, not Main Street.  [Corporatism is not Adam Smith capitalism; essentially, it's fascism - the marriage of the power of the State to the power of Mega Biz.]  The good things about High Tech should be supported; the bad things should be boycotted.  Only consumers can significantly put High Tech on a better path.  The Fed Gov't has shown over & over it will do little to such effect.

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Not only my opinion, & Everyone Be Well

The Childish Tech Whiz Kids

Not all of them...I'm talking only about the ones who are immature and malicious.  Every so often, some dweeb manages to inject a piece of malware into my machine...because he/she has no life of any consequence (I'm guessing).  We've all had this happen to us.  Even with a firewall and various anti-viral gizmos, once in awhile something gets through.

It takes me awhile to stumble around and neutralize the infection, but so far, I've always been successful... and I'm essentially a No-Tech person.  I suppose perhaps we should pity these maladjusted, frustrated Techies who can't figure out how to have a meaningful life, so instead they act childish.  My point here is this:  if a No-Tech guy like me can get around their foolishness, apparently they aren't as smart & clever as they they think they are.  :)

My message to such people is:  why be so small-minded & petty; why not try injecting something really worthwhile into your lives?  Life can be a beautiful, exciting, meaningful adventure...no matter what place in which you find yourself.  It doesn't have to be empty and ugly.  It all depends on your mindset.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Internet, Tech, Whiz Kid Employees are Crazy, Part II

Just recently, Hotmail (Outlook/Microsoft) blocked my email account.  They said it was because of "unusual activity", and so they were blocking it to "protect me".  [My question is: who is protecting me from them?]  They wanted me to send them a "mobile number" so they could "verify" my account by texting me some code or another.  Here's a clue, Whiz Kids:  I no longer have a mobile number...can't afford anything but the internet and a landline phone.  [Out here in the boonies, the one & only phone company requires a landline with the purchase of internet...even though the net is fiber-optic cable.]  They're so smart that they never thought of that possibility.  No other method of verification was offered...again, no common sense on their part.

I send a lot of emails, primarily to family and friends.  In the esoteric universe of Tech Whiz Kids, apparently that's "unusual activity".  I sent scathing Feedback to them, explaining the situation...four times.  No reply, and the account still is blocked.  I also asked them exactly from what are they "protecting" me.  Only a fool or someone naive beyond belief would reveal things such as one's bank account number, or SS number, or driver's license number, or PIN number, or anything similar in an email.  I don't know about your email account, but in mine there is nothing to "protect".  Everyone knows, or should know by now, emails are not secure in any sense of the word.  The NSA has an elite hacking unit (T.A.O.) that can install spyware/malware into any computer using a Windows Operating System.  Other hackers abound all over the place.  In my opinion, nothing on the internet is "secure"...no matter what the Whiz Kids say.  Treat the Web with that in mind and you won't have any "security" problems.  The whole security thing is a farce...it's job security for Techs, that's all.

Microsoft, based on how they treat customers (like livestock), has to be one of the most arrogant companies in existence.  Plus, based on all their constant "fixes", they must be one of the most incompetent companies in the tech world.  It amazes me that they ever rose to such a commanding height in the industry.  If I weren't such an old dog (with no energy for new tricks), I'd dump Windows in a heartbeat and go to Mac or Linux.  Admittedly, though I've been using these machines since the mid-'80s, I know almost nothing about computers.  But here's an interesting tidbit:  I've turned off my "automatic updates" for Windows.  I did allow an update about a year ago, but other than that, they've been "off" for years.  I don't trust them...and my computer seems to be working OK.

The trouble with Whiz Kids (from my perspective) is that they appear to have little common sense.  They're almost constantly making unwarranted assumptions... especially about customers.  Example:  Hotmail was changed to Outlook, the clunkiest, most customer-unfriendly email venue I've ever seen.  I suspect Microsoft has received an overwhelming amount of negative Feedback on Outlook...but I see no movement toward correcting the situation.  They seem to think that we love it, and prefer it to Hotmail.  Another Example:  email venues in general load up their sites with garbage piled on garbage...all to supposedly make emailing "easier".  It's nothing but clutter...and almost always makes things more difficult.  My guess is that the Whiz Kids (and the policy makers) love unneeded clutter because it means job security for them.  To hell with the customer.

As a result of this entire fiasco, once again I'm forced to open another email "account".  I'm keeping the Hotmail venue for the time being...trying to get data transferred to my new email.  So for those who know me, or anyone else, my new email address is:  abstractcowboy@gmail.com .  [Oh my god, Whiz Kids, I'm publishing my email address... I must need "protection"... help me, "protect me", obviously I don't know what I'm doing...be my nanny... please, please, please... on second thought, mind your own damned business.]  :)

Just my opinion.  p.s.  God save us from Tech Whiz Kid employees... especially those of Microsoft.

Google Flaws

This is my second rant regarding Corporatocracy computer tech whiz kids.  In this case, here are some pointed questions/comments for the Google folks [I would have emailed these to them, but they don't allow a customer to do that.]---
1.  Why do you have 89,000,000 [:)] "accounts" for ONE person?...a separate YouTube acct., a separate Blogspot acct., a separate Chrome acct., etc., ad nauseum.
Here's a thought---one person can have one account that's good for all the Google stuff.  At the very least, you could allow us to have one User Name & password for all these separate accounts.  Oh, I know---"security" issues.  You let me worry about my security on all these innocuous websites of yours.  There's nothing to secure!
2.  Speaking of  "security", stop telling me that I MUST choose another password because the strength of my choice is weak.  Mind your own business.  I should be able to use any password that I please.
3.  Why do you insist on continuing to use a defunct, nonexistent email address for my Blogspot sign-in...& refuse to let me update it?
4.  Do you purposely make creating an "account" difficult & incredibly convoluted?  Do you have any common sense at all?  I tried to set up an AdSense "account"; after an hour, I gave up.
5.  Do you really believe that your "Help" pages are speaking to the lay person?  Here's a clue:  I have a Master's Degree, & half the time you may as well be speaking Greek to me.  Have mercy...wake up.  Not all of us are tech geeks.
6.  Stop being so cheap---hire a bunch more people so you then can permit us to email you.  The fact is, it appears as though you don't really care what problems your customers are having with your convoluted procedures.  Just remember, we're the reason you're able to make money from your advertisers.

Now, sign out of this account, sign in to your Google account to get your verification number, then click on "Help", scroll down to "Numbers", take note of the Number in the red brackets, then sign out of your Google account, check your email, follow the link given in the email, then sign in to your XXXXXX account, scroll down to "Add Account", click on that, then sign out of that account, sign back in to your Google account, look for "Add Account, Step 2", then click on that, then sign in to your YYYYY account, look for the box that says, "Step 3", click on that, go to your email, click on the link, then look for "Step 4", then verify your ID by supplying a new password, then type in the code letters (that no one can read half the time), click on "Submit", then sign in to your Google account, scroll down, and then...

Hey, Whiz Kids---  creating an "account" should be a one-page, one-click process.  Why are they "accounts" at all?---they're all free of charge.  Oh, forgive me, I forgot--- you're tracking all of us and our interests, and then selling that info to advertisers.  Are you selling or giving the info to anyone else?

Computer/Internet Tech Whiz Kids Are Crazy

I'm hoping that family/friends/email acquaintances will see this post because it contains an alternate email address...even after successfully going through all their "security" questions, Hotmail won't let me access my scottfree12 account.  New/alternate email:  AbstractCowboy@hotmail.com .  I can't remember too many email addresses, so drop me a note at my alternate address.  Am hoping sooner or later to convince Hotmail that the other "[another] person [is] using this account" (scottfree12) is me.  Then I can get back my email address "book".  Don't ever forget your email password if you have Hotmail.  Answering the "security question"---e.g., "Who was your favorite teacher?"--- will not be enough.  So my question to the corporatists at MSN is:  Why do you even have a security question?  It did not suffice in my case.  Neither did my full name, birthdate, latest email contacts, recent Hotmail folders created, etc.!  Wake up, Whiz Kids, enough of your security crap.  [Can you tell that I'm frustrated with Techs?  :)]

The move to the beautiful State of New Mexico was smooth, but tiring.  Am way out here in (essentially) the wilderness.  After moving into a cabin & finally getting a landline phone---cell coverage is nonexistent on the 50 acres---I spent literally hours on the phone trying to get high-speed or satellite internet.  Wild Blue Satellite has a customer at this place (100 yards down the driveway), but claims to have no coverage---at the end of an hour conversation trying to figure out how that could be so, the tech finally tells me that satellite internet is done by "allotments", & this area is full-up.  Am on "high-speed" dial-up now; what a joke---the "high-speed" part.

Have done 15 new paintings since arriving here.  Don't know yet if I can email those as attachments while on dial-up.  Time will tell.

My best to all.  Keep resisting the Crony Capitalist Corporatocracy, and be well.