Simmering Hope

Motto: Every person begins as a single cell.

It looks like we have already the biggest scientific breakthrough of 2008: Stemagen Lab, a privately held embryonic stem cell research company, created the first cloned human embryo using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) or therapeutic cloning.

The embryo clones were created from mature eggs (oocytes) donated by egg donors and intended parents undergoing egg donation cycles for reproductive purposes at the Reproductive Sciences Center in La Jolla.
The genetic material was removed from the original donated eggs and replaced by a new genetic material coming from the skin cells of a different donor.
Of the original 29 oocytes resulted 5 blastocyts ( a blastocyst is an embryo between 5 and 10 days old), with three confirmed to be clones based on DNA fingerprinting demonstrating the presence of the skin cell donor DNA in the blastocys.
DNA fingerprinting is the scientifically accepted method for determining if an embryo is a true clone.
From the blastocyst are harvested stem cells, capable of forming any of the body’s 200 cell types. During the harvesting the embryo is destroyed.
Apparently the company did not create any stem cells and all blastocysts were destroyed after a few days.

The next important step will be to generate human stem cells from cloned embryos, step that seems to be the most complicated one.

According to stem cells specialists, human embryonic stem cells have been extracted before, from unused fertility clinic embryos, but stem cells from cloned embryos are likely to be more useful because they would be genetically matched to a patient whose DNA is used in the cloning process.

The procedure could open the door to the development of patient-specific embryonic stem cells for human therapeutic use, potentially including developing treatments for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases.

Yes I did it! And I am thrilled and happy for having my blog accepted by PayPerPost.

Sometimes in September 2007 I started thinking about writing my thoughts. This is how the whole saga started.
I like to write, I am pretty opinionated and being a baby boomer, I would say that I have life experience as well.
I have reached a point in my life when I would like to share my experience, my trials and tribulations dealing with infertility, with keeping weight under control, with dealing with corporate politics and finally, to share my dreams about traveling to sacred places.
Browsing the net I realized that some people are making money from writing, not only from marketing affiliate sites. That was the turning point of the whole blogging adventure.
I did not know anything about internet marketing, so that venue was a moot point. Being paid to write, that sounded really appealing.

When I came across blog advertising it looked like it could become reality.

Naïve as I have been, I did not realize that you do have to meet some criteria to qualify. I have just thought that having a blog would be sufficient. Well, after about half a year of blogging it started making sense why you have to meet requirements.
In terms of getting you accepted, PayPerPost is generous and levels the field to everybody.

The criteria are:
- Have a blog at least three months old
- Write original, good quality posts; people would come and read if they could find something interesting, something that maybe helps them make decisions
- Your postings should be evenly spread over the time

Will I be successful? Only time will tell. I will do my best not to compromise my moral integrity as well.
Making money is good, but in the end it’s even better to feel that you served the good cause of helping other people.

In a nutshell the situation is like this: about two months ago the company I am working for, started firing people. I was among the lucky ones to be kept. But for how long? I am not sure anybody knows at this point.
I am not used to being fired, I have never been and it’s the type of experience I don’t want to get. But I have to face the reality, and the reality is scary.
Due to the sub-prime problem in the U.S, phenomenon that has a ripple global effect, the company is losing money.
Sub-prime crisis generated construction crisis in the States and that branched into a lumber crisis in Canada. Throw into the equation the stronger than normal Canadian dollar and here we are: people are losing jobs in Canada.
I have no freaking idea why we are not into recession as well. I started questioning if the journalists are deliberately misinforming people to keep them stupid and happy, because I really can’t comprehend how they sound so optimistic and how the statistics show that the unemployment rate is low. Even better: jobs are created.
WTF?!! What jobs? where? Flipping burgers at McD?
Except sales jobs it’s not much happening around.

My point is: should I start looking for a job or just play the Russian roulette and wait?
I have a job interview scheduled for Thursday and it involves something that I would really like to do, something that I am good at.
The downside: commuting time. Right now I drive 15 minutes top from my house to my job.
The other job would be more like one hour and something one way. Not funny.

When you are in situations like this, moving or considering moving to another job not for money, but for the security reasons, it’s very stressful. You doubt and blame yourself for not being able to anticipate what it might come, you think you could be objective and rational, but the truth is you are not. You are in panic, you feel sick on your stomach and try to read between lines and interpret the body languages of your current colleagues.
I got an email saying that if we are not launching a product this year to a certain European Market, it might not happen at all.
My translation:‘we think about firing you sometime this year, meaning that if we don’t do it now, we are not going to have the resource/translations/contacts to do it when you are not here anymore’.
Maybe I am wrong, but I really don’t have any sense of ‘wow, my job is secure and nothing will happen to it’.

I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe that events are part of a bigger picture. They happen because it has to be that way.
Sometimes, actually most of the time, it’s almost impossible to understand why something is happening. You just have to wait until that piece of the puzzle will fit into the picture.
And if I am to get another job it’s because indeed my position right now is vulnerable.

I have a family I am worried about. My family is my world and my duty is to do the best in my ability to keep them happy.
If that means commuting three hours, be it like this.
If there is a Supreme Power of any kind, I would appreciate if it would help me make the right decision and help me get the job that would be permanent, secure and fulfilling.

Vitamin D is the only vitamin that’s also a hormone and the only vitamin that you can manufacture on your own when your skin is exposed to the sun.
But in the darker winter months, especially here in BC -where it’s pissing rainy three quarters of the year-, you need to boost the vitamin D intake somehow. Latitude has a negative influence as well, so for us, Canadians, it’s a double whammy.
Hence the need of supplements and/or better-balanced meals.
Actually according to some new findings, you can’t get the necessary amount of vitamin D exclusively from food.

Numerous studies linked the vitamin D deficiency with various medical conditions.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women with a lack of vitamin D, will deplete the baby from this vitamin as well.
Some signs of vitamin D deficiency:
- tooth decay
- trouble sleeping or insomnia
- lack of energy
- nervousness
- insulin production affected, hence worsening diabetes

But how much do you need daily?
The new guidelines recommend 1,000 IU a day for older people and those with dark skin. Some researchers think levels of up to 2,000 IU a day should even be considered.
What is known- so far- is that the safest dose of vitamin D is 1000 IU.
Over 2000 IU is too much and can lead to kidney problems- including kidney stones- and bone and muscle deterioration.
As much as you would like to keep it all natural and food related, it’s almost impossible to get this amount from food.
You have to use supplements.

One of the major sources of vitamin D is fish. Tuna, salmon and sardines are coming highly recommended.
But, you cant’ eat too much tuna due to the high concentration of mercury. And how much can you munch on sardines? I bet that after eating fish three times a week, you start feeling nauseous only when you smell it.
I love sushi for example, and if I don’t have it for, let’s say a month or two, I feel like I could eat sushi every day. But as soon as I eat two days in a row, I have a different opinion.

Now let’s analyze how much vitamin D you find in some foods:
Food Vitamin D IU
Salmon (3.5 ounces) 360
Tuna, canned (3 ounces) 200
Sardines, canned (1.75 ounces) 250
Milk, cow’s (1 cup) 100
Milk, soy (1 cup) 100
Margarine (1 tablespoon) 60
Fortified cereal (about 1 cup) 40
Egg (1 whole) 20

Do the math now and find out how much you have to eat every day to get your proper vitamin D intake… like 2 cans of sardines, 2 cups of milk (but lots of people have lactose intolerance and some studies showed that milk is not good for adults), 10 eggs (say good bye to your good cholesterol), 2 cups of fortified cereals and the rest could be margarine (yuck).

Or if you have the stomach to do it: code liver oil.
One tablespoon provides about 1,400 IU of vitamin D.

I remember when I was in daycare, eons ago, our caregivers used to give us once a week a teaspoon of fish oil, not sure what kind, followed by a slice of lemon with sugar.
It was quite disgusting that fish oil.

In conclusion, sometimes you have to admit that we have to use vitamin supplements and it does not make you less righteous food wise.

For some time I have wanted to talk about a movie I have really liked: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and… Spring .
I remember how mesmerized I was by the movie and how many symbols I did not understand.
There are only a few dialogs in the movie but you are still captivated by the story of the young monk trying to learn the life’s lessons.
I highly recommend the movie to anybody who is capable of enjoying ‘art movies’ with deep messages. If you are looking for special effects and spectacular stunts, you are not going to find them here.
If, instead, you are looking to take a glimpse into Buddhism, please buy it.

Knowing that I won’t be capable of explaining the symbols by myself, I was looking for some info on the net. I came across a forum and I registered there.
Courtesy of one of the members, I now present you:
The Eyes of the Buddha

The Eyes of the Buddha (The Wisdom Eyes) are found on every Buddhist shrines (Stupas) in Nepal.
Between the Buddha’s eyes there is a curly symbol, looking like a question mark. Actually this is the Nepali character for number 1, symbolizing the unity of all things. Above this symbol, is the third eye, symbolizing the all-seeing vision of the Buddha and the spiritual awakening.

The image is based on a hand-painted scroll that came into his possession.
I really like this guy’s point of view, very close to mine:
” That being said, I now return to my own peculiar melange of philosophical seculo-humanist-buddho-vedantan-judeo-christio-freethinko-skeptico-mystico-lacto-vegetario-unitarianism (Being cautious about organized religion, I have opted for the vastly disorganized variety! ”

I could not have summarized it better myself.