First, I’d like to recommend STRONGLY that y’all read Ta-Nahisi Coates’s blog (scroll down in the ‘Blogs’ section to find the link; it’ll open in a new window).
TNC is a fine writer who at times approaches the sublime, but what makes him really valuable is his curiosity, his willingness to question himself and reflect upon his own life. He can also be really funny. Furthermore, the commenters on his blog are terrific (disclosure: I do sometimes comment pseudonymously). TNC moderates the comments, so there’s no racist or hateful nonsense, and he has a low tolerance for ad hominen attacks.
Finally, the man lives in Harlem with his not-quite-wife and their kid, so he’ll occasionally write about NYC.
So check him out. Seriously.
Also, some stories:
AIDS matters; so too do diarrhea and other easily prevented or treated diseases.
Violence in the home might finally be recognized as reason for the US to grant refugee status abroad.
Did religion make her slash her husband?
Alice Dreger continues to think aloud about sex identity, intersex individuals, and sport.
Can’t forget the naked hiker stories now, can we? Here’s one, about a dog who spent money while his humans slept.
Finally, the wonderful Maira Kalman, on the nation’s Capitol; if you like the graphic arts, I highly recommend Kalman. (And if you don’t, well, check her out, and maybe you will!)
Okay, so I don’t think ‘follow-ups’ is a real phrase—but y’all know what I mean.
Putting the individuals ahead of the community: Haredim abuse victims pursue prosecution.
You can access the two videos of the Swat (Pakistan) schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai, here; note as well the story in which the vids are embedded.
Carlinhos Brown makes music—and community—in Brazil.
Parts one and two in the New York Times series on the complications of assisted reproductive technologies. (And hey! Take my bioethics class next semester—we’ll be working on this stuff!)
And finally, school for nannies: a fine idea or a ripoff?
First, an apology: the UN is in the East 40s, not 50s. If any of you did go, weeeelllll, it was a nice day for a walk.
Anyway, proof that I hauled my lazy. . . , er, visited the UN, pictures!
The view down 43rd
Even tho’ there wasn’t anything particularly fun (protests, arrests, etc.) going on, the General Assembly was still in session, so one could approach the UN site from only a few streets.
It wasn’t a bad thing, however, insofar as this street ended in an overlook and a park. Carved into the stairway leading down from the overlook:
Overused, perhaps, but still not too old
Here’s a nice shot of the city reflected back into the headquarters of the world:
This time, with flags!
Ooo, pretty
I have no idea what was inscribed on these stelae, but they looked cool:
The ball, globe, whatever, is a bit dorky, however
And, of course, the professor in me could not let this go by:
Listen up!
The man knew a thing or two.
Modest exercise, er, exercising modesty, I mean, how to exercise and retain one’s modesty.
Caster Semanya, the South African runner, is apparently intersex. While her future participation in women’s sport is unclear, she will not be stripped of her World Championship gold medal.
Two stories on lower child mortality rates: practical ways to lower the rates, but it’s not falling far or fast enough.
Racial oppression for whites in South Africa? Canadians, South Africans dubious of man’s claims.
Stay tuned: MUCH more to come. . . .
Hello all:
The following are the required books for Politics & Culture (266) & Democracy & Its Critics (228):
Pol 266/C301/D301:
Martha Nussbaum, Women and Development, Cambridge University Press,
paperback, 2001: 978 052 100 3858
Susan Moller Okin, Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?, Princeton
University Press, paper, 1999: 069 100 4323
Margaret Atwood, Handmaid’s Tale, Random House, paper, 1998, 978 038 549
0818
Barbara Ehrenreich & Arlie Russell Hochschild, eds. Global Woman, Henry Holt & Co.,
paperback, 2002: 978 080 507 5090
Pol 228/XM81
Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson, Democracy & Disagreement, paper,
Harvard University Press, 1998, 978 067 419 7664
Stephen Macedo, Deliberative Politics, paper, Oxford University Press,
1999, 978 019 513 1994
Note that all books are in paperback, and likely all available used, either through the bookstore or online.
Please note that there will be a few additional online articles required for 228; I’ll give directions for accessing those pieces in class.
See you soon!
Some information from the Center for Genetics and Society:
- Healthy embryos show chromosome flaws
- Genetic ‘MoT’ for disease free babies
- Preimplantation genetic diagnosis may pose neurological risks
Check out the CGS’s blog for other posts on genetics & reproductive techs.
Here’s a link to the ongoing discussion on XX Factor (the DoubleX blog) on surrogacy.
ScienceDaily is a daily news consolidator of, well, science news. Here’s a link to stories related to fertility. Note in particular the story on the critical shortage of sperm donors in the UK—and the connection to changes in laws regarding anonymity.
One more story to illustrate the commercial angle of biomedical research.
And oh, what the hell, the link to the story on the beneficial effects (from a fertility perspective) of male masturbation. (Here’s a summary of the study on which the sory is based.)
No word on any similar benefits for females.
In September 2003, the President’s Council on Bioethics issued a working paper on regulation of various biotechnologies.
Although there may have been some changes in fed regs since then, I nonetheless believe that the basic findings of this paper still hold. (President Obama has since issued supersessionary guidelines on federal funding for hESC research in July 2009, but the practical effects of these new guidelines remain to be seen.)
In any case, I recommend checking out the various background materials on the PCBE website. Solid stuff.
Huh?
HHS: Department of Health and Human Services
OHRP: Office of Human Research Protection
45 CFR 46: portion of research regulation dealing with human subjects
Here’s the FAQ on 45 CFR 46.
FYI.
