Remarkable article in today’s NYTimes.com on depression in adoptive mothers, a widespread phenomenon (77% reported such feelings in a survey): http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/25/health/25adop.html
The only thing wrong with this article is that it didn’t even acknowledge the potential (this area is largely unstudied) impact on adoptees of being around a depressed mother for up to a year of their early childhood.
As it says, society puts adoptive parents on a pedestal. Look at the number of liberal politicians (Hillary Clinton and Mario Cuomo, for example) who blather on about adoption as a noble solution to family problems. Anything that could potentially crack the pedestal by telling even the partial truth is radical, so more power to the researchers.
Also in today’s news, “Commander in Chief” is in trouble and may not be renewed. Well, maybe that’s a reasonable consequence. Spurred on by favorable reviews, I’ve really tried to watch this show, but find it distasteful: the silly domestic melodramas (the first husband gets drunk at a party and subseqently is photographed in a compromising position – where is the retinue who are paid to prevent this kind of embarassment) and the ridiculously unrealistic agendas of the so-called President (“Let’s move minimum wage to the top”) – good grief.
Scientists are starting to get an insight into how cells with the same genome (genetic material) differentiate. This is something I’ve wondered about for years: if every cell has the same DNA, then how do some become bone and others muscle? Turns out there are other nuclear structures that molecular biologists believe have a role as controllers.
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 80th birthday last week, and God bless her majesty. Even with the whole Diana debacle, QEII is a woman to be respected, sez I. Then again, I was never a big Princess Di fan, and I’ve adored the Queen since I was a kid.
Bush’s “popularity” rating is now around 32-33%. It’s dismaying that the numbers aren’t in the single digits.
What events or revelations will mysteriously occur between now and November to prop up the Republicans? Some fatal disease diagnosed in a family member, thus buying a sympathy vote? How far will the Bushites go to retain their hegemony?