Extradionary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds "Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one." - Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, Charles MackayIt has also been said that if you put a group of idiots in a room, allow them to exchange ideas, they will all come out of the room more convinced with the validity of their idiotic views than ever before. Rubbish in, rubbish out.There were crusades, alchemists, witch hunts, and more recently, market bubbles. The most recent example of such madness is this: The vaccine/autism scare - people have stopped their children from getting vaccine shots due to fears of autism developing in their children.Excerpts from the DISCOVER piece " Why Does the Vaccine/Autism Controversy Live On? "How it all began"The decadelong vaccine-autism saga began in 1998, when British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published evidence in The Lancet suggesting they had tracked down a shocking cause of autism. Examining the digestive tracts of 12 children with behavioral disorders, nine of them autistic, the researchers found intestinal inflammation, which they pinned on the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. Wakefield had a specific theory of how the MMR shot could trigger autism: The upset intestines, he conjectured, let toxins loose in the bloodstream, which then traveled to the brain. The vaccine was, in this view, effectively a poison. In a dramatic press conference, Wakefield announced the findings and sparked an instant media frenzy. For the British public, a retreat from the use of the MMR vaccine—and a rise in the incidence of measles—began."The evidence against the link"The strongest argument against the idea that thimerosal poisoned a generation of children does not emerge from the body of published studies alone. There is the added detail that although thimerosal is no longer present in any recommended childhood vaccines save the inactivated influenza vaccine—and hasn’t been, beyond trace amounts, since 2001—no one is hailing the end of autism. “If you thought thimerosal was related to autism, then the incidence of autism should have gone down,” Harvard’s McCormick explains. “And it hasn’t.” In 2005 David Kirby stated that if autism rates didn’t begin to decline by 2007, “that would deal a severe blow to the autism-thimerosal hypothesis.” But as McCormick notes, despite the absence of thimerosal in vaccines, reports of autism cases have not fallen. In a 2008 study published in Archives of General Psychiatry, two researchers studying a California Department of Developmental Services database found that the prevalence of autism had actually continued increasing among the young. Kirby concedes that these findings about the California database represent a “pretty serious blow to the thimerosal-causes-autism hypothesis,” though he does not think they thoroughly bury it. In an interview, he outlined many problems with relying on the California database, suggesting potential confounding factors such as the state’s high level of immigration. “Look, I understand the desire to try to end this and not scare parents away from vaccination,” Kirby says. “But I also feel that sometimes that desire to prove or disprove blinds people on both sides.”"The effects of the scare"Disease, however, is the greatest danger associated with holding back vaccines amid the ongoing investigation of dubious claims. Both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated populations are placed at greater risk. Given enough vaccine exemptions and localized outbreaks, it is possible that largely vanquished diseases could become endemic again. (That is precisely what happened with measles in 2008 in the U.K., following the retreat from the MMR vaccine in the wake of the 1998 scare.) The public-health costs of such a development would be enormous—and they would not impact everyone equally. “If vaccine rates start to drop, who’s going to get affected?” Peter Hotez asks. “It’s going to be people who live in poor, crowded conditions. So it’s going to affect the poorest people in our country.”"But still........"The Internet has become a haven for a number of autism support groups that continually reinforce the vaccine-autism argument. This has led to the radicalization of some elements who have denounced scientists as “vaccine barbarians,” “pharmaceutical and medical killers,” and so on. And after all we have heard about environmental and chemical risks—some accurate, some not—people are now easily persuaded about all manner of toxin dangers." When religion gets in the way of saving lives Strange beliefs, dogma and irrationality, all getting in the way of saving lives. Robert Lanza, a leading researcher on stem cell and cloning shares with us the problems he face in bringing his works from the realms of research to hospitals, in an interview with DISCOVER. The following are excerpts from his interview with Discover."So you went to ACT and asked for a job?Before they would hire me, they gave me a task that was like bringing back the witch’s broom. There was a question about whether the National Institutes of Health would allow the work. Even though this was for therapy and not reproduction, it still involved cloning embryos, and the public was totally against it. Many considered it murder. So I was asked to get all the Nobel laureates in the country to sign a letter to support embryonic stem cell research, addressed to Harold Varmus, the head of the NIH. This was in the old days, when everything was by fax. Actually, I had this whole drawer of all the letters signed by 70 Nobel laureates. The effort was published in Science, and a few months later, many college presidents also signed on.At the time, ACT was a subsidiary of a poultry genetics company, doing work in agriculture. When I joined they made the move from animal cloning to human therapy, and we knew we would get hit, big-time. I may be the only person who’s had the [Catholic] Church, the pope, and a couple of presidents condemn my work. At one point we had bodyguards here. There was a bombing up the street; then a doctor at a local in vitro fertilization clinic was targeted. I didn’t think I would be alive for more than a few years.""You’re launching the future of medicine, but it is still on hold.Rather than curing disease, we’re trying to get around theological problems. It’s not what I signed up for in medical school. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thrown my hands up and said, “Enough, I can’t take it anymore,” but then I’m back the next day. We’re crippled, but they can’t stop us forever. We’ve now got enough irons in the fire and hopefully ways to bypass many of these objections. But it’s just a shame that the research has been held up so long. We’re living through a paradigm shift. People are going to look back at us and say, “They used to cut people’s legs off.” Then they’ll just give an injection and the blood flow will be restored and the limb saved. If I were a patient and I knew I was going to have my leg cut off and something could be done, I would be demanding it. But most people, even most scientists, don’t realize what we’re capable of. I realize it because I’m doing the work and I can see what’s possible before my eyes." What science has to say on the etiology of homosexuality (Part 3): How much influence nurture has on sexuality? In the final installment of this 3 part series, we shall examine closely the effect nurture has on sexuality. Or more specifically, that question we ask is this: can you actually raise a boy in such a way that he becomes sexually attracted to men when he grows up?To find out, let's take a look at what happens when boys who were born genetically male (that is they possess a Y chromosome) but unfortunately had gender reassignment surgery to be raised as females due to medical reasons.The following study from the Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine is a classic, in my opinion. Pets and Microchips in Singapore A letter from ST forum today.Home > ST Forum > Story Punish those who mistreat and abandon pets One of the four pedigree dogs found abandoned at a Pasir Ris carpark nearly two weeks ago. -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF IRENE LOW I REFER to Monday's letter, 'Dog found dumped near rubbish bin'. The sad story of cruelty, neglect and abandonment of pet dogs is unfortunately a common one. On the morning of May 29, four pedigree dogs were found together at a carpark of Pasir Ris Park. There were two female pugs, a female schnauzer and a male shih tzu. The breed of the male dog could not be determined with certainty as he had lost all his fur and, like the other three dogs, was covered with sores and in a foul-smelling, filthy, mangy condition. All the dogs appeared to be un-neutered. The female dogs had sagging udders and must have suckled more than one litter of pups before. The dogs have received veterinary treatment for skin and other infections and are now being cared for at an animal shelter. Although three of the dogs have microchips with serial numbers that were detected by a scanner, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) was unable to trace the owners as the dogs were not licensed with the authority. I am writing this letter with the hope that there will be more public awareness of the pitiful plight of dogs abandoned by their owners. This is also a call for more effective measures to trace and prosecute owners who mistreat their dogs and then abandon them cruelly and irresponsibly. Irene Low (Ms)========================================================The key sentence in this letter is this"Although three of the dogs have microchips with serial numbers that were detected by a scanner, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) was unable to trace the owners as the dogs were not licensed with the authority."What this means is that AVA made it madatory for pet owners to microchip their pets, but did not make it madatory for veterinarians to register the details of the pet owners together with the microchip number with a central database. Either that or the Veterinarian who did the microchip failed to carry out his duties.Major fail. What science has to say on the etiology of homosexuality (Part 2): Insights from Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia In the previous post, we have gained an insight as to how steroid hormones can influence the development of certain parts of the brain across a number of different animal species. These differences also seem to be well correlated with behavioural sex or brain sex.In this post, we will explore a condition found in humans that was mentioned in the first post- Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. We will also explore the effects of this condition have on the behaviour of children.Before we start, here's some background information on Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia is a genetic condition which causes excessive growth of the adrenal glands. Adrenal glands plays a part in regulating the levels of sex hormones, glucocorticoids (the kind of stuff you use to stop an itch) and mineralocorticoids (involved in salt and water balance). So, what are the effects of this condition on the choice of toys in children? Find out by reading the paper from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism below.=================================================================The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 87, No. 11 5119-5124Copyright © 2002 by The Endocrine Society Original Article Sex-Typed Toy Play Behavior Correlates with the Degree of Prenatal Androgen Exposure Assessed by CYP21 Genotype in Girls with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Anna Nordenström, Anna Servin, Gunilla Bohlin, Agne Larsson and Anna Wedell Department of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital (A.N., A.L.), S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, University of Uppsala (A.S., G.B.), S-751 42 Uppsala, Sweden; and Department of Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska Hospital (A.W.), S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Anna Nordenström, Department of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. E-mail: anna.nordenstrom@klinvet.ki.se Abstract Previous studies have shown that girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a syndrome resulting in overproduction of adrenal androgens from early fetal life, are behaviorally masculinized. We studied play with toys in a structured play situation and correlated the results with disease severity, assessed by CYP21 genotyping, and age at diagnosis. Girls with CAH played more with masculine toys than controls when playing alone. In addition, we could demonstrate a dose-response relationship between disease severity (i.e. degree of fetal androgen exposure) and degree of masculinization of behavior. The presence of a parent did not influence the CAH girls to play in a more masculine fashion. Four CAH girls with late diagnosis are also described. Three of the four girls played exclusively with one of the masculine toys, a constructional toy. Our results support the view that prenatal androgen exposure has a direct organizational effect on the human brain to determine certain aspects of sex-typed behavior. BEHAVIORAL STUDIES in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are important for several reasons. They provide information that is important for the management and follow-up of patients. In addition, the influence of prenatal and neonatal hormonal factors on sex differences in behavior can be studied in girls with CAH, as these children have been exposed to elevated levels of androgens from early fetal development. In the 1960s, Money and Ehrhardt (1) reported that girls with CAH often preferred boys’ toys and outdoor sports. Since then, several studies have shown that girls with CAH are behaviorally masculinized (2, 3, 4). Girls with CAH reached higher scores than their sisters in some cognitive parameters, such as three-dimensional rotational spatial ability, a pattern similar to that seen in comparisons of normal boys and girls (5, 6). Women with CAH showed a typical male pattern for measures of personality traits (7). In direct observational studies of toy play Berenbaum et al. (8, 9) showed that girls with CAH played more with boys’ toys and less with girls’ toys than their unaffected sisters. The results regarding the correlation of disease severity with degree of masculinization of behavior have been somewhat contradictory (2, 3, 8, 10). Berenbaum et al. (11) and our group (Servin, A., A. Nordenström, A. Larsson, and G. Bohlin, submitted for publication) have shown that childhood boy-typical interest was strongly associated with the degree of virilization of the genitalia, an indicator of prenatal androgen exposure. It has been argued that the behavioral changes in girls with CAH are the results of the parental treatment triggered by the virilization of genitalia at birth (13). On the other hand, the persistence of sex-atypical interests, activities, and careers in adolescent girls with CAH suggests that they result from the direct effects of androgens on the developing brain rather than social responses, because these girls were brought up as females (14). The vast majority of girls with CAH have a typical female gender identity (15). CAH constitutes a family of defects in the synthesis of steroid hormones in the adrenal cortex. In more than 90% of the cases it is caused by a defect in the 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21) (16, 17). The enzyme deficiency results in impaired synthesis of cortisol and aldosterone. The low cortisol level results in increased production of ACTH by the pituitary, which causes hyperplasia of the adrenal glands and increased synthesis of steroid precursors, resulting in high androgen levels. The androgen excess is present from early embryogenesis and results in varying degrees of virilization of the external genitalia in girls depending on the degree of enzyme deficiency. In severe forms, the virilization may result in uncertainty in gender assignment at birth, and the sex of some girls is initially designated as male. The molecular genetics of 21-hydroxylase deficiency have been studied extensively. More than 95% of the patients are homozygous or compound heterozygotes for any of nine different point mutations or deletion of the CYP21 gene. With very few exceptions there is a good correlation between the CYP21 genotype and disease severity (18, 19, 20). Deletions or mutations that completely abolish enzyme activity are referred to as null mutations. Patients who are homozygous for null mutations have the most severe form of the disease, with salt loss in the neonatal period and severe prenatal virilization of external genitalia in girls. The I2 splice mutation is slightly less severe; some homozygous patients are not affected by salt loss. The I172N mutation is associated with varying degrees of virilization of external genitalia, but only about 10% of patients with this genotype show signs of salt loss. The V281L mutation is even milder and is associated with nonclassical CAH without virilization of external genitalia at birth. Untreated, these patients develop symptoms of androgen excess later in life, such as accelerated growth rate, hirsutism, or infertility. At birth, most children with CAH are diagnosed either because of clinical signs or in neonatal screening programs. The treatment consists of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid substitution that decreases/normalizes ACTH levels and thereby androgen production. Corrective surgery on the external genitalia is performed when needed (17). In this study we wanted to investigate further the possible influence of disease severity, i.e. the degree of fetal androgen exposure, on toy play and toy preference in girls with CAH. For this purpose we took advantage of the possibility of determining the degree of 21-hydroxylase deficiency by CYP21 genotyping. There is a good genotype-phenotype correlation (18, 19, 20), and genotyping is also a more objective way to measure disease severity compared with other methods, such as Prader score or classification according to salt loss. Furthermore, we have previously shown that at birth the level of one of the hormones preceding the enzyme block, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, is correlated to the CYP21 genotype (21). This indicates that the androgen level, to which the fetus is exposed, during intrauterine life is related to the genotype. We measured sex-typed play behavior in a structured play situation. To assess parental influence, toy play was studied when the child was playing alone as well as when a parent was present. A possible influence of postnatal androgen exposure on toy preference was studied in four children with late diagnosis who had been untreated until 3–6 yr of age. Subjects and Methods Study population All families in Sweden with girls with CAH between 1 and 10 yr of age were contacted during 1997–2000 and asked to participate. Five families did not agree to participate. A total of 40 girls with CAH in 35 families were included in the study. CYP21 mutation analysis was performed in 39 of these children. The 4 girls who had been diagnosed prenatally and treated with dexamethasone in utero until term were excluded from this study. Four girls had been missed by the screening and were diagnosed late, at 3–6 yr of age. Healthy girls matched for age ±2 months on a case by case basis were used as controls. Mutation analysis CYP21 mutation analysis was carried out using allele-specific PCR from genomic DNA prepared from venous blood samples (22). This detects the 95% of alleles that carry any of the common pseudogene-derived mutations. Additional rare alleles were characterized by direct DNA sequencing (23). The genotypes were divided into four groups with respect to the severity of the mutation of the allele with the mildest mutation: null, I2 splice, I172N, and V281L (see Tables 1 and 2). We were able to obtain a sample for CYP21 mutation analysis from all but one child. View this table:[in this window][in a new window] Table 1. CYP21 genotypes of the 31 girls with CAH diagnosed in the neonatal period View this table:[in this window][in a new window] Table 2. CYP21 genotypes of the four girls with CAH diagnosed later in childhood Toy play In a structured toy play situation, 10 different toys that had previously been defined as masculine, feminine, or neutral for children in the presently employed ages were used (9, 24, 25, 26, 27). Feminine toys included a doll with a blanket and feeding bottle, Barbie and Ken dolls, a teapot with four cups, and a female doll’s head with brush, comb, and mirror. Masculine toys were a bus, a garage with four cars, a constructional toy (Lincoln logs), and two fighting figures. Neutral toys were a sketchbook and a deck of cards. The toys were arranged in a standard order in a semicircle on the floor in the homes of the children, with every other toy being masculine and feminine and the neutral toys in between. The child was asked to sit in the middle of the semicircle and was videotaped for 7 min when playing alone and for 7 min when playing with her parent. The play order, alone vs. with a parent, was alternated. The families with a girl with CAH could choose whether the mother or the father would participate (two fathers participated). The control families were matched for these factors. The tapes were then scored for the number of seconds that the child played with the different types of toys. Play was defined as the child touching the toy. The person who scored the tapes was blind to the status of the child on the tape. At the end of the visit the children were given a toy to keep as a present. They were able to choose between a doll (feminine), a car (masculine), and a ball (neutral). Statistical analysis The girls with CAH, regardless of disease severity, and the controls were compared with respect to toy play using the Mann-Whitney U test. The relationship between toy play and genotype was analyzed by means of the Spearman rank order correlation coefficient. The groups were graded according to enzyme activity, with the null genotype group being the lowest and the controls the highest. The girls with late diagnosis were compared with respect to toy play with other girls of the same age, both controls and girls with CAH and early diagnosis, using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Intraindividual comparison of toy play with and without a parent was analyzed using Wilcoxon’s signed ranks test. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the choice of toy to keep as a present. The choice of doll vs. one of the other toys and the choice of car vs. one of the other toys was tested for the CAH girls with early diagnosis (as a group) compared with the controls. The choice of doll vs. one of the other toys was tested for the CAH girls with late diagnosis compared with girls with CAH and early diagnosis of the same age as well as with girls with the same mutations and early diagnosis regardless of age. SPSS computer program 10.1 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL) was used for all the statistical analyses. The level was set at 0.05. The study was approved by the ethical committee of the Karolinska Institute (Stockholm, Sweden). Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Results The 31 girls with early diagnosis and start of treatment in the neonatal period were divided into 4 genotype groups (Table 1). Three of the groups were of equal size, and 1 was smaller, comprising only 3 children. The mean Prader scores for the different genotype groups are also listed in Table 1. In addition, there were 4 girls with late diagnosis and treatment (Table 2). Two of them belonged to the I172N genotype group and had started treatment at 3 yr of age. The other 2 belonged to the V281L genotype group and had been treated since 6 yr of age (Table 2). We compared toy play for CAH and control girls when the children were playing alone. As expected, there was a significant difference in toy play for masculine toys between the girls with CAH as a group and the controls (P = 0.017). In addition, we found a significant correlation between the degree of disease severity as measured by CYP21 genotypes and the amount of time the CAH girls spent playing with masculine toys (r = -0.39; P = 0.002; Fig. 1A). The correlation was also significant when the controls were excluded (r = -0.41; P = 0.024). For play with neutral toys the correlation was significant, but less striking (r = 0.27; P = 0.036), and the coefficient when the controls were excluded was r = 0.34; P = 0.064 (Fig. 1C). The correlation was not significant for play with the feminine toys (Fig. 1B; r = 0.20; P = 0.129 with the controls included and r = 0.12; P = 0.53 with the controls excluded from the calculation). In conclusion, the milder the disease, i.e. the higher the enzyme activity and therefore the lower the androgen level, the less time was spent with the masculine toys, whereas neutral toys were increasingly preferred. As shown in Fig. 1, the girls with CAH in all of the genotype groups played more with the masculine than with the feminine or neutral toys. The control girls also played more with the masculine toys than with the feminine ones (Fig. 1 and Table 1). View larger version (13K):[in this window][in a new window] Figure 1. Amount of time (seconds) that the CAH girls played with masculine toys (A), feminine toys (B), and neutral toys (C) in relation to the CYP21 genotype groups. The box plot shows the median values and the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles. The extreme values are denoted with an asterisk, and the outliers are denoted with a circle. Figure 2 shows the difference in the amount of time that the girls with early diagnosis in the different genotype groups spent playing with the different types of toys alone compared with when a parent was present. Positive values thus represent time spent with the toys when the child was alone, whereas negative values indicate toys that were chosen more often when the parent was present. For the control girls the influence of the parents was negligible, the median difference with or without a parent was 10 sec for masculine toys. As a group, the CAH girls played somewhat less with the masculine toys when the parent was present (the median difference was 39 sec), but this difference was not significant (P = 0.12). When considering the different genotype groups separately, the girls seemed to be increasingly diverted from masculine toys by the parents with decreasing disease severity. View larger version (19K):[in this window][in a new window] Figure 2. The mean difference in the amount of time that the girls in the different genotype groups played with the different types of toys when they played alone compared with when they played with a parent (bars represent time playing alone minus time playing with parent). Positive values thus represent preference for toys when the child was alone, whereas negative values indicate toys that were chosen more often when the parent was present. The results of the study of choice of toy to keep as a present are shown in Fig. 3. The girls in the null group chose a car more often than a ball, whereas the girls with I2 splice chose a car or a ball equally often. Some of the girls with I172N chose a doll. None of the three girls with V281L and two of the control girls chose a car. The observed difference between girls with CAH and controls in choice of car and choice of doll was significant (P = 0.001). View larger version (18K):[in this window][in a new window] Figure 3. Choice of toy to keep as a present in the different genotype groups. There were four girls in this study with late diagnosis (Table 2). The two girls diagnosed at 3 yr of age with the I172N mutation played more with the masculine toys than the girls with the same mutation but early diagnosis and treatment, as shown in Fig. 1A and Tables 1 and 2. They both played exclusively with the constructional toy. In the mildest group, mutation V281L, the two girls with late diagnosis (at age 6 yr) showed different toy play patterns. One girl, studied at 8 yr of age, played in a way similar to that of the girls with the same mutation treated early on. The other girl, studied at age 10 yr, played with the constructional toy the whole time when she played alone. To substantiate these observations, the four girls with a late diagnosis were compared with girls of the same age, 8–10 yr, both controls (n = 12) and girls with CAH diagnosed in the neonatal period, including the severe forms (n = 8). Play with the constructional toy was analyzed separately. The girls with late diagnosis played significantly more with the constructional toy (median, 420 sec; range, 64–420 sec) than control girls of the same age (median, 13 sec; range, 0–316 sec; P = 0.01). There was a statistical trend that the girls with late diagnosis played more with the constructional toy than the other girls with CAH of the same age (median, 420 sec; range, 64–420 sec vs. median, 218 sec; range, 0–420 sec; P = 0.1). In addition, we compared the choice of toy to keep as a present between the different groups of girls of this age. Three of the girls with late diagnosis chose a doll, and the fourth chose a ball. The controls were more likely to choose a ball (car, n = 1; ball, n = 10; doll, n = 1). The CAH girls with early diagnosis chose a car and a ball equally often (car, n = 4; ball, n = 4). The difference in choice of doll between the patients with late and early diagnosis was significant (P = 0.018). The choice of doll as a toy to keep as a present was also compared for the patients with the I172N or V281L mutations regardless of age or late (n = 4) vs. early diagnosis (n = 12). The girls with late diagnosis chose a doll more often (P = 0.052). Discussion We found that girls with CAH played more with masculine toys than controls, which is in line with the findings of previous studies (9, 3, 28). In addition, this study is the first to correlate behavior to CYP21 genotype, which is known to reflect the degree of disease severity and thus the degree of fetal androgen exposure. We found a dose-response relationship between disease severity (i.e. degree of fetal androgen exposure) and degree of masculinization of toy play and preference. This finding supports a biological basis for the differences in play behavior between CAH girls and unaffected girls. It has been argued that the masculinization of play behavior that has been seen in girls with CAH can be attributed to parental influence due to expectations of a more masculine behavior in these girls triggered by the virilization of external genitalia at birth (13). Our results do not support this view. When a parent was present, there was no difference in toy play for the girls with the most severe form of CAH, and the girls with less severe forms of CAH played less, rather than more, with masculine toys. The possible effects of prenatal vs. postnatal androgen exposure on behavior have been discussed. Hormones are considered to affect behavior in different ways (29), namely by having an early organizational effect that takes place during certain critical periods of development and/or a later activational effect, for instance during puberty. Maze learning in rodents, for example, is dependent on organizational influences of androgens (29). In this study the results in girls with CAH diagnosed and treated at an early age favor a prenatal, organizational effect of androgens during the development of the central nervous system. On the other hand, even though there are few observations, our results for the girls with CAH diagnosed late indicate that postnatal androgens may have effects as well. The girls with late diagnosis all had less severe forms of CAH and can be assumed to have been exposed to lower levels of androgens in utero. They were diagnosed at 3 or 6 yr of age and therefore had an overproduction of androgens during the first years of life. Three of these girls played with the Lincoln logs the whole time when they played alone. This result was significantly different from the result for the controls in the same age group. In addition, there was a statistical trend that the girls with late diagnosis played more with the constructional toy compared with CAH girls of the same age but with early diagnosis (P = 0.1). These results are intriguing because they contrast with the results in the choice of toy to keep as a present. It was striking that 3 of the CAH girls with late diagnosis preferred the doll, and only 1 chose the ball to keep, while among the girls with the same mutations, I172N or V281L, and early diagnosis 2 of 12 chose a doll. This raises questions concerning the possibility that prenatal and postnatal androgen exposure may affect different aspects of cognitive development. In a study by Berenbaum et al. (11) a much less marked effect of postnatal than prenatal androgen exposure in masculinizing play behavior was shown. This is in agreement with the results of our studies. However, in their study the effect on spatial ability or play with constructional toys was not studied specifically. The possibility of a postnatal effect of androgens on central nervous system development has implications for treatment during the first years of life. It has been argued that the glucocorticoid dose should be kept low during the first 1–2 yr to minimize the negative effects on growth, as no effect of androgens on growth or skeletal maturation has been observed during this period (30). However, if elevated androgen levels have an effect on the developing brain, perhaps this regimen should only be used in boys with CAH. We recognize that additional factors, such as upbringing and cultural influences, play vital roles in such complex human characteristics as behavior. We believe, however, that girls with CAH will benefit from an increased understanding and acceptance of their preferences as well as from the acknowledgment that parental expectations, if anything, tend to counteract them. In conclusion, we have found evidence supporting the idea that prenatal androgen exposure has a direct organizational effect on the human brain so as to determine certain aspects of sex-typed behavior. In addition, our data raise questions concerning possible postnatal effects of androgens. Further studies are needed on this subject to clarify the possible sensitive periods and levels of androgens mediating these effects. Acknowledgments We gratefully acknowledge Sheri Berenbaum for her valuable contribution in planning this study. We are grateful to the children and their families for their cooperation. Footnotes This work was supported by the Swedish Medical Research Council, Grants 4792 and 12198, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Märta and Gunnar Philipson Foundation, the Samariten Foundation, and the Frimurare Barnhuset Foundation. Abbreviation: CAH, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Received September 21, 2001. Accepted July 30, 2002. References Ehrhardt AA, Epstein R, Money J 1968 Fetal androgens and female gender identity in the early-treated adrenogenital syndrome. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp 118:160–167 Slijper FME 1984 Androgens and gender role behavior in girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Prog Brain Res 61:417–422[Medline] Dittmann RW, Kappes MH, Kappes ME, Borger D, Stegner H, Willig RH, Wallis H 1990 Congenital adrenal hyperplasia. I. Gender-related behavior and attitudes in female patients and sisters. Psychoneuroendocrinology 15:401–420[CrossRef][Medline] Berenbaum SA 1990 Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: intellectual and psychosexual functioning. In: Holmes CS, ed. Psychoneuroendocrinology: brain, behavior, and hormonal interactions. New York: Springer-Verlag; 227–260 Resnick S, Berenbaum SA, Gottesman II, Bouchard TJ 1986 Early hormonal influences on cognitive functioning in congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Dev Psychol 22:191–198 Hampson E, Rovet JF, Altmann D 1998 Spatial reasoning in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Dev Neuropsychol 14:299–320 Helleday J, Edman G, Ritzén E, Siwers B 1993 Personality characteristics and platelet MAO activity in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Psychoneuroendocrinology 18:343–354[CrossRef][Medline] Berenbaum SA, Hines M 1992 Early androgens are related to childhood sex-typed toy preferences. Psychol Sci 3:203–206[CrossRef] Berenbaum SA, Snyder E 1995 Early hormonal influences on childhood sex-typed activity and playmate preferences: implications for the development of sexual orientation. Dev Psychol 31:31–42[CrossRef] Leveroni CL, Berenbaum SA 1998 Early androgens effects on interest in infants: evidence from children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Dev Neuropsychol 14:321–340 Berenbaum S, Duck S, Bry K 2000 Behavioral effects of prenatal versus postnatal androgen excess in children with 21-hydroxylase-deficient congenital adrenal hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 85:727–733[Abstract/Free Full Text] Deleted in proof. Quadagno D, Briscoe R, Quadagno J 1977 Effects of perinatal gonadal hormones on selected nonsexual behavioral patterns: a critical assessment of the nonhuman and human literature. Psychol Bull 84:62–80[CrossRef][Medline] Berenbaum SA 1999 Effects of early androgens on sex-typed activities and interests in adolescents with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Horm Behav 35:102–110[CrossRef][Medline] Zucker KJ, Bradley SJ, Oliver G, Blake J, Flemming S, Hood J 1996 Psychosexual development of women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Horm Behav 30:300–318[CrossRef][Medline] White P, Speiser P 2000 Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Endocr Rev 21:245–291[Abstract/Free Full Text] New MI 1998 Diagnosis and management of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Annu Rev Med 49:311–328[CrossRef][Medline] Speiser PW, Dupont J, Zhu D, Serrat J, Buegeleisen M, Tusie-Luna MT, Lesser M, New MI, White PC 1992 Disease expression and molecular genotype in congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. J Clin Invest 90:584–595 Wedell A, Thilén A, Ritzén EM, Stengler B, Luthman H 1994 Mutational spectrum of the steroid 21-hydroxylase gene in Sweden: implications for genetic diagnosis and association with disease manifestation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 78:1145–1152[Abstract] Jääskeläinen J, Levo A, Voutilainen R, Partanen J 1997 Population-wide evaluation of disease manifestation in relation to molecular genotype in steroid 21-hydroxylase (CYP21) deficiency: good correlation in a well defined population. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 82:3293–3297[Abstract/Free Full Text] Nordenström A, Thilén A, Hagenfeldt L, Larsson A, Wedell A 1999 Genotyping is a valuable diagnostic complement to neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 84:1505–1509[Abstract/Free Full Text] Wedell A, Luthman H 1993 Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency: two additional mutations in salt-wasting disease and rapid screening of disease-causing mutations. Hum Mol Genet 2:499–504[Abstract/Free Full Text] Wedell A, Ritzén ME, Haglund-Stengler B, Luthman H 1992 Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency: three additional mutated alleles and establishment of phenotype-genotype relationships of common mutations. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89:7232–7236[Abstract/Free Full Text] Servin A, Bohlin G, Berlin L 1999 Sex differences in 1-, 3-, and 5-year-olds’ toy-choice in a structured play-session. Scand J Psychol 40:43–48[CrossRef][Medline] Alexander GM, Hines M 1994 Gender labels and play styles: their relative contribution to children’s selection of playmates. Child Dev 65:869–879[CrossRef][Medline] Fisher-Thompson D 1993 Adult toy purchases for children: factors affecting sex-typed toy selection. J Appl Psychol 14:385–406[CrossRef] Connor JM, Serbin LA 1977 Behaviorally based masculine- and feminine-activity-preference scales for preschoolers: correlates with other classroom behaviors and cognitive tests. Child Dev 48:1411–1416[CrossRef] Ehrhardt A, Baker S 1977 Males and females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. A family study of intelligence and gender-related behavior. In: Lee PA, Plotnick PO, Kowarski AA, Migeon CJ, eds. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Baltimore: University Park Press; 447–451 Beatty W 1992 Gonadal hormones and sex differences in nonreproductive behaviors. In: Gerall A, Moltz H, Ward I, eds. Handbook of behavioral neurobiology. New York: Plenum; 85–128 Thilén A, Woods K, Perry L, Savage M, Wedell A, Ritzén E 1995 Early growth is not increased in untreated moderately severe 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Acta Paediatr 84:894–898[Medline] What science has to say on the etiology of homosexuality (Part 1) I shall start a series of blogposts examining what science has to say on the etiology of homosexuality. I will not attempt to interpret the findings myself. Instead, I hope readers will be able to figure it out on their own.I'll start off with this nice paper that i found in Nature, on the topic of sexual differentiation of the vertebrate nervous system. This paper explores the possible determiants in brain sex (as opposed to genetic, gonadal and phenotypic sex). Perhaps it might give us a better idea of how sexuality in humans develop. Much better than reading unsubstantiated claims on the net that "if you truly do not wish to see your children turn to gay relations, you shouldn't be promoting that gay sex is natural and acceptable."Nature Neuroscience 7, 1034 - 1039 (2004) Published online: 27 September 2004; | doi:10.1038/nn1325 Sexual differentiation of the vertebrate nervous systemJohn A Morris, Cynthia L Jordan & S Marc BreedloveNeuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. Correspondence should be addressed to S Marc Breedlove breedsm@msu.eduUnderstanding the mechanisms that give rise to sex differences in the behavior of nonhuman animals may contribute to the understanding of sex differences in humans. In vertebrate model systems, a single factor—the steroid hormone testosterone—accounts for most, and perhaps all, of the known sex differences in neural structure and behavior. Here we review some of the events triggered by testosterone that masculinize the developing and adult nervous system, promote male behaviors and suppress female behaviors. Testosterone often sculpts the developing nervous system by inhibiting or exacerbating cell death and/or by modulating the formation and elimination of synapses. Experience, too, can interact with testosterone to enhance or diminish its effects on the central nervous system. However, more work is needed to uncover the particular cells and specific genes on which testosterone acts to initiate these events.The steps leading to masculinization of the body are remarkably consistent across mammals: the paternally contributed Y chromosome contains the sex-determining region of the Y (Sry) gene, which induces the undifferentiated gonads to form as testes (rather than ovaries). The testes then secrete hormones to masculinize the rest of the body. Two of these masculinizing testicular hormones are antimullerian hormone, a protein that suppresses female reproductive tract development, and testosterone, a steroid that promotes development of the male reproductive tract and masculine external genitalia. In masculinizing the body, testosterone first binds to the androgen receptor protein, and then this steroid-receptor complex binds to DNA, where it modulates gene expression and promotes differentiation as a male. If the Sry gene is absent (as in females, who receive an X chromosome from the father), the gonad develops as an ovary, and the body, unexposed to testicular hormones, forms a feminine configuration. The genitalia will only respond to testicular hormones during a particular time in development, which constitutes a sensitive period for hormone action: hormonal treatment of females in adulthood has negligible effects on genital morphology1.Of the two gonadal hormones that masculinize the body, it is testosterone that also masculinizes the brain. Scientists first demonstrated this by exposing female guinea pigs to testosterone in utero, which permanently interfered with the animals' tendency to show female reproductive behaviors in adulthood2. Treating adult females with testosterone had a transient effect, or none at all, on these behaviors. Early exposure to steroids such as testosterone also masculinizes brain structures. In this review, we will contrast the various mechanisms by which testosterone masculinizes the central nervous system, discuss the unknowns that remain and relate these findings to human behavior.Apoptosis and sexual dimorphism in the nervous systemLesions of the entire preoptic area (POA) in the anterior hypothalamus eliminate virtually all male copulatory behaviors3, whereas lesions restricted to the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the POA (SDN-POA) have more modest effects, slowing acquisition of copulatory behaviors4. The volume of the SDN-POA in rats is several-fold larger in males than in females (Fig. 1). Treating female rats with testosterone just before and just after birth causes the SDN-POA in adulthood to be as large as in normal males5, whereas castrating male rats at birth results in a smaller, feminine SDN-POA in adulthood. Thus, sexual differentiation of this nucleus resembles that of the genitalia—male hormones early in life permanently masculinize this brain region.Figure 1. Sexual dimorphisms in the brain.(a,b) The sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) is larger in male rats (a) than in females (b) because the testes secrete testosterone during the perinatal sensitive period. After that time, testosterone has little effect on SDN-POA volume. (c,d) In contrast, the volume of the rat posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD), which is about 1.5 times larger in males (c) than in females (d), retains its responsiveness to testosterone throughout life. (e,f) In zebra finches, the robustus archistriatum (RA) nucleus is crucial for song production and has a greater volume in males (e) than in females (f). Like the rat SDN-POA, exposure to steroid hormones early in life is essential for the RA to develop a masculine phenotype. For the RA, however, the steroids may not originate from the testes, but are rather synthesized locally in the brain itself. SCN, suprachiasmatic nucleus; 3V, third ventricle; ot, optic tract. All scale bars = 250 m.Full Figure and legend (430K)One difference is that it is not testosterone itself, but a metabolite of testosterone, that masculinizes the SDN-POA. The enzyme aromatase, which is abundant in the hypothalamus, converts androgens (such as testosterone) into estrogens (such as estradiol). Estrogen then interacts with estrogen receptors, not androgen receptors, to induce a masculine SDN-POA. Naturally occurring cell death seems to regulate sexual differentiation of the SDN-POA (Fig. 2). There are more dying cells in the SDN-POA of neonatal females than males6, and treating newborn females with testosterone reduces the number of dying cells, which presumably leads to a larger SDN-POA6. In contrast, hormone manipulations in adulthood, after the period of naturally occurring neuronal death, have no effect on the volume of this nucleus7.Figure 2. The conversion of testosterone into estrogen.In male rats, the testes secrete testosterone, which is converted into an estrogen in the brain by the enzyme aromatase. Estrogen then binds to estrogen receptors (ER) to modulate gene expression such that the SDN-POA differentiates in a masculine fashion. Steroid reduces naturally occurring cell death, resulting in more neurons surviving in males than in females.Full Figure and legend (51K)The ferret SDN-POA also has a greater volume in males than in females due to perinatal stimulation of estrogen receptors in males, but in this species, cell death does not seem to be involved in sexual differentiation8. Unfortunately, Nissl stain does not reveal an SDN-POA in mice9, but cells containing androgen receptors demarcate a sexually dimorphic area in the mouse POA that resembles the rat SDN-POA10. If the areas are homologous, then scientists may be able to use genetic tools available in mice to discern the molecular events involved in masculinization of this nucleus.Sexually dimorphic brain regions are not always larger in males; the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), part of the hypothalamic system regulating ovulatory cycles, is larger in females than in males, in both mice and rats11. As with the SDN-POA, sexual differentiation of the AVPV is due to the actions of aromatized metabolites of testosterone on estrogen receptors, which modulate apoptosis early in life; hormone manipulations in adults have no effect. In contrast to the SDN-POA, masculinization of the AVPV is due to testosterone-induced apoptosis, resulting in a smaller nucleus in adult males than in females11. The opposing responses of SDN-POA and AVPV to testosterone indicate that the molecular makeup of the cells targeted by hormone in these two systems must differ.The spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) also relies on apoptosis for sexual differentiation. These motor neurons in the lumbar spinal cord innervate striated muscles that attach to the base of the penis12. Male rats have more and larger SNB motor neurons than do females, and similar dimorphisms have been found in humans13 and green anole lizards14. Rats of both sexes have SNB motor neurons and their target muscles before birth, but these components die in females around the time of birth unless they are exposed to testosterone15, 16. The effect of testosterone relies exclusively on androgen receptors. Although adult SNB motor neurons possess androgen receptors, the primary effect of testosterone is to prevent death of the target muscles, which then secondarily spare SNB motor neurons from apoptosis (Fig. 3). Thus, testosterone does not act directly on SNB neurons to keep them alive. For example, SNB motor neurons with dysfunctional androgen receptor genes are nevertheless spared from apoptosis by testosterone treatment17.Figure 3. Before birth, the SNB system is present in both male and female rats, and motor neurons have established a functional neuromuscular junction.However, the muscles and their motor neurons die shortly after birth unless exposed to (or treated with) testosterone. In males, testosterone acts primarily to prevent the muscles from dying and this action secondarily prevents death of the motor neurons. One hypothesis is that testosterone induces the muscles to produce a trophic factor that preserves the muscles and either the same factor or an additional factor preserves the motor neurons.Full Figure and legend (75K)Testosterone also acts on AVPV neurons, causing them to release a chemoattractant that establishes a sexually dimorphic innervation pattern18. Thus, steroids can induce one cell population to transynaptically masculinize another. Moreover, the same hormone that promotes neuronal apoptosis in the AVPV can prevent it in other systems (SDN-POA, SNB). Mice that overexpress the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl2 show reduced sex differences in both the SNB and the AVPV19, suggesting that the Bcl2 gene mediates sexual differentiation in both structures, but that testosterone modulates expression of this gene in opposite directions to either promote or prevent apoptosis.Sexual differentiation of the brain in adulthoodArginine vasopressin fibers innervate the septal region in rats and contribute to pair bonding and parental behavior in a variety of rodents (see accompanying review20 in this issue). The extent of this innervation is greater in males than in females, but testosterone during development is not sufficient to fully masculinize the region; the hormone must also be present in adulthood21. The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD), which receives input from olfactory and pheromonal centers and is important for male sexual arousal, depends even more on adult testosterone. MePD volume is about 1.5 times larger in males than in females in rats and mice (Fig. 1c,d)22, 23, and testosterone manipulations in adulthood can completely reverse this sex difference. Castration of adult male rats causes MePD volume and cell soma size to shrink to feminine proportions within 30 days after surgery and concurrently reduces male arousal to airborne cues from receptive females22, 24. Conversely, treating females with testosterone for one month enlarges the MePD to masculine size22.Testosterone also affects the SNB system in adulthood: castration of adult males, though it does not affect the number of motor neurons or muscle fibers, nevertheless causes both to shrink25, leading to a loss of spinal reflexes of the penis that are crucial for reproduction3. Testosterone treatment prevents this shrinkage by acting on androgen receptors26, 27, and this modulation of the SNB system probably reflects the seasonal breeding strategy of the ancestors of laboratory rodents, in which the reproductive system regressed each fall. For example, both the SNB system and the volume of MePD in male Siberian hamsters wane as reproductive systems are suppressed by short winter-like periods of light exposure in the laboratory, and will wax full again when the animals return to a reproductive condition28, 29. Furthermore, MePD volume and cell soma size respond to exogenous testosterone in castrated hamsters only if they are kept in long summer-like periods of light exposure30, so it appears that day length can regulate whether the brain will respond to testosterone.Songbirds open up new possibilitiesIn several species of songbirds, males sing more than females, and the forebrain regions controlling song, including the higher vocal center (HVC) and the nucleus robustus archistriatum (RA), are larger in males than in females (Fig. 1e,f)31. In canaries, testosterone treatment of adult females, while insufficient to fully masculinize HVC and RA morphology, nevertheless enlarges these nuclei enough to induce the females to sing32. This remarkable level of plasticity in adult canaries includes the capacity to produce new, functional neurons33, and it probably evolved in response to a reproductive strategy of seasonal breeding in which males compete, via the size of their song repertoire, for the most attractive females.Zebra finches, in contrast, form longer-lasting pair bonds and retain reproductive capacity year-round. Accordingly, castration of adult male finches reduces singing only modestly, and testosterone treatment of adult females cannot induce them to sing nor their brain regions to grow34. The first studies of sexual differentiation of the zebra finch brain indicated a story very similar to that of mammalian dimorphisms. Treatment of newly hatched female zebra finches with estrogen, followed by testosterone treatment in adulthood, masculinized the females in terms of both singing and the volume of RA and HVC35. Furthermore, there are more dying cells in these regions in developing female zebra finches than in males, suggesting that estrogen prevents apoptosis in developing males, which results in a larger HVC and RA in adulthood36.But a perplexing problem emerged in zebra finches that does not fit the mammalian mold—neither castration early in life nor any pharmacological blockade of steroid receptors prevents these nuclei from developing a masculine phenotype in genetic males37. This difficulty in preventing masculinization of the brain of males gave rise to an alternative view: perhaps the genetic sex of the brain was directing masculinization independent of the gonads38. Experimental support for this idea came when researchers examined isolated slices of young zebra finch brain and found that differentiation proceeded according to the genetic sex: fibers from HVC entered and innervated RA more extensively in slices from males than from females. What's more, the brain slices produced detectable levels of estrogen in the medium, with slices from males producing more steroid than slices from females39. So it appears that a male genotype causes the zebra finch brain to locally produce steroid hormones, which then masculinize the birdsong system (Fig. 4). Consistent with this idea is a rare, spontaneously mosaic zebra finch, genetically male on one side and genetically female on the other, that had a larger song system on the male side than the female side40. There was even some indication that steroids derived from the male side of the brain might have diffused to masculinize the opposite side, as the brain regions of this animal's female side were slightly larger than that of control, wholly female brains.Figure 4. In newly hatched zebra finches, axons from HVC reach the vicinity of their target in RA, but do not actually enter RA in significant numbers unless estrogen receptors are stimulated.For example, treating young females with estrogen promotes axonal ingrowth into RA and a large, masculine RA in adulthood. But interfering with gonadally produced estrogen in males does not prevent masculine development, so it has been hypothesized that the genetically male zebra finch brain may produce its own estrogen to induce HVC ingrowth and masculine development. Explants of zebra finch brain confirm this idea, as slices from males release more estrogen into the medium than do slices from females39.Full Figure and legend (63K)The emerging recognition that genetic sex may directly masculinize the songbird brain has given rise to speculation that perhaps genetic sex also directly masculinizes the mammalian brain41. However, examination of mice in which genetic sex has been dissociated from gonadal sex indicates that the gonads direct sexual differentiation of mammalian neural structure and behavior. XY mice with a defective Sry gene develop ovaries, whereas XX mice carrying a transgene for Sry on an autosome develop testes. For the most part, these mutants confirm that it is the presence of testes, not the sex chromosome composition, that ensures a masculine central nervous system in terms of behavior, the SNB and other neural dimorphisms42, 43. In a few instances, XX mice with testes, while more masculine than normal females, are not as masculine as XY male controls43. However, XX testes are demonstrably abnormal in some regards (e.g., they do not produce sperm), so it is possible that the XX testes may not produce normal male levels of testosterone throughout all the sensitive periods for various brain regions, which would cause some regions to be under-masculinized. It is technically difficult to measure fetal testosterone levels in these animals, which would be required in order to rule out this possibility. To show that a gene affects neural sexual differentiation independently of the gonads, the ideal experiment would be to compare the brains of XX and XY mice that are genetically prevented from developing any gonads at all. If genes on the sex chromosomes directly drive brain sexual differentiation independent of the gonads, the brains of XY mice should be more masculine than those of the XX mice. If testes fully control masculinization of the mammalian brain, then the central nervous systems of gonadless mice, whether they carry XX or XY chromosomes, should be equally and fully feminine.Neural sexual dimorphisms are remarkably diverse. Some rely solely on perinatal actions of testosterone (SDN-POA, AVPV), and some require both perinatal and adult testosterone (septal vasopressin, SNB, RA). Yet others require testosterone only in adulthood (MePD). In some cases, testosterone acts on only estrogen receptors (SDN-POA, AVPV) or activates both androgen receptors and estrogen receptors (septal vasopressin, MePD, RA). In other cases, only androgen receptors act perinatally (SNB). The zebra finch song system offers a distinctive twist: the brain itself seems to produce the 'testicular' hormone. But the commonality in all of these systems is that a single hormonal signal, testosterone, induces the central nervous system to take on a male phenotype—in the absence of testosterone, the nervous system differentiates as a female.Where does testosterone first act?In none of the cases described so far do we know the primary cellular targets on which testosterone acts to masculinize the nervous system during development. Although we know that exposing newborn female rats to estrogen prevents apoptosis of neurons in the SDN-POA, we do not know where estrogen acts to accomplish this. Is it directly on SDN-POA neurons themselves, or on other cells that then spare the SDN-POA neurons? That testosterone could act on distant target cells to spare SDN-POA neurons is entirely plausible because we know that testosterone acts on target muscles to spare SNB motor neurons. Likewise, no studies narrow down the list of possible targets for testosterone to masculinize the AVPV, MePD, RA or vasopressinergic innervation of the septum. Even for the SNB system, where we know that the developing motor neurons are not the site of action of testosterone, we do not know which cell types within the target muscles (muscle fibers, fibroblasts, Schwann cells) are directly modulated by the hormone.However, we do know where testosterone acts to masculinize some systems in adulthood. Local implants of testosterone in the brain masculinize the morphology of ipsilateral birdsong regions in white-crowned sparrows44 and in prepubertal zebra finches45, so apparently testosterone acts somewhere within the forebrain in these cases. In genetically mosaic rats, only SNB motor neurons possessing a functional androgen receptor gene expand their somata or suppress peptide expression in response to adult testosterone treatment26, 46. These cell-autonomous responses of SNB motor neurons are the only demonstrations to date of steroids directly altering the morphology or gene expression of neurons in vivo.There are several genetic strategies that could provide information about the sites where steroids act to masculinize the developing nervous system. Once we understand whether testosterone masculinizes a system by activation of androgen receptor, or via aromatization and activation of either of two estrogen receptors, then it should be possible to conditionally knock out the gene for the relevant steroid receptor in particular classes of cells. For example, if the SDN-POA develops in a masculine fashion in males in which the estrogen receptor genes have been knocked out in astrocytes, but fails to differentiate properly in males missing estrogen receptor genes in neurons, then we will know that estrogen is acting specifically on neurons, perhaps even in the SDN-POA itself, to masculinize the nucleus. Similarly, if the SNB system is spared in genetic males that possess a functional androgen receptor only in muscle fibers, then the steroid must act on muscle fibers themselves to spare the muscles and their motor neurons.Which downstream genes does testosterone modulate?Because we do not know the target cells that first respond to testosterone or its metabolites during development, we know very little about the changes in gene expression that begin the process. In the SNB system, testosterone may alter the expression of trophic factor genes to spare the muscles and their innervating motor neurons. For example, injecting ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) into the perineum of newborn rats spares the SNB system in normal females47 and in males with a dysfunctional androgen receptor gene48, indicating that CNTF is the molecular messenger dispatched by testosterone to maintain the system. However, male mice lacking the CNTF gene nevertheless develop a masculine SNB49. On the other hand, male mice lacking the gene for the CNTF receptor alpha subunit fail to maintain the SNB system50, suggesting that some ligand(s) other than CNTF itself normally stimulates CNTF receptor alpha to maintain SNB muscles and motor neurons51.Although no genes have been implicated in the masculinization of the SDN portion of the POA, testosterone does induce the formation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which then masculinizes another aspect of the POA, the formation of dendritic spines. These responses are also important for the development of male copulatory behaviors52. It is interesting that pharmacological manipulations of PGE2 that affect spine formation in newborns (blocking PGE2 in males stunts spine formation, whereas providing exogenous PGE2 in females promotes spines) has no effect on the volume of the SDN-POA. This suggests that testosterone simultaneously starts several balls rolling: one that regulates expression of genes to produce PGE2 (ref. 53), which then promotes spine formation, and another that regulates some other gene(s), which then acts to enlarge SDN-POA volume.Sexual differentiation of the human brainIf steroids have such a pivotal role in masculinizing the brains of nonhumans, do they also have the same function in our own species? Do men and women behave differently because males are exposed to more testosterone prenatally? Do they behave differently because both sexes are indoctrinated into gender roles by family and society at large? The complexity of human behavior, which is powerfully shaped by social influences, makes it difficult to answer this question. On the surface, testosterone is responsible for sex differences in human behavior, if only indirectly—testosterone provides male fetuses with genitalia that provoke other people to raise them like boys. The deeper question is whether prenatal testosterone also masculinizes the fetal brain directly, without relying on other humans to shape the brain through experience.Roughly 1 in 2,000 girls is exposed to slightly elevated levels of testosterone prenatally. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) causes the fetal adrenal glands to produce androgens such as testosterone that slightly masculinize the genitalia and thus could potentially masculinize the fetal brain. Although these girls are more likely than other girls to engage in male-typical play54, as adults most women with CAH are heterosexual. On the other hand, women with CAH are more likely to report a homosexual orientation than are other women55. However, because it is possible that the parents or the girls themselves may have ambivalent feelings about their 'true' gender, it is difficult to know whether these slightly masculinized behaviors are the result of prenatal testosterone inducing the brain to rebel against socially prescribed gender roles.Another human syndrome suggests that if testosterone masculinizes the human fetal brain, it does so by acting on androgen receptors, not through aromatization and action on estrogen receptors. Genetically male (XY) individuals with a dysfunctional androgen receptor gene develop testes that secrete testosterone, but the body exterior, without a functional androgen receptor, develops a feminine phenotype. People with complete androgen insensitivity are usually undetected at birth because they appear to be girls, are raised as girls and as adults self-identify as women56, 57. The feminine behavior of these women could be due to either the brains' inability to respond to fetal testosterone, or their rearing as females. Thus, this syndrome does not tell us whether social influences or prenatal steroids inculcate sex differences in human behavior. But if, as in rats, testosterone masculinized the brain of fetal humans by being converted to estrogens and activating estrogen receptors, then we would expect these people with women's bodies to display male behaviors, because their estrogen receptor genes are intact.An important but elusive question is whether prenatal steroids masculinize the human brain with respect to sexual orientation. Does the testosterone that masculinizes the human body also masculinize the fetal brain so that, in adulthood, the person will be attracted to women? One strategy has been to find somatic markers that correlate with prenatal androgen and ask whether they also co-vary with sexual orientation. Eyeblink patterns58, otoacoustic emissions (clicks emanating from the ears)59 and measures of fingers60 and limbs61 all indicate that lesbians, on average, are exposed to more prenatal androgen than heterosexual women. However, none of these studies indicate a simple relationship between prenatal testosterone and sexual orientation—there is considerable overlap between lesbians and heterosexual women for each marker, which makes it clear that testosterone is not the sole factor at work. Nevertheless, crude as these measures are, it is impressive that such a wide range of characteristics, reported by a wide number of laboratories, all indicate that the more prenatal testosterone a girl is exposed to, the more likely she is to self-identify as lesbian in adulthood. Examining these same markers in men provides conflicting results, sometimes yielding evidence that gay men are exposed to less prenatal testosterone than straight men, sometimes finding the opposite and sometimes finding no differences between the two groups. While still controversial, it is possible that both lower-than-average and higher-than-average testosterone exposure before birth can increase the likelihood that a boy will develop a homosexual orientation.Of course, animal models have helped by framing the questions that scientists have asked about the origins of human sexual orientation. For example, the models tell us that if we want to seek a prenatal influence on human sexual orientation, we should pay attention to testosterone and its target tissues in the brain. Studies of the rat SDN-POA inspired examination of the human POA, where a nucleus was found that was smaller in women than in men, and smaller in gay men than in straight men62. A similar difference is seen in sheep: a nucleus in the POA is smaller in male sheep that prefer to mount other rams than in males that prefer to mount ewes63. For neither humans nor sheep do we know whether the differences in the POA preceded the development of sexual orientation or arose after the establishment of orientation, but taken together, these studies make it seem likely that this brain region is important for determining sexual orientation. A better understanding of how these and other sexual dimorphisms in the nervous system arise will help us appreciate why men and women behave differently, and why most of us find one of the sexes, and only one, so very enchanting.Received 12 July 2004; Accepted 13 August 2004; Published online: 27 September 2004. Feelings of ill-will ARTICLE FROM THE STRAITS TIMESMay 29, 2009 Couple guilty of sedition 10 min--> Their claim that they did not know nature of contents rejected By Elena Chong Ong and his wife Dorothy Chan leaving the Subordinate Courts yesterday. The couple is in hot water for distributing seditious tracts. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA A CHRISTIAN couple who mass-mailed evangelical tracts to the public for many years were on Thursday found guilty of distributing seditious or objectionable publications to three Muslims. #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} About this case ONG Kian Cheong, 50, and Dorothy Chan Hien Leng, 46, claimed trial to two charges each of distributing seditious publications and one each of distributing an objectionable publication and possessing seditious tracts. Two of the recipients, Madam Farharti Ahmad, 36, and Mr Irwan Ariffin, 32, received an evangelistic comic tract titled The Little Bride through the mail in March and October 2007 respectively. Another recipient, Mr Isa Raffee, 35, was sent Who Is Allah? in December that year.All three told the court that they felt angry, insulted and offended, and believed a Christian group had sent them. ... more Ong Kian Cheong, 50, a SingTel technical officer, and his wife, Dorothy Chan Hien Leng, 46, a UBS associate director, were also convicted of having 439 copies of 11 seditious publications at their Maplewoods Condominium on Jan 30 last year. This is the first time a full trial under the Sedition Act has been heard. In 2005, a man was jailed a month for posting inflammatory and vicious remarks about Muslims and Malays on the Internet. The following year, a 21-year-old accounts assistant received a stern warning for posting an offensive cartoon of Jesus Christ on his blog. Ong was arrested on Jan 30 last year after he was seen by police dropping off a stack of brown envelopes into a post box outside his office at ComCentre at Exeter Road. He subsequently led the officers to his car and his home, where more of the Chick Publications materials were seized. Chan was arrested the same day. The case centred on whether the couple, who were then attending Berean Christian Church at Havelock Road, knew or had reason to believe that the publications they had mailed to the three were seditious. The prosecution argued that the couple had carried out their evangelical mission 'with eyes wide open', and that they were fully aware of the offensive nature of the contents. They distributed those offensive publications to members of different faiths in Singapore with no regard for their feelings or sensitivities, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Anandan Bala in his closing submissions.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This article from the Straits Times brings back memories from the past.More than a decade ago when I was still in secondary school, students from my school were made to attend church service every week. The service was 2 hours long, if memory still serves me well, and we had to sing praises of the lord. Singing christian songs with woeful melodies was bad enough for a teenager who wanted to do only "cool" things. Singing christian songs was definately not cool. What made it worse was, some of the songs were actually mandrain songs! WTf? Christian songs in maindrain? Totally not cool. So one day, I decided I'd enough. I gathered some of my friends and proposed this to them: Let's skip this totally "uncool" 2 hours every week and head out for some food at the nearby hawker's centre. And so we did that every week for a couple of months before disaster struck: Our absence from the church service was finally noticed by the teachers.As a result, each of us got 5 demerit points, which was 33% of the path to getting yourself expelled from school. Add detention classes to that.Of course I wasn't all too happy about that. I told my parents about it and whined about those long boring 2 hours of hell we were made to go through every week. Then I mention this "Why do they keep saying that we will have to go to hell for not believing in jesus?" to my old man. My old man sort of LOLed and said something that I shall decline to reveal here.Ok. Back to the main topic.Question 1)Why is it that telling a muslim that hell awaits him if he doesn't turn to Jesus a crime while telling the same thing to an atheist not? I'm sure it did "promote feelings of ill-will and hostility" between me and the pastor. Heck, I'd be pissed if anyone else were to tell me that I'd be "going to hell". Question 2)Why was it that I was never given the option of not attending the church service?Oh well. Just food for thought. Roundworm of the dog The roundworm of the dog, also known as Toxocara canis, is a common intestinal parasite found in dogs. The life cycle of Toxocara canis goes like this:1) Eggs, which may be found in cockroaches, rats, earthworms, are ingested2) Lavae hatch and migrates through the intestinal wall and to the liver3) Lavae then migrates to the lungs via the blood stream and is then coughed out and swallowed4) Adults then develop in the intestines once again, laying eggs that are excreted5) This cycle takes about 4-5 weeks to completeHowever, most of the lavae actually end up encysted in muscles where they lay dormant instead of developing into adults in the small intestine. In the bitch, these encysted lavae become reactivated during late pregnancy and the fetuses are infected. The worms can also be transmitted to pups via milk. Worms transmitted to pups in this manner take 2 weeks to develop into adults and start producing eggs.This has great significance on the treatment regime of pups. Infected pups require treatment with an appropriate anthelmintic (eg. Benzamindazoles, macrocyclic lactones, pyrantel) every 2 weeks starting from 2 weeks of age till they are weaned. The reason for this is due to the transmammary route of infection. Once they are weaned, treatment will need to me administered once a month till 6 months of age. The reason for this is that by 6 months of age, most of the lavae will be encysted in muscles, instead of completing their life cycle. Thereafter, treatment will only be required 2 - 4 times a year.Toxocara canis also poses a zoonotic threat, especially to young children. The reason for this is two-fold: Children have poorer hygiene practices as well as a relatively immature immune system.Toxocarasis in humans typically have 2 presentations:1) Visceral lava migrans - lavae migrate to other organs in the body, causing signs and symptoms referable to where the lavae localise2) Ocular lava migrans - lavae migrate into the eyePS: This is what the adults look likeAnd this is what the egg looks like. Note the L2 stage inside the egg on the right hand side. Oil prices, cab companies and cab drivers S'pore's taxi fares likely to go up soon TAXI drivers want it and their associations have asked for it, so all that remains is for the biggest taxi operator ComfortDelGro to go ahead and do it - raise taxi fares that is. All the signs point to it happening, and soon. A year after the last increase, which saw the flag-down rate go up by 10 cents to at least $2.50 and peak period surcharge double to $2, sources say a bigger jump is imminent. The flag-down fare is expected to rise by 30 cents, bringing the minimum starting fare to $2.80. Newer taxis such as the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Magentis charge 20 cents more, so their flag-down rate should hit $3, The Straits Times understands.Distance and time-based rates are also expected to change. Currently, the meter advances by 10 cents every 210m or every 25 seconds of waiting. After 10km, it jumps 10 cents every 175m. Industry observers expect leading operator ComfortDelGro to make the first move this month, but the company has remained mum about its plans. 'Fare adjustment is a commercially sensitive topic, so we cannot comment on it,' ComfortDelGro spokesman Tammy Tan said. For the past three weeks or so, the company - which has a fleet of 15,000 taxis - has been sending its cabs to have their meters adjusted. Ms Tan said this was mainly to update the meters for next year's public holiday slots. There is a $1 surcharge for public holidays. But The Straits Times understands the tweaks - taking around 20 minutes per cab - also include adding a chip to allow the metered fare structure to be adjusted wirelessly. Taxi drivers have been calling for a fare hike for several weeks now, citing the higher cost of fuel and the two percentage point rise in the goods and services tax, which has raised their rental rate by an average of $50 a month. Diesel at the pumps, after a discount, has risen by around 20 per cent since the last cab fare increase in July last year, raising fuel cost per cab by around $300 each month. Member of Parliament Seng Han Thong, an adviser to the taxi operators' associations, said taxi fares should be pegged to the cost cabbies bear. He told The Straits Times two weeks ago that the taxi operators' associations have been lobbying for a fare rise. 'Although taxi drivers are always worried about losing business if fares go up too high...they still hope there would be a fare increase,' Mr Seng said. Some quarters have called for fares to rise substantially to manage demand, so that commuters who need a cab will find it easier to get one. Cabby Chew Lian Sheng, 37, said that is the 'only way to manage demand', since taxi companies are unable to put more taxis on the road because there are not enough drivers around. Mr Chew said the flag-down fare should be between $7 and $10. 'There'd be a public outcry. But cabbies can earn a living with fewer trips.' Mr Chew is also of the view that surcharges must be removed or at least, simplified, as they 'create an artificial market'. Cabby Manjeet Singh, 62, said the flag-down fare should be $6 or $7. 'It's pathetic now,' he said. 'We should also abolish the surcharges - they are very confusing.' Transport researcher and National University of Singapore lecturer Lee Der-Horng said simply raising fares would not solve all taxi woes. He said a 'package solution' was needed. This includes having Electronic Road Pricing subsidies to encourage cabbies to go into the Central Business District; more designated taxi stands in the city centre; and simplifying surcharges. Associate Professor Lee also suggested having 'a centralised call booking system...This way, passengers will just need to dial one number to get access to the pool of taxis from all taxi companies', He said doing away with all surcharges may not be the answer. For instance, how can cabbies be encouraged to ply the 'graveyard shift' otherwise? Nevertheless, he reckons the imbalance between demand and supply 'cannot be fully resolved'. christan@sph.com.sg tracysua@sph.com.sg http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20071204-39471.html Will the rapidly increasing cost of living in Peasant land ever slow down and come to stop? The possibility of that happening does not look too hopeful. When Comfort introduce their new range of cabs like the Hyundai Sonata and Kias Magentis and starts charging people more just because it is supposedly more luxurious, do we have a choice in rejecting it and saying, “hey this is not what we need, why do you buy things and then charge us more when we could have more of the old and enjoy a lower fare”? The situation is the same as the investment made in TVs being put in place everywhere by the public transport companies and their so called “value-adding” by giving us more commercials to watch while they reap the benefits of the advertising dollar. Instead of lobbying for an increase in cab fares, shouldn’t people be lobbying against the cost of diesel which in the first place is the root of their problems? The increase in oil prices in recent times have been link to the increasing oil prices which reach a peak of USD 99 but now it is currently trading around the USD 88 – 90 region. The response to raise oil prices is always swift but the response to lower it is ever so lagging and may not even happen at all. As a local oil company who has the power to influence the price level of petrol, SPC could have taken a lead to cut their prices thus forcing other oil companies to do likewise but no, that won’t happen as SPC is a public listed company and they have to take care of their “shareholder’s interest”. Calculating from the $50 increase in rental rates due to the 2% increase in GST, the cost of renting a cab is $2,675 a month, translating to approximately $90 a day for renting a cab in a month of 30 days. If Comfort wants to help their drivers, lowering their rental charges would go a long way in helping them. As Comfort is a public listed company, I also wouldn’t expect them to do so as they have to take care of their “shareholder’s interest”. You die your business I was on my way home after buying lunch when I was stopped by an asian girl who was wearing a T-shirt with the symbol of the red cross printed on it. She seemed to sense my aversion towards her when she asked me if she could have a moment of my time. (Aversion towards the Red Cross symbol, not towards the girl. Don't anything think ok?)"Don't worry. I'm will not ask you to donate blood." she said.I thought to myself : "Shit! What else can a person donate? Only organs and money! That's even worse."My guess was accurate as it could get. She was trying to get me to donate some money to the red cross to help bush fire victims on a monthly basis. I had actually decided not to donate any money to any charity whatsoever with the NKF scandal and possibly RenCi at the back of my head. However, I eventually succumbed to her power of persuasion nonetheless (hehe) and hence had to pledge a dollar a day to the Red Cross foundation.While filling up the "part-with-your-money" form, she introduced herself as a student from Indonesia, who had previously spent 10 years studying in Singapore before having to leave after O'levels because of her poor results for Chinese. Then, she asked me this very interesting question: "Why is it that the Singaporeans living in Singapore are so unfriendly, snobbish and kiasu compared to the ones here? My Singaporean friends here are all so friendly and nice." ( I do not live in Singapore, in case you can't make sense out of what's going on.)I took a moment or two to think about her question, and realised her observation was spot on. Singaporeans living in Singapore are generally unfriendly, perhaps snobbish and definitely kiasu. It's not necessary to give any examples for Singaporeans ought to know themselves very well.But the important question is : What is the root cause of the ugly Singaporean?Before we going into identifying the root cause of it, let me list some of the traits that ugly Singaporeans, as a whole, possess.1) Kiasu2) Generally rude3) Reluctance to help victims of crimes4) Un-cooperative5) Special ability to fall asleep immediately on MRT seat when elderly/pregnant lady appears6) Blasting their ipods in public placesAll in all, Singaporeans generally lack social grace, public spirit and civic mindedness. It seems that Singaporeans are systematically skewed to exhibit such undesirable behaviour. By the looks of it, someone has been teaching the whole nation to be rude and nasty people. Guess who? :)Here's some lessons taught by the culpritsLesson 1What did you learn when they told you "We raise GST to help the poor "?This is what you have learnt: The poor, being rather stupid and helpless, deserved to be screwed harder. But screw them in a politically correct manner, otherwise they might not vote for u next time.Lesson 2What did you learn when they told you "No welfare for all of you. It will lead to the development of a clutch mentality"?This is what you have learnt: Helping the poor is bad. Not helping the poor on the other had is good. In fact, try not to help anyone.Lesson 3What did you learn when they told you "Competition is good. Let's have cheap foreign labour competing for low-skilled jobs with you."This is what you have learnt: When someone is already down and out, earning low pay as a cleaner, add on to their misery by allowing the influx of cheap labour to drive their already low wage even lower. They only have themselves to blame for not being able to snag a cushy job as a million dollar minister.Lesson 4What did you learn when they told you "NS is for Singaporeans and university places are for foreign talents"?This is what you have learnt: Never ever help your classmate with his work. His results might one day surpass yours and there will be no place for you in a local uni. (SIM doesn't count) Then, you would end up as a road sweeper and will have to refer to lesson 3Lesson 5What did you learn when they told you "The solution to lack of supply of taxis, traffic jams and the lack of hospital beds is to raise prices (means testing)"?This is what you have learnt: Money solves all problems, especially problems with supply. There is no need to increase supply to match demand. Just jack up the prices, it's the panacea to all problems.Lesson 6What did you learn when they told you "Eat fish if chicken is expensive"This is what you have learnt, which is the salient point of all the lessons: You die your business. It's really nobody else's business. Piracy ST Nov 13, 2007Herbal sex pill alternatives pose hidden dangers LOS ANGELES - MANY of the pills marketed as safe herbal alternatives to Viagra and other prescription sex medications pose a hidden danger: For men on common heart and blood-pressure drugs, popping one could lead to a stroke, or even death.'All-natural' products with names like Stamina-RX and Vigor-25 promise an apothecary's delight of rare Asian ingredients, but many work because they contain unregulated versions of the very pharmaceuticals they are supposed to replace.That dirty secret represents a special danger for the millions of men who take nitrates - drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure and regulate heart disease.When mixed, nitrates and impotency pharmaceuticals can slow blood flow catastrophically, leading to a heart attack or stroke. An investigation shows that spiked herbal impotency pills are emerging as a major public health concern that officials haven't figured out how to track, much less tame.Emergency rooms and poison control hot lines are starting to log more incidents of the long-ignored phenomenon.Sales of 'natural sexual enhancers' are booming - rising to nearly US$400 million (S$ 582 million) last year. And dangerous knockoffs abound.At greatest risk are the estimated 5.5 million American men who take nitrates - generally older and more likely to need help with erectile dysfunction.The all-natural message can be appealing to such men, warned by their doctors and ubiquitous TV commercials not to take Viagra, Cialis or Levitra.James Neal-Kababick, director of Oregon-based Flora Research Laboratories, said about 90 per cent of the hundreds of samples he has analyzed contained forms of patented pharmaceuticals - some with doses more than twice that of prescription erectile dysfunction medicine.Other testers report similar results, particularly among pills that promise immediate results.An elderly man in a retirement community north of Los Angeles took an in-the-mail sample and landed in the hospital for four days.Tim Fulmer, a lawyer representing Spontane-ES, said the pill did not contain any pharmaceutical and was not responsible for the stroke.Mark B. Mycyk, a Chicago emergency room doctor who directs Northwestern University's clinical toxicology research program, said he is seeing increasing numbers of patients who unwittingly took prescription-strength doses of the alternatives, a trend he attributes to ease of purchase on the Internet and the desperation of vulnerable men.He said he wouldn't be surprised if there'd been undetected deaths from bad herbal pills.Some herbal labels warn off users with heart or blood-pressure problems if they have taken their medicine within six hours; some doctors say 24 hrs or more would be safer.The AP often couldn't determine from records whether incidents reported to tracking systems of the federal Food and Drug Administration and state poison control centers involved mixing herbal alternatives with nitrates.Some men in their 30s who went to emergency rooms after taking herbal sex pills were presumably otherwise healthy, but they showed the transitory side effects of the active ingredients in regulated impotency pharmaceuticals, such as difficulty seeing clearly or severe headaches, records show.While public health officials don't know the extent of the problem, they agree that incidents are vastly underreported, with national tracking systems capturing perhaps as little as 1 percent of them. Victims may be embarrassed, and doctors rarely ask about supplements.Since 2001, sales of supplements marketed as natural sexual enhancers have risen US$100 million to US$398 million last year, including herbal mixtures, according to estimates by Nutrition Business Journal.Some legitimate herbal mixtures claim to work gradually over weeks; it's the herbals marketed for immediate trysts that often are the problem.Tight budgets, weak regulations and other priorities limit the FDA's ability to police the products, often promoted via blasts of e-mail spam and fly-by-night websites.Linda Silvers, who leads an FDA team that targets fraudulent health products sold online said, ' a website can look sophisticated and legitimate, but actually be an illegal operation.'In many cases, the ingredients used to alter herbal pills come from Asia, particularly China, where the sexual enhancers are cooked up in labs at the beginning of a winding supply chain.The FDA has placed pills by two manufacturers in China and one from Malaysia on an import watch list.Spiked pills have turned up in Thailand, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to testing done by Pfizer Inc., the New York-based pharmaceutical giant that developed Viagra.The company said that 69 per cent of 3,400 supplements it purchased in China contained sildenafil citrate, the main ingredient in Viagra.Pfizer didn't check for the patented ingredients of its rivals.While herbal alternatives often contain exact copies of the patented drugs, some makers tweak the molecules to keep the effect of the original pharmaceutical while avoiding the scrutiny of the FDA and outside testing labs.During the past year, the FDA has orchestrated eight recalls of 'herbal' pills that contained the ingredients found in Viagra, Cialis or Levitra, or their unregulated chemical cousins. -- AP----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A perfect example to illustrate why "herbal" remedies that are marketed as natural and safe can be the exact opposite of what they are suppose to be. How did the manufacturers of these remedies know that their products are safe? Did they run tests on them? Maybe Pfizer did so on their behalf.To add insult to injury, the herbal sex pills were not even "natural". There were in fact pirated versions of the real thing.Seems like the lines between alternative medicine, quackery and fraud is starting to blur. Oh, was there even a distinction between them in the first place? IMBS's War on Everything: Satire on ST forum Nov 12, 2007We should consider having our own Anti-social Behaviour Act to deal with ugly S'poreans THE Scottish Parliament passed the Anti-social Behaviour Act (ABA) in 2004 with the original intention of curbing noise nuisance. This Act, which empowers authorised officers and the police to take summary action against an offender by imposing a fine and even confiscating the offending equipment, is effective in curtailing the noise problem. We should have a similar Act in Singapore modified and expanded in scope to deal with the various anti-social behaviour problems here. Here are some anti-social behaviour problems which can be corrected by this Act. >>On MRT trains and public buses, it can be used to catch and fine those who fail to give up the designated seats for the pregnant, disabled and elderly. It can also be used to nab those who assault bus drivers when asked to produce their passes for identification. >>On the road, it can be used to punish those who grab the oncoming taxi without consideration that another person is there earlier waiting for it. The cabby can be reminded that if he picks up the queue-jumper, he will be reported to the police for action to be taken against him under this Act. >>In crowded car parks, it can be used to fine inconsiderate and discourteous drivers who go against the directional sign to occupy the empty lot, ignoring those who were there earlier. >>At various places, it can discipline people who display anti-social and repugnant behaviours such as queue-jumping and spitting. >>On the Internet, it can be used to punish and discipline irresponsible bloggers who are quick to insult a person by their libellous remarks or foul language. The police can fine the errant bloggers who usually operate under the cloak of anonymity and ask them to apologise and reveal their true identities including their photographs on their blogs. This Act is all-embracing and can be applied in some way to eradicate any anti-social behaviour displayed by the ugly Singaporeans. Should there be any future anti-social behaviours, the ambit of the Act can be enlarged to deal with these new problems. The ugly Singaporeans are a bane to society as they destroy our efforts in building a gracious society. They also tarnish our image as a First World country by their Third World behaviours.National campaigns in the past have not yielded much results and we should not discontinue these ongoing programmes aimed at changing their values, attitudes and behaviours. We should also seriously consider having our own ABA to reform those hard-core anti-social elements who cannot be changed by the persuasive approach of national campaigns.Nelson Quah--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am of the opinion that since the Straits Times is the premier newspaper of Singapore, satire must not be allowed to be passed off as constructive suggestions on the ST forum. How can? Straits Times must be serious and not joke around, otherwise it will drop further down the newspaper rankings! Then again even if the Straits Times switched to reporting jokes, it's ranking can't go down much further.Still, in line with my war on everything, I must not allow this letter go scott free since it's too funny."On MRT trains and public buses, it can be used to catch and fine those who fail to give up the designated seats for the pregnant, disabled and elderly. It can also be used to nab those who assault bus drivers when asked to produce their passes for identification. "Mr Quah here suggests that we fine those who occupy the designated seats for the pregnant. But that is not the root of the problem because everyone else must had refused to give up their seats to the pregnant, disabled and elderly, that's why it is a problem. Mr Quah must be trying to be funny here by solely laying the blame on those who occupy designated seats. I mean how is it enough just to fine such a small number of people who sat on the designated seats? EVERYONE MUST BE FINED! Have can we let the rest go scott free?He also suggests that we nab those who assault bus drivers. I don't this such a display of naivety is funny. We already have laws to throw such people into jail. I suspect Mr Quah here is a bus driver, trying to push the bus driver agenda. First they want extra protection while on duty. Next, they will want to have special protection after duty. How can taxpayer's money go to pay personal bodyguards for bus drivers?"On the road, it can be used to punish those who grab the oncoming taxi without consideration that another person is there earlier waiting for it. The cabby can be reminded that if he picks up the queue-jumper, he will be reported to the police for action to be taken against him under this Act. "On this, Mr Quah is trying to punk those poor old taxi drivers which he perceives to be a competitor to the bus drivers by putting them in a damned-if-we-do-damned-if-we-don't position. How would the taxi driver know who's the queue-jumper? Then when the taxi driver gets fed up and refuses to pick up both of them, they will complain him to the authorities."In crowded car parks, it can be used to fine inconsiderate and discourteous drivers who go against the directional sign to occupy the empty lot, ignoring those who were there earlier. "Hmmm....... how can a mere fine be sufficient? I say we jail that bastard!"At various places, it can discipline people who display anti-social and repugnant behaviours such as queue-jumping and spitting. "Come on Mr Quah, it is very unSingaporean to jump queues and spit. Where's your sense of national identity? At least he did not mention fining people who refuse to speak up against such behaviour. I mean it is so totally Singaporean NOT to speak up when someone cuts into your queue. We need to preserve our national identity at all costs!"On the Internet, it can be used to punish and discipline irresponsible bloggers who are quick to insult a person by their libellous remarks or foul language. The police can fine the errant bloggers who usually operate under the cloak of anonymity and ask them to apologise and reveal their true identities including their photographs on their blogs. "Of course, I'm not here to pick on every single point Mr Quah has raised. I do support this suggestion of his to curb wayward bloggers. Bloggers like Mollymeek, the epitome of Irresponsible Blogging, bloggers like Luckytan whose sarcasm is so sarcastic that it is insulting, bloggers like Rockson who is so unrefined and vulgar. This is where my examples end for it is libellous to suggest that a fellow blogger makes libellous remarks and being a responsible, polite and refined blogger that I am, I will have to reluctantly give it a miss. As for posting their photographs on their blogs, I think Mr Quah is too caught up with the NPNT (no picture no talk) nonsense on Hardwarezone Forums. Surely he must know that our great leaders have said something to the effect that the identity is not important and that it is the message that is important. To be fair to bloggers, perhaps we can have 2 catagories of blogs: The NPNT kind and the GPGT kind.Even though Mr Quah has brought up one valid point, I think take offense with his remark that "The ugly Singaporeans are a bane to society as they destroy our efforts in building a gracious society."Come on Mr Quah, to turn Singapore into a gracious society is so unSingaporean. Where is your sense of national identity? Having a gracious society is a western value. Are you suggesting that we erode our unique Asian values and embrace foreign interference? IMBS's War on Everything: War on pots and kettles (Alternative medicine) Nov 11, 2007No cane, no gain?Many flocked to Jurong West last week for an offbeat treatment for aches and pains: caningBy Debbie YongTHEY sat on red plastic stools in a loose circle at an HDB void deck in Jurong West, waiting for their turn to be caned. They pointed, whispered to one another and occasionally cringed as they watched an elderly man in the middle use a slim wooden rod to repeatedly strike at a bare-bodied man until his flesh turned red and raw.Some passers-by stopped to stare before continuing on their way with a shudder.Mostly middle-aged and complaining of backaches and muscle soreness, the crowd of about 25 who had gathered at Block 987C in Jurong West Street 93 on Thursday afternoon believed caning to be a form of physiotherapy.'My shoulders used to be very stiff but after my first caning session four days ago, I feel much better,' said bus driver Chua Cheng Hui, 55, who was on his third visit.'I want to catch Master Goh one last time before he leaves,' he added, referring to physiotherapist Goh Seng Guan, 72.Mr Goh, a Malaysian, was on a one-week trip to visit friends in Singapore from last Saturday to Friday.But he ended up working throughout his holiday after a Shin Min Daily News report on Monday on his unusual form of therapy sent readers knocking on the door of his Singaporean hosts, Mr Png Peng Siah, 60, and Madam Qui Em, 56.He promptly set up a makeshift shop outside their ground- floor flat, with Mr Png and Madam Qui taking turns to record customers' names and issue queue numbers.Over the next three days, he whipped a steady stream of about 50 to 70 customers a day, working from 10am to 10pm with short breaks in between for meals.He charged about $20 per person. The cash was discreetly pocketed at the end of each five-minute caning session.Mr Goh, who runs two orthopaedic centres in Betong, southern Thailand, and Penang, Malaysia, with his wife, said he learnt the skill from a Tibetan lama when he was 20 and has been doing it for the last 50 years.He claimed to be a certified Chinese physician in Thailand, but did not have his certificate with him.His work tools: home-brewed medicated oil with his portrait on the label and 11 wooden rods of varying lengths and thickness laid out on a small wooden table.The caning helps to loosen up muscles and improve blood circulation, he explained, as he pointed out black bruises that had appeared on clients' skins, indicating 'toxins that were being purged from the blood circulation system'.Madam Qui, a cleaner, first met him in 1996, when she sought treatment for a pain in her shoulder at his Thailand centre, on a friend's recommendation.His first visit here was with his wife last December, when Madam Qui invited them for a holiday.Many of his customers, an equal mix of men and women, said they were trying it out of curiosity.One resident of the same block, painter Ramdan Sardon, 45, who complained of a chronic backache, said: 'I see so many people here queueing from morning to night, maybe it works.'Maintenance officer Vincent Loh, 35, said the pain was bearable, but acknowledged that he would have to wait a few days to know if the caning was effective, by which time Mr Goh would have left.Insurance agent Raymond Goh, 53, said he came because the acupuncture treatment he had received for his sore calf in the past year was not working.'It's more painful than death - this is the first and last time I'm doing it,' he said as he hobbled away with a swollen calf.Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners interviewed were sceptical about the effectiveness of this treatment.Physiotherapist Simon Toh, 55, said there used to be a shop specialising in caning therapy at People's Park Complex run by a Taiwanese woman, but it shut after less than a year.He said: 'Singaporeans prefer to play safe with conventional methods of treatment. People might try it only as a last resort, after taking Western medicine or seeing TCM physicians.'Retired TCM practitioner Liang Ming Na, 60, said it was a 'very ancient practice' which originated from rural villages and is not orthodox.Thye Shan Medical Hall's Madam Tang Eng Hua said: 'It does not have any scientific basis. The bruises could be a result of repeated hitting and anyone can rub a sore muscle to make it loosen up and feel better.'Furthermore, it must be done with skill and care. If not, you could end up hurting someone, especially when it's the elderly.'One passer-by at the scene, interior designer Wendy Goh, 41, saw the queue and quipped: 'Why should I pay someone to beat me?-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wow! 50-70 "patients" per day at $20 each, nets Master Goh $30,000 a month at least if he works on weekends as well. T_T I DON'T WANT TO STUDY ANYMORE ALREADY!!!!!! I might as well go cane someone as well!On a more serious note, can the caning treatment work? Apparently, it could very well "work", according to the Gate control theory of pain and depending on your definition of what is considered effective. An simple explanation, without all that jargon on wikipedia of how caning is supposed to help relieve your pain goes like this: If you hurt your foot, pinching you arm will "distract" your attention from the pain of your foot, thereby making you feel less pain from your foot. This means that you might was well go cane yourself. You don't need a "Master" to cane you. You could even pay me $10 to cane you!!!But this is not the main point of this post.This is the main point"Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners interviewed were sceptical about the effectiveness of this treatment. "What were the reasons given by TCM practitioners?"Retired TCM practitioner Liang Ming Na, 60, said it was a 'very ancient practice' which originated from rural villages and is not orthodox. ""Thye Shan Medical Hall's Madam Tang Eng Hua said: 'It does not have any scientific basis. The bruises could be a result of repeated hitting and anyone can rub a sore muscle to make it loosen up and feel better. "Orthodoxy has got nothing to do with the effectiveness of a treatment. A treatment is effective because it works, not because it is orthodox. By the way, I sure the rest of the TCM practices are damn orthodox. :) As for Madam Tang's claim that caning doesn't have any scientific basis, I would say caning is likely to have as much scientific basis as acupuncture. :) Talk about pot calling kettle black! IMBS's War on Everything: Homeopathy After reading about Angrydr's self-imposed fight against alternative medicine, I felt inspired by his quest and so I've decided to give him a hand in fighting the rubbish that alternative medicine is, even though I am stupid :(.So for today, I shall pick an easy target =======> Homeopathy. I shall launch a preemptive strike against homeopathy before it gains popularity in Singapore, like how USA bombed the daylights out of Iraq just in case..............What is homeopathy?Homeopathy is a form a alternative medicine conceived by Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician who lived between 1755 to 1843. The follow excerpt from wikipedia describes how Hahnemann "discovers" homeopathy"After giving up his practice he made his living chiefly as a writer and translator. While translating William Cullen's A Treatise on the Materia Medica, Hahnemann encountered the claim that Cinchona, the bark of a Peruvian tree, was effective in treating malaria because of its astringency. Hahnemann realised that other astringent substances are not effective against malaria and began to research cinchona's effect on the human organism very directly: by self-application. He discovered that the drug evoked malaria-like symptoms in himself, and concluded that it would do so in any healthy individual. This led him to postulate a healing principle: "that which can produce a set of symptoms in a healthy individual, can treat a sick individual who is manifesting a similar set of symptoms." This principle, like cures like, became the first of a new medicinal approach to which he gave the name homeopathy."In essence, homeopathy is the idea that if eating shit can make you sick, eating shit will also cure your sickness?! What?! Don't ask me how that is going to work, go ask Hanhemann.Alright, to be fair, that's not all that there is to homeopathy. Homeopathic remedies are diluted. The more dilute the remedy is, the more potent it is apparently.Here's how homeopathic remedies are created"In producing treatments for diseases, homeopaths use a process called "dynamization" or "potentization" where the remedy is diluted into alcohol or water and then vigorously shaken by ten hard strikes against an elastic body in a process called "succussion". Hahnemann thought that the use of remedies which present symptoms similar to those of disease in healthy individuals would only intensify the symptoms and exacerbate the condition, so he advocated the dilution of the remedies to the point the symptoms were no longer experienced. During the process of potentization, homeopaths believe that the vital energy of the diluted substance is activated and its energy released by vigorous shaking of the substance .............................. Three potency scales are in regular use in homeopathy. Hahnemann pioneered and always favored the centesimal or "C scale", diluting a substance 1 part in a 100 of diluent at each stage. A 2C dilution is one where a substance is diluted to one part in one hundred, then one part of that diluted solution is diluted to one part in one hundred. This works out to one part of the original solution to ten thousand parts (100x100) of diluent. A 6C dilution repeats the process six times, ending up with one part in 1,000,000,000,000. (100x100x100x100x100x100, or 1006) Other dilutions follow the same pattern. In homeopathy, a solution is described as higher potency the more dilute it is. Higher potencies - i.e. more dilute substances - are considered to be stronger deep-acting remedies."In other words, your homeopathic remedy is just a very, very, very, very dilute solution of the substance that causes your illness."Hahnemann advocated 30C dilutions for most purposes (a dilution by a factor of 1060) and a common homeopathic treatment for the flu is a 200C dilution of duck liver, called Oscillococcinum in homeopathy."Does homeopathy work?Ok, so the cure for the common flu is a dilution of duck liver. A 200C dilution to be precise, which is 1 part of duck liver in 100^200 parts of water. Now assuming that there is 1 molecule of duck liver, how much water would you need to achieve that degree of dilution?No. of mols of water required = 100^200 / 6.02 x 10^23= 1.66 x 10^376 molsWeight of water required = 1.66 x 10^376 x 18g= 3.00 x 10^377g= 3.00 x 10^374kgHow much space would that amount of water fill?Answer: 3.00 x 10^371 metres cube of spaceThat's the amount of water needed to fill a sphere with the radius of 4.15 x 10^123 metres. To put things into perspective, the greatest distance possible between the sun and Pluto, our furthest planet (or ex-planet) in the solar system is 5,906,376,272,000 metres. That's 5.92 x 10^12 metres. Wow! A sphere the size of our entire solar system is not sufficient to hold the amount of water needed to create a 200C homeopathic remedy for the common flu! Essentially, this means that there's no duck liver in your homeopathic remedy at all! Not even a single molecule of duck liver.And for those who still attempt to defend homeopathy by appealing to have an open mind, how's this for a dose of reality from The Lancet?"110 homoeopathy trials and 110 matched conventional-medicine trials were analysed...............Biases are present in placebo-controlled trials of both homoeopathy and conventional medicine. When account was taken for these biases in the analysis, there was weak evidence for a specific effect of homoeopathic remedies, but strong evidence for specific effects of conventional interventions. This finding is compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homoeopathy are placebo effects. "So dear readers, it should be obvious to you by now that the only claim homeopathy can live up to is the claim that it is safe and has no side effects. This is because a homeopathic remedy is actually water. Do not think that just because a form of alternative medicine is very popular, has a long history, or is endorsed by the government means that it's effectiveness for in the UK, homeopathy is funded by their National Health Service. Let them eat cake ST Nov 9, 2007Parliament to debate inflation, Medishield issuesBy Keith LinTHE rising cost of living will be high on the agenda when Parliament sits on Monday.Two MPs have tabled questions linked to concerns that fast-rising food prices are causing a dent in Singaporeans' wallets. The price of wheat, for example, is at global historic highs due to droughts in Australia and crop failures in the US. This in turn has pushed up cost of animal feed and meat.MP for Jurong GRC Halimah Yacob, who will quiz Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang on what the govenrment is doing, said more can be done to promote alternative food sources.'For example, the price of chicken may be rising fast, but we can encourage Singaporeans to turn to alternative sources of protein, such as fish,' she told The Straits Times.Issues relating to the MediShield scheme are also expected to receive a prominent airing, with three questions tabled on the topic.One is from MP for Jalan Besar GRC Denise Phua, who wants Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan to clarify whether special-needs children are covered under the health insurance scheme.'Many families with such children have told me that commerical insurance providers do not provide medical cover for those with mild disabilities, such as Asperger's Syndrome,' Ms Phua said.She hopes the Government can help reduce their medical bills, which may stretch over their lifespans, by including their illnesses under Medishield coverage. 'I hope that the Government will give these children a chance to have their medical problems covered,' she said.Five new Bills will be introduced, while another five Bills introduced earlier are up for debate.One slated for debate is the National Registry of Diseases Bill, which calls for the setting up of a national disease database to collate data on common illnesses. Other parliamentary questions include three by Ms Ellen Lee (Sembawang GRC), who will ask various ministers for measures to combat cyber-addiction, and one by Madam Ho Geok Choo (West Coast GRC) on ways to prevent the property market from over-heating.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"For example, the price of chicken may be rising fast, but we can encourage Singaporeans to turn to alternative sources of protein, such as fish" - MP for Jurong GRC Halimah Yacob"Let them eat cake" - Marie Antoinette"Abalone is more nutritious than fish" - IMBS The evolution of slavery Charles Darwin was an English naturalist of the 19th century, whose work on evolution formed the basis of Modern evolutionary synthesis. This is the scientific theory that explains how life on Earth began as bacteria and via a long journey of random mutation and non-random selection in small incremental steps led to the diversity of life on Earth as we know today. However, evolution explains more than merely our ancestral roots as monkeys, or how dogs descended from wolves. It can explain behaviour, like why female black widow spiders eat their male counterparts after mating, why lionesses live in groups called a pride but chase away the males once they attain sexual maturity or why people ever bothered to donate money to charities, even to the likes of NKF! In fact, evolution has a wide myriad of applications. It has been used to design pipe systems, cumbersome machines that walk like real-life creatures and vaccines.Evolution is not only confined to the realms of biology. Other things evolve too, such as ideas and weapons. Weapons that started off as rocks, progressing sequentially to sharpened stones, sharpened stones attached to sticks, spears, all the way to the nuclear missiles we have today. However for the purpose of this blog post, we shall focus on the evolution of ideas, specifically the idea of slavery. Slavery was only more or less only eliminated from Earth sometime during the last century, or so it seems. Back in those days, slavery was profitable stuff, well it still is today but we'll talk about that later. Slavery was basically free labour and with free labour, you earn more money. This is what drives that demand for slaves. In the past, slaves were controlled using devices such as these and theseNowadays, societies around the world deem slavery as inhumane and a violation of human rights. Chaining the limbs of others and whipping them is also illegal now. Do that to someone and you find yourself spending some quality time in prison. However, the demand for slaves is still there. Remember slaves = more money? More sophisticated ways of owning slaves therefore must surely evolve. Perhaps these new methods of owning slaves are already in use. What? You don't believe me? Take a look at thisLTA catches another 39 errant taxi driversBy Hoe Yeen NiePosted: 07 November 2007 1659 hrs SINGAPORE : Another 39 errant taxi drivers have been caught by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). 26 were overcharging, seven were touting and the rest had refused to pick up passengers. They were caught in crackdowns conducted between 30 October and 3 November at popular nightspot areas like Sentosa, Clarke Quay, Orchard Towers and Boat Quay. If found guilty, LTA said some of the offenders may have their vocational licenses revoked. Others may face suspension of up to eight weeks, depending on the demerit points accumulated from their offences. - CNA /lsSo what has LTA cracking down on taxi drivers who were overcharging, touting and refusing to pick up passengers, presumably in hope of earning the extra booking fee from the call-a-cab service, got to do with modern day slavery? It's wrong for those taxi drivers to engage in profiteering acts like those mentioned above right? Before we judge those taxi drivers, perhaps we should think deeper: Why are taxi drivers engaging in those sort of behaviours?The below letter published on ST forum would shed some lightLook into operating costs of taxi drivers WITH regard to the recent outcry over taxi drivers overcharging customers or rejecting short trips, I would like to explore this issue from another angle. However, let me state at the outset that one of my family members is a part-time taxi driver and I thus have a vested interest in this issue. Could it be that taxi drivers have genuine difficulty making enough money to get by, driving them to such behaviour? A possible reason could be high operating costs. The rental for a regular taxi is about $90 a day. Factor in the cost of fuel, say, about $100, assuming a daily consumption of 80 litres of diesel at $1.30 per litre, and it adds up to almost $200 a day. Assuming the average cost of a taxi journey to be $10, which I believe is a little on the high side, a taxi driver would have to make about 19 trips just to recover his operating costs. I am not in any way providing excuses for taxi drivers who attempt to fleece their customers. Such disgraceful behaviour smacks of situations one encounters in Third World countries, and should not have a place in our society. There will always be greedy cabbies who try to exploit the situation and they should be punished severely. But what about the ones who are genuinely trying to earn a living to support their families? Shouldn't the authorities or taxi companies get to the root of the problem? Cindy Low (Miss) If Miss Cindy Low's figures are accurate, an average taxi driver would need to make 19 trips, $10 each, just to break even. Based on the flag down rate of $2.50 and the subsequent charge of 10 cents for every 210m for the first 10km and 10 cents for every 175m thereafter, a journey that nets a driver $10 will be almost 15km long. Assuming that the average speed of a taxi ride is 50km/h (after factoring in slow traffic etc.) the journey is going to take 18 minutes. Assuming that our hypothetical taxi driver here is a lucky chap who's able to get a passenger with only 5 minutes of searching, the 19 trips required to break even will take approximately 7 hours and 20 minutes. If you have a typical 9-5 job, you would already have knocked off by the time our poor taxi driver breaks even (9-5 job = 7 hours of work excluding 1 h for lunch). And in that remaining 20 minutes, you might probably have reached home. Therefore, it is nothing surprising that taxi drivers have to resort to creative ways to generate additional income.Now, how can someone work so hard and yet hardly earn any money? Let's take a closer look at the cost of a taxi driver renting a taxi. Assuming a taxi costs $100,000 and is depreciated over a period of 7 years, whoever leases the taxi to a driver for $90 a day would be making an investment return of 18.6% a year even after factoring in the depreciation costs. If you were to be able to achieve an investment return of 18.6% a year consistently over a long period of time, you would be in the league of Warren Buffett, George Soros and well, maybe Ms Ho Ching. Hehe! Alright to be fair, I must point out that it isn't that simple to compound this 18.6% rate since the number of taxis in Singapore can't just keep growing forever. Still, a taxi driver would be far better off if he owned his taxi. Does a taxi driver needs his employer? I don't think so. There is little benefit for a taxi driver to have an employer. The booking system for taxis isn't that complicated and certainly does not require CEO to shake his leg in his luxurious office while collecting a handsome pay package at the same time. Now that you can see how taxi drivers are exploited to the very last drop, don't you think they are very similar to the slaves of the past? The law has replaced the whips of the past. Who needs whips when you can use the law to make your slaves submit to you? The metal chains of yesterday has evolved into the chains of economics. Who needs metals chains to trap your slaves when you can use the tools of economic theories to do the same? Speaking of chains, isn't it wonderful to be at the top of the food chain where you can apply the free market mechanisms on everyone else, but yourself? Racial harmony: The fear of your own shadows What exactly is racism? A quick check with wikipedia yields these various definitions by different dictionaries"According to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is a belief or ideology that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another race or races. The Merriam-Webster's Webster's Dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race, and that it is also the prejudice based on such a belief. The Macquarie Dictionary defines racism thus: the belief that human races have distinctive characteristics which determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others."Common among these definitions is that racism involves some form of belief or ideology that one races is superior over another. It is one thing to make hasty generalisations on different races of people out of ignorance and another to practice racism. For example, if one were to state the following: "All chinese love to gamble", that would not be considered racism. That's just a hasty generalisation, unless you can show that the love to gamble makes someone inferior. Racism would be something like refusing to hire a chinese cashier for fear that he/she would steal money from the cash box because "all chinese love money" for it implies that the chinese are inferior in terms of honesty.On the blogosphere, I found a couple of examples of what people construe as racism. For example, this blogger thought that an Irish woman who voiced out her fears that immigrants were abusing the migration policy of her country was considered racism. I wonder how such a simple fear translates to a belief or ideology that her race is superior over another.Another example would be this blogger who thought that a joke, on how the different races in Singapore choose a spouse, made by his teacher in secondary school was racist. This was the joke, taken from his blog“Well boys, listen carefully. A Chinese lady, will not care if her man is handsome or does not have a good character. As long as he has money.An Indian lady, will not care if her man is handsome or has no money. As long as he has good character.A Malay lady, will not care if her man has no money or character. As long as he is handsome.”At most, this joke was only about stereotyping. Hardly racist in my opinion, unless of course you consider that the love for money, the love for good character and the love for good looks fulfills the criteria of racism as mentioned above.It seems to me that Singaporeans are a tad too sensitive when it comes to anything that has got to do with race. So much so that whenever one mentions anything related to race, he risks being seen as a racist. For example, I would be surprised if most people did not find this joke offensiveQuestion: How do you blindfold a chinese?Answer: With dental floss!Have we become so sensitive to the point that even a harmless joke on the ocular size of the chinese is considered offensive? Offensive enough to generate anger and hatred?This begs the question: Why are we so sensitive when it comes to matters with regards to race?I have my suspicions that the government's attitude to racial matters plays no small part in this anomalous sensitivity. The constant fear mongering that we should not take racial harmony for granted serves only to heighten our fears of racial problems, very much in the same way how an allergen sensitises the immune system of a person so that the next time that person comes into contact with that allergen, he might suffer a huge allergic reaction. This is akin to the story of how a man who wanted to hide his 300 tales of gold. He dug a hole and buried his gold, then put up a sign that says "No 300 tales of gold buried here". Needless to say, his gold was stolen.Perhaps it's time to remove the requirement to have "race" printed on our identify card. If the government wants to reduce divisiveness in our society it seems to me that this is a very obvious step to take. After all, what exactly is a race? I bet different breed of dogs have more genetic differences than any 2 human races. All race is, is really the different amounts of pigmentation produced by certain cells in our skin. A classification based on skin colour is only as logical as to classify people based on the amount of body hair they have or their differences in height. Perhaps a course in biology would very much dispel these misconceptions people have with regards to race. After all, the root of racism is ignorance.PAP's idea of achieving racial harmony is really more like casting shadows to scare yourself. Mee Siam Mai Hum and Phantom Trains in the CTE PM signals tough measures ahead He says more initiatives needed to improve health care, transport By Goh Chin Lian PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday served notice that some major policy measures which may be tough or 'painful', like means testing for hospital care and further steps to deal with car ownership and usage, are on the cards. He cited these as some of the initiatives that will be taken in coming months to help Singapore tackle problems. Noting that it is time to implement means testing in hospitals, he said this is one way to make sure lower-income Singaporeans get a higher subsidy than those who are better off. The Health Ministry is studying the idea and will consult the unions when it has firmer ideas on what to do, he told some 1,000 unionists and guests at the National Trades Union Congress National Delegates Conference. He was speaking on the first day of the three-day conference at Orchid Country Club in Khatib. The conference is held every four years to chart the labour movement's future direction. In a speech that outlined the unions' role in economic progress and government policy-making, Mr Lee said Singapore must keep adapting to change to stay ahead, which means, at times, more major policies. Health care is one area where many initiatives are being rolled out to improve the system and ease fears about its affordability. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who was present at the conference but declined to speak to reporters on the issue, gave notice in April that means testing will start in a limited form in public hospitals within a year. He said then it may include checking a patient's finances if he exceeds the average five-day stay in hospital. In step-down facilities like nursing homes, patients get a 75, 50 or 25 per cent subsidy if their family income divided by the number of family members is $1,000 a month or less. Public hospitals have no such income criteria. Mr Lee said yesterday the idea is to target government subsidies at the lower-income group 'who need these subsidies most'. 'It's not easy to do. It's very sensitive... How to implement it fairly and simply, without making hospital care unaffordable for the middle-income group?' The unions, he noted, are also working towards a portable medical benefits system that it has talked of for nearly 10 years. 'It's something which we should pursue with some urgency,' he said. Land transport is another major policy area under review. Recounting his drive to the conference that morning, he said: 'I was watching the trains going down into town along the Central Expressway. Every carriage was packed. I think we need to improve the public transport. We've got some ideas.' Roads also need to be free-flowing: 'Driving out from town, the roads were fine. Driving down in the opposite direction along the CTE was not so good.' There is no easy way to improve road traffic and 'painful measures' like Electronic Road Pricing and certificates of entitlement are 'necessary and we have to do more with them'. 'We are working out schemes and I think they'll be ready to be worked out... early next year, in January.' Mr Lee said that, on all such major issues, the Government will keep in close touch with unions. He added that ministers Lim Boon Heng and Lim Swee Say will speak for the unions and 'ask the other ministers very tough questions'. This is another “mee siam mai hum” incident by our PM. Recounting his drive to the conference that morning, he said: 'I was watching the trains going down into town along the Central Expressway. Every carriage was packed. I think we need to improve the public transport. We've got some ideas.' Sometimes, these anecdotes are really getting to me as it shows how detached our ministers are from the grassroot level. If you don’t see any MRT, please don’t recount anything. PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday served notice that some major policy measures which may be tough or 'painful', like means testing for hospital care and further steps to deal with car ownership and usage, are on the cards. Whenever our Prince has something to say, the peasants will suffer. The only positive news that we will ever get is before the elections when our Prince hands out money to buy our vote as mentioned by him in the 2006 GE. After which, we have bitter pills, painful and tough measures to endure with. Then we have our ministers deciding that they need pay raise to cope with all these and give them a 100% pay jump. The dreaded means testing is coming to haunt the middle class soon as it is introduced for hospital. Maybe we would see another columnist get sack for ranting about it. Why religion plays no useful role in the making of public policies It seemed that NMP Thio Li Ann had expressed an opinion, in a special article in ST, that religion has a role to play in public policy making. If she thinks that this is for the general benefit of Singaporeans, then once again, I'm of the opinion that she isn't very bright. Not impressed at all. The reason is simple: A religion is essentially an unfalsifiable belief. Not a great idea to make decisions based on such beliefs, especially if it concerns the general public.So what is an falsifiability? According to wikipedia,"Falsifiability (or refutability or testability) is the logical possibility that an assertion can be shown false by an observation or a physical experiment. That something is "falsifiable" does not mean it is false; rather, it means that it is capable of being disproved under hypothetical circumstances."Yeah, so why is falsifiability important? To illustrate this, let's take a look at Pascal's Wager. Pascal's Wager is actually a simple game theory in decision making, put forward by Blaise Pascal, a 17th century mathematician, physicist and religious philosopher. In essence, Blaise Pascal posits that it is a better "bet" to believe that God exists than not to believe, because the expected value of believing (which Pascal assessed as infinite) is always greater than the expected value of not believing.In the form of a decision matrix, the possibilities and consequences are listed out.Basically, it means that if you lived as if god exists and god does indeed exists, then you go to heaven, a reward of infinite value. And if god does not exist, you lose nothing (or at least not too much). However if you lived as if god did did not exists, you find yourself going to hell, a punishment of infinite value. And if god does not exist, you lose nothing (or at least not too much). For argument's sake, let's take it that the values of rewards and punishments assigned in the matrix are accurate. Then it seems like it's the smart decision to believe in god doesn't it? Well, it seems that way until you realise that the existence of god is unfalsifiable and that you can similarly come up with an unfalsifiable belief that god will send you to hell for believing in him and send those who did not believe in him to heaven. Why would he do that, you ask. Well, maybe he's trying to weed out those dummies All this leads to is just an intellectual dead-end. You can get no useful conclusions out of it.Issac Newton seemed to have gotten the hang of this idea around 300 years ago. "All forces occur in pairs, and these two forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction." - Issac Newton's third law of motionWell, I have my version of it too"All unfalsifiable beliefs occur in pairs, and the conclusions drawn from these beliefs are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction." - IMBSWell, decisions must obviously based on reality and not unfalsifiable beliefs, if you ask me. Discrimination: This time it's the cats! Today November 2, 2007Enact microchipping, neutering instead of banning cats in flatsLetter by Dr Tan Chek WeeHousing and Development Board (HDB) flat owners like myself, who wrote to the Ministry of National Development, to keep cats as companion animals were given this reply: "Cats are not allowed to be kept in HDB flats as they are nomadic in nature and are difficult to be confined within the flats."Due to the nomadic nature of cats, the nuisances caused by cats such as shedding of fur, defecating/urinating in public areas, noise disturbance et cetera would affect the environment and neighbourliness in our housing estates. In view of this, the HDB has the policy of not allowing cats to be kept in HDB flats."During the last five years, I decided to keep three cats that were rescued when they were kittens. They are now all sterilised.I installed door and window grills in my flat to make sure that they do not venture out. However, they are happily home-bound.They do not make noise from mating calls, called caterwauling, in fact, my neighbours have to make noise to call for the cats so that they can stretch their hands through the grills to"sayang" them.They are also fastidiously fussy and will do their "business" in a bin filled with recycled pellets of paper or pine dust.Responsible owners like myself support regulations instead of a ban to compel the few "black sheep" owners to be responsible.Regulations that include microchipping, keeping home cats indoors and sterilisation will be more effective in reducing complaints about cats and in reducing pet abandonment. It is a win-win situation for all.Letter by Dr Tan Chek Wee---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------So the Ministry of National Development has finally revealed the reason as to why cats are not allowed to be kept in HDB flats."Due to the nomadic nature of cats, the nuisances caused by cats such as shedding of fur, defecating/urinating in public areas, noise disturbance et cetera would affect the environment and neighbourliness in our housing estates. In view of this, the HDB has the policy of not allowing cats to be kept in HDB flats."From their explanation, it seems that cats are banned because1) they dirty the surroundings (shedding of fur)2) defecating/urinating in public areas3) noise disturbanceNow reason 1 is ridiculous. Humans definitely shed more hair than cats, given the number of bald men out there. Furthermore, there are far more humans than there are cats in aggregate. Thus if the shedding of hair dirties the environment, then humans are far more guilty in this aspect than cats. Perhaps MND seems to think that cat fur can serve as a vector for the transmission of disease, or that cats are just dirty creatures covered with pathogenic bacteria. Nothing can be further away from the truth. You have a far greater chance of getting ill by touching a human than a cat. Someone needs to explain to MND what is the species barrier when it comes to the transmission of diseases. Besides, what about the dogs? Don't they shed hair?Reason 2 is just as stupid. The reason for not allowing cats to be kept in HDB flats is because they may defecate and urinate in public areas?! Isn't that why they should all the more be kept inside the flats? Well they can prohibit cat owners from allowing their cats outside the flat without supervision. In any case, only 10% of desexed male cats and 5% of desexed female cats urinate outside their litterboxes (spraying) and far fewer spray in public areas. They way NMD views cats is that after being couped up in the flat for the whole day, owners would let them out and spray urine at the door step of neighbours just for the heck of it. As for defecation, cats tend to defecate in places where they feel safe. As such it is unlikely that a cat living in a flat would want to rush out of the house and poop at the door step of neighbouring flats. They would rather do so in the comfort of their own homes. Besides, what about the dogs? Don't they defecate and urinate too?Similarly, reason 3 is retarded as well. We do have the means of controlling noise pollution already in place. Remember when your tone-deaf neighbour does his rendition of a Singapore Idol contestant next door? Well you can call the freaking police if you have a problem. Besides, the problem of cats vocalising can be easily solved. You can alleviate your cat's boredom by providing it with toys, set up your flat to be stimulating to your cat by utilising all 3 dimensions of spaces (provide high-level walkways), implement a chasing & jumping exercise routine, scratching posts, companion cat etc.. In fact, just by desexing your cat, you can solve most of the vocalisation problems since most of the time it's to call out to a mate. It's really as simple as that. Besides, what about the dogs? Don't they bark?In other words, NMD is just full of shit. Was the maker of this lame policy attacked by cats previously? Or maybe his/her dog was attacked by a cat. Or does he/her think that cats espouse homosexual values? From what I see, Singapore does have a thing for discrimination. Age discrimination, sex discrimination, racial discrimination, sexuality discrimination, now even cats are discriminated against in favour of dogs. You name it, we have it. Singapore is indeed a city of possibilities. Typical ST forum letter ST Nov 3, 2007Be specific about disruption in train service TRAIN service in town was disrupted on Thursday at about 6.30pm. I was at City Hall Station waiting for the train when I heard the following announcement: 'There is a track fault causing service disruption for trains going south towards Marina Bay Station. The service disruption will last more than an hour.' One would logically deduce that the track fault was somewhere between City Hall and Marina Bay stations. My wife who was waiting to take the train at Somerset Station to Tampines at around the same time also heard the announcement. Hence, we were confused as to where exactly was the track fault. Was it between Somerset and Marina Bay or between City Hall and Marina Bay? Thus my wife was uncertain if she should take a bus home or continue to wait for the train, hoping that the track fault was between City Hall and Marina Bay. By this time, lots of peak-hour commuters were crowding Somerset and City Hall stations. SMRT could handle service disruptions better by doing the following: Have more frequent and detailed announcements on the location of the track fault, which part of the train service is affected and which is not. Put up signboards to inform commuters about the service disruption so that affected commuters need not go into the stations unnecessarily. Modify entry gates to handle ticket refunds during service disruptions. Eric Ong Leng Kee --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sigh.Does it matter where the track fault was? The train service would have been disrupted no matter where it was. 10 simple steps to protect homosexuals from verbal abuse To all homosexuals out there: Are you sick of being discriminated by homophobes? Sick of being labelled as a threat to society, a paedophile, a zoophile or a necrophile? Sick of the law that hangs over your head, threatening you with imprisonment? Fear no more! IMBS will teach you how to get around that in 10 simple steps. Yes, just 10 simple steps. Comes with a 30-day money back guarantee!So without further ado, IMBS will demonstrate to you how to protect yourself from any verbal attacks, discrimination and perhaps even repeal S377A once and for all. Then again, IMBS still wonders how come the whole lot of you failed to see this easy method of solving your problems.Step 1: Form a support group. Let's call it XXX for the time beingStep 2: Have members of XXX gather every Saturday for social eventsStep 3: During such gatherings, sit orderly in rows, close your eyes and hope that all the hatred against you will disappear from this world. (This is called TAR)Step 4: Before you open your eyes, shout out loud the phrase "Stop hating us!"Step 5: After opening your eyes, go pass around a container to collect some coins in order to consolidate financial powerStep 6: After collect enough money, go buy a piece of land and build a fancy building as the venue for future gatheringsStep 7: Write a book that contains the codes of conduct for the members of XXXStep 8: In that book, invent a character, well call him gaylord or something, that plays the role of your invisible best friend.Step 9: Worship that fellowStep 10: Rename your group as "Faith of Homosexology" (Inspired by the Church of Scientology)VIOLA! You have a new religion. And now, all you need to do is to use the law to your advantage. This is because IMBS found out a secret from Zuco's blog. There is a new clause added to the penal code that says"298. Whoever, with deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person, utters any word or makes any sound in the hearing of that person, or makes any gesture in the sight of that person, or places any object in the sight of that person, or causes any matter however represented to be seen or heard by that person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both."By now, I'm sure you get the hang of it. So learn something from the lawyers for once. Apart from sucking your money dry, they do actually have something useful to teach you. Just kidding! :) Religion: The limits of tolerance ST Nov 1, 2007Sexy women are a distraction, says PAS leader KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S Muslim men are suffering sleepless nights and cannot pray properly because their thoughts are distracted by a growing number of women who wear sexy clothes in public, a prominent opposition cleric said. Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the spiritual leader of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), said he wanted to speak about the 'emotional abuse' that men face because it is seldom discussed, the fundamentalist Islamic party reported on its website yesterday.'We always (hear about) the abuse of children and wives in households, which is easily perceived by the eye, but the emotional abuse of men cannot be seen,' Datuk Nik Aziz said. 'Our prayers become unfocused and our sleep is often disturbed.' He has made controversial comments about women in the past, including that women should stop wearing lipstick and perfume to lower the risk of being raped. Women's groups have slammed his statements. They say comments like his encourage rapes because they put the blame on women. Datuk Nik Aziz is also the Chief Minister of Kelantan, the sole Malaysian state that is not ruled by the Barisan Nasional governing coalition. In the northern state, the Islamic party has fined Muslim women for not wearing headscarves in workplaces and implemented separate check-out lines for men and women in supermarkets. ASSOCIATED PRESS------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When Datuk Nik Aziz said 'We always (hear about) the abuse of children and wives in households, which is easily perceived by the eye, but the emotional abuse of men cannot be seen, our prayers become unfocused and our sleep is often disturbed.' , i totally flipped.So that's what he calls emotional abuse. I suppose when jewellery stores display what seems to be an endless variety of ear-rings, neckless and pendants, that's emotional abuse. Or how about someone munching on his burger, walking past you down the street. That's emotional abuse too. What about the emotional abuse you suffer when someone zips past you in a flashy ferrari down the expressway? I'm damn sure that gives you good justification to steal that insensitive bastard's ferrari. Or bar him from driving his million dollar speed machine at least.Still on the topic on the inane and not-so-harmless things religious leaders sprout out every now and then, the Vatican surely qualifies as the number 1 clown when they say stuff like "condoms don't stop HIV" despite studies establishing "It is not established whether the condom is as effective at preventing heterosexual transmission of HIV as it is for preventing conception. An overall estimate of condom effectiveness for HIV prevention is needed. Methods: Information on condom usage and HIV serology was obtained from 25 published studies of serodiscordant heterosexual couples. Condom usage was classified as always (in 100% of acts of intercourse), sometimes (1-99%, 0-99% or 1-100%) or never (0%). Studies were stratified by design, direction of transmission and condom usage group. Condom efficacy was calculated from the HIV transmission rates for always-users and never-users. Results: For always-users, 12 cohort samples yielded a consistent HIV incidence of 0.9 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 0.4-1.8). For 11 cohort samples of never-users, incidence was estimated at 6.8 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 4.4-10.1) for male-to-female transmission, 5.9 per 100 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-15.1) for female-to-male transmission and 6.7 per 100 (95% confidence interval, 4.5-9.6) in samples that specified the direction of transmission. Generally, the condom's effectiveness at preventing HIV transmission is estimated to be 87%, but it may be as low as 60% or as high as 96%. Conclusions: Consistent use of condoms provides protection from HIV. The level of protection approximates 87%, with a range depending upon the incidence among condom nonusers. Thus, the condom's efficacy at reducing heterosexual transmission may be comparable to or slightly lower than its effectiveness at preventing pregnancy."Suddenly it isn't so funny anymore.How about the creationism/intelligent design movement in USA? You can read more about it by clicking on that wikipedia link and find out how much time was wasted by the scientific community in order to debunk those clowns. This begs the question: What mechanisms can we put in place to protect our society from the damaging effects of those lies? I have no answer to that. It's a really tough question. How do we balance the need to respect the beliefs of others with the realities of our world?According to this wise man H. L. Mencken, "We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart."In other words, when you say that your wife, who looks like thisis prettier than Sonija Kwok,we wouldn't bother shutting you up. We may politely agree with you in your presence and then laugh at your bad taste in your absence. Or we may act in the more politically correct manner and say "You are entitled to your opinion".But if you were to attempt to take away Sonija Kwok's Miss HK crown and give it to your wife, then we have a problem. Because the fact is that Sonija Kwok is the beautiful one. No pop bands for schools!!! Have you ever wondered why peasants sometimes can be so politically apathetic? I think I have found the reason. Recently there is a big hoo ha over at PLMGSS as students are unhappy that the principal has rejected a surprise visit by a pop band that the students have won in a contest for the school. Looking at the reply from PLMGSS, I had a sense of deja vu Accusation 1: Are schools in Singapore so inflexible that students are not allowed to join contests using the school name?"It is not a question of flexibility or inflexibility, but of choice. There are all kinds of contests and a choice has to be made to decide which ones to take part in and which to decline” Not a question of flexibility or not, it is about choice, of which you have none. "This is not true. Pupils have a lot of say in the school. There are various platforms to hear the pupils. Pupils can request to speak to the school leaders and have often done so."There is also the pupil suggestion box, focus group discussions, climate survey and pupil needs survey carried out throughout the year. Having pupil suggestion box, focus group discussions, climate survey and pupil needs survey shows the pupils have a lot of say in the school plus they also have various platforms to hear the pupils, it’s just that no one is listening to what they have to say."Pupils are constantly taught that there is always a right place, right time and right way to say what they want to say. This is part of educating a generation of people who will have the right social and emotional competencies to contribute positively to the stability and progress of ourcommunity and country. " “Pupils are constantly taught that there is always a right place, right time and right way to say what they want to say.” And the time is not now. So having a pop band visit your school is going to erode the right social values and emotional competencies and will lead students to contribute negatively to the stability and progress of our community and country. Hmm… This is getting all too familiar. ERP again ERP rates going up again for third time this yearBy Margaret Perry, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 October 2007 2045 hrs SINGAPORE: Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates are going up again for the third time this year.There will also be new gantries erected.The highest amount will be charged at the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). The gantry affected is the one at the slip road into the Central Expressway (CTE).From November 5, motorists will pay $3.50 from 7:30am to 8:00am. The amount charged goes up to $5.00 between 8:30am and 9:00am. This is a $1.50 increase in the 8:30am to 9:00am period since February this year.The latest hike comes just days after the opening of the Kallang-Payar Lebar Expressway (KPE) Tunnel.The KPE is expected to ease congestion on the CTE when it opens fully late next year.ERP rates will also go up by 50 cents at six other gantries.The CTE gantry north of Braddell Road will cost $2.50 between 7:30am and 8:00am.Three CTE gantries south of Braddell Road will cost $4.00 between 8:30am and 9:00am.Those travelling along Bendemeer Road will have to pay $1.50 from 8:30am to 9:00am, instead of the current $1.Drivers on Thomson Road will also have to pay $1.50 between 8:30am and 9:00am.New ERP gantries will also start operating on November 5.There will be one on the north-bound CTE just before the PIE exit, and two along the east-bound ECP before the Rochor Road exit and Ophir Road slip road.There is also another one on the south-bound Bukit Timah Expressway after the Dairy Farm exit before it joins the PIE. - CNA /ls http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/308462/1/.html “The latest hike comes just days after the opening of the Kallang-Payar Lebar Expressway (KPE) Tunnel.The KPE is expected to ease congestion on the CTE when it opens fully late next year.” Hmm… sometimes, I feel that I am stupid too. We have a new expressway opening up to ease traffic congestion so the rationale of the rise in ERP is??? To further ease the traffic congestion? That must be the case and this shows how efficient our government is and the foresight that they have. It has been pointed out by Lucky Tan that the rise in charge coincides with the start of the school holidays, where traffic is lighter due to the school holidays. Our government is thinking for their citizens. In November, when there is lighter traffic, they can do more experimenting and find solutions to problems should they arise. E.g. if in November, the traffic conditions don’t change, they will do another revision. Don’t you know that ERP has resulted in an increase in car ownership? Haven’t you learnt the lesson that when prices go up, they tend not to come down? So to maintain the status quo, ERP charges have to go up to make up for the shortfall in the COE revenue. Bearing in mind we are peasants, we shouldn’t be allowed to own so many cars. Sometimes I wonder whether this is a ploy to increase the productivity of peasants. The only way to avoid the charges is to go to work early and leave work late. This way, we get to work longer hours and avoid the charges altogether, a good way to contribute to the economy. Peasantland FTW! The poison that Traditional Chinese Medicine can be On the topic of TCM again, many people tend to assume that the herbs used in chinese medicine, of which many are plants, are safe. Many tend to associate natural products as safe and that man-made chemicals are always bad. Nothing can be further away from the truth. The only way to know if these herbs are safe is to test them. Some may think that since many others have taken these herbs previously, the safety of these herbs should be apparent. However, I would like to quote Dr Ng Eng Hen "The relationship is not so simple".There are many reasons why toxicity associated with plants often escape, well, association with the plant. For example, the effects of toxicity may be cumulative and only show up after prolonged usage of the causative agent. Or the effects are delayed, resulting in clinical signs showing up after many months have passed. Or it can be that the timing of the exposure plays an important role. It could also be that the toxic agents originate from parasites infecting the plant in question, so the plant will be toxin free most of the time but not all the time. With all these factors coming into play, it is very difficult to link toxicity to the causative agent.So what are some examples of poisonous plants and the effects they cause?Nerium oleander This plant here is deadly. Chewing on just one leave can kill you.Acacia georgineaeThis tree here is deadly too. It produces fluoroacetate which shuts down the metabolic pathways in your body (TCA cycle), killing you in the process.GastrolobiumThis pretty looking plant produces fluroacetate too.Lolium perenneThis plant alone is non-toxic. However when it is infected by the fungus Neotyphodium lolii, the fungus produces toxins like ergovaline (causes hyperthermia syndrome and gangrene of your limbs) or other toxins that cause diarrhoea in animals at least.Veratrum californicumThis plants here is amazing. The classic example of how the timing of ingestion affects the outcome. If ingested by a pregnant sheep at day 14 of pregnancy, this is what you getCyclopiaYes. Cyclops do exist. By extrapolating this onto humans, you might get thisNot that I'm trying to scare you. But the fact is that drugs used in "western" medicine are all tested for safety and efficacy. It is a legal requirement. TCM herbs on the other hand...... well let's just say I have not been able to find data on safety and efficacy for most of those herbs. Given the difficulty in associating the clinical signs of toxicity with the herbs, and the fact that alot of chinese herbs are not tested for safety let alone efficacy, I would say it's better to stick with your "western" doctor. At least "western" drugs have been tested rigorously on lab mice, rabbits and Guinea pigs as well as humans, so that we know how safe and efficacious they are. Furthermore, you can sue your doctor if he gave you a sugar pill instead of anti-neoplastic drugs (for treating cancer) to treat your cancer. As previously pointed out by Angrydr here and here, it's hard to sue a geomancer or a priest conducting exorcisms since fengshui and ghosts are not proven to exist you can't say that they are negligent. Cancer treatment with TCM is not supported by any research studies. So how would you know if your TCM practitioner gave you the "correct" treament? Let's leave the toxic herbs out of the equation first. Can you even sue your TCM practitioner for giving you a sugar pill in the first place? "Western" doctors will be in a legal fix if they did that. Given the prevalance of poisonous herbs (no real suprise since plants evolve defence mehanisms to protect themselves), the diffculting in establishing a link with toxicity and causative agent and the lack of data on safety as well as efficacy it would be unwise to turn to TCM. So why are there so many people who swear by TCM? 1) Dead patients can't tell you that TCM didn't work for them. 2) Group think (mutual influence in a group of people) 3) The placebo effect 4) Many diseases are self limiting, giving the illusion of a cure 5) Concurrent "western" medical treatment that was actually doing the good work, also giving the illusion of cure by TCM ST forum letter promoting Quackery? Decide for yourself Letter from ST forumTCM centre at SGH a boon to cancer patients THE news on '$2.8m TCM centre at SGH from Nov'' and 'Meeting of East and West in research'' (ST, Oct 20), moved me to tears.The great moment - my hope for the day when our local public medical institutions/hospitals can support the use of both Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of cancer is likely to come true.As the founder of Cancerstory.com, a volunteers' initiative, I strongly feel that cancer patients should not be deprived of a chance to survive if medical science cannot help them.In reality, there are some patients who are already 'sentenced to death' by their medical doctors but who have survived cancer after receiving some form of safe and reliable complementary treatment such as TCM.TCM treatments have been shown to help relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life by lessening the side effects of conventional treatments and providing psychological and physical benefits to the patients.Many cancer patients feel that no doctor will be pleased to learn of alternative life-saving antidotes that may threaten the 'supremacy' of Western medicine. When things go wrong, the doctors are also likely to put the blame on any form of complementary methods that their patients might be receiving alongside conventional treatment.As a result, some patients decided to hide the fact that they were taking Chinese medicine even in instances when they were coping and progressing well during conventional treatment. Some doctors were amazed at the good results, but failed to discover the truth - that is, the efficacy of Chinese medicine.However, I always encourage cancer patients to be truthful to their doctors. Lack of communication about TCM treatment and dietary supplements creates an information gap between doctors and patients that may result in poor cancer management.Let's hope that the collaboration goes smoothly. To me, it will be the greatest gift to people living with cancer in the Remaking of Singapore - receiving true comprehensive cancer care and equal opportunities to fight cancer in their own stride.If this happens, cancer patients no longer need to be concerned if TCM clashes with conventional treatment when treated by the 'East Meet West'' specialists in SGH.Many cancer patients will no longer need to fork out hefty sums to consume expensive 'healing mushrooms'' such as lingzhi, yunzhi, maitake and agaricus.A competent TCM practitioner/specialist is unlikely to treat cancer using an expensive single herb prescription.Lee Soh Hong (Miss)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"In reality, there are some patients who are already 'sentenced to death' by their medical doctors but who have survived cancer after receiving some form of safe and reliable complementary treatment such as TCM. "Erm...... claiming credit for the efficacy of real medical treatment for cancer? How did you know it was the TCM herbs that sent the cancer into remission and not real medical treatment that was doing the job? "TCM treatments have been shown to help relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life by lessening the side effects of conventional treatments and providing psychological and physical benefits to the patients. "That's a pretty big claim. But I wondered why you did not cite the research studies that suggests that TCM treatments can do all of those."Many cancer patients feel that no doctor will be pleased to learn of alternative life-saving antidotes that may threaten the 'supremacy' of Western medicine. When things go wrong, the doctors are also likely to put the blame on any form of complementary methods that their patients might be receiving alongside conventional treatment. As a result, some patients decided to hide the fact that they were taking Chinese medicine even in instances when they were coping and progressing well during conventional treatment. Some doctors were amazed at the good results, but failed to discover the truth - that is, the efficacy of Chinese medicine. "Doctors would be delighted if Chinese medicine were really efficacious for this would mean that the active ingredient in the herbs can be isolated, adding to the repertoire of anti-neoplastic drugs they have. The question is where is the evidence that demonstrate the efficacy of Chinese medicine? This was what one study published by the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology said: In conclusion, Chinese cancer patients, willingly, rampantly and non-selectively seek out and consume alternative medications, with almost total ignorance of the medication consumed, oblivious to any potential side effects, and with little subjective benefit. Personally, I feel it is absolutely irresponsible of ST to publish such a letter that might skew the decision of a cancer patient towards using TCM rather than real medicine. All this letter is, is really an advertisement for TCM with misleading/dangerous/unsubstantiated claims. I mean where the hell are the studies that demonstrates the efficacy of TCM for cancer? Heterosexual sex to be banned in the future Many years from now, after S377A has exerted its deterrent effect on homosexual sex , the homosexual population will have a lower rate of HIV infection than the heterosexual population. Which means that the heterosexual population will have a higher rate of HIV infection than the heterosexual population. Once we reach that stage, we should have an NMP make such a speech during a parliamentary debate:"Sir, public health and safety is a legitimate purpose served by a ban on heterosexual, anal and oral sex. All these practices are efficient methods of transmitting sexual diseases and AIDs / HIV which are public health problems. These are not victimless crimes as the whole community has to foot the costs of these diseases.Anal-penetrative sex is inherently damaging to the body and a misuse of organs, like shoving a straw up your nose to drink. The anus is designed to expel waste; when something is forcibly inserted into it, the muscles contract and cause tearing; fecal waste, viruses carried by sperm and blood thus congregate, with adverse health implications like rectal prolapse, anal cancer and cervical cancer. ‘Acts of gross indecency’ under the ban also covers unhygienic practices like “rimming” where the mouth comes into contact with the anus. Consent to harmful acts is no defence – otherwise, our strong anti-drug laws must fall as it cannot co-exist with letting in recreational drugs as a matter of personal lifestyle choiceSame-sex sodomy is harmful, but medical studies indicate that opposite-sex sodomy carries a higher price tag for society because of higher promiscuity and frequency levels. The New York Times reported that even informed heterosexuals return to unsafe practices like bare-backing and heterosexual bug-chasing after a health crisis wanes. A British Study showed that the legalization of heterosexual sodomy correlated with an upsurge of STDs among heterosexuals. Common sense tells us that with more acceptance, any form of consensual sexual behaviour increases. Anti-heterosexual sex laws have some deterrent effect."So how can Singaporeans procreate? Artificial insemination, duh! Yes, this is how retarded it is. S377A again: The sky is falling! Lately, some of my readers think that I've been resorting to ad hominem attacks on NMP Thio. Some think that I am rude. Or disrespectful of a highly regarded person. Or merely trying hard to deconstruct NMP Thio's arguments without backing it up with substantive arguments (ie. NMP Thio is wrong therefore I am right). So without further ado, let's clear this shit up.I am rudeYes I am rude :(Ad hominem attacks on NMP ThioThere is a difference between ad hominem and calling a spade a spade.An ad hominem has this basic form:Person A makes claim XThere is something objectionable about Person ATherefore claim X is falseIt is different when Person A first points out the flaws and silliness in Person B's argument before calling Person B a twit. At most it may be considered rude.Lack of respect for authorityIt doesn't matter if one has PhD in law. Or became a full professor at 38 years of age. You can be a Nobel prize winner, but once you engage in cow dung thinking/logic, you are fair game for criticism and ridicule. The esteemed Einstein had refused to accept quantum theory despite the accuracy of it just because of "aesthetic" reasons (the non-deterministic nature of it). As a result, he was ostracised by the scientific community late in his career. Remember, you are right only if your logic and evidence is sound and not because of how authoritative you are. .Not backing up my argumentsAs for this point, I do admit that I've only engaged in debunking the lame arguments against repealing S377A. And I do know that just because your opponent is wrong doesn't make you right.So here's my version of why S377A should be repealed.This rests mainly on the innocent till proven guilty principle. If the pro377A camp can get S377A to be retained by accusing homosexuals to be a hazard to society and then shift the burden of proof onto them to show they pose no harm to society, think about the kind of precedent we are setting. Perhaps it may be justifiable to do this if the potential for harm is really that great to society. Perhaps it may be justifiable if repealing S377A will lead the end of Singapore. Then again, Denmark has had same-sex unions for almost 20 years. Did their society crumble? A case of Chicken Licken running around shouting "The sky is falling!"? Thank you PAP for giving Singaporeans more chances to own cars ERP helps more S'poreans to own cars: Minister THE use of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) has made it possible for more Singaporeans to own cars. Responding to a question for written reply in Parliament on Monday, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said this is reflected in the growth of Singapore's car population from 680,000 in 1997 to 800,000 in 2006. Dr Fatimah Lateef, MP for Marine Parade GRC, had asked the Minister if the ERP scheme has met the objectives that it was meant to achieve and if it has improved the traffic flow on expressways especially during peak hours. In his reply, Mr Lim said since its implementation in 1998, ERP has been effective in maintaining average travel speeds on priced roads within the optimal speed range through regular reviews and rate adjustments. For example, average speeds on the expressways have remained at above 45km/h during peak hours. "The use of ERP to manage traffic has made it possible for more Singaporeans to own cars than we otherwise could, and our vehicle population has grown from 680,000 in 1997 to 800,000 in 2006," he added. "It has also allowed the Government to rely more on car usage charges and less on car ownership taxes to manage traffic demand, and as a result, vehicle ownership taxes have been reduced." The Ministers said the government will continue with a holistic and integrated approach using all the tools available to keep the roads smooth-flowing. These include building more roads, regulating vehicle growth, implementing traffic engineering solutions, managing traffic demand through ERP and promoting the use of public transport We should be thankful to our million dollar ministers for allowing us to own more cars. It is to their credit that we are now able to drive to work instead of taking the public transport.I just realised that only Singaporeans buy cars as "The use of ERP to manage traffic has made it possible for more Singaporeans to own cars than we otherwise could, and our vehicle population has grown from 680,000 in 1997 to 800,000 in 2006," he added." This means that the vehicle population is directly attributed to Singaporeans. But as we all know, Singaporeans is such an all inclusive term nowadays that anyone can call themselves Singaporeans. This is necessary as we seek to benefit from "Globalisation" and reap the "economic benefits" from itERP is such an effective system that they should have implemented it long ago. They charge you a fee for using the expressway so that it won't be congested and we can have "average speeds on the expressways have remained at above 45km/h during peak hours." For use of the term "express" in transportation today, we have to pay a premium because it is necessary. Like the Express buses that SBS provides us, we should pay a premium because it brings us to areas that no other buses are able to bring us there in that amount of time even though it uses roughly the same routes as other buses.Then when they find that peasants get used to the thought of paying a few dollars to use the expressway, they increase review the fees so that they realized they are peasants and should not be using the expressway they can manage the traffic flow of the expressway better. If you are wondering what the link between ERP and vehicle ownership, the link is that instead of charging you a lump sum fee for buying a vehicle, you get to pay a lower lump sum and be charge small amounts each time you use your vehicle. This makes it more affordable for you to own a vehicle.