Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Kefir - Ljubavna Prica

  Nekada, prije cca 20 godina, sjećam se da je kefir imao "zrnca". Danas to više nije slučaj i današnji kefiri koji se kod nas nalaze u prodaji teško da se mogu razlikovati od jogurta. Siguran sam da da nije napisa na ambalaži malo ko bi znao šta pije, da li jogurt ili kefir. Mislim, da budem iskren, ovo sto imamo u ponudi nije ni k od kefira, sve nesto "blago i kremasto", impotentno je rijec koja mi pada na pamet.

  Uzmem da malo istražim i u Google ukucam "what's the original kefir", da vidim koliko je ovaj današnji inferiorniji od originalnog i stvarno, nije ni bilo teško, tako se bar činilo, prvi hit i odlican, iscrpan članak o kefiru ali kasnije se ispostavilo da je čista koještarija. Nije da se hvalim ali posjedujem izvjesnu težnju za detaljima što mi je da tako kažem, stvorilo probleme, morao sam da prepravljam ovaj post čini mi se stotinu puta. Zbog kontradiktornih navoda, pogrešnih informacija i izravnih laži, istraživanje je postalo mukotrpno. Gore spomenuti "iscrpan članak" navodi bez ikakvih referenci da je Marko Polo probao kefir i o njemu pisao u svojim hronikama o istočnim putovanjima, međutim, nakon što sam proveo par sati trazeći po internetu da to potvrdim, otkrijem da se takođe radilo o kumisu. Još jedan primjer, za oblast iz koje potiče kefir Karačaj, često se kaže Karačaj-Balkar što su dva potpuno ista, odnosno jedan narod samo što su razdvojeni planinom Elber. E sad, mnogi blogeri zbog sličnosti Balkar sa Balkan pišu kako kefir potiče sa Balkana. I sve tako. Puno prepreka ali malo je reći da se nisam ni nadao na kakvu ću interesantnu priču naletjeti. 

  Porijeklo riječi kefir je nepoznato a najčešće se navodi da dolazi od arapskog - keyif  koje znaci dobro raspoloženje, zadovoljstvo, uživanje. Kod nas je ta riječ dosla preko Turske, istog je značenja a kaže se ćeif, a i u Americi ga tako prevode pa je kod njih poznat kao feel good beverage - napitak dobrog osjećaja, pri čemu se misli na zdravestvene benefite konzumacije kefira. Realnije je ipak da Karačajci jednom kada su otkrili kefir, pošto za njega nisu imali riječ zvali su ga ajran po mliječnom napitku koji su poznavali, samo bi ispred dodali opisni pridjev i tako: gipi ajran (gipi je mjeh) ili kefli ajran (žestoki ajran) te je vjerovatno tako nastao naziv kefir.

  Kefir (ruski кефир) je jedinstven mliječni napitak zahvaljujući kombinciji laktične kiseline i alkoholnoj fermentaciji laktoze u mlijeku. Priprema se tako da se zrna kefira koja liče na karfiol veličine žita, a mogu višestruko da narastu, stavljaju u sirovo mlijeko usljed čega dolazi do fermentacije. Sastoje se od mliječnog proteina kasein i simbiotskih želatinskih kolonija bakterija zajedno sa gljivicama odnosno kvascima.

Zrna kefira. Photo by mfcorwin

  Kefir potiče sa Kavkaza, tacnije sa Elbrus planine koja se nalazi u Rusiji i koja je sa svojih 5642 metra najviši vrh Evrope. Pastiri te regije koji su svježe mlijeko nosili u mjehovima od kozje kože su primjetili da bi ono s vremena na vrijeme postalo kiselo, karbonizovano, a legenda kaze da je tim pravoslavnim pastirima "zrna" kefira na poklon dao niko drugi već Muhamed, te se otuda nazivaju "prorokova zrna" ili "prorokova kaša". Napomenuo im je da tajnu spravljanja kefira ne smiju nikome odati jer će u protivnom da izgubi svoju magičnu moć. Tako su i činili. Putnici namjernici mogli su da se okrijepe sa kefirom, ali ne i da saznaju tajnu njegovog pravljenja.

Elbrus

  Dragocjena zrna kefira su doslovno bila dragocjena, ko ih je imao u tom kraju, a to je mahom bilo plemstvo, smatrao se dobrostojećim. Gorštački pastiri su ipak na svojim putovanjima mogli da naprave kefir, jednostavno bi sa sobom ponijeli mješine od kozje kože u kojima je prethodno bio kefir, u njih bi sipali svježe mlijeko i kako su se kretali mješine bi se drmusale, mlijeko se mješalo sa ostacima zrnca u njima i kao nekim čudom, ponovo bi nastajao taj ljekoviti, okrepljujući napitak. Postoje još dvije legende o tome kako se spravljao kefir. Prva kaže da su mjeh kačili na ulazna vrata o kvaku te bi tako svako ko je ulazio ili izlazio iz kuće morao da prodrma mjeh, a druga kaže kako su mjeh izbacivali na ulicu gdje ga je svaki prolaznik, kao sto to običaj nalaže, šutnuo nogom. Čini mi se da se ove legende prije odnose na ajran nego na kefir za čiju pripravu trešenje i drmanje nije toliko bitno osim onog inicijalnog kada se gljivice tek dodaju u mlijeko, tad ih je bitno malo promiješati.  
 

   Nisam pronašao dokaze da se za kefir znalo prije druge polovine XIX vijeka premda je u toj regiji bilo dosta aktivnosti škotskih prezbetarijanskih misionara i njemačkih naseljenika. Prvo zvanično spominjanje sačuvano je u tekstu izvještaja kavkaškog medicinskog udruženja iz 1867 gdje se govori o ljekovitim svojstvima kefira.  

  Tokom rata sa Otomanima (1877–1878) koji se jednim dijelom odvijao na Kavkazu, ruski vojnici su imali priliku da probaju kefir pa su po povratku pronijeli glas o čudesnom mliječnom napitku koji lagano omamljuje. Među njima je bio i dr N. V. Dmitrijev, on 1883 objavljuje knjigu "Kefir, ljekoviti napitak od kravljeg mlijeka" te tako doprinsi sve većoj zainteresovanosti medicinskih krugova Rusije.

  Kako su karačajci kefir prodavali, ponesto je napitka dospijevalo do Moskve. Naučnici su ga studirali, ispitivali ali koliko god se trudili, nisu ga mogli reproducirati. Kefirova fermentacijska zrna se zbilja ne mogu bolje opisati nego kao magična. Ni do dan danas a uprkos bezbroj pokušaja i naučnih studija, niko nije uspio reproducirati kefir bez kefirovih zrna. Sa druge strane plemena su uspješno čuvala tajnu i prenosila zrna iz generacije u generaciju. Fantastično je to da su tajnu održali sve do početka XX vijeka.

Karacajci u 19om vijeku  
    

  Karačajci su divan, miroljubiv narod. Fasciniran sam i napisao bih više o njima ali to bi onda prešlo obim ovog članka. Spomenuću samo osnovno. Krajem šezdesetih godina je istaknuti sovjetski etnograf I. M. Shamanov napavio ekspediciju u Karačaj-Balkar i utvrdio, između ostalog, da su Karačajci krajem XVIII vijeka pod uticajem Osmanlija prešli na islam, ali su u kalendaru zadržali hrišćanske svece. To je takođe ukazalo na njihovo porijeklo od Alana. Bili su izuzetno bogati svom vrstom stoke sopstvene sorte, na primjer, Kozacima bi prodavali godišnje i do 10 000 konja karačajske pasmine. O njihovoj gotoljubivosti govori činjenica da su zasebno gradili gostinjske kuće (kunatskaje) samo za tu namjenu. 



                                   Na slikama karacajske narodne nosnje.


   Dakle pocetkom 20og vijeka, Rusijom se pročulo to kako su ljudi tog kraja, Karačajci, izuzetno dugovječni i vitalni, postoje mitovi kako su mnogi od njih živjeli po 150 godina. Čak su i dan danas jedan od naroda sa najvećim brojem ljudi od preko 100 godina. Ruski zoolog poznat kao "otac imuniteta" dr. Ilja Iljič Mečnikov, dobitnik Nobelove nagrade za rad na imunitetu u svojoj knjizi "Produžetak života: optimistične studije" zaključuje kako su za dugovječnost najviše zasluzni laktobacili fermentisanih mliječnih napitaka te takođe govori o ostalim korisnostima za zdravlje usljed redovne konzumacije isth. Neki clanovi Sveruskog ljekarskog udruženja po objavi Mečnikove knjige 1908 godine, obrate se poznatom moskovskom mljekaru Nikolaj Blandovu sa molbom da u proizvodnju stavi taj ljekoviti napitak zvani kefir kako bi njime liječili pacijente. Blandov je bio svjestan da je taj zadatak skoro nemoguć ali mu je o tome ovisila reputacija i renome njegove mljekarske industrije.

Kislovodsk u zoru       
  

   Blandov je takođe posjedovao dvanaest manjih sirana i veliko skladište za dozrijevanje sira u gradu Kislovodsk u sjevernoj oblasti Kavkaza, podnožje planine Elbrus. Pozvao je tamo svoju zaposlenicu iz Moskve, mladu i lijepu Irinu Saharovu Timofeevnu, koja je već do svoje dvadesete godine u ime firme, bila dobitnica zlatne medalje u Parizu za sopstveni recept za puter. Blandov da zadatak Irini da zajedno sa menadžerom firme, dotičnim Vasilijem, ode u Korsunku na dvor mladog dvadesetčetvorogodišnjeg kneza Bekmirze Barčorova, a sve pod nekom poslovnom izrekom pošto je Barčorov bio najveći snabdijevač mlijeka za sirane Blandovog, te su tako i znali da posjeduje dosta kefirovog zrna. Irina je trebala da ga šarmira i od njega izmami koje zrno i recept.


   
Kuce brace Blandov na trgu u Kislovodsku
  Irina i Vasilij su dočekani na dvor sa svim dužnim počastima i čuvenom karačajskom gostoprimljivoscu; zdravice gostima su se neprekidno dizale uz raskošnu gozbu, mladi momci i djevojke su plesali uz tradicionalne kavkaške melodije, a da upotpune svečanost, konjanici su demonstrirali svoje vještine. I tako skoro svako veče bezmalo prođe mjesec dana, gosti su postali taoci ljubaznosti i pažnje domaćina.
   Prema svim izvorima, knez Bekmirza se strasno zaljubio u Irinu i neprestano su ih viđali zajedno. Išli su u duge šetnje, jahali konje, knez je sa entuzijazmom pokazivao lokalne običaje i umijeća ali na upit Irine da joj oda tajnu i da koje zrno kefira knez bi odgovorio: "Traži šta hoćes ali Prorokova zrna ti ne mogu dati!". 
 
  Nakon više bezuspješnih pokušaja, uvidjevši da od kneza neće uspjeti da pribavi zrna, Irina je odlučila da se sa Vasilijem vrati u Kislovodsk. Vjerovatno dok su se još pripremali za put, zaljubljeni princ je imao namjeru da kao što to gorštački običaji nalažu, otme Irinu sebi za mladu. I stvarno, tek sto su prešli nekoliko kilometara on pošalje za njima pet konjanika. Jedan od konjanika zgrabi Irinu i prebaci je preko sedla, pa se s njom zaputi nazad u planine.

  Iako oteta, Irina je još uvijek morala pristati na prošnju kneza koji je nudio i srce i dušu ali se ona zarekla da šuti. I tako danima dok je u međuvremenu Vasilije stigao u Kislovodsk i cijeli slučaj prijavio carskoj žandarmeriji. Žandari su blagovremeno stigli na Bekmurzov dvor i izbavili Irinu. 
 
   Time bi priča bila i okončana ali je Blandov u svemu tom ugledao sjajnu priliku. Podigao je hajku: kako se Bekmirza samo usudio da otme njegovu zaposlenicu!? Angažovao je odvjetnike i cijeli slučaj doveo pred carski sud. Već u to vrijeme, obicaj otimanja mlade je bio zabranjen i za njega je bila propisana kazna do dve godine robije, te se mladi knez vjerovatno prepao, ipak, kažu kako je i sudija zazirao od cijele te situacije. Nije želio da stvori "losu krv" sa starosjedelačkim plemenima tako što ce na robiju poslati pripadnika njihove aristokratije. Predložio je da se stranke sporazume te da Irina oprosti "zanesenom knezu koji je izgubio glavu zbog njene ljepote".

 "Hoću ako mi da deset funti suvih kefirovih gljiva!" uzviknula je drčno mlada mljekarka.

 "Slažem se" teško uzdahnuvši odgovorio je knez.

  I tako je zbog ljubavi jednog gorštačkog kneza prema lijepoj mljekarki, svijet dobio kefir, a tajna čuvana vijekovima se zauvijek ugasila. 

  Deset funti carske Rusije, što je u današnjim mjerama četiri kilograma, sutradan je, zajedno sa receptom i velikom korpom prepunom cvijeća, stiglo Irini. Knez je nastavio da svakodnevno šalje cvijeće sve dok se Irina nije malo odobrovoljila ali obostrana ljubav među njima nikada nije zaživjela. Ipak, Irina je za Bečerova otvorila vrata moskovskih krugova. Uspio je da plasira, te tako proslavi karačajsku sortu janjetine, u prestižne restorane u Mokvi pa čak i u Parizu u čuveni restoran Maxim's. Bečerov se kasnije oženio i u braku stekao sina i kćerku, umro je krajem šezdesetih.

Bekmirza Barcorov, sliku identifikovala Irina Saharova

   Po povratku u Moskvu iste te godine, Saharova je stala praviti kefir i ubrzo su prve isporuke stigle u Botkinovu bolnicu. Ljekari su njime lijecili tuberkulozu, rak, kardiovaskularne bolesti, crijevne bolesti  i mnoštvo drugih oboljenja. Nedugo zatim kefir je stigao i na police trgovina. 

  Irina se takodje udala i u braku stekla sina i kcerku. U najstarijoj ruskoj mljekari Gorki je radila vise od pola vijeka i primila jos dosta nagrada. 1973 primila je priznanje od sovjetskog ministra zdravlja zbog njene uloge u tome sto je kefir postao dostupan svijetu. Umrla je negdje osamdesetih, tacan datum nije poznat. 

Najvjerovatnije stvarna slika Irine Saharove

  

  Na cijelu pricu se ubrzo zaboravilo sve do 1970 kada A. Kiskin inzenjer-tehnolog mljekarske industrije, pise clanak za moskovske novine "Radnica". Kiskin najvjerovatnije pise po sjecanju kako mu je Irina ispricala pa u clanku pogresno navodi da je Bek-Mirza bio osetijski knez. Poslije toga neke druge novine koje su takodje pisale o "otkricu" kefirovih gljivica za Mirzu pisu da je bio gruzijski knez. I sam karacajac, etnograf Shamanov se energicno borio da ove greske ispravi. On u intervjuu za "Radnicu" u januaru 1972 demantuje pogresne navode i takodje prica o tome kako je slao sliku Bek-Mirze na identifikaciju Irini Saharovoj u Moskvu. 

  Dr Alimurat Tekejev, doktor medicinskih nauka, profesor, akademik, praunuk Bek-Mirze Barcorova 2003 godine daje intervju za TASS u kojem kaze kako je cijela prica tacna osim sto otmice nije bilo, te da je Mirza dobrovoljno poklonio gljivice Irini misleci kako ce tako osvojiti njeno srce. On takodje navodi da je Irina to potvrdila Shamanovu u jednom od pisama. Tu ipak postoji jedan konflikt interesa jer Karacajci sa strascu slave Bek-Mirzu kao covjeka koji je zajedno sa Irinom ucinio da Kefir postane dostupan cijelom svijetu, tako da im ne odgovara da je na to bio prisiljen sudskom odlukom. Ne zelim ostaviti utisak da Tekejev laze, vec je moguce i to da je Saharova, na sugestivno pitanje Shamanova, odgovorila da mu udovolji. 

  Tekejev je u raznim intervjuima iznio svoje vidjenje o tome kako su nastale kefirove gljivice: "Nasi su preci od pamtivjeka u ljetnjem i jesenjem periodu nosili mlijeko sa udaljenih pasnjaka. Nerijetko bi se desilo da se mlijeko u mjehovima ukiseli. Kada su prali te mjehove u njihovim naborima bi pronasli jos nezrela zrnca kefira. Oni su poput pravih naucnika ta zrnca posmatrali i proucavali. Naucili su kako da ih odgoje i da od njih naprave kefir."


 


                                                                                                 

 


 








Thursday, May 4, 2017

Stephen Hawking Hoax

by Miles Mathis:

Stephen Hawking
died and has been replaced

“I have written several papers critiquing Stephen Hawking, including a long one on his Brave New World series for the BBC. But this is my first paper really linking my science research with my faked events research. I will use simple photo analysis and facial analysis to quickly show you the current Stephen Hawking is not the same person as the original Stephen Hawking.

This should not surprise you too much, especially if you know something about ALS. ALS is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. We are told Hawking has had ALS for over 52 years, which is a record by many decades. Jason Becker is the only person I have heard of who has lived more than 20 years with the disease, so there is about a three-decade difference between the longest survivor and the second longest survivor. That is a more than 100% difference between first and second place. It would be like Justin Gatlin running the 100 meters in 9.8 seconds, and Usain Bolt beating him with a time of 4.5 seconds. In other words, statistically it doesn’t happen.

The average survival time for ALS is four years. When Hawking was first diagnosed in 1963, doctors gave him two years to live. And yet here we are, 52 years later and counting. Should you believe it? Well, no. Like Becker, it appears the real Hawking did beat the odds and live for about 20 years. But at some point he was replaced. I have no proof he died, but I assume that is why they replaced him. He was a very useful public relations entity for physics, and they didn’t want to lose him.”
http://milesmathis.com/hawking.pdf

 I think that there has been more than one Hawking impersonator and even these two, in photo above, are different guys, neither of them is real Hawking.
Real Hawking

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Decline of Google Plus trough my eyes.

I'm  kinda tired of social networks, yesterday had deactivated fb account, no particular reason just that I couldn't delete photos in a bulk which made me annoyed, but otherwise all had become over complicated and saturated with stuff I'll never going to need, I'm sure they're in fact there just to make us feel stupid. Nowadays you need to take course just to use social networks.
I'm not sure about G+, I'm mad at myself because I was deceiving myself that I'm not just wasting time and some practical use will somehow appear. But that's BS, even when you imagine best possible scenario it's still a crap, for example, to try to bring anyone who still reads this closer to my point, if I made this plain text post no image included, it would go completely unnoticed and even with the image, it don't stand much better chances for getting attention.

 It would be wrong to say that value of social networks has declined, it simply was never there, not even in extreme cases like when everybody is tweeting some major event, we are wrongly lead to believe how that itself was big event, but looking at the effects produced by, it says otherwise. I mean there were some good stuff like Anonymous or findings of missing persons and educational value, which primarily belongs to (University of) YouTube ;-) and generally and less convincingly some narrow-interest communities but as for linearity, it's just that.
What that means is the concentration of general public attention to fewer channels, general public which with globalization also gets its value greatly diluted. You'd want your followers to be from your proximity and that's where little of value, that fb actually has, lies. Now the fact that fb worth's amounts zillions doesn't mean much to me, IMO it's just like that fiat currency that's represented with, but that's exactly where G+'s devaluation is.

I'm by no means expert in this field and I'm more likely than not to be wrong but I'm going to express my opinion anyways. It's funny because I'm thinking I would know or see situation around social media better if I knew less or if I came yesterday on internet, how else could it be, I'd wander. But there was a great euphoria back when G+ was new  it was much better than fb, somehow clean and you could freely connect with foreign people unlike on fb ...and many other nice things like circleshare, thus I hesitate several months joining those, so naturally you'd expect people will migrate and unpredictable future will bring something nice, but it won't.
In retrospective, almost 4 years since I came to internet, (I came only because of fb, to connect with "real" friends), it wasn't an easy ride. Most of people tend to forget their first steps and I would too if it wasn't for embarrassing memory of me asking software engineer how to create fb account, in my defense, I did not had computer nor access to internet but still wanted the account and as no one could give me straight direction, I went to best. He was my friend so it wasn't like I knock on some doors lol but even he didn't know how explain that simple task to someone completely tech illiterate. So I gave up on creating fb account until I came in possession of laptop and internet connection. The whole memory then becomes vague, I was like George of the jungle but I somehow managed to create account, my tactic was to sign in where ever I saw "sign in". I in fact had G+ account months before I started to use, I didn't know what it is, I thought it was some kind of notepad, I'd open profile page and go like, WTF is this, then I found post section where I was able to randomly type letters pressing keyboard annoyed and that was my first post, of course they suggested me to create blog because "it would be such a waste not to". So I did and still didn't figure G+ is social media until days later I accidentally clicked home page and saw some "what's hot" post.


I remember conundrum meme that was later around about how G+ was created, Google executives like brain storming: "trouble with facebook is that everyone is there, lets create social network where is no one" but I believe G+ was made as convergence of needs for their BlogSpot, YouTube and maybe even Gmail (idk I'm no expert) and only then that their ambition had grown and also with it the pointless investments in G+. That's not how things on internet works, in a spirit of how it was created, you make space, or platform if you will, for people to use and you step back, there's no cultivating while is infant, you interfere less as possible, you cut your expenses also as much as possible and you wait, for ten years if necessary. G+ has and will always have its place, it is not a dead weight like some are proclaiming but you also can't force it upon people. It's clear that it's never rival the fb and for a simple fact that most people, 90% I shall say, of fb users are internet illiterate, they came about just like me and don't know how or don't have time nor interest to venture further into internet depths.
Later, about year and a half into being genuine G pluser, I wanted to act upon "invite your friends and family" policy, G+ has had, so I created account for my father (Djordje Majetic) but then I realized how difficult would be to teach him as he never been on internet and I gave up keeping the account for myself, but later I created him another one just so he could have benefits on YouTube. I show him home page and didn't tell him much other, btw he's born 1955, now it's been around year since, maybe even more, nothing. He didn't touch anything, he watches YouTube vids and reads news paper web page, biggest adventure was to birds loving forum and a gory head chopping web page (don't know how he found that).

      The recent change of Google+'s templates, which can be seen as cutting on the expenses, looks very unplanned, yeah it's that bad, I won't even go into criticizing sure there will be a lot of critiques around but I had stop already posting to my "collections" and I feel very stupid ever making those, on my Djordje Majetic account I had completely delete them and almost had deleted that account as it become more of the frustration, it's connected with this one and already had few warnings for seetrough shirts, nipslip, and one flyaway pubic hair, all that was banned so that families who are not there would be protected. Oh I waned to make good genuine post but I'm just over my head, thank you if you have read this, what else to say, I mean look at this:
Only creator could love that :DD, pun intended lol stay well!!

Friday, October 3, 2014

Woman Plants Potato in Her Own Vagina

Woman Plants Potato in Her Own Vagina

A 22-year-old woman was brought to a Colombian hospital after complaining of severe abdominal pains. Doctors were shocked to discover a potato and its roots inside her vagina was the source of the problem [via Colombia Reports].
The potato was not there for naught: "My mom told me that if I didn't want to get pregnant, I should put a potato up there, and I believed her," the unnamed patient said.
The potato had been in utero for about two weeks, which was enough time for it to grow roots inside her vagina. The offending morsel was removed easily without surgery, thankfully. Sources at the hospital blame the woman's mother for giving such misleading advice and the country's sexual education policies as well.


 HT

Monday, July 7, 2014

Tunnel in France Transforms into Surreal Wonderland

For the Festival of Lights in Lyon, France (or Fete des Lumieres Lyon), which begins on December 6 and runs through December 9, the Tunnel of La Croix Rousse will be transformed into a surreal wonderland. With light projections, the 1.8 km (or 1.1 mile) tunnel turns into an outdoor gallery. Says Georges Képénékian, Deputy for Culture of the City of Lyon, "It will be the first time in Europe that one combines the functionality of a tunnel with an innovative creation. People should even forget they are in a gallery."
Masters of illusion and trompe-l'oeil, Skertzò will present Anamorphosis, a sequence of video images that will be projected onto the walls and the roof of the tunnel for pedestrians and cyclists to discover. Some of the scenes visitors can expect to find include a plant world, river courses, and the surrounding area of Croix-Rousse soaring…

Tunnel in France Transforms into Surreal Wonderland

 

 Tunnel “modes doux” 

 Fete des Lumieres Lyon website

 

Other work: 
Lyon : et la lumière fut !

 

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Why are Europeans White?

Human beings are very adaptable to exposure to sunlight. Melanin production can shift in a population in as little a three thousand years, a heartbeat in evolutionary terms.  Many people think that the white skin of Europeans is an adaptation to the cold.  It is not. The body shape of Inuit people and the eye folds of east Asians are adaptations to the cold. The European’s white skin is an adaptation to lack of sunlight.  Now, of course, the further north one goes the less sunlight you receive but the native peoples of the far north, the Inuit, while much lighter than peoples living near the equator, are much darker than Europeans. Here’s why:
All white people originated in a small area of central Asia around the Baltic and Black seas.  This area is unique in the world.  Due to prevailing wind and ocean currents it is very dimly lit relative to other places in the same latitudes. However, the warm currents also make it warm despite the low light.  Why is this important?  Because cereals grow in this region as the result of the relatively warm temperature.  Most people living in this kind sub arctic  light must eat meat because grain will not grow.  The people of the Baltic region were cereal eaters.  You don’t get vitamin D from cereal the way you do from meat and animal products so it must come frm sun exposure. So, to increase the production of vitamin D from the dim light these people quickly lost their melanin, not just in their skin but eyes and hair as well in a process known as “neotony”.
Human beings of all races are often born with light skin and hair and blue eyes which darken shortly after birth.  Sometime about 14,000 years ago this population was introduced to a genetic mutation which preserved this infantile state into adulthood. Another more controversial theory is that this adaption to low sunlight was inherited from the Neanderthal through interbreeding. The decoding of the genome of neanderthal indicates that they also had low levels of melanin and red hair and ruddy skin. Perhaps, this isolated pocket between these two seas and the Caucasus  Mountains was the last refuge of Neanderthal. In any case these pale people remained in their dark homeland eking out a marginal existence for about nine thousand years barely surviving.  Then suddenly they burst out from this place in all directions conquering their way across the continents of Asia and Europe in what was known as the Aryan invasions. A remnant of these people still remains in this area known as the “Circassions”.  Converted to Islam in the 18th century, they are renowned for the beauty of their women and the warrior spirit of their men. Source
                                                                                Sunburns: Kim Kardashian


Melanin is a pigment that is being found in most organisms. In humans, melanin is the primary determinant of skin color. It is also found in hair, in the iris of the eye, at the inner ear and some parts of the brain.
The melanin in the skin is produced by melanocytes, which are found in the basal layer of the Epidermis. Although, in general, human beings possess a similar concentration of melanocytes in their skin, the melanocytes in some individuals and ethnic groups more frequently or less frequently express the melanin-producing genes, thereby conferring a greater or lesser concentration of skin melanin.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

What does the term ' stink eye' mean?

From Urban Dictionary
:
a look of contempt or disdain. a loaded glance.

"Look, I'm sorry but that's the way it is. Stop being (like that). I see you giving me the stink-eye". 


Photo example: